SUNDAY LINEUP: Dose Market

Just checking in quickly to say: Come hang out with us at Dose Market on Sunday. Seth will be working alongside Max Wastler (All Plaidout) at the booth he's running for Buckshot Sonny's limited edition "Kamp Kit."

Here's an exclusive first look at the patch design for Buckshot Sonny's forthcoming dopp kit with Winter Session. It's based on the model Max took to summer camp as a kid. Says Max: "At mine, they spelled it 'Kamp.' We nod to that with our Kamp Kit, debuting at Dose this Sunday, June 24th."

If you're not familiar, Buckshot Sonny's is an online shop that sells vintage sporting goods, and we're huge fans. It's run by Max and our good friend Joe Gannon, both of whom you see in top illustrated form below:

Illustration by Christine Mitchell of N'East Style.

Seeing as today's Friday, here's some other stuff you should know about from around the 'Net:

• Lord Westbrook, fashion icon, strikes again (via @si_vault)
• Our dear friend Marta Willcox took a trip to Milan, where her uproarious husband, Jono, snapped these guerilla street style shots.
• An interview revealing some of Warby Parker's secrets to success.
• GQ weighs in on the best denim picks around the country.
• Sharp selects some of the best curent #menswear blogs.

And as always, check out these rad deals from Huckberry:

• Surf-inspired sunglasses from Raen Optics (take 30%)
• High-end swim trunks from NYC's Onia (take 60%)
• Linen beach blankets from Go-Throw (take 20%)
• Handcrafted wood beer coolers and wine barrels from Cold Creek Brewing (take 10%)
• Brick-sized military-inspired soap bars from Duke Cannon (take 20%)
• Home beer-brewing kits from Craft-A-Brew (take 20%)

Now go take on the weekend. We'll see you at Dose!

Friday Wrap-Up: Another Dose

Yeesh. Already so late in the day. But never too late for an end-of-the-week wrap-up you can blow a whole Friday afternoon on. So, first thing's first:

This Sunday. The last Dose Market of the year. We shot this back in July, but this time Seth will be behind one of the booths with Max Wastler (All Plaidout) dishing out the latest offerings from Buckshot Sonny's.

Word is that Max will be debuting the Yosemite Shirt in collaboration with Taylor Stitch. Which looks a little something like this:

So, uh, come by and say hi. From the looks of this lineup, it looks like you can knock, oh I don't know, ALL of your Christmas shopping. See you there, suckers.

Oh, and in case you're looking for some quality reading to kill the rest of your Friday, check it:

• Our guy Brad Bennet (Well Spent) has been killing it. He's guest blogging for Details (1 and 2). And in case you missed it, he published a fantastic gift guide: "40 items, all socially responsible, and all under $40. Don't miss it. (Start here.)
• A couple of thoughtful takes on last week's shopping madness and why—let's be honest— you should avoid Black Friday and, oh, organize a family football game instead. (via Put This On and Real Men Real Style)
• Haven't been, but this looks promising: Caleb Gardner has started a get-together for guys in a bar in Chicago. It ain't about sports, and it ain't about picking up chicks. It's about manning up. Check out the Q&A. (via Man Up Chicago)
• A throwback, but some wise words about spending and thrift—but nary the twain shall meet. (via Effortless Gent)
• And finally, the non-style component: Hampton Stevens' take on the "sitcom that loves Middle America." That's right. Parks and Rec. (via The Atlantic)

Now go knock out the weekend. Aim for the face.

NEW INTEL: "Made Right Here"

We just caught wind of a sweet new venture, and we want you know about it. American extraordinaires Joe Gannon, Max Wastler and Matt Springer announced a new T.V. project today. Taking into account the other made-in-America shows over the years, this is one of the most original ideas we've seen in quite a while.

It's called "Made Right Here," and it's dedicated to showcasing American-made products that have stayed strong by remaining here instead of going overseas. At its heart, it's about story. The story of Billy Moore (Cause and Effect), the unconventional Tennessee belt maker who I wrote about last week. The story of Imogene + Willie, the denim makers who watched sadly as their parent company moved production to Mexico and the Dominican Republic. The story of Pointer Brand, the outerwear maker that sources its materials from Kentucky, Texas, North Carolina, and elsewhere in the U.S.—and has since 1913. The story of people.

And it follows Max and Joe as they take a turn at making these items themselves. Here's Max:

"I say we made... Really, we tried and failed to make all these things. This is part of the story, too. These are craftspeople who've dedicated their lives to mastering a skill, a skill that is really tough to do."

There it is: the essence of why American craft is important, why it costs a little more and why peoples' livelihoods depend on you voting with your dollar. Give it a watch, and tell everyone you know.

We're proud to call these talented guys our friends.

THE RUNDOWN: NorthernGRADE

Behold: NorthernGRADE. Every September, some of the movers and shakers in American-made menswear descend into the cluttered, boozy labyrinth of the Architectural Antiques in Minneapolis to hawk their wares.

Inspired by NYC's Pop Up Flea, the ladies and gentlemen at J.W. Hulme Company and Pierrepont Hicks tie shop decided to add the Midwest to the conversation by founding their own market in 2010—which makes this the second of a (hopefully) annual tradition.

I hitched a ride up to the fest for the launch of Buckshot Sonny's, Max Wastler and Joe Gannon's vintage sporting goods store. (If you're not familiar yet, you should be.) It was hard to contain the excitement as it built over the 7.5-hour drive, and it wasn't long before there were copious amounts of rapping during the 3G-less stretches of Wisconsin and Minnesota. When we arrived, we weren't disappointed. What follow are simply snapshots punctuated by a few important quotes, because like many of the best experiences—you just kinda had to be there. Next year's your chance.

Buckshot Sonny's, named after Joe's grandfather Sonny and Max's dad, who they called 'Buckshot' as a kid, is "the store your grandfather would have taken your father to for his first baseball glove."

• "We want one of our baseballs or footballs to be the family picnic ball. When we're done, I'll give it to my son, and he'll give it to his, maybe." — Joe Gannon

Red Wing, this year's main sponsor.

Two fine fellows: Brad Bennett of Well-Spent and Mike Maher of Taylor Stitch.

Intelligentsia coffee was on site.

The Hill-Side, offered by BlackBlue.

The incomparable Billy Moore, of Cause and Effect, hawking his skins. "Buy some belts!" he barks.

One of the (many) interesting things about Billy is that he's not much for the indecisive. Like a maverick who pops up unannounced at spots all across the country, it's "Buy a belt here and now, or wait and see where I appear next."

And his process is nothing if not unique. It's all about the story for Cause and Effect—whether it's wading into a Tennessee river to drape a hide over a big, wet rock or hammering belts on a cobbled New York street.

You can read more about his process over at All PlaidOut, but here's a bit of lore he shared with me about his mysterious Mason jar full of moonshine. This particular batch, Billy says, was made by the son of Popcorn Sutton, the legendary Tennessee moonshiner. No one's heard from him since around 2009...possibly because he may not be alive any more.

"Popcorn Sutton been caught by the ATF for the fifth time," Billy says. "He had about 5,000 quarts of moonshine, and they were going to give him 30 days a gallon.

"The story goes that he killed himself rather than go to prison. But here's the thing: The only people who saw him dead were the sheriff and the coroner—who both happened to be his cousins."

The trick is to take a breath before you take a drink.

Billy had me make a belt, which you'll see in coming posts as we track its progress from natural leather to seasoned beauty.

One of the fine products from Duluth Pack, which we've written about before.

I had a chance to chat with Molly Solberg, Duluth Pack's marketing director, who filled me in on why the company's heritage matters to so many people:

• "We're fashionable because we're 120-plus years old, not because we're a flash in the pan."
• "You can walk into Walmart and by a $20 bag every season or spend $115 on one of ours and never buy another."
• "Every day, I walk through the sewing room. You'll see a bag made by Linda, a breast cancer survivor. We have a sewer, Suzie, who's been here for 20 years. Whatever we can do to help Suzie as she puts her kids through college, we're going to do."
• "Ultimately, you're employing Minnesotans and saving money over the long run."

A clever business card from Angie Sheldon.

Becca James, the editor of Pop 'stache, browses wool shirts offered by Greenwich Vintage.

On the culture of NorthernGRADE:

• 'Zen' Pomazi, one of the purveyors of Greenwich Vintage, is finding that men take a little longer to care about appearance and quality these days. But eventually, he says, a nostalgia kicks in, even though it might be for something they've never experienced themselves.
• "Guys get to a certain age—maybe they're getting married, maybe they're having kids—and they start to pay attention," Zen says. "They see some of this stuff, and they remember Dad."

And this, from Noah Zagor, is perhaps the best summation of why any of this matters:

"I had an uncle who was a geology professor at Oxford University," Noah says. "I remember visiting him, and he would point to the motto emblazoned on the gates: 'Manners Makyth Man.'"

Correction: An earlier version of this story misattributed the above quote. Our sincerest apologies to Noah. We regret the error.

Friday Wrap-Up: Topman

Okay, party people. It's the end of the week. And what a week it was. Quick rundown, then you can get outta here!

Tuesday: Sneak preview of Buckshot Sonny's, which will launch at a certain men's market in the Midwest this weekend. Wastler looked like a kid at Christmas as he opened the bats, baseballs and caps that arrived in the mail.

Wednesday: An unexpected invitation to an exclusive party hosted by Sir Philip Green to celebrate the launch of Topshop's new Chicago location on Michigan Avenue. Full write-up coming on that place, but for now, suffice it to say the night was insane. A few highlights:

• Cocktails, dinner and an after-party at the Paris Club
• Gerard Butler
• Miley Cyrus
• Miley Cyrus dancing
• Miley Cyrus dancing in Jeff's suspenders
• You'll have to ask him about that
• Did I mention my quick chat with Rahm Emanuel?*
• So, one of the most memorable birthdays ever

For more on the celebrity element, check out Ernest Wilkins' read on the night for RedEye.

Thursday:

• I'm in Time Out Chicago with a fun piece about a street corner in Chicago where you can get haircuts for $5.
• Jeff and I ran into Isa from Chicago Looks at Topshop on Wednesday. After filling us in on what she's been up to for the past few months since we saw her last, she snapped a couple of photos.

Friday: I'm hastily tossing some clothes in the Saddleback and hop in the truck for a casual road trip with Max Wastler and Joe Gannon to Minnesota. Why Minnesota? Oh, no reason...except that NorthernGRADE is this weekend. Next week, there will be a full recap of shenanigans, characters and adventures encountered there.

If you're in Minneapolis, say hi—and come check out Wastler and Gannon's new project, Buckshot Sonny's.

Now go take on the weekend.

*And by "quick chat," I mean: We made eye contact, and I said, "Hey!" He said "Hi." Then he walked on.