Here are four small things I've purchased and have regularly used over the years. 1. $20 -- In fine nib, the Parker Stainless Steel CT Fountain Pen is a sleek, minimalistic pen. It's the only fountain pen I've owned and used since 2017. Refills are very low maintenance, with cartridges bought separately. 2. … Continue reading 4 Small Things I’ve Bought and Treasured
This is one angle of an opinion piece. Instagram can bring a lot of positive things. Artisans can share and learn from each other. Followers can DM artisans. I felt excited when I first joined Instagram. In this awakening I discovered quality and scores of new, remarkable craftsmen. You'll be familiar with the sartorial world … Continue reading The Problem With Instagram
Note: All Airinum masks are currently sold out but there's an online waiting list for July/August Below, Medium developed a handy illustration based on the values in a 2007 peer-reviewed study on hand-made face masks. From the figure you can see that wearing any mask will protect you from being infected by others; if you … Continue reading Review: Airnum Urban Air Mask 2.0
Style, especially fast-fashion is designed to become obsolete. Looks change every season. What's "in' is completely different from seasons prior. Companies increase consumer spending through planned obsolescence. Marketed goods become purposely broken or outdated in buyers' minds. Imagine many shades of blue. Why sell a classic navy shirt when dissatisfied customers can buy 2, 3, … Continue reading Fashion’s Planned Obsolescence
I recently learned that Forever 21 -- one of the largest retail stores near my old home -- permanently closed during covid-19. It wasn't a surprise. That Forever 21 had crushing rent. In the millions from what I recall. Many large brands face the same insolvency now crippling J. Crew and Neiman Marcus. Covid-19 completely … Continue reading What Will Happen to Clothes Post Covid-19?
In London, I met a grinning Enzo Ciardi to commission a first bespoke sports jacket. Prior to that I spent one to two years considering different house cuts and shoulder styles. Researching took a lot of time. Especially since I'm still fairly new to bespoke tailoring. You find your preferences shifting as you read and … Continue reading Ciardi Sports Jacket
I'm excited about my navy umbrella stick with Francesco Maglia. See post. The company reopened on May 4 and the wood supplier delivered my 32" varnished dark maple stick to Maglia's workshop. Here it is: Length: 32" Handle diameter: 20 mm Shaft diameter: 14 mm I have small hands (6 1/2" inches), and 20 mm … Continue reading Maglia Navy Umbrella: The Stick
It's getting warmer, but hey -- sweaters are probably my one favorite garments to yap on about. Most sweaters can be broken down into three types according to formality. The Slubby Sweater (most casual) The comfortable home sweater. Most guys begin their sweater wardrobes with these. These wool sweaters include shetland, donegal, Fair Isle, and … Continue reading 3 Types of Sweaters
Five years ago as an undergraduate I found this compact messenger bag at Fossil. It cost approximately $130 at the outlet. In the last five years I've used the bag consistently as a graduate student, a student teacher, teacher, and freelancer. The color itself has been extremely versatile in dark brown. The messenger bag's best … Continue reading The Messenger Bag
I bought a Zero Halliburton Geo Aluminum 3.0 International Carry-On a few months back for a trip. Sadly, Zero Halliburton recently stopped selling this model on their website; but readers considering similar luggage may still find this write-up helpful. I initially debated between purchasing the Zero Halliburton and a Rimowa Original Cabin. You'll often see … Continue reading Review: Zero Halliburton 3.0 International Carry-On
