What a difference a week makes. When I wrote this last time, I could see snow falling from the window. Now, the sunlight is pouring in. It’s 70 and humid as hell. Got out and had a nice walk today though, so taking advantage of the weird weather while I can.
This week includes recommendations for conducting your life offline, vintage hats, and more.
Rope Hats
In looking through photos this week for a scrapbook Jordan and I are working on with my visits to NBA arenas, I scrolled through photos and noticed my preferred accessory for 2023 was a ball cap. Part of that is functional; post-workout, it’s much easier for me to throw on a cap instead of putting product in my hair, but the other is because I’ve just amassed a decent hat collection now — with a lot of attention towards rope hats.
Rope hats were popular with golfers in the 60s, 70s, and 80s but have started to make a comeback. Case-in-point: 3Sixteen — who I’ll speak about shortly — collaborated with Wythe last year, which included a rope hat, and I’m still mad that I missed out on snagging it. The functionality is purely stylistic. They’re as slightly more workwear-adjacent, as evidenced by this South Carolina thrifted one below. Either way, they feel decidedly vintage and sporty, offering a lot of character—nice way to change things up from standard Dad hats or fitteds.
3Sixteen
3Sixteen is on a roll. As part of its 20-year anniversary last year, the brand dropped a number of collabs throughout 2023, each better than the last, culminating in a hot start to 2024 thanks to some Beatles boots I can’t stop wearing. The phrase “well-made staples” gets tossed around a lot, but they excel at it; sturdy selvedge denim, interesting button-ups, atypical knits, striking jackets (one is even modeled off a Japanese zen garden). It also happens that co-founder Andrew Chen is an absolute mensch and one of the most knowledgeable dudes around in fashion. I didn’t make a year-end list of my favorite things in fashion last year, but if I had, 3Sixteen would be at the top of it — with no other contenders in sight.
Playoffs
I’m not a huge NFL guy, but I lock in for the playoffs at the end of the season. Chiefs/Bills was a taut game (and honestly, it might end up being better than whomever we get in the Super Bowl) because of how intense the competition is on a game-to-game basis.
I’ve seen anecdotal Twitter chatter from folks who say it’s better if their partners aren’t in sports. Everything in moderation, sure, but there are endings in sports that are more euphoric and rewarding than any narrative spun up by even our best storytellers. The playoffs convey that intensity in spades, especially in football when it’s win or go home. Can’t wait for these last two games on Sunday.
Oh, and go Lions. Listening to Dan Campbell give a motivational speech wants to make me run through a brick wall.
Not Being Online
I’m trying to spend time in 2024 not obsessing about stuff on the Internet. Online behavior doesn’t translate to offline reality; half the things I endlessly debate on Twitter doesn’t matter to folks who aren’t actively involved in those spheres. To wit: there’s a lot of discourse around the Oscars this week, including deranged takes that wouldn’t likely see the light of day outside of the glow of a computer monitor. Let’s all strive to touch some grass.
Physical Memories
While in Los Angeles, Jordan and I went to a Lakers game to cross another NBA Arena off my list. I have an ongoing goal to attend a game in every arena, and sneaking in the time to go to a game became a priority when we realized we could. Jordan took it further and surprised me late last week with a scrapbook for us to start.
We spent part of Sunday assembling the first few pages, where I was reminded how lovely it is to take meaningful digital memories and put them into analog form. Having a tangible archive of where I’ve gone thus far, who was there with me, and when it all happened — all right at my fingertips instead of having to scroll miles of a digital screen — is a great way to memorize major milestones or goals like this one.
Quick Hits:
For GQ, I programmed a double feature for every Best Picture Nominee at the Oscars for this year. The caveat? The second-billed film also needs to be a 2023 release. This was a fun exercise to think outside the box. My favorite, and the one that kicked off the entire kernel of the piece, is Oppenheimer/Godzilla Minus One, but there are many other good picks in here (if I do say so myself). Would love to hear if you end up watching any of these together and what thematic strands stand out.
Weird week, to be honest! Eager for the weekend. Going to disconnect, get my hair cut, run some miles, and watch some football with the fam. Chat next week.
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Have you been to a Suns game yet?