After this post went viral, I called Caroline Groves, a world-class bespoke shoemaker, to discuss how women's shoes are made. I normally don't talk about womenswear, but I found the information interesting, so I thought I would share what I learned here. 🧵

https://twitter.com/languidreamer/status/1993032400851648970

First, who is Caroline Groves?

Footwear is broadly broken into two categories: bespoke and ready-to-wear. In London, bespoke makers, including those for women, are largely focused on traditional styles, such as wingtip derbies and loafers. Emiko Matsuda is great for this.

Earlier today, Roger Stone announced his partnership with a menswear company, where together they've released a collection of tailored clothing items.

Here is my review of those pieces. 🧵 The line is mostly comprised of suits and sport coats, supplemented with dress shirts and one pair of odd trousers (tailor-speak for a pair of pants made without a matching jacket). Suits start at $1,540; sport coats are $1,150. One suit is $5,400 bc it's made from Scabal fabric

Here is a guide breaking down what goes into quality men's footwear. This is focused on men's shoes, as women's shoes, depending on the style, will have different construction techniques and thus standards. 🧵

https://twitter.com/KKLizV/status/1992989134453887026

First, let's set a standard. What does it mean for a pair of shoes to be "good quality?" In this thread, I define that standard to be two things:

— Do the shoes age well?
— Can they be easily repaired?

In short, you should want and be able to wear the shoes for a long time.

When I was on a menswear forum, one of my most controversial opinions was that certain coats look better when they're worn open, while others look better when they're closed.

For instance, which of these two outfits look better to you? 🧵
If you shop for an overcoat today, there's a good chance you'll land on a single breasted. As suits and sport coats have receded from daily life, the types of outerwear that men historically wore with them have also slowly disappeared.

The reason why this looks off is bc the coat is built from many layers of material — haircloth, canvas, and padding — which sits on top of another jacket with similar structure. This can make you look a bit like a linebacker. If you find this to be the case, switch to a raglan 🧵

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1992282961077543196

A raglan is defined by its sleeve construction. Most coats have a set-in sleeve, which is to say the sleeve attached to a vertical armhole, much like a shirt. A raglan, by contrast, has a diagonal seam running from the neck to armpit. Historically, this was put on raincoats.

I disagree.

Instead of thinking there's "the best watch," I recommend thinking about your wardrobe and lifestyle. 🧵

https://twitter.com/JohnLeFevre/status/1991983964379341042

If you mainly wear suits and sport coats, then you will want a simple dress watch on a leather strap. Remember that the spirit here is elegance, so the watch should also be elegant. Certain dress chronos can also work, such as the Vacheron Constantin 4072 in pic 4

Let me show you the difference between a $40 hoodie and a ~$100 hoodie. 🧵

https://twitter.com/twiflgab/status/1988312978647904727

Within the part of the menswear industry that I operate in, Roopa Knitting Mills is widely regarded as one of the best hoodie manufacturers. Founded in 1991 by an Indian immigrant named Nat Thakkar, they do every production step after yarn spinning in Ontario, Canada.

Not true. Both Joe Biden and Gavin Newsom wear ready-to-wear or factor-made clothes produced on a block pattern.

I'll show you how I know. 🧵 First, what do you notice about this jacket?

I will tell you how to get pants like this. 🧵

https://twitter.com/brettdash_/status/1985150769608233116

First, what makes these trousers special?

On first glance, you may be impressed but not know why.

The reason is deceptively simple: they hang pin straight. This is more obvious when you compare them to trousers that don't hang so cleanly.

I'll give you three reasons why someone might be into a watch.

I will use three watches in my personal collection. 🧵

https://twitter.com/ErrataRob/status/1984807194789851233

As some may know, my family is from Vietnam. My parents fled Saigon shortly after the Tet Offensive, as bombs were falling around them and they weren't sure what was going to happen once the North Vietnamese took over the city.

Not true.

You fell for a fake news story. 🧵

https://twitter.com/maxb____/status/1880320428633387415

Earlier this year, it was reported that JD Vance has a tailor in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was a charming story about an Italian immigrant named Romualdo Pelle, who has worked as a tailor since he immigrated to the US in 1960.

Watch the story very closely. What do you notice?

I disagree. At least in appearance, both of these men are more culturally American than Eric.

I will explain. 🧵

https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1982433430257172630

In the 19th century, gentlemen wore black frock coats or tailcoats with a white shirt and dark waistcoat. As the frock coat gave way to the suit, the white linen shirt — a mark of respectability and propriety — remained.

I can explain how this happened 🧵

https://twitter.com/MattZeitlin/status/1982137177195626706

Since at least the end of the Second World War, much of men's fashion has revolved around a simple dichotomy: the Establishment vs the underclass. In his book Rebel Style, Bruce Boyer frames the 1950s culture wars in terms of clothes — Man in the Gray Flannel Suit vs The Wild One

A couple of weeks ago, Trump struggled with a broken umbrella as he boarded Air Force One.

Let me tell you how we got to this point — and the tragic downfall of the noble umbrella. 🧵 It's hard to imagine now, but it was once controversial for a man to carry an umbrella. The modern umbrella's progenitor, of course, is the parasol, which 18th century French women carried to preserve their light-colored skin (at the time, a mark of class and status).

Fall is upon us and soon it will be time for waxed cotton jackets. Let me suggest ways to wear one.

But first, which outfit do you think is more stylish? Choose before opening this thread. 🧵
If you choose the right outfit, then we have the same taste. But why do we like it better? To understand, we must go back to the invention of this fabric itself.

In the 18th century, English sailors repurposed the linseed oil-soaked canvas they used for sails.

Of these four pairs of shoes, which do you think is the lowest quality?

Make a choice before opening this thread. Then I'll tell you something about shoe quality. 🧵 When it comes to leather shoes, there are broadly two dimensions of quality.

The first and most important is the type of leather. Quality leather shoes will be made from full-grain leather, which shows the natural grain of the hide.

Have you ever noticed that old clothes online sometimes look better than old clothes in your closet?

Why is that? 🧵 It's often said that clothes were better made in the past. This is true to some degree, although the discussion is often narrowly focused on durability.

In this thread, I'll focus on something else: how clothes age, which affects how long you enjoy wearing them.

This is a great question.

How much does a handmade necktie cost? And why does it cost as much as it does? 🧵

https://twitter.com/sotacita/status/1974569988628385867

A couple of years ago, I saw Jesse Watters on Fox News say that Otaa ties are "the best ties in the world."

So I bought one.

Let me tell you a beautiful story about this couch. 🧵

IG msviciousdesign Some will recognize these motifs as Mughal paintings, which flourished on the Indian subcontinent sometime between the 16th and 18th century. But menswear nerds will recognize them as something else: Drake's of London.

Left: thrifted couch
Right: Drake's of London scarf

Style lessons from Robert Redford, one of the most stylish men in the last century. 🧵 A tailored jacket continues to be one of the most flattering things you can wear. However, for it to look good, it has to fit right. That means a jacket that bisects you halfway from your collar to the floor when you're in heeled shoes. Also trouser + suit jacket silhouette flows

Someone yesterday asked me why someone would ask a tailor to make a polo coat in such a way to imitate the look of a machine-made garment.

The answer holds a beautifully little story about the difference between European and American style. 🧵

https://twitter.com/eeyoresmother/status/1967314099353903489

Let's start with a test. Here are two tan polo coats. One is machine-made. The other is handmade. Can you guess which is which?

Please answer before moving on. Then you can scroll through the answers to see whether most people got it right.