A shift is happening within me. As Labor Day Weekend approaches and autumn looms, I have begun feeling like my wardrobe is about to make its annual transition from light and breezy to dark and heavy. This means several things—button up shirts get replaced by sweaters, lightweight loafers give way to derbies, and pleated shorts—my summertime go to’s—take their place on the sidelines in favor of one particular pant style: black jeans.

Subscribe now

Black jeans to me are my comfort pants for the fall-winter season. Much like my white jeans theory, I think it’s easier to style black jeans with other styles and outfits than it is pairs in blue. (Sidebar: I still will continue to wear white jeans all winter long, slush puddles be damned.) I also have a penchant for breaking a sacred menswear rule by wearing brown shoes with black jeans, in some ways enjoying the taboo-ness of it.

But like all major menswear categories, the amount of black jeans on the market is overwhelming even to someone like me who genuinely enjoys researching this type of thing. Some pairs are slim, others are baggy, and most are somewhere in between. Black jeans are particularly interesting because there’s actually two types of black jeans. The first is known as “black warp/white weft,” in which the jeans appear black but with a white textured undertone that becomes more prevalent the more you wear them, much like with indigo-dyed jeans. These jeans more or less fade to gray over time.

The other are “double black,” in which both the warp and weft are black and have a much more saturated appearance, though depending on how they’re dyed, can still get nice fades too over time. Which you prefer depends on a lot of things, but mostly the kind of vibe you’re trying to convey, with the former black/white jeans leaning more classic and workwear-y, and the latter having a sort of slick, high-fashion vibe to them.

But for you, dear readers, I’ve dug in deep, done the work, studied the data, and ultimately concluded that these 17 pairs of black jeans are the only ones out there worth your time and money.

As such, below is broken into two sections. The first sees me do a deep dive on 6 ultra-elite pairs, awarding each of them a superlative that helps you better understand their place in the retail landscape. These are the ones I’m fully putting my stamp of approval on, full stop. Then I rattled off 11 more great pairs that I know of and love if those first seven weren’t in your particular J Zone. (That’s “Jeans Zone” for those at home.)

Without further ado, let’s get to the list, and happy black jeans season to all who celebrate.

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

The 17 Best Pairs Of Black Jeans To Buy Right Now

This post is 100% funded by subscriptions. There are no affiliate links below. I’ve endorsed these products only because I really, genuinely like them. Point is, your subscriptions are both extremely cool and very much appreciated. Thank you!

Read more

Subscribe below to access an exclusive 15% off Corridor’s new collection.

If I had to build a fall wardrobe from scratch, I’d have my work cut out for me. But to start the process, I’d first get a beautifully washed pair of relaxed straight fit jeans. (The thought of living without at least one pair of great jeans is genuinely frightening to me.) Then I’d cop up a navy sweater, a couple of plaid shirts, a solid hoodie in a versatile color like gray or black, some loose-fitting chinos, a sportcoat, and some sweatpants. Throw in some black derbies and a few pairs of underwear, and I genuinely believe I’d be covered for about 95% of the scenarios I’d find myself in. Plus, everything I listed could be worn with everything else.

Subscribe now

To acquire these items, there are obviously a million and one brands I could turn to. But if part of this hypothetical challenge was to embrace a one-stop-shop approach, then one brand that’d definitely make the shortlist is Corridor. Psychedelic knitwear put the Brooklyn-based label on the map a few years back, but if you haven’t been paying attention, know they’ve evolved a ton over the last half decade. Corridor today, which operates 7 stores between New York and Los Angeles, is now much less a knitwear specialist than it is a general purveyor of quality essentials in almost every casual menswear category.

Dan Snyder, the label’s founder, tells me this new era of restraint was inspired, in part, by a quote from sculptor Constantin Brancusi: “Simplicity is complexity resolved.” That isn’t to imply modern Corridor pieces have become flat or overly minimalist—and for the record, they’ve still got a couple of rainbow-y cardigans in the mix if that’s your thing. But what I love most about this latest Corridor collection is that while the garments are pared down, the emphasis is no longer on head-turning prints and patterns as much as it is achieving an organic, lived-in quality through beautiful washes and dyeing techniques.

Personally, I think the new lane the brand has chosen to occupy lends itself to pieces I find a lot easier to imagine in my own wardrobe. Part of that is I simply don’t tend to wear “funky” clothes very well. However, I’m never not in pursuit of something like the perfect-fitting flat front chinos—which, by the way, Corridor may have achieved with this latest drop. (Disclaimer: I’m wearing them right this moment as I write this.)

Below, I broke down a few of my favorite items the label sent me and some other highlights alongside some insights from Snyder himself. I’ve also got a special 15% off code for paid subscribers. Let’s get to it, and enjoy!!!

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

Scroll down to see my favorite pieces from Corridor’s Fall Drop and get an exclusive 15% off code.

Note: This post is entirely funded by subscriptions. There are no affiliate links or paid promotions in this post, nor do I receive a kickback on any orders you place.

A Few Of My Favorite Corridor Fall Items

Read more

Throughout the aughts and 2010s, Banana Republic’s collections were defined by minimal, office-appropriate staples like crisp button-up shirts, flat front trousers, v-neck sweaters, and clean derbies. But before the mall brand stale made clothes for the weekend warrior, they were a label that was much more concerned with rugged outdoor adventure. In fact, the label kicked off in 1978 as a curator of far-flung military surplus gear before it started developing its own in-house collection.

Subscribe now

Yet despite straying from its original vision, beginning last year, Banana Republic decided to bring back its early days aura in a couple of ways. The first was by doing curated drops of authentic vintage Banana Republic merchandise via its website. The second was even more recently, when they recreated exact replicas of their own retro wares for a modern capsule collection called “Archive Reissue.”

Now, I’ve owned a handful of vintage Banana Republic items myself over the years, and found them to be excellent, durable, great-fitting garments. So when I saw the release of the “Archive Reissue” collection, naturally my curiosity was piqued. But just seeing pics on Instagram and e-commerce shots never tells the whole story. So I had to find out for myself if these items live up to the promise of authentic vintage BR, which means delivering not just on vintage aesthetics, but feel. That’s why I ventured to the brand’s Rockefeller Center flagship store to give these items a go in person, trying them on to ultimately analyze their fabric, fit, and overall style as they might slot into my own 2026 wardrobe. Below, you’ll find my review of every item I tested, ultimately determining whether or not I like them and think you, dear reader, should scoop them up for yourself.

Let’s get to it, and as always, enjoy!!!

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

I Tried On Banana Republic’s Archive Collection. Here’s What I Think.

This post is 100% funded by subscriptions. There are no affiliate links below. I’ve endorsed these products only because I really, genuinely like them. Point is, your subscriptions are both extremely cool and very much appreciated. Thank you!

Read more

Earlier this week, I attended a press preview of the first ever menswear collection from the Swedish label Toteme, which launched today in stores and online. In today’s post, I’ll be running you through all of the major questions you might have about the offering, starting with, well, “What is Toteme” to my honest thoughts on how the clothes are IRL. Let’s get right into it, and as always, enjoy!!!

This post is free to read for all subscribers, but most are not. This is not a paid promotion, and there are no affiliate links below. But if you like what you’ve read here today, consider signing up for a paid subscription below. Thank you!

Subscribe now

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

What is Toteme?

Toteme is a fashion label founded in 2014 by Elin Kling and Karl Lindman. Originally based in New York, the label (and at the time, newlywed couple) moved back to Stockholm, Sweden in 2016. Before launching the brand, Kling was widely known for her style blog Style By Kling, while Lindman was most recently the design director for Interview Magazine.

Since the beginning, Toteme has been known mostly by its minimalist aesthetic, limited color palette, and sophisticated silhouettes. I think it’s fair to say that it’s one of the tentpole brands that helped usher in this latest wave of what people call “quiet luxury,” where shapes and materials take priority over logos and patterns. Still, “quiet luxury” doesn’t mean the absence of status symbols (actually, the whole idea is, in a way, to stand out with subtle, “in-the know” flexes), and in the case of Toteme, the brand has become well known in the fashion scene for items like its “T-lock” handbag, striped sweater, and scarf coat.

The reason I’m talking about Toteme today, however, is that until now, they’ve only made clothes and accessories for women. Kling and Lindman remain at the helm of the label, but to assist with their first menswear offering, they brought in Alexander Häggblad—a designer whose name you might not know, but who spent most of his career working with Hedi Slimane at both Saint Laurent and Celine. It was at the latter that Häggblad became the official men’s design director until 2025, which is when he joined Toteme.

The launch comes at a moment when the subtle flex menswear scene is particularly vibrant, with brands like The Row, Comoli, A.Presse, Evan Kinori, Lemaire, and Auralee all continuing to rapidly cultivate their die-hard audiences. Shoppers are also more attuned than ever to the nuances of silhouette and fabric—two things Toteme womenswear has historically excelled at, and which I imagine the menswear collection will look to build upon.

What kind of clothes are in the new menswear collection?

Much like the Toteme womenswear offering, Toteme menswear—or as I like to call it, Totemnswear—features pieces are that simple, minimal, and intended to feel luxurious on body. The guiding idea, though, with this first Fall-Winter collection, seems to be something like “the perfect wardrobe.” It’s an inherently abstract idea, with no singular “right answer,” but what it means for this first Toteme collection is that, while every major menswear category is covered, there are limited options in each (usually just one or two).

I think this is generally a good thing. If it’s not your literal job to keep up with the increasingly feverish churn of the menswear scene, then I imagine it would be incredibly easy to get inundated with the amount of choice in today’s marketplace. So a collection that limits them, instead opting to focus on only what’s truly essential in a person’s closet, can, I believe, be helpful for a lot of shoppers. Sure, some people—myself included—would love to choose from a stack of sweaters that looks like a Pantone book, but I get that to others this sound like a straight-up nightmare. Thus, Toteme looks to cut through the noise and present men with a handful of products that are all versatile, all look good together, and all feel immune to wherever the trend hype cycle currently is at this particular moment.

As such, the collection features a host of familiar staples: There are long, oversized wool overcoats, cashmere sweaters, jeans, trucker jackets, suits, hoodies, loafers, belts, bags, and button-up shirts in both solids and stripes, all of which can be characterized by minimal adornments and classic silhouettes. A couple pieces might be categorized as more “fashion forward,” but even those—namely, the built-in scarf cardigans and coats—have restraint in terms of color palette and embellishments. They’re boundary pushing for the average guy, but if you’re a risk-taker on the fashion front, there’s little here that will come as a surprise.

Subscribe now

Which Toteme menswear pieces would you recommend, Jake?

Like I mentioned, I got a preview of most of the Toteme menswear offering earlier this week. I spent about an hour and a half at the brand’s SoHo store, trying things on and talking to the brand’s PR team about them. So I figured the best way to tell you about this experience was to just run through all of the items I wore, and tell you what I think about them. These are my honest opinions, though I want to note I’ve taken into account the general price category that these products slot into and done my best to compare them to similar offerings from other comparable labels.

Note for sizing and fit: I am 5’9”, 160 lbs.

Zip Hoodie, $670

This zip up hoodie comes in two colors—red and a washed black—and it’s made from an extremely heavy, 100% cotton Terry fleece. I don’t have an exact ounce number on hand, nor was one available on the website, but it would have to be in the ballpark of 18 or 19 ounces.

I’m wearing a size medium in the above photo, and like most of the collection, this hoodie is very oversized. If I wanted a more trim fit I could easily get into a size small, but personally I like my hoodies big and would choose the medium.

There are drawstrings in the hood which is nice to see at a time when a lot of brands, even high end ones, are cutting corners by not including them. But ultimately, that doesn’t change the fact that I think $670 for a cotton hoodie is a heck of a lot, especially when Japanese labels like A.Presse charge $600 for ones with crazy accurate vintage washes. (And that’s the price in the US—those same hoodies are more in the $400 range in Japan.) Point is, I think this is a genuinely nice hoodie that I could see myself wearing regularly this winter. That said, if these had come in more around the $350-$400 range I think I’d be more open to fully endorsing them.

Liner Jacket, $940

They call this one a “liner jacket,” but it doesn’t much resemble the quilted, collarless military styles you’re probably used to seeing under that term. In reality, it’s more like a padded coaches jacket. Honestly, that’s fine by me because I love a coach’s jacket, and I also love black down jackets—so basically, this baby is right in my wheelhouse. This one also has a fun hidden detail in that the lining depicts a map of 18th Century Stockholm, which is a nod to old pilot’s jackets that had map liners soldiers could use in case of emergency.

One slight bummer is that I don’t think there are actual down feathers used for the insulation, but instead, recycled polyester fill, which means it might not be as warm as you’d like in an outer most layer. But on, say, a 40 degree day, if you were to sport this over a cashmere sweater you’d probably be A-OK. And “liner jacket” might be an apt description after all—because the lightly padded nature of this item means it’ll be a very useful mid-layer on particularly frigid days this winter.

Now, $940 is a pretty penny for something this lightweight and non-genuine down-filled, but I recall a very lightweight jacket of similar style from Comoli coming out last year for a similar price. (Maybe it was a little less, like $800.) There’s also a similar jacket with recycled poly fill for sale from Veilance this season that goes for $600. Ultimately, if warmth isn’t your main focus, but a versatile, cool-looking jacket that you can layer up all winter long is, then I think this one is pretty cool. And despite its simple form, I think it actually looks different than a lot of other lightweight down jackets on the market. Specifically I like that it’s made from technical fabrics, but doesn’t feel overly GORP-y.

Relaxed Doublé Coat, $1,580

If you’re searching for a simple overcoat you can deploy day in and day out all winter long, I think one from Toteme this is a great option. Now, maybe this is a sign that I have a truly sicko brain, but at around $1,600, it’s not as expensive as I would have guessed. Comparable coats from luxury houses can fetch upwards of $7,000, though $1,600 does place it in the same ballpark as wool outerwear from labels like Lemaire.

Made from a hefty-feeling, warm double-faced wool and featuring a very relaxed, easily layer-able fit, this is a coat that you buy now and keep in the closet for a decade. It genuinely won’t go out of style, will look just as good over a suit as it will with sweats and a hoodie, and the color options—black or navy—are really all you need. In short, this long overcoat is simple, stylish, and elegant—it’s everything Toteme menswear seemingly aims to be.

Striped Button-Up Shirt, $480

Premium fabrics are an essential part of the Toteme ethos, and you can feel it when you put on one of their button-up shirts. They’re light, airy, and crisp, and have a nice, relaxed fit that gives them a sophisticated flow. I’m wearing a size 50 (aka Large) above and, while I didn’t have the chance to try on a 48 (medium), I think a 50 is how I’d go with these shirts. It’s just really comfortable and luxurious feeling, and I appreciate the added touches of custom buttons as well as the crown tag at the base of the shirt.

Now, $460 is objectively a good amount of scratch for a button up. That said, it is comparable to offerings from labels like Our Legacy and Auralee, so I think it makes sense given Toteme’s place in the market.

Solid Button-Up Casual Shirt, $450

The white version is also lovely. But even though it’s done-up in a dressy-feeling solid white poplin, as its product name implies, it’s definitely more of a casual shirt than something I’d necessarily lean on when sporting a suit and tie. But as far as a go-to white button up that you can lean on as a staple, whether that means tucking it into a pair of jeans, rocking it under a sweater, or as the base of a clean cut office look, I think this simple, easygoing shirt is pretty, well, solid.

Straight Fit Jeans, $450

These double black (meaning the warp and weft are both black) jeans are done-up in a non-selvedge Italian denim. (The jeans themselves are made in Turkey.) Fabric is crucial when it comes to denim, but the most important ingredient by a country mile is fit. And these jeans, at least on my body, fit exceptionally well.

I naturally have bigger legs, yet I love how these fit comfortably though the top block, thigh, and lower leg. Leg opening wise I didn’t grab an exact measurement (my bad), but I’d guess they’re in the 8-8.5” range, which is similar to what you’ll find on a classic pair of Levi’s 501. And in general, I’d classify these as essentially 501s with a bit more room up top, which is a nice, in my case welcomed, tweak to make.

I tried on a size 30 waist, which fit me comfortably, the result of some serious vanity sizing. (The size 30, according to the brand’s website, actually measures at 32.9 inches.) I also want to commend Toteme for making jeans in various inseam lengths, even if at the moment there’s no 30 inseam. (Hopefully soon!) but at present if yojre a 32 they’ve got you, and if you’re super tall they even offer a 34 inseam length.

As for the $450 price, it’s fair to say there are lots of Japanese, denim-centric brands making premium selvedge products with pricing in that ballpark. So if you’d rather spend your money on a pair from a brand that specializes in top tier jeans, I wouldn’t blame you. On the other hand, at a time when $1,000 jeans are becoming the new norm for luxury brands, I was actually pleasantly surprised to learn that these are sub-$500. And I think because of that, they’re going to do big numbers for Toteme. Ultimately, I like them, I’d buy them, and I’d definitely wear them.

***I also want to note that while the solid white and black jeans are made in Turkey of Italian denim, the washed pairs, which retail for $590, are made in Japan of Japanese fabrics.

Double-Breasted Suit Jacket, $1,260, and Bootcut Trousers, $740

In general, I’m not a big fan of when fashion brands dip their toes into tailoring. It’s not their fault—it’s just the category is jam-packed with specialists who know how to dial in suits to their clients’ body types, and make suits using old school, high quality techniques. By contrast, when it’s not your sole focus, and you try as a brand to make a suit via an off the rack option that appeals to a semi-broad audience, it’s difficult, hell, nearly impossible, to make something that a) is worth the price and b) looks good on a lot of people.

Now, having said all of that, I actually think this Toteme suit would look really cool on some folks (namely tall ones!), but it’s just not my taste. The jacket is quite boxy and oversized, but the lapels are smaller than I’d prefer. The trousers are cut in a slightly flared manner which I don’t automatically hate in concept—I just never like how bootcut trousers look on me specifically.

Ultimately, I think at $2,000 it’s hard to argue for a “vibe-y” suit like this when you could get something off-the-rack from a brand like J.Mueser for around that same price. You could also spend an extra $1,000 and get something MTM, or an off the rack suit from a brand like Husbands that is dialed into this kind of rockstar, 1970s, flare leg pinstripe suit aesthetic.

Scarf Coat, $1,680

I understand why this coat has become an iconic Toteme womenswear item—you take a classic button front wool coat, add a giant scarf to it, and boom, the result is a versatile, functional, warm-as-heck piece of outerwear that can be styled in a bunch of ways. And given how unique the design is, it can easily stand out as an “it” item among those in-the-know without the need for some crazy color scheme or giant logo.

But honestly, even though it was tweaked for the fellas, I don’t know if this one’s for me. To be fair, I think it looked better in the above photo when I deployed the built in scarf as, well, a scarf. But when I rocked it down loose-y goose-y style I just felt like I was wearing a cape.

Now, it’s worth noting that my style and this coat are just not aligned, which is not the coat’s fault. In fact, I think there are men out there with much more adventurous senses of style who could make this thing look sick as fuck. I simply accept my fate that I am not one of them.

Moccasin Loafers, $880

Aesthetically, I think these loafers are perfect for 2026—the ruched toe signals trend awareness, but a classic penny loafer shape indicates these are intended to be your go-to loafers for the long haul. The fact that they have no beef roll or penny slot is a classic Toteme nod to their minimalist leanings.

The brass tacks of these loafers is this: they’re made in Italy from using a Blake stitch construction, which means they’re flexible right out of the box. They’re also technically resoleable, though not as easily as Goodyear welted shoes.

Now, I respect Toteme in general for being transparent about where its products are made—they go so far as to even name specific factories they working with right on their product pages. (In the case of these shoes the factory is GEM Srl in Stabbia, Italy.) But when it comes to shoes, especially $880 loafers, I wish they would also add details about the tanneries they work with and the specific grades of leather used if they wanted to take the idea of transparency all the way. I’m nitpicking a little bit, but I think it’s the kind of things real footwear nerds like to know.

All of that said, how do they feel on foot? Pretty damn good if I’m keeping it a buck. To be fair, I didn’t get the opportunity to wear a pair all day, but the initial comfort was there as they have a wide, forgiving toe box that doesn’t smush your toes or feel like it would cause blisters. Also, this is just anecdotal evidence, but I was told co-founder Karl Lindman wore his own pair on a walk from the brand’s SoHo store all the way to its Upper East Side outpost pain-free, so make of that what you will.

Alongside the jeans and doublé coat, these loafers are in the running for my favorite item from the Toteme menswear collection, and I expect to see a lot of dudes wearing them in the coming months.

Shell Jacket, $900

This was one of the first pieces I saw from Toteme’s menswear offering. Actually, I’ve actually had it in red in my own closet for the last couple of months. The brand sent it to me as a gift, and I’ve worn it a handful of times, particularly in the rain. Now, I think it’s a pretty nice-looking jacket that adds an easy pop of color to an outfit. But I didn’t know the price of it until this week. So while I think this is objectively a versatile windbreaker that has the nice added benefit of double zippers and a built in hood, the problem is, it’s really expensive for what it is. Even if it were $400, I’d think that was a lot for what is ultimately a thin nylon shell. Unfortunately, the asking price is actually $900.

I’m not saying nylon jackets don’t deserve to fetch big money. But when it’s Arc’Teryx, the price comes with the guarantee that you won’t get wet. And when it’s Stone Island, there’s usually some crazy garment-dyeing process and technical innovation that went into its creation. With this Toteme jacket, it’s kind of, in all honesty, just a plain nylon jacket with a hefty price tag and a small chest logo. I have no issue dropping $900 on a dope jacket, but I can’t imagine spending that kind of dough on this one.

Cashmere Crewneck Sweater, $770

It’s hard for any black cashmere crewneck to stand out in the marketplace in 2026. After all, you can get one from Uniqlo for like $100, or Loro Piana for $1,900. At the end of the day, the purchasing decision comes down to your budget, how a particular sweater fits you, what fabric weight you think feels right, and if we’re being honest, a lot of the time, just which brand’s vibes you like the best. If you can get some kind of story behind the specific yarns used that help justify the price, that’s a bonus, too.

I say all of that to say that this is definitely a black cashmere crewneck. Specifically, it’s one where the weight is not too heavy or too light. (For what it’s worth, I don’t particularly like ultra-thin cashmere as it feels too precious.) It’s also a sweater that fits me quite well. Namely, I like how Toteme purposefully designed it to be just a hair shorter than your average sweater, meaning it looks good both tucked and untucked. The neckline is nice, elegantly framing a collared shirt without being too tight.

At $770 it’s on the higher end of the cashmere sweater price spectrum, but also nowhere near the apex of the market. Point is, if I were you I’d go try this one on IRL, but if you are in search of a solid cashmere sweater with a great fit and have the dough to spend, I wouldn’t be disappointed to learn you scooped up this one.

Closing Thoughts

I gave you my honest review of 12 key products from Toteme’s first-ever menswear collection, but I need to mention that there are a lot more pieces from the offering I didn’t have a chance to experience in person—either because I didn’t have time or they weren’t available yet. But from what I was able to see, touch, and wear in person, plus the info I’ve gathered from perusing the online shop for the last few hours, I’m left with a few key thoughts.

1. I think the collection achieves its goal of being a complete, simple wardrobe for men who just want nice clothes they can wear anytime, anywhere—whether that’s to the office, out to dinner with friends, or hanging out doing absolutely nothing on the weekend. Nothing in the offering is particularly extreme from an aesthetic POV, which on one hand means you’re not going to wow many out-of-the-loop onlookers. On the other, it all goes together pretty effortlessly. Think of it this way: if your entire closet was comprised of Toteme menswear, you could easily pick out items blind and know that you’d end up with a nice looking outfit. To a lot of people, that’s a huge win.

2. In terms of the specific products, I think they’re all, for the most part, made of quality materials, constructed solidly, and decently priced. As I mentioned earlier, there are a couple of items that gave me genuine sticker shock (namely the hoodie and shell jacket), but other than that I think everything is in line with what I’d expect given where the womenswear offering sits in the market, and what pricing is like for comparable labels like Lemaire and Auralee. It’s worth pointing out that Toteme is not priced to sit with high-end luxury. And thank god for that, because the whole segment has frankly gotten preposterously expensive over the last few years. So while these items are objectively pricey, there are mercifully no $1,600 loafers or $1,300 jeans to be found, even though those items are made of quality materials in Italy and Japan, respectively.

3. Where I’m interested to see how things with Toteme menswear shake out is in who exactly it’s trying to speak to. Because it might not appeal to true style obsessives, but I’m not sure it wants to, either. If you’re the kind of shopper who likes to know every last detail about about a garment’s construction, fabric origin, etc., then there are probably options that would be more your speed at these price points. You might reach for Samurai jeans over Toteme’s, or Alden Leisure Handsewns over the above Moccasin Loafers. But if you’re a guy who has a few bucks to spend, and you want to easily up your style without needing to overthink it, I do think Totemnswear hits a nice sweet spot. Hell, I’d rather you wear this brand than 90% percent of the other poly-blend nonsense that’s on the market vying for the attention of “non-fashion guys.” But as a certified menswear sicko, I also gotta state for the record: I genuinely enjoyed wearing the doublé coat, button-up shirts, black jeans, and black loafers. They’re all things that’ll be on my radar as we enter the fall shopping season.

You can shop the entire Toteme menswear collection here.

Subscribe below to receive an exclusive 15% off the Alex Mill x Thomas Mason collaborative Mill Shirts.

What makes a great button down shirt? Fit is certainly a big part of it, as are details like the collar, not to mention how the whole thing is stitched together. But even if you’ve nailed those, one thing that’s undoubtedly at the core of all great shirts is quality fabric. After all, without it, there wouldn’t be a shirt at all. But to Alex Drexler, figuring out the components of this secret “great shirt” formula became so important to him that, in 2012, he decided to launch an entire business around it. He called the brand, semi-eponymously, “Alex Mill.” The first product he released under the imprint was shirt was simply dubbed “The Mill Shirt.”

Subscribe now

In the 14 years since, Alex Mill has grown immensely as a collection and a business. But even though you can now buy everything from sweaters to chinos to suits to jeans at Alex Mill, the humble button down shirt is still a crucial part of the business, and something Drexler and the team are constantly tweaking in pursuit of perfection.

As such, every season, the brand deploys a host of new Mill Shirts in various fabrics—chambray, Oxford cloth, poplin, linen—you name it, and chances are the company has made its signature button-down out of it. But for Fall-Winter 2026, they decided to kick things up a notch by teaming up with the historic mill Thomas Mason on a brand new, slightly more premium version. Founded in 1796, Thomas Mason has long been household name among internet-savvy menswear heads who want shirts crafted from the so-called Good Stuff™. In the case these new Mill Shirts, that happens to be some absolutely beautiful, striped cotton fabrics.

“What I love about a shirt is that the thread comes from one place, the fabric comes from another, the buttons come from another, and the labels come from another supplier,” says Drexler. “It’s all about getting all the right components to come together nicely and create something that’s really special, and I hope the customer appreciates that.” Like a great dish at a restaurant, the ingredients are key, but figuring out how they come together harmoniously is what ultimately makes something delicious.

I received my version of the Thomas Mason Mill Shirt in blue last week, and despite the fact that, genuinely, the last thing I need in my closet is another blue button-up, I honestly think this one is different enough to justify a slot in my rotation. While I’m extremely set on OCBDs, here, the fabric is a more dressy-feeling poplin that, in the interest of balance, happens to be rendered a casual-leaning button down form. I also think you really can feel the quality in just how smooth the fabric feels in hand, and, more importantly, on body. It’s light, airy, and has a cool touch that’s welcomed on sticky summer days. The color is also unexpectedly unique—boasting a rich, deep tone with a slight luster that actually appears borderline purple in certain light. (Note: if you want a true purple, the shirt is available in that configuration too.)

In general I’ve always found color to be one of Alex Mill’s strong suits as a brand, whether it’s a royal blue T-shirt or a pair of green socks. “Color is very emotional,” says Drexler of why the brand is so dedicated to issuing products in punchy colors. Now, the blue on this Thomas Mason Mill shirt doesn’t exactly make me weepy, but I do agree with Drexler in the sense that colors can have strong connections to places, feelings, or memories. I also feel strongly that when it comes to this specific striped blue shirt, it really is a really nice blue.

At the end of the day, I think this Mill Shirt’s appeal is in its simplicity, which is exactly what Drexler first intended back in 2012. It’s a wardobe staple that won’t knock your kelly green socks off, but you also don’t have to think too hard about it to appreciate it or, you know, wear it. Fit wise, it’s not too slim or too baggy. The collar is not too large or too small. It’s got the always welcomed, upscale detail of side gussets. And in this particular case, the fabric has the stamp of approval of one of the best mills in the world. Did I mention they’re also machine washable?

I’ll spare you the “dress it up, dress it down” schtick, but ultimately, if you want a great shirt made from great fabric that you’ll probably wear a heck of a lot, then this Mill Shirt might be just the thing you’re looking for.

$225 (15% off with discount code below), available now at alexmill.com

Note: This post is entirely funded by subscriptions. There are no affiliate links or paid promotions in this post, nor do I receive a kickback on any orders you place.

Read more

Banana Republic is a clothing brand that was founded on the idea of adventure—of traveling to a far away land and wearing clothes to meet the occasion. But today, the journey we’re about to embark on is not one that requires a passport, but rather, a mere willingness to look back in time to the label’s past.

Subscribe now

If you don’t know the full story, I’ll make it quick cause we’ve got eBay links to smash. Banana Republic was founded in 1978 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler, a reporter and illustrator at the San Francisco Chronicle who opened a store to import far flung military surplus into the U.S. Eventually, as supplies waned, they started making their own in-house clothing that was intended to live up to the OG’s ruggedness and durability. Cotton twill workshirts and zip-off cargo pants don’t feel all that novel in 2026, but at a time when polyester was new and all the rage, it was a big deal that the Ziegler’s made it a point to make gear that was only crafted from all natural fabrics.

And it worked. In fact, the brand got so hot that in 1983, Gap purchased Banana Republic outright. But following the stock market crash of 1987, not to mention a host of brands popping up in BR’s wake that more or less offered the same khaki-heavy look for less, Gap decided to seize more control of the brand, and that eventually led to the Ziegler’s departure in 1988. This began the modern era of Banana Republic, which saw the label transition from one that made attire for the great outdoors into one you were more likely to wear while taking heat from your boss in a meeting. Nearly 40 years later, this “Gap, but nicer” image is what most people likely think of when they hear the name Banana Republic.

However, last year, Banana Republic made what to me was the very cool and wise move to reissue some of these archival pieces under the name, well, uh, “Archive Reissue.” (Actually, first they teamed up with The Society Archive to release some actual vintage items they’d sourced, then later dropped the newly produced Reissue collection.)

I gotta say, so far the stuff I’ve seen from the Archive Reissue collection has looked, for lack of a better term, pretty fuckin’ good. In fact, I was so intrigued by what I saw online that I went to the brand’s flagship store in Rockafeller Center this week to try on a whole bunch of it in service of a forthcoming post. I’ll get to that, but today, I’m less interested in talking about the re-release than I am the actual vintage pieces which inspired it.

Because here’s the thing: surplus-inspired product that was made in the 1980s and 90s of all natural fibers still looks, feels, and frankly, is great by almost any standard today. We’re talking rugged button-up shirts with heavy duty snaps, 100% cotton, easy-fitting pleated chinos, and jackets with enough pockets to make you reconsider your growing penchant for tote bags. You throw in a good patina that wasn’t achieved through potassium spray, but instead earned over the course of 30 years, and bam—you’ve got yourself a great piece of clothing that you’ll likely love wearing for years to come. And while nothing in the Archive Reissue collection is necessarily bank-breaking, the reality is the OG gear is almost guaranteed to be on sale for way less than its modern counterpart. (Note: some of the graphic tees I’ve linked to are pricey, but they’re incredible. And even so, all but three of the below 84 links are to products that are being sold for less than $300, with 60/84 going for less than $100.)

As such, below you’ll find the result of me scouring eBay over the last few days in search of the best vintage Banana Republic sweaters, pants, T-shirts, and jackets dating back to the brand’s 1978 inception in Mill Valley, California. There are 84 links to products, and since it’s all vintage, once it’s gone, it’s gone for good, so act quick, and as always, enjoy!!!

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

84 Links To Great Vintage Banana Republic Products

This post is 100% funded by subscriptions. There are no affiliate links below. I’ve endorsed these products only because I really, genuinely like them. Point is, your subscriptions are both extremely cool and very much appreciated. Thank you!

Read more

Ask any extremely online menswear enthusiast to rattle off the most exciting brands in the business right now, and they’ll probably point you to a handful of familiar names. A.Presse would certainly be make the cut, ditto Auralee. Evan Kinori might follow, or Lemaire, or even a capital-D Designer label like Celine. You might even catch an oldie-but-goodie Supreme shout-out. But there’s one name you almost certainly won’t hear, despite its going-on-50-years commitment to crafting some of the best clothing in the world.

Subscribe now

Read more

I’m writing a post about sweaters, jackets, and full length trousers after a day in which I sweated my buns off in 90 degree heat and close to 100% humidity. On the one hand, I wouldn’t blame you for telling me it’s entirely too early to start thinking about fall garments. After all, if you wore a sweater on a day like today, you might be committed. But on the other hand, the heat today had me yearning for days of layers, even if I may regret saying that come December.

Subscribe now

Regardless of what I think though, the reality is that fall style items are currently landing at retailers, so I wanted to ease all of us into the topic by rounding up 25 items from across the sartorial spectrum that have already caught my eye. That means below you’ll find a smattering of top tier shirts, pleated trousers, knitwear, and more—with full “why they’re worth it” breakdowns for each item. There’s not much else to say other than let’s get to it, so, uh, let’s get to it….enjoy!!!

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

25 Fall Clothing Items To Warm Up To The Season

This post is 100% funded by subscriptions. There are no affiliate links below. I’ve endorsed these products only because I really, genuinely like them. Point is, your subscriptions are both extremely cool and very much appreciated. Thank you!

Read more

Earlier this week I was hard at work on a post about what I believe is one of the most underrated brands in menswear. That isn’t this post, though rest assured that one is coming soon. It just is taking a little longer than expected as there’s a lot of ground to cover in terms of brand history and product info, etc. But in the meantime, as I was walking around earlier today with my dog, I was thinking about how the shorts I was wearing are something that, much like my previous posts about Ralph Lauren chinos, might be good enough to warrant a blog of their own. After thinking about it for roughly 30 seconds, I decided, yeah, why not? The shorts are excellent, and I think other people might want to read about why I love them and what makes them, to me, special. So here is that post, coming to you at the very unusual but hopefully welcomed time of Sunday evening.

Subscribe now

To make a not so long story even breezier, I picked up this pair of chino cargo shorts earlier this week at Chad Senzel (sorry, no online shop), where I was on a mission to make a video about the retailer’s extensive collection of Gap pocket tees from the 1990s. Those made in USA tees are fantastic and while sure, you can find ‘em on eBay for less than what it Chad is asking, the very worth it IMO benefit of any IRL vintage store is being able to pour through a bunch of colors and sizes all at one time, ensuring the one you get fits both your body and your style. I ended up buying one in—shocker—navy blue, which I wore earlier this week and already washed because I can’t wait to rock it again.

This post isn’t about those tees, but rather, the pair of shorts that caught my attention while I was trying on said tees. Another shocker I’m sure to you is that the shorts I’m about to ramble about are vintage Ralph Lauren from the 1990s. The reason I feel compelled to tell you about them, however, is that they’re different than what I normally associate with the idea of “90s cargo shorts.”

See, I also have a pair of vintage cargos from Abercrombie and Fitch, and those have a particular set of features that make them both desirable and, I’ve found, a little tricky to wear. They’re made from a brawny, heavy duty cotton and have extra fabric all over the place—pocket flaps, drawstrings, etc—which gives them a rugged, sort of “cool guy camp counselor vibe” that was synonymous with the Bruce Weber ad campaign Abercrombie era. Ralph Lauren also made (and makes!) shorts in this same vein, but the pair I picked up at Chad Senzel are decidedly different.

Rather, these shorts have a much cleaner build and sleeker (meaning slightly slimmer) fit that, for me, makes them look a lot less bulky and, on my particular frame, better-looking. Don’t get me wrong: I love a loose-fitting short, but these, much like the Ralph Lauren Andrew pants I recently posted about, straddle the line between relaxed and tailored incredibly well—featuring an 8” inseam—and ultimately creating a silhouette that feels like it’ll survive the current ‘Crombie Redux wave we’re living through. Fabric-wise, these shorts boast an almost identical cotton twill to my beloved Andrews down to the light “stone” color. You throw in the addition of the cargo pockets, which crucially on these shorts lie flush against the legs versus jetting out the way they do on other, more rugged cargo shorts, and you have a pair that could feasibly be dressed up with a button up shirt and loafers, but deliver on practicality too. Effectively, they’re the cargo version of the double pleated made in USA Ralph Lauren shorts I’ve loved for a few years now, just with flat fronts and extra storage. My only regret is that I didn’t happen upon them sooner.

Now, the bummer with these shorts don’t come with a specific name the way Ralph’s famous Andrew pants did, so tracking them down was a little tricky. But I went ahead and scoured the vintage corners of the web for 19 examples of similar pairs you can buy right now, and all of which can be had for less than $100. (In fact, 18/19 pairs are less than 50 bucks.) Let’s dive right in, and as always, enjoy!!!

**To be clear, the pairs below are not guaranteed to be the exact same model as mine, as Ralph Lauren has made roughly 10,000 different cargo short styles over the last 40 years. But all of the pairs I found were of a similar quality and look, with an easygoing fit and sleek, non-bulky details.

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

19 Pairs Of Great, Non-Bulky Vintage Polo Cargo Shorts

This post is 100% funded by subscriptions. There are no affiliate links below. I’ve endorsed these products only because I really, genuinely like them. Point is, your subscriptions are both extremely cool and very much appreciated. Thank you!

Read more

The most famous name in Ralph Lauren brand history is, well, Ralph Lauren. But an argument could be made that, in terms of lore, a distant second place title belongs to the name “Andrew”—and I’m not referring to, at least not specifically, Andrew Lauren, the son of Ralph and Ricky. Rather, I’m talking about the pants that were named (I assume) for Andrew. These double pleated chinos debuted in the lineup around the early 1990s, and have become an icon in terms of product history for the nearly 60 year old label.

Subscribe now

Why do people (myself included) love the Andrew pant so much? Well, as far as chinos go, they’re kind of, and I know this sounds too simple, perfect. I’ll explain: The fabric, like all good chinos, is a lovely dense cotton twill that gets peachy and better with age. Fit-wise, they’re practically the platonic ideal of how chinos should fit in a just world—by which I mean loose through the hip, thigh, and knee, with a light taper that gives them a streamlined, timeless silhouette. The double pleats are not only practical in terms of providing comfort to your upper regions, but give the pants a sense of high class sophistication that is synonymous with Ralph Lauren. In short, if I had to choose one pair of pants to perfect encapsulate the RL ethos, it’d be the Andrew pant.

Now, part of the reason the Andrew pants have become famous for Ralph devotees, especially over the last few years, is that the brand hasn’t made them for at least a decade, if not more. (One report I saw said they began phasing them out in 2010.) And if you’re like me, and believe the made in U.S. versions are the purest form, then the true Andrew extinction event was closer to 3 decades ago. On one level people inherently want what they can’t have, which in turn has driven interest in vintage pairs that pop up on places like eBay. But beyond the psychological factors, these pants are an instant way to add some 90s aura to a fit at a time when a lot of people, myself included, are trying to do just that. You throw on a polo, a tee, loafers, sneakers, whatever—if you’ve got on these pants, the overall vibe you’ll be putting out is well-dressed, 80 or 110 series Land Cruiser-driving dad.

Yet, as is the case with all discontinued things, finding a pair of Andrew pants in one’s preferred waist size, color, and inseam grows more challenging by the day. And as pairs become scarcer, the price of those on the market goes up. (I took a couple economics classes in college.) It wasn’t uncommon just a few years ago to pay 20 or 30 dollars for a pair of miUSA Andrew pants. Today, it’s not shocking to see them listed for closer to 100, even if the later, made in Macau (and elsewhere) models can still be had for around 45 or 50. My point is, if scouring the secondhand market for a pair of chinos sounds like more headache than it’s worth, I wouldn’t blame you.

Luckily, you no longer have to set out on a widespread secondhand search if what you’re ultimately after is a pair of chill-fitting double pleated Ralph Lauren chinos. See, the brand has slowly started bringing back pants like these into its line-up, even if none of them don the Andrew name. I’m not sure when, but at some point in the last few years they unveiled the Whitman, which is similar to the Andrew in terms of overall vibe (double pleats, chino fabric) but features a coin pocket flap that I don’t personally care for. They’re also only available in classic khaki, versus the superior, lighter “stone.”

But even more recently, Big Ralph debuted a style called the Suffield relaxed fit chino, and when I first saw them online, I thought they looked, well, very Andrew-y. They’ve got the on seam pockets, the double pleats, and the easygoing fit with a lightly tapered leg. Even moreso than the Whitman, which itself is a direct corollary to the pre-Andrew “Polo Chinos,” the Suffield seems to be approximating what made people fall in love with the Andrew in the first place.

But I had to know for myself just how similar the Suffields are in terms of fit, fabric, construction, and overall essence to my beloved early 90s made in USA Andrew pants, and my (admittedly less desirable) made in Macau Andrew pants. Being the product sicko I am, I knew the only way to really get to the truth of the matter was to buy a pair of Suffields and compare all of them side by side, up close and personal. So that’s exactly what I did for today’s post.

Below, you’ll find an in-depth analysis of these pairs of Ralph Lauren pants, from fit to fabric to construction. And ultimately, I’ll let you know if I think it’s worth sitting tight until a pair of made in USA Andrews hits eBay in your preferred measurements, or if you should just skip the wait and get a pair of Suffield pants for $145 on the Ralph Lauren website instead. Let’s get to it, and enjoy!!!

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

New Ralph Lauren Suffield Pants vs. Vintage Andrew Pants: The Complete Test

This post is 100% funded by subscriptions. There are no affiliate links below. I’ve endorsed these products only because I really, genuinely like them. Point is, your subscriptions are both extremely cool and very much appreciated. Thank you!

Read more

When products in the world of menswear are hyped up—whether this force is derived by word of mouth, internet buzz, or a celebrity-endorsement—it’s incredibly easy lose sight of what actually makes something good. Take it from me—someone who has been burned by this kind of groupthink in the past, and invested in products that I was told would at the very least look great and potentially fix all of the problems I’ve ever had in life. Unfortunately the promises of hyped up attire almost never materialize, even when things are praised for deserving reasons. If I’m being honest, more often than not, buying something just because everyone seems to be saying in unison they rock leads to ill-advised purchases that never quite feel, or wear, as good as you’d hoped.

Subscribe now

Furthermore, riding high on the trend wave—whether we’re talking about a silhouette or specific product—can also cause you to spend so much time thinking about what products are buzz-worthy that you overlook worthwhile pieces out there that for one reason or another don’t get enough attention.

It’s for precisely these reasons that today, I’m homing in on these exact kinds of products to give them their moment in the digital sun that they may have never gotten before. This isn’t an exhaustive list—underrated items are always revealing themselves to me through experience—so maybe this will become an ongoing series. (Let me know in the comments if that’s something you might be into!) But for now, here are 13 of the most undervalued, under appreciated, and underrated menswear items on the market, from shirts to pants to shoes, a couple of vintage bits, and everything in between. Ultimately, these items might not elicit oohs and ahhs from the algorithm, but may get those sweet, sweet “ID on that?” comments from folks who wanna know where, and how to find great stuff the way you do. Anyway, let’s get to it, and enjoy!!!

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

This post is 100% funded by subscriptions. There are no affiliate links below. I’ve endorsed these products only because I really, genuinely like them. Point is, your subscriptions are both extremely cool and very much appreciated. Thank you!

13 Underrated Menswear Items Worth Adding To Your Wardrobe

Read more

A few weeks ago, I took it upon myself to review eight pairs of canvas sneakers in search of the best pair on the market. I emerged from that experiment with a lot of insight into what makes a canvas sneaker—and a deck shoe specifically—the cream of the crop, and where other styles can fall short. Point is, I’ve spent a lot of time over the last couple of months thinking about casual canvas footwear, and now, I’ve put those learnings into a shoe I can proudly call my own. Meet the Jake Woolf x Blu Scarpa La Tennis sneaker.

Subscribe now

Blu Scarpa founder Matthew Chevellard says the La Tennis is the brand’s signature sneaker, and, as its name implies, it has its origins not, like many canvas sneakers, on ship decks, but tennis courts. Specifically, the shoe was inspired by a pair of 1980s Nikes Chevellard found at a vintage store in Tokyo, which featured a rubber cap toe design, a cream/light blue color way, and a well-worn look that he wanted to capture in a new style without going overboard. The result was the La Tennis—a premium canvas sneaker that boasts a washed upper for comfort, leather accents at the heel, and a full leather lining to make these one of the most luxurious (and socklessly wearable!) canvas sneakers on the market. The outsole is also made from natural rubber because, as Chevellard says, the brand does absolutely nothing “Fugazi.”

Where I come in is more or less in this new colorway. After ruminating on how to make the La Tennis my own, I decided I wanted to take the 1980s origins of the sneakers even further back in time, namely to WWII. Back then, the deck shoes issued to soldiers in the U.S. navy featured white uppers and black soles, though why exactly that is eludes me. Perhaps it’s because black soles wouldn’t scuff the black decks of ships, but if had to guess I’d say it’s because it was just easier for the military to make rubber soles in a uniform black rather than dye them all. Whatever the reason, if you look at photos of those standard issue kicks, they boasted a white/black color scheme that I think, when it comes to the new La Tennis, makes the shoes just a little more unique than your average pair. But it’s a combo that’s also incredibly wearable, which is aided by the fact that we took Blu Scarpa’s signature blue logo on the tongue and rendered it in white to give them an even more minimalist appearance.

Shop the Jake Woolf x Blu Scarpa collection here. Subscribe below for 10% off your order.

You combine all that with some made-in-Italy craftsmanship, and you’re left with what to me is effectively the perfect summer shoe. It’s one that’ll effortlessly carry you through beach days and nights out on the town from now well through Labor Day, and which will only get better—and more yours—the more you wear them. I genuinely can’t wait to see what my pair looks like after a few months of heavy wear, scuffs, and life on them.

I also should mention that—surprise!—the shoes aren’t the only product we’re dropping today. In addition to the La Tennis sneaker, we’ve also got what is without question the most luxurious belt I’ve ever owned/worn/seen. I said as much last month when we released our suede/lapis Sante Fe belt, but we upped the ante again by rendering it this time in 100% pure American alligator. Color wise, we dyed the gator in a beautiful burgundy hue that, intentionally, makes them the perfect pair to our burgundy La College loafer that kick started this whole partnership a few months back. Just to reiterate: we’re talking about a made in America belt that features genuine alligator, hand-carved lapis, and, just because, well, fuck it, sterling silver hardware. When I say this belt is luxurious, I mean it.

We’re also dropping what to me is the most fun piece of jewelry in the JW x BS lineup so far. We already brought you Blu Scarpa’s signature bar bracelet in a gorgeous lapis and onyx combo, but now we’ve got lapis and onyx beads if that’s more your speed—or to pair with it. They’re less precious and dainty than the bar bracelet, but IMHO just as if not even more wearable. That in mind, the clasp and construction are 14K gold, continuing with our theme of brining you certified heirloom pieces that don’t skimp on quality. This is the kind of bracelet that stands out without screaming for attention—a subtle accent piece that I guarantee people will ask you about every time you wear it. Which, if you’re like me, will be every single day since the moment I put it on.

Jake Woolf x Blu Scarpa La Tennis Sneaker, $475, available at bluscarpa.com

Jake Woolf x Blu Scarpa Lapis x Onyx Beaded Bracelet, $1,450, available at bluscarpa.com

Jake Woolf x Blu Scarpa Sante Fe Belt in American Alligator/Lapis/Sterling Silver, $3,500, available at bluscarpa.com

Subscribe below for 10% off your order

Read more

Just as you start to find your summer groove with beach days and barbecues, the retail world decides it’s time to start thinking about chunky sweaters and cashmere overcoats. On the one hand, this season pushing is silly—after all, who is ready to splurge on cold weather classics when they’re still nursing a 4th of July sunburn? On the other, it means SALES for me and you, as stores have to make space for the incoming aforementioned sweaters and coats.

Subscribe now

I’ve said it before, but sale shopping is a double edged sword that can cut you if you’re not careful. It’s important to remember that most of the time, a product went on sale because, well, it’s just not very good. It’s as simple as that. To avoid falling for these discounted temptations, my rule is if you didn’t want to buy it at full price, the fact that it’s on sale isn’t going to change how much you like it when it’s sitting in your closet. But if you sift through the mountains of trendy seasonal product, or the stuff where designers took a big swing and missed, you can in fact find some nice attire that you won’t hate looking at in a couple months. And sifting through every online sale I could find to extract the “Good Stuff” is exactly what I did for today’s post.

The result is 100 (!!!) what I believe to be excellent options, from polos to shorts to hats, jeans, jackets, and everything in between. Discount wise, some of the products are a modest but welcomed 20% off, while I was able to find a few that are being sold for a “they’re giving this thing away” 85% off. Let’s dive in, and as always, enjoy!!!

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

This post is 100% funded by subscriptions. There are no affiliate links below. I’ve endorsed these products only because I really, genuinely like them. Point is, your subscriptions are both extremely cool and very much appreciated. Thank you!

The 100 Best On-Sale Menswear Items To Buy Right Now

Read more

At this point you probably know my stance on oxford cloth button down shirts. But if not, the long and short of it is this: they are the best shirt of all time. They’re the one that I think, more than any shirt, can truly do it all, and the one in my own wardrobe I’d save in a fire if I had to. Now, obviously not all OCBDs are created equal—there’s a lot out on the market that flat-out STINK. Some have bodies that are too long, others fatally feature sleeves that are too slim, and some cursed OCBDs have collar rolls that get pancaked to the point that it genuinely makes me sad. But on the opposite side of the spectrum is the one that I have been wearing religiously this spring and summer—J.Press’s made in USA Classic Fit Oxford shirts.

Subscribe now

J.Press, as you may or may not know, is an American prep institution. Founded in 1902 in New Haven, Connecticut (also the home of the world’s best pizza, objectively speaking), the brand is largely credited with what we now know as the “Ivy League look.” In other words, when you think of high society types dressed in shaggy wool sweaters, chinos, loafers, tweed jackets, and, indeed, oxford shirts, it’s because these were the kind of wares Press (the man and the brand) was selling to Yale students and other locals who were in need of snazzy, but not overly formal attire. As the look spread across college campuses and eventually the world, it became so ingrained into the American style lexicon that many forgot the source, but the fact is, there would be no “prep” without J.Press.

Subscribe below for an exclusive, limited-time 20% off code to J.Press’s Oxford cloth button downs.

Now, I wanna be clear that just because a brand is responsible for a key chapter in the big book of American style is no guarantee that its products in 2026 will be any good. In fact, so many American clothing institutions have seen dramatic fall offs in quality, fit, and finish over the years that if I were to tell you that J.Press’s oxford shirts were now terrible, I doubt it would come as much of a surprise. Luckily, the brand seemingly hasn’t taken the offshore/cost cut bait that so many of its peers have, and thus is still putting out what I consider to be a quality oxford that’s, crucially, still made in America like the originals.

Of course, it’s also worth stating that making a shirt stateside is also not a guarantee that it’ll be executed well. There are plenty of lousy factories here in America who are more than capable of churning out subpar slop. But when it comes to Oxford shirts, what I look for are, in addition to nerdy stuff like buttons and stitching, two critical factors: collar and overall fit. And on those fronts, J.Press’s versions are, in my opinion, downright perfect.

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

Specifically, the collars are large enough to appear substantial, but not to a silly degree like I’ve seen before on some OCBDs. What’s key with collar size is twofold: one, that it frames a tie (which should only ever be done up with a four-in-hand knot, for the record) beautifully, and two: the larger size is what lends itself to a lovely cascading shape aka “roll.”

In terms of fit, the classic fit shirts are money: loose and forgiving, allowing them to a) look timelessly, elegantly casual and b) feel airy and breezy on a warm day. (By contrast, a skinny fit Oxford is kind of a heat-trapping nightmare during the summer months IMHO.) I go true to size on mine—15.5 neck, 33 sleeve—and find them to look just how I want, whether I’m sporting the shirt with a pair of swim trunks, or dressing it up under a sport coat. The fact that J.Press offers options for both neck size and sleeve length is also a huge plus for me, allowing me to dial in not just what suits my body, but arms too—even if, truth be told, 90 percent of the time I’m wearing an Oxford shirt I have the sleeves at least partially rolled up.

One other thing worth noting: J.Press makes a ton of different versions of these oxfords in terms of cut and details. It’s easy to get tripped up so here’s a quick guide:

• Classic Fit, No Flap: my choice. No flap refers to the chest pocket, which comes with either a flap pocket that buttons down or not. I find it easier to use the pocket without a flap and I like the clean look better.

• Classic Fit, Flap: same loose fit, just with a button down pocket on front and a button on the back of the collar. If I’m being honest I wish the no flap shirts also had a button on the back of the collar, which they don’t.

• Regular Fit: this used to be called “trim fit” but truthfully it’s not slim. It’s just not as full cut as the classic fit. If you don’t like the baggy look I prefer then go with this one.

• Sport Shirt: these fit like the classic fit shirts and are flap-less, but are done up in funkier color combos and stripes, and are alpha sized (small, medium, large, etc.).

Honestly, with so many great options to choose from in terms of fit, colors, and patterns, there’s no reason you couldn’t reasonably have an entire OCBD line-up made up of solely these J.Press shirts. I’ve currently got a handful, including a blue (the absolute essential), a green university stripe (looks incredible with my mint green Datejust), and two sport shirts, but I’m going to use my own discount code to get one in white because why the heck not?

Point is, I love Oxford shirts, and I’m always on the hunt for great ones. I haven’t tried every single option on the market (maybe an idea for a future post?), and there are certain small things that I think J.Press could change if they wanted to throw cost out the window and make these objectively the best Oxford shirt on the market. For example, like I mentioned above I wish the no flap shirts had a back collar button. Button shanks would improve durability. But I think that when you consider every factor—fit, fabric, sizing, options, and price (sub $200 even without my code)—I’m not sure this one from J.Press’s can be bested. I’ll go a step further and say that if the J.Press Classic Fit No Flap shirts were the only OCBDs I was allowed to wear from here on out, there are others in my arsenal I’d definitely miss (looking at you, Manresa Oxford shirts, vintage Ralph Big Shirt, and Ghiaia university stripe shirt), but I’d ultimately probably be okay.

J.Press Classic Fit Oxford Shirt, $185 ($148 with discount), available at jpress.com

Subscribe below for access to my exclusive 20% off code, which will be active from now through Sunday, July 19.

This post is funded entirely by subscriptions. There are no affiliate links in this post and I get no kickback on any sales of these shirts. Thus your subscriptions are very cool and very ymuch appreciated. Thank you!

Read more

L.L. Bean invented the shoe known as the camp moccasin nearly 100 years ago (in 1933 to be exact). If you look at those original pairs in relation to what the brand is putting out today, very little about how the shoe looks has changed. And, well, why would it? Camp mocs rule. In my opinion, they’re the perfect slip-on-and-go shoe during summer. For starters, the soft, malleable rubber sole means they’re simply more comfortable than loafers. Yet they’re just as versatile—you can rock ‘em with swim trunks and a tee, and just as easily with chinos and a button-down shirt when heading out for, say, a sunset lobster dinner. Then there’s the fact that they don’t require lacing—hell, you don’t even have to bend over to put them on. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that’s a big reason why I—noted lazy person—have nominated the style as my official Favorite Shoe of Summer™ 2026.

Subscribe now

Of course, one major thing which has shifted in terms of L.L. Bean’s camp mocs is that they’re no longer made in Maine. On the one hand, this allows Bean to keep the price down (I admit they’re a pretty good deal at around $100). But I do find it a touch disappointing when a brand makes a name for itself by building a product stateside, only to later abandon that history—and workforce— in the name of cost-cutting.

Subscribe below for access to these limited-edition Easymoc Camp Mocs and an exclusive 15% code.

The good news is that there are a handful companies who’ve taken up the mantle when it comes to constructing camp mocs in L.L. Bean’s home state of Maine, which include Quoddy, Rancourt, and the makers of my personal favorites, Easymoc. Though the brand is a relative newcomer to the space—having only launched in 2020—they’ve quickly established themselves as real ones who construct shoes the old school way. Here that means deploying a hand sewn moccasin construction while using almost exclusively U.S.-sourced materials, from leather to glue to even the threads used for stitching.

Now, despite the brand’s chill-ass name, doing all of this in 2026 isn’t by any means easy. For founder Greg Cordeiro, running a company that operates out of New England means long days, stressful nights, and high production costs. (There are good reasons Easymoc shoes are $350 instead of $100.) Furthermore, in my conversation with Cordeiro, I learned that, in addition to just keeping the operation afloat on a day-to-day basis, he also feels the pressure to carry on Maine’s hand sewn moccasin construction for a new generation. After all, in the age of crypto, consulting, and influencing, the idea of being in your 20s doing hard labor, i.e., stitching shoes together, isn’t exactly sexy. (Note: As an influencer myself, it’s not something I want to do!) Still, Greg and his team are committed to making sure this unique skillset continues to live on by finding and training young people in what is a fading, but ultimately beautiful, art form. All you’ve gotta do is hold a pair of made-in-Maine camp Mocs in your hand, and you’ll likely feel what I did the moment I first put on a pair: that Easymoc’s continued efforts to making the best possible product is absolutely worth it.

Now, I’ve known about Easymoc for a few years now thanks to its collaborations with brands like Manresa, Wythe, and my friend Adam Pally, but it wasn’t until a couple months back that I decided it was time to finally buy a pair for myself. And it was that desire which ultimately led to today’s post.

To make a long story short, I scoured the website in search of my ideal iteration, but noticed that, while Easymoc had versions in suede on neutral soles, and subtle leathers on colorful soles, they didn’t seem to make what I was looking for—a pair with a brown leather upper on a brown rubber sole.

So I reached out to Greg & Co., and they, being certified mensches, immediately said they’d whip up a special pair in my preferred combo right away. Two weeks later, I had what to me what is the perfect pair of Camp Mocs. They were comfortable right out of the box thanks to a luscious, Horween-sourced Chromexcel leather. They look amazing with everything from jeans to my favorite Manresa nylon shorts. It’s no surprise then that they’ve become the shoes I’ve worn religiously on morning walks with my dogs and nights out on the town. And they’re available today exclusively to paid subscribers of this newsletter in a limited edition of 50 pairs. Even better, while the OG price is $350, Easymoc made a special 15% off code so you can get ‘em for what is frankly, a god damned steal.

Below you’ll find the link to buy these shoes alongside my Q&A with Cordeiro. We discussed why he started the brand, why it’s all worth it today, and what makes Easymocs so damn comfortable without the need to blister or bruise your feet in the process. These shoes fucking rock, and I hope you love them as much as I do. Let’s get to it, and enjoy!!!

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

This post is 100% funded by subscriptions. There are no affiliate links below, and I receive no kickback on any pairs sold. I’ve endorsed them only because I really, genuinely like them. Point is, your subscriptions are both extremely cool and very much appreciated. Thank you!

Subscribe below for access to Easymoc’s Brown Chromexcel / Tobacco Camp Mocs and a special 15% off code. These shoes are limited to 50 pairs, and will be on a made-to-order basis.

Read more

Talking to clothing designers is a great way to learn about how garments are made—for example, how certain fabrics create a particular drape, or what construction techniques are needed to bring quality pieces together. In fact, most of what I know today about clothing manufacturing has come from these kinds of passionate makers who sweat the details and have been kind enough to share their expertise with me.

Subscribe now

Now, I genuinely believe that, in 2026, product literacy is important for consumers because we are constantly being bombarded with new stuff to buy. To put it bluntly, there’s a lot of bullshit out there, so it’s good to know how to spot it. Yet I also believe that all the knowledge in the world can’t replace the simple fact that fabrics, yarns, and patterns are all just ingredients that don’t mean much if they’re not in service of a product you actually want to wear. After all, you can source the best tomatoes, dough, and cheese in the world, but if you overcook the pizza, it’s gonna taste bad. And to me, no independent designer working today understands the special sauce that goes into clothes better, and frankly, makes clothes I find myself wanting to wear more often, than Ghiaia Cashmere’s Davide Baroncini.

To be clear, it’s not that Baroncini couldn’t talk at length about the premium cotton yarns in his knitwear, or how clean the finishing is on his fan-favorite chinos. His knowledge of product is second to none, and I’ve on occasion pressed him to coax these kind of intricacies out of him—mostly to try and better understand why I keep reaching for his products. It’s just that from his POV, the idea of quality isn’t incredibly interesting to talk about in terms of what he does, because it’s simply, in his words, a “non-negotiable.” In his view, to make anything less than a premium product would be a dishonest way of doing business. What does inspire Davide is creating products—they just so happen to be clothes—that speak to people on a deeper, in some ways more romantic level. And doing that has little to do with explaining the clothes. “The moment you communicate that way, you’re done. You’re justifying yourself,” he said recently during my visit to his parking garage-set showroom in Paris.

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

Subscribe below to read the rest of the story and my Q&A with Davide Baroncini.

Read more

Is July too late to declare there to be, as far as style is concerned, an unofficial Color Of Summer 2026? I say no, and not only because this is my blog and I make the rules here. For starers, I’m writing this today as a kind of a mini protest against the fashion retail sector’s constant season-pushing. It just started to get hot outside, and already my feed is filled with news of sales and fall new arrivals. In reality, I’m nowhere close to ready to start thinking about things like coats and sweaters. Summer is now, so let’s talk about what to wear now!

Subscribe now

But the real reason I’m writing this today is that recently, I’ve been seeing a tidal wave’s worth of a particular color out in the market—both in terms of what’s available to purchase now and what I saw at fashion week will be hitting stores next year. It’s apropos that this color also happens to be the one embraces the sunniest season of the year more literally than any others. I’m talking, of course, about yellow. But not just any yellow. (Don’t worry, I’m not here to espouse the virtues of rocking bold highlighter tones or earthy mustards.) Rather, the particular yellow I can’t seem to stop thinking about—and seeing—is one that, good news for all of us, is in my opinion a lot easier to wear. Everywhere I look, I can’t but help but see the soft, dandelion-ish, cornflower-y hue known by many as butter yellow.

Now, I’m fully aware that wearing yellow can feel daunting to people like me whose wardrobes mostly consist of navy, white, black, and brown. But the more time I’ve spent in the sartorial lab studying butter yellow, the more I’ve come to realize that wearing it isn’t complicated nor something to be afraid of. Actually, if you’re like me, and most of your clothes do exist in a very neutral place, adding a little yellow to a fit is an incredibly easy to way to make it a lot more interesting.

Take, for example, a simple get-up consisting of a white polo, navy chinos, and brown loafers. That’s about as basic as it gets, and it’s something that’ll work anytime, anywhere—but if you switch the white shirt for one in yellow, you will have gone from possessing the confidence of a mere yacht club guest to a bonafide sailboat owner. Similarly, if you throw on a pair of low profile yellow mules with a classic pair of blue jeans and a white tee, you’ll look ready to go Vacation Mode™ on everyone’s ass at a moment’s notice.

However, my personal favorite butter yellow application might be when it’s deployed in more formal-leaning contexts. See, while 95% of wedding guests you’ll see this season will be sporting white or blue button-ups, wearing one in butter yellow makes what might feel like a stuffy, corporate look feel a lot more festive.

Below, I ran down my favorite pieces on the market done-up in this vivid hue—25 in total. There’s shirts, sweaters, shoes, socks, hats, and everything in between.

But I went a step further to help you—and your wardrobe—give a warm hello to butter yellow. You’ll also find 7 outfit ideas I put together that’ll have you looking your sunshine best, from beach days to seaside weddings and beyond. Every fit has one butter yellow item that’ll have you looking so good, onlookers won’t be able to help but be green with envy. Let’s get to it, and enjoy!!!

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

My 25 Favorite Butter Yellow Menswear Items And 7 Ways To Wear It

This post is 100% funded by subscriptions. There are no affiliate links below. I’ve endorsed these products only because I really, genuinely like them. Point is, your subscriptions are both extremely cool and very much appreciated. Thank you!

Read more

It’s hard to believe that it’s July and over half of 2026 is officially over with. It genuinely feels like yesterday that I was freezing my ass off and bundling up in 16 layers each morning to walk my dogs. Time flies when you’re making content, or something, but the arrival of mid-year presents the perfect opportunity to look back at where I’ve been wardrobe wise over the last 6 months.

Subscribe now

I kicked off 2026 with 26 style resolutions, and when it comes to a few of them, for example, acquiring a gold button blazer, or designing my own clothes, I was able to quickly knock them off the list. But another one I had was to acquire less clothes, and, while I wish I could tell you that I’ve achieved wardrobe nirvana and have been nailing it on this minimalist mindset front, that wouldn’t be true. Now, I can in all honestly say every shirt, shoe, and pant has served a purpose in my content in one form or another, but the plain and simple fact of the matter is your boy has copped multiple pairs of Goodyear welted loafers and 10 pairs of deck shoes in service of posts.

However, just bringing a new kind of awareness to my intake has led to a year where I’ve taken vastly fewer Ls than in those prior. One thing I’ve learned over the last few months is how to separate an item as something I appreciate for its design, and something that I will actually look good wearing. The list of things I believe actually suit me gets smaller and smaller as I enter my late 30s, and I mean that in a completely positive way. Today, I don’t really feel like I’m trying a new look as much as I am setting into Outfit Nucleus that makes me feel my best.

It’s no surprise then that as I looked back through my purchases and gifts received since January, there wasn’t a whole lot that stood out as having fallen by the wayside, nor were there a bunch of items I stumbled upon with regret.

Still, I wanted to take this moment as we head into a lovely holiday weekend to recap the 26 items that, thus far, have made the biggest impact on my wardrobe in 2026. Below you’ll find breakdowns of everything form jackets to shirts to shoes, accessories, and beyond. Let’s get to it, and as always, enjoy!!!

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

The 25 Best Clothing Items Of 2026 (So Far)

This post is 100% funded by subscriptions. There are no affiliate links below. I’ve endorsed these products only because I really, genuinely like them. Point is, your subscriptions are both extremely cool and very much appreciated. Thank you!

Read more

I’m writing this as my window unit A/C blows fresh, frigid air directly on me in my New York City apartment, which I say simply to express gratitude for its existence. I spent the last two weeks in Milan and Paris, which experienced record high temperatures and made getting around town—more so in Paris than Milan—one of the most uncomfortable, sweatiest experiences of my life.

Subscribe now

The complaints end there, because life could be a whole lot worse than walking around Paris in June to look at clothes, talk to designers, and hang out with friends. Getting to do this for a living is an unbelievable gift. But I just wanted to set the stage for the challenge each morning in my hotel room to try to put together outfits this week. The truth is, I could have stepped outside each day in my birthday suit and it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. But what this exercise did do was quickly reduced my workable wardrobe to just a handful of items.

I packed close to 40 things for this trip, but entire categories, like sport coats and jeans, just weren’t even physically possible to wear without genuinely risking heat stroke. I consider this entire experienced a big learning lesson in not playing around when it comes to true summer attire. Outfits are cool and all, but there’s nothing that’ll make you wish you were rocking running shorts more than standing inside of a stagnant air showroom trying to hear about a designer’s new collection as sweat beads down parts of your body you forgot existed.

That said, since this technically was fashion week, the challenge everyone who was in town faced was to try to put together fits that were at least somewhat presentable and expressive without being totally drenched by noon. As such, certain, ultra breezy items—some of which I came with, and others I picked up overseas—emerged as the true MVPs of my wardrobe this trip.

Below, you’ll find the 11 items, from shirts to shorts to shoes, that made me feel like I still was getting across some semblance of my personal style, but that could (at least kind of) handle the triple digit temperatures. Let’s get to it, and enjoy!!!

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

The 11 Items I Wore The Most During My Summer 2026 Euro Trip

This post is 100% funded by subscriptions. There are no affiliate links below. I’ve endorsed these products only because I really, genuinely like them. Point is, your subscriptions are both extremely cool and very much appreciated. Thank you!

Read more

This post is in partnership with Ralph Lauren. All opinions are my own. It is FREE to read for all subscribers.

Hello there! This post is coming to you live from a hotel room in Milan, where I arrived earlier in the week to attend the Spring 27 collection of Ralph Lauren (both Purple Label and Polo).

Subscribe now

I’ll keep it real with you: this has been more or less a dream week for someone (read: me) who more or less worships at the altar of Ralph Lauren. To recap: I got flown out to Italy, was styled by the Ralph Lauren team, shot a small campaign with the brand (linked below), and got to see the runway show IRL. My favorite part, however, were the times I got to talk to the design team. Those conversations not only helped contextualize this specific show, but what it means for those at the brand today to carry on the very idea of Ralph Lauren into the future while consistently honoring its past.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Runway shows are fun spectacles. I enjoy seeing a label’s vision in motion set against a beautiful backdrop and curated playlist as much as anyone—not to mention all the mingling with friends before and after the actual event. But at the end of the day, I’m a shopper. I want to see pieces up close and personal to give myself the best sense of their essence, fabric, and value. Luckily, I had the chance prior to the show to see some of the brand’s new, never-before-seen items on hangers (which is to say, I could touch them), and revisit some of the key looks on mannequins the day after the show. (We in the biz call that a “re-see.”)

I came away with a few takeaways from the show and following presentation: for one, Ralph Lauren’s styling is probably the best in the world. They’re able to combine items in ways that if I described them to you via text, they would sound completely non-sensical. What do you mean you want to put 4 different plaids into one single outfit? And yet, when you see the full look hit the runway, or on a mannequin, it not only works, but elevates each item to something that is part of a unified Ralph Lauren vision. Which for the last nearly 60 years, has been one of honoring the classics while introducing them in fresh ways time and time again to a new audience.

To me, being a designer at Ralph Lauren essentially means keeping one’s eyes pointed in multiple directions at once. On one hand, Ralph Lauren has one of the grandest histories of any menswear brand when it comes to making iconic products. And yet, while there were nods to Ralph Lauren’s defunct Rugby line and classic iconography like the Polo Bear in the show, pure navel gazing and re-issueing previous grails wouldn’t really be designing—nor would it be very interesting to consumers after the initial nostalgia hit wore off.

Furthermore, Ralph Lauren has also always stood for an element of historical reproduction, mimicking things like classic jeans, chore coats, suits, shirts, and basically anything cool and vintage. But especially at a brand like Polo, the classics don’t really feel like Ralph until they’re given new context, life, and attitude.

But what makes something truly Ralph Lauren is that a product can’t only be made in terms of what’s hot now. It must also be to some degree future proof. Unlike many brands whose shows will hit the runway this week in Milan and Paris, Ralph has never trafficked in collections that rapidly change course season after season. It also has never seemed interested in envisioning what clothes might look like 30 years into some kind of luxury future.

Instead, Ralph Lauren is tasked with carving out evolutions to an already rich text, like adding new pages to one of the greatest American stories ever told. By doing that, the brand, at least in my view, aims to make pieces that feel desirable to customers today, but which might not be fully appreciated, even if only by virtue of being worn hundreds of times, for decades. Or, as Senior Brand Creative Director of Men’s Polo, RLX, Purple Label and Children’s Polo John Wrazej himself put it to me: “What can you do with existing fabrics and existing silhouettes that has never been done before?”

In that regard, I think Ralph Lauren did an incredible job of threading the needle, finding that balance, and ultimately putting forth a collection that feels quintessentially, and most crucially, “Very Ralph.”

And honestly, the more I sit with the individual pieces, the more I genuinely think that within Ralph Lauren Spring 2027 are items I’m tempted to deem “future grails.” Now, my guess is as good as any of what those items might be, because it’s hard if not impossible to predict the specific combinations of cultural ingredients that often elevate a specific item to iconic status. But between the bold colors, pattern work, and details of some of the garments in the new collection, I can’t help but think of at least a few of the things I highlighted below will one day be considered Ralph Lauren classics.

Below, I ran down the list of my 12 favorite Ralph Lauren Spring 27 items I saw, which span both Purple Label and Polo. Enjoy!

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

Skull & Crossbones Fireman’s Jacket

One of the biggest nods Ralph Lauren made to its defunct Rugby line (which for the record, is not re-launching) was the inclusion of the skull & crossbones motif that was common in the defunct subrand’s collections. But rather than render it as an all over print motif (they did do that on some chinos, btw), here it’s sort of placed in the location that it would be on a, well, rugby shirt. The rugby shirt vibes also carries over into the very idea of a wide-stripe design.

Fireman’s clasp or lobster clasp, whatever you wanna call ‘em, jackets had a big menswear moment in the last couple of years, but Ralph has always done them well long before it was trendy. That means even when they fall out of trend with other brands, you know you can always rely on RL to produce one that’s desirable

Indian Madras Print Taped Seam Jacket

There was lots of Indian madras in the collection, hinting at the sort of classic prep attitude that Polo has consistently referenced since its inception. But my favorite expression of it was this jacket that isn’t technically madras at all—rather, it’s a printed, taped seam (I’m hoping waterproof) shell jacket that just looks like madras. This is a piece that I can see flying off the shelves and being all over Instagram when it drops next spring, and is the jacket I most want from the entire collection.

Purple Label x Sashiko Gals Tuxedo Jacket

Over at Purple Label, elegance achieved through whimsical tailoring was the main course on the menu. This showed up in funky combos like tuxedo jackets paired with cargos, and turquoise-adorned metal cuffs added as finishing touches.

But from those looks, my favorite piece was this woven sashiko double-breasted tuxedo jacket. Not only does it look unexpectedly cool, but was actually hand-crafted as part of a limited-edition capsule collection that will be launching next year with the Sashiko Gals, which is a generational group of female artisans based in Otsuchi, Japan that specializes in the traditional sashiko stitching technique. Sashiko translates to “little stabs,” and has been used in Japan since the Edo period as a decorative form of garment mending. (I once had a pair of vintage Levi’s 501s that were literally on their last legs repaired with sashiko stitching.)

In the context of a tuxedo jacket though, it just once again shows the ways Ralph Lauren always finds a way to make evening wear feel fresh. Ultimately, the hand-crafted decoration makes for what is a show-stopping dinner jacket that will instantly make its wearer the talk of even the most sophisticated occasion

Purple Label Washed Silk Souvenir Jacket

Souvenir jackets, which originated when American servicemen were stationed in post-war Japan in the 1940s, are another menswear classic that Ralph Lauren has turned to numerous times over the last nearly six decades.

Usually they show up at RRL and Polo, but this one from Purple Label takes the elegance to a new level. Rendered in a beautiful washed indigo silk, it has the look of a family heirloom right off the rack.

In expected Purple Label fashion this jacket was pulling double duty as a dinner jacket, styled with proper trousers, a waistcoat, pleated shirt and bow-tie. But it’s inherently a casual item that, given the faded out indigo hue, would look incredible with white jeans, a T-shirt and loafers.

Polo Sport Sunglasses

Earlier this year, Polo released a pair of round-framed, sporty sunglasses in a host of colors: black, red, yellow, blue, and tortoise. If you’ve walked around NYC in recent weeks you can probably back me up when I say they’ve been a massive hit, especially in red and yellow. They’re fun, look good on most faces (which is to say, I can actually wear them), and are affordable at like $140. So I was stoked to see Polo doubling down on their activewear eyewear with a new pair that’ll come out next spring.

These near frameless wraparounds imbue any fit with a sense of dressed-down cool factor, and if I had to guess, I’d say the yellow pair will once again be the one that flies off shelves the fastest.

Poplin Rugby Shirt

One of the big themes of Polo was, as Wrazej alluded to, finding new ways to interpret existing styles through interesting constructions and fabrics. This was seen in no clearer category than button-up shirts, some of which featured ornate built-in bows, or my personal favorite, the above, which is sort of combination of a dress shirt and a rugby. By utilizing multiple different classic dress shirt fabrics into a signature rugby shirt configuration, it feels quintessentially Ralph Lauren. Again, taking things we know and love, but putting them in new contexts to give them new life. I love this shirt.

Indigo Patchwork Deck Shoes

Ralph Lauren makes one of the best deck shoes on the market, though they didn’t make my recent round-up for the simple (confusing) fact that they don’t offer them in white. I’d still cop a white pair, but given that I’m pretty set on that front, I’d probably instead opt for this incredible pair in a boro-like patchwork indigo style. Again, I don’t have a crystal ball, but my guess is these are gonna move like hotcakes, as are the below patchwork indigo chinos that I just have to shout out because they’re basically the updated version of the patchwork chinos I have from SS26. I get tons of compliments every time I wear those pants, and I imagine the same will be true of the indigo version.

Water Mill Rigid Denim Relaxed Fit Denim Jacket

When I think of elite tier denim and Ralph Lauren, my mind usually thinks of RRL, which to this day is making some of the most incredibly washed selvedge jeans on the market. But shout out to the folks at Polo, because this is genuinely one of the most beautiful washes I’ve ever seen on a type 1. The contrast, the tones, just everything about it feels authentically vintage. Obviously I couldn’t determine the fit of it because it was on a mannequin and I would have been tackled by someone on the RL team if I tried to take it off, but if it nails that boxy vintage fit, and retails for less than $500, we could be staring down the barrel at a serious “must cop” situation.

Indian Madras Harrington Jacket

Here’s another Indian madras jacket, but this time, it’s actual cotton! Ralph always makes great Harrington jackets, and this one is another example of just elevating it something special via a fun fabric and, int his specific case, some extremely high wire act styling.

Patchwork Sweater

This has future grail written all over it. The motifs, the patchwork, the sheer fun of this, and the fact that if you wear it everyone will be looking at you, all add up to a product that I can see being coveted by Ralph Lauren devotees for years to come. It’s the kind of sweater that gets better the more you study it, and will be the kind of the piece you either hand down or sell for $3,500 in twenty years.

Purple Label x Kuon Hakama Pants

These pants are another great example of how Ralph Lauren and KUON came together on some really special items that synthesize the former’s refinement with the latter’s textile expertise. Made from a beautiful denim fabric, these pants, which are a version of KUON’s Hakama denim pants, feel incredibly luxurious thanks to the lovely taper of the leg. While KUON typically styles these trousers in a casual way, putting them in the context of Purple Label is a beautiful melding of worlds that feels both international and Old Hollywood all at once.

Ralph Charm Bracelet

I’m not a huge charm bracelet guy typically, but I really like the idea of a Ralph Lauren charm bracelet the commemorates the man himself. Featuring icons and heirlooms from his own life, it’s a pretty fun way to add some style to a fit, especially if you’re not a cuff or watch guy.