THEORIES OF DRESS: HIGHER EXPECTATIONS
Here are some more advanced sartorial thoughts, more theoretical, even more demanding. I think you can handle it.
Read MoreGOODBYE TO ALL THAT
This year has been so many things, it’s exhausting to reconsider them all. It’s been so specific and strange and tragic that I imagine it will seem even more removed when we finally emerge from it.
Read MoreTHE OPTIMIST: COVER PREVIEW
Hey now! I’m so happy to share the cover of The Optimist with you. You’re the first to see it and I hope you like it as much as I do. It’s designed by the great John Gall (who’s worked on my other books, as well as basically being a legend). It’s from a Charles Ritz photo I’ve always been obsessed with.
Read MoreThe 21 Club is History
A few bars and restaurants—because they’re so singular or have been around for so long—enter the popular imagination. The 21 Club, which was both, announced that it will not open its doors after the pandemic. 21 was connected to the history of New York and to the people who made this city great.
Read MoreRITUALS IN THE STRANGEST YEAR
It’s an unfamiliar season in the most disjointed year. I wrote about holiday traditions for my friends over at Huckberry. You can read it here. I always look forward to listening to my beloved A Child’s Christmas in Wales, read by the author, Dylan Thomas. I also appreciate traditions that involve eccentric recipes, velvet jackets and old bottles of Armagnac.
Read MoreTHE READING ROOM
Books by friends, family and myself. Call it a self-interested gift guide.
Read MoreRandy Goldberg and the Pop Up Flea
On the the Central Division podcast our guest is the great Randy Goldberg, who’s here to talk about the history of the Pop Up Flea.
Read MoreTHE BELGIAN DIARIES: BAUDOIN & LANGE
Baudoin & Lange is one of my favorite companies. I think I first read about them years ago on Permanent Style, I’m not sure. It’s all a bit foggy at this point, that’s because I can’t remember a time they didn't exist.
Read MoreLIGHT FOOTPRINT: PACKING THEORIES
I’m starting to imagine travel again—the possibility of going somewhere is keeping me going. I’m sure everybody has a vision of a beloved, far-off place, that has probably never felt more beloved or more far-off. On a more practical level, let’s consider my ongoing obsession with packing lightly.
Read MoreThe Masters: November Edition
It’s the tradition unlike any other. And with the Masters in November instead of April it really is unlike any other. I’ve ordered my Riesling (a warm streak in New York is bringing that Spring feeling).
Read MoreBOOKS DO FURNISH A ROOM
Quarantine is a good time to read. It’s not, alas, a good time for bookstores.
Read MoreTHE BELGIAN DIARIES: ARTHUR SLEEP
I’ve been writing The Belgian Diaries for a while. . Belgian Shoes have certainly a very specific aesthetic. They tend to divide men into rabid obsessives or concerned skeptics. It took me a while to catch up with them. I saw my friends wear Belgians different ways.
Read MoreRETURN OF THE WARDROBE
I’m back in Manhattan after a long time away. And it’s nice to put on a tie again, even if it’s not exactly necessary. Maybe that’s why it feels good. I even wore a suit. I’m really excited to dress up and hope others are too, so I wrote about the return of the wardrobe over on the newsletter.
Read MoreRULES AND REGULATIONS
I wrote about my style rules for my friends at Artful Living magazine. It’s always nice to offer commandments. You can read it here and see their (very welcome) youthful illustration of me. Then I wrote a story over on the Newsletter about developing a more individual sensibility. You can read that here. There’s also a new Central Division podcast where Michael and I discuss deadlines, productivity and office mode.
Read MoreTHE NEWS IN THE NEWS
What’s the latest over on The Contender Newsletter? There’s a story on my ideal suit to lay down in. There’s a dispatch from the Maine North Woods. There’s the latest Q&A, which ranges from belt theories to Swedish cars to the Cure to storage tactics to what to do with an old J. Press suit. There’s also the latest Central Division podcast with Michael Williams, where we discuss our love of the state of Maine, theories of time and the legend of the Blue Goose.
Read MoreCENTRAL DIVISION: SARTORIAL ISSUES
Do you think too much about style? Good, you’re in the right place. For this week’s podcast, Michael Williams and I went all the way in and talked about men’s clothing—prep, chinos, Japanese genius, bad phases and why I wore a tie to a ranch in Idaho. So head over to The Contender to listen to that. There are also recent stories about road trip rules and answers to more of your questions.
Read MoreFISHING SKETCHES: FALL ANGLING IDEAS
I’ve got a new piece over on Huckberry about the joys of fly fishing. It deals with how to get into the sport, something I’ll be writing about in more detail next May when the trout season begins and my book comes out. But September and October is a very good time to get out on the water and try something new. So over on the newsletter I’ve got some ideas that might get you on the water.
Read MoreDON'T BE SHY: IT'S CENTRAL DIVISION
Hey now! Welcome to Central Division, a weekly conversation with my dear friend Michael Williams. It’s recorded, it’s digital, it’s what is known in the wild as a podcast. Though out of modesty I prefer to call it a conversation. We discuss things that matter to us: travel, design, men’s style and bad beer. With detours into fly fishing, golf, Japan, cars, marketing and other obscure interests.
Read MoreALL HAIL THE ROAD TRIP
I’m very excited to be the guest editor over at Huckberry. It’s the first time anybody’s held that position there—we schemed it up together— and I’ll be writing stories, making product picks and collaborating with them down the line. My first piece is a personal history of my love of road trips and slightly (or very) obsessive approach to packing. It also deals with my beloved Saab that made it from Maine to Montana to Marfa, before I had to say goodby and I traded it for a fishing rod.
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