Austere August (™) is incoming. I’ve been spending with reckless abandon this summer and need to chill tf out. Catch me cooking meals and doing free things like reading and walking all August long.

Anyway, let’s tap into today.

Since I saw (and wrote about) that suave guy with side-adjuster trousers, I’ve gone down a couple rabbit holes. Here are two bangers.

Kit Black - Grant Olive Maison Hellard Linen Trousers

This one's a collaboration piece. 360g linen from Maison Hellard, woven in Normandy flax and finished in Italy, landing in that sweet spot between crisp Italian linen and the looser hand of Irish stuff. No belt required: side-adjusters and an extension waistband with a split back do the work, and rubberized brace buttons keep your shirt from creeping loose (don’t sleep on this last part). It ships unhemmed with extra fabric at the waist and seat, so add some budget for a tailor.

Duke Mid Grey Tropical Wool Trousers

Tropical wool, 240g and open-woven enough to breathe through a warm office without losing its crease… ding ding ding. The single outward pleat and a high waist show less volume up front, and utilize the same side-adjuster, no-belt system. It’s half-lined to the knee for structure without the weight of a full lining, and the same rubberized brace buttons and let-out fabric at the waist for alterations.

Big Job Painter Pant – Natural Drill

100% cotton drill in an oversized cut with a lower crotch and slight taper. This is the 90s silhouette Stan Ray built its reputation reissuing. Hammer loop, leg utility pockets, deep back pockets, and triple chain-stitched flat-felled seams at every stress point. Natural is the cream-beige colorway, the closest thing here to a neutral.

Big Job Painter Pant – Single Stone

Same relaxed, low-crotch cut and rock-solid triple stitching, in a stone-grey wash that reads more worn-in than the Natural. Same hammer loop and utility-pocket layout, with slightly more rectangular back pockets for extra capacity. Built for actual painters, priced for anyone who wants the fit.

Jersey IDG Hand-Dye Crew T "Ice Fishing" – White x Indigo

Smooth 20/- jersey, 100% cotton, hand-dyed in indigo rather than printed — so no two shirts land the same, and the color will genuinely rub off on whatever's next to it early on. The chest print is a small ice-fishing scene, understated rather than logo-forward. Made in Japan, priced like the small-batch object it is.

IDG Stripe Jersey Pennant T – Yatara

Yatara stripe — the deliberately irregular, hand-disrupted take on traditional Japanese stripe weaving — in heavyweight 454g indigo jersey. Relaxed, boxy crew cut, with three small pennant-motif labels standing in for branding. Made in Japan, built with real heft rather than the thin jersey most graphic tees get.

New brand to me out of Stockholm, and I’m impressed. These two are sharp as tacks, and the photo shoots went hard. So dramatic.

Lysekil II Penny Loafer – Dark Brown Suede

Blake-stitched, not cemented, this one resoles instead of retiring. Italian suede, soft and slightly nappy, half-lined for breathability, on a wide #19 last with a cork-filled leather sole that molds to the foot over time. Dark brown enough to hold its own against grey flannel.

Ängby Walker – Taupe Suede

Cemented construction built for miles, not resoles, with a bespoke rubber M-pattern sole for grip on wet pavement. Roomier #16 last in an E width, suede uppers with a soft hand, wooden trees included (blessed). Taupe reads lighter and fresher than the usual suede-loafer brown.

The good ppl at J.Crew offered to send me two summer linen shirts at the very moment I was shopping for more… Obviously I obliged. Both of these are in rotation like they’ve been in my wardrobe for years. 100% linen, machine washable, and light as a feather. Scrumptious.

(No, neither of those models are me. I’d have to open up a paid plan before you could ever think about getting that.)

J.Crew Slim Baird McNutt Irish Linen Point-Collar Shirt – Henry Pale Amber Brown

This one's cut from Baird McNutt Irish linen, the mill menswear guys namecheck for a reason: long-staple fiber that keeps the weave from going papery even as the shirt breaks in. The slim fit trims the body without pinning my arms, and a point collar keeps things looking pulled-together rather than beachy. “Henry Pale Amber Brown” is a warm, muted tan that reads more office than resort, so it layers clean under a blazer or stands alone with the sleeves rolled (both of which I’ve done).

WARNING: This shirt will make can make you up to a full integer more attractive on the 1-10 scale. Based on a real clinical trial.

J.Crew Washed Linen Shirt with Point Collar – Misty Lilac

The washed finish here does the heavy lifting… this one came out of the bag already broken in at the factory, so there's none of the stiff, board-like feel raw linen can start with. Standard fit gives a bit more room through the chest and shoulders than the slim cut above, but the same point collar has held its shape. Misty Lilac is a soft, low-saturation purple, easy to wear opened up or buttoned up.

Tuned in this AM. Will be tuning in again.

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