Hoka’s immersive Run Stop Corner Shop is opening in London
ATM-generated ‘Hokens’ is brilliant – this is EXACTLY what I was referring to in my previous 2025 predictions post:

We see the smart brands begin focusing on outside-of-the-home activations – IRL experiences to generate brand awareness and build community. I think we will see a lot more brick-and-mortar stores, pop-ups, and in-person engagement. We're going to see the smart brands focus on deploying non-digital strategies – more analog than AI – this will help stand out from all the digital noise.

Related: Severance activation in Grand Central Station is another example of an out-of-home cultural moment. 

He Dressed America. Now He Wants to Dress You
Aaron Levine has designed for Abercrombie & Fitch, Club Monaco and Madewell. This week, he’s introducing a brand of his own.
[I personally hope this brand puts Buck Mason out of business]

Nike Is in Trouble. Can the Olympics Save It?
Let's be honest, for most Americans the Olympics are not a big deal and will not change buying behaviors. Emerging brands like On are eating into Nike's revenue because people want something new and different. On has a ubiquitous design, and their recent partnership with Zendaya signals their intention to capture the younger buyer. At the end of the day, I think On is designing better looking shoes than Nike right now and doing a better job at getting their shoes on their target demographic (I swear 50% of every Barry's class are in On). I just bought Steph a pair this week (don't tell her if, they show up later this week – they were sold out in stores).

The Kirkland Signature White T-Shirt

I'm here to tell you that I'm turning 40 and somehow just discovered that the best white T-shirt on the planet is available in a six-pack for $26 at Costco.

Don't waste your youth searching and spending money on white t-shirts. I've done Uniqlo, Gildan, Muji, and J.Crew... The Costco T-shirt is better. AND IT'S A FRACTION OF THE COST (honestly spending $45+ on a single white t-shirt is insane). As I rapidly age, price point and quality matter... luckily with the Kirkland Signature Men's Crew Neck T-Shirt, YOU GET BOTH!

Also, FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK those dorks at Buck Mason. The dudes that work there are too much. 

Have you ever been in before? Beeeeeecause we do things here a little differently – the first thing you'll notice is our T-shirts are curved at the bottom. 

Despite all buzz, I think their white t-shirts are soooooo bad – for me they fit like total shit. There is something very unnatural about a t-shirt with a curved bottom hem (not a hem God ever intended). When I told them that I hated the fit they took it VERY personally and became very rude, encouraging me to go "check out "UNTUCKit." Which was very good BURRRRRRN, but totally unnecessary. It was almost as if they associated the bad fit with the curved bottom hem and felt like I must require a shirt that is longer in the front? Or they were just being dicks and insinuating that I had poor taste because I didn't like their shirt. Regardless, the whole experience turned me off of the brand. 

Father's Day Gift Guide!

The definitive father's day gift guide for discerning fathers!

1. TECHNIVORM MOCCAMASTER – really the best coffee machine out there. No timer. No clock. No buttons. Just one switch. A coffee machine your grandfather would approve of.

2. HIGH WIZARD "NUCLEAR FAMILY" T-SHIRT – it's time we celebrate the nuclear family.

3. ORSLOW 107 2-YEAR WASH DENIM – I buy these out at Canoe Club in Boulder. They are the best jeans and every dad should own a pair.

4. RALPH LAUREN BLUE OXFORD – the older I get the simpler I want things to be. If the occasion calls for something more than a long sleeve black or navy t-shirt, I am wearing this simple blue oxford. I've had my blue oxford for years and it gets better and better the older (we) it gets.

5. ZEN MIND BEGINNER'S MIND – one of my all time favorite books – "little by little."

Ralph Lauren & Wabi-Sabi

 This shirt, I bought at Kmart. This is living proof of what I believe in. I love the aging of it, I love the rips, I love it all. And I didn't design it? I didn't design it. I assumed it was No, I happen to like this because it's the one that I have memories of. And how come you chose it for this conversation today?

I want it to look great.

The wear and tear of things represents memories and can make something more interesting. We always want to repair any rips, scratches, or stains. I've struggled with this forever, but there is a lot to learn about embracing the beauty that comes with imperfection. 

REPORT: Country Western (cowboy core?) Trend Update

I have written a lot about a trend I called Country Retro Futurism. Some are calling it Cowboy Core...

Waaaay back in 2022, I hypothesized that as global chaos continued to rise and people grew increasingly weary of hyper-filtered, fake social media content, they would seek authenticity/simpler times, triggering a COUNTRY WESTERN TREND. [READ THE FULL REPORT HERE]

11 months later, Zach Bryan's album became the #1 album, and I declared that we were OFFICIALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY RETRO FUTURISM VORTEX!

Since then, the trend has continued. Pharrell did his little cowboy thing with Louis Vuitton, and Lana Del Rey released her version of Take Me Home, Country Roads (it was good; Lana can never do wrong!). 

Fast-forward six months, and we have officially reached the peak of Country Retro Futurism and are now in the next phase of this trend—THE RAPID NORMIE DESCENT! 

Beyonce is making a country album, and Bella Hadid is cosplaying at rodeos. What seems like inconsequential acts by celebrities are ACTUALLY the beginning of the descent and will have a ripple effect across our culture, triggering a type of cringe that will be difficult to witness.

Stay tuned as we watch artists, brands, friends, and family try to do country. It's gonna get dark. In the coming months, you will see people who you have NEVER seen in a cowboy hat suddenly and without reason begin wearing them. But it won't stop there. Of course, there will be cowboy boots, but there will also be far more adventurous things, like men wearing bolo ties and women from the northwest trying to say y'all naturally. You are gonna see a lot more denim on denim (which we love), but with a misguided Western twist that makes you think, "No" and also, "Stop." Ladies will begin trading in their Sambas for worn-in Carhartts (this trend could result in Carhartt selling pre-worn Carhartts because a lot of those Golden Goose ladies are gonna want a Carhartt jacket that already looks worn-in). 

It's gonna get worse before it gets better. WHAT TO EXPECT:

🤠 Taylor Swift definitely does another country album

🤠 Post Malone collaborates with Zac Brown band

🤠 Florida Georgia Line does another song with Nelly (Nelly was finally recognized for his cross-over brilliance – Nelly and Tim McGraw crawled so Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus ride their horse)

🤠 This wedding season is about to be packed full really BAAAAAD country songs

🤠 Celebrities begin opening bad country western bars

🤠 Cowboy hats replacing LA Dodgers and New York Yankees hats (lots of cowboy hats at farmer markets this spring)

STAY SAFE OUT THERE!

Paul McCartney Family Photos

For some reason, every fall, I think about Paul McCartney's family photos, and I begin thinking through the logistics of moving to the countryside and giving Sonny a childhood more connected to nature. Then I remember that I really don't like animals, I can't grow a beard, and they just don't make Fair Isle sweaters like that anymore.

Taste and Discernment

Jerry Seinfeld identifies as the ultimate skill of the artist: “taste and discernment.” 

“It’s one thing to create,” Seinfeld says. It’s one thing to have ideas.

“The other is you have to choose. ‘What are we going to do, and what are we not going to do?’” What are we going to add to the product line, and what are we not going to add?

“This is a gigantic aspect of [artistic] survival,” Seinfeld continues. 

“It’s kind of unseen—what’s picked and what is discarded—but mastering that is how you stay alive.”

don.jpeg profile on SL selects

I was recently profiled on the Second Lake newsletter – big shout to Jon for the opportunity!

📡 ADVANCED PATTERN RECOGNITION

SIGNAL DETECTED! MLB NEW ERA PRO-FITTED BASEBALL CAPS are coming back.  

don.earth breaks J.Crew story!

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The Return of J.Crew?

It's been a long time since I've thought about J.Crew. But this week, in preparation for a trip, I found myself browsing their site for white t-shirts. By the looks of it, the brand seems to be turning a corner. 

J.Crew had a moment in 2010. They were at the center of the #menswear movement – remember all those Tumblr menswear blogs? But somewhere over the last 10 years, J.Crew lost their way. Maybe the trends changed, or J.Crew just got really boring (and bankrupt).

Last year, J.Crew brought in former Supreme Creative Director and Noah co-founder, Brendon Babenzien as the new Creative Director. You can already see his impact on art direction and styling – J.Crew feels different (see above). Or, maybe streetwear is just so tired that I'm hoping for the return of American prep. Are we done with graphic t-shirts yet? Maybe I'm aging so rapidly that I just want to desperately return to what I'm most comfortable with... rugby shirts, a good button-down shirt, a respectable pair of loafers. Regardless, I'm very happy to see J.Crew digging itself out of obscurity. Excited to see where it goes from here. 

J.Crew should just do this again – these catalogs were perfect.

northface

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Northface is going off. 

At first glance, the Northface and Gucci collaboration feels cursed. But then you watch the killer promo video and Creedance Clearwater Revival hits and your transported to a very chill 70s outdoor scene. It's really nice. Almost makes me want to go outside.

We have been doing some DEEP research on interior lighting. We recently discovered the work of American/Japanese artist and designer Isamu Noguchi. The Akari lamp has a really nice vibe to it. Like a glowing ghost that hangs out with you in your living room vibe. The lamp itself has established a huge following and has a long history:

In 1951 Isamu Noguchi visited the town of Gifu, Japan, known for its manufacture of lanterns and umbrellas from mulberry bark paper and bamboo. Noguchi designed the first of his lamps that would be produced by the traditional Gifu methods of construction. He called these works Akari, a term meaning light as illumination, but also implying the idea of weightlessness.

Learn more about the Akari lamp here. 

Specifically Noguchi. We are picking up an Akari lamp. 

Decoding "Dad Sport"