339: The need-to-know women’s names of menswear
And Hugo Edwards shows us how he…“wifes” it.
Welcome to Magasin Menswear. In a dedicated monthly send, Louis Cheslaw surfaces choice products worth your consideration, explores larger conversations shoppers are—or should be—having, and taps a smart dresser to share how he wears it.
First up…
I’ve been putting this little pin high up on every jacket I wear, and the result is very nice.
As the weather turned, I realized I didn’t have a good all-day-on-your-feet sneaker. So I poked and prodded at the market, and after finally trying a pair on, my gut says a (perhaps predictable) Mephisto Match pick-up is probably in my near future.
I’ve been wearing this jacket a lot this month (see below) and it’s getting a number of compliments on both the cut and the shimmery light wool. Note, however: Gabriella Coll, who you’ll meet below, makes a similar, even sheenier one.
The need-to-know women’s names of menswear
Men wearing womenswear is nothing new; it’s a constantly simmering space and a lane I’d love to explore here someday once I’ve gained more personal experience with it. But today, I wanted to call out a slightly tighter—but undeniably bubbling—corner of our world: the women making incredible menswear.
There are two reasons I want to write about this. First, the clothes—from Emily Dawn Long’s swan knits to Cecile Tulkens’ perforated “merch” to Celine Erickson’s ultra lightweight raw denim for Olga Basha—are among my own most-coveted right now. But second, because I think these names can sometimes fly under the average guy’s radar. There’s an inherent bias to seeing a woman’s name on a boutique’s brand list: Unless they have the established branding of Margaret Howell, say, it’s easy to assume—as I tend to do—that a brand named after a woman is making clothing designed for the female body. It’s an easy judgement to make, and we’ve all been suffering for it.
I asked elite buyer and Magasin friend Saager Dilawri whether there was anything to my hunch that women are making much more of the most buzzy menswear right now. It seems so: “I realized when you messaged me that we have been carrying more female-run menswear over the last two or three years,” Dilawri told me. “At one point, I think Bode might have been the only one that we had. That’s certainly changed now.” It’s happening among my vintage-chasing friends too, one or two of whom are currently on a vintage Donna Karan, Agnes B., and Miu Miu tear.
There are plenty of theoretical strings that could be pulled on here—a rising appreciation for the more cropped, almost-awkward fits that unisex items tend to come in, or the fact that the most interesting designers right now could care less which gender wants to wear them—but this is a shopping newsletter. Below: a starter list of the pieces I’d wear from the brands that sent me down this train of thought. I’m sure it’s a drop in the ocean, so do comment with any I’ve missed.
Gabriela Coll Garments
In her “pursuit of a permanent wardrobe,” Gabriela Coll uses Loro Piana and other exceptionally-sourced fabrics to create dressy, lustre-maxed pieces in her Barcelona studio. I was sent her way by the Lady White Co. guys, but she’s now stocked at Assembly, DPTO, SSENSE, and beyond.
Cecile Tulkens
In her London studio, Cecile Tulkens is hand-making knits in cuts that aren’t really perfect for anyone—and are therefore perfect for everyone. I own and love my Pointelle Gansey knit—which she calls “merch,” along with this perfect perforated tee—but know guys who have gone for top-shelf items like the others below, and not regretted it.
Olga Basha
I still remember when my very well-dressed editor at New York magazine, Katy Schneider, declared she’d finally found the perfect jeans a few years ago at Olga Basha,. Only this year did I wise up and realize they were available in larger sizes too. (Am visiting her studio in New York next week, so more about that try-on next edition.)
&Daughter
&Daughter quietly launched menswear last October because so many girls were telling the brand that their boyfriends had stolen their sweaters.
Dana Lee Brown
Out on tranquil Bowen Island, Dana Lee Brown works with local farms and mills to produce some of the softest, most nicely-cut sweatshirts, loose pants, and dress shirts. (She also coined the clothing equivalent of “farm-to-table” to describe it: “field-to-loom.”)
Emily Dawn Long
Laura and I covered (and repeat-visited) Emily in Paris, but I’m still marveling at the combination of her fun, loose spirit with her technical training.
Baserange
Not a woman’s name per se, but Baserange is a brand I have always associated with tasteful ladies, and one that very much markets to them. But turns out they have a limited—and soft and excellent—selection of men’s starter items too. (While we’re on the category, there’s also this sheer textured polo from Gimaguas, which I didn’t know had men’s until recently, either.)
SPEED ROUND
The following are more eponymous female designers whose pieces I’m yet to have hands-on experience with, but who come strongly recommended by those who have: Kate Walz’s Cashmere Jeans look great, as does Eleanor Butler Jones’ Felted Patch Bag and Wanze Song’s Dispatch Jacket. I gather that guys across London are wearing Ilana Blumberg’s sweet and affordable knitted Flap Hat. And I really like the look of Lea Boberg’s P.C. Trench Coat, in both sand twill and charcoal wool. (Her raw edge blazer is interesting, too.) And while jewelry is of course easy to wear no matter the brand, Sophie Buhai’s small circle link bracelet seems a great one-and-done move.
How Hugo Edwards wife’d it
Longtime readers will remember that our second menswear column featured a profile of Hugo Edwards’ style. Well, he is newly engaged (!) and worked with The Ouze’s Toby Vernon to design a custom ring. I loved hearing the story—not least about the secret diamonds they chose to conceal on the inside—and hopped on the phone with both to get more details, in case any of you are approaching the big ask.
To start, Hugo had a checklist: “I wanted it made by someone who was a friend, ideally in Sussex [the English county he’s from] and by someone who was talented, with great taste. I also didn’t want to lose the characteristics of the brand completely, though that was less important to me.” Thankfully, there was an easy solve for all of this. “From the beginning, I knew Toby was that person.”
The next step was secretly sourcing a yellow diamond that had been in his girlfriend Tessa’s family for generations. After her aunt in Minneapolis freed it—and a few smaller white diamonds—from the original brooch they were in, the question was what to do with the little ones. Hugo wanted to keep them in, so future generations could use them in their own rings, but didn’t want to crowd the design. He was stumped, until he and Vernon came across an old Cartier design where the diamond was fully inset inside the band. Further inspiration then struck: “I was like—why do we have to have them on show? It’s even more special if not everyone can see them. I love my tattoos, but I rarely have them out—you have to kind of know me to know that I have them. This felt like the same vein.”
Next up was the finish: The Ouze is known for its rough, raw metals, but given that this was a special occasion, Vernon added a touch more shine to an 18-karat gold band. (Though his favorite detail is still the secret diamonds.) For what it’s worth, he makes plenty of engagement rings: studio@theouze.com if you’re gearing up to pop the question.
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Secret diamonds are so chic, just saying.
Great Read Louis! Sunflower Wool Zip in brown to the right top pic?