Scott Gibson

A faded Lee 101 trucker jacket.

Bruce Boyer wearing an olive Alpha Industries field jacket with an olive sport coat, grey trousers, brown split toe shoes, light blue shirt, and pale colored tie.

Simon Crompton wearing a navy Gloverall duffle coat with a grey sport coat, grey trousers, navy scarf, and red beanie.

A man wearing an olive waxed cotton Barbour with a blue denim trucker jacket underneath. He's also wearing tan chinos and a blue ball cap.

CASUAL JACKET

Again, there are limitless options. A Lee 101 trucker can cost anywhere from $50 for vintage to $325 for something brand new. A field jacket can be $50 vintage to $225 for Alpha Industries. A used Gloverall Monty duffle or Barbour can be had for about $250 on eBay.

A man wearing a red Freeman's Sporting Club jacket with a grey hoodie, black pants, and black Blundstones.

A pair of faded light blue Van's Authentic sneakers.

Suede chukkas offer a similar level of formality and thus versatility (Meermin again has some for $235). Blundstones are better if you want something more casual ($210). And there's no shortage of classic sneakers: AF1s, Vans Authentics, GATs, etc (~$150)

Avg cost: $205

Two pairs of Meermin's loafers — one pair if black, the other is brown.

SHOES

Unfortunately, there are too many footwear options to cover and much depends on your climate and lifestyle. If you want something you can wear with tailoring and casualwear in a warmer climate, Meermin has Goodyear welted loafers for $230.

A man sitting on a car while wearing a blue Bosie Shetland with big blue pants.

A man on a basketball court wearing a grey sweatshirt and blue shorts, both from J. Crew.

KNITWEAR

Let's now get you some knitwear. Bosie's Shetlands are more textured than the basic smooth Merinos you find everywhere, so they'll add visual interest ($157). J. Crew's Heritage 14oz sweatshirt is stout, easily washable, and adds something for casualwear ($99)

Many of the companies mentioned above will have nice tailored trousers. Spier & Mackay ($148), J. Press ($295), O'Connell's ($345), and Proper Cloth ($345 for custom). Pictured below are O'Connell's trousers on @bigfits.bsky.social

Average price: $283

A stack of grey wool trousers in different materials.

For accounting purposes, I will take the average of all these models and say you'll spend about $133 for a pair of casual pants.

DRESS PANTS

OK, so then what about slightly more formal pants? Start with mid-gray trousers made from wool, as these will go with any kind of tailored jacket.

A man wearing a tan pair of Buck Mason's chinos with brown suede shoes, cream sweater, and dark jacket. He's leaning against a car.

A man wearing a tan pair of Buck Mason's chinos with brown shoes, olive shirt, and brown belt.

For something that splits the difference between rugged raw denim and preppy chinos, check out Buck Mason's Paperback Twill Full Saddle Chino. These bring the style back to their military origins (yes, chinos derive from the military). Mid-rise with classic straight leg. $168

A man wearing J. Crew's chinos with a green sweater.

A pair of tan O'Connell's chinos.

J. Crew's classic chino ($98) avoids the calf-hugging, low-rise, Saran Wrap fit that more people realize looks unflattering nowadays. It's a bit young and preppy. Older guys who want something that feels a more trad, may want to check J. Press and O'Connell's (both $150).

A man wearing Gustin's 1968 Vintage Straight jeans with a white sweater.

A faded pair of Gustin's jeans.

CASUAL PANTS

Most men are either Denim Guys or Chino Guys, rarely both to equal degrees. Figure out which you are first. Gustin's 1968 Vintage Straight Fit is the strongest value at $99, as it's made in the USA from US-woven raw denim that will naturally fade with use.

Spier & Mackay's white oxford button-down shirt.

A man wearing Proper Cloth's light blue oxford button-down shirt.

The key is to get something with a full collar roll (no skimpy collars!). Once again, Spier & Mackay is a particularly strong value at $78. Move up to Proper Cloth ($125) if you want something custom-made (choose their Soft Ivy collar).

For accounting, I'll do the $125 here.

Bill Blass standing next to a brick wall while wearing a tweed sport coat and white oxford button-down shirt.

William Eggleston standing outside in a white oxford button-down shirt and white pleated pants with a brown belt.

Brian Davis of Wooden Sleepers wearing a light blue oxford button-down shirt with a navy overshirt, brown belt, and faded blue jeans.

Jason Jules wearing a brown field jacket with a light blue oxford button-down shirt, tan chinos, brown suede shoes, and a blue baseball cap.

OXFORD BUTTON-DOWN

If you get a sport coat, you will naturally need some button-up shirts to wear with it. Oxford cloth button-downs in staple colors (white, light blue) are a versatile option you can wear with tailored jackets or casualwear.

A photo of Spier & Mackay's navy sport coat hanging on a hanger.

A close up of Spier & Mackay's navy sport coat. It's a slightly textured hopsack wool.

Key is to get something with texture so it doesn't look like an orphaned suit jacket. Spier & Mackay has great semi-affordable tailoring. Their navy hopsack Moro is made from pure wool and a half-canvas to give it shape. Classic proportions and soft natural shoulder

Price: $358

A man is sitting outside of a cafe. He's wearing a navy sport coat, white dress shirt, grey wool trousers, navy dress socks, and black tassel loafers

Peter Zottolo is standing outside in a navy sport coat, white t-shirt, and blue jeans.

Simon Crompton is standing outside in a navy sport coat, light blue oxford cloth button down shirt, blue jeans, and brown suede shoes.

Avery Trufelman is sitting down while wearing a navy sport coat, green Shetland sweater, oxford button-down shirt, tan chinos, and brown loafers.

NAVY SPORT COAT

If you're just dipping your toes into tailored clothing, start with a navy sport coat. This is something you can wear with a button-up shirt and pair of trousers, or something as casual as a t-shirt and some jeans. It's easily the most versatile jacket.

Let me show you a wardrobe you can build with $1,700 🧵

yup. I am not saying this is bad journalism, I'm saying this is piece-of-shit behavior that is also bad journalism, and doesn't surprise me from the author - but does surprise me from somebody as generally thoughtful as he is

@reckless.bsky.social, I have always had a lot of respect for you personally and what you do, but this is piece-of-shit slop. You should be embarrassed.

I'm canceling our subscription.

The attitude here from both you and the author that "we've been doing good journalism so we can do a 4th rate gossip article as a treat" is absurdly condescending.

Do not let Brett Kavanaugh's increasingly reactionary politics distract you from the simpler fact that Brett Kavanaugh is a dullard and a shitty writer whose colleagues all (albeit for different reasons) very obviously have nothing but contempt for him

MYTH: Looksmaxxing is an unhealthy grasp for control amid economic and social instability. FACT: Sounds like someone just got mogged.

Looksmaxxing: Myth Vs. Fact https://theonion.com/looksmaxxing-myth-vs-fact/

dreaming every day of the day I no longer have to hear the whining lies spewing out of his anus shaped mouth

CLARENCE. In God’s name, what art thou?

FIRST MURDERER. A man, as you are.

CLARENCE. But not as I am, royal.

SECOND MURDERER. Nor you as we are, loyal.

La Retraite de Hugues de Payens, by Georges Mathieu, 1958 (rotated), 📸 by @tiltoncreative

Every track on that album is a banger.

YouTube video by Steely Dan - Topic Do It Again

“Do It Again” by Steely Dan comes on in the cafe. I know that this is a band that divides opinion. But I am very sceptical of anyone who claims not to like this song.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmdi...

Once again I'm asking Democrats to take their messaging cues from the sitting Democratic Senator who is the most vulnerable for re-election in 2026

Ossoff: "There are some folks who are doomscrolling in the fetal position. Every day there is a new outrage. It's easy I know to fear that maybe we could lose our republic. I think what John Lewis would tell us is it's up to us. We have the power to right the ship. Nobody is gonna do it for us."

True in the US as well.

This is an important point. As yet Andrew has not been arrested for anything involving Giuffre, which is difficult to prove in court. They have him on information in the Epstein files regarding his time as trade envoy, which was well known to be corrupt. They mean to put him in prison.

I regularly see people wondering how it's possible that there are so many musicians and writers and film makers and artists from a tiny nation like Iceland.

And the answer is really simple: State funding for art education and artists. I literally get a salary from the government to write books.