First Impressions Of Hanover’s Jeans, New Podcast On Fatherhood & Fashion, How To Start Over With Your Wardrobe, and more

Weekly Roundup #132

Jul 12, 2026

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— Victor Kernes

I. FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF HANOVER’S WANDER WIDE-LEG JEANS

Hanover is a newer brand that I’ve written about a couple of times here, and I’ve been waiting a while to give their latest collection a try.

I’ve had my eye on their Wander Jeans—which are a much wider fit compared to their Drift Jeans (which have more of a straight, slim fit)—and this week my pair came in the mail.

FYI—I paid full price. I wanted to try these out on my own dime.

I finally bought them because I noticed sizes were selling out. I didn’t want to have to wait for a restock, just in case that took a minute.

So, my first impressions of the jeans were overall “good.”

The inseam wasn’t as big an issue as I expected. They fit just right, but they have little to no break for me. It could be a problem if you were any taller (I’m about 6ft 4in for reference).

The rise, though, is lower than I’d like, and the waist is also slightly bigger than expected. I bought them true to size (32-inch waist), and I have to wear a belt with these because they’re about an inch too wide (the actual measurement across is 16.5 inches).

They look a little odd with a shirt tucked in, so I’ll have to wear these with everything untucked on top.

The fit is what I liked the most. They’re relaxed and have about an inch and a half wider leg opening compared to a pair of vintage Levi’s 501s. And they’re super comfortable, with no pinching or pulling in any areas.

The price point was also appealing—it’s one of the lowest amongst brands in the middle tier, coming at $165. I can tell where they cut costs to keep the price point low, things like the finishings (rivets, button-closure, and the zipper), the tags, and using non-selvedge cotton. It’s not the worst, but if you upgrade those smaller details, these could easily be in the $225-$250 range, so I get why they did it.

I’m keeping them as I desperately need a pair of relaxed, washed jeans. As of right now, they’re a good enough option for my current needs.

Source & Imagery: hanover-usa.com

II. NEW MADE IN USA CHAMBRAY WORK SHIRTS FROM MANRESA

Manresa has been releasing a bunch of new stuff over the past couple of weeks, and the latest thing that dropped this week was The Roebuck Shirt—a double-pocket, 100% cotton, chambray work shirt.

It reminds me of something you’d see from Ralph Lauren’s Double RL line, orSlow, or another high-end Japanese brand that reproduces vintage Americana-inspired pieces.

The quality looks fantastic. And I like that the design is fairly simple and straightforward, without any logos or branding on the exterior.

I also love the pointed collar, the body length, and even the little details like the fabric strands exposed on both sides of the bottom hem.

It comes in Sky Chambray or Black Chambray. Both look sick.

I’ve been on the hunt for a new Chambray shirt after selling my Bryceland’s Teardrop Work Shirt, which I bought in Japan a couple of years ago, but ended up fitting a little too snug for me now.

I’m not sure if Manresa has ever done this shirt in a true blue denim Chambray, but if they ever plan to release (or re-release) something similar to the one I had from Bryceland’s, I’d be all about that.

I’ve been keeping an eye on each of Manresa’s collections over the years, and I like how much they’ve invested in bringing production back here to the States.

I hope to check out some of their stuff in person in the near future.

Source & Imagery: manresa.com

III. NEW PODCAST I’M LISTENING TO ON FATHERHOOD AND FASHION

Dress Well Dad Well is a new podcast that launched in June that focuses on two things that apply to me: fatherhood and fashion.

It’s hosted by Christian Petty, Cy Robinson, Nick Howard-Lanes, and Thomas Lloyd. All four of them are fashion influencers with large followings, and each is based in the UK.

Here’s a quick overview of the podcast:

We're four dads who care about style, confidence, fatherhood, and holding onto our identity through all the changes that come with modern life.

After searching for a podcast that combined menswear, self-care, fatherhood and real conversations, we realised it didn't exist.

So we started one.

I’ve been searching for this type of content ever since I became a dad.

I’m so stoked this came across my desk. I’ve made my way through the first episode and need to finish listening to the second.

One of the topics they discussed in the first episode was when each of them had kids and how they think about having kids now.

It’s interesting to hear each of their takes—I’m in between two answers: I can’t imagine having any more at my current age, and I can’t imagine having them any younger than I did. I’m happy with one child, and I don’t feel the need or pressure to have any more.

Also, one question and answer that resonated with me: “What’s the number one quality in a dad?” “Patience.”

I’ve had friends suggest that I should write more about fatherhood and write about my experience as a father who’s into fashion.

I have ideas floating around in my head on how I might incorporate more into my content moving forward. My world lately has been filled with advice on parenting, stoicism, career, finances, and more, which has me thinking there’s a point of view I can provide to you all.

This podcast has given me a bunch of ideas and inspiration, so if you also happen to be reading this and are a dad and menswear enthusiast, give the podcast a follow and check out their latest episode.

Source & Imagery: youtube.com/@dresswelldadwell (listen), instagram.com/dresswelldadwell (follow)

IV. SERIES I’M READING ON HOW TO START OVER WITH YOUR WARDROBE

David Lane (@bigfits) is one of the best-dressed guys on the internet. His mixing of workwear and tailoring is always an inspiration, and I’ve tried many, many times to replicate his fits.

He’s now launched his own Substack and published three articles that all touch on the same topic—how to start over with your wardrobe.

It’s another topic I think about all of the time. I’ve had this ongoing struggle over the years where I’ve continually revamped my wardrobe by either selling or donating everything after a year or so, and then trying to build it back up.

Financially, it’s not the worst, but timing-wise, it takes forever.

I’m super happy that David put these articles together. Almost everything on his lists I currently own (at least one piece in each category), but even then, all of the various brands and items he’s included have got me contemplating swapping out a few things.

Also, if you’re a bigger guy, you too can be stylish, like David. I’m not the best person to give advice on where to shop if you’re of a similar size and proportions as David, so he’s an excellent person to follow and learn from.

I’ve also been listening to the Die, Workwear podcast on the Blamo! Patreon, where Derek Guy and Peter Zottolo have also been talking about the same topic. Basically, talking through “if you had X amount of dollars, what would you buy to build out your wardrobe if you lost everything.” There are a lot of similarities in the things they and David recommend, and both are super helpful, especially if you’re just starting out in your menswear journey.

I won’t spoil too much else, because David’s advice is fantastic and you should go read all three parts. Here are the links to Part I, Part II, and Part III.

Source & Imagery: bigfits.substack.com

V. TWO-PIECE SUIT I’M ADMIRING FROM DRAKE’S BRAND CREATIVE STRATEGIST

Junyin Gibson shared a special announcement this week on something he’s been working on for the past year: the J.GIBSON Uniform.

If you’re unfamiliar, he is the brand creative strategist at Drake’s. He also happens to be one of the most stylish guys on the team. You can usually spot him in the brand’s Stories on Instagram.

The signatures of his personal style are glasses, usually with bold, chunky frames, and a clean haircut. I’ve never seen him without either. He typically wears clothes exclusively from Drake’s, which you’d expect, but out of everyone on the team, I’ve always been drawn to his style the most.

Here’s what he had to say about what he’s been working on:

I developed this garment sometime last year as part of an ongoing exploration of the clothes, art, objects, and food that shaped my upbringing between Hong Kong and London – a reflection on identity and heritage.

He also mentioned:

Made in London with Chinese craftspeople, from pattern cutter and seamstresses to collaborating with a ceramicist for ceramic knot buttons, celebrating the craft and cultural heritage within London’s Chinese community.

I love seeing people make their own thing, whether it’s in small batches or going full-scale and starting their own brand. Seeing him make this on his own makes total sense. I’ve seen him wear similar outfits over the years, so why not unify them and make his own version?

The ceramic knot buttons are a nice little detail. I expected them to be fabric.

It’s great that he’s found a local community to make the garment. I love that. I also just love the overall idea of a uniform—it being something you can wear anytime without having to think about it.

With the photos he shared, both the jacket and pants look cropped, so I’m not sure if I’d ever be able to wear them, but again, I love that he made this, and I’ll be keeping an eye on future things from J.GIBSON.

Source & Imagery: instagram.com/junyingibson

UPCOMING MENSWEAR EVENTS

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P.S. The correct way to hang your pants (it works!).

P.P.S. Stop being nice and start being kind. I love this mindset shift.

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