Five Things 04
Five guides on: what not what to do in workshops, vintage JC Pennys jeans, pairing suits with shoes and more for Friday, May 16, 2025.
In this week’s Selectism “Five Things,” I’m sharing a selection of guides and how-tos that have shaped the way we dress. Of course, how we dress is a wide-open cornucopia of subcategories—many of which writers lovingly group under names like menswear, traditional sportswear, workwear, outdoor wear, vintage etc. There are so many ways one can dress, and only so many days in the year to get all those fits off. I’m giving you five guide to get started.
I’d also like to send congratulations to Istituto Marangoni Miami’s graduating class of 2025. The school’s annual Volare fashion show, featuring collections from this year’s graduates, was held last night in Miami’s Design District. The show not only highlights student work and the institution itself—but also Miami as a creative hub. A big thank-you to model and Marangoni Miami board member Karolina Kurkova for walking in the show and inspiring students to do more.
— Jeff
Inside the GORE-TEX History Archive
Field Mag has been a staple in the outerwear and outdoor circuit for some time. Under Graham Hiemstra’s helm, Field Mag follows paths less often taken when it comes to the outdoors and outerwear. Their viewpoint comes from actual usage and experience—spending so much time in the minutiae of it all that one becomes an expert.
Their latest YouTube short, “Rare Gear from Inside the Gore-Tex Archives,” is an all-out gorp assault, showcasing finely developed and often overengineered products made with Gore-Tex—the fabric whose tagline still reads: “Guaranteed to keep you dry.”
I found two quotes on Gore-Tex that reflect how, in this world, function always comes first.
Yvon Chouinard, outdoor legend and founder of Patagonia, put it simply: “Gore-Tex changed the outdoor industry. Suddenly, you could stay dry and still breathe.”
And with a solve for both breathability and performance, it was inevitable that Gore-Tex would find its way into fashion. Errolson Hugh, founder of Acronym and technical fabric wizard, once said: “When you wear Gore-Tex, you’re not wearing fashion—you’re wearing function disguised as fashion.”
Well said.
10 Forbidden Practices in the Workshop
On Graham’s recommendation mentioned above, we’ve got a great one from Van Neistat on what not to do in your workshop—you know, that bench, corner, or full-on workspace filled with mechanical tools, snippers, and all kinds of stuff that can help you build incredible things (like a home) but also cause real harm if you’re not respecting the space.
I also like it as a reminder—a refresher to keep your mind right when you’re in the shop. It should be required viewing, much like how we should give first-time flyers a driver’s-ed-style tutorial on how to stay sane in an airport.1
A Guide to JC Penney’s Foremost Jeans
Staying core to work wear is what Heddels is all about. If anything they more than any other publication has done more to keep us all up to date on new things as they apply to: denim, shirts, jackets, jewelry, and anything else a work wear centric gal or guy would want.
They also offer a substantial number of vintage “guides” that cover Levi’s 501s and beyond. Recently, they teamed with Idaho picker, Jordan Peck for a look at some JC Penny’s Foremost jean line, a department store competitor to Levi’s, Wrangler and Lee that did pretty well. But, not much is out there on them.
The guide begins with an honest take on Foremost, “After copycatting and undercutting Levi’s in the early 20th century, Foremost went on to have nearly 50 years in the game before being discontinued in the 1970s.”
Dig in at Heddels.
The Berluti Knot Method
I had no idea shoelace knotting was a flex of the noble. I picked this nugget and more in Kirby Allison’s now seven year old Youtube vide on Berluti knots. Yes, it is 8 minutes and 36 seconds of a advance lacing ASMR that promises to leave you with a knot that will not loosen.
Now, I could stop here and leave you to practice your knots, but the Berluti knot story is actually one of problem solving and branding by a one Olga Berluti, who helped reshape the Berluti brand starting in the 1970s.
Olga Berluti is a rare figure in the traditionally male-dominated world of luxury shoemaking. The great-granddaughter of the brand’s founder, Olga Berluti brought new ideas creative ideas to the brand, using tooling to distress, color to transform otherwise ordinary brogues. She is credited with the Berluti Knot, which itself was inspired by the Duke of Windsor who crushed the knot game it would seem. The knot-father if you will.
The family heiress took inspiration from another heir, a royal one, a faithful client of the Maison. The Duke of Windsor was famous for his escapades, elegance and for having popularised the renowned Windsor knot for ties. To tie his shoes, his grandmother, Alexandra of Denmark, taught him a double-loop knot that prevented his shoelaces from coming untied during military parades and official ceremonies. - Berluti
Top up your knot game, with some Berluti Knots. And you if know of any other obscure knots, please let do share with me.
A Visual Guide to Suits and Dress Shoes
Reddit was crushing it well before I was turned onto it by Brock Cardiner, a former managing editor at Highsnobiety, who—even back in 2010—could see that conversations were shifting back to platforms. Reddit was, and still is, a fine replacement for forums and message boards, complete with an impressive search function.
At some point—some 11 or 12 years ago—the /malefashionadvice subreddit surfaced a visual guide to pairing suits and shoes like no other. Featuring 13 different suit styles and 14 varieties of brogues (including lacing patterns), the JPEG does a good job of helping everyday denizens get dressed right.
And while the guide itself feels somewhat clinical and corporate in layout, the subreddit remains a vibrant archive of conversations from yesteryear—many of which still hold up today.
People need reminders on etiquette, and honestly, on sanity when flying. A few basics: no, the plane is not going to take off without you. And yes, when your row is called, it’s perfectly fine to remain calm and grounded. I promise you—if you’re at the gate, you’re getting on that plane.