Category: Clothing

  • Updated My Travel Fit, Watch Out Portugal

    Updated My Travel Fit, Watch Out Portugal

    If you read my Portugal post, you know how this started. Jennifer had opinions about my travel wardrobe. The citizens of Lisbon had opinions about my travel wardrobe. I came home suitably chastened and with a list of things to replace. Well, I’ve replaced most of them. This is the follow-up I promised — what…

  • My Clothing Philosophy (Who Even Has One Of Those?)

    My Clothing Philosophy (Who Even Has One Of Those?)

    If you’ve been following my ongoing clothing saga — the chore coat search, the Red Wing chronicles, the light duty boot quest — you might have noticed that I have opinions. Strong ones. Possibly unreasonably strong ones for someone who spends a meaningful portion of his life mowing a lawn and cutting firewood. But here…

  • Dress to Impress (Who, Exactly? The Fine People of Portugal Obviously.)

    Dress to Impress (Who, Exactly? The Fine People of Portugal Obviously.)

    We just got back from Portugal and it was fantastic. Lisbon, Porto, the hills, the pastéis de nata, the Super Bock — loved all of it. I dress for the weather. I dress for the walking. I dress to stay dry and not have to check a bag. Apparently Portugal noticed. So did Jennifer. They…

  • Looking for the Perfect Work/Chore/Casual Pants

    Looking for the Perfect Work/Chore/Casual Pants

    My pants requirements are simple: 100% cotton, blue or grey, can handle actual work, can also be worn somewhere my wife wants me to look slightly dressed up. This combination is apparently impossible to buy. For everyday wear I default to 100% cotton chinos in blue or grey. Banana Republic and Gap both have a…

  • The Quest for the Perfect Hoodie

    The Quest for the Perfect Hoodie

    My hoodie requirements are simple: heavyweight, 100% cotton. That’s the whole list. In 2026, this turns out to be unreasonable. I run an e-commerce shop with print-on-demand, and the only 100% cotton hoodies in the catalog are cost-prohibitive. For everyday wear I prefer a zip, but I’ll take a pullover if it’s cotton. The deal-breaker…

  • Does the Perfect Raincoat Exist?

    Does the Perfect Raincoat Exist?

    Some of my most miserable moments have been cold and soaked at the same time. Wet alone, fine. Cold alone, fine. Cold and wet together is the worst feeling I know, which is part of why I will never go cold-water swimming voluntarily. So I have spent more time than I should hunting for a…

  • My Search for the Perfect Chore Coat

    My Search for the Perfect Chore Coat

    I bought my first Carhartt C01 at Dave’s on 6th Avenue when I moved to NYC in the mid-90s. It hung in my closet, unworn, for years. Then we started building a house, and the coat earned its keep — wood-chopping, pricker-bush wading, firewood gathering, every chilly outdoor task I could throw at it. By…