Clothes Line Saga 002
Gramicci, "lifestyle" apparel, and coffee beans
Welcome back to Clothes Line Saga, a series devoted to fit pics and associated commentary.
I wore this on Tuesday, April 22nd—a while ago, admittedly. I’ve been busy, sue me.
This was the day before my third-third birthday. Otherwise, it was a Tuesday like any other: up at 6:30 AM, online for the day job at 7, off for lunch at 1 PM, quitting time at 4. According to my calendar, I taped a guest appearance on Justin Cox’s After The Deluge podcast at 5 PM. We rapped about Bon Iver’s bonkers third LP, 22, A Million, a record that meant a great deal to me in 2016 and still sounds great in 2025. Give the episode a spin if you’re interested.
I offer these trivial details to emphasize that this was an utterly average day, another brick in the wall of my life. I spent it mostly at home, in front of one of the two computer monitors secured to my desk. The only people who saw me for more than a minute were my wife and my dog, and my dog isn’t even a person. Still, I wanted to put a little effort into my appearance.
For whom a man dresses is an oft-debated subject in online menswear circles. Does he dress for sexual partners who might be attracted to him based on his style? Does he dress for other menswear types that might espy him throughout the course of his day? Does he dress for The Grid?
Personally, I dress for myself. It makes me feel good to look good, even if no one is looking at me. Plus, it means you’re already good to go if you decide you need to go somewhere. That’s what happened here: I ran out of coffee beans, so the dog and I walked up to coffee shop during my lunch to restock.
The main component here is the pants, which are made by Gramicci. Initially founded with a focus on climbing apparel, Gramicci now skews decidedly towards “lifestyle” clothing, whatever that means. Call it Carharttization: the appropriation of an identity through the wardrobe of those for whom the clothing was originally made. This has happened, is happening, or will happen to almost any legacy brand with enough authentic swag: North Face, Stetson, L.L. Bean, etc. Annoying? Without a doubt—but also inescapable, inevitable. Such is life.
In any case, the Gramicci goods are tough, low-key, and relatively inexpensive. They’re also made with a handy in-built belt, which you can adjust up and down depending on how much sodium you’ve consumed recently. These are their Rock Slide Pant. It’s a Goldilocks silhouette for me— baggy but not balloon-y, with enough length in the inseam to be worn cuffed or uncuffed as you see fit (this was a cuff day for me, but recently I’ve been letting them pool).
They’re a flexible pant that I can pair with almost anything in my wardrobe. Flannel and Blundstones? Yep. Work shirt and Oboz? Check. Hoodie and Salomons? No question. More importantly, they’re functional. Easy to wash, supremely comfortable whether in motion or at rest, and dig those wide patch pockets at the knee: the perfect size for 12 ounces of beans from Excelsior Coffee, my cafe of choice.
Up top, I wore a denim overshirt and a short, boxy t-shirt. The layers make everything feel a bit more composed, and the mismatched shapes allow each shirt to express itself without overwhelming the other. No jacket necessary—San Francisco springtime is perfect weather for going shirt-on-shirt.
I’ll have more to say about t-shirts at some point, but for now I’ll point you to this brief interview I did with my pal @vocalcharismatics about my all-time favorite tee and what I’m looking for in terms of fit, feel, and origin.
It was a nice walk, the beans were great as always, and I felt good about the way I looked, even though I was just on a quick errand.
The dog enjoyed it too.
