2024
A year of menswear and travel.
I won’t brag about numbers or ephemeral achievements. I won’t whine about how much time this thing takes, either. And I certainly won’t tease you with how much is coming in the new year because I don’t know.
What I do know is that this clothing and travel stuff is a lot of fun. It gets even more fun when shared with people who can relate. In this newsletter, I want to take a moment to appreciate the things we enthused over last year.
Denim
Last year was when I was finally able to properly cover a topic I love so much — denim. Although I’ve never considered myself a denimhead — a term that implies a certain look and attitude I don’t advocate for — I’ve been interested in the subject ever since I watched an episode of the Put This On video series fifteen years ago. That single video set me off on a denim journey that spans from a run-of-the-mill yet rigid pair of Levi’s 511 (which I pretty much destroyed) to Rogue Territory Stanton, John Bull, Levi’s Vintage Clothing 1954 501z, Left Field Greaser, three pairs of TCB 50s Regular, and finally, 3sixteen RS-100, my most recent pair of jeans. I’ve always wanted to cover the aging process of those pairs but abandoned it for one reason or another. In 2024, I finally paid proper homage to one of my favorite subjects.
It started as usual — I just wanted to review my 250-wear-old pair of TCB 50s Regular jeans. But this time, I realized that while raw denim gets enough praise from style aficionados (often, still in its new, almost unworn state), that’s only part of the picture. Those very things that enthusiasts, including myself, love to geek out about might alienate newcomers. That’s how the Things They Don't Tell You About Raw Denim article came about.
Obviously, after highlighting the drawbacks of raw denim, I wanted to show even more respect to the subject. But there was one key ingredient missing: the importance of quality and actually putting that quality through real-life experiences. A true luxury. By defining this, it became easy to describe Things I Love About Raw Denim.
These three articles summarize my perspective on denim. Laying out the foundations freed me up to zoom in on more niche aspects of the topic, including the subtle art of roping, purchasing a new pair of jeans, taking a bath in them, documenting first progress, and comparing how different washing routines impact the resulting fades. Surprisingly, this last article became my most popular article of the year.
This year, I will continue wearing my many pairs of jeans, which will likely result in more articles. Do you have any jeans-related topics or questions you’d like me to cover? Feel free to share them in the comments below this article.
Random Observations
In December 2023, I tried a new format — Random Observations — where I ramble about random stuff that caught my attention in a shorter, more approachable way. Well, that was the initial intention. In reality, it often turned into several fully-fledged articles tucked into a single newsletter: an overview of medium-sized check-in luggage, a review of worn-out corduroy pants, an opinionated rant about menswear on Substack, a compilation of voluminous raincoats, and even a t-shirt review (although I write a separate series on those).
What was conceived as a quick and easy format for both reader and writer, in fact, required even more dedication and time. Yet, I somehow pulled off eleven issues of Random Observations in 2024. Curiously, the effort paid off, as the series remained popular throughout the year.
T-Shirt Series
Another feature has evolved into a staple of this newsletter — the T-Shirt Series. I remember hoping to turn it into a comprehensive collection when I wrote my first review of the JJJJound Standard Issue tee almost two years ago. Now, with eight reviews under my belt, I’m still far from covering the extensive collection I’ve accumulated. But even such a basic garment as a t-shirt takes time to see how it ages and whether the quality is there. So I’ll keep wearing my tees and, hopefully, review more of them this year.
Streets Report
To be honest, the Streets Report series is my personal favorite. Buying clothes, wearing them, raving about details, and digging into the stories behind them — I love it, truly. But the fact that I put so much energy and attention into it will never allow me to get anywhere close to those who execute their style effortlessly.
Of course, many of the people I secretly photograph on the streets do pay attention to how they look. Some of them, perhaps, even obsess over it more than I do. But as long as we remain complete strangers, their style seems to be just a reflection, almost consequence of their personalities — which I know nothing about but imagine are much deeper than mine.
Anyway, last year, I reported on street style in Madrid, Sofia, Nice, London, and Tokyo (if only virtually). I'd love to do more of these. All it takes isn’t even travel—it’s a regular commute, something my work-from-home setup desperately lacks. Let’s all spend more time outside this year.
Travel
Although this newsletter is mostly about clothing, travel remains a huge part of it. In an age when we’re always online, travel is one of the rare chances to escape into the real world and try something unplanned.
My travel notes never pretend to be know-it-all guides. I don’t see why anyone needs another “10 best things to do” list. I want just one or two, from a source I can relate to. My travel articles aim to set you up for a good start. New destinations can be overwhelming at first — you might feel weary after your flight, you need to figure out how to leave the airport and check into accommodations that may not live up to expectations. There can be too much happening all at once.
In that regard, I want my guides to offer a few proven spots to eat, shop, and explore — like advice from a trusted friend. Once your first steps are covered, you can venture out and build on them yourself.
Last year, I added travel notes on Montevideo, the Bay of Kotor, Budapest, and communist-era monuments in Bulgaria. Feel free to check them for inspiration and share them with friends traveling to those destinations.
Music
This is the most personal and long-lasting series of all. I’ve been collecting monthly playlists from music I discover on SoundCloud for almost eight years. It’s not the newest or rarest tunes — just what makes my head nod. I realize music works differently for everyone, but if you’re curious to step outside your usual algorithms, you might as well give it a try. I still owe you last month’s playlist—it’s coming next week.
Misc
Lastly, I wrote several articles about clothing that don’t fit into the series above. I’m pretty proud of how they turned out, and I think they deserve a mention in this wrap-up:
The Unsung Hero Of Tennis Sneakers (not Jack Purcell!)
Merci Beaucoup
Most of all, I want to thank you, the reader of this newsletter. Opened emails, views, likes, restacks, shares, and comments — all of these mean a lot to me. Although I don’t play the numbers game, every individual sign of support matters. I also want to thank my wife for letting me steal a big portion of our Sunday nights last year. This newsletter opens up my inner self, and knowing there are people out there who can relate means the world to me.
This year — best year. Much love ❤️
i'm happy to read you, and read here that you'll continue to write this 🫶