Onward.

My favorite summer fabric

I wear a lot of linen during the warmer months—and Austin still has at least two more warmer months in the year—but I get a lot of questions and skepticism around this excellent fabric. Ben and I covered the wrinkles and the rumples. Shirts are the easiest place to start with linen. I like Alex Crane for casual, short sleeve shirts and Proper Cloth or Sid Mashburn for long sleeve, more formal, shirts. Don't sleep on linen pants, and if you're feeling it, the Model 7A from The Armoury was a champ of my summer wardrobe.

Feeling Autumnal

My favorite season is autumn, and for many (not me) it's almost here. If you're one of the lucky ones, enjoy your ability to dress in layers, and embrace Barbour season. Ben and I got into all the stuff I'm just dreaming of wearing. Drake's just put out their early autumn lookbook and it's fantastic. I wish I could dress like this, but I will have to wait to for Austin winter to be able to layer cardigans and sport coats like this.

I'm also excited to wear some white double knee jeans (Observer Contractors), hiking boots, and military jackets for more casual outings.

Growing Into Your Style

Your style won't change unless you actually put the clothes on. I'm working on a bigger essay about how to find your personal style, but until that comes out, Ben and I talked about ways you can try style ideas out to learn what you like. Think of it like training wheels for your closet. Ben made a change in his wardrobe over about a year or so, and I asked him a bunch of questions about it. Buying used is not only a great way to try something new, but it's a more sustainable option for expanding your closet.

It is always a risk, trying something new, it's okay if something doesn't work for you. If you find yourself wearing that new piece a lot, or acquiring variants of the piece you have (like Ben did with Trap Blazers), it's a good indication that you can step up to the item you really want. My favorite way to find used clothes is the Gem app, but be careful, getting saved search roundups in your email every morning might cost you.

Collected Ephemera

True Style (2015) - Bruce Boyer
I read a chapter or three of this each time I sit down with it and I learn something about how to dress every. single. time. Even though I probably won't be wearing ascots or dressing gowns any time soon, the ideas in this book are solidifying how I think about style and clothes.

Though I'm a lover of Barbours, the Upland Jacket from Ball & Buck caught me eye. I love the hidden pocket under the rain flap on the chest, and the camo liner is amazing.

Despite living in Texas, it's been more than twenty years since I've owned cowboy boots (gasp), but I've been thinking about them more lately. It might be these state-themed boots that I came across not long ago, but it might also be that it's finally the time I had some.

I picked up a couple photo books recently that I am excited about - Slant Rhymes by Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb is beautifully arranged and exactly the kind of adjacent image pairing I love. Dear God, the Parthenon is still broken was made by Yorgos Lanthimos and crew during the production of Poor Things (2023). The images are beautiful, of course, but the book itself is a masterpiece of paper stocks, and page layouts.

It is taking a lot of restraint not to hit "add to cart" on this tie, and this packable tote from Horatio London.

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Note: Meermin sent me these loafers for review.

Loafer Week continues here at AWWD HQ. If you listened to this week’s episode of High Twist you’ll get an idea for how much I love loafers. Loafers are probably my most worn shoe these days—yes,  even in especially in the summer. They’re always part of my travel wardrobe, there are at least three pair by my front door at any time, and I’ve been singing their praises to my friends and, really, anyone who will listen. 

Admittedly, most of my loafer experience has been with higher priced shoes—Alden, Baudoin & Lange, Belgians. I don’t like recommending things that I haven’t been able to at least get my hands on, or better yet wear (especially with shoes). When asked about a first pair of loafers, or simply finding loafers around $200, I didn’t have a great answer. That is no longer the case. Meermin makes a great loafer at an even better price. 

Despite wearing a lot of loafers, I haven’t had a penny loafer in my wardrobe since high school. I was looking for a penny similar to my beloved, and beaten up, chocolate suede Alden tassel loafers, and these dark brown Superbuck suede loafers fit the bill perfectly. I was especially curious about Meermin’s Ultraflex sole since I do a fair bit of walking in my loafers. 

Onward. 

Initial Impressions

Admittedly, I was a bit lukewarm when these first arrived. While the outer box arrived in fine shape, the actual shoe box had a large cut and the bottom was separating from the walls of the box on the front side. Before even opening the lid, I did note that this box felt substantial (more on that later). Meermin does include shoe bags with the loafers, but the shoes were not inside of them. 

As I inspected the shoes I noticed several scuffs in the suede that look like they’re mostly from transit. Not a deal breaker, but I expected a slightly more pristine look out of the box. I know that suede will eventually get scuffed—UYS as my friend Benj would say—but I want to be the one to scuff it. There were also a few little sticky spots in the suede. Again, not a major issue, but not something you’ll find on higher suedes either.

Style

Scuffs aside, these are great looking penny loafers. The toe is pointy without being overly aggressive. It’s not necessarily classic Ivy loafer round, but the machine-stitched moc toe help it wear well with more casual outfits like jeans/chinos (or gasp shorts), but also dress up equally well with wool trousers and a sport coat, or even, casual suiting. 

The color is a milk-chocolatey brown, with a bit of variation thanks to the texture of the suede. There is a piece of smooth, darker brown leather to finish the edges of the upper; it’s not exactly piping, and I would prefer it to be a bit smaller, but it doesn’t detract from the overall appearance of the shoe. 

The thicker Ultraflex sole is visually more imposing than a traditional leather sole. It isn’t as chunky as a lug sole, but it is noticable. If I were looking for a pair of loafers that I needed to dress up more than dress down, I’d go for a leather sole with something like a TOPY protector to keep from busting my ass on smooth floors. 

Perhaps most importantly, the cutout is functional, and has enough space for a penny to peek through. What’s the point of penny loafers if you’re not keeping some change in there? Of note, I keep a birth-year penny in the slot of my left loafer. Why? I’m not entirely sure, I’ve done it since I was a kid with a penny to spare. 

Construction

I’ll start with the uppers and work my way down. 

The Superbuck Suede is good for this price, with a decent nap to it. It takes to a suede brush and eraser nicely to get light scuffs out. It is less consistent in its texture, and less soft to the touch, compared to my Aldens or Baudoin & Lange, but it feels much nicer than many other suedes I’ve felt at higher price points while out and about. After a few weeks of wear these are looking great. 

The lining is full grain calf leather and the insole is vegetable tanned leather. Both are smooth and soft. It feels just as good to wear these loafers with bare feet as it does with socks (absolutely Z E R O no shows or ankle socks with these, please) . A brief aside regarding going sans socks with loafers: you should try it, it’s great. Unlike canvas or synthetic sneakers, the tannins in leather are antimicrobial, so as long as you’re not wearing the same pair of loafers every single day (something you shouldn’t do with any pair of shoes really), they’re not going to get funky.

Now onto this Ultraflex sole that Meermin has created. What the heck even is Ultraflex? In this case it’s a combination of Goodyear welting a vegetable-tanned leather insole with a calf-lined memory foam insole, to a city rubber outsole. If that sounds like a lot, it kind of is. And, it explains where the aforementioned weight comes from. 

I’ll report back in six months, but so far, after a few wears, construction on these feels solid. In fact, these feel much better than some shoes that cost nearly double. 

Fit

Okay, so how do they feel to wear? 

A quick caveat: Everyone’s feet are different, and talking about how shoes fit is subjective. If you have particularly narrow or wide feet, the last options from Meermin might not work for you. Given that I only have these two feet attached to me, I can only say how these loafers fit my feet. 

That said, these fit me quite well. When I first slip them on in the mornings I have a bit of room in the heel and mid-foot, but after some walking and the usual expansion of my feet throughout the day, they fit nicely. It will be interesting to see if and how much these stretch out over time, but with a few weeks of wear, they have only softened, not stretched. 

I mentioned it earlier, but these suckers are HEAVY in hand, at last compared to some of the other loafers in my closet. I do noticed the weight less once they are on my feet, and I will gladly make the trade-off in a smidge of extra weight for the comfort of these soles. Standing around in these is no problem, and I’ve walked a couple miles bar hopping around Austin in them and my dogs weren’t barking at the end of the night.

In an ideal world, you’re able to try on a pair of shoes before you spend $200, $600, or $1500 on them, but that’s not always the case. Getting sizing right on shoes can be tricky, but Meermin has a solid “Shoe AI” to help you find the right size based on other shoes you might have in your closet. They have dress shoe brands, but also major sneaker brands for comparison, which can be helpful if you don’t have a lot of hard sole shoes in your closet. 

Meermin also makes returns easy with a fifteen (15) day return window and a flat $15 return fee. It would be great if it were free, but I think that at the price point on their shoes, $15 is reasonable. 

Value

Ranging from $195 for leather soles up to $215 for the Ulraflex sole, I think that Meermin loafers represent an unbelievably good value for the money. These punch above their weight class in terms of fit, finish (shipping scuffs aside), and comfort. It will take a while to determine longevity, but based on other reviews I’ve seen online, if taken care of, you’ll be loafing in these shoes for years to come. 

If you’re looking for your first pair of penny loafers, look no further, or if you’re like me and are always looking to add another loafer to your closet (maybe a snuff suede tassel or a black horse bit), definitely give Meermin a look.

Get yourself a pair, $215.

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Ben and I get into the when and how of wearing loafers, the sock debate, and our fear of being roasted by the younger generations. 

Onward.

Today’s dispatch is to serve as a visual guide to the episode, with some points of comparison and examples of loafers that Ben and I discussed in the episode. 

On the left is an American-shaped Penny Loafer (Sid Mashburn) and on the right is an Italian-shaped Penny Loafer (Meermin). Though both have moccasin style stitching associated with penny loafers, the Italian-style has a sleeker, pointier silhouette that makes it more formal. 

Here are three Italian pennies in suede (Alden LHS), pebbled (Grant Stone Penny), and smooth leather (Crockett & Jones Sydney). The smoother the material, the more formal the loafer can flex. 

As with other shoes, the kind of sole also determines how formal/informal the shoe is. Lug soles might not be the right sole for a court room, and a leather sole around a pool is a recipe for a fall. When in doubt, a rubber sole will give you the most range in formality, and some extra comfort when walking or spending days on your feet. 

There are many kinds of loafers: Ivy penny, Italian penny, tassel, string, kiltie, Belgian, horse bit, slippers/pumps, the list goes on. Find a shape you like, think about what and how you wear your clothes, and pick a loafer to fit in, or be a point of contrast. 

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As always, if you have questions, let me know in the comments or replay to this email. 

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On this week’s episode of High Twist, Ben and I talk about the when/how/why of polo shirts, something that I admit had not been part of my wardrobe for quite some time. I wasn’t keen on wearing them mostly because they gave off a mix of “office drone” or “headed to/from the golf course”. Let me be clear, there’s nothing wrong with either of those, but it’s not what I the shape I wanted to throw with my outfits. 

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In the past year or so, polos have worked their way back into my closet, largely under the influence of men like Matt Hranek (pictured above). I picked up a navy “formal” polo that he worked with Sunspel to make last year when they were released and it’s been in steady rotation ever since. Heck, it is a staple in my travel wardrobe. He’s wearing it here in one of my favorite ways: loafers, white denim, and a sport coat. You can also seem him pairing it with a cotton khaki suit when he was on The Tonight Show.

Here I am wearing mine with my olive linen suit from J Mueser and keeping Navy Bean from stealing a sip of my Del’s Lemonade. 

With their Spring/Summer ’24 Lookbooks (I & II), Proper Cloth suddenly seems to have grown up as a brand. This linen knit polo looks great and you can wear it to run errands or by the pool. Just be careful not to get any sauce on it when you’re grilling. 

Stag Provisions has great polos, both traditional and full placket (they button all the way down the front). I don’t have any knit polos as I tend to run too warm in the Austin heat, but I’ve got my eye on this one from Wax London that looks great worn buttoned or open. Stag’s Instagram is also full of great and often more realistic styling if you’re not spending your summers on the Mediterranean coast. 

If I’m gonna go golfer, then the only golfer I’m out here tryna look like is “Cashmere” Keith. The golf section of Sid Mashburn is a great place to shop for day-to-day clothes that will perform equally well on the golf course. 

Just a bit more proof that you can do sweaty things in cotton polos. The author in a pink Sunspel Riviera riding bikes on the F1 track at Circuit of the Americas in June. 

There are a couple sales going on worth noting. Todd Snyder’s got 30% off in their Summer Sale right now.

A great pair of washed selvedge denim for under $100

Tipped Full Placket Polo

If you’re a Large, this Seersucker Chore Coat is a great deal

Bring a little color to your polos

Or maybe some pattern

The Todd Snyder x FootJoy collab led to some cool stuff too

Stag Provisions is doing 25% off for 4th Of July. This is the perfect chance to snag some of my favorite RRl chinos, plus some great polos and camp collar shirts from the likes of Beams+ and Corridor NYC. 

RRL Officer Chino

Corridor NYC Seersucker Striped Shirt

Universal Works Herringbone Denim Shirt Jacket (it wouldn’t be a Dispatch without a chore coat mention)

Beams+ Cable Knit Polo

The texture on this OAS Terry Shirt is amazing in person

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Forgive the small gap in Dispatches of late, I have been working on something for y’all. Today is Tuesday, which means there is a new episode of the new podcast that I am hosting with my good friend, and menswear compatriot, Ben Brooks of The Brooks Review. High Twist is a show all about dressing well, without having to feel (or actually be) dressed up. 

There are four episodes already out in the world, and a new one today!

So far, Ben and I have played a little wardrobe game, talked through the basics of suiting and what you might get for the money on the lower end, a portmanteau of my own creation: Wediquette, and we devoted a whole episode to two staples of my wardrobe: chinos and chore coats. 

For today’s Dispatch, I want to give you some more resources to go with the actual episode which is all about Traveling in Style. 

Onward. 

It should come as little surprise that I have a lot of opinions about travel clothes—they should pretty much be the same as your regular clothes, no technical nonsense here. My co-host Ben feels similarly, and perhaps even more strongly, so much so that he refers to the roller bags his family uses as “piss rollers” 🤣. 

We cover a lot of ground in the episode, so make sure to give it a listen. Consider this the visual companion to the actual podcast. I put together some images of pieces and fits that Ben and I would pack while traveling, with some light explanation here and there. 

The Navy Sid Mashburn Ghost Blazer is something that gets packed for nearly every trip for both Ben and me. Unless I’m taking a suit, I will wear this on the plane. The high twist wool (now you see where we got the name, eh?) makes temperature regulation a breeze whether in a hot airplane or while speed-walking 27 gates to make a connection in time.

Shout out to Ranger Panties for being the new replacement swim trunk in my bag thanks to Ben’s sage advice.

Another look with the Ghost Blazer that I usually end up with some variation of. My white jeans are a little more full in the leg than these because they come from my buddy Robert Spangle at The Observer Collection. Until Rob restocks the regular white ODs (that’s Observer Denims), the Orslow Ivy Fit get closer to the higher rise denim that I’m partial to.

Jason Jules has another excellent white denim fit that I would absolutely travel with. White denim for travel? I say, yes, live más.

It wouldn’t be a proper Dispatch if a chore coat didn’t get mentioned. Traveling with a chore coat is the ultimate cheat code because you get extra pockets for all your shit at the airport. This fit from Drake’s is great too, proving that when things fit well, not everything needs to be tucked in (that goes for hems and collars).

A perfect travel flat lay courtesy of Clementina’s Emilie Hawtin. A jacket, a great knit piece, a bunch of easy to wear collared shirts. Everyone should be stealing something from this.

This is also the podcast where we ask, “Do you even wash, bro?” Tune in to find out and be sure to check out the show notes for links to specific products we talk about too. 

I’ve also got Dispatches on what I’ve packed for work trips or an NYC trip to buy a suit that you can refer back to. My travel uniform doesn’t change much, but there are some unique things about each of those packing lists.

As always, if you’ve got questions about dressin’, hit me in the comments or send me an email at bruce@awwdispat.ch. I can’t wait to hear from you. 

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Onward.

What about the shirts?

After the last dispatch on warm weather blazers, I got a question from Fidel in the comments that I want to address. 

Any thoughts on the shirt? I already have a Ghost Blazer and that really does breathe but my shirts are your traditional oxfords that don’t seem to breathe as well.

It’s true that oxfords don’t breathe as well, but that doesn’t mean cotton is out. Poplin is thin and light against the skin, which makes it a good contender, and probably one you might already have in your closet. But there are so many more exciting warm weather fabrics to enjoy!

You might think of chambray shirts as the more traditional blue washed, almost western looking shirt (though without the pearl snaps and curved western yoke). But there are many other kinds of chambray in great, warm weather colors that don’t have the heavier weight of chambray workwear shirts. I have a pink awning strip chambray that I did MTM with Mashburn earlier this year that I love. Mashburn in particular has many other chambray swatches in their book that are quite fun. 

For something that gives you a similar vibe to your oxfords, cotolino is a great choice. It’s blends of linen and cotton at varying ratios, and often has a bit of slub (small lumps or imperfections that give the fabric an uneven texture). The slub texture can help give a shirt a more casual feel, perfect to go with casual jackets. Above is a great cotolino from Mashburn, but you can find cotton/linen blends many places.

From the coto to the lino, some of my favorite warm weather shirts are linen. Linen is made from the fibers of the flax plant, and I like it for shirts almost as much as I like it for suits. It is breathable and has a dry hand, and it helps pull moisture away from you quickly, while of course, looking great slightly rumpled. I often throw a linen long sleeve on over swim trunks or shorts in the evenings or on the weekends. Proper Cloth (images above) has some excellent linens that you can build yourself, and Buck Mason’s got some cool camp collar linens in the spring/summer collection now.  

Seersucker is also a viable option, especially in tone on tone white or sky blue. I have a classic blue and white striped seersucker shirt, which can sometimes have a Kentucky Derby Spectator vibe. Nothing wrong with that, but not always the shape I want to throw. Much like my advice with the sport coats, maybe don’t make this your first, or only, warm weather shirt.

There’s one other warm weather fabric that I’m a big fan of that is a bit tougher to find. Giro Inglese, Airtex, or as Sid Mashburn calls it, the Italian-inflected cellulare (chel-yoo-larr-ay). The very open weave allows for a lot of airflow, but because it’s two layers of cells, it doesn’t have the show through issues. This pale pink micro cellulare (above) is an excellent shirt if you’re looking for something a little different.  

Don’t overlook a well cut tee shirt under a jacket as well. This is not something I do that often, but the gents at The Armoury make a knit Ice Tea (not the saccharine sweet southern variety), and it holds up well under tailoring. 

Patinations

Collected Ephemera

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Clothing conundrum? Sticky sartorial situation? Comment? Email me at bruce@awwdispat.ch or drop a comment below.

With temperatures rising, I get a lot of questions about wearing casual sport coats through the late spring and into summer. If most of your experience with tailored jackets is in the form of tweedy sport coats and wool suits, it makes sense to think of them as far too hot and stuffy for the spring and summer.

There are plenty of options that won’t leave you overheated and uncomfortable, if you look for the right fabrics and constructions. Linen and lightweight wools are my choice. Getting something with a silk blended in is also nice. Cotton will often show up on warm weather lists, and while it can work, cotton weaves tend to be tighter and don’t breathe nearly as well as a linen or even a high twist wool (yes, wool).

As far as construction goes, linings are an extra layer of fabric and are going to be hot. At the minimum, quarter-lining for the jacket, but unlined is even lighter. Lined sleeves are less of a big deal. They make slipping into and out of the jacket a bit easier but don’t add too much in the way of heat. Most of these jackets will also lack canvasing, this will decrease the weight and give the jacket less structure, making them more casual by nature.

Onward.

What to get

If you’re interested in wearing a sport coat or blazer casually throughout the warmer months, I think this is a place worth spending some money. That doesn’t mean I’m recommending a $3000 Cuncinelli blazer (while beautiful, you’re paying more for brand than product with that), but spending somewhere around $1000 to $1500 will get you a jacket made of the right materials, that will fit you beautifully, and will last for years to come.

I am hard pressed to pick only one jacket—I’m not sure that it would be possible to pick only one—so instead I’m going to give you a handful of choices. Perhaps surprisingly, the first two are wool.

For a traditional sport coat, I think Ring Jacket’s exclusive Balloon fabric sport coats for The Armoury are excellent. While you can get a versatile Model 3 in classic navy, I think that something like the Model 12 in olive balloon (above) is a bit more exciting.

If you’re looking for a classic navy blazer (sport coats and blazers are different things), the much-talked about Sid Mashburn Ghost Blazer (on Sid himself above) in navy high twist lives up to its spectral naming. Unlined and unstructured and with the Ivy twist of brass buttons, for me this is a four season jacket that shines when the temperatures rise. Mashburn has been doing more adventurous colors and patterns in the Ghost if you feel so inclined, but if this is your first sport coat, or one you expect to wear often, make it navy. 

The other major option for lightweight jackets is probably what you were expecting: linen. You have two options with linen: Italian and Irish. Irish linens tend to be heavier than their Italian counterparts. This means they look a bit sharper and while the wrinkles are larger, they’re softer and more consistent over the whole garment. Italian linen, being finer, will crease more than wrinkle, but you save some weight in the garment overall. 

J.Mueser makes my favorite linen suits and jackets. For the reasonable price of $1650 you can have a beautiful Campania Jacket made for you. The 3/2 roll, patch pockets, and uncanvased nature make it a perfect casual jacket. I’m loving wearing my olive green Campania suit this spring. If getting to NYC to get a jacket made by Jake Mueser isn’t in the budget, Buck Mason teamed up with J.Mueser for an excellent line of suits that might be easier to get access to. I’m partial to this golden brown Irish linen double breasted, especially as a suit. 

Another shout out to The Armoury for their more casual sport coat cuts. The Model 7 and Model 11 would both be great for the warmer seasons.

I want to make brief mention of sport coats with linen/silk/cotton blends. These are also perfectly acceptable, and in many cases, excellent, options for fabrics. As with all clothes, I encourage you to get your hands on as many of these things as you can.

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I know that these sport coats and blazers are all priced over $1000. I think that a jacket like this can get a lot more wear than just twice a season, and I advocate for trying to wear it often—maybe once or twice a week if you can. Above are the best jackets that I can recommend, but if that price is too high (no worries) here are a few other options, with some caveats. 

You’ll see cotton twills and poplins often in Spring/Summer lookbooks, and while these can be good, both of these weaves tend to be tighter and thus restrict airflow. And that is what you need when it is warm: A I R F L O W. 

Todd Snyder, Buck Mason, and Suit Supply all have some options between $500 and $1000. They’re all good, but not great, and if this is indeed something you plan to wear often, you’ll get your money’s worth out of saving for one of the jackets in the section above. 

If you’re interested in a warm weather layer but have less to spend, I think the better move is to get one of my favorite garments: a chore coat. Linen chore coats are fantastic for the spring and summer. They elevate chinos—or even shorts—and a tee shirt, and work very well to complement an Oxford and chinos in a business casual situation, perhaps with or without a knit tie. Here’s a smattering to pick from: 

Sid Mashburn for $425 (pricey but worth it)

Le Laboureur for $178 (I wish this came in more colors)

3Sixteen for $245 (a freakin’ great price)

Portuguese Flannel for $240 (olive is my favorite general purpose color)

Gap for $54 right now (this is a great amount of money to spend if you’re trying to figure out if you like chore coats)

Don’t forget to set alerts for my favorite chore coat from Drake’s (not the beefing rapper), on Grailed.  

But what about seersucker?

I am a big fan of seersucker for sport coats and suits. Sid Mashburn calls seersucker wearing “built-in AC” and I agree so much that I commissioned a double breasted suit in navy Loro Piana seersucker from Sid Mashburn that just arrived. But, I think seersucker can be harder to work in as your only warm weather sport coat or suit. The classic blue and white stripe is cool, and Sid himself looks great in it, but I always feel a little like I’m cosplaying a Kentucky Derby attendee when I wear it. Nothing wrong with it, but not for me. Instead I opt for tonal blues and greens with my seersucker. I’m not saying don’t get seersucker, please, please do, but maybe not for your first (or only) spring/summer sport coat. 

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There are many more options for warm weather jackets out there, this is what I'm partial to, and have some direct experience with. If you've got questions or want to talk more about what you could wear in the summers, reply to this email or comment below.

Back again with another Monday Missive, a shorter dispatch covering things that I’ve been into over the past few weeks, both clothing and culture. 

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Made in America

I’d been hearing about a new book called American Flannel: How a Band of Entrepreneurs Are Bringing the Art and Business of Making Clothes Back Home for a few months leading up to its release and couldn’t wait to dive in. I read this book in maybe three sittings and learned so much about the US clothing and manufacturing industry. While there is a lot about how these industries largely died out, I finished the book feeling incredibly hopeful; buoyed by those who are choosing to take up the mantle and make things stateside. Most of my favorite shoes are MUSA by Alden, and I will say, this book is tipping the scales toward a pair of Leisure Hand Sewns, over a pair of equally beautiful Crockett and Jones pennies, because I want the craft of American shoe-making to continue. 

On the subject of American Made, Weiss Watches out of Nashville, TN released a beautiful limited edition dive watch. Limited to only twenty pieces, this is the first Weiss watch designed, hand-finished, and assembled by Cameron in his Nashville workshop. It should come as no surprise that the agave green dial caught my attention. While this watch is too big for my dainty wrists, I hope to add a Weiss to my collection one day soon. 

Patinations

This is my Leica M240. It’s long in the tooth, nearing twelve (12!) years old, but I still shoot with it on a weekly basis. I bought this camera in November of 2020 and it arrived with dings and dents, and I’ve only adding to the brassing. The leatherette is peeling and probably should be replaced, but I haven’t felt the need. The lens is a 40mm M Rocker from the 70s that’s dreamy and renders things beautifully. Every once in a while I think about replacing my M with a newer model, but this camera continues to deliver great images so it has stayed in the bag. 

April Movie Diet 

A brief rundown of the movies I saw in April and a letter score, a la Jason Kottke.

Problemista. Julio Torres and Tilda Swinton in a surprisingly tender film with the perfect hits of magical realism. (A-)

Riddle of Fire. The ultimate childhood adventure. Highly quotable. Can’t wait to rewatch. (A+)

Civil War. Less about politics, more about journalism and the act of witness. (B+)

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Very loosely based on a true story, this involves a lot of comedic Nazi killing and Alan Ritchson in this perfect outfit. (B)

Sisu. April rolled on with even more Nazi killing, none more than the Wickian levels of violence in Sisu. Bonus points for creative use of landmine. (C) 

Monkey Man. Dev Patel’s directorial debut got a little lost in its own sauce, but was still a solid outing. I was disappointed because it was missing the most important thing: Dev Patel’s acting chops. (C+)

Challengers. Much internet ink has been spilled about this film, so I won’t add much more than to say it was fun as hell and the Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross soundtrack has been bumpin’ on my Sonos ever since. (B-)

The Fall Guy. I had a huge grin the whole damn time. The best Taylor Swift montage since the *Forks* episode of The Bear. (A+)

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Clothing conundrum? Sticky sartorial situation? Comment? Email me at bruce@awwdispat.ch or drop a comment below.

Spring Lookbooks

I get excited each season when lookbooks start to drop. It’s fun to see what brands are putting together, and get some ideas to shop my own closet for outfits with what I might already have.

Drake’s Spring Lookbook has some excellent pieces on the more casual end of things. The linen popover would be perfect to throw on over some swim trunks after a dip in the pool. The triple stripe and the not-yet-available big multi-stripe are great ways to add some color to otherwise simple outfits. I am also really into the herringbone cotton linen fatigue shorts and chore jacket worn as a full set. I have something similar in my closet and am going to have to try that one day.

The maker of some of my favorite reasonably priced OCBDs, J. Press, has a great spring lookbook with some great patterned jackets, and loud pants. If you’ve been feeling a little stuck in the trad Ivy world there are some good ideas to get you out of a rut.

And, in honor of a different green jacket handed out yesterday, a few other beautiful green jackets. Mark Cho of The Armoury styles a beautiful seafoam linen double breasted model 16, Buck Mason’s new poplin Carry-On jacket is a beautiful army green and looks great as a separate or with the matching trousers. If I didn’t have something similar on the way, I’d be all over this. At the Mashburn On The Road in Austin this past week, I tried on one of the Moss Matka Ghost Blazers. The dry silk/linen/cotton feels amazing, and it’s incredibly light and worthy of the “ghost” distinction.

Patinations

Given the name of this newsletter it should come as no surprise that I am a fan of things that are worn-in and well-loved. That doesn’t have to always mean old things, but sometimes, it does. This is my great-grandfather, C.F. “Papa” Clement’s trunk. It was one of several issued to him before he shipped off to Germany during WWII.

It has seen far more than I can imagine. Miraculously, there is still a customs sticker on the side, though the writing of where it has been, the borders it has crossed, has long since faded away. Now, it rolls about my house on casters serving as a coffee table and storage for my collection of Filson bags; a rather quiet life for this trunk, but one that keeps me connected to my family.

Collected Ephemera

1. Give me an beautiful collection any day.

2. Looking for something a little more geographically challenging than Wordle? Try this.

3. When it comes to beating your friends, every decision matters. (via Kottke)

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This is Jolene. When she asked me about finally getting the suit that she’s been wanting for years, I knew exactly who needed to make her suit: Clementina by J. Mueser. 

Of course, I wasn’t going to send Jolene off to her first tailoring experience alone. I’d been looking for an excuse to go back to NYC, and what better reason than to bring a friend into the fold of tailoring, and get a suit of my own made along the way. 

There will be an entire dispatch devoted to the making of those suits once they arrive. This missive is about packing for a trip where you want to flex your tailoring a bit. 

Onward. 

Typically, I travel in a chore coat or a blazer, but knowing I wanted to take a suit (Virgil No. 3 from Sid Mashburn) for this trip, I opted to wear it on the plane to avoid ending up with a wrinkled mess for the rest of the trip. I added an Upgrade Shirt and navy knit tie. I also wore my Alden Indy boots because they’re heavy and take up valuable space in my Filson Medium Duffle. Normally I’d prefer to travel in a loafer or Chelsea boot for ease and speed in the airport, but I’ve put enough miles on the Indys in all sorts of conditions to know they were what I wanted for the NYC streets. Traveling in a suit was easy, and, it might surprise you, comfortable. The half lining on the jacket kept me from overheating, and having the extra interior pockets to stash things on the plane was great. 

I wore the suit three different times on the trip: travel day, then all day Thursday, out for dinner Saturday night, and then all day and for travel home on Sunday. 

The other jacket that I brought was a Mashburn Butcher Jacket in an olive camouflage flannel wool. I tried it on when the Mashburn guys were in Austin for an On The Road and couldn’t get it out of my head, so when I saw it hit the end of season sale I had to pounce. I’m sad I didn’t get the matching trousers to have an absurd camo suit. Being an unstructured, unlined, wool flannel, this jacket kept me warm without being stifling, but it was lacking in the interior pocket department. After wearing the suit that has three internal pockets, the Butcher’s one, small, interior pocket felt limiting. 

As the trip drew nearer, I was filled with dread as the forecast showed temperatures in the mid-thirties and a near certainty of rain for at least one of the days. With that in mind, I chose to take up valuable space in my bag with the Barbour x Tokito Sapper jacket in olive. Given that it would be mostly worn while walking, I opted to leave the wool liner at home, but had it been ten degrees cooler, I would have packed it. It held up beautifully in a Saturday downpour, and kept me comfortably warm while out walking in temps ranging from thirty-five to sixty. Being able to open the tricep and upper back vents to get some airflow while moving is a boon. My one complaint—which is not the fault of the jacket and more of a gap in my wardrobe—is that when worn over a suit or sport coat, it is a bit short and the bottom of my suit would peek out from under it. 

For pants, I admittedly chose to live dangerously. Other than the suit pants, I only packed my beloved white Observer Denim. With all the possible stains of travel and life in NYC, I know this probably sounds crazy, but if their designer, Robert Spangle, can wear them in active war zones, then I can wear them in the subways and shops of NYC. 

I also figured if something happened, I could go into one of the many stores on my list and pick up a pair of olive chinos to replace an aging pair of my staple RRL Officer Chinos, and I’d just figure out how to make room in my bag for them on the way home. Fortunately, despite a lot of rainy walking on Saturday, my jeans stayed white. 

With the pants and the suit sorted, I kept the tops simple: a mix of fabrics, all blue, solids or stripes. I packed my vintage Brooks Brothers suit shirt because I love the texture and the way the shirt works with or without a tie. I also packed my sky multi stripe shirt because I wanted to show the monogram homage to my late maternal grandparents to a dear friend (hi Molly). The wool polo was a last minute substitution because the forecast was dipping colder. It was great for dressing down the suit while maintaining warmth out and about during the day. 

Four shirts for four days doesn’t leave room for outfit changes—something much appreciated after spending all day walking and eating in lower Manhattan. I travel with a few packets of Soak and a travel clothes line. I will sink wash my clothes at night, hang them to dry in front of an AC vent, and then will hit them with an iron the next day if needed. I’ve adopted this from my parents who travel almost entirely in technical gear for hiking, regardless of the environment they’ll be in, but I’m not the only wearer of dress shirts that does this. 

It’s a shirt that i can wash myself as opposed to like a dress shirt that wrinkles really easily. And also i think it’s the height of civilization to wash your own shirt in a hotel room … I just made that up. I have no idea if that’s true.

David Coggins

As an alternate to my Indys, which got the most wear given the weather, I brought my loden suede Sagan Strides from Baudoin & Lange. With their rubber sole they offered great cushion for walking the streets, and they were simply a fun change from brown shoes. I could have easily worn a pair of brown loafers though. 

If you read my last Capsule Dispatch, the rest of my elemental protection will look familiar: Drake’s x Aimé Leon Dore donegal beanie, J. Crew leather gloves, and a shemagh, used mostly as a scarf but also as an eye mask on our early morning flight. I know I look crazy, but the fact that I was able to sleep for ninety minutes of the flight is a testament to the power of creating your own little cocoon out of noise cancelling headphones and a scarf. 

The last thing on the list is, admittedly, the most silly. I packed my set of Observer Collection PT PJs to bring some luxury to lounging. These take up little space but made for an incredibly comfortable outfit to change into at the end of the night, and they were totally worth it. 

There was one piece of clothing I didn’t end up wearing, but I was glad to have it anyway; my oatmeal cashmere crewneck. If it had been any colder, it would have been an excellent mid layer under either the suit or sport coat. 

All of this fit into a duffle with a bit of shopping room to spare. If you read the Capsule Wardrobe Dispatches, you’ll notice that most everything I packed was taken from my winter capsule. 

Here’s the TL;DR Full List:

Brown glen plaid suit

Olive camo sport coat

Olive waxed canvas jacket

Oatmeal cashmere crewneck

Sky poplin button down AKA The Upgrade Shirt

Blue spread collar shirt

Multi-stripe spread collar shirt

Heather blue wool polo 

White Observer denim 

PT PJs

Brown leather boots

Green suede loafers

Grey wool beanie

Brown leather gloves

Green shemagh scarf

If you’ve got a trip coming up and wanna talk packing lists and location specific fits to throw, drop me a message in the comments or reply to this email. 

For the final capsule Dispatch, I am combining tailoring, outerwear, accessories, and shoes. 

Tailoring

One of the easiest choices is something that is in—and likely will always be in my closet— is the navy high twist Sid Mashburn Ghost Blazer. I love this jacket, even though, in a lot of ways, it’s kind of odd. I think it’s the perfect blazer for men who aren’t fully comfortable wearing more structured tailoring in their day-to-day lives. It’s unstructured, meaning it has no canvas or lining of any kind. It wears more like a chore coat with a notch lapel than what you might think of as the traditional Ivy-style navy blazer. 

I think when picking out your wardrobe (capsule or otherwise) it’s critical to ask, “when I wear this, what do I want this piece of clothing, or this whole outfit, to say about me today?” The navy ghost blazer reads as “dressed up” to most people, without the rigidity that a suit can sometimes provide. It’s a great way to be comfortable or cozy while being well dressed. 

I got my Ghost when Navy was the only option, and I think it provides the most versatility, but there are so many other excellent colors now.  The Lovat green is gorgeous (it’s even better in person), but there are several colors that I would gladly pick now. 

Much like my white jeans, the next item is probably not something that everyone will want in their wardrobe, but I made it a point to wear more tailoring this year, so it makes sense for me to include a suit that is a little more fun. In this case, that means a brown glen plaid wool/cashmere suit (pictured) that has some olive and bone hits in it. I love the Mashburn Virgil No. 2 suit cut because this suit can easily be broken into separates and worn as an odd jacket or odd trousers. I have worn the jacket as a blazer with both my olive chinos and white jeans. While it is easy to keep it formal with a blue spread collar shirt, my favorite way to wear this suit is with the denim spread collar, or with a navy formal polo. 

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Outerwear

The heart of my outerwear rotation, no matter the season, is the chore coat. I have far too many of them in my closet and it was difficult to pick just one for my capsule. I landed on the David Coggins x Quaker Marine Supply chore jacket in an olive/khaki color. It’s relatively lightweight—I considered opting for a heavier twill cotton from Drake’s in olive, but the weather in Austin is quickly turning warm-which makes it a year-round piece for me here. 

It’s great over a tee shirt for a dog walk, over a button down and cashmere when the temperature dips, or worn with a spread collar and a tie (a look stolen from Coggins himself). 

Sometimes, it’s cooler out and the chore coat is not enough, so I added a mid-weight wool Kaptain Sunshine Fatigue Shirt Jacket in this cool olive/khaki camo pattern that I picked up on Grailed. 

You might be wondering, “Camo Bruce, really?” And to that I say, “absolutely.” 

I’ve worn the camo Kaptain Sunshine with pretty much all the tops and bottoms in my capsule. As far as camos go, this one is pretty mild, and from far away it just reads as an olive jacket. It’s a fun way to work in something a little different to a relatively limited palette of clothes otherwise.

I went back and forth on the next jacket, not because it was a hard choice, but because I have two of them. I love them both, they just have very different vibes. I have a small, uh, archive of Barbour jackets, at this point mostly collaboration versions, and the Barbour x ToKiTo Sapper is my favorite for its versatility in a variety of weather. It comes with a wool zip-in liner and waterproof ventilation zips in the upper back and triceps, not to mention the six chest pockets and rear game pocket. 

I was torn between my quieter olive Sapper and the bolder camouflage that looks like a twist on Rhodesian brushstroke camo. 

I opted for the camo, because, again, we’re here to have fun. If I were working in an office with more conservative dress standards, or for times when I don’t want to wear something fso loud, I’ll opt for the plain olive.

Last in outerwear is an overcoat, which is probably the piece that got the least wear, only because it was such a warm Austin winter. I’ve had a Banana Republic camel coat topcoat for more than fifteen years. I wore it most recently over my Ghost blazer with a tie for a dressy brunch on a cool morning with temps in the 40s, but it can be fun to wear on a walk to the coffee shop with chinos, a white tee, and sneakers. This is perhaps the thing I needed the least in my winter capsule. 

Accessories

I wanted to include a handful of things that accompany the bigger pieces as part of a capsule. Because they are smaller, it can be easy to pick up accessories here and there and then end up with too many of them hiding in the dark parts of your closet, just waiting to be used. Looking at how they might fit into a capsule is a good way to figure out what you really need.  

A knit tie is a must for me, and something I think every man should have in their wardrobe. I opted for a burgundy, but navy, pine green, or even brown would be perfect here. They’re not as formal as something like a grenadine, and quieter than a silk patterned. For anything I needed to attend that required “dressing up” this was more than enough, though I was usually wearing the knit tie not because I had to, but because I could. 

To keep warm I added a beanie, gloves, and a scarf. The beanie is Drake’s x Aimé Leon Dore in a donegal that could not be more perfect for my entire wardrobe. It’s got flecks of green, blue, and pink, in the grey merino, and it’s warm without being stifling. The gloves are old J Crew lined leather gloves that I’ve had for years, though they were not sufficient for the coldest of days, I might be replacing them with some Hestras at the start of next winter. The scarf is a bit unusual, and definitely wins the silliest name: it’s the Combat Flip Flops Shemagh. Shemaghs are incredibly practical and can be anything from a scarf to a towel to a blanket to an eye mask on the plane. I have one with me pretty much year-round.

Shoes

Finally, we arrive at shoes: two boots, two loafers, and a pair of sneakers. This sounds downright boring after all the camo above, but fear not, there’s still some room for fun. 

For the boots I opted for brown leather and brown suede at two different heights. I’ve had my Alden 403 Indy boots for 12 years now so there was question that they’d make the cut. I’ve walked miles over all sorts of terrain, including a full on six mile hike over rocks and roots and mud, and other than needing a resole, they’re still kickin’. For days when it isn’t wet, or when I want something a little softer, I picked a pair of snuff suede chukka boots from Drake’s on a rubber sole. You can find a similar pair for less from Astorflex. I’m partial to rubber over crêpe sole chukkas because the lighter crêpe can look a little dingy when you do a lot of city walking. 

It probably seems silly to have two pair of loafers, but I wear boots or loafers most days of the week, and again, it’s nice to have some variety and personality in my wardrobe. 

The first pair is my brown suede tassel loafers that are very much in need of rebuilding. I wear them so much I haven’t been able to bear the thought of sending them off for repair. Despite being tassel loafers, they are so worn-in that the chocolate suede makes them wear even more informally than normal. I wouldn't wear these with a navy suit in a business context, but I have worn them with pretty much everything in this capsule at some point. 

The other loafers are definitely wildcards, and don’t have to be included. They are loden green suede Belgians from Baudoin and Lange (now discontinued, but honestly any of the Sagan Strides are worth having). I can’t really justify these any more except to say that I love how soft the leather is, how comfortable they are for walking, and how well the green suede coordinates with almost everything in the capsule, so they made the cut. 

Last, a pair of high or low top, white or cream sneakers is a must. My current pair is the Patta x Experimental Jetset Chuck 70. I don’t wear these with tailoring but I’ll wear them with pretty much anything else ( I’m not a fan of the sneakers with blazers look; I’ve seen it done well, it’s just not for me) and they get a lot of wear for dog walks, Sunday coffee, grocery runs, and the like. 

That’s it, a full, and fun, capsule wardrobe for winter into spring. It’s warming into the 80s in Austin now, so much of this will be changing soon. Look for a shorter dispatch on the horizon with an update. Until then, hit the comments or reply to this Dispatch if you’ve got other clothing questions you need answered. 

TL;DR - The Full List

• Upgrade Shirt

• Solid Sky Blue OCBD

• Pink Stripe OCBD

• Sky Multi Stripe Poplin Spread Collar

• Light wash Denim Cotton/Linen Spread Collar

• Vintage Washed Blue Spread Collar

• Navy Formal Polo

• Brown Bengal Stripe Spread Collar

• White Tee x2

• Cream Long Sleeve

• Grey Cotton Crewneck Sweatshirt

• Oatmeal Wool/Silk/Cashmere Crewneck Sweater

• White Observer Denim

• White Observer Contractors

• Olive Officer Chino

• Olive Off Grid Pant

• Grey Wool Flannel Pleated Trouser

• Swim Trunks

• Navy Unstructured Blazer

• Brown “Fun” Suit

• Chore jacket

• Light jacket

• Heavy Jacket

• Overcoat

• Shemagh

• Knit Tie

• Brown Leather Boots

• Snuff Suede Chukka

• Suede Loafer

• Suede Loafer

• White High Tops

If you missed out on the last two newsletters, I'm assembling a non-minimalist—AKA fun—capsule wardrobe, and we've already had a chat about the tops I've chosen. After the wider variety of shirts in my wardrobe, my pants selections will likely feel spartan, but a narrow selection of trousers does not mean these are devoid of personality.

This is probably the area of the capsule wardrobe where most people will differ drastically from me—unless you’re a member of a certain hot dog loving group (below). You’ll notice no traditional blue jeans. That’s a dispatch for another time; I do own blue jeans, I just don’t wear them.

I only have five pants. My choices cover day to day wear, some light active-wear, and dressing up enough to pair with something like a navy blazer.

There’s no getting around it. I have not one, but two pair of white jeans in my capsule wardrobe. I can't imagine any wardrobe without at least one pair.

I am working on a Dispatch dedicated to my beloved white jeans, but for now, I will say that I wear white jeans at least three times a week.

If you need more encouragement, Sid Mashburn’s got you covered.

In my capsule I have Observer Denim (ODs) and Observer Contractors (OCs). Unfortunately, the white American-made denim for these is no longer being made, but there here are a couple other places to get white denim if you're interested.

The ODs I wear like regular jeans, they’re just white. The OCs fit exactly the same as my beloved ODs, but they have asymmetric double knees with integrated front drop pockets that will perfectly fit a phone or wallet. They're great for travel where the extra pockets come in handy, doing projects around the house, or casual errands.

A hallmark of the Observer Denim design is the ability to adjust your fit in the field, and the self-hem system (pictured below) is part of this. The raw, frayed edge of the self-hem dresses things down, and that makes it fun to mix in with more tailored clothing. I love the juxtaposition of my ODs with a navy blazer.

My other main trousers are my favorite (and, simply, the best) chinos: RRL Officer Chinos (top image). My good friend Ben wrote the review I wish I’d written, so I’ll let him explain what makes them so good. I have many pairs across olive, khaki, and natural, but for this capsule, I have limited myself to only the olive pair. I landed on olive because it works well with my skin tone and is just as neutral as khaki, but gives a little more visual interest to my wardrobe.

The next pair of pants in my capsule is kind of an odd pair, the Vollebak Off Grid Pant, again in olive. These don’t go with everything. I would never tuck a dress shirt into the elastic and drawstring waistband of these, so they’re limited to being worn with tee shirts/sweatshirts or jackets. These pants are overbuilt in Vollebak’s characteristic apocalypse-ready style. The cotton/Cordura fabric is hearty, but the ingenious venting hidden below the waistband helps keep you cool. I love the drop pockets on the front for holding dog treats and camera bits and bobs, or snacks while hiking. I wear these for chill errands, lounging, helping my parents with yard work, or for my favorite, long photo/dog walks.

The previous pants would all make the cut for a year-round capsule wardrobe. The last of my five is a seasonal odd trouser. For the winter season, it is this cozy, but not stifling, pair of grey flannel high rise pleated trousers. A well-cut pair of flannel trousers can feel like a pair of pajama pants and I have found myself lounging around in them more than even I expected. They work with a blazer in lieu of a suit in all but the most formal of situations. I wear mine with a sweater or chore jacket quite often, and if I feel the desire to dress them up even more, I might add a knit tie.

As the weather warms up—quickly in Austin, though February is known to bring some frigid temps here—I might swap these out with a pair of mid-grey high twist pleated trousers or a pair of Gurkha trousers in cotton or linen.

Other than a pair of swim trunks (you never know when you’re going to need them), that’s it. I have traveled with some combination of these for more than a week, and if they were the only five trousers in my closet, I would have no problems coming up with enough outfits to not get bored.

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TL;DR

1. White Observer Denim

2. White Observer Contractors

3. Olive Officer Chino

4. Olive Off Grid Pant

5. Grey Wool Flannel Pleated Trouser

6. Swim Trunks

Last week, I set up how I think about building a non-minimalist—AKA fun—capsule wardrobe, where I promised to break down what, and why, I picked out for it.

It made most sense to start with the densest part of my capsule wardrobe, tops.

I think the fact that there’s a dispatch devoted to The Upgrade Shirt is justification enough to include this in my capsule. It’s a Blue Broad Stripe Cotton Poplin Button-Down Shirt that I wear at least once a week. If I were going minimalist, this would definitely make the cut.

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Whether I’m working or hanging out, it’s highly likely I’ll be in an Oxford cloth shirt, so it makes sense to have at least two in the mix. I opt for a solid sky blue and a pink stripe OCBD, instead of the usual blue and white you’ll see in a lot of capsule wardrobes. Blue is a classic and works well in my color palette, and the pink is a great accent in an otherwise neutral wardrobe. Oxford cloth is easy to wear and easy to care for, and washing them twice a week if needed only makes them softer.

A few years ago I was firmly team OCBD only for this style capsule wardrobe, but in the last couple of years I’ve found myself wearing more and more spread collar shirts. For my capsule I wanted one spread collar dress shirt so I went with a made-to-measure (MTM) version of the Sky Multi Stripe Poplin Spread Collar Shirt (below). It fits me perfectly and it has my late maternal grandparent’s initials monogrammed to the cuffs, and the multi stripe gives it some subtle visual interest beyond just a simple stripe.

In addition to the more structured collar of that shirt, I added a cotton/linen denim spread collar shirt that works great on its own or to dress down a blazer, and, because I simply cannot stop wearing it, a vintage Brooks Brothers spread collar sport shirt (middle, top image). It’s a lovely washed medium blue, it’s incredibly soft, and the texture is a subtle way to add some visual interest to an outfit.

So far, that’s six shirts across seven days. As I don’t mind doing laundry, this is totally feasible for me. Throw in two white short sleeve tee shirts, and one cream long sleeve thermal, and a week of fits is covered for me. These could be black, grey, navy, whatever color makes sense for what you wear most (or more importantly already have in your closet).

This has only a small margin of error for spills or days that require multiple outfits. After I put these up in my closet, things felt a little thin, so I added two more shirts: my favorite navy polo, the Matt Hranek-designed Sunspel Riviera Formal Polo, and a MTM Sid Mashburn dress shirt in a brown bengal stripe. The brown gives me something a little different among my mostly blue and white shirting options.

There are a number of winter days in Austin warm enough to wear one of these shirts without another layer, but when the temperature finally dips, out come my beloved layers. I think every good capsule has two crewnecks—one cotton and one cashmere.

Although this list is more about my capsule wardrobe, I think everyone should have a grey cotton crewneck sweatshirt in their closet. I have a loopwheel one from The Real McCoy’s, but you can find great ones from the likes of Reigning Champ and Todd Snyder x Champion. The grey cotton crewneck is as at home dressing down an OCBD and chinos as it is over a tee for Sunday errands.

As much as I love knitwear, I don’t live somewhere that gets cold enough to justify having many sweaters in my closet. Of the few I have to pick from, the one that gets worn most is an Oatmeal wool/silk/cashmere blend from The Armoury x Drumhor. Good cashmere is not cheap, for good reason, so this is a piece worth hunting used, which is exactly what I did. This is a good place to inject some more color in the form of deep greens, reds, burgundies. Or if you live in a place with colder winters, you might want to opt for a shetland or some other heavier wool sweater in place of thin cashmere.

TL;DR

• Upgrade Shirt

• Solid Sky Blue OCBD

• Pink Stripe OCBD

• Sky Multi Stripe Poplin Spread Collar

• Light wash Denim Cotton/Linen Spread Collar

• Vintage Washed Blue Spread Collar

• Navy Formal Polo

• Brown Bengal Stripe Spread Collar

• White Tee x2

• Cream Long Sleeve

• Grey Cotton Crewneck Sweatshirt

• Oatmeal Wool/Silk/Cashmere Crewneck Sweater

Up next I’ll break down the pants, and after that outerwear/tailoring/accessories.

Until then, if you’re got other jawn-related questions, hit me in the comments or reply to this email.

I don’t believe in New Year’s resolution—that’s for a different time—but it’s hard to ignore the changing of the year and the feeling of a fresh start. With that, I have been thinking about my own closet, and how I want it to change in 2024.

It seems I’m not alone as I received variations on this question from a few readers:

What’s the size of a good capsule wardrobe for someone who is in the office three to five days a week, rarely wears a suit, but likes to wear a sport coat or overshirt to the office and out on dates?

The cheeky answer to all this is that a capsule wardrobe should be big enough, and no bigger, but I know that’s not what you’re looking for.

According to Wikipedia, a capsule wardrobe is a “minimalist collection of clothes that can be put tougher in different ways to cover a variety of outfits an occasions. The aim is to have an outfit suitable for any occasion without owning excessive items of clothing.”

For me, it’s a reasonable collection of versatile pieces that can be mixed and matched to build a functional wardrobe. While versatility is key, I think it’s most important that, no matter how many pieces you have, you’re able to put together outfits that feel like you.

What a Capsule Wardrobe is Not

A good capsule isn’t trying to cover everything you might need to wear. I am not counting workout clothes, lounge clothes, or formalwear, in this wardrobe. If you have things to cover daily activities or the handful of one-off events already in your closet, great, don’t touch those.

If you’re looking for guidance on a capsule wardrobe that is the fewest number of clothes to cover your outfit needs, this isn’t for you. I often see capsule wardrobes that are set with a hard limit on the number of clothes. “Two jackets, two pants, etc.” is a great way to get bored after a couple three weeks. Stripping down your wardrobe to a near-bare-minimum number of pieces can actually make it harder to get dressed over time. You will have to be okay wearing the same outfits week after week but more importantly, you’ll have to be okay removing much of your personality from your wardrobe in exchange for every single piece working perfectly together. This is not a sacrifice that I want to make simply to hit some arbitrary number of garments that someone other than me has determined to be the right number for a capsule wardrobe.

Every Capsule is Different

A capsule wardrobe, especially a good one, will be different for each person. Your life and needs are different, and how you want to represent yourself is different. The weather, your laundry schedule, your day-to-day activities will all influence what goes into your wardrobe.

I live in Austin, with mild winters, big temperature swings in the spring and fall, and hellacious summers. Owning lots of cozy knitwear, or even flannel suits, is but a dream for me. Dressing for the weather is important, and it should have a bearing on your wardrobe.

If you hate doing laundry—or you’re prone to spills— you might need more clothes in your capsule to get you between washes. Factor that into your decision making. If that means a couple more days worth of shirts to get you through dry cleaning, so be it.

Over the next few newsletters I’m going to break down what would be my capsule wardrobe for the next couple of months to answer the question above. But, instead of keeping it purely in the world of theory, I’m going to wear only this capsule for the next two weeks. I’ll document outfits and give some context for where they might also get worn along the way.

As always, if you have any particular questions around sartorial matters, or you just wanna talk about clothes, feel free to get in a touch, a comment or email will do.

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West Texas is a strange place. There’s not much out there, and yet, it remains one of my favorite places in the country.

One of the earliest memories that I think I have is of camping in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. The memories have been smoothed out over time with countless recallings and retellings, so I’m never quite sure what is actually mine.

I know my dad’s air mattress deflated in the middle of the first night, leaving him with a rock jabbing him in the middle of the back while I thrashed about in my sleeping bag.

I vaguely remember the short-lived terror of a hook-handed-man ghost story—complete with coat hanger prop—and the more visceral fear of rustling javelinas just beyond the firelight and the thin walls of the tent.

It’s funny, I don’t remember the actual star party itself, but I do recall the sense of wonder I felt gazing at millions of celestial bodies at the McDonald Observatory.

As a kid, my family went to Fort Davis State Park a number of times, but it had been nearly twenty years since I’d been there last.

So, in August, when friend and fellow photographer, Travis Hallmark, asked me if I wanted to get out of Austin for an extra-long weekend, I jumped at the chance.

It was more beautiful than I remembered, and the slow, quiet pace of life was a much appreciated break.

Back to style-related dispatches next time.

This got me thinking about something bigger than just tee shirts and chore coats.

I did a little digging with Steve and learned that, to his wife, collared shirts equal "business" and they are seen as too fussy or uncomfortable for an off hours dinner date.

I don't think that has to be true. In fact, I believe that collars can be cozy.

It seems to me that many men default to tee shirts and hoodies because they believe that collars are uncomfortable. I think that this idea comes, in part, from their history of being worn for "work". For most, work can be (or is) an uncomfortable or unpleasant necessity, and—without getting deep into the history of collars—for a long time collared shirts were part of the uniform to do that uncomfortable work in.

By the transitive property:

Collars are worn for work.

Work is uncomfortable.

Therefore, collars must be uncomfortable.

I think it's time to change that narrative. Collared shirts do not have to be uncomfortable. In fact, I do much of my lounging in shirts with a collar.

Change the Context

If you want to wear your “business” clothes, do it, but change the context that your OCBD falls into. Keep the same chinos or jeans, but instead of a cashmere or merino sweater sub in a classic cotton sweatshirt. I don’t mean the one you wear to the gym, but something worn in—maybe a vintage one from a place you visited as a kid or even a Polo Bear—is totally fair game. Swap your dress boots or loafers for a work boot or a hiker (don’t get too Gorpy tho), or a simple sneaker.

It is important we not look at any one item in our closets in isolation (unless you have a sweet boilersuit, in which case, tell me where you got it from because I really want one). Each piece in an outfit plays with or against the other pieces. That blue dress shirt isn’t just a business shirt. You can wear it with a wool trousers, a blazer, and (gasp) a tie for an interview or meeting on Tuesday, with chinos and a sweater for a Friday night date, and (in the summer months) untucked with shorts by the pool. Don’t believe me? Check the imitable Sid Mashburn himself below. Same graph check shirt left and right.

Unless you’re Winnie the Pooh, you’re not going out in public wearing only a shirt. So much of menswear flexes across a wide range of formality. The way you put pieces together determines the formality of your overall fit. In this case, less formal pieces like the cotton sweatshirt and a chunkier boot dress down that OCBD.

Find Cozy Collars

A shirt with a collar does not have to mean the stilted, starched, stand collars you might associate with working stiffs of old. There are plenty of casual collars that will help you look and feel good off duty.

First, the cut of the shirt will help make things more casual.

Reach for a western shirt, a long sleeve wool polo, or a rugby shirt. Each of these have details that make them inherently more casual. Wool polos and rugbies (that is supposedly the correct plural but I hate it) have their half plackets and softer unstructured collars. I highly recommend wearing one with jeans, white socks, and tassel loafers on your weekend coffee run like AWWD subscriber Tucker (below).

Western shirts (my favorite of the bunch) have their…well…western yokes on the back (and sometimes front), unique pockets, and best of all, pearl snaps

If the temperature has dipped, or you feel like layering a bit more, there are some mid-weight shirts that you could work into rotation here. I’m thinking work shirts, shirt jackets, or CPO shirts.

These all follow a similar pattern: cut like a shirt with more room for a layer underneath, spread collar, often two chest pockets—sometimes with a flap or extra detailing like a pen sleeve, and made of heartier fabrics like slubby denims, twill, or wool. With their origins in workwear or the military (CPO stands for Chief Petty Officer) these are definitely a little more casual—despite the CPO being something worn by Naval Petty Officers on duty.

Once you settle on a shirt cut (or maybe two), now comes the fun part, introducing variety with fabric texture and color.

Hearty fabrics like tweed, moleskin, corduroy, flannel, and twill are all great choices for an off duty wear. I’ve included some examples for you here.

If much of your closet is solid colors and muted tones, this can be a great place to inject more color and pattern into your wardrobe (see the mostly red examples above).

Remember, the brighter the color and/or the bigger the pattern, the more casual the piece. Go with bolder, richer colors that might be a stretch for your comfort zone, a turquoise or yellow western shirt, a bright red rugby, or a wool polo in a beautiful burgundy. If you’re feeling adventurous, opt for a big pattern like a plaid or check. Make sure the pattern of the pockets matches with the shirt body if that sort of thing bothers you. Tweeds can give you patterns like glen plaid or houndstooth, a great place to pull in accent colors that complement or contrast with the rest of your outfit.

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TL;DR

1. Clothing is Contextual

The items in your closet don’t exist on their own. They are always read with the context of everything else you’re wearing. If you want to wear something because you feel good in it, chances are, you can dress it down with a more casual supporting cast.

2. Find Your Cozy Collars

Soft fabrics, brighter/richer colors, and patterns (the bolder the more casual) are all great ways to dress down your looks.

3. Try Lounging in Your Collared Shirts

Collars aren’t just for business. To break that stigma, instead of changing into a tee shirt and hoodie at the end of the work day, dress it down: try cooking dinner and lounging about in your collared shirt. In this case, you’re changing the context (see 1.) of where you wear the clothes, even just for yourself.

Like always, if you have any questions about clothing contexts or need a fit check, reply to this dispatch and we will chat.

—Bruce

Dear Bruce,

I am really enjoying wearing chinos with OCBDs or polos to work, but when I wear that combo for something like a weeknight dinner out with my wife she says she wants less “Business Steve.”

She likes my chore coat and tee shirt outfits, and I like that vibe too. How can I style more things like this when I’m off duty?

—Steve

Steve, thank you for your question. I love this because it gets at something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Dressing well does not have to mean dressing up. A corollary to this: a collar doesn’t make a shirt a business shirt, and collars don’t have to be uncomfortable (more on this soon).

Before we get into my suggestions, there are a few questions worth asking yourself.

1. What does “Business Steve” really mean to her? To you?

2. What do you want to be wearing in those situations?

3. If your tees and chore coat are feeling good, what is it that you’re looking to add?

With those out of the way, let’s get into some things that you can do.

First, I think the better option might be committing to the chore coat you’ve got and really wearing the hell out of it. I was listening to the excellent Central Division podcast (I’m sorry it’s behind a paywall but if you subscribe to it you get both ACL and David Coggins’ newsletters as part of it) and Michael Williams of A Continuous Lean said something that’s been rattling around my brain ever since.

The key to breaking things in is not having too many things.

The best clothes in my closet are the ones that I (or someone before me) has worn a ton. So break in what you’ve got and really make it your coat.

My suggestion would be to mix up the colors of your tee shirts, or add some variety in your accessories. Everything about an outfit is contextual, so if you want to make the outfit more casual, swap your boots for something like a sneaker. You could go with something basic like a cream Chuck 70 or you could wear a little heat. Beyond footwear, wool/silk scarves are great for the cooler weather, and a dad hat, wool baseball cap, or beanie can add some visual interest to that uniform.

Your other chore-coat-related-option is to add a second coat to the rotation. As the owner of far too many chore coats, I’m happy to help you spend your money. For this, I would suggest something that is a stark contrast to what you’ve got in fabric, color, or both, but make sure that it still plays nice with the other colors in your wardrobe.

If you have a rust chore coat, maybe something in the classic French blue twill. You could find something with a more pronounced texture to it, think wool herringbone in grey or corn corduroy. Or get really wild with something embroidered like this from Todd Snyder.

Chore coats aren’t the only top layer you can wear off-duty, but I will save that for the next dispatch.

Until then, keep sending your clothing conundrums my way.

—Bruce

November is the start of real Holiday Party Season. You’ve made it past Halloween parties, now it’s time to wear something that hopefully feels less like a costume. Unfortunately, what sometimes comes with holiday parties of the work variety is ambiguous dress codes. 

Let’s tackle one of the potential dress codes you might see, “Business Attire; tie optional.” I don’t even want to open the can of worms that is “business casual” party attire, so we will leave it for now. 

Holiday parties can get weird. It’s a time for people to make awkward small talk with their colleagues and their plus-ones, and after one-too-many beverages make the occasional “career-limiting decision.” Let’s keep your fit from being one of the latter.

I will continue to beat the drum of feeling like you in what you wear, and ideally that makes you feel good. You must be comfortable in your clothing, but remember that comfort doesn’t have to mean stretchy pants and hoodies. I’m all for cozy comfort, but a holiday party isn’t the place to look like a millennial at the airport (you’ve seen them, and you must know I have lots of thoughts).

I have three recommendations for lead singers1 (an idea I will continue to borrow from the ever-stylish Sid Mashburn) to your outfit:

1. Statement Jacket

2. Statement Trouser

3. Fun Suit

Statement does not have to mean loud.  I am not suggesting you show up in bright red trousers. If you want to do this, and you already have the pants, you probably don’t need any guidance from me, but know that I fully endorse this. 

What these three leads do is keep you from wearing a typical navy or charcoal suit and having your tie do some very heavy lifting of singing lead. As much as I love ties, I’m leaning heavily into the tie being optional part of the dress code in my advice right now.

Statement Jacket

I think a statement jacket is the lowest risk option, and if you don’t have any of these three options in your closet already, this is an easy and versatile place to start. This jacket is not a navy blazer, or a charcoal, grey, or navy suit separate jacket. Those are perfect for the second fit, but a too simple to be a statement here. We’ve established what this jacket isn’t, so what should it be?

There are a number of ways your jacket can make a statement, beginning with the fabric. For the cooler temperatures, I would pick a tweed base in a brown, green, or grey. From there, it’s all about patterns, and the textures that come with them. On the subtle end you’ve got donegal and herringbone, then houndstooth, windowpane, and small check in the middle, and bigger bolder patterns like glen plaid, big checks, and tartan. This is the perfect opportunity for a classic jacket cut: the 3/2 roll, or if you’re feeling particularly bold, a double breasted.

If I were going for a quiet jacket, I might pick something like this Hopsack Houndstooth from Sid Mashburn. From far away it reads as just a brown jacket, but when you get closer you see the wine color that makes up the houndtooth and it gives the jacket a lot more depth. For something bolder, I’d go for this Rally Tweed Waverly from J. Mueser because it has tons of colors in the plaid pattern to play with.

With a jacket like this the backing band for the fit can be very simple. Grey wool trousers—four season high twist wool or a wool flannel—are the perfect choice. A white Oxford or poplin shirt—spread or button-down collar—doesn’t draw attention away from the jacket. Should you want to wear a tie, a knit in burgundy, oxblood, orange, or the always classic navy will do nicely. Or, you can pull a color or two from the pattern in your jacket to play against a larger or smaller pattern in a tie. If you’re in a pinch, you can email me and I can help you pick what might work. 

Statement Trouser

A statement trouser isn’t that different from the statement jacket, but if you’re not used to your pants singing lead, this can be a little daunting. I totally get it. 

As much as I’m an advocate for white denim, this is not the place (unless you’re on some top level Observer shit). 

The same rough idea as with the jackets above applies here. Focus on the same fabrics and patterns from above in brown, grey, or green. A lot of the places from above sell matching pants (to make a fun suit, we’ll get there I promise) as separates. They are absolutely worth getting if you see something that speaks to you.

You can add a little visual interest to the shirt with stripe or a small check here if you want. Blue, pink, or lavender would work a treat. And for your (optional) tie, if there’s a color in the pattern of your trousers, pull something in that complements or contrasts it. 

A Fun Suit

The last option for your holiday party is my personal favorite. For me the fun suit is for big, bold patterns: glen plaids, big windowpanes. This is also a great place to try out a double breasted jacket. Or an extra flex, a double breasted Prince of Wales. 

Instead of a tie, I would pick something like a denim or chambray shirt, or maybe even a roll neck sweater (above left from Aimé Leon Dore). The denim shirt provides a formality counter point to the suit, while a roll neck complements it. Both work beautifully. 

If you’re feeling really festive, maybe toss on a wool/silk scarf. I want all of the Drake’s scarves. They’re whimsical and weird and perfect.

None of these statement pieces have to be limited to party-attire. In fact, I would encourage you to work these things into your weekly rotation.

The point of all of this is to have fun! It is a party after all. If you want some non-suiting ideas, I’ll point you toward Drake’s excellent Autumn in Paris Lookbook  for the incredible layering and pairing of ties with non-suiting jackets (a favorite of mine). 

Got holiday dress codes that are baffling you? Let me know in the comments and we can tackle a fit together. 

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Welcome to A Well Worn Dispatch, an at-least-weekly newsletter about dressing well, feeling good, and giving a damn. With an emphasis on style that’s personal and a focus on intentionality and craft, I answer reader questions and invite you to go window shopping with me for the finest jawns the internet has to offer.

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Fits Thrown

It cooled down enough in Austin (the high was in the mid-60s for ONE DAY) so that I could finally wear the glen plaid suit I’ve been waiting to wear all year. I dressed it down with a denim shirt, no tie, and brogue boots (image left). 

Inspired by the fit in the center I saw (back when I was on Instagram months ago) I put together my own version. I love wearing non-blazer jackets with a tie: chore coats, field jackets, Barbours, and denim jackets are all prime candidates. I built an outfit around a yellow Drake’s tie and a worn-in denim jacket. On my walk to the coffee shop to knock out some work, I had a lovely run in with a woman who asked me if I worked in fashion and told me that it was so nice to see someone “so dressed up on a Tuesday”. 

Acquisitions

At this point, I am working to upgrade the things I wear most often, or fill gaps in my closet, which means I have to be a little bit more discerning with what I add to my closet. At least, that’s what I tell myself. 

Despite my appreciation of corduroy, my closet was somehow devoid of wales, wide or narrow. When I saw the new collaboration between one of my favorite writers, David Coggins (seriously, pay for his newsletter, it’s phenomenal) and Quaker Marine, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to bring some corduroy back into my life. The white pinwale cord western shirt is perfect for fall and it took a lot of power not to add the chore jacket to my order too.

I must admit something. Despite my love of clothes, I have only ever rented tuxedos. I wish I had more occasion to wear a tux, but my life is largely devoid of galas and operas and black tie affairs. Now though, I have a black tie wedding on New Year’s Eve to attend. I decided it was time to commit to a tux of my own. From previous experience with rental tuxedos (my absolute last resort) I know that having my own tuxedo shirt is a must. 

I started with a tuxedo shirt from Sid Mashburn. I opted for Made to Measure (I’ll talk about why I love MTM more later). It feels amazing putting on a shirt perfectly cut for you, and when dressing in something not often worn, I think it’s important that your clothes help you feel as good as possible. I have a vintage tux jacket but it needs some tailoring, which I will make sure to document in a future dispatch. 

Desires

Back in August, before a trip to the desert of West Texas, I picked up a straw Stetson. I’d wanted one for a long time, and the sojourn to Marfa seemed like the perfect way to justify that purchase. The first wear admittedly felt a little weird, but by the third day of putting it on, it felt like “me” and I spent the rest of the warmer months reaching for it a few times a week when I left the house. As the weather is mercifully cooling down, it’s time to swap the straw for felt. Since I love the shape and the cowboy crease, I decided to run it back and get another Open Road. Now I just have to choose between chocolate or silverbelly. 

I have a small, but growing collection archive of Barbour jackets. What started with a Beacon, and has turned into a series of eBay alerts and Grailed saved searches. I do not need more, but the archive must grow to be a good archive. At least that’s what I tell myself. End Clothing often has great sales on Barbour, and this McQueen Roslin jacket has been calling my name. It’s lighter weight and shorter than the oft-seen Bedale/Ashby, the almond brown is lovely, and the offset chest pockets are a great bit of visual interest. At $207, it’s a tough price to resist. 

Last is not so much a single piece as the entire Throwing Fits x Mr Porter collection. The write up by Articles of Interest host Avery Trufleman is perfect and full of fire fits. The Kaptain Sunshine suit she’s wearing (image right) is probably my favorite, but I’m really feeling the Diemme boots and NN07 knits. 

Thanks for reading. If there’s anything that you’ve been wearing or wanting that you’re excited to share, drop it in the comments. 

— Bruce 

I recently made a short notice, two day, work trip to San Francisco for a team off site. I make it a point to travel light, but for this trip, I had one unexpected directive. My boss is a sneaker head, and he knows that I’ve dabbled in the SNKRS and Stockx, so he told me to “bring some heat.” I was happy to oblige.

I don’t really collect sneakers any more, but I still have a few pair in my wardrobe. With fall fully in swing, I had the perfect pair to break out and use as the lead singer of an outfit: The Nike Air Max 1 x Kasina ‘Won-Ang’.

Outside of white low-top Vans or high-top Chuck Taylors, I don’t wear my sneakers much any more, so as excited as I was to break these out, I was also apprehensive. These are just beyond my comfort zone, and wearing these to a work offsite with a handful of coworkers I hardly know was a little daunting. This made packing for the trip a bit more stressful than usual.

My day-to-day travel uniform isn’t that much different from my uniform at home: suede chukka boots or tassel loafers, olive chinos or white denim, some sort of blue oxford or poplin shirt, and a chore coat or Barbour. I added a cashmere sweater to the mix just in case it got chilly (I didn’t end up wearing it but was glad to have it).

Welcome to A Well Worn Dispatch, an at-least-weekly newsletter about dressing well, feeling good, and giving a damn. With an emphasis on style that’s personal and a focus on intentionality and craft, I answer reader questions and invite you to go window shopping with me for the finest jawns the internet has to offer.

Subscribe now

Using these well-known pieces as the base, it wasn’t hard to build a fit that worked with these rather…uh…loud kicks. A “suit” of olive chinos and my favorite Barbour jacket, plus a poplin button down were toned down enough to let the sneakers do all the talking for this fit. The goal was to keep the clothes neutral while leaning into the fall tones of the Won-Angs.

Because the clothes I was wearing were so familiar, the addition of the kicks didn’t feel nearly as uncomfortable as I expected. In fact, I forgot I was wearing them until my boss walked up and told me that I brought exactly the kind of heat he was hoping to see.

I don’t know that I’ll be wearing these sneakers all the time, but this was a great way to force myself out of my style comfort zone a bit. I look forward to breaking the Won-Angs out more through the fall and trying them a few other ways. I’ll report back with a fit pic or two.

—Bruce

If you’ve got an event coming up, a clothing conundrum, or general fit fatigue and want some ideas, drop it in a comment below or reply to this email (if you want a little privacy), and I might turn it into a future newsletter.

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