Tag / the friday find

by Beau H.

The Friday Find: This Devium USA Quilted Flannel Shirt is the Ultimate Winter Layering Move

In my experience bundling up for the brisk weather in Brooklyn, especially these days, it often pays off to lean into rugged utility with an added dash of durable, rugged performance — just when you think your #menswear rotation has seen it all, a brand comes along that ups the ante in reliable fashion. And for my money’s worth, that brand just so happens to be Devium USA — a personal favorite of this writer, the company takes a steadfast, strong approach to the best American-made style, no corners cut in any way, shape or form.

Find out more now at Devium USA

My past Devium menswear reviews on this blog have delved into a bit of everything, from the brand’s strong but supple T-shirts and short-sleeve buttondowns to its hard-wearing waxed jackets, tough-as-nails flannel shirts and sturdy base layers like one of the best henleys for men. The list certainly goes on from there, but let’s focus on what makes this dependable shirt jacket (or shacket!) so exceptional, shall we?

And in this day and age, and with temperatures being what they are out there, I’d wager you assuredly can’t go wrong with a handsome, highly functional selection like the Devium Stamped Quilt Lined Flannel Shirt. As the name implies, it’s everything you absolutely love about a dependable flannel shirt, bolstered by details like a medium-weight quilted lining and 7oz. cotton flannel construction across the board. The fact that your new favorite flannel shirt jacket comes in a host of rich, handsome colors and plaid options is but a major added bonus, is it not?

Remember what we said about upping the ante in matters of both warmth and style? Well, the Devium Stamped Quilt Lined Flannel Shirt has plenty of both to go around in spades, from its reinforced collar to the use of hard-working, military grade snap buttons.

It’s tough to pick just one favorite color when it comes to the Devium Stamped Quilt Lined Flannel Shirt, at least in my experience, and with cut-and-sew production taking place in California featuring materials sourced in America, there’s sense of supreme style, durability and toughness to the Devium Stamped Quilt Lined Flannel Shirt — try one on for size and see for yourself, my friends.

by Beau H.

The Friday Find: The Best Made Co. Wool-Lined Waxed Field Jacket Belongs In Your Closet In the Years Ahead

Best Made Co. review.

If the Friday Find series is all about spotlighting brands that fly ever-so-slightly under the radar, then it’s also about spotlighting brands and designers large and not-so-large that are doing things the right way, the hard way, in a steadfast manner. Perhaps no company featured on the Friday Find so far embodies that ethos and craftsmanship quite like Best Made Co. (let the debate begin, but for my money’s worth, it holds up!).

And in fact, perhaps Best Made Co. isn’t so unfamiliar to you — after all, the brand was founded in 2009 by designer Peter Buchanan-Smith, and quickly shot to cult fame for its iconic axes and hard-wearing, good old-fashioned pieces like chore coats and handsome sweaters.

The company was later folded into the Duluth Trading Co. umbrella, at least for a time (after Buchanan-Smith’s departure), but the founder eventually bought his company back and retooled Best Made beginning in the fall of 2023. The real story, to hear its founder tell it, is longer and more nuanced, but there’s lots to dive into here — and it certainly won’t be the last time we talk about Best Made Co. on this Brooklyn menswear blog, my friends.

Learn more about the Best Made Co. story here

What a journey, right? The brand is back under its founder’s guidance, and as near as I can tell, the results are as tough, hard-working, rugged and functional as ever — which brings us to the Best Made Co. Wool-Lined Waxed Field Jacket, among other must-see staples from a newly resurgent Best Made Co. The company is as product-focused as ever, with a rugged ethos that looks to the great outdoors and heirloom design staples aplenty.

When it comes to the Best Made Co. Wool-Lined Waxed Field Jacket, the brand used its own proprietary Cruiser Jacket pattern to deliver a twist on an old-time favorite, using British Millerain waxed cotton for a durable shell that’s then bolstered from the inside with sturdy but supple Wyoming wool. To say Best Made Co. went all-out with this excellent-looking jacket is an understatement:

The company lined the sleeves of this field jacket in cotton twill herringbone, then used wool within its hand warmer pockets. Meanwhile, British corduroy finishes off the collar and cuffs, and incredibly, it all comes together right n New York City. They don’t make ’em like they used to, except when they do. If this is a new look at a new Best Made Co., then color me very impressed — the best is indeed yet to come, I’d wager.

by Beau H.

The Friday Find: The Iron and Resin Cruiser Jacket is Perfectly Suited for Each and Every Rugged Adventure This Season

Iron and Resin Cruiser Jacket review.

As we so often talk about on this Brooklyn style blog, it can indeed be mighty refreshing to find a brand crafting rugged menswear the right way — especially if it’s a brand that might have flown under your radar, or a brand you haven’t explored in some time.

As we try to do with our Friday Find series, it seems that when it comes to winter style essentials — and the best waxed jackets — the good folks at Iron and Resin deliver just what the doctor ordered in matters of rugged, durable and dependable quality.

Find out more and shop now at Iron and Resin

The newly reintroduced Iron and Resin Raymond Cruiser Jacket fits the bill perfectly in that regard, using a remarkable blend of quality, craftsmanship and tough-as-nails fabrication to get the details just right (and then some).

Best waxed jackets for men.

The Iron and Resin Raymond Cruiser Jacket starts off with a supple yet sturdy build featuring what the company calls a “beefy 14.75oz Raymond waxed cotton canvas,” amped up on the inside and outside with cozy yet strong features like a lining crafted from the brand’s custom Klamath Flannel pattern blanket fabrication.

The effect is visually pleasing as well as cozy and warm — how much more can you ask for from one of the best waxed jackets for men, ehh? Gusseted shoulders and a fit cut to hit just above the hip drive home the utility of this jacket, for good measure.

Iron and Resin menswear review.

Dependable details truly make the difference when it comes to the Iron and Resin Raymond Cruiser Jacket, including a heavy-duty front zipper and reliable storm closure flap for extra coverage. Front chest pockets and lower hip pockets offer space for your everyday carry essentials, a wise move given that you’ll want to get plenty of wear out of your new favorite waxed jacket.

Shop the best gear for the open road at Iron and Resin

If it seems as if the company thought of just about everything as far as the handsome and highly dependable Iron and Resin Raymond Cruiser Jacket is concerned, that’s because, at least in my experience, they certainly did.

by Beau H.

The Friday Find: This Warren Chamois Shirt is a Perfect USA-Made Addition to Your Winter Wardrobe

It’s all too easy for a brand to take shortcuts these days, to outsource production or find a cheaper way of doing things, and while it’s certainly not economical for the menswear lovers like you and me, it tends to make a heck of a lot of difference when you find a brand doing precisely the opposite.

It’s quite the heady topic rolling into a new year, and again, it might not be feasible to stock your entire wardrobe with the best USA-made menswear. And yet, if you want to feel a durable difference in every stitch, packed with style points in each piece to boot, you very well might love what’s happening at New England’s Warren, a brand I’ve enjoyed getting to wear and getting to learn about across the past year or so.

Find out more now at Warren

The brand centers its sourcing and production around New England in a major change of how plenty of other retailers (albeit larger!) are doing things these days, and the gettin’ gets better from there, so to speak.

From a durable-as-can-be rugged chore coat to a vintage-inspired sweatshirt and a stellar, small-batch run of utterly classic chinos, Warren checks off the proper boxes as far as menswear classics and timeless wardrobe building blocks are concerned.

The brand is a new one on the scene, but ranks up near the very top when it comes to my favorite American-made menswear brands — and if I had to wager, I’d say the Warren Walden Chamois Shirt should only strengthen that feeling.

The Warren Walden Chamois Shirt starts with a sturdy 7.05oz. organic cotton twill fabric from American Woolen (the cotton is grown and spun in the American South, the company notes). Followed by brushing and garment-dying in New Hampshire, you’re left with a near-perfect chamois shirt, one that should prove utterly soft yet dependable out of the box, and entirely ready to make your own.

This dependable winter staple draws its inspiration from Maine winters and coastal shirting that’s proven a must-have in fierce Nor’easters aplenty, and Warren duly notes the Warren Walden Chamois Shirt was “inspired by the practical shirts worn across New England’s backwoods and work yards.”

Whether worn with sturdy chinos or cool-as-can-be corduroy trousers, or else with canvas work pants atop a thermal henley when your to-do list calls, you’ve found the perfect shirt for the occasion in the Warren Walden Chamois Shirt.

by Beau H.

The Friday Find: This USA-Made Flannel Shirt Is a True Winter Style Essential

As it turns out in the menswear world, when you know, you really know. That is to say, as far as the best menswear essentials are concerned, when you come across an exceptionally well-made, durable and dependable flannel shirt for men — for instance — you can spot the difference right away, in each and every stitch.

So it goes with the finely crafted, reliable-as-can-be USA-made menswear from Devium USA, the Truckee, California-based brand with a steadfast commitment to all-American style and production. In my experience, even the brand’s T-shirts and short-sleeve buttondown shirts — not necessarily easy selections to perfect — are carefully crafted with plenty of care in mind, and that goes for the soft-yet-strong fabric and sturdiness in every single stitch.

Find out more and shop USA-made menswear at Devium USA

Even one look at a men’s style staple like the Devium Boca American-Made Flannel Shirt might be enough to convert you and your closet, what with its exceptional blend of easy-to-style good looks and, as the company notes, the shirt’s expertly crafted  double-brushed, yarn-dyed 100% cotton flannel construction.

It’s far from the first time we’ve talked about the USA-made fabrication behind every piece of Devium USA menswear, which is a rare thing to find these days. Available in a whopping and highly stylish, endlessly wearable 15-plus variations, the handsome Devium Boca American-Made Flannel Shirt features remarkable details both large and small, including custom-engraved cat’s eye buttons, flat-felled seams and a substantial-but-supple midweight flannel fabric build.

The rich plaid design in its many different shades is an utterly classic move as far as flannel shirts are concerned, while the proudly American-made brand notes that “it handles a crisp morning commute as easily as a chilly fall night by the fire” — and in my experience wearing Devium USA, you’re going to want to get plenty of wear in any and all situations when it comes to this hard-wearing, one-of-a-kind men’s flannel shirt.

The company sagely notes you’ll want more than one variation of the downright essential Devium Boca American-Made Flannel Shirt, and it’s hard to argue with that sentiment.

If I were you, I’d layer up this ever-reliable flannel shirt for men atop a pocket tee, a henley or your favorite graphic T-shirt — season after season, week after week, day after day. When it comes to something like the Devium Boca American-Made Flannel Shirt, you can count on the right construction, style sensibility and rugged good looks — that’s a guarantee I’ll stand by, my friends.

by Beau H.

The Friday Find:The Helm Boots Zind Boots in Saddle Brown are as Richly Crafted as It Gets This Season

Helm men's boots review.

For starters, I hope you and yours are coming off a relaxing, utterly wonderful Christmas — and welcome back to everyone’s favorite style blog, where we dive into the charms of the season in matters of menswear, stylish men’s footwear, essential everyday carry staples and the finest gear around.

Brands that go the extra mile in precision and craftsmanship are particularly appreciated around these parts, especially this time of year — when you try on an utterly special pair of the best men’s boots, for instance, you tend to feel that difference right away, and that’s why I’ve long appreciated the good folks at Helm Boots.

Find out more and shop now at Helm Boots

And so it goes as we once again examine a brand making some of the finest boots for men on the market — it’s been some time since we talked about this Austin-based brand, masters of classically rugged boots and dress shoes since 2009, but today’s Friday Find is as a prime a time as any to dive right in.

The Helm Boots Zind Boots are a streamlined, minimal yet rugged set of leather boots for men, crafted on a custom last for a dressy-meets-versatile silhouette — the kind that, as the brand says, you can wear with a tailored navy suit to the office during the week, and then out and about with a waxed trucker jacket, a thermal henley and faded blue jeans across the weekend.

The Helm Boots Zind Boots get the details large and small correct, including the use of full-grain Krumenauer leather, plus Blake Rapid Stitch welt construction for durability while also remaining relatively affordable.

Shop men’s boots and dress shoes at Helm Boots now

The Helm Boots Zind Boots also feature hallmarks of the Austin-based brand, including the company’s eye-catching, signature white midsole and leather-lined construction with an ultra-comfortable leather insole made to mold to your feet over time.

With their textured leather upper that should patina with exceptional quality and striking good looks over time, the Helm Boots Zind Boots look like a pair from a much more expensive brand, complete with durable construction, finishing touches like antique brass eyelets and a grippy yet not-overbearing Denver last. When winter comes calling and a pair of dress boots are the solution to your next #OOTD, make sure you’re lacing up a pair of the Helm Boots Zind Boots.

by Beau H.

The Friday Find: Give the Gift of Great Scent This Season with the All-American Maker Candle Club

As we’ve talked about lately on this Brooklyn style blog, the race is on to find the best gifts for men, and especially the best gifts for the guy who’s hard to buy for this season (and really, at any time of year). It’s crunch time, so to speak, but fear not — for if you love truly all-American style, a love of quality and heritage, and some great scent quality as you scour the market for the best home goods for guys, you’re very much in luck as we unearth another gem of a selection during today’s Friday Find.

Just recently, we talked about my good friends at All-American Maker, who craft incredibly high-quality, deeply scented beard balm, hand and body balm, leather conditioner and everyday carry essentials aplenty (all in the good ole U.S. of A, of course).

It gets even better: While I’ve become a huge new fan of standout beard balm from All-American Maker, there’s something else to keep an eye on — and to gift when the rubber meets the road (as in, right now, less than a week before Christmas).

Learn more and shop USA-made goods at All-American Maker

Yes sir, if you know a fellow who seemingly has everything, who values the cut of their flannel shirt and the design of their leather boots as well as the way his home office or den smells (like rich mahogany, I’d wager?), then the All-American Maker Candle Club is going to prove a life-saving and much-appreciated Christmas gift for guys.

And as someone who keeps a candle burning quite frequently around his Brooklyn apartment (through the fall and winter, but even into spring and summer), something like this candle club is an ingenious and plenty fun idea. Billed as a “subscription service for people who love candles,” the All-American Maker Candle Club ships out a new candle at random every month, with the company’s line of scents ever expanding.

All-American Maker Candle Club review.

It comes complete with a handy and playful log book to track your favorites and your burn time, and it could also include candles that the USA-made company makes for clients under its private label business. For the gentleman who has almost everything, and for the guy who loves a warmly scented space this holiday season (and beyond), I’d say the All-American Maker Candle Club is a last-minute slam dunk of a purchase.

by Beau H.

The Friday Find: This Gustin American-Made Pocket Tee is An Ideal Move for Winter Lounging and Layering

Best pocket tees for men.

Building out your ideal menswear wardrobe is an exercise worth undertaking from A to Z, and from the ground up: As I’ve long said here on this Brooklyn style blog, if you’re putting the thought and care into selecting the perfect pair of leather boots, the right belt or the right pair of selvedge denim, the same thought process can apply to the rest of your favorite menswear essentials.

And that even includes the humble T-shirt, especially one of the best American-made T-shirts out there — once you’ve tried what the good folks at San Francisco-based Gustin are slinging, you might never go back to the old ways of T-shirts made without a little extra elbow grease and American-made ingenuity in mind.

Shop USA-made style must-haves at Gustin

The Gustin American Heavy Long-Sleeve Pocket Tee is the sort of casually cool basic that just might make you wonder how you went so long without a stylish, highly durable, upgraded T-shirt in your laidback rotation. Fit for layering under a shawl cardigan, teaming with a flannel shirt jacket or worn with ease alongside tapered joggers for easygoing weekend outings, there might not be a better-made basic than this one, especially at the excellent price of just $39 (other USA-made T-shirts constructed in similar fashion might fetch closer to $120 from some brands, my friends).

The Gustin American Heavy Long-Sleeve Pocket Tee is made from a thick cotton jersey fabric with a heavier weight for a clean drape — and the sort of resulting style that should make you feel comfortable enough to wear this rugged tee on its own, no other layers required (unless, of course, you need to throw on a waxed trucker jacket to tackle winter yardwork).

Billed by the brand as “the perfect, extra-heavy long sleeve t-shirt,” it looks to me as though the handsome Gustin American Heavy Long-Sleeve Pocket Tee should live up to its billing, at least in my experience with Gustin menswear. And in a rich garment-dyed Navy, this tee should prove sturdy yet supple right out of the box. Find out more and pre-order your new favorite everyday long-sleeve tee online at Gustin.

by Beau H.

The Friday Find: All-American Maker Is Delivering Some of the Best Beard Balm for Men On the Market

Best men's beard balm.

As I scour the market for prime finds of all sorts, across all categories — from my passions, like flannel shirts and whiskey and benchmade boots, to grooming must-haves and other daily essentials — I’m always impressed by how some companies stay steadfast and double down when it comes to doing things the hard way, the right way. That’s where my good friends at All-American Maker now enter the fray, and I think you’re going to love what you find.

Find out more at All-American Maker

That’s not just hyperbole: As we tend to find out during the aptly named Friday Find series, it’s the often-unheralded brands striving to make a difference that tend to impress me the most, be it a commitment to quality and craft or USA-made production, or a supreme dash of all three.

And when you consider the sometimes-tricky category of beard care for men, doing things with better ingredients in the U.S. of A presents its own share of obstacles — obstacles that the good folks at All-American Maker are tackling head-on.

And while the brand offers a run of handsome candles in rugged tins, plus hand and body balm and excellent solid cologne, it’s the lineup of beard care essentials at AAM that have caught my eye (and the attention of my facial hair!) as of late. More specifically, its All-American Maker Beard Balm is a surefire winner, a simply excellent beard balm available in a range of rich, masculine and yet versatile scents for the well-groomed, well-dressed modern man.

I’ve had the chance to try the lineup of 100 percent USA-sourced and crafted All-American Maker Beard Balm, with some outstanding results just this week (keep an eye out for more on the brand over on my Instagram Stories).

With distinctive and lovely scents like Alpine Juniper & Cypress, plus personal favorites like Tobacco & Bourbon, there’s plenty of care and quality in every 2oz. tin of All-American Maker Beard Balm, with ingredients like beeswax and coconut oil for a soft, nourishing approach to taming your mane.

Each scent is pleasing and lingering, while the beard balm provides softness and shape, a must for any guy with a growing mane. The next time you crave an upgraded beard care experience with plenty of steadfast commitment to USA-made quality and craft, reach for All-American Maker’s Beard Balm — consider this a ringing endorsement.

by Beau H.

The Friday Find: These Viberg Service Boots Are Some of the Most Well-Made Boots on the Market, Period

In my line of work — curating this Brooklyn style blog and writing about some of the finest menswear brands on the planet for a range of sites in this #FreelanceLife — there are simple pieces I come across that warrant a double-take or a third take, at that. Viberg men’s boots have long fit the bill in that regard, representing the pinnacle of craftsmanship as far as fine footwear is concerned, and then some.

Made in the Great Wild North (Canada, to you) in a 3rd-generation, family-owned factory, the story of iconic and remarkably well-made Viberg men’s boots dates back decades. It’s a story of legendary boots, renowned for their toughness (and now their modern style appeal), and a story of harnessing the power of exceptional leather quality and distinctive Goodyear Welt construction featuring its own take on a heavyweight leather insole.

And across the decades, certain Viberg boot styles have stood alone, like the Viberg Service Boots — the very pair of boots that brings us here today. In my experience wearing Viberg men’s boots, that construction and quality allows the boots to mold to your feet over time while remaining incredibly durable inside and out.

Of course, the newest pair of eye-catching Viberg Service Boots fits the bill quite nicely in matters of stunning good looks and exceptional design.

Made with C.F. Stead’s Naked Kudu leather that should develop an incredible patina over time, these boots are assuredly worth the higher price tag, boasting the kind of investment-level quality and production you simply can’t find many places these days. Naturally, that makes the newest pair of Viberg Service Boots quite worthy of our ongoing Friday Find series.

Shop the best boots for men at Viberg

Finished with a rugged Commando outsole for the ultimate in traction, these are handsome leather boots as worthy of a pair of wool dress trousers and your new favorite shawl cardigan as they are dark indigo jeans and a thermal henley — from there, let your imagination run wild, since you’ll want to get as much wear as possible out of your new go-to leather boots.