Retail Therapy 069: Birkin Lawsuits & Menswear Matrix
Plus divorce rings and Gwyneth Paltrow's beef with dill.
Listen to Retail Therapy on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube (see above), and anywhere else podcasts are found.
To dad or not to dad, that is the question.
Yes, I’m going to a practice round of The Masters, haven’t you heard? And yes, for a brief time before talking to Barrett, I had major concerns about what to wear. So much so that I even wrote about it here.
Do I go full-dad and drip myself out in pure golf gear? Do I try to put out some edge by wearing a non-golf top? Vintage hats? Too many questions, maybe it’s good phones aren’t allowed.
Todd Snyder shorts that were discussed — Link
Young Brits just out here smoking pipes.
If the lads are doing something, we’re paying attention. And apparently the lads are smoking pipes, per The Guardian:
But a study published recently in the journal, Nicotine & Tobacco Research, that suggests something weirder is also going on with young people and tobacco. Apparently, the number of adults in England using non-cigarette tobacco products – things like cigars, pipes and shisha – increased from about 210,000 in early 2020 to a peak of just shy of 1 million in mid-2022, falling back to 773,000 by September last year. What struck me as truly strange, though, was that the most likely group to use these products is young people. About 3.2% of 18-year-olds were smoking these things in September 2023, up from 0.19% in 2013. By contrast, only 1.1% of 65-year-olds were doing so.
While I don’t think I’ll following suit, I could see myself getting bullied into doing it should I make it across the pond any time soon for a match or two. Stay tuned.
The Menswear Matrix
In what became the most robust segment from this week’s episode, we broke down the somewhat-viral tweet from @rfkenmore that broke down where each popular menswear brand falls. Here it is:
Where do you fall? In terms of my shopping habits these days, I’m somewhere between Dumb/Hot and Smart/Hot, but we need to remember that this is strictly on paper because these bags under my eyes aren’t going anywhere.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s beef with dill.
While I don’t watch every Hot Ones episode these days, I do pick my spots. Gwyneth will probably get the watch this weekend despite how much I despise her take on her most-hated herb, dill:
From The Cut:
“I love all herbs,” Paltrow said, “except for dill, which should be illegal.” Finally, someone brave enough to say it. Dill is certainly in the bottom tier of herbs, always overpowering a dish with its off-putting sweetness. I’m proud to say that Goop is on the right side of culinary history with this one.
“It’s so gross. It ruins everything and anything it touches,” the wellness maven said. Host Sean Evans egged her on a bit, calling dill a “dominant kind of flavor.” That gave Paltrow even more ammunition, calling the herb “dominant and just bad.” She said she didn’t even understand why people like it.
Should she show up to my yet-to-be-announced Garden Party this summer, she will not be offered any dill dip.
This week’s Articles of Interest
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
LL Bean Field Coat (price unknown currently) — Link
A&F All Day Shorts ($60) — Link
Vintage Duck Camo Pants ($225) — 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
Abercrombie & Fitch “Handcrafted” 3-Button Polo ($90 on sale for $72) — Link
Bode x Nike Sneakers ($150) — Link
JJJJound Sambas ($250) — Link
Listen to Retail Therapy on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube (see above), and anywhere else podcasts are found.