Every Man Should Own: Wax Wane

Vintage Watch

One of the fondest memories of my latter teenage years was on the cusp of my high school graduation when my dad passed one of his watches down to me.  The watch was decades old and had been with my father for much of his adult life.

Every Man Should Own: Maxminimus

The "Perfect" Sweater

Every man should have…every man should own… a go-to, bulletproof, memory laden sweater. You know… the one that if the house was on fire, you’d take it. Shetland, cashmere, cotton…whatever.

Every Man Should Own: Red Clay Soul

Penny Loafers

Every man should have a pair of penny loafers in their closet.  They are shoes that go with everything, and never go out of style. 

Every Man Should Own: The William Brown Project

Silver Belt Buckle

Every Man Should Own a Silver Belt Buckle (or Two). They are worn best on your favorite alligator but, it also brings any leather belt to life.

Every Man Should Own: 10engines

Tweed Jacket

Every man, hell every woman too, should own a tweed jacket. Does not HAVE to be Harris Tweed woven in the remote Western Isles; there are storied tweed mills in the Borders area of Scotland and England and Ireland too (love the rainbow bobbles sometimes seen in Donegal tweed). To me there is something fascinating about the almost impressionistic blur that the colored wool creates; this jacket is slate blue from afar but grey/blue/black/cream up close. A tweed jacket may be seen on the laird of the manor all the way down to the jake begging on the corner, and of course countless legions of professors and librarians. The wet dog smell of a rainy day tweed is hugely reminiscent for me; walking home in a drizzle among the sandstone buildings of Edinburgh. Or maybe that was the malt smell of the brewerys, now sadly gone.

Every Man Should Own: Alex Grant

LL Bean Boot

Whether leather or waxed canvas, 10 inches or mocs, every man should own a pair of LL Bean Boots and for the right reasons. Not because it's the hip thing to do at the moment but because the boots are actually comfortable, durable and just plain ol' gets the job done. And as my father once told me in high school when I showed him a picture of a luggage brand that started making watches, "Why would you buy a watch from a company that doesn't make watches?" I will turn around and ask you the same question about your boots.