Welcome back to our bi-perennial Market Week coverage. If you missed our initial rundown of how this works and subsequently why many multi-brand retailers are collapsing, have a look at that. Otherwise, stick around for what we saw from some of our favorite and newly spotted brands.
Stan Ray
What you know them for:
PANTS; the good kinds; like the ones that are tough as fuckin’ nails and made in family-owned factory in Texas and aren’t super expensive; room in the thighs; specifically carpenters, painters and double-knees.
What’s Coming:
MORE PANTS; in more colors and patterns and fabrics; some killer leopard camo stuff; a quilted shirt that goes pretty hard?; some patchwork Baker pants that could fade in some very fun ways; a barn coat; beefy flannels.
Notes:
PANTS. I know I said we had reached a saturation point with pants that was untenable, but that doesn’t mean that pants are over. That would be a stupid proclamation to make. And in case there was some confusion, I wasn’t saying that pants are over, I was saying that pants were the star of the show for a second and now they can go back to playing their supporting roles. Pants being pants, or whatever.
Like this? Read these:
And if that’s the case, I don’t know if there’s a brand making pants with less fuss than Stan Ray. Quick tangent: When I was growing up there was a kid I knew that everyone liked. Like everyone. He had a 100% approval rating. It was staggering. He wasn’t quiet but he wasn’t loud, he was funny, incredibly capable, oddly handy, dumb good at any board sport, down for whatever, whenever, always showed up — just an objectively good hang. He dropped out of school with zero fanfare when we were 16 and went to the job corps and became an electrician and linked up with a union and made a bunch of money without being an asshole about it and is still basically the same dude as he was when he was 15. He was a rare breed, but uncannily familiar, if that makes sense. Or maybe it was that he was a savant when it came to universally understood things. Whatever. Anyways. Stan Ray pants are that dude but pants.
You’ll never get tired of them, you’ll never be weird or precious about them, you’ll be consistently surprised by their capability and reliability.
3sixteen
What you know them for:
MiUSA denim; bomber flannels; Good Mules™; a knockout work pant; OD tasteful collaborations; maybe the most underrated knitwear around.
What’s Coming:
Maybe my favorite Johnny collar knit polo; a hand-painted Charmin-soft crewneck sweater; more rib-stitch cotton cardigans and crews; Big Cargos; a nepped-out denim chore coat; some fun lil’ embroidery hits; Heavy Coats; a reversible gilet that goes incredibly hard; some fleece; running shorts (!); great flannels; a couple Westerns that are very good; a suit that’s not a suit but is also very good.
Notes:
The run that 3sixteen is on is impressive. While the American Raw Denim resurgence wound down to a whimper, they opened a new flagship store in Nolita, added a whole catalog of styles that felt canonically aligned but aesthetically refreshing—knitwear, twill work pants, bomber jackets, a growing footwear lineup, an all-cotton track suit riff, a mechanic suit, you get it—continued to pump out some of the best MiUSA denim and worked on some of the coolest, most holistically conceived collaborative products literally anywhere (see: the Padmore & Barnes bangers that I wear religiously; the museum-worthy 20th anniversary Schott Perfecto; the chainstitch hat they did with Wythe that became The Hat for months; the recent Big Jeans they made with Throwing Fits that are actually big and have a black-on-black warp/weft situation and a turquoise shank that looks like it has the powers of an amulet or some shit and sold out in like three minutes).
Anyways, brand reinvention isn’t remotely novel, but what they’ve managed to do very much is, in that they haven’t reinvented themselves at all, and instead just expanded their range into previously unmapped territory, without abandoning their foundation or forcing that expansion in weird ways like some of their contemporaries (you know who you are). For FW24, for instance, they’re introducing a dumb good top-bottom set in suiting wool, which definitely sounds like a suit until you realize the top shares more of its genetic makeup with a coach’s jacket than it does with most OTR suiting options, and the bottoms are just killer slacks with a bit of elastic at the sides because a little bit of elastic feels nice, regardless of what you masochists have to say.
They also can turn a thermostat like 2º and make an entirely new thing, like they did with a black chore coat that’s trimmed entirely in zig-zagging white hand-stitched piping (honestly have no idea if it’s considered piping but it visually functions as such and I’m driving this careening vehicle, so that’s what we’re going with), or their Western, which is done in wool with a tonal stripe pattern and will absolutely wear like a flannel if that’s how you want it to wear.
And that doesn’t even get to their tentpole denim offerings — the new(ish), big(ish) RS cut they’re doing will be back in stock soon(ish), and there’s like 24 good reasons it sold tf out — or the new classics, like their Johnny Collar knit polo that I’ve been wearing like once a week for five months now, that they also just keep dialing in further.
Anyways, for those of you out there who haven’t waded into the non-denim categories, you’re missing out. And for those that don’t want to, the denim is still as heady as ever.
Wythe
What you know them for:
Listening to Western before Western got its recent record deal; but actually what might be the best Western Shirts; driving the Bootcut revival; fabrics that, if you stare long enough, will have you seeing both schooners and sailboats; a great trucker jacket; COWBOY BOOTS; that awesome hat (you know, that hat); insane metal tooling on their hardware.
What’s Coming:
Maybe my favorite corduroy I’ve ever seen (done in two colorways!); FRINGE (a natural extension of the genre); …
Oliver Spencer
What you know them for:
Shit that would look great in that one Oscar Isaac editorial (you know it); stoned professorcore; classic British fabrics; fabrics that you wouldn’t expect to look good alongside classic British fabrics but very much do look good alongside them; being nice without being stuffy.
What’s Coming:
More classic menswear; sweater vests; warm pants; Big Coats; knit polos.
Notes:
I didn’t rank my favorite pieces I saw (maybe I should’ve? Sound off, idk), but if I did, there was this Oliver Spencer half-zip velour thing done in a dirty purple that I have thought about at least nine (9) times since and would undoubtedly place in my Top 5 — and it ain’t #5. I want it so bad. I have no idea how I would care for it, haven’t really decided on the things I would want to wear it with (I have ideas, calm down) and don’t even have a ballpark on price, but I want it. I understand that this isn’t really analysis or critique or even commentary, but I have a whole page in my notebook that’s blank aside from the words “FUCK ME UP WITH THAT PURPLE OR MAYBE IT’S MORE LIKE A MUTED EGGPLANT POLO,” so that landed us here, talking about a nebulously categorized shirt done in an ambiguous shade of aubergine, and it 1000% deserves it.
Now that we cleared all the way out for that obscene solo, however, it’s important to note that the rest of the collection was great. For instance, you’ll see a lot of brands that place an emphasis on a specific color palette or on a textured fabric, but it’s less often that you’ll see a brand place that emphasis on how the two will interact together, at least in the way that Oliver Spencer does. The brushed cottons and boiled wools, for instance, are beautiful on their own, but bring out the subtleties in each other when they’re layered. That goofy velour thing* above will alleviate most duck-related malaise on a solo mission, but will ascend to a new realm under the double-breasted melton coat.
*(I kind of want to call it corduroy but I also assume there are wale limits in any proper society and if that’s the case these blast past those in the shoulder at nearly twice the posted speed limit.)
Normally, articulated corduroys, slubby puppytooths, brushed rib-knits, contrast-stitched suede, waxed canvas and chalk-striped wools into the same collection would end in some busy, unfocused mess, but everything is done in the muddy, earthy tones that ground the entire thing and make the juxtaposing elements not just feel approachable but essential.
Tl;dr if Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Rogers got bananas high at a party and decided at like 3am to start a clothing label — but not like actually design it, obviously, they would leave that to the professionals and lead with Vibes™, you know, be like co-CD’s, which would also leave themselves the option to market themselves as multi-hyphenates going forward (in Sherlock’s case, “Detective – Inventor – Creative Director”; in Mr. Rogers case, “Host of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood – Cardigan Ambassador – Creative Directory”) — and that shit was actually really good, it would probably look something like Oliver Spencer.
Pilgrim Surf & Supply
What you know them for:
Surf boards; a long-standing commitment to a full-legged pant; one of the best in-store retail experiences in the US; great merch; funky wovens (this applies to both fabrics and designs); an affinity for any kind of stripe (and the ability to make it work).
What’s Coming:
Multiple parkas that could be described as “tanks”; more of their new hitter silhouette, the Minimalist Salathe Pant, that I recommend very highly; so many good tees; this wild fair isle sweater that’s been flipped inside-out in a way that works; some space-dyes that are great; even some denim!
Notes:
In this current landscape, it’s hard to stay under the radar, at least in any kind of sustainable way. Longevity and recognition (and its fickle cousin, expansion) usually go hand-in-hand, so most brands are either new or over-exposed*. Pilgrim is neither new nor over-exposed, and is instead the product of years of dedication to both product and consumer, a deep and defining brand identity, a love for practical design and absolutely incredible taste in just about everything — from references to sound systems to interiors to board shape or anything else.
(*I said most. Once again, calm down. If you have a brand in mind, I wasn’t talking about it.)
And what was once an incredibly tight collection of hard-wearing pants, board shorts, hoodies, tees, shells and a few other practical and/or fun pieces, has turned into a whole-ass line in recent seasons. And a good one. Roomy silhouettes, killer construction, fabrics as unique as anything you’ll find from labels three times their size, it’s all there.
Corridor
What you know them for:
LSD-drenched knitwear; maybe the softest flannels in the history of the genre; (maybe); (there’s no way to measure this); (there might be); (let’s keep moving); easy cuts; being very wearable.
What’s Coming:
More of that knitwear, don’t worry; also more flannels; some good Classic Menswear™; TEXTURES; also some glittery thread; seriously it’s shiny; this one shorter coat that looks like a gd tapestry; some solid Balmacaan-ish coats in a very big herringbone that I quite liked.
Notes:
Corridor didn’t take a huge leap forward or anything for Fall ’24, but it also didn’t really need to? I’m not saying that it didn’t grow or refine existing products or anything like that, it also was very much Corridor from like 100 yards out. If anything, they toned things down a little bit, which both felt in line with the rest of the brands and appropriate for General Vibes on another — regardless of who your’e cheering for, Fall ’24 doesn’t seem like the Fun Colors! section of the historical arc.
They graciously brought back some of their classics — the light-af cloud cardigan and the hand-crocheted pima joints got subtle makeovers without any genetic modification — and some familiar staples (see above, but on a piece-to-piece level, things were decidedly more foundational than Hairy Short-Sleeve Magenta Muppet Shirt. (To be clear I liked Muppet Shirt, despite some internal durability concerns.)
Their knit polo, which is great (I have one, I bought it, I’m not a shill), is back with a blown out floral print, but the print is actually subdued — at least relative to other floral prints. Even the shiny thread shirts were kind of subdued, even if they did draw me in like a raccoon.
To be clear, once again, this is a good thing. I love Weird Corridor, but if everything is weird then nothing is. And the thing is, their everyday shit is so good and so easy to wear. So, come for the signature pieces, stay for the flannel you have to remind yourself to wash.
Paraboot
What you know them for:
That toe box; you know the one; it looks like a lot of others if we’re being honest with ourselves; but it’s also way better?; being one of the most rock-solid shoemakers in the world; Norwegian Welts baby; also Goodyear but that’s more common; that hiker, the Avoriaz, that’s (finally) getting more love;
What’s Coming:
A Monkstrap Michael; you heard me; it’s cool, don’t worry; this black-and-white patent Michael that’s gauche but also amazing; like on some real Zoot Suit shit; more Montanas; more Yosemites; this deep green leather that’s eye-catching bc it’s green but also subdued enough to probably wear with anything not green; some cow-print Michaels (themes).
Notes:
Paraboot became nuts prevalent recently, and I can’t quite figure out what happened. They deserve it so much, by the way, but they’re very expensive and also have been doing the same thing for decades, which isn’t the typical formula for a market surge.
And for those of you at home being like, “I’ve loved Paraboots for years,” I very much hear you, see you and believe you have. For years, however, I worked at a store for that perennially stocked them and I can tell you that, while they had their devoted acolytes, they weren’t flying out the door and they weren’t getting name-checked with any kind of regularity. They were a staff favorite — literally everyone had a pair and loved them and all of us would probably do questionable shit to get that 60% discount even one more time — but they were a hard sell for someone not laser-focused on getting them already.
This doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. They’re at a lot of stores, they don’t really go on sale, Fashion people have accepted them into their circle and the pant climate is incredibly conducive to the shape and volume of nearly every one of their offerings.
Those offerings are so good too. We all know and love the Michael, and it feels plenty of us are familiar with the Avoriaz — the boot that looks like it was made by milking the Matterhorn — and the Reims is the unsung Chunky Loafer hero, but the styles I got the most juiced over were the Montana and Yosemite, which have a sort of Donkey/Diddy Kong relationship. They kind of look like approach shoes from the ‘70s and climbing shoes from the ‘80s, but with none of the forced flash that became associated with the genre.
Or, to put a bow on things, the things you already love are getting easier to love, and the shit you (probably) haven’t thought much about yet might be even better.
Brands that Should Be Bigger:
Norbit by Hiroshi Nozawa
What you (should) know them for:
Funky outerwear; more unexpected closures than a suburban mall; pocket-counts challenged only by brands in the Nepenthes suite; a reverence for fishing vests also challenged only by brands in the Nepenthes suite; concealed tech; modular shit; military references with lots of creative liberties.
Notes:
Norbit isn’t new, and you can (or recently could) find them at gigantic e-comm outfits like End. and Mr. Porter, as well as IYKYK stores like Mohawk General Store and The Bureau Belfast, but for some reason it still feels like they fly under the radar. From a selfish perspective, it’s always kind of nice when a Good Niche Brand stays niche — the more identifiable or weirder the garment, the worse the Spiderman meme feels, this is known as the 7-Cut Flannel Law — and critical mass is almost always an unsustainable scenario for any brand, but for a brand so focused on outerwear, “under the radar” is even more unsustainable.
It’s kind of dumb, considering the quality, creativity and functionality of the clothes that designer Hiroshi Nozawa is churning out. Like, there’s this tweed hunting coat with a corduroy collar and cuffs that looks like it owns its own manor, but it also has a GORE-Tex membrane between the Abraham Moon & Sons outer and full lining. Tie-closures on down coats, modular pullovers, off-center zippers, everything is just the right amount of goofy to be fun for years, but without being gimmicky or susceptible to fatigue.
NANGA
What you (should) know them for:
Making some of the coolest puffers with some of the coolest brands in the past couple years; also puffy slippers; so yeah mostly puffy shit. And this really cool duck I saw, but idk if that’s like a calling card. It was a cool duck though.
Notes:
I’m an absolute mark for modular tops. Bottoms I’m 50/50 on, but tops? Forget about it. I’m cooked. I have no idea why, but I am. Anyways, because I’m just a moth to a sleeve that can be removed (by zipper) in multiple places, I will admit that I was a bit blinded by the masterpiece that had sleeves that could be removed (by zipper) in multiple places, creating a puffy t-shirt-vest-liner jacket that I refuse to try to portmanteau for any longer than I’ve already tried but I also love quite a lot. (For the record, I think I liked the t-shirt version best, because it was exciting and also dubiously functional.)
Anyways, NANGA is making moves in the Puffy Space, and it’s really good if you’re into featherweight, steam-vent warm, OD puffy jackets, vests and the like.
Jackman
Who they are:
I’m not all the way sure, to be honest, but I love their stuff. So much. I know the Heddels audience isn’t necessarily susceptible to the myriad “it’s so soft bro” pitches that seemingly account for around 93% of all menswear marketing* but holy shit do they make soft knits. There’s this waffle-knit crew that I’m still thinking about, done in like eight different colors, that is both OD chunky and dry-sponge light. Their one-tuck pants feel like a couch blanket, but drape like dress trousers. Their hoodies look like they’ve spent 300 days on the beach for a minimum of five years.
(*An odd way to reach for a tough guy demo that also is disproportionately terrified of cities and into shit like Black Rifle Coffee but if it works it works.)
You won’t find them at a ton of stores, but if you do, they’re worth checking out. It’s all-organic cotton, the cuts are forgiving but aren’t trend-driven (re: shelf-stable), it’s all made in Japan and while it’s not remotely cheap, it’s not wtf expensive either.
