Weekly Roundup #80 — Casatlantic’s Anniversary Edition Pants, Buck Mason Tees, Fake Vintage Levi’s, Fit Of The Week, and more
Welcome back to the Weekly Roundup series, where I share five stylish discoveries with over 12,600+ readers every Saturday.
I’m in Hawaii this week celebrating my wife and I’s ten-year wedding anniversary and our son’s second birthday. I’ll report back next weekend on all of the fun stuff we got up to—including coffee, food, beaches, shopping, and more!
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I. One Of My Favorite Brands Celebrates Its Five-Year Anniversary
Speaking of anniversaries, Casatlantic is celebrating its fifth-year anniversary and is releasing a new cut for their trouser lineup called the “TAZA.”
It’s a mix of their widest silhouette, the “TANGER,” and their flat-front style, the “EL JADIDA.”
I remember when the brand first launched with only White trousers, and I thought it was a little crazy at the time, but in a good way. The simplicity in the original color offering allowed the focus to shift towards their unique vintage style cuts and design.
I love how far they’ve come over the last half-decade. Watching this brand grow and build out their product offering, while maintaining the same vision and perspective is quite unique for a menswear brand, big or small.
I also enjoyed seeing the nod to their origins, making these available only in White, and making these a limited release of only 200 pieces.
And of course, the styling is absolutely gorgeous. Somehow it’s the same as always, yet feels new at the same time. Kudos to Nathaniel Asseraf and his team. Rooting for y’all to keep crushing it.
The “TAZA” trousers release on Tuesday, July 15 at 9:00 AM CEST. Let me know if you pick up a pair!
Source & Imagery: casatlantic.com
II. Two Tees I’m Checking Out By Buck Mason
The most important staple in anyone’s wardrobe is a white t-shirt.
I don’t need to go too deep into “why” as I expect most of you know this by now and own at least one or two different ones.
There are a bunch of different options out there at a wide range of price points and I’ve had my fair share of trying, buying, and wearing them.
One that caught my eye this week was this new version of Buck Mason’s Toughknit t-shirt, called the “Tubular Tee.” It comes in a pack of two shirts for $88 and is available in either Black or White.
The team at Buck Mason sent me one of their Toughknit Classic Tees last year, which I’ve worn at least once or twice a week ever since I received it—huge thanks again, y’all!
What makes this new version unique is that there’s no side seam, which, if you’ve been into T-shirts made in Japan, you’ll know the difference right away when you put one on. Buck Mason didn’t use the term loopwheel, but it seems these were made in a similar (if not the same) process.
I plan to stop by Buck Mason in San Francisco when we’re back next week and try them on. I’ll let you know what I think once I do!
Source & Imagery: buckmason.com
III. Video I’m Watching On How To Spot Fake Vintage Levi’s
One of the best pieces of advice I saw this week was how to detect fake vintage Levi’s—something I never knew was a thing, but makes a lot of sense given the massive amounts of Levi’s produced over the years.
After watching, I realized I might’ve seen some fake ones listed on eBay before or encountered some pairs while thrift shopping.
Noam Asseraf (@noamasseraf) made this recent Reel for Broadway & Sons that highlights everything to look for.
It all makes sense when you’ve bought as many 90s made in USA 501s as I have, but it can be hard to spot if you’re just starting out in your buying journey.
Here’s a list of everything he included to check before buying your next pair of vintage Levi’s:
Stamp on the back of the top button
Numbers should be lightly engraved, with thinner weighted letters rather than thick bolded letters.
Fakes usually use 501 or 524 or a random letter. Check this list for actual factory codes used throughout the years.
Tag on the back of the jeans
Fonts for the model and size should be consistent with other similar pairs. See video for more.
Tag on the inside of the jeans
Again, the fonts used for the logo and size should be consistent with other similar pairs. See video for more.
If the letters are thick and bolded, it’s usually a sign they’re fake. I’ve actually seen this on a pair before and glad I didn’t buy them!
Misspelled words on all tags and labels
Levi’s will never release jeans with misspelled words anywhere.
Excellent advice—thanks for sharing, Noam!
Source & Imagery: broadwayandsons.com
IV. Story I’m Reading About The Real McCoy’s Owner And His Dream Porsche
One of my main interests outside of menswear is cars.
I’ve been a long-time car fanatic, and while I’m not the most educated or well-versed when it comes to all of the different car lingo, I do recognize good design, and one of the best-designed cars ever is the Porsche 911.
The story on Type 7 featuring the 1973 Porsche Carrera RS above—owned by Hitoshi Tsujimoto, who also owns one of my favorite Japanese brands, The Real McCoy’s—is a perfect example of someone else who’s into the same things as me. Although, I’d caveat, at a much, much higher level in terms of collecting and passion.
I love seeing people like Hitoshi who are excited about something that I’m also into.
Whenever I’m out and about and notice someone driving a nice car or wearing something like a vintage watch or pair of Alden’s, I always compliment them, because I know how it feels to have others recognizing what I wear as well.
Not to say that I dress a certain way or buy things to show off for other people, I just enjoy it when someone else has the same level of appreciation for the same things as I do.
Check out more pics in the feature over on type7.com—there’s a bunch of other great cars and glimpses of the factory and storage facility for The Real McCoy’s.
Source & Imagery: type7.com
V. Fit Of The Week Featuring Daniel Z. Baraka
This entire set of fit pics is a masterclass in personal style.
Daniel Z. Baraka (@danielzbaraka) shared everything he wore over the past few weeks, and I’ve never seen a better example of someone wearing the same type of clothes and brands I’m into.
While most of the looks make more sense for a slightly cooler climate, like early Spring or late Fall, I can see how certain pieces like his Lambswool sweaters or jeans would be nice in the mornings before the day warms up or during the evening once things cool down.
The overall color palette is unique, especially for Summer. Black and navy are usually worn during Winter months and tend to be more serious and less playful. But since the darker pieces are mostly linen, they’re much easier to pull off. I’ve also been wearing a lot more black and navy lately and it’s great to see that Daniel’s been doing the same.
The last thing I liked about his fits was the camp collar shirts worn over a tank. It’s a great way to pull off layering in warm weather and something I want to try to do more of. Any layers with shorts and loafers is my favorite type of look for the Summer.
Give him a follow over at @danielzbaraka on Instagram.
Source & Imagery: instagram.com/danielzbaraka
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P.S. If you’re located in Tennessee, imogene + willie is hiring for a few roles, including: Photographer, Graphic Designer, Manager of Production, Videographer, and Senior Apparel Design Director.
P.P.S. For my fellow sci-fi nerds, I can’t wait for this.