I recently wrote a piece about my last leather jacket, submitting that, when it comes to going totally leather-free, I draw the line at dress shoes, which are essentially the only new leather items I still buy. If a company like Alden or Crockett & Jones applied their level of craftsmanship to shoes and boots made with a vegan material that rivaled leather, I’d seriously consider it.
It’s confusing to watch some legacy clothing giants from Ralph Lauren to Macy’s stumble when it comes to this thing called the internet, the thing that completely changed the way people want to shop and the thing that younger and more innovative entrepreneurs seem to manipulate with more agility. It’s almost as if the thinkers behind these old brands borrow from the too-big-to-fail music industry playbook, ultimately falling behind. With staggering hubris, they expand and expand over and over with more and more new stores in cities across the globe, then ultimately pull back and close those stores because the anticipated sales weren’t there. (Google the story of Tower Records.) In the wake of disappointing sales and closing stores, the spokespeople from these companies almost invariably tell the press some version of “We’re going to start paying more attention to our online presence.” Gee, ya think?
As I’ve written before, it’s exciting to see young brands take a good idea, run with it, and execute it well with a worthwhile product, especially when the product is handsome, well-made, affordable, and workable. One such recent entry is Beckett Simonon.
My favorite dress shoes are Goodyear welted shoes. I love the way they look, I love the way they wear, I love the way they last. Aside from their superlative construction, they have a classic, masculine look that works with suits, casual pants or jeans. Sturdy and elegant.
I recently had a great lunch meeting with a friend who wanted to overhaul his wardrobe from the ground up. He had picked up on what I was doing, and wanted to get into a tailored look with custom suits, classic dress shirts and good shoes. To start, he wanted to keep things very simple and then expand his sartorial horizons once he got his sea legs. I was extremely flattered that he saw me as a good source for counsel. Not only was I happy to help, but I saw this as a personal opportunity to refresh my perspective on solid foundational essentials, dialing it back to the very basics.
In today’s men’s wear culture, it’s so easy to get caught up in what’s hot and so very right now while ignoring the ever-important basics. One might have the wardrobe to look super fantastic in a nightclub, at a fashion show, at Pitti Uomo or at a selvedge denim flea market packed with bearded bros, but put some of those guys at a wedding, an important business meeting or at the occasional black tie affair and they often look like they’re in the wrong room. At funerals, such sartorial illiteracy even looks disrespectful. It’s like having a collection of unique ornaments, glittering tinsel garland and flashing lights but no tree. It goes back to having the basics, which starts with shoes.
The group of “New Disrupters” in the menswear game offering affordable solutions without the middleman is large. Once these brands establish their ability to deliver goods at a reasonable cost, what separates the men from the boys is a certain intangible and unquantifiable thing called taste. The new disrupters who actually have a level of refined taste that puts them on par with more established influential brands is a much smaller group. Ideally, the taste level filters through all levels of the brand experience, from the design and presentation of the actual merchandise to the logo and slogans to the execution of the website, which had better give first (not last) consideration to smartphone and tablet users. Jack Erwin is among this group.
Sunday is my day to catch up, recharge and prepare for the week ahead. Part of the ritual entails what I think of as "prepping my arsenal," which includes cleaning, laundry, ironing and shining my shoes, which I demonstrate in…
This timeless American-made blucher from Allen Edmonds boasts a double oak leather sole and 360º Goodyear welt construction. The shoe is strengthened with an extended perforated wing-tip and upper, and features some awfully handsome toe detailing. It's manufactured on the…
In my process of rethinking shoes that are super handsome, last a lifetime, remain impervious to trends and don't break the bank, I invested in a smart and classic pair of wing tips with a Goodyear welt from J.Crew (Preston…
Anyone who knows me knows I'm a freak for wing tips. If I had my druthers, I'd collect a bunch of them from the best shoemakers like Grenson, Church's, Allen Edmonds and Alden. Unfortunately, if you're pinched for scratch in…