This is a recap-ish of the latest podcast episode. You can listen to the episode below before or after you read. That’s because I tend to expand on topics from the pod as well as straight-up write about things that we did not discuss. The choice is yours in how you want to proceed!

• 6:32 – Beams LA Pop-up
• 21:03 – Hightide LA
• 45:22 – SuitSupply
• 36:13 – Bachelor Party in San Diego

Your Suit Supply Is In Another Kingdom

Yes, I did talk about my new custom Suit Supply suits on the latest pod (it’s the last half of it), but because it is quite intensive, I gave them their own blog post! I didn’t want to squeeze an introspective and highly detailed blog post on the process, so be sure to check it out (and listen to the pertinent section of the pod).  It’s certainly been a long time coming, especially considering how I’ve owned them for a few months at this point! 

Or if you prefer a recounting of some recent adventures I had individually with Spencer and MJ, then read on! 

Beams LA Pop-up & Hightide DTLA

Outside of those aforementioned Suit Supply suits (and the internal debate to replace more Fugue suits), I haven’t been buying (or looking to buy) much clothing. I’ve said this before, but this is quite a weird time for this to happen to me, as LA has really upped its menswear game as of late, with the rise of vintage and pop-up fleas to stores just becoming good (like Buck Mason, J. Crew, and yes, Suit Supply). But that’s just fine– I can look without buying! I do that all the time whenever I visit NYC (much to certain people’s chagrin). 

If I’m being honest, this is also because I just don’t feel the need to visit any stores or pop-ups, unless there’s an event that I know friends will be at. Even then, I’d rather just go out for a drink than hang out at a store (though free food and drink will always get me). As a result, outside of my SuSu appointments, I haven’t found myself visiting many stores in general. If it’s a second-hand bookstore or a record store, that’s a different story. Or if it’s something I haven’t been to before…and I have a good excuse to check it out. 

That was the case with the Beams LA Pop-up, which was happening right under my nose this past month. I’m certain one of my menswear pals sent it to me, but I forgot all about it…until I got served some random video on Tiktok where a couple went to check it out. I immediately told Spencer, who was up in LA during the weekend to visit his girlfriend Isabella, and we all made plans to check it out on a chill Saturday morning. There was my excuse! 

As I parked at the pop-up, I noticed that it felt very familiar. Dover Street Market, one of LA’s premier fashion shopping destinations, was right across the street. I’ve only been to DSM once. I was with Silvia and Annie a few years ago, and as you probably expected, I didn’t buy anything there (but it was a cool store). Beams was also up the street from Suay Sew Shop, a great place that sells clothing cut from upcycled clothing and also offers dye baths. My ex had previously donated clothes and used the credit to dye some clothes she wanted to keep. From what I remember, her garments came out well (she turned a green-ish garden dark brown), but took a long time, as it’s a community bath. I debated using them to make my dungarees black, but I ended up just dyeing them myself with Rit dye at home. 

The Beams pop-up itself was quite small, displaying various wares in a concrete showroom. As we recounted on the pod, this was when Spencer and I realized that this was more about Beams in general– this wasn’t a Beams+ pop-up. We were foolishly expecting popovers, madras, and some fun pants; maybe we should’ve looked the place up before we got there! It was just an inadvertent mistake, but we still had a fun time looking around! After all, who doesn’t enjoy looking at a little shoppy-shop on a Saturday morning? 

That being said, there were some clothes for sale, such as graphic tees and jinbeis (I already own one from Muji), but the majority of the products were home goods such as cups, trays, and bags (some with the “Beams LA” branding). I particularly liked the decor and furniture on display (as well as the artworks), but my apartment is already filled to the brim with prints and tchotchkes; I also have far too many mugs and cups for one person. What was actually tempting was the Sun Surf rayon aloha shirts. Sun Surf is great because they not only have a vintage-esque approach to the prints, but they also have the droopy loop collar that you would find on 1940s sport shirts. I already have a great collection of alohas (especially the vibrant silk one I got from Avanti last year in Hawaii), so I passed. 

Window shopping is always a fun activity!

Spencer, Isabella, and I  kept our Japanese shop theme going with a little trip to Hightide DTLA, a Japanese stationery store nearby at the ROW DTLA. Even though I am not a journaling type of person and hardly write anything down (I got my noggin for that), Hightide is one of my favorite places in LA. There’s a myriad of pens, pencils, notebooks, notepads, stickers, containers, and more, all of which certainly tempt me to get more into journaling (I currently just use a glue stick to paste ticket stubs and cut-up concert programs). If anything, the store makes me think that I could fill my desk with various holders and pens and keep up the illusion that I am some sort of writer or creative, even though all I do is write self-important blog posts and edit photos as my outlet. 

Again, it’s just great to look! 

The other reason that I like coming to Hightide is that they also sell a small amount of Japanese clothing, despite being a stationery store. In fact, they’re one of the only places in LA that carry Moonstar sneakers. I’ve never owned them myself, but I enjoy the Moonstar design. I adore the Oxford-esque closure on the Gym Classic, which feels like a more minimal, and certainly more militaristic, approach to a pair of Chucks; the latter is likely due to the slightly chunky rubber sole and toe cap, especially when the rubber is black. The cream/black and green/black are my favorites (and would certainly go with a casual look), but I can never bring myself to buy them simply because my deck shoes and 80s Converse are still going strong. The fact that a few pairs were on sale for $67~ was not alluring enough; I just don’t need more things!

Spencer couldn’t help himself, though, and he treated himself to a pair of the blue gym classic lowtops. He was looking to replace his navy deck shoes (Sperry Cloud CVOs), which at this point have faded (and been worn down) to a natural color. They’re Spencer’s favorite shoes for summer, especially when he doesn’t feel like wearing his beloved cowboy boots or LHS penny loafers. Isabella also ended up buying a pair of ballet flats, which were also on sale. Damn, maybe I shouldn’t have been left out.

The real temptation lay right outside of Hightide in the form of my mutual Tsugu, who was hosting a little vinyl pop-up. If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you know that I’ve been obsessed with collecting records ever since I obtained my record player (a Crosley C8) this past New Year’s Day. In the span of nearly eight months, I’ve amassed a decent collection of nearly 200 records, mostly focused on classical music, jazz, and a bit of Japanese City Pop. In other words, Tsugu was the final gauntlet for me to pass. He had some great jazz and classical recordings (obviously including Japanese pressings), but his bread and butter was obviously City Pop and Japanese Jazz Fusion. Tsugu and I chatted for a bit while he sampled me some Masayoshi Takanaka, but after some hefty willpower, I left empty-handed. 

I don’t know if I could help myself the next time I see him. 

Oh, 3Sixteen is also at the ROW, but I left before Spencer and Isabella checked it out. I already have my jeans from them (the high-waisted and wide relaxed cut), but I wouldn’t have minded a look to see what they’re up to! 

Scott’s Bachelor Party

Now it’s time for me to recount a weekend with MJ, or more specifically, the weekend he and I spent with our other friends for Scott’s Bachelor Celebration. 

If you’re an longtime follower or reader of the blog, you may remember Scott. He was my best friend through high school and college/grad school (MJ and I went to different schools); the latter of which, we were also roommates! Scott even took a lot of my photos during the early years of the blog, which I am eternally grateful for.  He got engaged last year to his high school sweetheart and with the wedding come up in a month or so (at the time of writing), it was time for his Bachelor party. 

San Diego was our destination, picked because it was easy to get to but also felt “different” from simply being out in LA. But then again, we did just regular stuff: eat, wander around shops, stay up late playing card games in pajamas, watch anime, and in true nerd fashion, undertake an escape room. And it was glorious! The celebration was decidedly wholesome and lowkey, which was just what I needed considering that I had spent the previous month going out nearly every weekend. I got to relax and unplug for a bit (I’m very present, okay) but still be around friends.

It was also because this particular friend groupare straight-edge and don’t really spend their time “going out”, though we always find time to hang out together, whether its staying up to play video games, watch movies on discord, or when I play one game of MTG at the card shop that is between where all of us live now (we’re all spread out). All that to say, I was excited to hang out with these guys since I don’t see them as often as my other friends! They all mean a lot to me, especially because they always made me feel comfortable in my attire, even if they weren’t necessarily into menswear the way I am. 

And so, as you likely expected, I was fitted up. To be clear, I was indeed casual (no ties!) but it was still pretty dandy. On the travel days (Friday and Sunday), I wore gurkha shorts, a sport shirt, and a linen neck scarf. The rig had a bit of a beachy/desert vacay vibe that felt right for San Diego, though a surfer look would have probably been better; I just wanted to look like an Apparel Arts illustration! 

The main fit, and perhaps the boldest I’ve ever been on “vacation”, was my Saturday attire. This was the most full day we had as it involved brunch, Old Town San Diego, and our much-anticipated escape room; this was the first one we would do as a full group since 2019. 

In true Ethan fashion, I dressed in service of the escape room, which was adventure/spy themed and took place in a “world market” (West Asia, North Africa, etc) before transitioning to an underground missile silo. I focused on the former and wore a cream workshirt (in rayon gabardine!), khaki riding pants, and my black riding boots; I also had my burgundy neck scarf (which I wore the entire weekend), and my brown plaid linen jacket. I wanted to feel a bit adventure-y or perhaps a bit safari, though I could see how it does lean a bit more equestrian. A leather jacket would’ve helped push the explorer look, but it was much too hot for that! In any case, I loved the outfit I put together, though I could certainly feel the stares of everyone we were around. Thankfully I’m okay with Standing Out (though being single now makes that sentiment a bit tougher to swallow)! 

Despite the wild outfit for a “vacation” (in San Diego, no less), I never felt too weird or out of place with my pals. It was just “Ethan being Ethan”, which doesn’t affect how we have fun together as a group. I really can’t understate just how fun that weekend was. Sure, it wasn’t filled with frou-frou cocktails and copious cigs like most of my other days, but that’s not necessarily who I am all the time either. These activities and friends are as big a part of my life as the other stuff you guys see, which is why I always make the effort to spend time with them (especially Scott) when I can.  After that weekend, I’ve even made it a point to try and play MTG with them, even though I’m a beginner and have to borrow their decks…and ask them questions on how to use the cards). I’m getting better, though!

Soon, we’ll all be together again for Scott’s wedding. He’s the first of my close friends who’s getting married (with a ceremony at least) and it will also be the first time I’m in the wedding party– as the Best Man, no less!  And speaking of Suit Supply, Scott and I will both be in our navy 4-ply Su-Su-Suitios, though his is a DB and mine will be in the SB configuration as to match the rest of the groomsmen). I will definitely recount that experience in a future podcast once it happens! Perhaps it will finally be time for me talk about wedding attire (though I did broach the subject in a previous blog). 

Now even though a wholesome weekend with nerdy guys isn’t exactly the most menswear friendly story, I wanted to share it here because I firmly believe that the hobby of menswear isn’t solely about buying clothes but about wearing them while interacting with your world. I feel like our dialogue with the world is worth discussing because that’s how we truly get to delve into taste, authenticity, and what we actually like to wear.

As you can tell, I find it much more interesting to talk about what I wore to an escape room with my friends instead of focusing on shop visits or my recent purchases, which are admittedly infrequent—though I did just write a whole essay about my new suits!  It’s just more fun to introspect on the little prompts we give for ourselves as well as seeing just how much we play into other people’s gaze, as well as our own. It will always be a balance, and despite my bold dress, I do obviously take a bit of the “public” into account– it just helps that my friends are quite supportive of my attire and have been for over a decade! 

Perhaps emphasizing this point in a relatively casual blog post is another sign of my continuing separation from menswear, or at least the Menswear that is most concerned about constant buying and the overall industry. It probably helps that I don’t have any desire to work in it or become a designer. Being “siloed” in LA also plays a big role (though there is definitely an industry presence here, thanks to Buck and all the vintage collectors).

To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with Menswear Content. I certainly find the various guides or product recommendations helpful when friends and mutuals directly ask me for advice, or even when I’m actually looking to buy (such as when something I own no longer fits me). I do appreciate that friends like The Bengal Stripe or Aime Leon Dad post about what’s going on in the world of menswear. Blackbird Spyplane has great insights into fashion culture and its intersection with everything else, though it obviously leans more zeitgeisty. And obviously, Permanent Style still remains one of the best journals of menswear out there, especially since Simon added Manish and Lucas as regular contributors; it’s quite refreshing to see their editorials in conjunction with Simon’s coverage of bespoke and luxury craft.

But for me, and by extension, this blog and pod, menswear will always be about putting that shit on, hanging out with your friends, and the silly little thoughts and experiences that come with it! Not that it hasn’t already, but we’re likely to get more of this as I get older.

– end of blog post –

Thanks for listening and reading along! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon to get some extra content and access to our exclusive Discord. 

The Podcast is produced by MJ.

Always a pleasure,

Ethan M. Wong (follow me on IG)

Big thank you to our top-tier Patrons (the SaDCast Fanatics), Philip, Shane, Henrik, Alexander, and Mason.