Just want to say thanks for making the podcast! My life has been a bit chaotic and rocky lately, and I can't stress enough how much of a joy it is to listen to you and Michael chat each week. It gives me an escape and a chance to think about some of the fun things in life. Much appreciated - and here's to hopefully another two years!
Ha! Thanks Brad. I generally like a tidy trouser with little or no break. But it depends on a variety of factors--size of the man, width or narrowness of trousers, etc. But I've been to a Savile Row tailor that refused to make my trousers with no break. After a while I got used to it and don't really mind it. Just no fabric pooling around your ankles, that just looks sloppy.
I recall from my youth being very very concerned with what I described as the pant/shoe interaction...lol. No-break seemed a fad at the time b/c everyone was wearing puddles; but really no-break seems in retrospect almost timeless as one looks back through time. Agree with the comment on the width of the leg opening (7.25-7.5 is perfect) and "straight" (slight taper). Don't tell Emilie, but I am not a huge fan of these "giant" chinos no matter what the length! That is a fad that looks great in ads, but I would make look horrible and would elicit rolling laughter from my wife and daughter. In fact, it should be a rule that you cannot buy them if you have a wife and daughter....problem solved. Also, no break allows a pant/trouser to be styled with different shoes from a low vamp Belgian to a Paraboot or Chukka without unwanted "pant/shoe interactions".
No big questions at the moment but wanted to recognize the good things you (and Michael) have been putting out in the world for the past run of years on matters of men's style and beyond. I've enjoyed being along for the ride and hope the ride continues for many years to come.
And a quick thanks for your recent book. I gave it to my dad earlier this summer on his birthday and he enjoyed it immensely. My grandfather had been a true New England sportsman — sailor, golfer, angler, skier, pitcher (at Exeter and Dartmouth!), etc. He died a little too young and though I knew him as a boy, I never got to fish with him, but my dad did for many years. My dad and I fished together a handful of time but neither of us has picked up a rod in decades. Reading your book brought back many vivid memories for my Pops and surfaced some stories I had never heard about my grandfather.
My father's parting thoughts after he finished The Optimist: "I think he would have liked my Father, though he might have been a bit jealous, because my father did catch a salmon while fly fishing on the Miramichi. Beautifully written, and I am familiar enough with fly fishing, fly tying and fine rods, that I could really appreciate the book. Many thanks!"
Oh thanks Jason. That's so nice to hear. I love hearing when the book connects generations. And I can't be jealous of everybody who's caught a salmon or I wouldn't be able to function!
Congratulations on the two year mark - thanks for all of the great work. Last week's baseball piece was excellent and had me excited for late summer baseball until the Braves dropped 4 of 5 to the Mets (abhorrent).
I was curious, what have you personally enjoyed the most about the Contender/Central Division endeavor? Additionally, the anniversary appears to be a Godfather wedding scenario where no favor or request can be refused. As such, I was hoping you and Michael might discuss the subjective, personal and objective factors that decide whether you love or loathe a particular hotel, city, restaurant, etc on a future podcast.
Thanks Christian. Good idea about factors that make you love a place. I think my biggest pleasure is writing every week for a group of people. I did this for The Contender website, but that felt more open-ended. This is a more engaged situation and it's been really nice. These Q&A sessions have also been really fun and a lot of people get involved and they get very specific (as you may have noticed!). And the podcast, which is related to this, is nice too. It's fun to talk to Michael. And all those things working together feel like they're on themes that matter to me and, hopefully, to readers and listeners. Thanks!
Thanks! Yes, I have to do Venice. I've started and just...haven't finished. I've talked a bit about Oxford Cloth shirts. I think Drake's are the best (you can also buy them in groups of three). If you can find a Brooks Brothers made in USA shirt on eBay in your size then that's good. Some J. Press are amazing (I would try to buy those in person). And, though the collar is smaller, some J. Crew washed Oxfords are good, in classic fit.
I'd also recommend Junior's. Their collars have a magnificent roll at 3.5" (and can be made longer, I went to 3.75" on mine) and are available unlined and unfused.
David, how do we feel about undershirts? For someone who sweats a fair amount, but wouldn't want any undershirt to be visible, what's the best approach for wearing them in formal and less formal situations? What about decent v-neck ones that don't show under open-collared shirts. Ideal producers? Thanks in advance for any wisdom.
Hi Dan, I think this is purely based on personal preference. I don't wear one and don't know a good one, I'm afraid. If you find one you like that doesn't show then buy a stack of them. Good luck!
Just wanted to chip in. Sloane does pretty nice undershirts. They're thin (so invisible under a shirt), long (so that they stay tucked in), and have a good deep v-neck (so that they don't show in an open-collar situation). You can even pick the hue that is closer to your skin color.
Thank you for a great substack. A random question. My oldest son is interested in a career in the fashion industry, with a goal to design. I'm a physician and really have no advice or connections whatsoever. What advice would you give?
Hi Jake, this is a tough one. I think you try to study at a good design school. Or near one (if you're in New York). And then stay close to people who are interested in what you're interested in and take the broad view. There's no easy way for that sort of thing. But that doesn't mean you can't get closer to what you want to do.
Hi Jake, I can try to lend some advice for your son.
Fashion is fairly easy to break into, at least in New York, but hard to really succeed in. It's not something that you take up casually; you have to live it. Like, nobody minors in fashion. My advice is work really hard to get into the best fashion school he can (RISD/Parsons are awesome, FIT has a different approach but is really well connected). There are other options as well.
He should be prepared or a VERY intense college experience with an absolutely inhumane amount of work, which just happens to be great prep for working in fashion in real life ;)
There are lots of entry-level jobs in New York, and people starting out tend to move around a fair amount. It's a pretty tumultuous profession, but loads of fun. There are also great opportunities that are not design, like product development, merchandising, PR. You never know where the road will lead. Happy to help further if I can. Best of luck!
This is hard. It depends on what you're doing and how much you need to pack. The Filson duffle is great but heavy. Same with old Orvis bags, when they were made in US. I use some old Patagonia duffel bags when I'm fishing.
Hi David, happy birthday to The Contender! I hope I’m not too late here, but curious what newspapers and/or periodicals you subscribe to or regularly keep up with. I seem to remember you writing about a diet of The New Yorker, NY Review of Books, NY Times, and possibly The Paris Review.
Anything new you’ve come across and recommend? I’ve heard good things about Air Mail, but seems like a clone of The New Yorker to me.
Thanks Jay. New Yorker for sure. I think NY Review of Books is incredible. I would recommend New York Magazine (if you are at all interested in cultural coverage). NY Times of course. Also The Atlantic is doing great work now and if you subscribe (same as New York) you can get their very good web content. I'm also into the London Review of Books, but that's a little more esoteric. Paris Review I get when I'm interested in whoever is interviewed. And a few fishing magazines that are pretty arcane. Oh and the weekend Financial Times for sure. So good. And Wash Post online. That should keep you busy!
Oh wow, a healthy and well-rounded diet indeed – love it! I’ll need to give The Atlantic another spin. I used to enjoy their coverage and noticed a drop off some years ago.
Hi David. Congrats on the 2 year anniversary. Very pleased to be a subscriber and listener.
I’m from England and off to a family wedding in Denver at the end of the month. I have an off white sports coat and chinos that I’m tempted to wear. Any thoughts? It’s quite a bright look, or shall I just maybe tone it down with a darker jacket or vice versa? Thanks, Gareth
Hi Gareth, when it comes to a wedding I generally err on the side of a subdued jacket or suit. If you want to wear something more expressive do it the night before or the day after. But for a wedding be respectful and don't attract too much attention.
Wow, a lot of Oxford cloth shirt questions today. I like Drake's the most (you can buy three for a discount). I still wear Brooks Brothers that were made in the US (and you can find them if you look around on eBay and maybe even their site). J. Press (but I prefer to see those in person). And J. Crew secret rinse for very basic shirts with smaller collars (I would never wear a tie with those). Good luck!
Hi David, I am attending my first black-tie wedding in September and I am really looking forward to it. I have a navy tux with a black lapel I plan on wearing with a black tie. When I wore this at my wedding, I wore classic black patent shoes, but I want to step it up a notch (no pun intended). I was thinking of getting some black velvet tux loafers, but wanted to get your sartorial opinion on this. Should they also be navy? Is that too much for a wedding?
Thanks!
PS- I know you and Michael feel that your fans dislike the sports talk during your podcast, so I wanted to let you know that I am one fan who really enjoys it. It is nice to know that there are other individuals out there who want to be well rounded. You can care deeply about you local sports team AND about what shoes match your tux. Despite what the extremes of both sides feel, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I will proudly wait until the end to hear about football this fall.
I think you should get whatever velvet shoes you think you'll wear more. You can wear navy or black but black are probably more versatile in the long run and should be fun. And thanks about the sports!
Total Recall would be good, I think the Terminators are too good. Here's a few more: Over the Top (Stallone tries to win an arm wrestling tournament), Big Trouble in Little China, and the classic Road House.
Okay I can say right now I cannot watch Stallone in any situation. Road House might be the ticket, because I feel it possesses the correct amount of badness. Which is harder to do than it seems!
David:
No question from me.
Just want to say thanks for making the podcast! My life has been a bit chaotic and rocky lately, and I can't stress enough how much of a joy it is to listen to you and Michael chat each week. It gives me an escape and a chance to think about some of the fun things in life. Much appreciated - and here's to hopefully another two years!
That's so nice to hear, Matt. Thank you!
Well done David, there’s no newsletter like it. Bring on year three!
Dave....thoughts on OCBDs? Kidding! Congrats on 2 years, great content as always!
What are your thoughts on trouser break?
Ha! Thanks Brad. I generally like a tidy trouser with little or no break. But it depends on a variety of factors--size of the man, width or narrowness of trousers, etc. But I've been to a Savile Row tailor that refused to make my trousers with no break. After a while I got used to it and don't really mind it. Just no fabric pooling around your ankles, that just looks sloppy.
I recall from my youth being very very concerned with what I described as the pant/shoe interaction...lol. No-break seemed a fad at the time b/c everyone was wearing puddles; but really no-break seems in retrospect almost timeless as one looks back through time. Agree with the comment on the width of the leg opening (7.25-7.5 is perfect) and "straight" (slight taper). Don't tell Emilie, but I am not a huge fan of these "giant" chinos no matter what the length! That is a fad that looks great in ads, but I would make look horrible and would elicit rolling laughter from my wife and daughter. In fact, it should be a rule that you cannot buy them if you have a wife and daughter....problem solved. Also, no break allows a pant/trouser to be styled with different shoes from a low vamp Belgian to a Paraboot or Chukka without unwanted "pant/shoe interactions".
Will you be exclusively wearing J Crew Giant Chinos from now on?
Ha! Well I do wear some larger cut trousers every now and then. But I think they're selling out of those so I'll have to wait.
No big questions at the moment but wanted to recognize the good things you (and Michael) have been putting out in the world for the past run of years on matters of men's style and beyond. I've enjoyed being along for the ride and hope the ride continues for many years to come.
And a quick thanks for your recent book. I gave it to my dad earlier this summer on his birthday and he enjoyed it immensely. My grandfather had been a true New England sportsman — sailor, golfer, angler, skier, pitcher (at Exeter and Dartmouth!), etc. He died a little too young and though I knew him as a boy, I never got to fish with him, but my dad did for many years. My dad and I fished together a handful of time but neither of us has picked up a rod in decades. Reading your book brought back many vivid memories for my Pops and surfaced some stories I had never heard about my grandfather.
My father's parting thoughts after he finished The Optimist: "I think he would have liked my Father, though he might have been a bit jealous, because my father did catch a salmon while fly fishing on the Miramichi. Beautifully written, and I am familiar enough with fly fishing, fly tying and fine rods, that I could really appreciate the book. Many thanks!"
Oh thanks Jason. That's so nice to hear. I love hearing when the book connects generations. And I can't be jealous of everybody who's caught a salmon or I wouldn't be able to function!
Congratulations on the two year mark - thanks for all of the great work. Last week's baseball piece was excellent and had me excited for late summer baseball until the Braves dropped 4 of 5 to the Mets (abhorrent).
I was curious, what have you personally enjoyed the most about the Contender/Central Division endeavor? Additionally, the anniversary appears to be a Godfather wedding scenario where no favor or request can be refused. As such, I was hoping you and Michael might discuss the subjective, personal and objective factors that decide whether you love or loathe a particular hotel, city, restaurant, etc on a future podcast.
Thanks Christian. Good idea about factors that make you love a place. I think my biggest pleasure is writing every week for a group of people. I did this for The Contender website, but that felt more open-ended. This is a more engaged situation and it's been really nice. These Q&A sessions have also been really fun and a lot of people get involved and they get very specific (as you may have noticed!). And the podcast, which is related to this, is nice too. It's fun to talk to Michael. And all those things working together feel like they're on themes that matter to me and, hopefully, to readers and listeners. Thanks!
Hi - Congratulations on 2yrs
Must do in Venice - eat, see, shop
Best Oxford Cloth shirts
Thanks!
Thanks! Yes, I have to do Venice. I've started and just...haven't finished. I've talked a bit about Oxford Cloth shirts. I think Drake's are the best (you can also buy them in groups of three). If you can find a Brooks Brothers made in USA shirt on eBay in your size then that's good. Some J. Press are amazing (I would try to buy those in person). And, though the collar is smaller, some J. Crew washed Oxfords are good, in classic fit.
I don’t want to start an Oxford Cloth debate, but, if you want to keep it local, I would suggest you give Wythe New York a try. https://wythenewyork.com/collections/oxford-cloth-button-downs
Not that you asked me :)
Wythe is great, though I haven't tried their Oxford shirts.
I think the collar stands up (curls down) to the Coggins standard.
Thanks!
I'd also recommend Junior's. Their collars have a magnificent roll at 3.5" (and can be made longer, I went to 3.75" on mine) and are available unlined and unfused.
David, how do we feel about undershirts? For someone who sweats a fair amount, but wouldn't want any undershirt to be visible, what's the best approach for wearing them in formal and less formal situations? What about decent v-neck ones that don't show under open-collared shirts. Ideal producers? Thanks in advance for any wisdom.
Hi Dan, I think this is purely based on personal preference. I don't wear one and don't know a good one, I'm afraid. If you find one you like that doesn't show then buy a stack of them. Good luck!
Hi Dan,
Just wanted to chip in. Sloane does pretty nice undershirts. They're thin (so invisible under a shirt), long (so that they stay tucked in), and have a good deep v-neck (so that they don't show in an open-collar situation). You can even pick the hue that is closer to your skin color.
Ever been fly fishing in Michigan?
No and I'd really love to!
I know a guy that knows a guy...
Thank you for a great substack. A random question. My oldest son is interested in a career in the fashion industry, with a goal to design. I'm a physician and really have no advice or connections whatsoever. What advice would you give?
Hi Jake, this is a tough one. I think you try to study at a good design school. Or near one (if you're in New York). And then stay close to people who are interested in what you're interested in and take the broad view. There's no easy way for that sort of thing. But that doesn't mean you can't get closer to what you want to do.
Thank you.
Hi Jake, I can try to lend some advice for your son.
Fashion is fairly easy to break into, at least in New York, but hard to really succeed in. It's not something that you take up casually; you have to live it. Like, nobody minors in fashion. My advice is work really hard to get into the best fashion school he can (RISD/Parsons are awesome, FIT has a different approach but is really well connected). There are other options as well.
He should be prepared or a VERY intense college experience with an absolutely inhumane amount of work, which just happens to be great prep for working in fashion in real life ;)
There are lots of entry-level jobs in New York, and people starting out tend to move around a fair amount. It's a pretty tumultuous profession, but loads of fun. There are also great opportunities that are not design, like product development, merchandising, PR. You never know where the road will lead. Happy to help further if I can. Best of luck!
Thank you.
Have your son read about/ listen to Todd Snyder's path thru menswear. Really if i could go back 20 yrs I'd follow his template to the T.
Congratulations, David! I am in search of travel luggage. My T. Anthony just wore out. What's to be done in the age of the wheelie bag?
This is hard. It depends on what you're doing and how much you need to pack. The Filson duffle is great but heavy. Same with old Orvis bags, when they were made in US. I use some old Patagonia duffel bags when I'm fishing.
Hi David, happy birthday to The Contender! I hope I’m not too late here, but curious what newspapers and/or periodicals you subscribe to or regularly keep up with. I seem to remember you writing about a diet of The New Yorker, NY Review of Books, NY Times, and possibly The Paris Review.
Anything new you’ve come across and recommend? I’ve heard good things about Air Mail, but seems like a clone of The New Yorker to me.
Thank you, and cheers to this newsletter.
Thanks Jay. New Yorker for sure. I think NY Review of Books is incredible. I would recommend New York Magazine (if you are at all interested in cultural coverage). NY Times of course. Also The Atlantic is doing great work now and if you subscribe (same as New York) you can get their very good web content. I'm also into the London Review of Books, but that's a little more esoteric. Paris Review I get when I'm interested in whoever is interviewed. And a few fishing magazines that are pretty arcane. Oh and the weekend Financial Times for sure. So good. And Wash Post online. That should keep you busy!
Oh wow, a healthy and well-rounded diet indeed – love it! I’ll need to give The Atlantic another spin. I used to enjoy their coverage and noticed a drop off some years ago.
Some very good writers there.
Hi David. Congrats on the 2 year anniversary. Very pleased to be a subscriber and listener.
I’m from England and off to a family wedding in Denver at the end of the month. I have an off white sports coat and chinos that I’m tempted to wear. Any thoughts? It’s quite a bright look, or shall I just maybe tone it down with a darker jacket or vice versa? Thanks, Gareth
Hi Gareth, when it comes to a wedding I generally err on the side of a subdued jacket or suit. If you want to wear something more expressive do it the night before or the day after. But for a wedding be respectful and don't attract too much attention.
Thanks David. Totally right. My wife just said ‘see, told you’ ha!
I’ve had probably 10 different brands of Oxford cloth white shirts. I’ve never really loved any of them. Any suggestions on where to look next?
Wow, a lot of Oxford cloth shirt questions today. I like Drake's the most (you can buy three for a discount). I still wear Brooks Brothers that were made in the US (and you can find them if you look around on eBay and maybe even their site). J. Press (but I prefer to see those in person). And J. Crew secret rinse for very basic shirts with smaller collars (I would never wear a tie with those). Good luck!
Hi David, I am attending my first black-tie wedding in September and I am really looking forward to it. I have a navy tux with a black lapel I plan on wearing with a black tie. When I wore this at my wedding, I wore classic black patent shoes, but I want to step it up a notch (no pun intended). I was thinking of getting some black velvet tux loafers, but wanted to get your sartorial opinion on this. Should they also be navy? Is that too much for a wedding?
Thanks!
PS- I know you and Michael feel that your fans dislike the sports talk during your podcast, so I wanted to let you know that I am one fan who really enjoys it. It is nice to know that there are other individuals out there who want to be well rounded. You can care deeply about you local sports team AND about what shoes match your tux. Despite what the extremes of both sides feel, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I will proudly wait until the end to hear about football this fall.
I think you should get whatever velvet shoes you think you'll wear more. You can wear navy or black but black are probably more versatile in the long run and should be fun. And thanks about the sports!
Are you ever going to watch a crappy 80's action flick and do a podcast about it?
Ha! I was hoping people forgot about that. Any suggestions?
Anything with Arnold Schwarzenegger would be good in my opinion.
I can handle Terminator, Terminator 2 and Total Recall. But maybe those aren't bad enough.
Total Recall would be good, I think the Terminators are too good. Here's a few more: Over the Top (Stallone tries to win an arm wrestling tournament), Big Trouble in Little China, and the classic Road House.
Okay I can say right now I cannot watch Stallone in any situation. Road House might be the ticket, because I feel it possesses the correct amount of badness. Which is harder to do than it seems!
Since it was first mentioned as a possible podcast topic, I always thought the Road House would tick all of the required boxes.