The Friday Read: A Weekend Getaway to Knoxville, New Spring Gear & “Grassland”

Best things to do in Knoxville, Tennessee.

My friends, welcome back to another edition of the Friday Read, where we look back at the week that was and look forward to another stylish weekend — in Brooklyn, across the pond and this time, in Knoxville, Tennessee. I’ll be trekking south with my love Mary for a family wedding, outfitted this time in a new Alan David Custom suit in a pleasing seasonal shade — you can (and should) head to my Instagram to see how I’m styling my new duds!

And along with some southern BBQ, bourbon (a favorite sipper among my family) and quality time, I’m also expecting to spend some time exploring Knoxville breweries — a must-do part of any trek to a new city.

Knoxville is also home to the world’s largest Negroni menu (at least, as part of Negroni Week 2022, as I covered at Maxim), and I know myself and my love Mary are looking forward to checking out Brother Wolf for some utterly tasty sips — perhaps including the Oaxacan Negroni as shown above.

I’ll also be bringing along some casually cool spring style favorites from top brands including Huckberry, of course — all of the fun can be found if you head to my Instagram, folks. Onward!

A quick note for all you film buffs and culture aficionados out there: You’d do well to check out Grassland, a social justice thriller set amidst the 2008 presidential election and covering the fallout from marijuana-related arrests (no spoilers here!). The film was executive-produced by none other than Common, and perhaps you’ll recognize a fitting tie-in — the watch shown above.

Actor and Michigan native Quincy Isaiah worked with Michigan watchmaker Shinola on the now-sold-out Shinola Grassland Watch last year (which I covered at Maxim), a further nod to inequities in marijuana-related criminal justice (and a great timepiece to scout out on the secondary market). For now, you can watch Grassland on streaming, and you can shop stylish men’s watches at Shinola in the meantime this weekend.

Here’s another quick read to shape your spring and summer style before another weekend getaway begins in earnest: I covered the classic, utterly iconic Vans Old Skool Premium Sneakers here yesterday on the blog, and suffice to say, they deliver a prime footwear upgrade for casually cool, laidback style and effortless good looks. To step into the weekend stylishly, check out the Vans Premium Old Skool at Huckberry, my friends.

And of course, to keep up with all the fun in NYC, Knoxville and beyond, head to my Instagram and hit that follow button — great Southern BBQ and craft beer await, along with a hearty dose of fun with the family and classic, suitably semi-formal wedding style. Our regular slate of two weekend style posts also happens to be on the docket tomorrow and Sunday, naturally. Cheers, folks!