Weekly Roundup #78 — Recent Pickup From Standard & Strange, My Favorite Father’s Day Gift, Fit Of The Week Featuring Stephon Carson, and more
Finding the perfect gray sweatshirt, my favorite Father’s Day gift, latest from Eighteen East, Fortela’s showcase at Pitti Uomo, and Fit Of The Week featuring Stephon Carson of Alfargo’s Marketplace
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I. Recent Pickup I’m Loving From Standard & Strange
I’ve been hunting for the perfect heather gray v-notch cotton crewneck sweatshirt since 2023.
To say I’ve been obsessed would be a huge understatement.
I’ve tried finding a vintage, made-in-USA version from all of the well-known brands, including Russell Athletic (too short), Hanes (too rare in my size), Fruit of the Loom (again, too short), and Champion (too long in the body).
I’ve also tried new versions from brands like Sunspel, Wythe, Uniqlo, GAP, J.Crew, and many others I’m forgetting, but nothing felt quite right in terms of overall fit and quality.
Two weeks ago I finally found “the” one at Standard & Strange: The Real McCoy’s 10 oz Loopwheel Crewneck Cotton Sweatshirt.
The Real McCoy’s, to my knowledge, has been sold out of all of their gray crewneck sweatshirts for the past couple of years. I expected to find one last year at one of their shops in Japan but had no luck.
Thankfully, they finally released this version that’s starting to be stocked at stores across the US. As soon as I saw it was available on the Standard & Strange site, I called the shop to make sure they had some available to try on.
I ended up buying the Large, even after everyone recommended going with the Extra Large because of the expected shrinkage that should happen. You can see how big the XL looks on me in the right image above, and I was not convinced it would shrink in the collar or the width.
I haven’t washed mine yet, although when I do, it’ll be in cold water and dried lying flat on a towel. I’ll report back if I experience any crazy amount of shrinkage.
Source & Imagery: standardandstrange.com
II. Father’s Day Gift I’m Wearing Everyday Until It Runs Out
One other thing I’ve needed to add to my repertoire is a daily fragrance. Something subtle, yet rememberable. This year, for my second-ever Father’s Day, my wife surprised me and gifted me one of my favorite scents—THÉ NOIR 29 from Le Labo.
I think everyone’s heard of SANTAL 33 by now, which has gotten a bad rap from the menswear community based on how many dudes wear it, almost rendering it generic at this point. I disagree. If something smells good (or looks good), why not wear it, regardless of who else does?
I wore samples for both for a few months before deciding that THÉ NOIR 29 was my favorite.
Fun fact—you can buy a $7 sample vial for any of their scents. I recommend trying out a few to see which ones you like best. They have a lot of different fragrances, so start by checking out one of their shops if there are any local to you. If you’re in the Bay Area, there are three locations: San Francisco, Berkeley, and San Jose.
Source & Imagery: lelabofragrances.com
III. A Few Things I’d Like From The Latest Eighteen East Drop
Eighteen East dropped some more items this week for their Spring/Summer 25 collection, adding even more great pieces made from linen, seersucker, and ripstop nylon. All of their fabrics are so, so good. It’s impressive how much stuff Antonio and his team have been putting out lately.
I love how this latest drop builds off the last one and leans more into a “cooler” color palette, with grays, blues, and blacks, whereas the last one was more tans, browns, and greens.
While not everything in the collection fits my aesthetic, there are three pieces that I could see working well with the rest of my wardrobe: The Durette Utility Shirt, The Emery Pleated Big Shorts, and The Surplus Combat Smock.
Let me know if you pick up anything from this latest drop!
Source & Imagery: 18east.co
IV. My Favorite Menswear Icon Shows His Latest Collection At Pitti Uomo
I’ve talked about Mr. Alessandro Squarzi (@alessandrosquarzi) many times here in the newsletter, so most of you already know how much I admire his style. I’ve run into him twice, once at The Real McCoy’s in Japan, and once at The Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, and he’s always been kind with his time and fun to chat with. I’ve also bought his book which highlights his massive vintage collection. So yeah, I’m a big fan.
One thing I‘ve yet to experience is his brand, Fortela. The brand describes itself as “Americana-inspired, Italian-designed, and Japanese-made.” If you take a look at the site, you’ll find Japanese-selvedge denim, work shirts, military jackets, chinos, and much, much more. It’s like an Italian version of The Real McCoy’s.
At the recent Pitti Uomo, he partnered with Esquire and displayed all of the latest pieces from his brand. In my opinion, this put his brand on everyone’s radar. Even though he just opened another shop in Milan, I hope there are plans to become more global. I’d it love if he opened a shop in New York. Right now, you have to fly to Italy to check out the products IRL, which I actually did back in 2022, but didn’t have a chance to try anything on. I need to go back soon!
Source & Imagery: instagram.com/alessandrosquarzi
V. Fit Of The Week Featuring Stephon Carson
One of the most elegant, well-dressed guys in the New York City menswear scene is Stephon Carson (@stephoncarson), founder of Alfargo’s Marketplace (@alfargosmarketplace).
He recently modeled for Todd Snyder, wearing the brand’s Italian Relaxed Sueded Linen Double-Breasted Tuxedo in Khaki, which looks excellent on him. I have never seen a tan tux like this, and that alone makes it super unique. I love the tonal nature of the fit, as well as his accessories, including a gold Rolex Datejust with a fluted bezel, silk scarf, and Belgian loafers.
The relaxed fit makes the tux feel more casual here, which is extremely hard to pull off, but leave it to Stephon to make it all just “work.”
I also like how they shot this with coffee and croissants—my two favorite things to enjoy on the weekends while getting dressed up a bit. Check out Stephon’s Instagram account for even more great fit pics.
Source & Imagery: instagram.com/stephoncarson
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P.S. Beyond excited to watch this next year. Based on one of my favorite sci-fi books ever: Project Hail Mary.
P.P.S. Denis Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond. I fully expect to see my favorite spy back in space.