You may have seen the case for idleness on the newsletter the other day. This is a holiday bonus post about things you might be interested in. And if you still need summer reading ideas and missed my list of fifty books you should read (that aren’t The Great Gatsby) you can see that here.
First, we’re channeling the spirit of George Plimpton, who among his many other accomplishments, was New York City’s first and only Fireworks Commissioner.
Here’s the Fireworks section of his Wikipedia:
“His fireworks fascination flourished, and in 1975, in Bellport, Long Island, with Fireworks by Grucci, he attempted to break the record for the world's largest firework. His firework, a Roman candle named "Fat Man", weighed 720 pounds and was expected to rise to 1,000 feet and deliver a wide starburst. When lit, the firework remained on the ground and exploded, blasting a crater 35 feet wide and 10 feet deep. A later attempt, rose approximately 50 feet into the air and broke 700 windows.”
That’s the spirit!
-IDLE ASSEMBLY RUM. Writing about idleness reminded me of David Flint Wood’s superb rum. Do you like scotch? Of course you do, well aged rum is the scotch for the summer. Rhum Agricole is also good. Just ice, lime if you must. Don’t overthink it.
-AMIGO TRAVEL APP. I’ve wanted something like this for a long time. Travel advice, photos, maps—sort of like Instagram but built out for travel. I’m on there in a big way with guides for Maine, Montana, Tokyo, Paris, New York and more. A great way to get ideas about tailors, hotels, bars, even places to fish. Skip the waitlist with code CONTENDER.
-FAST AND LOOSE by Yasi Salek. Is there room in your life for another Substack? I’m afraid there is. Yasi, who we love from the Bandsplain podcast. (There’s room for another podcast in your life, too—start with the Afghan Whigs episode with legend Chris Ryan is the peak of the form, except for the Smiths episodes with legend Naomi Fry. Am I gutted not to be part of the Cure or Depeche Mode chapters? I’d rather not say.) Yasi writes about music and travel and style in her specific way—don’t try this at home, you can’t end a sentence with a ? the way she can. Add the newsletter and podcast to your list.
-ACL SALE. A rare sale from our friends at ACL. Michael’s collaborations are smart and good. There’s something for everybody here whether you golf or not. Start with the sweaters.
-SUMMER SHOES. There have been a lot of questions in the recent Q&As about easygoing summer shoes. The Contender does not endorse men wearing sandals. At heart, the male toe is not meant to be publicized. Keep that in mind when deciding what to wear—especially in town.
-Sperry is still great—do they make it easy with all the categories? No, they do not. But this Gold Cup Authentic Original Orleans Leather Boat Shoe (phew) is great. I get them in wide.
-Rancourt steps up in class with these lovely Read Boat Shoes made in Maine. I don’t have these, have always admired them, might take a moment to break in, but worth it.
-Sid Mashburn loafers also look great. More dressy than a boat shoe, naturally, but a good price and less of a commitment than Aldens. They also have a nice Camp Moccasin with a sporty boat sole. No reason not to wear these to the Masters next year.
*They’ve got a sale going on over there and a Sid sale is always a good thing—especially for their shirts and sports trousers.
Enjoy your holiday!
D
I am now the proud owner of two pairs of ACL socks, thanks to you 😂
Your paragraph here on summer shoes is gold.