And the lucky dogs who’ll be scribbling their chicken-scratch on Christine Cover’s tremendous stationery are:
- From Twitter: @ChrisFidz. Get at us, brother!
- From Facebook: Daniel Garber, check yo’ messages.
- From the comments: Dillon, we hope your cousin enjoys the card. Whiskey and sea turtles are really the only things worth talking about anyway. Email us your address, and we’ll have it sent out post haste!
Until next time, friends.
Right when I’m settling into a happy routine of sweaters, wool socks and layering, the temperature spikes up to the mid-80s. I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s just like you to do this, Midwest—every damn year. Ah, well. When summer is as fleeting as it is in the northern half of this region, you’ve gotta cherish every last day even if it comes in the middle of autumn.
And when you find a piano on an abandoned freight railroad track, what do you? You were going to say “take some senior pictures,” right? Right. (You’re all invited to my high school graduation in two years.) Thankfully, the talented Rob Culpepper was on hand and in the mood to shoot some medium format film on the Bloomingdale Trail, Chicago’s undeveloped and still super-secret future answer to New York’s High Line.
A note on the trousers: Dockers? Yeah, you read that right. Your dad’s favorite brand has updated some of its offerings with more tapered silhouettes that look like like khakis but wear like jeans. They’re called Alpha Khakis, and I’ve been wearing the hell out of ‘em. Along with a second green pair, they’ve become fast favorites. It’s still fall, right? I got hooked on yerba mate in Argentina and have it with me most days when it gets late in the year.
On Seth: Indian cotton button-down (sale $30, reg. $75) by J.Crew; “Alpha Khakis” in British khaki (sale $59, reg. $68) by Dockers; natural veg leather belt by Cause and Effect; thrifted loafers by Giorgio Brutini; “Weekender” watch ($25) by Timex with Horween leather strap ($95) by Buckshot Sonny’s.
Oh, and if you’re a Mizzou Tiger, you’re headed into a special weekend. Cam and I will see you at Homecoming, suckers.
Ladies and gentlemen, NorthernGRADE is coming to Chicago. This edition of the legendary pop-up market will be produced by our friends over at Well Spent and Pierrepont Hicks, so if you’re in town you’ve really got no excuse for missing out on the festivities. Having been to Minneapolis, the place where it all started, we saw firsthand what all the fuss is about and we can tell you that NorthernGRADE is one of the gems of the Midwest. You can expect beer, camaraderie, and damn fine American-made goods. But don’t believe what you’re reading here: take our word for it. When: Saturday, Oct. 27 (10am – 6pm)
Who: Made-in-the-USA vendors!
- Penelope’s (Sponsor) – Chicago, IL
- Haberdash (Sponsor) – Chicago, IL
- Red Wing - Red Wing, MN
- Tellason - San Francisco, CA
- Winter Session - Chicago, IL
- Pierrepont Hicks - Minneapolis, MN
- Oak St. Bootmakers - Chicago, IL
- Independence - Chicago, IL
- Portland General Store – Portland, ME
- Field Notes - Chicago, IL
- Archival Clothing – Eugene, OR
- MidNorth Mercantile - Minneapolis, MN
- Stormy Kromer – Ironwood, MI
- Sir & Madame - Chicago, IL
- Locally Grown - Des Moines, IA
- Corter Leather – Boston, MA
- Inland Clothing – Chicago, IL
- Heritage Bicycles - Chicago, IL
- Drift Eyewear - Chicago, IL
Alright, you filthy animals! The time has come.
We want to thank you guys for your interest. We’ve loved reading the stories of your old, faithful, ratty backpacks. The new opportunities, the ending chapters. The big-boy jobs and the style transformations. We feel like we know each of you a little better, and that’s a wonderful thing in our book.
Our winner is Josh Krasovec, the Kansas City police officer who plans to use the Bleecker Utility Tote to schlep around gear for his newborn daughter, and then pass along this beauty of a bag to her when she comes of age. Brilliant. (And we’re already picturing you motoring down the road on your motorcycle with this thing, Josh. Badass.) To be honest, all your stories were excellent. We especially loved Jerry Stoffl’s hilarious empathy for the duped New Yorkers. Brad Rice’s philosophizing on the process of reinventing his style. And of course, ThreadWise’s courageous husband, who’s soaring above Iraq and Afghanistan and protecting our freedom. A humble thanks to both of you.
BUT: Before you walk away with heads hung low, know that we’ve got several more giveaways just ahead in the coming weeks—everything from winterwear to illustrated stationery. Don’t miss ‘em!
And, of course, a huge thanks goes the team at Coach for their generosity and damn fine bags.
We’re excited to announce that we’re hosting a little shindig for Jack Spade’s Barbour capsule collection at the Oak Street store in Chicago this Thursday.
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of both companies. We’ve featured them on The Midwestyle before (below, you’ll see the Barbour Jeff was lucky enough to score at a shop in London, and we posted a roundup of Jack Spade totes we were hungry for last year.)
On Jeff: Waxed “Bedale” jacket by Barbour, bought in London. Photo by Grant Heinlein.
The Jack Spade + Barbour collection.
The Jack Spade team visited Barbour’s headquarters on the English coast of the North Sea and thumbed through the archives to inspire this new collaboration, which includes two incredible jackets, a tote, a duffle, a briefcase, and a pocket messenger. Word has it that the Hopper design is inspired by a British Marine Captain who sent in his beat-up Bedale jacket to have it reinforced with cordura nylon to put up with his hardy wearing. And being the anglophile that I am, I’m geeking out over these updated designs from the one of the select companies that outfits the Royal Family.
Jack Spade shares my obsession with goods that are just as sharp as they are usable. If a jacket is tricked out but doesn’t keep you warm and dry, what’s the point? On the other side of the coin, there’s no reason that function shouldn’t have beautiful form. This collection took forethought and creative thinking, and now that it’s finally here, it makes all the sense in the world. (In this gear, I can imagine hunting pheasants in dewy Missouri fields just as well as trudging across soggy British moors.) So! Come by and have a drink with us. It’ll be an informal affair—and opportunity to connect over damn fine products from two damn fine companies.
The vitals:
6–8 p.m. // Thursday, Sept. 13
See you there!
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