Welcome back.

I’m putting the point on this as we fly somewhere over the Dakotas. I went dark for a few days, spending the weekend in and out of cell service in the Canadian Rockies. Thanks for the patience.

Since it’s crazy to not talk about it, I threw in a small section below for anyone interested. As such, it’s another XL edition this week. Happy to hear if that’s welcomed or dreaded.

Enjoy and looking forward to hearing from you.

THE KHAKI. We didn’t invent it like we did five-pocket blue jean, though as with most things, we may as well have.

It sits atop the mantle of greats alongside familiars like the crewneck T-shirt and Oxford shirt. Like them, it has both an origin story and a version for everyone—from downright landfill fodder to the because-we-could stuff, laughably detached from the pant’s humble beginnings.

Today:

• Why chinos matter and my favorite version

• Who should wear them

• What to buy

• Notes from Banff

FROM THE WEEK

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Free post.

Born of personal curiosity more than anything, I felt compelled to dig into this side project—in between the usual newsletters.

THIS B. DRADDY JACKET IS OVER $300. It’s not insulated, and it’s the cheapest “outerwear” they have. Which got me curious about the new center of gravity in men’s outerwear—at least in the mid-market.

For years there was an unspoken threshold at $200, where brands priced lighter-weight, simpler, and opening-price-point jackets. That 1-handle just sings when you’re negotiating with yourself.

But good things can’t last forever (unless you’re Costco).

By my approximation, that waterline has risen to around $225–250.

I covered a range of price tags in Part 1 of my Fall Shopping Guide, but once September/October rolls around, I will circle back and do a more complete round up—either in Part 2 or on its own.

Buck Mason, for example, barely gets you in the door for $250. At Todd Snyder, you’re looking at $328—and the word “jacket” there is generous. Even Banana Republic caught the magnum bottles bug!

So what’s left for a man who still craves that beautiful 1-handle?

Let’s dive in.

The Iconic Barn Jacket ↴

Pleated Trucker Jacket, Styled Like Vintage ↴

The Barn Jacket With Muscles ↴

The Jacket I Bring Everywhere (Because It Punches Above Its Weight) ↴

Or its richer sibling.

Double-Duty Fleece ↴

Pockets Galore ↴

The Icon ↴

Dry Wax Trucker ↴

Jungle Jacket ↴

Streamlined Deck Jacket ↴

Shop the remaining 40 picks here (just easier than pasting them all).

Glad you’re here. I appreciate it.

If you have any thoughts or questions, please shoot me a reply, an email, a DM. I love hearing what people are thinking and shooting the shit—it’s the reason I do this.

In the meantime: X/Twitter and Instagram.

See you soon,

Understandably, a common question I hear is: “What should I shop this season?”

And along those same lines, I’m always asking myself: “If I had to fill an imaginary storefront—and do it today, with no limits—what items would I select from across the internet?”

Over the course of this past week, I set out to answer both of those questions.

The result is a comprehensive guide that pulls from all corners of menswear—from sub-$10 socks to spendy Loro Piana Storm System outerwear to a few vintage items that might spark a fruitful hunt.

Is the list perfect and complete? Likely not.

The pros spend months building, rolling up, soul-searching, and tweaking their seasonal assortments before they actually click “submit order” on what the consumer won’t see for another 12 months.

Plus, we’re only into August, which means many of the more forward brands have yet to release their FW26 collections. And what is out now still doesn’t account for what’s coming in September and October.

The retail calendar Fall season runs from August through October—also our Q3.

Those months will include more cold-weather items like flannels, sweaters, knitted layering, and outerwear.

So with that said, this is a good start for those living in the here-and-now. As we call it in the industry: ”buy now, wear now.”

Key Themes

In no particular order

1. Rugby Shirts: Regular and sweater knits

2. Checkered/Plaid Woven Shirts

3. Collared Jackets (eg. Blouson, Harrington)

4. Statement Belts: People are tucking in their shirts

5. Straight-leg and/or Relaxed Fit Pants: Pants Have Gotten Wider

6. Textured Knits: Both sweaters and tees are being done in stitches that introduce texture and/or heft in lieu of smooth, flimsy fabrics.

7. Workwear and Americana Remakes: The vintage boom is influencing how and what new items are being made.

Overall, the vibe of the market is getting back to making real, good, clothing again—even if it’s slow-moving at certain brands.

For a while, many legacy brands betrayed their heritage to chase distractions like the Fast-Fashion Threat™, which proved short-lived. Others got dragged off course by ankle-biting founder-led DTC brands that, with a handful of exceptions, largely panned out to be zeroes.

Fall Shopping Guide: August

Left | Middle | Right

Left | Middle | Right

Left | Middle | Right

Left | Middle | Right

Left | Middle | Right

Left | Middle | Right

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Editor’s Note: Every week I say this newsletter is bigger than the last. That is again the case. I included a shortlist if you’re just looking for a quick skim.

“Yes, sir, we can absolutely help. I’m gonna have you check in with the gentleman over at the front and we’ll have someone over when available.”

This is about my least favorite thing to hear—that I have to backtrack my steps to “check-in” (fork over my personal information) with the iPad man before I’m granted the privilege of speaking to a sales associate… “when available.”

Sorry, is this the Audemars Piguet House I just stumbled into? I thought this was a SuitSupply.

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Whoops, sorry. Misfired the first publish.

Editor’s Note: Today’s newsletter is 100% FREE.

Yes, it’s much more abbreviated than the usual weekly (I have one of those coming too), which I pack chock-full of industry news, analysis, and recommendations. But if you’ve been wondering what goes on here, here’s your taste.

It’s August—which in retail world means two themes: Back-to-school and Denim.

I’ll spare you the former, but I am supportive of the merits of a denim refresh as Fall transitional weather approaches. It’s too soon to be springing for corduroys and plush seasonal pants, but the perfect pair of jeans can bring wear-now impact to your lineup—like a good trade deadline acquisition.

But first, some framing.

I wrote something similar about linen shirts in Summer, so if you saw that, you’ll be familiar with my philosophy: Everyone has different expectations, budget, lifestyle, etc. So it’s hard to make an absolute ruling that “one single pair is best—period.”

My advice? Focus more on your expectations, i.e. are they: spending as little as possible? Maxing out marginal utility? MiUSAmaxxing? 100% cotton?

Nuthuggers? We won’t have any of those here.

More From My Desk

In one more scroll you’ll see my picks broken into three tiers. Yes, they are headlined by price, but that is not the only thing that defines them.

All of that explained below:

Good Enough: $100-150

Here you’ll find solid, no-frills jeans. If you keep the wash simple and the fit classic, they will do you just fine. And that’s about it.

If you’re a student or a guy who doesn’t care, this is about where the marginal utility / item cost formula maxes out.

Economy $40 pair | Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3

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A Taste For More: $150-250

Here you introduce things like selvedge, intricate wash, and “specialty” fabric—e.g. woven in Japan—but still cut and sewn somewhere with less of a sashimi culture.

Fancy-normal. Not a bone-chilling price or demanding of much research or commitment. Just enough zest to put some pep in your step, knowing your jeans are superior to those of the chuds who walk among you.

Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 | Artisanal Wash

Moses: $250+

Here you are paying a premium for both country of origin (assembly location) and fabric origin—Japan and US generally being most expensive. Sometimes Italy.

On top of that, add things like hand processing, intricate wash treatments, natural indigo¹ and artisanal-quality fabrics from dead stock or produced on old, narrow looms.

Decidedly the get-it-or-you-don’t tier. Also the zone where options become endless—so don’t please be surprised if you know of something I didn’t list.

It’s unnecessary, strictly speaking—but that’s not why we do this, right?

¹ Did you know: Most “indigo” isn’t actually the original indigo. Today major denim brands use synthetic indigo dye. The real thing—derived from the Indigofera plant—is found up market in smaller productions

Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 | Option 4

Number 2 is my favorite denim brand pound-for-pound.

Nice and punchy for you. As I said: By no means exhaustive at the top end—this is where things become incredibly subjective. But I have personal experience with every pair I mentioned and stand by their relative merits absolutely.

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If denim interests you, let me know if you’d like a true deep dive into the category with a product veteran who’s been making jeans for decades.

This is the type of thing I want to add into the mix.

Glad you’re here. I appreciate it.

The bigger this gets, the more excuse we’ll have to do some interesting things.

If you have any thoughts or questions, please shoot me a reply, an email, a DM. I love hearing what people are thinking and shooting the shit—it’s the reason I do this.

In the meantime, check out: X/Twitter and Instagram.

See you soon,

RF

Editor’s Note: It’s been a crazy week at Casa Kenmore so I am sending a day or two later than I hoped. To make up, this is an XL edition. Thanks for hanging with me and look out for the next very soon (hint inside).

Hello and welcome back—

There’s been a lot made about baggy pants over the past couple of years. So much so, in fact, that I start to wonder if the people (and even the experts) have lost their bearings. Over just the past year I’ve seen it all—from Baggy this to Skinny is back, to actually it’s neither. Wait—no, it’s actually capris?

Luckily, no amount of flip-flopping and clickbait from big media could drive me off the enlightened path.

But first…

✧ Qu*nce just eclipsed $2B. ALD is bringing Queens to the world, Vuori is bringing California to the world—Quince is bringing Canal Street to the world. Some are calling it yassified Shein.

✧ Gap just (re)launched fragrance. Something they used to offer, abandoned, and are now doing again. This time with more conviction, I’d add, with Victoria Pedretti fronting the campaign and a full IG grid takeover.

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Hello and welcome back.

Harrison Ford turned 84 this month, which got me thinking about how hot of a subject he’s become for inspo boards and style listicles. If I’m being honest, it got to the point this past year where I started rethinking my own feelings about him.

But first…

We went to Blue Hill At Stone Barns in Tarrytown for the ‘Cafeteria’ dinner. It was okay. Perhaps I’m not enough of a feinschmecker for such pursuits. Though I appreciate attentive service, there is a fine line before it starts to feel like I’m being watched.

GQ highlighted a few color trends they’re seeing. Among them: earthy neutrals with a pop of color and “offbeat” accents such as berry/spiced reds. Go figure.

We got some rugs. Deeply questioned and always regretted—I’ve owned so many rugs over the years and hated all of them. The ones I really want cost thousands of dollars, but even they would eventually meet the same fate as the cheapest alternatives. Golden retriever.

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Hello and welcome back.

I have an utterly delectable sugar hit of a list for you today.

But first…

I’ve covered Vuori quite a bit over the past year—some of it not favorable, most of it kind of neutral. But the fashion bros hate that I utter the name at all.

God forbid we acknowledge the $5 Billion brand that men in your life are wearing (and often raving about).

Maybe it’s my commercial background, but if you ask me, it’s a bit unserious to plug your ears and go “la la la” because you must never miss a chance to perform your divine and industry-approved taste™.

Am I demanding a CFDA award or GQ cover for the brand? No.

Though maybe the latter would be a groundbreaking acknowledgement of the common American man.

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Hello and welcome to the official halfway mark on Summer 2026. A decidedly half-full halfway.

Things I’m optimistic about:

1. The Red Sox have now won 12 in a row and finally over .500. This may warrant a September visit to Fenway—a religious experience.

2. NYC temps are back to 60s and 70s overnight. I can almost smell the Patagonia fleece weather.

3. Fall collections should begin trickling out any day now. August typically marks the season’s first real “flow” of new product.

4. I snagged this sport coat from Todd Snyder for $400 after thinking I was surely in for four figures. Now I am—again—contemplating wearing sport coats in the city. Or I may just go back and forth until I die.

Crossed my desk:

• 85% of players for England wore pink cleats¹ in the World Cup. But they still have nothing on the color appetite in youth baseball 😭.

• The upside-down hat thing started as commentary on the world “being upside-down.” Never knew this.

• Quiet clothes, loud body. Zuckerberg is still trying to earn his fashion mantle while his peers are trying to look ‘less rich’, but more jacked.

• People are visiting the Park Avenue Armory to hang with floating bowls.

• Shorts are red hot (not a surprise if you’re subscribed here) and Lyst claims that Jorts are showing the biggest comps YoY.

¹ No, I’m still not calling them boots.

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Hello, and welcome back.

Not to be the “can you believe the weather?” guy, but holy shit.

Let me just check today’s scorecard:

1. Explosive diarrhea outbreak

2. Airborne Legionnaires’ disease

3. Near-100° temperatures

4. An Air Quality Advisory

All in one day.

That aside, I want to show you one of the simplest tricks I know for making a normal outfit look noticeably better.

It’s something we use in the industry when building showroom presentations for executives or external partners and assembling seasonal “key looks” each quarter.

Once you see it, you’ll start noticing it everywhere—from influencer fits to luxury campaigns to blissfully unaware people on the street.

More from my desk

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Originally published on X in February 2026, updated today.

Good afternoon. I write this as I bask in the shell shock of today’s thermometer, which reads 93° in New York.

The one silver lining is utter validation for our decision to buy not one, but two dual-inverter window AC units back in May. They’re expensive and handle like cast iron safes, but after years of living with conventional units, I am a changed man.

If you’re craving more of a central-air experience (to the extent possible) in your pre-war rental, I definitely recommend it.

This essay(?) is something I wrote a while back to a much smaller audience—and is a bit different than my usual—but I thought it might be interesting to recirculate for anyone who missed it.

The birds were chirping on this, and it’s a topic close to home.

Basic store employees make like $18–22/hr.

With five hours of overtime per week… that’s ~$50K/year.¹

I did this for years. Throughout which I saw all types come and go for different reasons.

Sometimes it was stealing, substance issues, or poor conduct like tardiness, poor brand stewardship, etc.

Most of the time it was money / it was only ever temporary for them (see: money).

Sometimes people got to a certain age and realized they needed to support a family or wanted “more” — i.e. a corporate career, freelance work, entrepreneurship.

I just spoke with a manager today who said he had to leave ALD because of the money: “I’m getting old, man. I gotta have a path up so I can provide. That’s for kids there.” He’s now working his way up at a small brand with institutional money in hand.

After my store days, I saw many colleagues end up all over the place.

One became a cop. A couple started businesses. One went back to school. One became a graphic designer. A few ended up in corporate roles.

Some brands famously recruit from store teams. Nordstrom is one. Ralph Lauren personally is credited for this. Carolyn Bessette Kennedy was apparently plucked by Calvin Klein’s PR team from one of their stores.

I took the corporate door.

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But there are some who happily work retail for decades, even rejecting the duties of management because it would be unwanted responsibility. They cash their biweekly check, run it to zero, and start again the next week, happy with life because they don’t feel they need more than they have.

A friend of mine is in his 60s and just retired from a 30-something-year retail career after his mother and his partner passed away.

He had worked in stores for nearly 40 years — Paragon in the ‘90s. Shabby Chic in the ‘00s. ABC Home. And various other clothing stores. He never left the store floor. And wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Tangential: According to his legend, he sold cocaine in the ‘90s because he needed to supplement his store pay.

After he felt that became too dangerous, he organized a racket at the store he was at, where he and his colleagues funneled merchandise out of the store to flip on the street.

All to say: nobody works retail to get rich. And the people who last are usually those who don’t measure their lives that way. They cash their checks, go home, and wake up content to do it again.

For me, there was no chance of reconciling the $800 paychecks with my aspirations to own a home, raise kids, or enjoy finer things in life, etc.

But it was one of the best jobs I ever had.

And I would recommend it to almost anyone—not because it’s where everyone should end up, but because it’s a great place to begin.

¹ AcKChUalLy— Yeah, I know. There are some niche, commission-based jobs in luxury retail where sales associates make six figure incomes with their client books. This is not what we are talking about.

Good to have you here. I appreciate you being part of this. The bigger it gets, the more excuse we’ll have to do some interesting things.

If you have any thoughts or questions, please shoot me a reply, an email, a DM. I love hearing what people are thinking and shooting the shit—it’s the reason I do this.

In the meantime, check out: X/Twitter and Instagram.

See you soon.

Hello and welcome back to another weekend.

Today: Moving beyond the classic flat front. Where the natural next step is plus what the end game looks like (in the practical world). Some history behind my favorite silhouette. And tons of links to prime the pump.

Start here

I just saw a reminder that we’re not even halfway through summer yet, though it always gets me after Fourth of July.

Turns out if you’re counting summer the way of civilized society—Memorial Day to Labor Day—halfway isn’t until July 16. So we’re really only at about Tuesday night of summer. Another win for Big Linen.

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The other thing I was thinking as I sat at a cacophonous¹ kitchen table this morning was how badly men need quiet, precisely proportioned retreats on the edges of their properties.

Is anyone else thinking about this?

I’m told I can’t bear the city, but this is superficial commentary. Leaving the city is only the first step toward unlocking the ultimate remove: escaping the escape.

John Steinbeck solved this many years ago with an elegant piece of infrastructure: a one-person writing house at the edge of his East End cottage, 100 miles east of the city. Now, we’re talking.

¹ Have been waiting to use this word. Think unloading the dishwasher with the delicate touch of a municipal road crew, Dalio narrating the Changing World Order from my banker brother-in-law’s phone speaker, and toddlers shrilling in vocal pitches you thought unachievable.

This week:

• J.Crew named a brand president from Dyson/Estee Lauder

• Babenzien's replacement is redesigning Men's Spring 2027 and driving the team mad

• My dad texted me that WSJ told him powerful men are wearing tight suits

  • I replied: “Please, no.”

  • He responded: “But they’re tightmaxxing.”

In the first part of this category exploration, we covered a tastefully brief history of trend along with an exhaustive dive into the classic chino short, spanning fabric, fit, construction details, and direct recommendations.

No stone was left unturned.

But, ironically, that’s not where the excitement in men’s shorts is these days.

For this next—and yes, final—installment, I wanted to first lay out where I see the energy and second, offer the one thing you can do if you’re looking to move beyond the standard flat-front chino short (sans LARP).

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Free and easy for all today.

Like an iPad Kid during dinnertime, I needed something to do while I drank my coffee this morning. That’s right: What people avoid at all costs, or outsource to mothers and wives, I do for fun.

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Cable Knit Sweater

Washed Pique Polo

Lobster Swim Trunks

Washed Chino in Broken-in Straight

Heavy Stitch ¼ Zip Sweater

W&B Cotton Hemp Workshirt

“Four Inches Is Plenty” Jammers

Japanese Selvedge Denim in J.Crew’s Best Pant Fit

Thomas Mason Poplin Shirt (XL only)

Assorted Poplin Shirts

Striped Rugby

Flannel Workshirt

Cotton-Linen Sportcoat in Moon Cloth (44R, 46R only)

Cashmere in Rib Stitch

Cashmere Waffle Hoodie: Not a crazy deal, but good if you were eyeing already

Overdyed Oxford Shirt

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Good to have you here.

Stick around for my most practical writing and research. Or find me on X/Twitter and Instagram for everything else.

Hello and happy Independence Day Weekend. Hope everyone got to see family, fire the grill, crush domestics, find a body of water, or all of the above. We were in the Hamptons, where I ran into Tumblr royalty, KJP and lost power in the midst of a rare heatwave. Timely.

Later this week I’m dropping Part II of Shorts, the final chapter. In the meantime, here is a quick hit from my research this weekend.

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In a recent email, Todd Snyder announced that they are pulling back on both discounts and assortment breadth. Naturally, these two go hand-in-hand, because as your seasonal item count grows, it becomes harder to sell everything at full price. And if it’s not selling at full price, the only thing left to do is mark it down, so you can get cash back out for future orders. Not good for the business, but great for the discerning customer.

If you follow my tweets, you'll know I disagree with the brand's broader direction. Not because everything is bad, but because there's too much fluff obscuring the good stuff. The fringes of the assortment have started to define the brand more than the core. This is not how Todd established the brand in its early days.

With 600 items on sale, you’re getting lots of odds and ends. In the spirit of cutting through the fluff, here are the 15 that stand out to me:

Cotton Silk Sweater

Linen Herringbone Sportcoat

Pique Shirt

Striped Oxford

Marled Sweater

Northampton Tassel Loafer (Black Calf)

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I’ve found myself thinking a lot about shorts lately. Sure, it’s the season for them, but there’s more at play here. After years of dressing for comfort above all else, we’re finally entering a post-Covid phase where personal style matters again.

That shift has coincided with Y2K’s resurgence, bringing back long, baggy, pleats, thrifted, cargo, fatigue, and yes—jorts.

Not to mention the larger shorts question that looms: should men even be allowed to wear them?

There’s a lot to talk about so I broke this out into two parts:

• Part 1 (here) will have the entire category overview, plus a deep dive on the classic chino short, packed with over 20 links — the big one.

• Part 2 will spare you the preamble and dive right into every other short worth looking into

Let’s dive in.

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How We Got Here

The arc of 21st-century shorts history bends something like this:

2000s: Baggy cargos. Mall-brand everything.

2010s: Neo-prep, flat-front chinos, and fast-fashion bastardizations. Meanwhile, hybrid and athleisure shorts set their hooks.

2020-ish: Slutty shorts. The 5-inch inseam on TikTok. Gorp. Cheaters¹.

Today: A bit of everything. The market is relaxing back out, with some farther-flung examples blurring the line between pants and shorts.

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Your boys are right. Linen is a pillar in the summer wardrobe. And it’s approaching peak froth right now as it’s seemingly more everywhere than ever before. At least this means ample choice.

As for choosing, there is no silver bullet, but options to match your expectations.

When I research for work, I tend to think in tiers, which is how I broke this out.

Before all that, a few details are worth considering. They can help you figure out where your preferences land and what feels worth paying for.

Collar

• Button-down or no button?

• Cutaway British-style collar or true point collar?

• Soft and casual or more structured?

I feel button-down is generally the default for most guys, though point collars are having a moment. And anything far spread or cut away is more contemporary or European inflected.

Pick your poison.

Fabric

For country of origin, the ladder is generally this:

Unlisted (Factory-sourced in Asia) → Europe → Name-brand mills (e.g. Baird McNutt, Thomas Mason, Solbiati)

Garment Dyed is a term you might see. It means the shirt is dyed after it’s fully sewn, rather than dyeing the fabric as a whole roll before it’s cut and assembled.

That’s what creates the washed, lived-in color variation, frosty seams, and broken-in feel right off the rack. The tradeoff is that it almost always reads more casual. As a rule of thumb, most shirts on the market are not garment dyed.

Trims & Details

• Mother-of-pearl or corozo buttons

• Hand sewing

• More intricate collar construction

• Floating liners/interlinings

Most of these add cost. If any of them sound frivolous to you, it should be pretty easy to figure out where you stand through a process of elimination.

And with that, you may find your level below…

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Level 1: Starting Out or Don’t Care

<$100

“Belongings are BS, I just graduated college, I couldn’t tell you what washing machine setting, etc.”

Made in Asia, factory-sourced fabric, plastic buttons, scaled efficiency pricing
Less stitch density, less pattern breadth (solids are cheaper to make) — though A&F does a decent job covering the bases here at Option 3.

Q**nce / BR / A&F

Level 2: Value Frontier

$100-199
“I am an adult, I don’t want cheap, but I’m not splurging”

This is where I direct most guys unless they have a specific reason otherwise.

Suit Supply / J.Crew / Todd Snyder / Faherty / J.McLaughlin

Level 3: Want Just A Little More Than Necessary

$200-299
“I need distinguished features and a reason why, even if returns diminish”

Here you layer on distinguishing details like genuine mother of pearl or corozo nut buttons, elevated construction such as single-piece collar, Made in Italy end-to-end.

Luca Faloni (Banker buddy favorite) / N.Peal / James Perse / Eton / Peter Millar

Level 4: Moses

$300+
“I want to? That’s not why I do it. I do it because I fuckin’ need to”

Admittedly, I am no Moses, so this is where my personal experience breaks down and I lean on broader experience with the brand or bits I have heard from others in the industry.

Here is where genuine hand sewing expensive labor, and/or especially intricate construction — and yes, probably a little brand tax — come into play.

Drake’s / Sid Mashburn Handmade / 100 Hands / Orlebar Brown / Zegna

Not to mention, there are a whole lot of bespoke/custom options in this price realm that allow you to achieve just about anything.

And that should cover anyone willing to read this. Though it’s only the tip of the iceberg. Aside from the obvious in linen bottoms, you have non-standard silhouettes like work shirts, popovers, etc. You also have blends using cotton, silk, and processed fibers like lyocell.

Let me know if any of that sounds enticing.

RF

Good to have you here.

Stick around for my most practical writing and research. Or find me on X/Twitter and Instagram for everything else.