The business of making everything a luxury, summer outfit inspiration, and the art of abusing your jacket
Stuff you should know about this week.
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Food for thought
The business of making everything a luxury
Another big announcement from Virgil. This time he’s bringing LV and Nike together, putting his spin on the iconic Air Force Ones. As is custom with any Virgil drop, there are mixed reviews. It got me thinking about how much we’ve seen high-fashion benefit off of streetwear and subcultures in recent years.
The AF1s are CLASSIC. Whether you like Virgil’s designs of them is a separate issue from asking how far we’re willing to let fashion houses take what Black culture has built and use it for their own gain. This comes on the heels of Dior announcing that they’re working with Travis Scott on a Dior x Cactus Jack release.
My guy Mike Sykes—who runs the sneaker newsletter The Kicks You Wear—articulated how he feels about these announcements (Virgil, Cactus Jack), and I wanted to share his perspective:
“Sneaker culture is Black culture. It’s the same Black culture these fashion houses have shunned and rejected for years. It’s just that now, this is a multi-billion dollar industry. So it pays to embrace it even if it’s at arm’s length.
And that’s what all of this is to me — Louis V hiring Virgil, Travis working with Dior. It’s an embrace at arm’s length. And until the industry changes and we get the full thing, I don’t want any of this.” — Mike Sykes, KYW
The anatomy of Paynter’s chore coat
Paynter has me on the edge of my seat! It’s my first experience getting one of their iconic, glorious chore coats (thanks guys!), and their weekly updates on what “stage” my jacket is in has honestly bonded me to it. I feel a connection! Ha.
Here’s a fun illustration with notes about the details that went into this moleskin chore coat.
Four Fits
The everyday tee
This is a must-have outdoor tee if you’re doing anything remotely active this summer. It’s rare to find shirting that’s breathable, good to sweat in, drapes over the body perfectly, and is buttery soft. The guys over at Olivers have nailed that formula, so give it a try. If anything happens, there’s one year guarantee on it.
Price; $78
Read Listen Watch 🎧 📚
ACL invites menswear king, Michael Hainey (editor, Esquire) on the podcast. Worth the listen.
A thoughtful read on how luxury fashion has bastardized the purity of subcultures through collaboration (continuation of the Virgil announcement).
An iconic conversation from 1971 with the legendary writer James Baldwin and Nikki Giovanni about life, race, art, and culture.
The art of abusing your clothes
There’s something glorious about stress-testing the stuff you use. Be it a pair of jeans, a cutting knife, or a piece of outerwear, the scars are good. Consider this waxed cotton jacket from Tom Beckbe (an outdoor brand from Alabama). Came across this photo (right) one of their customers took showing how worn-in it is, and I think it’s simply stunning. Wanted to add what the jacket looks like new (left) to give context.
It’s like having a good leather sofa. The stains and scratches and scuffs tell a better story, that your clothes are wewell-used. There’s a beauty in that.
A happy first week of Summer, friends! 🌴 ✌️
