It hasn’t been the year I thought it would be. Every person on earth is thinking that right now. The plans we had for 2020 all changed in some form or other. But I kept writing about menswear, and I copped some cool clothes, like I’m hoping many of you did. Let’s take a quick walk down Memory Ln on Menswear Musings dot com and see what happened, shall we?
I feel nothing but blessed in the face of the pandemic that’s killed 300,000+ in my own nation and 1.6m worldwide. My job has been stable and my family has stayed healthy. What more could you ask for?
The year started for me with my first trip to Pitti Uomo. I carried forward that momentum through March. It gave me a surge of energy, creativity and renewed passion. I had hopes of returning to Pitti in June and parlaying that into continued zeal for content. But as Spring came and the pandemic reached America’s shores, of course, the story changed.
Looking back at the content I created before, then during the pandemic, I’m still proud of what I published. Besides some product reviews of some truly cool brands, some pretty good advice posts, and some thoughtful musings posts, there’s the eBook I launched in March, which was a monumental, months-long project I’d been chipping away at for a long time.
Now as we look ahead to 2021, which we all feel cautiously optimistic for (don’t ruin the vaccine’s efficacy, UK strain of COVID!), I have no firm expectations for what may or may not happen. I do have a hope tucked away in the back of my mind to return to Pitti in June, should all positive trends continue and I’m able to do so safely.
So I went back through the past year’s worth of articles and plucked out the ones I thought were pretty good. Frankly I was surprised how many there were. When I started this post, I thought “Ehh there was maybe one per month.” Please excuse me while I give myself a high five.
Below my picks for important-enough-to-mention posts, after which I’ve put the top 10 posts based on traffic to my site all year.
What was your favorite post of mine this year? Comment below!
Pitti 97 posts
My post-Pitti recap post—gushing about how much fun I had
My daily fits from Pitti—the man behind the camera finally gets a few pics taken of him
My favorites out of my street style images from Pitti—hey, they turned out okay
Musings
Darker Tonality in Dress—the Johnny Cash look, but with navy
Bring Some Drama Into Your Clothes—let it flow baby
What Do You Buy Once You’ve Got All the Essentials?—more great clothes
Thoughts on Denim and Chambray Shirts—chambray for shirts, denim for everything else
Suitsupply vs. Isaia? Satisfaction in the Un-Quantifiable—insights about what really matters in clothing
Will Anyone Wear Ties Anymore?—well, will they?
Profile in Style: Ahmed From Qatar—stylish Mid-Eastern dude has a great wardrobe
Moleskin Trousers—don’t miss the comments section, I promise
Thoughts on the Official End of Eidos—RIP, the last 3 years were pointless anyway
Advice
The Importance of a Jacket’s Front Length—how it can make you look like you’re wearing your school boy jacket still even if it fits everywhere else
Why You Want a Long Lapel Line—do flatter yourself
Two Tips for Nailing Your Trouser Fit—the all-important knee measurement
My tips for working from home as a menswear enthusiast—dress for yourself
Pleats or No?—for me, no, but you do you
Adjusting Your Perceptions of What “Fits”—turns out comfort is important
Father’s Day Gift Guide 2020—cool stuff for any menswear dude at any time of year, frankly
My foray into wristwatches
- The Other Moon Watch—my brother’s gift ignited the passion within me
- Uh-Oh, Am I Becoming a Watch Guy?—this is going to be expensive
- One Swiss Watch—can’t beat the Seamaster Professional 300m
- The Do-Everything Omega Aqua Terra—just need a steel bracelet
Product reviews
Mature, Authentic Italian Tailoring From No Man Walks Alone x Sartoria Carrara—Tuscan tailoring for men with style
Besnard’s High-Quality Japanese Denim Shirt—generous collar roll with silky smooth fabric
The Anthology’s Remix of Golden Age Glamour With Contemporary Fit and Finish—a fully imagined Hong Kong brand making gorgeous clothes
Natalino’s Accessible, Authentic Neapolitan Tailoring—bespoke Neapolitan features at an affordable price
Top 10 posts according to traffic statistics
1. It’s Back—Polo Coat Restock—this coat rules
2. Recommended—Brooks Brothers Face Masks—these were a godsend in May. I bought more in November and they are not as good as the first pack I bought
3. I Mourn Brooks But Wear My Drake’s OCBD More—RIP Brooks Brothers but we all hope Bastian does you right
4. The Need for Tweed—Spier & Mackay Tweed Offerings for FW20—so much good tweed this year. here for it
5. Pleats Or No?—for me, no, but you know, ymmv
6. How to Make the Most of Your Proper Cloth Purchase—classic evergreen content
7. The Unassailable Appeal of the OCBD—why am I continually buying blue OCBDs? I already own 5!
8. Ring Jacket’s Easy, Comfortable Tailoring—the first review in my ongoing series of tailoring reviews, published 2 years ago. Nice
9. Thoughts on Denim and Chambray Shirts—I think, therefore I am
10. Suitsupply’s Excellent, Hidden-in-Plain-Site Jort Line—don’t sleep on Jort, guys
