Let’s get to talking about some recommendations for the month. I’ve been buying some clothes again. I’ve decided that my love for jawnz has outweighed my desire to not blow a bag on swaggy goodness. There’s a lot of heat out there, and it can be hard to comb through all of the not-so-great stuff to get to what’s really worth it. I dive into that -and so much more - below:
Levi’s Made in Japan Atlas Collection
This one is special because it was not only designed by my little brother, but it was also his idea. The Atlas Collection was released this week via various luxury boutiques like Bodega and End Clothing as part of Levi’s new Made in Japan line, replacing Levi’s Vintage and Levis Made & Crafted. The Utility Trucker Jacket is a light-wash 100% cotton garement made entirely in Japan that features a head-on view of the Asian continent, as well as the rest of the atlas dispersed throughout the piece. There’s a matching pair of 501’s to match. I purchased the trucker upon release and it hasn’t arrived yet, but I’ll always want to remember this special release - even if the jean jacket cost half a stack.
The quest for the perfect black pants
If there’s something about me, it’s that I’m going to wear black pants for almost all occasions. I have black sweats for the gym, black jeans, black trousers, chinos, etc, etc.. I find black pants to be so effortless and elegant, not to mention slimming on this thick boy’s physique. I probably have a dozen or so pairs of black pants and I am always buying another pair. I have two more on the way as we speak. While I’ve loved a lot of black pants that I own, I still think I’m on the hunt for the perfect pair of black pants. I want a black pair that elegantly drapes my body. The only pants that I can point to that fit the bill are over $1,000 from The Row, so that’s not happening any time soon. In the meantime, I want to find the best pair that will satisfy my cravings, whether they come from Uniqlo or are vintage Margaret Howell.
Paa Zip Hooded Sweatshirt - Overcast (different color pictured)
RIP Paa, a favorite of the menswear crowd. The brand created by co-founders Peter Jurado and Al Verik was based out of both NYC and LA, providing a unique take on some of our tried and true favorites. To many menswear enthusiasts’ dismay, the brand announced that they were shuttering their doors a few weeks back and that they were having an archive sale. By the time I saw the announcement a lot of the good stuff was already sold out, but I was able to get my hands on this sweatshirt. I love the color and the relaxed fit is very flattering on my body. It’s also a $350 sweatshirt that I purchased for $100. Deals like this don’t come around every day. Unfortunately, the hoodie is gone from the website and all I could find is an image of a different colorway in the same hoodie.
North Woods - Daniel Mason
Daniel Mason’s Pulitzer Prize finalist, North Woods, is unlike any novel I’ve read before. There are a lot of books that cover decades - maybe even centuries, but they usually chronicle a family. North Woods instead chronicles a single home located in the woods of Western Massachusetts. The novel is told in small vignettes about the occupants of the land - from lovesick artists to widowed soldiers to animals, mediums, and more. Each tale is loosely connected to its predecessors and written with lyrical prose. It’s a beautiful and complicated about the passage of time and our relationship to the natural world. I’m speechless.
Late Spring (1949) Dir. Yasujiro Ozu
I watched Ozu’s Late Spring on a Saturday morning about a week and a half ago. I don’t have a ton of time to watch movies, so I try to get my movie-watching in at peculiar times - riding the bus home from work, while at lunch at my desk, and during my home workouts being some of the main times I watch a film. I was riding my stationary bike while watching the film and I had to stop because I began to weep near the end of the film.
The premise of the film is a widowed father, Shukichi, and his adult daughter, Noriko, are live together in a small town where all of Noriko’s friends have begun to marry and start families of their own. Shukichi urges Noriko to find a husband, but she is reluctant because she wants to stay with her father and continue to support him. It’s a film about the nature of change and the cycle of family life. I already thought Tokyo Story was hard enough to grapple with, but this film hit me like an emotional haymaker.
The Smiths Essentials Playlist
I’ve known The Smiths all my life, but never really given them the time they deserve. It wasn’t until I watched The Killer that I began to appreciate them. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the film, The Killer is the latest from David Fincher starring Michael Fassbender as a high-class hitman. I won’t give much away, but he listens to The Smiths while setting up a kill, giving the film a very cool ambiance. I’ve been listening to a playlist of their hits. “Back to the Old House” is probably my most repeatedly played song of the moment.
Listening to articles on Pocket
Pocket is one of my favorite apps. We’re all busy individuals, and now and again an article will come across our radar that we want to read, but it’s a little too long for our liking. Pocket is a great place to save all of the articles that we want to get to later. I guess I wasn’t much of a power user because I just discovered the audio feature where the app will use one of those automatic, robot-voiced readers to recite the article for you. It’s like - get this - a podcast. Over the years, the number of saved articles in my Pocket has blown out of control, but when I’m at work, I just toss in the AirPods and start chopping down the list. It’s a great way to consume content.
New Bravo Seasons
Vanderpump Rules and Summer House are back, which is massive for me. VPR is kind of washed in the aftermath of Scandal and Summer House has been on a downward trajectory, but goddamnit I am going down with the ship. VPR on Tuesdays, Summer House on Thursdays and Watch What Happens Live after each show, we could not be more back.
Gradually trying to get back into reading print books.
I love my Kindle so much. It’s one of my most beloved purchases that I’ve ever made. I just can’t shake the feeling of nostalgia for not carrying a physical book. All literature lovers know that they crave the fresh paper smell of a book when you first crack the spine. I also look at screens all day for work. Then my schedule is probably 7 hours a day and I have the TV on way more than I’d like to admit. It’s best to have an activity that doesn’t involve a screen, so I’m trying to be more diligent about carrying around a trusty paperback in my bag for my long commute to the office.
Peace and Love