Retail Therapy 068: Black Tie and Outdoor Voices
Plus digital cameras and Twitter design accounts.
Listen to Retail Therapy on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube (see above), and anywhere else podcasts are found.
Back in the swing of things? Back in the swing of things. After some travels, a certain wedding, and even more travels, we’re officially back to our normal recording cadence. Don’t forget to check out last week’s In/Out episode pertaining to this spring, but let’s not bury the lede here — here’s this week’s subjects on Retail Therapy.
I’m getting trolled by my favorite design account on Twitter.
If Twitter (which I refuse to call X until I’m literally forced to) would allow Substack to embed tweets, this section of the newsletter would be a lot easier to lay out for you. I’ll do my best.
I’m talking about my favorite design account on Twitter: need.
I was hyper-critical of one of their posts, which is a rarity for me given their hit rate. Here’s what I said:
Okay, okay, fine. A bit harsh. But then I doubled down.
So they fired back and made fun of me.
Touche.
While I still maintain that all of the above rooms are terrible, I’m glad I’ve gotten on need’s radar. Shoot them a follow.
A “Dressing Nice” Follow-Up
In last week’s episode, Barrett discussed how “dressing nice” is in. And to support his claims, he found the following articles with attached excerpts:
The One Thing You Need Next Season (Read here.)
In the end, that may be the biggest takeaway of the season. The — to be very B-school about it — most important learning. The one thing that should inform not just shopping but, more important, dressing. The thing everyone does every morning.
The point isn’t so much what exactly you wear, but how you wear it: with commitment and a touch of formality. That’s what you need for next season. Not one specific item, not a mood or a vibe, but an attitude. This is, after all, no longer a time for half measures; that way lies disaster. It is a time to stand for something. Pay attention to details. Dress to meet the moment, even when the moment is a mess. Maybe especially when it is a mess.
The Allure of Getting Dressed (Read here.)
Mr. Slimane and Ryan Murphy of “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans” seem to be on the same page in embracing the return of highly conscious, coordinated outfits — in embracing the idea of the outfit itself, retrieving it from the dustbin of the passé.
There’s nothing casual or just-rolled-out-of-bed about these clothes. Nothing “Oh, this old thing?” Rather, they speak to the importance of dressing for the occasion, when every day is the occasion.
Any excuse to dress a littttttle nicer than normal works for me.
A tribute to Outdoor Voices
It was reported last week that Outdoor Voices would be shutting its doors on the retail side of things. While the company hasn’t been doing well in the public eye for years now, it was shocking to many employees who were let go with immediate effect and no severance.
To quote many people I’ve talked to in the days since, Outdoor Voices certainly had a “chokehold” on everyone in our home base Austin from about 2015 to 2019. Their events were well attended, their color-blocked leggings were a staple at every restaurant, and Ty Haney was becoming as much of a local celebrity as McConaughey.
Because of our unique (read: local) view on the topic, we thought we’d discuss the company at-large, our experience with the product itself, and what’s next for them. And yes, we also joked about their scented candle budget numbers from March 2020.
“How can I liven up this tuxedo?”
With wedding season upon us and the Oscars behind us, we thought it would be the perfect time to hash out some questions regarding tuxedos — and specifically how to differentiate your penguin suit from the rest of them.
While I’ve always skewed about as basic as you can for tuxedos, my rig is as follows:
J.Crew shawl collar
Tailored J.Crew pants (that are probably a touch too short)
Classic black dress socks
Black Belgian loafers
Flat-front shirt so I don’t have to worry about studs
Cufflinks that I probably borrowed from someone
A bowtie from Nordstrom
While Barrett offered a ton of different ways to spice things up, here’s an excerpt that touches on one in particular:
Gen-Z is giving me flashbacks from Facebook in 2005.
While my affinity for film photography has been discussed at length on the program, this week we turned to Gen-Z’s infatuation with digital cameras.
Here’s an excerpt I enjoyed from the article we referenced throughout, FastCompany’s “Gen Z is obsessed with point and shoot digital cameras” —
“The resale market for digital cameras has gone up because it’s just a limited supply,” Tiffany Zhong, a 27-year-old entrepreneur and photographer based in San Francisco, tells Fast Company. “A lot of influencers are using a specific camera, like the Canon 7Gx, or Contax G2, which is around $1,000 or more—and a lot of them are sold out.” (Resale listings for the Contax G2 have seen as high of a markup as $1,750.)
“A camera from 2007 gives off a certain vibe that something like an iPhone can’t produce,” says June; Abiniel described that “vibe” as warm-hued “vintage-looking photos that makes us feel like we’re living back in the 2000s.”
At those price points, I’ll stick with film.
Of course, we closed things out with our wishlists and imminent cops.
For 2024, we’ve hit the reset button on our wishlists and made them a bit more digestible for the year ahead. To access the complete version of our 2022 and 2023 wishlists, look no further than our final Listener Digest of 2022 and our final Listener Digest of 2023.
Will’s Wishlist (2024)
Seeking recommendations for dining tables, media consoles, and rugs!
RRL Officer Khakis ($241.50 on sale) — Link
Abercrombie Workwear Pants ($68) — Link
Nike ACG Russet Moc ($100) — Link
Soho Home Nadine Rug ($1,016) — Link
Acqua di Parma Colonia C.L.U.B. Eau de Cologne ($150) — Link
Drake’s Swim Shorts ($145 on sale) — Link
Dark Brown Belgians ($675) — Link
NEW: A&F All Day Shorts ($60) — Link
Barrett’s Wishlist (2024)
Margaret Howell Fireman Trousers ($495 Retail / $371.25 Sale) — Link
Vass Shoes Black Leather Cap Toe Oxfords (€417) — Link
Uniqlo Down Parkas ($40-$150) — Link
Montblanc Meisterstück Stainless Steel & Black Onyx Cufflinks ($280) — Link
Second/Layer Pico Blazer & Trousers ($340 on sale) — Link
Lululemon Soft Jersey Short 5” ($68) — Link
NEW: Bode x Nike Sneakers ($150) — Link
NEW: JJJJound Sambas ($250) — Link
Listen to Retail Therapy on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube (see above), and anywhere else podcasts are found.