Where ya been?
I've missed y'all
I have been writing less lately as I've been working on the podcast with Ben. Now that it's into a good swing, there will be more writing here again. Here's a round up of a few recent episodes, plus a few other things, style or otherwise, that I've been into lately.
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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I love Alex Crane for how specific their vision is - the matching linen sets punch above their weight for warm weather dressing. You can wear a matching long sleeve shirt and shorts to the beach, dinner, and even to sleep. Seriously good linen.