Performative parents
After another delayed flight back to San Francisco (with some very performative parents and their little ones), it was time to get back to life, back to reality. In other words, brunch with Pantalones at Foreign Cinema. Fun fact: I’ve only eaten dinner there, never brunch. Alert the media.
What to wear when catching up with a dear friend over a heavenly egg white scramble punctuated with crispy brussel sprouts and citrus dressing? A wide brimmed hat, for starters.
Side note to the couple celebrating their 70th anniversary with the big group near our table: congratulations - this outfit’s for you.
The brunch and weekly Mission Comics run outfit
Prada jacket
Sigh. Picked this guy up during my first Twixmas trip with Operetta in the UK. What a treasure. This is from one of my all-time favorite menswear collections (Prada 2015 autumn winter). I have a bag from the same collection that I need to bring back into rotation…
Cognomen vest
Purchased from Groovin in Monti, thanks to one of the loveliest sales clerks. Not gonna lie - I had some sticker shock (after buying), but this little guy’s proven to be a multi-day-a-week layering piece that upgrades any t-shirt. Have to keep the strings shortened to avoid getting caught in elevators or sliding doors. Still, one of the hero items purchased in 2024.
Isabel Marant sneakers
I tried to roll with Rick Owens Converse shoes, but they made me walk funny. They also felt a bit too … effortful. And yes, I know I could’ve just grabbed a pair of Chucks. Isabel has treated me well though, and I’ve been wearing these to death over the past couple of months. We’ll see how long they last.
Anthropologie hat
I’m trying to branch out of baseball caps. I like the idea of becoming the old Asian guy with gray facial hair and a wide brim hat a la Yohji. But after going from one milliner to the next in NYC, Rome and Tokyo, all I found were pricey wool or rabbit fedoras that made me look like a Blues Brother or wannabe mafioso. I can’t begin to describe how dumb I look in a Borsalino.
Who would’ve thought that the perfect hat was waiting for me at the Anthro in Carlsbad? In the sales section, with an added 40% off sales price? I handed this guy over to my brother and informed him this was his Christmas gift for me. He actually wrapped it up in a messy fashion instead of slapping a bow on the shopping bag.
The circumference of the brim still takes some getting used to, and I worry that it makes me look like Debbie Gibson or Natalie Merchant from the 80s, but I’ve looked worse.