My friends, are you ready for the weekend yet? I know I sure am — in fact, it feels as if my weekend started a little early. The big news in my neck of the woods? After five-plus years at my agency day job handling PR and social media, I’m stepping back as of earlier this week to focus full-time on menswear writing and other projects! You can head here to read more, and head to my personal Web site for my full background. It’s an EXTREMELY exciting prospect, so if you’re a brand or agency in need of a (relatively good!) writer or social media pro, PLEASE reach out! That being said, I’ve got plenty to get through in the rest of today’s Friday Read in the meantime. Thanks for joining us, thanks for reading & thank you for your support! Now, to business.

First things first, let’s really get things going with some of the best men’s grooming essentials in the business. Keeping your face in shape during the heat of summer is a tall task, but there’s a brand out there that can help you do it: Oars + Alps. I’ve had the good fortune to test out the brand these past few weeks (and over the years, going back to 2017!), and you’ve got just as great a chance to get to know ’em. You can use the code BEAU15 to get 15 percent off at Oars + Alps, including must-buy products like the hydrating and anti-aging Face and Eye Cream. The brand uses all-natural products like activated charcoal and aloe vera in products throughout its line, and each product also features Alpine Caribou Moss™ to reduce the effects of aging and fight pollution (which can harm your skin!). It’s great stuff, if you ask me. Again, get your weekend started right by using the code BEAU15 to get 15 percent off at Oars + Alps. While you do that, let’s get to the rest of the Friday Read below. Again, thank you for reading, thank you for your support!

• Let’s dig into some of the best sneakers for men, shall we? While I’m a fan of brands like Brooklyn-based GREATS, it’s hard to deny the appeal of a widely seen, classic pair of men’s sneakers (at least from what I’ve seen in NYC) — that’d be the Nike Killshot 2. They’re extremely hard to get, they work well with dark denim and a chambray shirt or your favorite shorts and a classic pocket T-shirt, and you should definitely read my latest at GearMoose to get the scoop on them.
• Just as you should keep your skin in shape for summer, so too does your beard deserve attention. And as a bearded fella myself, I’m going to suggest you check out my guide to the best beard conditioners for The Manual — there’s something for everyone, and at every price point.
• Allow me to once again point you toward my recently launched newsletter, The Style Guide In Brief. It’s my twice-weekly dispatch where I’m covering some music to spin, some crucial shopping picks from favorite brands like Buck Mason and Todd Snyder, and of course, what to imbibe (from the best coffee to the best beer). I’m having fun with it, and if that sounds fun to you, head here to sign up.
• One last item here before we start to wrap things up. Yesterday, I launched a new series called The Thursday Buy, covering one great menswear essential to shop as you start the weekend. I featured the Relwen Homespun Pocket Tee, a rugged and durable T-shirt that’s part of a stellar lineup of stylish summer tees at Huckberry, of course. Stay tuned for a new post on that front every Thursday, my friends.

That’ll wrap things up for me today, folks. If you made it this far, thanks (as always!) for reading! With all of that being said, I’ve still got one last suggestion for you. A breezy linen shirt, the kind I wrote about in this post — the kind that only lauded NYC menswear designer Todd Snyder can produce — is going to go a long way toward improving your summer style. Again, head here to check it out and read more. Oh, and one last reminder. If you want to amp up your grooming game in a hurry, you know what to do: Use the code BEAU15 to get 15 percent off at Oars + Alps, one of the best grooming brands for men I’ve seen. You heard it here first. Have a great weekend, folks!