Retro Recomendo: Analog Wearables

Recomendo - issue #401

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Mar 10, 2024

Our subscriber base has grown so much since we first started seven years ago, that most of you have missed all our earliest recommendations. The best of these are still valid and useful, so we’re trying out something new — Retro Recomendo. Once every 6 weeks, we’ll send out a throwback issue of evergreen recommendations focused on one theme from the past 7 years.

Long-sleeved T-shirts

I’m my own boss, so I set the work dress code and it is: t-shirts. But I live on the Pacific coast in the fog where it is cool year round, so I only wear long-sleeved t-shirts. And I don’t wear logos. For many years long-sleeved t-shirts in color without logos were hard to find, but I recently got my newest batch from Amazon of all places. The Amazon Essentials long-sleeved t-shirt is heavy duty, inexpensive, and prime delivery. Perfect for my office. — KK

Best belts

I no longer use leather belts. I only use nylon web belts, sometimes called tactical or military belts, even for dress. They look like a belt but since they don’t have holes, they are infinitely adjustable. And they use hard plastic for the buckle so I don’t have to remove it in airports. There are many styles and colors, all can be trimmed for length. The one I use is this generic model. — KK

Logo-free baseball cap

In my never-ending quest to wear clothes without logos, I found a great source of logo-less baseball caps (better than the discontinued Daiso hats). These hefty Falari caps are $9 and come in a refreshing variety of 34 solid colors. Mine are canary yellow. — KK

Super comfortable slippers I can wear outside

I rarely drive anywhere these days, and aside from taking walks a couple of times a day in the neighborhood, I’m sheltering in place. I decided to give my feet a break and I’m wearing slippers instead of shoes around the house. These $15 memory foam slippers from RockDove have an open back that makes them easy to slip on and kick-off, and the memory foam insoles are incredibly comfortable. Importantly they have a thick waterproof sole, so I can wear them in the backyard. — MF

Better laces

I have replaced all my regular shoelaces with these no-tie elastic laces. Ultra thin bungee cords snap the shoe closed without having to tie or untie. Instant on and off. Easy to slip your foot out, yet snug when needed. Not too dorky even for dress shoes; in fact, they look cool. — KK

Non-iron shirts

All my dress shirts are now “Non-Iron” cotton material. I don’t know how this stuff works, but the ones I clumsily fold into my luggage, will unwrinkle shortly after I put them on. I use Non-Iron Oxford shirts from Land’s End and L.L. Bean, but most clothing brands seem to carry them. Eagle brand Non-Iron shirts are popular on Amazon. — KK

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