single best purchase i've made, in terms of making a tangible improvement on my life, are these socks from American Trench. made in the USA, super cozy, and ideal for people who, like me, get cold feet at home. three styles i like:
Wool-Silk Boot Socks
Bought these about 5 years ago. They're made from Italian yarns that are subtly flecked like Donegal tweed. Exceptionally soft, reasonably durable (mine have just started to give out), and way comfier than your typical cotton socks
Bought these after my wool-silk boot socks and, at first, thought they were just alright. They're plain colored and don't have flecks like the wool-silk ones above. Mine also pilled a little after two or three washes, which made me a bit disappointed.
But I've since come to really like them. They're super sturdy. Haven't stretched out, even in year four. Felted on the inside and has a slightly cushioned footbed. Very soft. Feels like a kitten hugging your feet. Thicker than your average sport sock.
The socks that inspired this thread. Just put these on and was reminded of how much these have improved my life at home. Based on mil-spec boot socks, and they're THICK. Inside is full terry so they're super insulating on cold days.
I've tried a couple of the other ones, like the merino retro stripes and mil-spec sport socks. They're all good, but IMO, the ones above are outstanding.
such fun in unbelievable techno-nightmare MTM hell
i cant help but think the clothing market is worse off with all of its fragmentation and customization options. it used to be that you went to a clothier and they sold you a suit and all the things you'd wear with it—shirt, tie, shoes, etc.
these pics are of j press in 1954:
the clothier used to guide people through whether something fits. now the sales associate is doing little more than closing a sale, so if you want to size down, they'll bring the next size down. you want to take in the waist 5 inches? they'll do that too.
here's a small thing you can check when buying an off-the-rack garment. a proper coat (e.g., suit jacket, sport coat, overcoat, etc) will have a hem that's level when viewed from side. front can also be lower than the back. however, the back should never be lower than the front
reason is simple: when the back is lower than the front, you have what's called a short front balance. the front of the coat will look like it's riding up on you, giving you the appearance of a beer belly. esp true when the coat is worn open.
my hot take is that the general public is not that well-dressed, but this is easily the best time in fashion (or style, if you prefer). the only bad aesthetic out there is business casual (sorry). but otherwise, the clothing market is incredibly rich and wonderful
take, for example, how many aesthetics are considered legitimate now. 150 years ago, men owned maybe two suits and five shirts with seven detachable collars. not only do they have much larger wardrobes now, but there's so much to play with
you can create any aesthetic of the past *and* future. legitimate aesthetics now include anything from 1960s Ivy Style to futuristic dark avant-garde. literally, everything is possible now. there's also more crossover btw men's and women's wardrobes and gender fluidity
Today's discussion of banning transgenderism, or "gender ideology," makes me wonder what this would mean in practice for fashion. Would we be legally required to perform our assigned gender? 🧵
About 10 yrs ago, I interviewed Frank Muytjens, then the head of J Crew's menswear design, about how he decides which brands to feature in the company's "In Good Company" lineup. He told me he included Red Wings because he liked how lesbians in Chelsea wear them with slim jeans
Of course, that combo later became a signature of the heritage menswear movement. The uniform of a slim plaid flannel shirt, slim jeans, and chunky work boots signaled the person was referencing ideas about masculinity, but not actually performing manual labor
the fake answer is that the asymmetry of the four-in-hand lends a kind of degage imperfection that's ideal for classic male dress. like how pocket squares should be stuffed, not folded like origami swans