Last week’s sudden heat wave had me walking around with my sleeves rolled up for the first time in months. As such, I’ve been able to show off a few pieces that have been hidden under cuffs for far too long. Unfortunately, what I’ve really been craving to wear is a watch that we reviewed and gave away some time ago, the Orient Bambino.
One of my favorite things to read and write about are companies that are building the foundation of their brand on something meaningful. If you’ve been a reader of the Wear & Carry column, then you’re likely well aware of companies like Warby Parker, Blue Claw Co., and Nisolo Shoes who are helping to pave the way by adding meaning to their brands.
Our recent run-in with the green-dialed brass-cased Maranez Layan gave me an itch for all things bronze. Little did I know that I would be so susceptible to the warm and rugged charm of that soft yellow metal. What I found so appealing about it was that it brought color into the watch without being loud or adding anything precious.
“It’s becoming downright American to make stuff in America.” Such are the opening words in a recently published article in USA Today highlighting the push to bring manufacturing and jobs back home. Leading the charge in this effort are some of today’s rising stars in men’s gear—
“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and he will feed himself for life.” That’s the mantra of Nisolo Shoes and what sets them apart from other “conscious consumer” brands like Tom’s and Warby Parker. The basic philosophy is simple: create jobs in impoverished lands addressing not the “effects of poverty,” but the cause.