Today we’re talking about loafers. Those do-nothing idlers who just sit around all day and the leisurely leather shoe that’s come to be named after them.
Yes, the penny, the tassel, even the horsebit. These footwear icons might seem like timeless classics, but they are the result of a relatively recent cross-cultural exchange of mutually beneficial cultural appropriation.
So slide in, slip on, and get ready for a relaxing ride along Loafer Lane.
Brands mentioned:
So this is the end piece of our loaf on loafers and the end piece of this first experimental season. Thank you for listening and learning along with me.
If you liked what you’ve been hearing, please let us and other people know. Our email address is blowout@heddels.com and we are also getting our discord fired up again so you can bother me directly if you like.
Today’s episode featured writing from “The Lowdown on Loafers - From American to Norway and Back Again” by Albert Muzquiz on Heddels.com and the production talents of Sean Thornton with the theme musical talents of Andrew Ryan.
That’s right, this is a denim episode! Longtime listeners will remember our 13-part, 7-hour audio epic about the history of denim where we covered 500 years of history of our favorite fabric.
Relax, we’re not doing that again. That was a graduate level seminar, instead, this is denim 101 and by the end of it you should have all the tools and info needed to make an informed purchase and join the wonderful fraternity of people who talk about their jeans way too much.
If you only know whispers of the discomfort associated with raw denim, the supposed high cost, or even about people putting their jeans in the freezer or wearing them to the beach, then this is for you.
Brands mentioned:
Today’s episode featured writing from “The Essential Raw Denim Breakdown” by yours truly on Heddels.com and the producing talents of Sean Thornton and theme music by Andrew Ryan.
If you have any questions, comments, feedback or suggestions for other topics, email us at blowout@heddels.com.
Today we’re talking polarization.
I’m not talking about the bears, Santa Claus, or the state of global politics. Rather something a bit more anodyne, and seasonally appropriate, cool shades!
You may have heard of the many benefits of polarized sunglasses, how they reduce glare, let you see through the surface of water, or make it easier to drive. But why? How? Where to find?
There isn’t that much technical information for consumers explaining how they work or the very different quality of materials they can be made from. But listen on and you’ll soon be an expert on all things polarized!
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, want to suggest a topic or pump your favorite sunglasses, drop us a line at blowout@heddels.com
Today’s episode featured writing from “Polarized Sunglasses - How do they Work” by yours truly, “Randolph Engineering — History, Philosophy, and Iconic Products” by Albert Muzquiz, and “American Optical – History, Philosophy, and Iconic Products” by John Bobey all on Heddels.com and the production talents of Sean Thornton with theme music by Andrew Ryan.
They say all clothing is a type of language. Even refusing to participate in the conversation is a way to say something.
Whether you’re in a top hat and tails or Canadian tuxedo or naked, it’s all saying something about you and how you chose to present yourself.
But some clothes speak a little louder than others. Today we’re talking about arguably the loudest and most explicit of them all. That’s right, it’s graphic tee time, the shirt that literally spells out its message for you right across your chest for anyone who cares to read it.
They may feel like the most ubiquitous item in the world, and that’s because they are with an estimated 8 billion of them produced every year, but they’ve been around for less than a hundred years.
Brands mentioned:
If you have any questions, comments or concerns or any topics you’d like to hear covered, please let us know at blowout@heddels.com
Today’s episode featured writing from Brad Lanphear’s 2023 Heddels article “History & Evolution of the Graphic Tee”, the production talents of Sean Thornton, and theme music by Andrew Ryan.
Hi, I’m Heddels publisher David Shuck.
You may remember me from previous Heddels podcasts like our History of Denim series, the Rise and Fall of Made in USA, and the one where Reed, Albert, and I just shot the breeze for an hour every week.
I’ve been writing about owning things you want to use forever for well over a decade now. I’ve been everywhere from downtown Los Angeles to the deserts of Pakistan to understand where and how to find quality goods and the history of the people that make them.
I’ve written and edited thousands of articles on jeans, boots, backpacks, bandanas, and nearly anything else made of cloth and leather. And, looking back, there are a few topics that I want to go a little deeper on in this new seasonal podcast series.
Each episode, we’ll tackle a single item, whether that’s huarache sandals, Type II denim jackets, or the cast iron frying pan and I promise that by the end of it you’ll know:
Why it’s important
Where it came from
How it’s made
Who’s making them today
How to take care of it
And, the real reason people listen to podcasts, at least three fun facts you can share at parties
We’ll be releasing these in mini-seasons with items appropriate to the weather, at least in the northern hemisphere (sorry Australians!)
This first episode is about Madras, the Indian fabric that’s really only famous in the US because Brooks Brothers cleverly remarketed a bad batch of it in the 50s. Let me know what you think and if you have any topics you’d like to hear about by emailing us at blowout@heddels.com, I hope you enjoy.
Brands mentioned:
Read the full article by Albert Muzquiz here: https://www.heddels.com/2018/05/history-madras-fabric/
Production by Sean Thornton and theme music by Andrew Ryan.
On this week’s Blowout… REED’S CORNER IS OFFICIALLY COOKED. Or at least the corner of Birkenstock Boston’s and Able to Buy Whenever. (Spoiler: He blames TikTok.) But because discovery is often generated out of necessity and Bostons are officially Pop Music now, that also means mules are Mainstream™, which has forced — yes, forced — us to investigate some alternative options in the Big Comfort footwear category. And guess what? Alongside oversized everything and a near-extinction event for hard-bottoms, the Mule Market is thriving my guys.
Also: We answer some listener questions from the Discord and probably talk about other things, but don’t worry it’s mostly Mules.
Links:
What Smoking Slippers Talk About When They Talk About Smoking
Now that Ye is getting himself canceled, what would it take for Pitbull to take over the fashion zeitgeist. We don't think it would be that hard.
Albert reviews Don't Worry Darling and the cool sneakers he saw in the crowd. Reed continues to deprive Albert of his sneaker connections. Albert begs a stranger at a party for shoes. Reed gets every sneaker he ever wants without even trying.
We embed a message to Andrew about Johan's free shoe life.
SWEATER TALK - Reed knows a ton about sweaters and owns too many. We discuss the models, details, and fits that we love most. Albert chimes in with some sweatshirt love (more appropriate for his climate). Tennis sweater, cricket sweaters, the only appropriate venue for a v-neck, etc. Loopwheeled vs. cheap sweats.
Big raw jeans are in vogue? Unfaded? Cool kids all around seem to be wearing big, stiff jeans - and although Reed and Albert disagree about which shoes look best with them, they agree the look can be cool.
We discuss Ye... even before the latest brouhaha had come out... we have to, right?
Our rock in this ever-changing world, David Shuck, is back for an episode from the road. Our brave traveler (and co-host on hiatus) calls in about Georgian nightlife, bootleg wine, and big news from Patagonia. Enjoy a joyous reunion of all three of the Blowout boys and learn a little bit about what the hipsters in Tbilisi are wearing right now. David admits we were right about our packing suggestions and tells us how he's keeping his grody clothes clean on the road. Everything you wanted to know about cleaning your three pairs of underwear in an Eastern European hotel sink but were afraid to ask.
Albert trauma-dumps, his sister is totally fine now, by the way! Reed and Albert try and figure out how to have fun dressing even during the height of a heat-wave. How to find a good tee - buy from an establishment you like, rob your dad, etc.
The main event - what to wear on a first date! Reed and Albert attempt to set down some ground rules on what to wear on your first dates. How to look comfy and at ease and yet show your date-partner that you actually care. Don't stray too far from the things you normally wear. We run down a few situations that should hopefully help you all in all your dating endeavors!
We discuss the difference between slutty (good) and pervert (bad) fashion behavior. What are the sluttiest sartorial choices you can make? After all, you want people to know you can put it down.
Are we allowed to talk about sex? Who knows - we move on to safer territory, namely camp collar shirts. Are they on their way out and if so, why? Will they go the way of the fedora? We urge prudence before you get rid of anything in your rotation. But isn't this the natural impulse to put camp collars in the closet before layering season comes? We talk failed trips to J. Crew, generally bad retail experiences, Asics, and JJJJJJJound sneakers.
Hear the full episode on Heddels+
Albert bullies a Love Island-lookin' influencer so bad his wife asks him to stop. Jugglalos are actually sweet people, as sweet as their soda of choice.
This week we put our heads together and think about the pieces that have stood the test of time - those well-made classics that transcend trends.
Some of these pieces are:
Then, if you're still reading, we pitch each other on things we need to buy! The other host decides if it's a keeper or not.
Vogue reports that "-core" has gone the way of "-chic." We try to recall the history of the whole "-core" thing from Normcore in the 20-teens to blokecore this year. But.... It's done! Passé! No more! It's not cool to just tack on "core" to shit anymore!
Reed was a genius and anticipated this change a mile off - so we use his mind and Albert's less-genius mind to anticipate what's coming up this Fall. We bemoan the weirdness of Merz B. Schwanen tees and get stoked for things to come.
David updates us from the road and lets us know he had to abandon pretty much all his cold weather gear in the face of a record-breaking heatwave. Albert and "the Lovely Reed" discuss the science of uniform dressing and whether or not we have our own uniforms. Because after all, isn't finding a uniform an art in and of itself? As long, of course, as you're not doing it for "grind-set" reasons. Many stylish people spend their lives in search of that perfect outfit and some of them actually find it! We talk about the Nike Cortez and wonder if innovation is still possible in an era when so much energy (and money) seems to be directed to the catalogs and archives, and we do a very brief run-down on the history of South Korean fashion. Enjoy!
Hear the full episode on Heddels+: http://heddels.plus
David chimes in from the road, which we don't quite respond to. Albert and Reed spend their morning hashing through the new J. Crew and how best to market a new brand to someone. Here is a link to the J.Crew Fall 2022 lookbook, the first collection spearheaded by Brendon Babenzien. We've been waiting for it and here it is. If you want to see what the old, old J.Crew looked like, we'd recommend @lostjcrew on Instagram.
We discuss Mall fashions, democratizing style, and how to stand out when everyone you know is wearing the Giant Fit chinos.
Hear the full episode on Heddels+:
Reed and Albert delve back into the world of carny-core with some advice on jort-ifying your jeans, what we liked at Paris Fashion Week, and what the new "heritage" is.
David is gone, off on his epic voyage and sabbatical. Reed and Albert discuss surveillance, the possible rise of carny-core, and make sure to include a little bad news in David's honor.
We've made it to 100 episodes! Only for David to leave immediately. Our final fully attended discussion gets into Facebook's push for digital clothes, featuring Balenciaga, Prada, and Thom Browne and the search for the perfect pair of mesh shorts.
Thank you for joining us for nearly 100 hours. Help us out by joining Heddels+ or by visiting the Heddels Shop, 10% off with code BLOWOUT.
Hear the full episode on Heddels+:
David talks with perennial Blowout guest, photographer Eric Kvatek in advance of his round the world trip. Hear tips, tricks, and how Eric was once inadvertently a mailman on a Mexican train.
Join Heddels+ to hear the full episode:
Albert's back everyone! And we herald his return with discussion of the most relevant news of the day, Kim K stretching out Marilyn Monroe's dress at the Met Gala. But it goes deeper than that, should we be wearing historically significant and rare items like truly vintage denim? And when does a garment stop being a garment? Also we revisit discussion of how to learn about fashion online and work through a case of Outlier clothing that I'm testing for future travel.
How does one start down the long indigo path online these days? We're beyond the heyday of blogs and Tumblr and have moved into the realm of reels, reels that involve some guy telling you to tuck in your shirt or pull your hoodie through your beltloops. Reed and David discuss the prospect of starting out as a fashion neophyte these days and the various posts and influencers one might encounter.
We also get into the following:
Join Heddels+ for more and visit the Heddels Shop for 10% with the code BLOWOUT.
