Blamo!

Seiji McCarthy spent roughly 150 hours making your shoes. Please wear them.

This week on Blamo!, I’m in Tokyo at Seiji’s atelier talking about his path from working for the NBA to making bespoke footwear—and why it took moving to Japan to appreciate the American style he grew up with.

We get into making things by hand, being precious with the stuff we love, and what happens when you reach your dream job and realize you want something else.

Plus, jazz, the Beatles, and a stereo that made his favorite records feel new again.

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Masaharu “Masa” Wada of Hodinkee Japan joins Jeremy in Tokyo to talk watches, Japanese taste, and finding your people.

Masa shares how a watch blog led him out of tech and into Hodinkee Japan, why Japan’s best shops have such a distinct point of view, and what makes independent watchmakers like Naoya Hida, Kikuchi Nakagawa, and Otsuka Lotec so compelling.

They also discuss appreciating watches you’ll never own, getting past the obsession with in-house movements, and the trouble with selling a watch once it has a story.

Plus, his grandfather’s Rolex, a trip to Zurich, and how collecting brought Masa closer to his dad.

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This week on Die, Workwear!, Derek and Peter are joined by Erik Ford, co-founder of Buck Mason.

Since launching in 2013, Buck Mason has grown from a small Los Angeles brand selling t-shirts and jeans into one of the more recognizable names in American menswear. It's also a brand that's frequently discussed in our Slack and, at times, something of a lightning rod in menswear circles.

Erik is a serious clothing enthusiast, with an appreciation for vintage garments, American manufacturing, and the small details that make good clothes great. That obsession has taken Buck Mason from studying old t-shirts and denim to taking over a historic knitting factory in Pennsylvania.

The gents discuss Buck Mason's early days, why so many heritage brands have lost their way, the challenges of manufacturing in America, and what it takes to grow a clothing company while maintaining creative control.

They also get into California style, private equity, and the surprisingly complicated business of making a really good t-shirt.

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Derek and Peter sit down with Ryan Devens of San Francisco’s Tailor’s Keep to talk about what actually goes into making a bespoke suit.

Ryan explains how Tailor’s Keep developed its house cut, why fitting forward shoulders can require rebuilding an armhole and sleeve, and where the limits of made-to-measure end and bespoke begins. They also get into the realities of garment manufacturing today: why Tailor’s Keep moved its made-to-measure production from the United States to Asia, the difference between Chinese and Indian manufacturing, and why rebuilding a skilled tailoring industry in America is much harder than simply opening a factory.

They also discuss the post-pandemic return of tailoring, why clients are getting interested in craft again, the mistakes Ryan has made after more than a decade of fitting different bodies, and the fabrics he reaches for when making everything from summer suits to winter trousers and overcoats.

Plus: four-inch Ralph Lauren ties, pants splitting at weddings, Gap jeans, alligator longwings, and the problem with trying to automate craft.

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Writer Jerry Stahl joins Jeremy to talk about his new book, Gonzo Neurotic: The Best (and Not So Best) of Jerry Stahl a collection of work spanning decades of journalism, profiles, and cultural misadventures.

Jerry talks about revisiting his younger self, getting people off script, interviewing everyone from Mickey Rourke to Samuel L. Jackson, and what years of rejection, success, and failure have taught him about making a creative life work.

They also get into meeting your heroes, getting fired from Twin Peaks, comparing yourself to more successful friends, Marc Maron’s jeans, Larry David, Thom Yorke, and the records Jerry never gets tired of.

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Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding are the co-hosts of Switched on Pop, the acclaimed podcast that breaks down the making and meaning of popular music.

They join Jeremy to talk about the relationship between music and style, why we instinctively know what a “rock star” looks like, and how rebellion, authenticity, and a little bit of careful manufacturing create the people we think of as effortlessly cool.

They get into The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Weezer, punk and hardcore’s influence on menswear, John Mayer and Visvim, Trey Anastasio’s style evolution, the strange similarities between guitar pedals and fashion, and why developing taste might ultimately be an act of curation.

Plus: Irish penny whistles, Patagonia Baggies, and the eternal question of whether any of us actually need another navy jacket (always).

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Derek Guy and Peter Zottolo return for the third installment of their quarterly AMA series, generously sponsored by our friends at Bezel.

This time, they go deep on fabric: navy sport coats, green double-breasted suits, the five tweeds they would choose from scratch, and the right cloth for a balmacaan. They also revisit bespoke mistakes, the tailors still on their wish lists, shoes for serious walking, the difference between personal style and costume, and what actually reads from across the room.

Plus: date-night clothes without tailoring, keeping pet hair off your wardrobe, finding occasions to wear the clothes you already own, the appeal of authentic workwear, their favorite versions of menswear staples, and why the person you imagine in the mirror may not be the person everyone else sees. They close by designing the elusive middle-ground jacket—dressier than a chore coat, easier than a sport coat, and made for the romantic life of a writer.

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Fabric Recommendations

Navy Sport Coat

Derek’s Picks:

• Holland & Sherry Mesh & Hopsack Blazers
• Huddersfield or Smiths Mock Leno
• Harrison Spring Ram stitched hopsack
• Holland & Sherry cashmere doeskin
• Hainsworth doeskin
• Fox serge

Peter’s Picks:

• Hopsack or similar Spring Ram 16oz for fall/winter or Finmeresco 12oz for summer, I have experience with Moorhouse and while it’s much softer it’s too prone to fraying
• Green double-breasted suit in the South

Derek’s Picks:

• Harrisons Spring Ram
• Huddersfield Fine Worsted Super Gaberdine

Peter’s Picks:

• Spring Ram 12ozif you can stand it, or Isca 8oz if you can’t. Bear in mind that Isca is 55/45 linen/wool so it won’t be as crisp as Spring Ram. If you want a stiffer suit try Cape Kid 60/40 wool-mohair

Five Tweeds

Derek’s Picks

• Brown Molloy & Sons Donegal (or Holland & Sherry for something softer)
• Gray glen check Fox tweed
• Something brown from W. Bill like a basic glen check or gun club
• Lovat Kirkton 523
• Lovat Kirkton 502

Peter’s Picks:

For sportcoats, I prefer softer tweeds (Shetland, lambswool, even hairy faux tweeds such as Moonbeam or Sherry Tweed) as opposed to stiff & scratchy (Harris, gamekeeper, Hartwist, Thornproof).

• Porter & Harding Glenroyal True POW
• Brown, Dark Brown, Green & Tan Dogtooth
• Brown with green & red check
• W Bill Grey shetland herringbone
• Holland & Sherry Sherry Tweed either Brown w/hazelnut/blue check or Brown w/chestnut/blue mock glen check

Balmacaan to wear with jeans

Derek’s Picks:

• W. Bill Classic Coatings
• Marling & Evans undyed wool (or thischeck)
• VBC Hope andArchive Overcoat
• Holland & Sherry overcoat
• Lovat Ettrick (as seen atPaul Stuart Japan)
• Harrisons cashmere overcoating

Peter’s Picks

• W.Bill Classic Coatingsor Irish Donegal

Lint Brushes

Article at Put This On

Best Of

• M43 is vintage
• Chore coat was Jack/Knife (RIP) – hand-hammered rivets and leather backs, single stitching everywhere, perfect fit, until you grow out of it
• OCBD is Kamakura – replication of old BB and good fabrics
• Chino - I only have one pair from Buck Mason, the paperback
• Jeans are either Strike Gold 5103 slub jean ( crazy fades) or Buck Mason Full Saddle
• Tees are Buck Mason Field Spec
• Chambray shirt is Brycelands USN Perfect chambray shirt
• Western shirt is Stevenson Overall Co Cody

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Ian Ousley joins Jeremy from Madrid for a conversation about clothes, acting, and the long process of becoming yourself.

Ian talks about relocating to Vancouver to film Avatar: The Last Airbender, how the city’s weather and retail scene changed the way he dressed, and what he learned shopping for archive fashion in Tokyo. Plus, stories about Raf Simons, Ann Demeulemeester, a nearly 15-pound Panasonic camera jacket, the Rolling Dub Trio boots he waited all day to buy, and the era when a bright red Supreme beanie felt essential.

They also trace Ian’s path from wholesale vintage and his former LA shop, KALÓ SOIL. They dig into how taste and skill develop at different speeds, and what every artist has to make first.

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Sondre Lerche has been writing songs for most of his life. He released his debut Faces Down more than two decades ago, and somehow, eleven albums later, he’s still finding ways to make the whole thing feel new.

We talk about his new record Acrobats, spending years rewriting a single song, falling in love in a world that can make happiness feel almost irresponsible, and what performing 130 shows of *Moulin Rouge!* taught him about singing, acting, and pushing himself somewhere completely unfamiliar.

We also get into getting older, vanity, learning to let go of how other people see you, his lifelong style obsession, the influence of A-ha’s Morten Harket, vintage clothes, Ralph Lauren, and why some of his earliest songs are harder for him to revisit than others.

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John Darnielle is the songwriter, author, and frontman of The Mountain Goats, one of the most influential independent bands of the past three decades.

What began as Darnielle recording songs on a Panasonic boombox in the early '90s has grown into a beloved catalog spanning more than 20 albums, earning a devoted following for its literary songwriting and deeply human stories.

John joins me to talk about the band's new album, Days, and why he's finally allowing himself to look back on a career that's always been focused on what's next. We get into aging without becoming nostalgic, why every act of creation is ultimately hopeful, and what it means to see your own life—and your parents' lives—with fresh eyes.

We also chat about Randy Newman, the bands that shaped him, grief, faith, songwriting, influence versus imitation, and why the days really are short.

Listen to Days

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The Wardrobe Budget series reaches its completely reasonable and financially responsible conclusion: What would we buy if we had $50,000 to rebuild our wardrobes from scratch? Yes, 50K. (You asked for it!)

Peter and Derek use the fantasy budget to talk about the clothes they love most, from exceptional outerwear and bespoke tailoring to workwear, shoes, and accessories.

Before that, they consider Emily Segal’s concept of “tasteslop” and whether good taste can exist without cultural context. They close with a new round of tailoring, footwear, photography, and other recent discoveries in Hey, Nice Pants.

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Adrian DZA has had about five different careers, and somehow all of them make sense.

DJ, party promoter, skate shop owner, creative, and now co-founder of Very Special, Adrian has spent the last two decades building businesses rooted in taste rather than trends.

We talk about growing up between Paris and Miami, the early days of Peachfuzz, how Very Special became one of the most respected names in vintage watches, why community matters more than hype, and what it was like to go from collecting Stone Island to starring in one of the brand's campaigns.

We also get into vintage watches, records, cars, fatherhood, and why the best careers rarely follow a straight line.

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The Wardrobe Series continues with a bigger challenge: rebuilding a wardrobe with a $12,000 budget. With more room to spend, Derek and Peter debate where to invest, what’s worth upgrading, and whether one exceptional piece should take up a third of the entire budget. The result is two highly personal wardrobes—and two very different ideas about what “buy less, buy better” actually means.

Along the way, they discuss Peter’s upcoming trip to London and Inis Meáin, vintage dressing, and some truly indestructible belts.

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BONUS EPISODE!

Leica is much more than cameras.

This week I’m joined by Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, Art Director and Chief Representative of Leica Galleries International, for a conversation about photography, memory, art, and why certain images stay with us.

We talk about the emotional side of photography, why perfection isn’t the goal, how Leica thinks about galleries as places for community, what social media has changed (and what it hasn’t), collecting versus appreciating art, and why printing your photographs still matters.

A fun little bonus episode for anyone who loves photography—or has ever wondered what makes Leica, well… Leica.

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Jon Klassen makes children’s books, but this isn’t really a conversation about children’s books.

Jon recently won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (one of the biggest honors in children’s literature), and we start there before getting into what makes his work so compelling in the first place.

We talk about why he leaves space for readers instead of explaining everything, how kids are smarter than we often give them credit for, the value of ambiguity, and why making work for yourself is usually the only way to make something honest.

And of course, we get into running, menswear, Studio Ghibli, Maurice Sendak, creative insecurity, and the weird pressure of trying to make good work over and over again.

Jon's acceptance speech

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Joe Wengert is a comedian, writer, and actor whose work spans Comedy Bang! Bang!, The Onion, and Big Mouth. But this conversation isn’t really about comedy.

Joe joins me to talk about getting older, making new friends, becoming a parent, and the strange process of trying to hold onto who you are while continuing to grow. We discuss his new animated series Kevin, co-created with Aubrey Plaza, why game nights matter more than ever, the terror of becoming a hat guy, and how a night guard can become an unexpected symbol of middle age.

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It's Die, Workwear!

Derek and Peter take a break from their Wardrobe Series to chat with Matthew Gonzalez, a Southern California native who made his way from an alterations room in Irvine to London, Huntsman, and eventually his own bespoke tailoring business on Savile Row.

Matthew’s work sits at a fascinating crossroads: classic American style, British tailoring tradition, and the realities of making clothing for people today. The conversation gets into his path through the trade, what makes tailoring feel American without becoming costume, the romance and economics of Savile Row, why bespoke still matters, and how the best clothes are shaped not just by rules, but by the person wearing them.

https://www.matthewgonzalez.co.uk

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Singer-songwriter Alex Amen joins me to discuss his debut album, Sun of Amen.

The first time I heard the record, I couldn’t believe how young he was.

Not because the music sounds old, but because it carries a level of patience, craftsmanship, and emotional weight that feels increasingly rare (especially now!) Alex and I discuss the disappearing influence of regional culture, studying the great songwriters, recording live to tape, and how tradition can serve as a foundation for creating something entirely your own.

We also talk about clothes, Patagonia, Texas style, California dirtbag lore, The Beatles, parenting, and the lifelong pursuit of finding your voice.

BIG TUNES AND BIG FITS!

End Song is "Diamonds" from the Debut LP, Sun of Amen

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The Wardrobe Series continues, and this time the budget gets tight.

With just $1,000 to spend, Derek and Peter attempt to rebuild a wardrobe from the ground up—making hard choices about what matters, what can wait, and where to stretch every dollar.

The result is less about shopping and more about priorities. What are the pieces you actually need? Which ones earn their place? And how much style can you really buy on a budget?

Plus: the Met Gala, menswear rabbit holes, and a few recent obsessions.

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My guest this week is the actor Oliver Platt.

You know him from The Bear, Chicago Med, The Three Musketeers, Beethoven, The West Wing, Frost/Nixon — honestly, the list goes on forever. He’s one of those rare actors who somehow exists in every lane at once: beloved by movie people, television people, theater people, and apparently menswear guys too.

We talk about growing up as the son of a diplomat, moving from Hong Kong to Japan to Washington D.C., discovering acting as a survival mechanism, early days in New York with Stanley Tucci and Hank Azaria, body image, GLP-1s, Paul Smith, Japanese denim, heritage workwear, and why sometimes you need to “give yourself the fuzzies.”

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