She turned her phone to me and said: “Hey, [a mutual] has a friend starting up a running brand.”

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So she showed me, and I’m going to be honest… usually when my wife shows me something, she always has good intentions, but I don’t usually gravitate towards the garments she shows me… but this was an exception.

Atelic.

What I saw was a small brand trying to break into a space inundated with many different brands, but they weren’t taking the usual paint-by-numbers approach. No flashy designs, no loud colours. Keeping it simple.

What I like about Atelic is the meaning behind the brand. Atelic’s ethos is in their name — it’s not about the end goal, the PR time, the finish. The goal is the process. Something I have been mentally moving towards myself (that being said, I will be representing Australia in the marathon at the next Olympics).

When I checked out their site, their catalogue was small, but what start-up has a full line of gear? I think having fewer garments is a good thing! Kind of like restaurants, you know the restaurant is fire when they only have like five dishes. It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality.

So, as any good Substack writer would do, I reached out to the brand, begging for free clothes. AND THEY SAID YES! (I’m being transparent here).

They were really chill to talk to, and were super helpful when figuring out the correct size. I got three items from them.

1. 365 Merino Tee

2. Bone Monogram Cotton Tee

3. Endurance Running Belt

Now you might be thinking, “Ted, a brand sent you clothes — how can we trust your opinion?”

Honestly? You can’t. And I respect you for questioning it.

I’m not here to convert you or push product — I’m just reporting back from the field. You do what you want with that.

My experience:

So the garms arrived, I was excited. Particularly with the merino tee. I love merino wool, I’ve never owned one specifically for running, so I was extra curious to give it a go!

I want to preface that the tee silhouettes are a bit short on the sleeves; for me, on my body, it looked a little more femme-leaning, but that’s also cause I have fairly broad shoulders. ngl tho, the short sleeves made me feel a little slutty and I kinda fuck wit it.

365 Merino Tee

My first time wearing the Merino tee, it was probably not the best day… it was quite warm, and the air was very still - I overheated… However, the second time I wore it, I learned how perfect it was!

When it’s windy, and a little chilled, the merino shirt is perfect! One thing about me is that my chest and back get drenched when running, so when the shirt is wet from sweat, and it’s windy, I get very cold. The Merino wool blocks the wind chill perfectly! For me, anything under 20 degrees Celsius, I will double-layer the upper—BUT with the merino tee, I will happily single-layer and not worry.

In fact, even though I sized up for a baggy fit, the merino tee has become my default baselayer for most of my workouts now that the weather is quite cool, AND it’s very comfortable for my nips — I haven’t had a single bit of chafe since wearing it.

Bone Monogram Tee

Ok, I’m in the process of starting my own silly little running label (Paris Texas Run Club — for fun, not trying to be the next big thing), and all I can say about the monogram tee is that I’m genuinely jealous of how soft this thing is. Like, annoyingly soft. I was so impressed, I literally brought it into work just to make people touch it. Not even joking. Grown adults lining up like “wait… yeah, okay, that’s actually insane.”

Obviously, it doesn’t fight the chill as well as the merino, but it feels so good on the body. I also love the back graphic of their logo being amplified larger and larger as it goes up the shirt. Like, it’s not an overly loud graphic. It does its job perfectly.

I’ve actually defaulted this tee to be my everyday undershirt — the lovely cream, subtle branding on the front, over a nice thick shirt, it’s perfect.

Endurance Running Belt

This thing has been a lifesaver. Before this running belt, all my long runs were worn in a pair of running tights with pockets. They were fine, but I found the tights always chafed in my-

TMI, anyways…

This running belt is great. The mesh material makes it breathable, and I honestly don’t even notice it when I’m wearing it. I did think that I would feel it because it was sitting around my stomach, but it’s so breathable, I feel great! When I wear it, I’m packing my phone, and some candies (unless it’s a race, then I pack gels). But because it’s a mesh material, my phone absorbs a lot of sweat, and I don’t think I have a choice — either saturate the phone or overheat: pick one.

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I want to end this by thanking the team at Atelic for giving me the opportunity to wear-test their gear. What’s kind of shocking is, these garments aren’t just a ‘one and done’ type deal; they’ve cemented themselves into my running rotation.

It has affected me my entire life, and since becoming a father, I’ve noticed my symptoms being more exaggerated than in my younger years. Albeit, I have done diddly squat to help myself.

Now I know what you’re thinking: everyone is getting a diagnosis for ADHD these days. And while I laugh at that and am very aware that I am a walking punchline, I think it’s good that more adults are taking the time to understand their brains a bit better. And I strongly encourage you to seek medical advice if you think your brain works a little bit differently — and honestly, even if I learned I was neurotypical, I would have still felt comfort in knowing myself a little bit better.

I’ll be honest, there are plenty of things I hate about having ADHD:

• Execution paralysis.

• Getting irrationally frustrated when someone takes too long to get to the point.

• Launching into a four-pronged story tangent and then completely forgetting what the original point was.

• Forgetting important conversations and dates.

• Leaving tasks 90% finished and somehow never crossing the line. (This affects the Substack more than you think — I’ve got a graveyard of half-written posts sitting in my drafts. Sorry, gang.)

…The list goes on.

But one of my favourite parts of having ADHD has been how deeply I’ve fallen in love with clothing.

Now, there are obvious downsides to being a fashionbro with ADHD: impulsive purchases, zero delayed gratification skills, and a near-superhuman ability to convince myself that buying another pair of trousers is somehow a responsible financial decision.

That said, I genuinely think my hyperfixations have made this Substack what it is.

You’ve probably noticed this in real time. One month, I’m convinced loafers are the most important thing ever created. Next, I’m knee-deep in finding the perfect sweater. Then it’s running gear, vintage tailoring, or some obscure fleece from a European label I discovered at 11:47 p.m. while I should have been asleep.

And honestly? I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Because when something grabs my attention, I don’t just like it — I need to understand it. I want to know who made it, why it was designed that way, what fabrics were used, and whether there’s a cheaper second-hand version lurking on eBay. That obsessive curiosity can be exhausting, but it also turns everyday interests into something far more meaningful.

So while ADHD can make life feel chaotic, it has also given me the ability to care — perhaps too much — about the things I love.

I’ve felt a personal connection to the brand for a number of years, but to be frank, the size of my body always prevented me from copping their gear. Very expensive for something that might not fit me. I know Satisfy gets a wrap for being a ‘calling sign’ for other runners to let them know you’re cool, but I genuinely love the gear. And besides, where I live, very few runners give a fuck about Satisfy — most are still going head-to-toe Nike, unfortunately.

However, this year that changed. As I had finally headed into a place where I had begun to feel satisfied (aha) with my body, I decided to reward myself for the hard work I had been putting in to running.

For context, I’m not exactly built like your typical elite runner. I played competitive hockey growing up and went semi-pro into my early 20s. After that, I got deep into CrossFit — like, properly jacked — but I’m also a slut for KFC and sour candy. The end result? Wide shoulders, thick waist, hips to match. If body types were geometric, I’m a rectangle. (a bit smaller than this now, but I thought it was too honest to just delete).

For Context, I’m still not built like your typical elite runner. I have above-average shoulders, but my chest and waist have slimmed down significantly over the past 12 months. For the first time in about eight years, I’m officially 100kg, which I’m really proud of and excited to keep improving. In sizing, my TTS is typically an XL (no longer 2XL woohoo!), and my waist fluctuates between 34 and 35.

In today’s post, I’m sharing my honest thoughts on Satisfy Running gear — the good and the bad. Life is too short, and too expensive, to spend money on clothes you don’t even like.

I’ve acquired a number of garments and accessories from Satisfy over time. I’ve also owned their Hoka Collabs and reviewed both the Mafate and Clifton, so I’m not going to spend time on those. You can read them by clicking the links above.

Accessories:

I’ve owned hats and socks in the past. The PeaceShell 5 Panel was my first item from them, followed by their merino socks, so I’ll start there.

PeachShell 5 Panel Cap:
As I said above, this was my first item from them. I was super excited to put this on because I thought, ‘Yes! A running hat that isn’t your regular 5-panel cap!” But the reality is that they kinda fit weird on your head.

The plain product shots look clean, and they seem like a great low-profile cap, but the reality is you need a very specific head shape for them not to look a little coneshaped on your head.

If you can look past that, it’s lightweight, a cool fabric, short brim. Perfect for what I want out of a hat, but I really have to be in the mood to wear it; otherwise, it looks silly on my head.

Rippy Trail Cap:
I actually love this cap. When it first arrived, I was a bit disappointed because it looked like a tiny hat for dolls — sounds weird, I know, but the panelling was just a tad small everywhere, so I thought my head looked too big for it. Not only did I think it looked too small, but it always slid off my head when I ran!

Over time, I realised I was tightening the hat too much, so it was screaming to be relaxed and return to its original bandwidth. I learned to love this hat. It’s my most worn on running days and on casual days. It’s built up quite the sweat stain patina, and I’m proud of it!

Side note: I wrote this before I shaved my head. Once I shaved it, both hats fit real snug and nice without any lifting. Honestly, both hats are great, but the Rippy Trail is still probably my favourite cap ever.

Merino Tube Socks:
Yo, low key, these socks were straight ass. I’ve never spent so much on socks, only for them to fall apart after such a short time.

While they sucked, they looked great. I loved the height — a half crew length — and the colours were cool. Thankfully, I got them 50% off, otherwise I would’ve been more pissed!

Also, they’ve reworked the socks and added some nylon. I’m assuming this is to address the high-wear areas, but I can’t comment on that.

Clothing:

SoftCell Hoodie:

It’s one of the most expensive hoodies I’ve ever bought. Honestly, I never planned on getting one — but then Satisfy reworked their branding. They dropped the oval logo on the front and ‘running specialist’ on the back and replaced it with a plain Satisfy. Sounds silly, but I wasn’t into the new look, and I knew future self would kick me if I didn’t grab one before the switch. Pedantic? Maybe. But whatever — I like what I like.

Moving on, I have to say this is one of the most unique hoodies of all time. I love the cuffs, and I don’t think I’ve ever received so many compliments on such a small detail, but it honestly looks so sick. It’s the classic cuff you see on the bottom of the cuffed sweatpants, but you got it on the wristicles and waist.

It’s a bit of a boxier cut, so it’s incredibly roomy. As someone who bought this when they wore 2XL, I was worried it would be too tight across my chest and too short across my shoulders. But my worry was all for naught, because when it arrived, I slid it over my head, and it sat perfectly on my body. Occasionally, the waistband slides up and makes me look a little frumpy, but that’s a normal experience for someone who has body image issues.

The reality is, I thought it was going to be a one-and-done situation, but I’m itching for their new collegiate LSD sweatshirts.

AuraLite T-Shirt:

Keeping it a buck, I was not expecting this shirt to feel as nice as it does. I was expecting something very similar to Dri-Fit material, but boy, was I wrong! The AuraLite fabric does not stretch like a normal polyester fabric would, which I was sceptical about at first, as I was worried that it would feel constraining, but I honestly don’t think about it at all.

In terms of performance, I’m not blown away by it. It works fine. It keeps you cool, it’s light, and that’s fine. Nothing insane. What is awesome about this tee is the pigment dye. It has a light fade on the seams, and it’s specifically designed to fade in high-wear areas. Have a look at this pic below from Out and Back’s IG.

My main criticism of the tee is that it gets heavy when you sweat, and it soaks up sweat instantly. The tee looks great and feels great early in the workouts, it’s got a great width on the shoulder, but I find the tee slim overall (kind of like the pit-to-pit is an L), which unfortunately means I gotta fight my body dysmorphic demons when wearing it, cause it makes me hella self-conscious. Not so much a criticism of the shirt, more so of myself, but keep that in mind when buying.

MothTech T-Shirt:
uhh… It’s a tee with holes.

Kidding, BUT also in all seriousness. It’s just a cotton tee. Nothing super stellar in terms of performance. Both of mine are a faded black, yet they have two different feels — they must’ve changed factories between the releases; however, they both feel very plush.

Very much like the AuraLite tee, it’s a slim fit. My body type is not that of Max Joliffe’s, so I don’t look as cool in them. I think you should wear shorter inseams with these tees. 5” and higher is too long…

As I mentioned, the performance itself isn’t anything groundbreaking, but I feel cool as sh— when I run in them. Like… cool in a café after a run energy. I wear them casually too, which works great in the right setting — but in others… not so much. Dropping your daughter off at daycare in them? Different story. The unwashed masses are looking at me like I’m the one who hasn’t seen soap in three days. Smh.

And weirdly, my relationship with them changes day to day. Sometimes they’re insanely flattering — like I could run a marathon 2:30 flattering. Other times I suddenly feel hyper-aware of my entire torso and they seem way too slim, like I’m being personally attacked by fabric. The fit is consistent… my mental state is not. Some days it’s a style. Some days it’s psychological warfare. Honestly, if they were just a little shorter, I probably wouldn’t feel as self-conscious… but instead they sit right in that zone where I become extremely aware that I have a body at all. Entirely a me problem.

Space-O 2.5" Distance Shorts:
I went with the black pair because, quite frankly, I’m a bit tired of earthy tones on everything (but I ended up acquiring the brown pair later on, keep reading to find out).

I think black was the most versatile, but the other colours look nice too!

I bought my first pair in the dead of winter. Now, if you look at the materials, these are designed to be very light, very breathable… running in these at 5 degrees Celsius with a wind chill… you’ve got some major shrinkage, my friend. BUT now that I have experienced these in the summers, I think they’re the perfect running short.

Super lightweight, airy. It feels like there’s nothing at all! These are perfect for the interval seshes where you’re just going all out and vomiting at the end.

I read that all Satisfy shorts run small, so I decided to size up, and I’m glad I did! They fit like a dream. They have a liner that doesn’t ride up or rub in uncomfortable places, and there's zero chafing — the perfect pair of pants.

Now… to the bad part… These shorts come with two waist bands (I think to prevent chafing at the waist…?). The downside is that the stitching had started coming undone after about a month. The good part is that their customer service was pretty cool, and they replaced them for free (and let me keep the original pair). I also asked if I could get them in a different colour and they said yes! Super cool on their part. But in all honesty, you don’t want to pay the amount I did and have them fall apart so quickly.

Also, the second pair has started to rip at the waistline seam. V sad.

Lastly, they removed the gel pocket in their updated model? What’s that about? literally stops me from opting for them on race day… like, why?

If I were to do it over again…

If I were to cop it all over again, I would definitely get the hoodie. Hands down my favourite garment of theirs… fighting for my damn life not to cop the heathered grey varsity hoodie… *sigh*

I would also grab their mothtech tees, as they are the quintessential Satisfy jawn, and I would keep wearing them the way I do.

And lastly, I would buy the shorts. YES, they ripped at the waist seam, but it doesn’t impact performance/running — you don’t even notice it! They’re also my favourite pair of shorts, and I will wear them on 9/10 runs. If I could, I would get the older pairs that had the gel pocket so I could wear them on long runs.

After my experience of living in the gear, the discourse it creates online (and the anti-Satisfy runners that the discourse has created), Satisfy is still a brand that I love, and will probably continue to buy throughout my life (as long as I continue to save my pennies).

“This is the one,” you think to yourself.

…No? Just me? Damn. It happens way more than it should. It’s the age-old conundrum of “If I get [insert jawn here] and I’ll finally be happy!” Only to repeat the process five days later.

Let’s face it, I go through that all the time. I’ve even documented my journey with sweaters and loafers on Substack!

And to tell you the truth, it’ll probably happen for the rest of my life.

You may be wondering where this is coming from, and it all stemmed from this post by Vacations On.

Here he is talking about the insanely expensive fleece made by Rier. Brodie is not wrong, the price of the real ones is completely ridiculous… but I fell in love.

(Ironically, he’s actually making fun of the people who obsess over the fleece, but that doesn’t stop someone who is as determined as me!)

I had (literally) heard of this fleece from the Throwing Fits podcast before they jumped ship to Substack (only to leave Substack a year later), but I had never seen it. And honestly, after doing my own research on the fleece, I confirmed my infatuation with it, knowing;

• They’re 100% wool

• They’re self-cleaning — meaning you just need to air it out, and you’re pretty sweet to go

• The Silhouette looks beautiful

• They’re made to order, so more sustainable than most brands

I did look for cheaper alternatives, but honestly, when an original garment has its copycats, they’ll never be as good as the real deal. The biggest downfall for these dupes is usually the silhouette can never be replicated.

I think that’s what makes this garment so painful. THE PRICE, and the fact that you can’t find it cheaper. At a whopping $1600 AUD, this is one I can only love from afar.

That said, there’s always the possibility of finding them for sale, or secondhand, but I would still be paying a cool 800 bones. Definitely not feasible for a jawnsmen on a budget — which I wrote about late last year.

So naturally, you have to pivot, and by stupid chance, I found the one.

Introducing Natalka. These are 100% cashmere-wool fleeces with a very interesting silhouette.

There’s a lot to unpack with this fleece that I can’t stop thinking about.

Firstly, the cuffs. The elasticated cuffs that bunch like this have recently become more on-trend over the last couple of years, but it’s honestly the only reason why I spent way too much on my Satisfy hoodie. I love the elasticated look, and it’s nice to see more of these.

The pockets are equally cool. I like this more than your standard kangaroo pouch. It seems to be heavily inspired by the Navy sweatshirts from years ago. There aren’t many of these around, but when I see one, I always appreciate it.

Lastly, it’s actually an interesting silhouette.

The U-shape collar was a design choice that, at first, I wasn’t a big fan of… but the more I looked at it, the more I enjoyed it. Too long have we been offered a crewneck or a V-neck. A different offering to help us tweak our wardrobes ever so slightly and help them stand out from the rest.

Now, for me, I like a collar that I can fold over, and in all the promo and model shots, they were worn popped up — not my preferred method, but I can confirm from the brand themselves, you can fold it and wear it like a normal collar!

By comparison, this is much more affordable than most (especially the one from Rier, yikes), at 150 euros (roughly $250 AUD). I think for the made-to-order craftsmenship, you’re getting a great deal. I’m not saying this is a ‘dupe,’ I’m just saying, hey, there’s other gear out there, and it looks fantastic.

If you’re in the market for a fleece, but don’t want to get fleeced (ha ha so funny), definitely check out Natalka.

Look, the point is, this doesn’t matter… But it does. To me, deeply.

And so as I’m about to place the bookend to this year, I had a think about how I want my 2026 to go. I thought about all jawnz I ‘need’ to cop, and also how I want to spend my time in the new year.

So today I’m going to share with you my wishlist for 2026. A wishlist to me isn't just a list of garments I want (but it’s a way to keep my garment purchasing honest and with purpose); it's also about how I carry myself, how I use my time, and how I stay focused on the things I love as I enter the new year.

So without further ado, let’s get into the list;

SIKE not yet. I just wanted to let you all know that I am currently working on my own personal Substack. Last month,

I wrote about some of my favourite music from 2025. It’s a space where I kind of talk about whatever I want! My favourite interests outside of clothing are music and film, and they’re things I want to talk about more here on the substack but not sure if Thread Space is the place to do it.

Theodore's Thoughts

My favourite music from this year

I’ve decided to do something a little different on the personal Substack (not Thread Space), because while I’m a lover of fashion, I guess you could call me a… fascist? I’m much more than just a man looking to fill his empty void with new clothes…

Read more

6 months ago · 2 likes · 1 comment · Theodore Joel

But yeah, if you’re able, please check it out and share your thoughts!

Back to the list!

Stop using buy now / pay later rubbish

Yes, I’ll admit, there were a couple of occasions where I used Klarna/Afterpay/Payin4 services, and I must be honest in saying that I did use them when I didn’t have all the funds at my disposal… I did occasionally use it, even when I did have the funds for whatever I wanted, I just wasn’t comfortable spending it all in one go(?) Look, regardless, I don’t need to use it, and that’s why it’s on my wishlist for 2026.

A navy double-breasted blazer OR a vintage suit

Yes, I need to commit to a vintage suit. I’ve written about my fear of vintage shopping online because I haven’t had good experiences with it previously, but honestly. I just need to do it! Many moons ago, I came across an 80s Burberry double-breasted blazer, and it was magnificent… but I got scared and cancelled the order, and I haven’t been able to find one for the price I would’ve paid since then.

sigh

That’s ok. There’s no point holding onto the past. I later found a tweed Burberry’s blazer, but I read the sizing wrong — I think I read it as US sizing instead of EU, so it was super small. I ended up selling it to my friend, and now I get mad at him every time I see him wear it.

I would at least like to try and find a good steal on a vintage RL suit. Unsure of what I want exactly, so I’m open to all ideas.

Listen to more music

As I mentioned earlier, I’m going to start using my personal Substack as a platform to discuss the other things I genuinely love — not just clothes — and music is right at the top of that list. Over the past little while, I’ve really enjoyed expanding the aural palette, letting myself wander into sounds and artists I wouldn’t have touched a few years ago. I’ve already stumbled across a handful of gems that have stuck with me long after the first listen — the kind of records that quietly demand repeat plays.

I’m not trying to position myself as an expert or turn this into some deep, academic breakdown of music theory. It’s much simpler than that. I just want to listen more, listen better, and listen wider. Different genres, different moods, different eras — following curiosity instead of habit. If nothing else, this is me documenting that process in real time: falling into new sounds, sitting with them, and sharing the ones that genuinely move me.

Travel overseas

If I play my cards right, I might be able to head overseas again at some point, and if that happens, Europe is absolutely where I want to go. Honestly, if money wasn’t a factor at all, I would’ve moved to France yesterday without a second thought. No plan, no spreadsheets, just vibes and a questionable level of confidence in my ability to figure it out as I go.

But realistically, I’d just love the chance to be back over there — wandering through European cities, sitting in cafés for way too long, people-watching, and remembering why everything feels a little more alive on that side of the world. I’ve been daydreaming about travelling through the Dolomites and the French Alps, experiencing that mix of vast, quiet landscapes and dense, bustling city life. There’s something about going from mountains to metros in the same trip that really sticks with me.

Also, there’s this amazing family resort my wife and I would sell kidneys to stay at

I think I just miss the rhythm of it all — walking everywhere, eating well without trying, and feeling like the days stretch out longer. It’s been sitting in the back of my head for a while now, and the idea of going back feels less like a holiday and more like scratching an itch I haven’t been able to ignore.

Buy only second-hand

Somewhere between writing about hunting down a vintage suit and doom-scrolling eBay at an hour that should be illegal, I decided that this year I’m only buying clothes second-hand. eBay, Etsy, Grailed (though I will absolutely be asking sellers to send a PayPal invoice lol), and the local thrift if I’m feeling brave.

I’ve said it before in my post about being a jawnsmen on a budget, but the thrifting scene in Australia is… bleak. Like, spiritually bleak. So realistically, most of this will be done online — which is fine, honestly. That’s where the good stuff is hiding anyway.

I’ve already made a decent start. I found a Post Archive Faction cap for a fraction of retail, and the bloke had literally never worn it. Tags still on. No head sweat. A small miracle.

Also, shoutout Grailed and their stupid 9% fees — somehow making everything cheaper the second you slide into a PayPal invoice. Accidentally doing the lord’s work.

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Ok, so now that I’ve reached the bottom of the post, I realised that I had a lot fewer garments on here than I thought I would… Oh well!

Do you guys have anything on your wishlist this year? A new PB in the marathon? A new beanie? Let me know!

My daughter turned one a couple of weeks ago (HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL, LOVE YOU XOXO).1 And from that milestone event, it made me reflect on my life over the past year.

So many exciting things have taken place over this year, and it’s made me realise that I don’t just want to be any father, I want to be a father who leads through actions, not just “do this, do that, don’t do the bad thing I told you not to do.” I want certain lifestyle choices to be intrinsic to her. My wife is really good at making postive life choices a part of her everyday and well… I’m a creature of comfort.

These things include;

• Wanting to be physically active, not just going for a run because it’s good for you. Doing this by watching mum and dad be active, not just telling our daughter she needs to move her body.

• Being a better steward with my money.

• Eating healthier. Less takeout, more veggies (and the amount of good food you can make from scratch is mindblowing to me).

• Being a better steward with my money.

That last one is in there twice because well… I love clothes, and with my taste, it’s not always the most financially savvy decision. It’s still a work in progress, as I spent around $1000 on Satisfy gear this year lol.2

I digress.

All of this reflection helped me learn how to reassess my wardrobe needs and navigate them effectively. So, today I’m going to share with you how I’ve done that in this new season in my life. As dumb as it is to admit, it was a difficult adjustment to just… be ok, with not having the expendable income to buy juicy jawnz whenever I felt like it.

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Shop your wardrobe.

You hear this phrase all the time. It’s a cliche, but an applicable one.

At the beginning of each season this year, I take a stock inventory and determine which garments have a lot of life left, which are worn out, and identify my favourite garments. I also look for any holes in my wardrobe that I might need to fill or find a substitute that I already own, and could use in lieu of.

This winter was particularly cold, so I needed warm garments. In my post last week, I discussed sweaters. I mentioned that I was wearing a couple of sweaters from Uniqlo almost religiously.3

I acksually bought these sweaters 2 years ago, but I never wore them. I acquired them in preparation for a European trip over Christmas, and when I returned, I shoved them in a shoe box and slid it under my bed — forgotten. That was until I went back through my wardrobe and realised I adored how they fit on me.

I also rediscovered these two Supreme hats that I had only worn a handful of timers over the last 4-5 years. I don’t know why because they’re super tame, and they honestly age so well (minimal fading, it’s really nice). The cream one has yellowed a bit, but that’s life. When I washed them, I was actually excited to wear them as if it were a new jawn that landed in the mailbox.

I highly recommend you do the same.

Be ok with not finding the crème de la crème

This hurts to say aloud, but linking my previous point to this one, Uniqlo has been my best friend this year. I know, I know… Fast fashion, the big bad evil. I’m happy to dig into that topic another time.

But in all honesty, Uniqlo has been my saviour this year. Not only because it’s affordable, but they also offer flattering clothing that helps you fill the holes that are missing in your wardrobe.

For work, I had really old, tattered button-up shirts. (They’re vintage; I can’t expect things to last forever.) Then Uniqlo introduced Uniqlo C, along with these beautiful, oversized cotton shirts.

These shirts are my uniform. I wear them for work, for brunch, on weekends, date night, for the boys, for my wife *Borat voice*. Everywhere. I love them. Can dress them up or down. They’re great.

Now, with the price I paid for 3 of them, I could’ve been halfway to another Borrowed Shirt from Our Legacy. And look, I know the quality is going to be better. I know their business practices are better, but as a professional, I can’t be wearing the same shirt five days in the work week, cause one, that’s mad stinky, and two, I want to wear more than one outfit (as any human would).

And look… if you simply can’t fathom the idea of wear brands like Uniqlo, then might I suggest…

Be savvy for the sale season.

Many people are anti-seasonal sales (Black Fridays, Cyber Mondays, Boxing Days), and they have valid reasons. We’re fed with so many products in our algorithms that it’s a no-brainer to overconsume when… you’re operating with no brain.

I can’t tell you how many emails and texts I’ve been absolutely blitzed with this month — I’m about to go crazy (crazy? I was crazy once.) It’s easy to get sucked into the craziness of seasonal sales, especially when your favourite stores and brands are hitting you with the faux-scarcity play like “Be careful, stock is limited, you might miss out.”

BUT if you’re intentional, you can use it to your advantage. This feels really obvious; however, it’s so easy to get swept up in the craziness, and I fell victim to it myself. I was looking for something very specific, and I kept getting swept up in the ol’

“Ooo, derbies on sale! what if-”

NO. FOCUS.

It’s so easy to fall into the consumerist trap, but thankfully, I stuck to my guns and came out with the perfect sweater (my mission from last week’s post) and this beautiful blank hoodie from Sown Again, which I chose because I appreciated their mission on sustainability (I can’t comment on quality, but I’ve heard good things).

Go vintski, baby!!!

I didn’t do this (and I’ll explain why in a moment), but you can always go vintage. It’s the most sustainable approach to menswear you could possibly take. Giving old garments another lap around the sun.

For me, this wasn’t quite the play. I love the idea of wearing vintage, but my experience hasn’t always been the best. Part of that is I’ve been burned by incorrect measurements on garments, other part is I just took the size tag as gospel, and the jawnz were either too small, or egregiously large.

(Also shipping to Australia on websites like eBay, Grailed, etc, is way too overpriced. The shipping is often MORE than the gear itself — absolutely cooked.)

I have learned from my mistakes, and I have taken my body measurements, and I’ve also got the measurements of my favourite garms on the notes app so I can easily cross-reference. I guess all I need to do now is take the leap, but I still have that nervous feeling of being super excited for a new garment and ending up disappointed when it arrives.

AND DON’T TELL ME TO JUST TRY THEM ON BEFORE I BUY BECAUSE VINTAGE GEAR IN AUSTRALIA IS STRAIGHT DOODOO AND NOT POSSIBLE UNLESS I WANT TO PAY A 500% MARKUP.

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Final Remarks

So anyways, yeah. Clothing is expensive. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, it can cost a lot of money. I don’t think anything I shared is groundbreaking or brand new, but I hope applying them to my life has motivated you to do the same.

I should preface this by saying, yes, I am hypocritical — I share my love for Uniqlo, but I also discuss my appreciation for sustainability. Welcome to the world. It’s a doggie dog world, don’t get bit, bruh.

That 100% happened to me when I was researching for the perfect loafer in my last Substack post. I started searching for the perfect loafer, then realised I had a huge hole in my closet — sweaters.

For context, in Australia, the weather is warming up — we’re in Spring, so looking for the perfect sweater now seems… pointless.

I own two sweaters that I actually wear, and they’re good… but they’re not great! They get the job done. They’re the Uniqlo Lambswool sweater — a super affordable, 100% (no polyester rubbish) wool sweater for all to enjoy. They have a raglan sleeve, which I’m not one to usually enjoy, but since I’ve lost a bunch of weight over the year trying to become a faster runner (did I mention I’m a runner, btw?), the raglan sleeve drapes much nicer over my body — so I wear them pretty often now that I like how they fit.

But as I said, I’m looking for something GREAT. When searching for the greatest sweater of all time (GSOAT), there were certain parameters that I wanted met — not that all of them had to be met, but if I could tick most of the boxes, that’s a W in my books.

1. From a company that specialises in making sweaters

2. Drop shoulders sleeves — for my big shoulders, that’s sometimes tricky.

3. Easy to style — I’m specifically looking for a sweater I can wear with shorts for those crisp spring nights.

4. Durable — not gonna sag and stretch just from succumbing to gravity.

5. NOT TOO EXPENSIVE — sub 300 AUD

6. Find it in navy or grey.

Pendleton Shetland Wool Crew

On my deep dive, this was the first one I was really set on. If you know Pendleton, then you are most likely aware of their history — I was not, and to be honest, I still don’t know a whole lot because the oceanic division is licensed by a company in New Zealand, so it’s a bit different to what you might get in the US.

The wool for these sweaters is sourced from New Zealand, and they’re naturally odour- and stain-resistant — awesome!

I probably wasn’t looking for a heathered navy/indigo, but it comes in a heathered grey, which looks lovely. I like the way it drapes over the model — loose sleeves (hate a tight sleeve on a knit), not too long and baggy, and there’s a slight drop over the shoulder. Perfect!

If I were to make a critique, it’s probably not as relaxed or as oversized as I would like, but it’s definitely got a relaxed fit that I heavily appreciate.

This sweater will run you approximately 200 AUD, which is a steal of a price for what you’re getting.

Every Other Thursday Cotton Fisherman Knit

Now, I am aware that EOT is not a label that specialises in knitwear, but the texture, fit, silhouette, and 100% cotton knit make this a 10/10 imo it’s 8% spandex so I’m now giving it a 9.2/10.

This is a very different texture from Pendleton’s sweater, and that’s ok! I’m not stuck on one specific style/material. The fishermen’s knit with the cotton makes this the perfect layer for the brisk spring nights while I’m walking along the coast with my daughter and wife in a pair of 2.5” satisfy Space-O shorts and Boston Birkies (yes, Birkies are still a winner and you cannot AND WILL NOT change my mind).

After shipping, these are a little more expensive than Pendleton’s, sitting at around 250 AUD, but you can find similar garms for a lot more — the killer is shipping to Australia, costing just under 50 AUD. As silly as it sounds, I am praying for a black friday sale on EOT’s site so I can cop it for a little bit cheaper.

Howlin’ Knitwear

I actually have two options coming from Howlin’. The first model is their Shaggy Bear Knit, which was suggested to me by a friend as we discussed J Press’s Shaggy Dog knit. However, he shared that he thinks Howlin’s interpretation of the knit is more affordable and timeless, and I agree with him.

Howlin’ Shaggy Bear

What I learned about this shaggy line of knitwear is that it is rubbed over with a special brush to give it that extra fluffy feel and look. It looks great! I imagine these fitting very similarly to the Pendleton knits.

The Shaggy Bear line is more expensive than previous suggestions, costing approximately 400 AUD (YIKES), but with the construction and wool coming from Scotland, you are paying for a very well-made sweater.

Howlin’ Boxy Space Knit

While it doesn’t have that brushed, shaggy effect, it features a dummy thick neckline and a boxier fit. So it would most likely achieve that oversized/relaxed fit I’m searching for — very epic! However, you are once again looking at paying approximately 400 AUD for this jawn. Hurts my soul to say the least. While I think this one looks fantastic, I will most likely not be able to afford either of these joints (can I have a collective sigh of sadness, please?).

Velour Garments 7-gauge knit

The last knit I’m going to share with you today is a 7-gauge knit from Velour Garments. Now, if I’m not mistaken, Velour Garments are usually a blank distributor streetwear startup dorks often use, but I’ve also heard questionable sale practices from them as well (Like jacking up the prices right before sale season just so they can mark their usual retail price as ‘sale’ prices).

Anyways, this one is very similar to EOT’s fisherman knit as it features an identical weave — as well as being 100% cotton — and seems to be somewhat cropped; however, the sleeves look huge on the models. And for me, I think that would be too big for what I’m going for; however, the drop shoulder is fantastic. These ones are also quite affordable, running you up 200 AUD.

Chez Rein Heavy Shaker Sweater

Oh, you thought the Velour Garments’ sweater was going to be the last one? Because I said it was the last one? WRONG. idiot.

While writing, I forgot that I had almost bought this sweater nearly a week ago. It’s another beautiful 100% cotton thick knit sweater. It’s lovely, and it has the fit profile I’m looking for! All their colours feature a relaxed, drop shoulder, boxy profile so it sits nicely on the hips, but still looks casual.

As I said before, I had this in my cart. I was ready to buy. I added my size, proceeded to checkout, counted up the total, saw the shipping cost — ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR SHIPPING?! My heart sank. Decieved. Disappointed. Disheartened.

Living in Australia has many benefits, but ordering things from overseas IS NOT ONE OF THEM.

In all seriousness, though, I was disappointed that the shipping was insanely high. That’s not a blight on the brand, but I think Shopify’s automatic shipping costs or whatever.

Unfortunately, the navy is sold out on their site, but I’m sure they restock on a semi-regular basis. That point feels somewhat moot anyway, as I can’t justify paying 50% of the RRP for shipping. Turning a 220 AUD sweater into a 320 AUD sweater… it just ain’t right. *sigh* Maybe in the future

Brut Shetland Sweater

Okay, promise this time, this is my last pick for the sweater report. Once again, not a label whose sole focus is on knitwear, but these are too nice, I can’t not pick them.

And I knowwwwww I was looking for exclusively navy/grey sweaters (which all of my picks have had), but this sweater by Brut has so many exquisite colours I can’t pick just one — and I’m also a huge fan of bold primary colours at the moment.

Seriously, I don’t think I can pick just one.

If my nerd terminology serves me correctly, these Shetland Sweaters by Brut feature a saddle shoulder construction, which is very similar to a raglan sleeve, but contains straighter lines(?), idk, something like that. Features a boxy fit for that relaxed, cozy vibe, along with some nice detailing on the front.

This was incidentally a buzzer-beater pick for me, and what’s funny is that although this sweater ticks the least amount of my prerequisites, I actually think it might be my favourite option! And once again (again), while I was looking for a navy or grey sweater, I don’t think I can pick which colour is my favourite!

And I’m gonna be honest here, everything (and I mean that honestly) they have to offer looks fantastic (I actually think I’ll have to do a write-up on the label as a whole in the near future).

This sweater is on the more expensive side of 320 AUD + shipping, so you will need to empty your pockets a bit more for these (honestly struggling not to impulse three of them right now).

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What do you guys think? Have any recommendations of your own? I’m really invested in finding the perfect sweater, and if I’m being honest, I think i’ve only scratched the surface of what’s available. Do you have a favourite pick? I’d love to know!

No excuse! …ok, some excuses. Honestly, life has been wicked crazy, but in the best way possible. I’ve had high job satisfaction lately, so I’ve been investing more time in my career. But I haven’t stopped writing; I've just been writing differently. I’ve been writing a lot of poetry and creating my own screenplay (NERD); 99% sure neither will see the light of digital day, but it’s been a really fun and creative outlet. I think I was so obsessed about “creating content” (barf), that I kinda forgot what it was like to write for the sake of… well, pleasure! It’s felt really liberating ngl.

But, enough about me. I’ve still been obsessed with clothes, still obsessed with menswear and being a fashionbro and a little while ago, I shared that I was going through a grown man post-streetwear / actual menswear phase, and to be honest, that still hasn’t left me, and frankly, I’ve been obsessed with finding the perfect pair of loafers. But this shit is so expensive and I’m truly torn — do I stick with the classics, or try something new…?

It’s funny. I spent all my money on Satisfy gear (post about that coming soon), where one day I went “well, I’m satisfied with that (ha ha ha ha), but what’s next?” (classic jawnzmen approach to life — don’t think, ONLY consume) And then IMMEDIATELY jumped back to the everyday casual-wear and decided loafers were going to be my next obsession.

Today, I’m going to share the top of my coveting list of all the juicy loafers for you to feast on, and maybe discover for yourself.

So without further ado, let’s get into it.

Option 1: Scarosso

Scarosso footwear is something that I look at, but will most likely never own. Their footwear options are insane and come with a pricetag to match — not like high fashion prices, but too much for the average fashionjoe.

Before I get into the covetous loafers, I wanna give an honourable mention to a silhouette that I think is absolutely wicked.

Leggera Sneaker

I know what you’re thinking, “Doesn’t Prada have something that looks EXACTLY like this?”

Yes.

But, I kinda like that. You could pay 1500 AUD for Prada’s collapsible sneaker, OR you could pay a third of that for Scarroso’s own collapsible sneaker. Obviously, I can’t comment on the quality, but if the quality is as good as they look, you can’t go wrong.

I DIGRESS

Gerald Woven Loafer

wowowooweewoo *Borat voice*

What a fantastic loafer. I’m in absolute awe of how nice these loafers are. I will admit, I was looking for a more everyday loafer, and these are a bit more on the formal side, but if I owned these joints, I would happily dress them down.

They are reminiscent of Loewe’s leather weave, but interpret it as more ‘paying homage’ than biting their steeze.

I could glaze them like crazy (like I had on my IG, where they just laughed reacted, assholes), but I’ll let the pictures do the talking. However, these are definitely on the more expensive side, setting you back approx. 800 AUD, so it will hurt your wallet (or credit card statement if you’re irresponsible), but these look utterly beautiful. I highly recommend rummaging through their entire catalogue, as it’s all fantastic.

One last honourable mention, the Fred Loafer is also exquisite. I know it’s very in trend right now (thanks ysl), but I’m really enjoying the wrinkly ballsack toe box. I think it’s fun and has that nice lived-in feel

Option 2: Pompeii

I have spoken about Pompeii in the past, and for good reason — The brand is really good. Everyone whom I’ve spoken to Pompeii has only spoken highly of them. They make the vega in an array of colours, including a forest green, which looks amazing, but I wouldn’t say it is very versatile.

And I’ll be the first to admit it, it’s a very safe option. No different from a pair of Weejuns, but with them being made in Spain, you’re also paying for beautiful craftsmanship.

Option 3: GH BASS Weejun Larson Step Loafer

Now, you may be thinking this is a snoozer pick. Like, a pair of Weejuns? Really, Ted?

BUT HEAR ME OUT PLEASE.

These aren’t your average pair of Weejuns, nor are they your average pair of lug-soled Weejuns.

The Larson big steppers feature a lug sole that is completely flat. This gets some high praise from me because 1) the lug sole is added comfort. 2) The sleek sole adds a higher level of sophistication similar to a leather sole. The only downside to this silhouette is that it seems to be somewhat elusive, as I’ve only seen them for sale on End. Clothing and Farfetched — both charging 400 AUD for a pair of Weejuns?! Weirdly high for a baby’s first loafer brand. Nevertheless, I love the way they look, and would love to get my hands on a pair in the future (just not for 400 AUD lol).

Option 4: Blackstock and Weber Ellis Penny Loafer

Speaking from my own experience, Blackstock and Weber’s quality is PEAK. I own a pair of their horsebit loafers in their walnut croc leather — I wore them on my wedding day, and I wear them predominantly for work, but also just like… whenever the fit calls for it? I love them so much. I will note that they aged really well, while obviously, they crease and reshape from walking in them. However, on the feet, they still hold their original shape fairly well — I’ll drop a pic below.

I’m caught in two worlds. Do I cop a pair of loafers that are the same as what I already have, or do I branch out and try something new? It’s tricky. If I were to go with B&W’s loafer, I know I’m getting a fantastic product that I will never tire of, but the trade-off is having a second pair of loafers that are extremely similar to a pair I already own. *sigh* It’s honestly such a hard life for me.

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So there you have it. The reality is, not all of these picks are completely left-field or avant-garde — but honestly, they don’t need to be. Many of these models have stood the test of time because they simply work. They fit well, they look good, and they make you feel a little more put together without trying too hard. Whether you take my opinions seriously or with a grain of salt, all I can recommend for YOU is to pick something you’ll actually want to wear every day. Style isn’t about reinventing yourself (that’s a lie, I absorb a new personality every time I try a new ‘core’), it’s about repetition done right.

Tune in to my next post as I’ll be fixated on sweaters — even though the weather is heating up here in Australia(?)

Here are my current PRs:

• 5K: 23:12

• 10K: 50:15

• Half marathon: 1:48:48

(Marathon? We don’t talk about that day. I got a stress fracture. I said don’t judge me!)

If I were to complete another 10k race, I reckon I clear sub 50 easily.

Now, the question you probably have right now is, “Theodore, you’re so amazing and handsome! How did you do it?”

Was it the 5 am wakeups, diet changes, 18km long runs?

Of course not! It was the clothes. (Kidding… kinda.)

There’s a wonderful placebo of running faster because you’re wearing cooler clothes. Why?

Because when the half tights stick, the Metaspeeds don’t slip, and the Auralite swishes across your chest just right — it’s ethereal. When the chains of busted jawnz are broken, nothing holds you back but a headwind. It’s not performance — it’s delusion. Your energy doesn’t come from the bagel you ate— it’s from believing you dressed the part, so you are the part.

And so, today, I’m here to share some lovely gems that will single-handedly shave seconds off your splits.

UNNA: Counting Smiles Over Miles

The fun-loving running label is putting silly back on the track. Founded in Stockholm, UNNA shifted the focus from finishing first place to finishing in a ‘good place.’ As an aggressively average runner, this is all too relatable. Absolutely fantastic approach to running.

Not only is the ethos admirable, but the brand also brings some juicy goods.

They offer a number of specialty fabrics; however, I wouldn’t necessarily say they are groundbreaking fabrics. They are environmentally focused, so I can appreciate that.

I’m a dirty little freak when it comes to running tights. You make a good running tight, I’ll give more than just money, and UNNA execute them perfectly.

Phone pockets on half tights will always be *chef’s kiss* for me, as someone who exclusively ran in Nike’s Aeroswift tights that had no pockets for the longest time, it’s a huge upgrade.

They also made a lot of fun products like this performance-focused horizontal striped long-sleeve that shouldn’t work, but somehow does!

If you’re interested in owning some silly, wacky, or fun garments, then I highly recommend you check them out.

Bandit Running:

Switching to a more serious approach to running… I’ve been following Bandit for a minute, but recently, I’m obsessed! I’ve always admired their approach to the culture. From supporting non-sponsored athletes at the Olympic trials to creating the uniforms for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, truly a group to admire.

They bring it all to the table. They make gear for every type of runner: loungey casuals, normalcore staples, and high-performance race-day fits.

I particularly love their tights selection. Not only are they offering multiple colours, but they also offer multiple materials for their half tights, depending on what you’re in the mood for.

Superbeam:
My favourite of the fabrics they offer. The award-winning Superbeam material’s got the classic glossy spandex that’s super compressive without strangling you. No friction in your crotch around here because this material is silky smooth and gonna slip straight past without any friction.

Cadence:
A nylon and elastane blend. A ribbed fabric to encourage better sweat wicking and moisture management to help push through those hard sessions. Just by looking, you can see that it’s definitely taking some ‘inspiration’ from Nike’s Aeroswift.

Gridlock:
a lightweight material with a knitted double-pique technique. This is used to create a more breathable garment, especially for your extra stinky areas. It’s a waffle-like pattern that looks pretty sick ngl.

Their latest summer drop was super clean too. Bright, playful, and punchy. The good news is that some of it is available for pre-order, so anyone who wants a singlet can get their hands on it. The bad news is that their training shirts sold out almost instantly…

Their recent summer drop was clean. Loud where it should be, simple where it counts. And while I love what they’re doing, I’ll be real: the streetwear-y drops and paywalled membership make it tough to appreciate. (The good news? Other retailers often have stock even when their main site’s cooked.)

Small gripe aside, Bandit is pushing running forward — with gear that doesn’t just work, but looks good doing it.

Optimistic Runners:

I would describe Optimistic Runners as a label you’d wear if you were a runner who exclusively wore Rick Owens — and I say that as someone who’s never owned a Rick garm in their life.

Their catalogue isn’t huge, but what they offer feels curated, not lacking. There’s a real intentionality in the pieces — like, nothing feels like filler. From the neutral hues to the perforated tank tops, every item seems like it’s meant to be there.

I know it sounds weird, but I’m obsessed with how their O.R logo sits on the shorts. There’s a confidence in the placement that matches the vibe of the brand: minimal, but assertive.

The brand has this quiet minimalism that lets the silhouette do all the talking. The gear’s not flashy, but that’s exactly the point. It’s the kind of kit that peacocks in its own way: not with loud colours or wild patterns, but with that subtle, confident energy. You’re not just fast—you’ve got taste, and other runners see it.

In a roundabout way, the gear reminds me of Our Legacy Workshop’s running gear — I came across a pair of their shorts on eBay for a steal price, but I unfortunately lost the auction and it’s haunted me ever since…

So yeah — maybe you don’t need the nicest kit to get faster. But let’s be real: when the clothes hit, the confidence follows. And confidence has split-shaving powers science can’t explain.

There’s a lot of whinging from the unwashed Nike-wearers about people “dressing better than they run,” as if it’s a crime to look clean while clocking six-minute Ks. But personally? I love it. I think running becoming a fashion statement is sick. It means people care — about how they show up, about the culture, about themselves. That’s not pompous — that’s pride.

And if anyone gives you side-eye because your fit’s too dialled for your pace? Just do what I do.

…Nothing. Just get super self-conscious and pretend to pull a hammy so you’re not near them anymore.

Look, I want to start by saying a few things:

• I respect both of the writers of the articles I’ve linked, Murray Clark and Gerald Ortiz. Both have written articles that I’ve loved and enjoyed. This is not a critique of them at all.

• GQ has become a strange place. Some articles are wonderful and incredible, but some…fall flat. This isn’t a critique of the entity, more an observation that the times have changed. I miss reading interesting write ups that made me think and molded my idea of menswear. I understand that the $ comes from shopping guides and brand deals and I can respect the hustle.

• The % of men that will cater their whole style to whatever is deemed to be ‘on trend’ are lazy, uninspired, and all-around boring people. If you start wearing flip flops this year because GQ told you to, the issue isn’t GQ, it’s you.

With that out of the way, I’d love to poke a bit at this trend and what it means for us as readers and consumers to be swayed by what a big ole’ entity will try to sell you.

Let’s begin.

I’m an immigrant. My mom has been wearing flip flops for as long as I can remember, literally her whole life. In our house they were called chanclas, and they were both a shoe to be worn and a weapon to be wielded when the time came to it. She would often go to Old Navy and purchase those $1 flip flops whenever the summer promotional would come around; we would also reap the benefits of her buying us a few colors as well. In terms of the flip-flop trend, my mom’s been about that life for decades. Can you imagine what her response would be today, if I told her that the shoes she’s worn for decades are now suddenly on trend???

…

Come on man.

At what point do we have to admit that not everything has a trend cycle, that sometime things just have a permanent level of usefulness?

Let me give you a different offering — moccasins. Specifically the wasp-y Sperry’s / LL Bean styles that older white men with healthy 401k’s have worn sockless for decades. I recently bought myself a pair after rejecting the notion that these were exclusively for older white guys. My main motivating factors were (1) I’m a stay at home dad that needs something I can just throw on (2) that would look appropriate in both a playground and a restaurant (3) and wouldn’t look out of place with shorts / pants — these checked-off every single item. After a quick few clicks, the LL Bean moccasins arrived at my house and I’ve worn them almost every day since.

Are moccasins having a moment now? Yes. Did I buy them because they were having a moment? No. I bought them because they were useful, and they fit the needs I had at the time. I’m sure Birks could have fit the bill too, but I didn’t think they’d dress up as nice. I almost opted for loafers, but I felt bad about thrashing about some of those nicer examples. These Mocs won me over because they checked off the boxes, and because they would serve their purpose as a useful pair of shoes. They were a practical purchase, not a trendy purchase — I know this because at this point I’m so locked-in to these that even if the trend phases out, I’m going to buy myself a new pair of these every single summer until the day that I die. Amen.

I think flip-flops are in the same similar vein. They’re (1) easy to throw on and (2) look appropriate [almost] everywhere and (3) can be worn with shorts / pants. I don’t think the main factor for buying a pair should be because they’re on trend, it should be because they’re useful. They serve their purpose well, and it’s a purpose that arrives every summer and departs every fall.

I just don’t think we need to lie to ourselves about this: flip flops are not for #fashion, they’re for #purpose. We wear them because they make sense, not because they look good. It’s because if I need an iced coffee, throwing these on is much easier than unlacing + tying up a pair of Rick Owens sneakers. Don’t pretend that you’re going to look hot in flip flops with your gross feet out in the open; Lord knows most guys are too self-conscious to get a pedicure in the first place.

The Row makes a flip flop for $690. Havaianas makes a similar color way that is currently on sale for $11.18, or roughly 62 times cheaper. Which do you think leans better towards the flip flop trend? Which do you think leans better towards usefulness?

I can’t imagine spending that much money on something that is meant to be worn to beaches and bbq’s — why not cop a few pairs of Havaianas and now you have going out money? More sandals and more beer — a win-win for all. But I think part of the issue with things being on-trend is that the big #FASHION companies feel a need to make a version of said item to play into the trend cycle, hoping that their customers are so scared of being seen as poor that they’ll dish out $690 to protect their reputation + take fit pics that they can then tag The Row on.

“Oh but they’re made better” — Not 62 times better!!! There’s no shot that your fancy flip flips will outlive the immigrant-mom-backed chanclas brand that was formed in 1962, 44 years before The Row would be formed!!! They’re been making flip flops longer than the Olsen twins have been alive!!! Respect the legacy brand!!! Respect the quality!!! Respect the duality!!!

I think this is a pattern we see over and over, and it’s one we should do our best to reject. Schotts has been making top-tier leather jackets since 1913 for about ~$500 today, and yet the Hedi-era YSL leather jackets cost 10x as much for nowhere near as good quality. Jeans were once a tried & true workwear staple made by the likes of Levi’s and Lee to be worn well and now you find brands like Balenciaga making versions so wife legged you could use them to smuggle your kids into amusement parks for free. And don’t even go further down the workwear line — do you know how difficult it was to explain to my 60 year old father who worked in carpentry his whole life that people were buying used Carhartt jackets with stains on them for upwards of $200? That high fashion brands were making versions that were ‘luxurious’ for upwards of $1,000? I think he almost had a stroke. And I don’t blame him, at a certain point we have to recognize that the never-ending trend cycle of what is deemed cool right now makes the fashion machine churn out dozens of versions of products that ultimately aren’t as useful, and don’t have lasting power or influence when compared to their original influences. In this day and age, no one needs high fashion flip flops, they just need some Havaianas and a cold Miller High Life.

Where does this leave us?

Well, at a crossroads. Because you have a tough choice to make now:

• Are you going to wear flip-flops because GQ told you to?

• Are you going to wear flip-flops because they’re a practical summer option?

  • And if you do the second, are you going to apologize to your aging parents for never truly seeing that they had prophetic insight to the trend cycle of summer 2025?

The former makes you an inspired loser; the latter will probably heal some generational trauma, or at the very least make it so you can wear flip flops this summer without getting roasted.

In the spirit of not being a hater, I do want to say that the GQ list that was mentioned above was actually really, really good: click here to see it. If you are going to spend some money on flip flops, this is a great starting point. Alternatively, Jake Woolf just quite literally dropped a list of summer sandals that expands the offering beyond flip flops. I can’t recommend any flip flops as I’m a hater of them in every sense of the word, but I’d love to sway you into some Mocs, if that’s your sort of thing.

Apart from that, I pray you can wear flip flops (or sandals or moccasins or whatever) this summer without the pressure of being trendy. God knows that the real fits come out in the fall anyways, summer is a good excuse to let loose and wear whatever feels good + keeps your feet cool.

It’s a valid question.

Why don’t men dress like this more often? Is it ignorance? Or negligence? Is it because if they broke the pattern of tight polos and tight jeans and Jordans, they wouldn’t get complimented by their other bros? Is it because they’re scared of women? Who knows! I’m not here to read minds, nor am I here to lead horses to water that don’t want to drink it, or whatever the saying is. What I can do, however, is offer up some good options for things to wear this summer that will tone the #ALPHA energy down and instead make guys a little more likable, datable, and more trusting around uncovered drinks at bars.

Lets begin.

Here are some rules for what I’m calling soft boy summer (working title):

• Items are meant to be understated, subtle. We aren’t doing loud prints or obnoxious logos.

• Items are meant to be worn well and easily; you shouldn’t have to think about these things. You throw them on and go, and they all work together well.

• Items shouldn’t be obnoxiously tight or showy. We are trying to show off your heart, not your underworked legs.

• Items are not clout-driven, but instead timeless and endearing. You should be able to wear them at 20, 30, or even 40.

• We’re going to reference some icons for good visuals since you’re braindead and can’t use your imagination.

Tom Selleck

The KING of dressing like a collegiate bro without the allegations, Tom has always managed to carry a really masculine energy into his outfits without becoming the stereotype that we’ve all grown to hate today.

From the top down, get yourself a nice baseball hat. I know that we have some Mets fans here but let’s be really honest here: no one can pull off an orange & blue hat. My recommendations are to stick to baseball (or other sports) teams with good, usable color schemes. You can also go the vintage route and dig through pages of eBay goodies, or just get something that looks vintage. I also think finding a hat that’s non-sports related might be cool and add some diversity to your outfits. This one says “I like the ides of motorcycles but idk how to ride one.” Nice.

Tom also managed to nail the cowboy boot look without making it tacky. You could invest $$$ in a realllll Texas pair, or instead opt for the always usable Tecovas that everyone seems to like; I’m partial to the Cartwright model. If you’re looking for something a litttttle more chic, this pair from French brand La Botte Gardiane is a bit cooler for just a little more $. Vintage works here too, but you’re going to struggle to really find a good pair online that’ll fit right so I’d suggest praying to the thrift gods and hoping for the best. Also you’ll need bootcut jeans.

In terms of tops, the way to go here is button ups. Tom has a few great options, whether it be a beefy twill shirt like this one from Buck Mason, or a chambray shirt that’ll get better with age like this one from Wythe, or a good old fashioned denim shirt (that you can’t go wrong with when you look at all the offerings from classic brand Stetson) the idea is simple: wear them big and untucked or fitted and tucked in, always with the sleeves cuffed a bit.

Harrison Ford

Harrison’s approach to a simple outfit was a little simpler: keep shirts open, keep shorts short, and keep socks off. Strange how this formula is just as efficient today as it was decades ago.

For tops, I think you can see that he did a great job of wearing more formal items in a casual and informal way. Like yeah, wear an Oxford shirt like this one from Brooks Brothers, but wear it 1/2 unbuttoned and slightly oversized. Get a chunky sweater from J Press and then wear it with shorts (we’ll get there next). Buy a nice polo that is nicely fitted to your arms but isn’t so tight that we can see your nipples upon the cool summer breeze. And wear them enough so that they’re a little faded and have some life on them, let people know you actually do things with your life.

Shorts need to be short and/or baggy. Patagonia has found this formula and perfected it with their baggies; stick to their 5” version, and black only please. Alternatively, Madewell makes an amazing fatigue version of shorts in navy (YES!!!) and green (yes) and white (ew).

Harrison made me a convert btw, this week I began raw dogging new Mocs from LL Bean like a rich white guy with a healthy 401k and a 2nd house in Nantucket. I think it’s time for you to buy a good pair of LL Bean mocs and raw dog them as well. Or you know, maybe some good black loafers from G.H. Bass or this wholecut offering from Sanders & Buck Mason or this pair from Jacques Soloviere. Wear them in until they're scuffed and dirty and no longer pristine, and then allocate them to bbq grilling service for the rest of their life.

And remember, Harrison taught us all not to take ourselves too seriously.

Jeremy Allen White

“MARIANO THE GUY FROM THE BEAR?” — Yeah.

“BUT MARIANO HIS STYLE IS SO BASIC.” — Exactly.

I’ve seen so many critiques of his outfits being too basic and boring, and those critiques come from guys who are wearing outfits that are…basic and boring. Difference here is (1) Jeremy makes it look good (2) mostly because he’s shredded and not losing time fighting on the internet and (3) he isn’t making his outfits his whole personality. OOOOOOOHHHHhhhh yeahhhhh I am sure that the guy who is making a bajillion of dollars cares about your youtube video critique. Maybe instead of worrying about what he’s wearing you should worry about why your girlfriend is drooling over his Calvin Klein ads.

(Editor’s note: No one who makes critique videos online has a girlfriend, ok.)

I want to reverse this order: let’s talk pants. Your best bet is learning how to measure your fav pair of pants and then using those measurements as a guide to buying old vintage 501’s and perhaps even the 505’s off of eBay. If you’d rather start with new jeans, skip the new stock of Levis and try some faded and loose Nudies or some big and wide Carhartts. Granted, I know the loose pant trend might not be super appealing (or even fitting) for everyone, so maybe look for straight legged jeans that won’t look silly on you when you look back at pics of yourself from ‘the golden days.’

Some sneaker options for guys who can’t do loafers but still want to avoid Jordans: buy deck shoes, or more easily, white Vans authentics. Yes, the same shoes you wore lockless in high school to Warped tour…they’re cool again. You can get the Sperry’s version here or this Moonstar version for Buck Mason here or this version by Morja’s here. Opt for white with a blue stripe in you can, and if not black is fine too. Or maybe you wanted Sambas!!! Don’t. I’d say Onitsuka Tigers Mexico 66 in yellow but everyone’s got those now, so maybe risk trying these new ones from Pompeii in green or navy.

Look. No self proclaimed alpha male bro is going to wear any of this ^^^

But that is GOOD NEWS because you shouldn’t be dressing for their affirmation, you should dressing for GIRLS TO FIND YOU COOL AND ATTRACTIVE AND GENTLE AND KIND, PER THE ATTACHED SUBSTACK POST THAT YOU PROBABLY DID NOT READ YET.

The reason why good guys dress like this ^^^ is because they’re not trying to prove anything to anyone (especially not other guys), they are just being themselves and letting their clothing choices be easy and subtle and just an extension of who they are. They’re not trying to show off their status or financial successes with what they wear; their success is in their demeanor.

I just think that in 2025, there’s a way to life and dress that puts less of an emphasis on your image and more of an emphasis on your character. When your clothing becomes secondary and is just there to be worn well and comfortably as opposed to being your defining characteristic / your whole personality, you realize how much more fun you can have without caring what other guys will think.

…and also, bro. Girls will find you HOTTER. And I think you need that in your life. I don’t, I’m married and she’s hot. But you??? You’re struggling. And that might be because you still opt to go out and about in Yeezy boosts, which also gives off some strange ‘heil’ vibes.

Also man, if you cannot trust me, trust the dozens of single & successful & attractive-but-not-as-attractive-as-my-wife-girlies who replied to me and affirmed that they wished more guys would dress like these dudes above rather than what they wear now.

Don’t be an idiot.

Have a hot sultry soft boy summer.

In the post, I discussed a myriad of garments that I think would complement my wife’s wardrobe, not change it. I rattled off a series of options, but my favourite of the bunch was the Gardana Clog by Plasticana. I was always a fan of the hemp plastic clog, but the truth was, I never pulled the trigger on them because there were always other footwear (most likely sneaker) options that I opted for first.

Now, being the good husband that I am, I reflected on my own words and copped… for myself (hehe). Sorry Sophie, but tbf you laughed at them when you saw them on my feet for the first time.

I’m going to share a little excerpt from my previous post to discuss where the Gardana clog sits in today’s zeitgeist.

When looking at the innovation adoption lifecycle, some could argue the Gardana could be in the late majority. I get it—I remember when General Mohawk Store first stocked them, back when they still had that IYKYK-ness to them. But here in Australia, they’re not even on the radar. I haven’t seen a single pair in the wild, and with only two stockists nationwide, we’re still sitting firmly in the early adopter stage.

Look, I’m not pretending I discovered the Gardana clog. By the time I copped, the Brooklyn gentrifiers had already been there, done that and moved on. It was one of those niche product-based trends1 that blew up — big enough to sell out at every boutique, but not big enough to hit the unwashed masses. Eileen Cartter even wrote about it for GQ nearly a year ago!

But honestly? I wasn’t late — just patient.

Anyways, enough pretentious self-glazing. Let’s talk about what’s really important, how these wear in real life!

When I say I’ve worn these every opportunity I can, I mean that in the most literal sense.

I have worn them to Sunday markets with the family;

I’ve worn them to brunch with the homie who also copped a pair;

I’ve worn them in professional settings, and I’m yet to be reprimanded (my workplace has a… strict dress code2);

Now, I will admit that it does seem a little self-important-in-a-writer-way to wear a silly little clog every day and say it taught me something. But the truth is, wearing the same silly little clogs had consequences — good and bad.

1. Chameleon of footwear

I love that while it is a gardening clog—the bottom feeder of formality— its silhouette is reminiscent of something of a more… refined nature. The clog’s silhouette holds a similar shape to that of a loafer, meaning it can go incognito mode when the situation arises.

Going to work? Chuck on the clogs.
Walking the dog? Chuck on the clogs.
Pub crawl? Chuck on the clogs.
Grandparents funeral? Chuck on the clogs (especially since they also come in a dark green and black, so you can blend in better).

Look, I know they aren’t really for all contexts, but I’ve successfully worn them for parent-teacher interview night as well as late-night grocery runs, and somehow no one batted an eye. Is it the shape? Is it the person modelling them (yeah-nah)? Maybe I’m just ignorantly confident to the point my brain is lying to me. Either way, they’re the first shoe that comes to mind when building a fit.

2. These are not comfortable

Due to the squishy nature of the clog, you have the privilege of feeling every surface underneath your feet. You feel the cracks on the asphalt, paver joints, and tree roots reaching the surface. Everything. This legitmately sucks. It’s not fun and definitely ruins the experience of wearing this funky little shoe.

But you can’t be too upset about this because, well… you are wearing a squishy gardening clog. I should add that the shoes become instantly more comfortable when you add insoles, as they initially don’t come with them.

3. Harder to style

I don’t know what it is, but I’ve found these somewhat hard to style. It’s difficult to articulate, but there’s something about the positioning of the foothole that makes cropped pants look a little silly and well… most of my pants are cropped. But also, pants with a longer length where the pants break cover the opening of the clog also look weird… idk how to explain. I’ll share some photos below to help compare. There’s little room for error (I’m talking millimetres here, people!).

The best I’ve found is the middle ground—longer than my normal length, shorter than a standard length. It’s super particular, and I only have one pair of pants that does it best.

I’m worried that my style is permanently changing because of this. For years, I’ve always opted for a decent crop in my pants, but now with these, I’ve enjoyed a slightly longer inseam… I hope it’s garment-specific and not a permanent belief for the sake of my wardrobe!

4. People don’t actually care about them

Now hear me out.

When I say people don’t care about them, I mean it’s not on the civilian’s radar. It’s not one of those garments that draws attention and provoke knee-jerk reactions from the unwashed masses… and to be honest, I kinda like that.

A long time ago, I wrote about people who feel weirdly entitled to share their unfiltered opinions about what you’re wearing because you’re the fashionbro. I was expecting to be absolutely torched for these, which is semi-ironic because, as the Chinese proverb says, the one who wears Crocs, yap the loudest—but the reality is, I have not been. I’m flying under the radar with these bad boys!

And what’s weirder than unsolicited negative comments I get on my outfits, are the surprising number of compliments I’ve got for these joints, too!

5. WARNING: Stinky foot inbound!!!

Alright, I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but it needs to be addressed.

These clogs are made from hemp plastic, AND they’re fully enclosed — which means your feet sweat. Like, really sweat. I’m talking “toes pruned after the swimming pool” level sweat. If you’re a sweaty mf like me, proceed with caution.

Keeping it a buck with y’all: after wearing them all day, I started getting that ominous “uh-oh, is this foot funguscore?” feeling. DISCLAIMER: I acted fast, and it didn’t become a thing — just some brief itchiness. I swapped my socks, moisturised, and aired my feet. All good now.

(I genuinely don’t think there’s a way to talk about this without showing my whole ass. But hey, no lasting damage — just a lesson learned.)

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So there you have it. The things I learned when wearing the same pair of gardening clogs for a month. Did I think way too hard about a pair of plastic clogs? Yes. Was it enlightening? Also yes.

Anyways, a lot of the garments that labels are bringing us are either too expensive or not piquing my interest, and to me, that’s disappointing! A year ago, Mariano and I would drop a weekly newsletter on different garments that we were super excited to talk about or eventually acquire.

So, feeling this way, I could have used the opportunity to try something different. Pick up a new hobby, connect with friends whom I hadn’t seen in a while, or focus on my career. Instead, I did none of that and decided to deep dive into finding some new up-and-coming labels so I can say “I knew of them before they blew up.”

Not going to lie, there’s so much junk out there. Most of it is filled with influencers/content creators making their own label and either screen printing garments, or making their own half-baked cut and sew that were most likely dropshipped from Alibaba. It’s difficult to find out what labels have an authentic love for fashion, and what ones are a get-rich-quick scheme from the dumb civilians who think they know fashion (I have fallen for such schemes myself in the past).

This is a part of a larger conversation that I might discuss another time.

On with today’s post!

Porter James Sports

Now this is the label I’m most excited to share about today. Showcasing the best first(?). Hailing from across the pond in New Zealand, founded by Joshua Heares, Porter James Sports is a label that offers classic garments with a contemporary flair. I’ve been following the label for a minute now, but have recently fallen in love with their knits and mid-layer jawnz.

What I value about PJS is that all the garments they offer are ones that have stood the test of time, but have been reworked to fit multiple lifestyles and climates. For example, a lot of their knits are cotton-based, rather than wool2. While it almost feels heretical to use different materials, it just makes sense! This is because 1) customers in warmer climates are able to actually wear them, and 2) they can be worn comfortably for more of the year, not just in winter, but also for the chilly transitional Autumn/Spring mornings and evenings.

As someone who runs hot asf, this is perfect for me. In Adelaide, the climate isn’t too extreme, so anything over 2 layers and I start sweating. Having a cotton knit as a midlayer will help me look *chef’s kiss,* while also not die from overheating.

Lastly, I thoroughly enjoy the colours they’re offering. It’s not common enough to see bright pops of colour anymore, but PJS are bringing us royal blues and vibrant reds to liven up our wardrobes. While I value the versatility of a neutral wardrobe, adding these pops of colour is just so clean.

Handsom Clothing

Bringing it closer to home, Handsom reigns in the city of Melbourne, Victoria. Sam Rush and Henry Allum brought the label to life in 2009 after combining their backgrounds in fashion and design. Handsom offers an array of fantastic garments accompanied by an extremely reasonable price tag. With the garments designed in Fitzroy, Victoria (which is where their flagship store is), it’s refreshing to see local labels create some genuinely clean garms because it’s hard for us oceanic folk to cop international (conversion and shipping literally doubling the price of the jawnz).

At the moment, I’ve been on a real business shirt and sweater bender, and Handsom executes them perfectly. Also, I’ve never been a fan of sweater vests, but I am a huge fan of this orange number.

Some other notes of praise are their twisted jeans and their outerwear. The outside seam twists around the leg, and it’s a nice touch! My knowledge of coats and other forms of outerwear is fairly limited; however, I’m very tempted by this check coat, and once again, at a very surprisingly generous price of $439 AUD.

Pompeii

I’m going to end with some footwear that has caught my eye on something from the other side of the globe. Founded in 2014, Pompeii initially created a name for themselves in Madrid, but grew globally through making multiple footwear silhouettes, as well as making some fantastic clothing.

For the last little while, I have been searching high and low for a new pair of loafers. I could go with the standard GH Bass, but then I would be paying around $400 AUD for an entry-level loafer. I would rather my money go towards something different, and subsequently, save some money in the process.

My favourite silhouette from Pompeii is the Vega, but they also offer a Paraboot Reims-esque design with their Modena—so if you’re in the market for the Paraboot derby, but don’t want to break the bank, then I suggest these may be the ones for you!

My favourite Vega is this brown/cream one. I will admit, black loafers have been the goal, and I’m kinda off earthy tones. They look good, but not everything has to be poopee brown, you feel me?

HOWEVER,

I cannot deny these. They are fantastic. The different hues of brown and the off-white/sail on the toe are simply exquisite. Unfortunately sold out in my size, but praying for a restock in the future.

Also, I can’t get over this pony-haired loafer! Definitely not for everyone, but I think it’s executed perfectly. Well done to the team for coming in clutch with those!

You’ll be saving some $$$ going with these, but from everything I have seen about Pompeii, it is positive, and you’re also supporting a small business, so that’s cool too!

I’ll share my other favourites because we don’t gatekeep around here.

Anyway, that’s enough window shopping to keep me from spiralling into existential dread. If you're also feeling uninspired by the usual suspects or just broke and bitter (me too), maybe these labels will give you something to get dressed for. Or not. I’m not your mum. But if you find something you like, buy it for me and send it my way.

K, love you, bye.

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…wait. These don’t look good.
That’s ok, let’s try my Brain Dead cotton twill pants. Nope, those don’t work either… Ok, how about my Salt + West trousers? hmm. too short.

Fuck. I need new pants.

This is frustrating for Jawnzmen, particularly in transitional seasons. You spent all summer getting excited to wear your favourite pair of Homecore quilted pants. But on the first slightly chilled Autumn day, you realise: they don’t sit right anymore.

But why does this happen? Simple. Your style has changed (I want to refrain from using the words p*rsonal s*yle). Your interests may have shifted, you watched a movie where a character dressed in #menswear, and you’re still wearing gorp. Things change, people change, and sometimes your pants need to!

Or maybe it’s a phase. I know that at least once a year, I become infatuated with sartorial #menswear myself. I want to buy vintage RL suits, wear loafers to brunch, wear a tie to the grocery store. It's almost like a cosplay — but instead of dressing up like Iron Man, you’re wearing vintage Armani to the deli.

And that’s the beauty of being a Jawnzmen: every so often, you’ll get wrapped up in a subgenre, label, “-core”, or even a specific garment that throws a midwest emo riff into your three-piece jazz set and becomes your personality for a moment.

After a while, it fades, and you go back to your standard uniform. But the beauty that comes from this phase is that we often take the aspects we thought were the best and cement them into our personal style.

As I mentioned earlier, at least once a year I get obsessed with the whole suiting–loafering–coating pipeline. I’m actually in that phase right now. There’s something about dressing professionally for pleasure that’s always fascinated me, but I’ve never quite managed to execute it well enough to be satisfied. I digress.

Today, I’m going to share some of those style swerve moments from my life.

Paraboot Michaels.

For the longest time, I was obsessed. It’s the perfect juxtaposition of in-your-face chunk, but elegance beyond belief — rugged, yet somehow refined. When I finally bought them, I wore them to work with a shirt and tie and felt like I was doing something. But once the sartorial phase passed, I figured they’d go the way of other failed experiments.

They didn’t.
They stuck.
Now they’re a staple.

Clarks Wallabees.

…and then, sometimes things don’t go as planned.

Once in my annually grown man streetwear/wannabee menswear phase, I copped some Clarks Wallabees. To preface, I LOVE the look of wallabees (even today I still love the way a Wallabee looks), and I wore them like crazy when I first got my pair. But as time went on… the honeymoon phase ended. I began to resent them.

The toe shape didn’t look as nice as other pairs I’d seen online, and now they kinda just collect dust in my wardrobe. A good idea, but not the right one for me.

Runningcore.

Running completely took over my personality, and it’s still got me in a chokehold to this day. I love the runner’s aesthetic. I love it on the track, in the coffee shop, or in the workplace (but maybe leave your 3” shorts at home for that one). I love wearing my overly priced Satisfy hoodie to work and risk having it ruined by snotty kids. I love wearing my Adidas Evo SLs even though I’m just doing daily tasks. I love vintage runningcore (not y2k running core*) and current day runningcore.

Mixing everyday with technical looks so good. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s cool to connect the contrasts between a button-up shirt and a pair of interval shoes.

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When I look back on my own style experiments, I ask myself this question: 
Will I regret going full runningcore in a year? Possibly.
Will I regret wearing supershoes with a pair of pleated trousers?

Absolutely not.

*“but Ted, Asics GT-2160s are y2k-”
SHUT UP.

It’s been a wonderful month here at Thread Space as we’ve seen a massive increase in views and subs and comments. We’re low-key celebrities now. Now is it funny that it usually comes whenever we link off of someone else’s work…??? MAYBE. But maybe Theo and I found niche: building off of someone else’s work and adding our insights to it. It’s like when Apple said ‘We can make a better cell phone.’ We might be the Steve Jobs of substacks.

First off — we might go paywall once we hit 500 subs and we are close. We won’t paywall everything, but some things will be saved for our premium + hot + not-poor subs. We also are going to experiment with a monthly pod because the world is clearly missing another podcast run by two white guys, right? Right.

All of that to say…

I’ve been doing a lot of INNER SEARCHING recently and realized that there’s a stagnancy in the clothing space — everyone likes and wears the same 5 brands. And although that isn’t a bad thing, I’d love to share my wisdom and insights to better brands and people out there that you can support. And for our female readers, I got some heat in there for you as well.

Going to keep these things super brief, quick fired thoughts.

Paynter Jacket Co

Hot take here: I like my No. 19 wool overcoat from Paynter more than I do my Drakes overcoat. It’s cheaper, but by no means lesser quality. It’s lighter, which makes it more wearable. And it fits as if God Himself gave them my measurements. I’ve actually got a request in with a tailor to see if them can make my Drakes coat fit like my Paynter coat — THAT IS LOYALTY. The TLDR of Paynter is that they do 4 drops per year of different sorts of tops (shirts, coats, vests, etc.) and they sell out almost instantly every time. No. 19 really spoke to me and I went in to order while their pre-order was open and it promptly closed. Lucky for me, they opened up a bigger order after and now I own my dream coat. Expect a longer review on this coat in the near future.

Calzuro

I think it’s time to move on from Crocs. Calzuro is better and cooler for a few reasons: (1) Your mom isn’t wearing these yet and (2) They give you a little height so the short kings can update their Hinge profiles to say “I am 6' feet tall” and (3) They seem to loved and adored by both nurses and chefs alike and (4) You can be the first of the group to claim that you knew about these. Are they a little more money than Crocs? Sure. But can you put a price on happiness? And coolness? And 3” of height? No.

Found Objects

I actually discovered Found Objects through their main site that operates like a huge mood board. Land Rovers, Persian rugs, and shots of the dessert: nice. But the coolest part is when you click on their shop and see that they make these tote bags with a built-in inner leather bag. It’s like all luxury on the inside and really raggedy on the outside; this is also how I describe myself as a person. I think if you want a bag that functions well and is built well, but looks as cool and casual as a tote you’d see on a Pinterest board, this is the way to do it. In terms of price, you have to inquire within which usually means you’ll be paying a pretty penny for it…but again CAN YOU PUT A PRICE ON HAPPINESS?

Manzi & Co

This brand is fully in French so I have no idea what they sell apart from this incredible coat. Seems to be unisex, so ladies & gents are both able to enjoy but look at how wonderful that little fireman clasp is on the shoulder. It’s little details like that that’ll make you keep reaching of this jacket over and over again. I do think that someone should buy one and let me feel it, or be generous and buy it for me. Thank you.

La Botte Gardiane

Let’s stick to the French here: I love this brand. I also went full detective mode on this one. I am a big fan of Brut and when they dropped their boots I did some digging to see if it want in house or not…but this brand happens to have a super similar cow print boot…on a super similar model…look at Brut’s boot and look at La Botte Gardiane boot…you see what I’m seeing? Anyways, love Brut but LBG offers custom boots at better pricing and also offers some other great silhouettes, like these clogs that are unfortunately only for women.

Silphium Studio

You ever fall in love with the right person at the wrong time? That’s how I feel about this coat from Silphium. It’s everything I wanted in a coat this past winter: raglan sleeves, below the knee, and that nice chin strap for windy days. I’m hoping these will come back in stock this fall because otherwise I’ll be in deep, deep mourning. I also think their catalogue offers so many wonderful offerings for tops, pants and even bags. And because they’re local to the tri-state area, I feel an urge to financially support them this year and I think you should too.

Charlie Borrow

ANOTHER BAG MARIANO??? Yeah. Another bag. But it’s not just a bag, it’s a reallllly good bag that actually has a price tied to it. I think the older I get, the more I want to buy really good things that I know will last a long time and these fit that bill. All of them are made to order with quite a few offerings terms of colors, materials and details. In terms of accessible bags that are made well and support a smaller business, you’d be hard pressed to find something better than this Pilot bag. I’d also encourage you to dig through the rest of the offerings because there’s something for everyone; bags, aprons, keychains, chairs, etc.

Sarah Johnson

I really, really, really do not want anyone to know about Sarah Johnson before I buy one of these vests + one of her trench coats…which is why I tucked this one towards the bottom because I am sorta’ hoping most people have given up by now. SJ is one of those brands that I found on my explore page and have been consumed be ever since. My fav thing is there is a menswear tab on the site, which means that some of the pieces have been created with a guy in mind, but honestly??? The womenswear is so good that I’d likely order from that section anyways. It’s rare to find a small brand doing such great outerwear at this level of excellence and I really hope to see SJ continue to grow in the future.

Nora Petersen

A few years ago I discovered Nora on…Tik Tok(?) and this past year I got to order a custom twisted shirt from her for Christmas and it’s one of my fav things that I own. The subtle twist in the buttons is really wonderful, feels like it gives a solid unisex vibe for both men and women by having 1/2 buttons be catered to mens shirts and the other 1/2 to women’s. I think for $145, it’s one of the best tops you can get. Nora really does put a lot of detail and care into everything she makes and I’ve highly soldiered throwing out all my other button up shirts to pledge allegiance to Nora’s shirts from now one. MAYBE if we get more paid subs I can make that dream a reality.

Phipps

Man, Phipps is so cool. I really can’t say anything other than that. I think the social media content I’ve seen form Phipp has won me over and I think it crosses into a good territory for guys who are wanting to walk into the menswear scene but are scared that menswear ‘is not manly.’ This is likely one of the burliest brands out there that still is holding itself up and creating exciting product. I love their clothing but I also love how they rework vintage pieces and add their own twist to it. Whether it’s their fleeces, or vests, or even their boxer shorts, I am so excited about everything that they’re putting out.

I hope you find something exciting from this batch, or maybe it encourages you to look beyond the usual suspects when it comes to clothing. There’s so much excitement that is out there in both the mens/womens clothing scene that we should be encouraged to want to go and explore beyond what we know.

The good news is that all these brands above are going to give you 10% off if you use the discount code #Mariano10 as you check out.

(That is a joke, please do not do that lmao)

Feel free to sound off in the comments about your fav brands that aren’t known (or as known) or tell me that I’m bad at writing, both are super appreciated.

Love you.

A while back, I wrote an article that picked up some traction about the issue with modern day lookbooks. Some people really love the sentiment, while others pushed at the idea a little bit. One of my favorite comments was how people who are “fashion insiders™️” have a different take on the lookbooks than us regular normies do. And it hit me in that moment that the comment, although genuine, might have been digging at the fact that I myself am not a “fashion insiders™️” — this bothered me for a bit. But I think the truth is that he was entirely right: I am not a fashion Insider, and I will likely never be a fashion Insider. I am a dad who works a job that he likes and owns a home in a trendy, progressive neighborhood, and will more than likely never really step into the fashion world beyond what I do on this website, and yet, I think that means that I have more in common with the viewership of this blog than a “fashion insiders™️” does.

Although we go to fashion insiders for their professional takes on issues, I genuinely think that the most realistic day-to-day discourse come from the normal people like you and me. The conversations that we have are much more closer to home than that of someone who's directly involved in the industry.

What I'm going to try to do over the next few paragraphs is walk the line between giving information to you from “fashion insiders™️” while also bringing in the opinions of a normal 30 year old person who happens to be into clothing and what this next season could look like for me and for you.

Lets begin.

Thought #1: I think that the future of clothing is going to become more expensive (regardless of whether or not you think tariffs are a good idea).

The reality is that everything is going to cost more, for everyone. From “fashion insider™️” Andrew Chen of 3Sixteen, there’s this video that made the rounds on social media explaining how a tariff practically will affect the chain of purchasing.

The additional cost for them to manufacture products will eventually will play into both the wholesale (the cost a shop will pay to stock that item) and the retail price of that item (what it will cost you to buy that item as a customer). I think that’s regardless of whether or not a brand is based out of the USA, they're going to have to raise the prices to balance out the costs of these tariffs, and ultimately, it is very likely that you and I are going to eat that cost hike.

In the case of Andrew's point, he said that brands are going to have to make the decision of who is going to have to pay the price for those tariffs. Will it be the producer (3Sixteen in this case?) Will it be the stockists (any shop that sells 3Sixteen)? Or will it be the customers (you and me)? I think some brands are going to absorb some of the costs, but I think the reality is that most of us are going to get hit with the additional pricing. I'm assuming that most people who read this blog are likely not shopping at fast fashion brands, which means you're probably already spending a little bit more money than you would like to spend on your clothing, and all of this means you’ll have to spend a little bit more. Sure, the price of denim being +$200 is high for most people, but I think a lot of people here have already experienced purchasing a pair of jeans that cost +$200 — the question is whether or not you’ll want to spend $250, or $300 on that same pair of jeans.

And part of it comes down to brands here just not being able to produce goods here at the same quality without involving overseas productions. Look at these screenshots from quotes of an interview Andrew did on TV:

This article from GQ does a great job of explaining how denim, for example, is nearly impossible to produce here anymore. And you don’t have to take my world for it — look at these jeans from Levis that are a replica of their 1954 Original Fit 501 fit that sells for $335. “OH LEVIS IS MADE IN AMERICA RIGHT?” — Wrong. That higher end model? Made in Japan (you can read under the Composition & Care tab), where nearly all good denim is made today. And that’s a real legacy American brand too. Todd Snyder makes a made-in-USA jean but it still costs $268!!! Because manufacturing here is expensive, something that we’re disconnected from in a world where most people don’t want to spend more than $50 on jeans.

To Andrew’s final point above, Americans used to spend 12% of their income on apparel, now it’s 4%. Let’s say you make $60,000, that would have been $7,200 at 12%, or only $2,400 today. In the past, where clothes made in the USA cost more money [relative to income], a pair of $250 jeans might have made sense. But once we moved everything overseas and profit margins grew as prices shrank due to unfair labor practices? American greed formed our brain to believe that cheaper = better.

I have more thoughts to vomit out here but lets move our focus to non-American brands.

Thought #2: There's gonna be scarcity in the marketplace.

Let's say you want to buy a Barbour jacket that is not made in the US. There is a chance that this jacket is now going to cost more than its usual $400 upon entering the United States right out of the gate. Now, I don't necessarily want to spend $400 on a Barbour jacket, but I entirely do understand why people do it. I myself have written about spending a pretty penny on nice jackets, and I do genuinely believe that you get what you pay for, and that a $400 Barbour jacket may last you the rest of your life…but my fear is that the tariffs are going to discourage shops and stockists here in the US from wanting to keep those heavily tariffed items in stock.

In a tariff-world, if you want to go find a Barbour, you're going to be met with a few different options.

1. It's very likely that you're going to have to spend more money to acquire that same piece of clothing. Lord knows what a tariffed Barbour would be, but knowing that you’ll be paying $450-500 for something that usually costs $400 is nuts.

2. If you don't want to do that, you're going to have to go on a resale site. And that resale site is probably not going to be as cheap as it once was. Peep this GQ article where they spoke to vintage deluder about the tariffs. I mean, if you're unable to get something new and your only option is to get something used, over time, supply and demand takes its toll, and suddenly these $200 Barbours that exist all over Grailed and eBay will now become $300 or $400 Barbours. This is actually super frustrating, because we're gonna really lose out on the ability to find really well made, relatively-cheap goods. Everything is going to become more expensive.

3. Your only other option is to go and buy something that is made in America, like a Filson jacket, which I believe is just as good as a Barbour, even if the style is entirely different. The problem there is…going back to point number one, even IF all Filson coats are made in America, a lot of the parts that go on the jacket, maybe the buttons or the zipper or even the fabric, might be from overseas. Look at this denim jacket from Filson that is in their Made-In-USA section. Scroll down to manufacturing and look what it says: Made in USA with imported material. So even a Made in America jacket is going to cost more money, because the materials aren’t coming from within the USA!!!

You can see how this becomes very frustrating, because even if you try to shop within the United States, you're still going to be met with the cost of raised prices. And if you don't want to go buy something new because the price is higher and you opt to go for the resale or vintage route, those prices will be just as high. All of this means that more money is going to be spent.

Thought #3: I genuinely believe that a lot of these smaller brands are going to suffer.

I don't think that the bigger companies are super worried, or at least not yet, but we have heard quite a bit of other brands that are anticipating this, causing some issues for them down the road. I've linked another GQ article here where they spoke to a few small business owners about this. Part of why I think this sucks so much is that I really do love brands & shops that are on the smaller side of things, and it does make me upset to know that there is a reality where, if this situation lasts too long, it could do long term damage to these companies.

Will it mean that they'll shut down? Maybe not, but they might have to close locations, or they might have to stop producing certain items. We have to really put ourselves in the place of these owners too, that all these additional costs are going to cost them something. Does it mean that they're unable to hire someone new? Does it mean that they have to let go employees to balance out their costs of running a business? I don't really know. I don't think anyone really knows what will happen, but I know that there is a real sense of worry amongst people who run the companies that you and I really do hold dear and love.

Taking into account the previous points…I also think that, if we're being super honest, if things keep going this way, and the general cost of living gets higher…are we gonna want to spend that much money on clothing? Like is there going to be a period of time where we shop less because our eggs are more expensive and our gas is more expensive and our insurance is more expensive, and literally everything else around this becomes more expensive? I think so. And although we might be saving a little bit of money, we're also then not putting money back into the system that we love so much.

I do genuinely worry about this, because I think that for so many people there's a big disconnect between the brands / products and the people that run them and work for them. Like I can love a product and not realize that this product was made by people who have mortgages and bills and mouths to feed as well. I do think there is this genuine and realistic fear that, depending on how long this goes, it is going to make life difficult for those brands, and by extension, their employees. My biggest hope is that everything will go back to normal and everyone will be able to keep operating as if nothing happened.

Thought #4: There is going to be a temptation to buy cheaper things, and I believe that we have an obligation to resist that at all costs.

I don't think that our response to things getting more expensive in the clothing industry should be to go buy cheaper things from fast fashion brands. A lot of those fast fashion brands are genuinely abusing their workforce. They're exploiting their workers. They're not paying livable wages, and if they have to raise their prices because of the tariffs, that additional money is not going to go to make the life better of the people that are employed by those companies at the lowest level! It's just going to go back into the pockets of the people at the top.

There is a selfishness that we have to consider (and combat) that is if we are going to spend money during this difficult time, we should really stop and think about where our money is going. One of the things that I'm most passionate about is stewarding my finances well, and part of that means that I care about where my money goes, and I also care about what my money supports. I recently picked up a jacket from Paynter that I absolutely love, and I'm extremely excited to do a write up on that jacket ASAP. Now, the jacket cost more than I was willing to spend on a coat this winter, and yet I'm able to swallow the cost, because it is extremely clear to me that that brand not only cares about its product, but it also cares about its employees. And yes, that brand is much smaller than other brands, and so for them to operate at the level that they're operating at oftentimes means that their costs will be higher because they aren't making millions of items, they might only be making a few hundred. I know that the money I spent was money well spent because it went back into a brand that is taking care of its people in the right way. I think if you genuinely care about clothing, it means not just caring about what you wear, but caring about how it's made, where it's made and by who it's made, I think we have a moral obligation to consider those things in light of the tariffs, and not give in to the idea that it's time to cheapen out on things.

Thought #5: Maybe it's time to slow down on the purchases.

I think if you're given an option between buying something that is cheaper at an H&M or ASOS, and just withholding your purchase until you've saved a little bit more money to do so at a brand that supports ethical processes, I think it's worth waiting and supporting the right people.

If there's anything to learn from this season, it's that you don't need the newest thing right now. If you think back to the sneaker / loafer / mule article I wrote a few weeks ago, that's one of those items that I don't believe is going to last past the tariffs. This is a season where people are gonna buy things that have longevity, and if you're someone who hops from trend to trend, you're really gonna lose yourself over these next few months when things get more expensive and you can't buy the newest shiny thing.

Who are we at the end of this? I think this is a really good moment for people to practice self restraint, to fight off the over-consumption that we glorify in this country, and to spend time trying to make sense of what their personal style is (barffffff) and how what they buy can better suit them. I think if you're going to make a purchase, it should be something that you genuinely believe you will wear for a long time, and even if it is more expensive you can rationalize it by understanding that you will wear it for the years to come, and not just for the next few months.

Thought #6: I think that in spite of the costs increasing, there are things that we can still do to support the brands that we genuinely love in this trying season.

Something that I've considered is the idea of going to get myself a really good pair of selvedge denim jeans once I'm done with this marathon training. I don't actually know when these tariffs are going to lift, and how long the effects will last, so I don't know if come November I'm going to be in a place where I want to spend over $300 for a pair of jeans. But what I do know is that I really hope that when the time comes to get those jeans, I'm still able to walk into a brick and mortar store because they were able to get through all this.

I think something we can do in this season is support brands we like via gift cards. Like I'm not going to go spend $300 on a gift card, but I might go spend $100 and save it so that come November, I'm able to offset the price of those jeans that puts money back into the company without having to pay additional fees for tariffs.

Maybe it means buying something that you really, genuinely love from the brand itself and not from a secondary site. I know that there's nothing wrong with shopping at those other sites, but realistically, why would I go buy jeans from 3Sixteen from anywhere other than 3Sixteen itself? There's something really beautiful about being able to support those brands directly and make sure that that money is going back into their pocket.

One final I also believe, and I have a conviction for although I can't prove it, is that if these tariffs are rolled back, I do believe that some brands are going to honor that roll back and adjust their prices.

My biggest fear is that some of these bigger companies that don't really care about us as people are going to raise their prices now, and if the tariffs do get pulled, they're going to keep their prices high, because at the end of the day those companies only care about profit margins, not about their products or us as people. But I have to believe that certain brands, even like a 3Sixteen might raise their prices during the tariffs, and yet (hopefully) drop them back down to a pre-tariff price once all of that is done.

Now, realistically, like I had mentioned before, I am not a “fashion insider™️”, so what do I know about all this? For all intents and purposes, I might be wrong about everything…but I hope that this starts a dialog that normal people feel like they can be a part of.

When I've read some of the articles that I've linked up here before, it doesn't feel like I'm at a place where I can make a comment on the state of the industry, because I'm not in the industry, but what I can do is make a point on the state of my life in view of what's happening around me. My hope is that this is a conversational piece, something that allows you to consider what the next few months are going to look like, something that allows you to consider what your wardrobe is going to look like for the summer and the fall.

And hopefully, once we come out of this, we all come out of this dressing a little bit better and with a little more restraint.

Some additional videos / articles worth looking at that I will update in real time:

Marcus from Minted NY posted a super transparent video where you can see in real time how these tariffs may affect the bottom line for a brand & for us. Great watch with clear math.

Blamo! posted a clip from their pod with Derek Guy talking through the costs of a brand just putting out simple single print t-shirts. As the cost to produce gets higher, the cost to sell will also get higher as well.

Justin Alexander from the bridal brand…well, Justin Alexander, posted a video about Liberation Day and how it’ll affect the bridal industry since the manufacturing processes are currently impossible in the US, and how it will require some shifting to new countries (depending on the tariff process and how it plays out). I will note, my wife works for this company and I’m proud of them for their stance on this.

This article is not perfect, but it’s as much as my brain can process as a normal human. Would love to hear your thoughts on this, your criticisms and insights that might make this better for all of us.

Piggybacking off of Mariano when he wrote about things he thought his brother should wear, who piggybacked off a post made by G F titled "Stuff I Think My Brother Should Wear." Shoutouts, Mariano, for introducing me to Kind of Cool because I love finding more substack nerds to fill my feed.

Before diving into today’s post, let me take a moment to share a little about my wife, Sophie. She is a kind and caring mother to our baby girl, with a heart full of compassion and love for everyone around her. I’ve never met someone as selfless as Sophie—she always puts others first, which, I’ll admit, makes me feel a little guilty because I don’t hold a candle to her generosity. She’s beautiful inside and out, and her smile has a way of lighting up any room.

She has some visual resemblance to Florence Pugh, especially in her role of Dani in Midsommar, but don’t tell her that because she HATED the movie and wishes she never saw it (and like… I would assume she wouldn’t shove me in a bear suit and burn me alive).

Before we go any further, I want to go on record to say that I DO NOT speak for all men or women, and this is purely my opinion on things I think my wife would look good in.

There were some notes I needed to consider when finding garms for this list;

Interest in fashion:
My wife does a good job of dressing stylishly while not caring for fashion and jawnz the same way I do, which means I’ll often recommend a fire garm to her, but she’s like “Nah I’m good.”

Function over form:
Sophie is all about function. She will pick a functional garm over something that is slightly uncomfortable but looks wicked fire. Like if we’re out for a family walk, she’ll rock a pair of runners and tights. She’ll never opt for the jeans and boot combo.

Mall brand enthusiast:
The subtitle is tongue-in-cheek. What I’m really trying to say is she won’t buy anything if she can’t try it on first. Very smart. Definitely not like me. She also can’t justify spending too much on clothing (definitely not like me), So whatever I recommend needs to be long-lasting and cost-efficient.

Effortless:
She has a knack for dressing effortlessly cool—something that true garment enthusiasts often struggle with. Adding pieces that feel too intentional can throw off her entire vibe.

Style consistency:
I don’t want to change her style. I don’t want to put her in cosplay by adding clothes that will change her style completely.

As a reminder, this post is not about changing the way my wife dresses but adding on to her wardrobe with some things that I think would look stellar on her.

Footwear:

My wife is pretty set for most of her footwear rotation. In her daily rotation she has;

• LX Vans (which I discussed in depth a little while back)

• Grey New Balance 992s

• Arizona Birkies

The classics, If you will.

I think she would look fantastic in a pair of loafers. What’s great about a loafer is that you can wear them in any season and they look good. You can dress them up in slacks, or down in a pair of shorts. Look good in socks, or raw dogged. There’s a lot of versatility available in loafers.

But it’s important we remember that my wife is a functional dresser, so I don’t think we can go with a leather sole. If she’s actually going to wear a pair of loafers, they need to be a lug sole, and because she doesn’t own a pair, we need to stick with the classics.

The classic GH Bass Weejuns in a lug sole would be perfect for her! The lug sole adds extra comfort for a shoe that can be uncomfortable. Unfortunately, all the female’s lugs available are extra tall, which I don’t think she’d be down for, so she’ll be chucking on a men’s pair for the classic vibe.

Working alongside the loafers, I’m throwing in the Plasticana Gardana French Clogs. For the Northern Hemi homies, this might feel a little... late to the party.

When looking at the innovation adoption lifecycle, some could argue the Gardana could be in the late majority. I get it—I remember when General Mohawk Store first stocked them, back when they still had that IYKYK-ness to them. But here in Australia, they’re not even on the radar. I haven’t seen a single pair in the wild, and with only two stockists nationwide, we’re still sitting firmly in the early adopter stage.

What I like about the clogs is that she can switch between them and loafers seamlessly, keeping the same outfits while subtly shifting the tone—clogs for a more relaxed, effortless feel and loafers for a touch of refinement.

Bottoms:

So my wife has two moods: skinny leg or wide leg—no in-between. I love her with all my heart, but it’s time to let the skinny jeans rest. I know she still prefers a slimmer silhouette, and I think a straight-leg jean strikes the perfect balance. Compared to the oversized cuts dominating the algorithm today, a well-fitted straight-leg still feels streamlined while offering a more timeless and effortless look.

She’d absolutely pull them off. With her body type, she has the flexibility to wear a range of silhouettes, but the beauty of a straight-leg jean is that it works for anyone. It’s a classic for a reason.

I know nothing about denim. I don’t know how to determine good denim from bad denim just because it’s not in my spectrum of interest. If I give a bad rec, I would love some other suggestions!

These high-rise straight-leg jeans by Australian label, Country Road would look good on her. Most (if not all) of her pants are high-rise. It’s something that she’s more comfortable in, and if she’s not comfortable, she won’t wear it.

We could offer the classic Levi’s 501s. Another straight cut jean without sacrificing body shape. She’s not interested in paying extortionary vintage store prices for a second-hand pair of jeans, so they would most likely be copped from a Levi’s store. The only problem is that they don’t sit as high as her other jeans would so it may be a no from her.

Honourable mention: I would love my wife in a pair of pleated trousers; however, she has told me on a number of occasions she has no interest in wearing slacks.

Upper:

Legitimately, there isn’t too much that I need to add for the upper. She has a number of flattering knits and shirts. etc. I don’t have any specific recommendations for this one.

I do enjoy seeing more masculine silhouettes on females. Having that slightly oversized shape would add to the effortlessly cool nature of her style.

Same with knits. Wearing a men’s cut knitted sweater continues to add to her relaxed style. These days, many women’s lines offer a ‘boyfriend’ cut options on their garms, so she can comfortably switch to that oversized look without having to sacrifice too much of her figure.

So I think that covers it for the most part! At the end of the day, this isn’t about reinventing my wife’s style—it’s about celebrating it. Sophie already has an effortless way of putting outfits together, balancing function with a natural coolness that so many people try to manufacture. I’m not here to disrupt that, just to throw in a few pieces that I think would elevate what she already does so well.

More than anything, this was just a fun exercise in appreciation. My wife doesn’t care about fashion the way I do, but she somehow always gets it right without trying. Maybe that’s the real lesson here? Maybe we need to stop caring about looking good to actually look good?

…Nah, who am I kidding? I’ll never stop caring.

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I often throw around the phrase, “If your girl hates your fit, you know it’s fire,” and “Dress like a slut for the boys” (or something to that sentiment), but honestly, Ash do be spitting bars.

She covers a series of points that are incredibly important to keep in mind when working your wardrobe and also encourages fashion users to style in a more timeless manner. The point of today’s post is to look at the main points of the video and discuss them… kinda like a man discussing menswear from a woman’s perspective (wow that could be worded better.

Availability of trends for men

“There’s very little variation on what is considered fashionable”

Ash opens up by explaining how men seem to be a copy+paste of what they see online. and how all the fellas in the algorithm dress the same — cropped tee, baggy jeans. It seems that as soon as a dude begins to care about his clothing, he’s very limited as to what’s around him.

The most accessible clothing options are always going to be what is in trend, and it’s difficult to deviate. Essentially, there are fewer options for the fellas to choose from because the market is smaller than females.

I understand that this is a very surface-level take, and I know that once you get into the weeds of menswear and subcultures, you are given many more options, but we’re focussing on current ‘trends’ and how it limits accessibility for those looking beyond mainstream fashion. While niche menswear communities offer variety, the general market remains restrictive, making it harder for men to explore personal style outside of trending pieces.

A few weeks ago, Mariano spoke on the current menswear landscape and essentially touched on the same thing, so definitely go give that a read.

Curating for the algorithm

This point initially flew under the radar for me, and I only decided to add it at the last minute.

First of all, DON’T TAKE STYLE TIPS FROM THE ALGORITHM. Secondly, These content creators have to post their outfits on their page daily, so they have to ensure that their garments are different in each post. This creates an unrealistic expectation for fashionbros that they must have something different each day. This doesn’t work if you’re not being paid to wear clothes (also, most people who are paid for wearing clothes are given shit clothes that just suck). There are only so many shades of polyblend baggy jeans that I can fit into my wardrobe.

The current zeitgeist and alternatives

Baggy Jeans:
Yes, yes yes. A thousand times yes, we must stop wearing baggy jeans.

The baggy jeans epidemic is hurting all fashionbros everywhere. Not only is the garment functionally unsuitable, its genuinely just lazy at this point. Wear pants that fit you, please.

In her video, Ash is clearly suggesting you wear things that fit you, as opposed to big baggy pants. She doesn’t give any clear suggestions, but if you desire a big fit, I suggest a wide-legged pant (please note it’s not baggy!), but my preferred fit is straight leg.

…And baggy shorts…
Yeah, look, I struggle to get around the shorts over-the-knee look. It’s not bad, and there are contexts where it can look good; however, the current young male outfit consists of baggy shorts & plaid shirt, and it’s honestly played out for the most part.

I still enjoy a good 5” inseam… even 4” … possibly even 3”…? Now I’m not saying you should walk around in 3” inseam running shorts, but I think it’s good to show off a little bit of thigh for the fellas (or ladies if that’s what you want to do)!

Cropped tees:

I genuinely don’t have a problem with cropped tees. However, I do have a problem with people who permanently alter their tees so short that we can see your cum gutters 24/7. I think because the cropped tee is a trend, this style may not be applicable in the near future. Many people are going to be throwing their tees in the trash when the next trend rolls around.

So many vintage tees desecrated by the dull kitchen scissors only to be chucked out in the near seasons.

A good alternative offered to the cropped tee, which I agree with, is simply tucking your shirt in. I do love a good tuck, especially accompanied by a belt. It adds a nice flair of sophistication

As I said above, I don’t hate a cropped look, but I think it’s better to either buy cropped or have it professionally altered. One of my favourite hoodies is cropped because that’s how it was cut, so I don’t have a huge problem with people wearing cropped if that’s what you want to do.

Footwear options:

Loafers:
I thought it was absolutely blasphemous to talk shi on our beloved footwear option, loafers. I’ll admit I don’t wear them as much as I should; however, loafers should sit on the Mount Rushmore of goated footwear, but if loafers aren’t your thing, I’ll chuck post some alternatives

Birkenstock Bostons:
Ash does mention her affinity for Birkenstocks, which I find somewhat ironic considering she expresses her disdain for trends, yet Birkenstocks were the shoe of the summer a couple of years ago. However, as an Australian, birks have been integral to the Australian uniform for years, so I can understand the love.

Sidebar: I feel like the ultimate upper-middle cosplay is Birkie Bostons, a white oxford shirt, 5” inseam shorts, and a dad hat (something of the Rodd & Gunn variety). It’s not the perfect fit, but it definitely brings nostalgia to me.

Get rid of the white sneakers:
Couldn’t agree more with Ash. Get them cooked forces out of here bro. Too often, you see people’s fits ruined because they’re wearing some dusty creased Club Cs, NB 2002rs, 550s, forces, etc, and it just hurts my soul.

If bright colours aren’t your style, black is always a safe and stylish choice. It’s effortlessly sleek, works well on nearly any model, and has the added bonus of looking fresher for longer. Whether you're going for a classic, modern, or edgy vibe, black never goes out of fashion.

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Final verdict:

If you haven’t had a chance to check out the video yet, I highly recommend you do. While we continue dressing for the fellas, the video highlights a lot of points I’ve been feeling but couldn’t quite put into words.

That being said, if you’re someone who wants to dress "trendy," more power to you! But if you want to dress with true style, it’s time to look beyond the latest trends and start wearing what speaks to you personally.

Honestly, I’m getting a little tired of this idea that you can only like or wear certain things if you have some personal connection to the garments. It feels exhausting and, honestly, a bit snobbish. If you like the way something looks, wear it! No need for a deeper justification. But maybe I’ll dive into this topic more in another post.

Unfortunately for my brother, I am neither kind nor genuine.

In this post, I will roast his fits back to mall brand fitting rooms.

No but in all seriousness, I actually really appreciate how my brother dresses and how he’s managed to put together a sort of uniform that works for him + his career. Here are some of his fits below:

Some things to consider here:

• He works in a career where he can’t really have visible logos.

• He’s in his mid-20’s so he’s in process of making sense of what he likes / doesn’t like.

• He’s admittedly not nearly as consumed by the menswear landscape as I am.

• His uniform is pretty consistent, no real ‘out there’ pieces or concerning purchases.

• I’d say his clothing choices are conservative middle, sort of like an elevated & self-aware post-college frat bro who is extremely informed about how the patriarchal institution is working against minorities & women and doesn’t give off any weird bro energy that would have women worried about him spiking their drink. (Good job there buddy!)

• His rotation is pretty standardized with the GAP / Abercrombie mall brand revivals, with some sprinkling of thrifted clothing and assorted shoes. Proof below:

SO THIS IS A GREAT START. A lot of people have to reconcile their brother’s wearing Yeezy Boost or those evil red hats — I’ve gotten lucky with none of that nonsense. The challenge here isn’t to redo his wardrobe, it’s to begin to include some pieces that are (1) better quality (2) will last well into his 30’s and (3) won’t become obsolete as the trend cycles roll forwards. That last one doesn’t really matter too much as I genuinely don’t think he’ll fall victim to the next batch of hyper-extreme trends (and I say that in a good way).

Let’s start from the bottom up.

Footwear:

Tommy tends to lean towards the good and faithful basics here, think Sambas and Doc Marten loafers. Although he will occasionally deviate from that path ever so slightly, we aren’t trying to reel him back in from paying resell prices for a retro’ed Jordan 1.

For sneakers…let’s pass on these. Not that I think sneakers are bad, but a nice grey 993 will be the staple for most guys and for good reason. I don’t care too much about these / not too worried about his taste here.

Since he likes loafers, I think there are a few options that would give him the same look as the Docs, but with some additional benefits. For a little extra $, you get the Solovair Classic Tassel loafer which is [arguably] the same shoe just manufactured better & by the original makers of Docs; fascinating read about how that all came to be exists on their site here. For the same look but the addition of a Vibram sole, Pompeii has the Modena loafer, a shoe that I cannot seem to escape from seeing online. I cannot vouch for their quality, but a quick tell that a brand has put some thought into their product is the additional of the Vibram sole, it’s a like a guarantee that you won’t slip and fall + that these will last more than you think they will. He could also benefit from trying his hand at a pair of hard bottom G.H Bass Weejuns, which come in every single color combination possible. They also offer rubber bottom options + lug soles to get those extra 2” which makes allllll the difference for the 5’10” guys. Finally…my personal choice and something I myself will likely scoop this year, the Paraboot Reims. Now if you’re good at math, you might have noticed that you could buy all three pairs above for roughly the same price as these. “But Mariano will these last three times as long?” — ACTUALLY, YEAH, PROBABLY. The price here comes with the legacy, and the legacy is really, really good. I myself own two pairs of their Michael shoe and they’ve been worn to weddings, funerals, parties, dinners, birthdays, church, in the rain, in the snow, in the 100º days, and even recently to salt my driveway. Paraboot is one of those brands that you just sort of fall into and suddenly become a loyalist for life; it’s very likely that I will be buried in a pair of their shoes. And although the look might seem a little more rounded / chunky than he’d like, I know after walking all day and getting home without any sort of pain he’d grow quite fond of them.

I know he doesn’t wear boots, but I think he should. It might be the look that gets to him, or the fact that he tends to wear his jeans cut a little shorter, but I think he’d understand the hype the second he stepped into a pair of Blundstone’s. Their 558 model is the classic rugged boot, while the 063 model is its dressier brother; I think either would fit him nicely. I’m partial to the 990 model myself, which is a steel toed death machine that gives off Prada Brixxen boot vibes but for guys who aren’t scared of getting a little dirty. The fact that I nearly daily steel toed boots without any complaints or physical anguish should be a testimony to how well built these boots are. I think going the Austin Butler route would also serve him well via the Red Wing Blacksmith. He might even benefit from the Ranger boot that GH Bass puts out, a very classic look that not many people can pull off. Both of these require HEAVY WEAR TO LOOK GOOD SO MAYBE IT MIGHT BE WORTH DOING THE STOLEN VALOR ROUTE AND BUYING A USED PAIR.

Pants:

I THINK most of his pants are from Abercrombie or the Gap, which both offer some pretty good offerings; the creative teams at both seem to care about product. I think it might be worth transitioning to some really good denim and good chinos that he could wear out to nice dinners AND to work meetings.

I would love to see him get a good pair of denim that he can wear into the ground, and the orSlow 105 fits that exactly. Based off of a vintage pair of jeans, they fit as if they’ve been worn in and the color of this pair is wonderful. He can also walk into Self Edge or 3sixteen but I don'’t think he would care / benefit from the raw selvedge craze as someone who is always on the move.

I also think the Todd Snyder offerings in the pants department are INSANE. I love their vintage straight fit chino which you’d be hard pressed to find something as good for $148. Is this a little more preppy than what he usually wears? Maybe. But Todd Snyder is one of those brands that grows with you and looks good in your mid-20’s as well as your mid-40’s. Quality is there and Todd is a true menswear fanatic.

The only other thing I would be curious to see him to is step into the vintage military world, the whole bigger pant / smaller shirt combo. I think there are so many places to go and get good vintage clothing, but you have to deal with the fit issues / smells / stains, etc. — reproduction is the way to go. FrizmWORKS actually has their own version of the iconic OG-107 pants that they sell as their jungle cloth fatigues for $155. This with a good white t-shirt tucked in? Very young Marlon Brando vibes.

OH — Dickies 874 might also be incredible. Sure they’re $30 and likely made by slave labor, but they’ve been a go-to for years for good reason as they exist in that sweet spot of affordable and reliable. It’s a good loose look to pair with some t-shirts.

T-shirts / Tops:

I think the wave here is plain t-shirts, and good ones.

I don’t subscriber to the Merz B Schwanen love, and for the ~$100 price it feels excessive. Lady White Co offers their two pack of t-shirts for $110, which still feels like a lot at $55/shirt but with the incoming tariffs it feels like [garbage] shirts will be priced as much anyways. Why not give the $$$ to our good Canadian neighbors instead?

If you still feel loyal to America, Manresa offers a 3-pack of shirts for $58 (which I will likely order myself soon). This is one of those brands that I cannot personally vouch for, but a lot of menswear guys I follow do. Does that mean that they’re being flowed shirts so they owe loyalty??? Maybe! But I think the product might actually speak for itself. Hey Tommy, go order these RN.

For long sleeves my default is the trusty thermal. This fits great under a sweater, or a chore coat, or a denim shirt, or a denim jacket. If you’re looking for reliability, LL Bean is the way to go. Now, is $90 the best price for a thermal? NO. But this is one of the few thermals you’ll be able to wear for a decade. I think part of shifting Tommy’s wardrobe is shifting to these legacy brands that will cost more today but last longer tomorrow.

*** ALSO LETS ENJOY GRAPHIC LONG SLEEVES. I am very partial to First Port, which I’ll be writing about soon. The whole vintage looking prep shirt is very much Tommy, and I think they integrate well into his wardrobe. This long sleeve they made feels very wearable and useful and will look good with shorts into the summer and also good with a jacket in the fall and spring.

In terms of button ups, people really undervalue chambray as an option for the spring / summer. Light + easy to wear + ages great, this one from Buck Mason is well worth the sub-$175 price. I don’t love the look of chambray when new, but it ages great and looks better with time. Again — he (or you) can go vintage, but make sure you know your measurements; I have an old LL Bean chambray shirt from the 90’s that I love as much as my daughter.

Outerwear:

I only have three real desires here: (1) chore coats and (2) waxed-barn style coats and (3) denim jackets.

For the chore coats I am reminded of Bill Cunningham’s allegiance to the blue French coats, especially for all the pockets + practicality of them. As someone who does photography and video work often, I think Tommy would benefit from a type of coat like this. My personal fave is from Le Mont St Michel that you can get from Huckberry, or their site for more colors. I know the $275 is steep, but these are the types of coats that get better with age, last for decades, and people opt to repair over and over as they get damaged. There is always the vintage option but the measurements are always really weird and off (in my experience).

I think the best waxed style that would fit Tommy’s built would have been the Barbour x J Crew jacket that is all but sold out. I know he doesn't love the longer coats and so the Spey model from Barbour might be the way to go (assuming you can find one in stock). Most people think these look too short, but you need to see it styled like it is here by @thedenimdentist on instagram to see how great it can look. Slight crop + tucked in t-shirt + nice jeans = a full look.

For denim jackets, the Lee Rider is the way to go. The best versions are the vintage ones that go for a little more, anywhere from $75-125; this one is from the 70’s and is $100. He could also hunt down a Storm Rider which has the blanket style inner lining if he wanted something warmer, but otherwise the standard one is fine. I like Levis classic jackets too but they do tend to run longer and as a 5’10” guy it might not be a good fit for Tommy. The only other option is to spend $$$ and get something solid from 3Sixteen. Their Type 3s denim jacket is iconic and will outlast every trend cycle, but you are also spending close to $300 for it. (WORTH IT!)

Accessories:

Tommy loves his hats. Specifically, he love his (1) sports hats for teams he doesn’t care for and (2) instagram start-up brand hats as well — no shade to either, but I think there are smarter options. Hats are an easy way to show loyalty to something — a brand, a team, an idea, etc. without having to spend $$.

WHR has a cult-like following and I understand why. Their unique approach to hats with a bungie strap in the back is the right mix of whimsy and daily-wearability. I am quite partial to this corduroy hat they offer. Noah also has some incredibly subtle hats, this Anchor 5-Panel is similar to their main cap but subs out the cross for a naval design. The navy color will be extremely easy to integrate into his wardrobe. Wythe also makes incredible hats; I own one of their chain stitched hats in green but I feel like Tommy would do well with this blue one.

…besides that I literally cannot imagine him wearing anything else as an accessory, which I don’t think is a bad thing.

WELL THAT IS THAT. I’ll do an update if he ends up wanting to try something form this here list, but if you’re someone who wants to have an article written about you and your style — hit me up and lets do another one of these.

LMAO — JOKES ON YOU. I HATE THESE THINGS SO MUCH.

I want to make it very clear that my disdain for the New Balance sneaker loafers, along with the Hoka sneaker loafers, is not just for the shoe itself, but also for the people that wear them.

I'm not quite sure at what point as a society we decided that it was okay to just make things for the sake of making things, but I think this sneaker loafer hybrid is the pinnacle of a bad idea allowed to roam free for too long. I don't even really know what the solution is, but what I do know is that the only thing we can do right now to make sure that this does not continue to blossom into a trend is to make fun of everyone and anyone who even considers wearing these. I don't think that bullying is something that we should celebrate, but drastic times call for drastic measures. I think it's time to bring back bullying to a level at which we embarrass these people enough that they either decide to never leave their home or tuck these bastardized sneakers into the back of their closets and allow them to rot into oblivion.

Here are my three main issues (of MANY) with these sneaker / loafers and those who choose to wear them.

My first issue is that the people who wear these aren't at all interesting — you aren’t interesting. Like you saw these on Instagram Explore page, and you decided to pick up a pair because you genuinely thought that deep down inside these would make you… cooler? More interesting? Someone worth talking to? — I don't really know what the logic was with these. All I know is that for anyone who's ordered them, I can almost guarantee you that the origin of these came from a desire to look like someone that you either saw on Tiktok or on Instagram. I hate to break it to you, but a lot of those people were sent those sneakers. They didn't actually go and spend their money on those sneakers. The difference between you and them is that they will put them on, take a few pictures or record a video and then get a bag from New Balance or Hoka, but you're going to put them on, and every person who walks by you on the street is going to know that you are [relatively] boring and/or an extremely uninteresting person.

Now this is not me being extreme; this seems to be the popular consensus. It feels like every single writer in the menswear and womenswear space that has a voice worth listening to (and hasn’t been paid to say otherwise) has made it clear that this feels like a meme in and of itself, and yet, people are going to continue to buy these thinking that they're different or unique, or they could pull them off. Unfortunately, unless you work for Dover Street Market, I don't think you’re going to be able to make these look good working your 9-5 job, rotting away in a cubicle.

The second issue is that if you wear these, I just can't trust your judgment. You're not someone who thinks critically, nor are you someone who thinks too deeply into why people do what they do!!! You are led by trends and by seeing what other people are doing, as opposed to sitting down and making an informed decision that is a reflection of who you are!!! You are a living, creating copy & paste!!!

Now, I don't want to beat down on the social media post again but I do think we live in a day and age where a majority of people's opinions are informed by what they see online from sources that aren't reliable or genuine. I think the problem with the menswear and the womenswear landscape today is that a lot of people aren't sitting down to reflect on who they are as a person and what they want to relate about that with what they are wearing. Instead, they are trying to mimic and copy what they see online and try to make it work for themselves. And this isn’t a ‘GO FIND YOUR PERSONAL STYLE’ post; Lord knows we need another one of those. This is a ‘go and live your life + become aware of what you do and why you do it + find clothing that works for you.’ Stop trying to make something work for you that isn’t meant for you.

‘Oh but Mariano these do work for me!!!’ — Literally the only reason these exist are for doctors who sit all day and need to take laps around their office from time to time. They exist for nurses who want to be different and unique, to stand out from everyone else. These are niche, really cool + really hot people in Japan — ex: not you!!!

And I think we don't have to look too far back into the past — do you remember the Balenciaga Triple S sneaker??? Every single person who wore those was essentially a walking red flag to me. It became very clear that that person had no idea who they are, no real understanding of their personal journey in clothing, and they just wanted to wear whatever Hypebeast or Highsnobiety or Complex said was the cool sneaker of the moment. I can almost guarantee you that every single person who bought a pair of those Triple S sneakers has them tucked away in a box and are ashamed of any fit pics they took with them on.

[For any guys who did own those, did any girl ever find you attractive as you wore them?]

[[For the short kings, did the ~5 inch boost help your Napoleon complex?]]

Although the times have changed and the footwear has changed, you might still be the same type of person who would have bought those monstrosities a few years back, and will likely buy whatever the next monstrocity is in a few years.

My third issue is that you should probably call your parents and ask if there was anything that they can remember from your childhood that would have formed you into who you are today. Now I'm not saying you have to go into therapy because you decided to wear these sneakers, but I am saying that there might be something intrinsically wrong with you. Maybe you didn't receive the affirmation you needed from your parents. Maybe you were picked last for the kickball team in elementary school and that sill haunts you. Maybe you never got to be first string violin in the orchestra. Maybe no one took a chance on giving you a solo in the choir. I don't really know what it could be, but all I know is that you wearing these seems like a desperate cry for help. And those desperate cries for help are okay when you are a child, but not when you're in your mid-20’s (or later).

Now I know that you might be reading this and thinking “Mariano, these critiques all seem really aggressive and quite mean spirited!” and I will agree with you; this is probably the most sarcastic thing I have ever written. But at the core of this, I do think there are some valid ideas around what people wear and why they wear them. I don't know that someone who is in the later half of their 20’s should be making fashion decisions purely based off of what they see on social media. I also think that if you are in your late 20’s and you've never consciously sat down to try to make sense of what you are trying to reflect with what you wear, you should probably do that now as you are entering real adulthood, and maybe consider that it is time to stop buying whatever the most trendy new sneaker is. Maybe it is time to invest in something that you'll get some longevity out of.

Finally, I just don't think that dressing with extremely niche and weird articles of clothing as a means for gathering attention to yourself is healthy. There are so many other ways to live your life receiving affirmation from people and I don't think that putting on a monstrosity of a sneaker loaf or hybrid is the way to do it. And you might be saying that that isn’t the reason why you bought these but come on, you want to be soooo different soooo badly and this is your easy way out. Let’s change that.

Maybe try to build friendships off of, I don't know, hobbies or something? But trying to be the weird person never really pans out unless you're genuinely the weird person and if you are genuinely a weird person, you wouldn't be offended by the fact that I'm poking fun of these sneakers, because you'd be quite confident in what you wear. (And you def wouldn’t be wearing these things either)

All I'm saying is I think we have to really sit down and wonder why we've allowed these things to exist. Why are we okay with brands putting out objects of clothing that they themselves know have no long term sustainability? And why are we spending the money? These are at least $150 from what I understand — why are we spending money like that on things that we have no intention on wearing beyond this season? I feel like whenever I try to explain to someone that there is incredible footwear options in the $400-$500 range, they immediately think that I'm crazy. But the thing about some of those offerings is that for $400 or $500 you're getting a decade of wear out of them. Spending $150 for a few months and a few fit pics really seems irresponsible not just financially, but also from the angle of trying to be sustainable. And one step further, trying to minimize how much waste we put back into the system.

Now, if you're reading these, and you do own a pair of these, I apologize if you've taken offense to any of this, wahhh wahhh wahhhhhhh. I will still tell you to your face that they are gross and hideous and that you are uninteresting as a person, but I am proud of you for being bold enough to wear them outside of your house. I don't know what I would do with that much boldness and confidence. I can only pray that God would give me an ounce of your bravery so that I could be a better version of myself, one that I am happy and satisfied with.

All I want to do now is throw out some small recommendations for other sneakers and loafers that you could buy instead of these…things.

Hereu Soller Sport — A beefy Mary-Jane type shoe you can wear if you aren’t scared of catching strange looks from other ‘alpha bros.’

G.H. Bass Lug Weejun — SHORT KINGS!!! KEEP THE HEIGHT GOING!!! WITH A LEGACY BRAND!!!

Jacques Soloviere Jo Black — A Belgian loafer met a Mary Jane and the rest is history.

Adidas Taekwondo Sneaker — Maybe you missed the prev trends but it is prime time to dip your foot into the thin-sole sneaker resurgence. And you avoid getting the loud…well…

Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 — The Kill Bill color way is the colorway, and you need to be bold to pull these off. I believe in you.

Kleman Dalior V2 — The brown suede / tan suede combo really gives off a 70’s-esque vibe that’ll make you standout.

^^^ any of these will look better + last longer than the garbage offerings you previously considered.

Anyways, love you.