Fall AMA.
I asked for your questions on Instagram, and came here to Substack to answer them in long(er) form.
I don’t often do Q&A’s on Instagram - the last time I did, it was a year ago when I was holed up in quarantine when my entire family had COVID and I did not. Answering style and hobby questions via IG has its drawbacks - sometimes there’s just so much that you can type out on a little screen and you want to elaborate on things a bit more than space allows. So a few weeks ago, I posted up and asked for your questions. Thanks to everyone who sent one in; here are a few of my responses.
What’s the first thing you notice when you walk into a new retail space?
The first thing that came to mind when I read this question was smell. And I thought to myself, there’s no way that would be the first thing that I would notice but if that’s the first answer that’s coming into my head then that must be it, right? I don’t know how to quite describe it, but the Extra Butter store in the Lower East Side has a custom fragrance that is pumped into the air ducts, and it smells incredible in there every time you go in. At the visvim flagship store in the GYRE shopping center in Omotesando, a coffee bar called Little Cloud Coffee is set up right at the front of the store. If they’re brewing, the smell carries through the entire store (which is massive). Sometimes a retail store just has a really interesting blend of smells from all of the different candles, incense, and other aromas that are brewing in there. And some stores actually smell like the products that they have – if you’ve gone into the Schott flagship store on Elizabeth Street, you’ll know exactly what I mean, it’s intoxicating.
In the 3sixteen flagship stores, we’re either burning our house candle or some MAAPS incense throughout the day. At the New York shop, we usually start off the day with a waft of Palo Santo to clear out the negative energy.
Any advice/tips for clearing out your closet when you have a hard time letting go of pieces?
I don’t know if I’m the best person to be asking this question, because I am nowhere near a minimalist. Come by our home or even my work desk and you’ll see clearly that I have a hard time letting go of things. When it comes to clothes, I don’t typically ascribe to the “if you haven’t worn it in a year then it’s time to get rid of it“ mantra, because there have been times when something lays dormant for quite some time, and I then come back to it reinvigorated. One thing that allows me to let go of certain items of clothing is fit. I have plenty of garments that I really love, but I don’t like the way that they fit on my body anymore. I don’t think I’ve changed weight too much over the years, but the way that I want my clothes to fit has changed. I’m still hanging onto a few favorites where I’m trying to decide if I should get rid of them or just leave them on ice in the hopes that maybe one of my kids will want something from my closet. In fact, my packrat tendencies have already paid off as my older son, Logan, went to school last week wearing a first gen FW08 Stadium Jacket.
For you, reader, I think that finances can play an important part in paring down a wardrobe. If you’re looking to buy something and you know that you have unloved things in your closet that you can flip for some money, then it makes sense to sell them off so that you can finance something that you actually want to wear right now. Sometimes that makes letting go of clothes easier. Space is also an issue for those of us with smaller living spaces; if you’re not willing to spend money on a storage unit for your clothes, you really do sometimes have to adhere to a “one in, one out” policy. Even if the one in is a lot more expensive…
How did you fall in love with running?
I kind of knew that somebody would ask about running and I am here for it. If you asked me a few months ago if I loved running, my canned response would’ve been “I don’t love running, it’s a means to an end.” But I don’t think that’s true anymore.
I found my way into running by accident; my boxing gym closed down for a few months because they were moving to a new location, and I needed to find something that would help me to stay active. I had never run more than 2-3 miles in my life, and even that was a laborious task that I’d never say I enjoyed. I never experienced the “runner’s high” that others talk about, and I always talked about how if I wanted to run, I’d rather run for a purpose (like basketball or something else like that).
My friend Hyojung challenged me to sign up for a 10K race in June, and while the thought of running 6 miles without stopping seemed kind of daunting, I decided to go for it and see if it was something that I could actually do. I trained consistently for three weeks and got my mileage from 3 miles to 5 miles, and on race day I was able to finish the entire race without stopping which was my sole goal.
It was at this point that I felt comfortable looking for a run crew to join. I didn’t want to start running with other people without being able to hold my own and so the week after the Queens 10K, I linked up with World’s Fair Run Crew in downtown Flushing and started joining their weekly 3-4 mile community runs. I’m probably the slowest one there, but it’s been nice to have something consistent to show up for every week and I’ve enjoyed making new friends who are friendly and supportive of a new guy. Lastly, at the age of 42, I’m pretty proud of myself for being able to learn new tricks while striving to see what my body is capable of if I try.
So to answer your question, I think that the answer is that pushing personal boundaries and building community have been the two things that have allowed me to fall in love with running. I hope to stay consistent in 2023 and to hopefully complete my first half marathon.
Your running kit?
I had a more extensive answer to this question written out but then the newsletter became 75% about running so I’m gonna just cut back to a quick response thing here. Maybe I’ll elaborate on this further if anyone is interested (cuz I have something to say about everything I use) but for now:
Hat: Nike Airobill Tailwind
Base Layer: Tracksmith Harrier L/S
T-Shirt: Nike Dri-FIT Miler
Compression Tights: DSG Men’s Compression Tights
Shorts: Nike Dri-FIT Stride 7” Running Shorts
Socks: Feetures High Cushion No-Show Tab
Sneakers: Nike ZoomX Invincible Run (these are discontinued so I linked to the v2)
Sunglasses: Oakley EVZero Blades
I’m pretty brand loyal - part of what gets me off my ass and more willing to get out there is the gear, and I would be lying if I told you I didn’t care about how I look when I run. So if I end up spending some coin on running gear, how does that really differ from my modus operandi? There are some other shirts and shorts that I use extensively but my rule is that it all has to be discreet and unbranded. I don’t like mixing brands.
Of everything listed here, my favorite purchase has been the Tracksmith Harrier. It’s the best $80 I’ve spent and functions exactly as advertised, keeping you really warm on cold days while repelling odor. I am seriously impressed by the fit, build quality, and function.
How has your style changed over the years, and what influenced those changes?
There were two similar questions about this topic so I’m gonna roll the answers up together. I think the biggest key to settling into my personal style – at least as it stands today – has been getting older. And by that, I mean I’ve had enough years to experiment and to recognize what I like and don’t like. I think I also have a better handle on what’s going to work for my body type (which I’ve now accepted is not going to change significantly moving forward) and don’t mind taking chances on things that I might’ve been more self-conscious about years ago.
Somebody on Instagram asked me once how I pull off certain looks and I answered “I’m over 40 homie, I wear what I want.” And to a certain extent it really is that simple. There have been plenty of times in the past when I would put something on, look in the mirror, change my mind about it, take it off, and try again a few weeks later. I don’t find that to happen anymore, for better or worse.
One specific thing that comes to mind for me was wearing bigger pants. It took some time to get to a place where I understood that they didn’t make me look stumpy the way that I thought they did before. And even if/when slimmer pants end up swinging back around, I think I’ve settled into a place now where I’ll stick with the wider silhouettes because they’re comfortable and I like how I look in them.
You don’t get to my age without bricking some fits and that’s not only to be expected, it’s ok. So don’t feel bad if you’re in your 20’s and still trying to figure out your personal style. It’s an ongoing journey and you likely won’t dress the same in a decade (and neither will I) - but with age comes a bit more comfort and confidence in the decisions you make. Try to have fun and buy stuff that moves you. We sometimes get really caught up in the “buy it once, buy it for life” idea but very rarely do we have garments that we'll truly wear for decades. That could be for a number of reasons: your personal style has changed, it doesn’t fit you anymore, or it isn’t made well. But over time, I think we all get better at picking things that we know we can come back to again and again over the years. Case in point, I bought this Schott B-3 five years ago - a coat that younger me might’ve felt to be a bit ostentatious - and every winter I love it more.
That’s all I have time for. Next month’s newsletter will be music related and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you! Happy Thanksgiving break this week to all who celebrate. As always, thanks so much for reading.
If you’re looking for a perspective on diversity in running, give a look at diversewerun on IG. You can even get Tracksmith for a discount or have that code apply to a donation to a charity
Appreciate the realistic approach to developing personal style and acquiring garments (I think everyone reading this feels they could pare down their closet, but ultimately would not necessarily make them happy)...I don't believe it's a "bad" thing to hold on to clothes, either, only to find the perfect occasion or person to wear it for or give [or sell] to. A nice read, as always!