Introducing: Duly Noted 001
Vintage returns to Red Hook, the best belt I've ever owned, New Balance drops a 1300JP video, and my upcoming event at Cad & The Dandy NYC.
Welcome to Duly Noted, a new weekly edit of style observations, product obsessions, internet wanderings, and the latest happenings from the world of Mensweird.
Taurus
Ever since Brian Davis relocated Wooden Sleepers, Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood has been bereft of a vintage store worth making the trek for. So it was a welcome surprise to discover that a new shop called Taurus is filling that void with racks of denim, graphic tees, western wear, and more—at recession friendly prices no less. I stopped by to ask partners Christian Roach and Maddie Lukomski about it.
So how did you come to open Taurus?
Christian: “Taurus was born out of a cross country road trip: [we] started in New York, New Orleans was our midway point, and then through the southwest. I already had a love for vintage but our inspiration came from getting that taste of Americana and fusing that with traditional vintage.”
Is Taurus built off of a personal collection or did you start fresh with your trip?
Christian: “We had personal vintage items but I think we wanted to start fresh and build from there.”
Maddie: “And I think our our taste level has really developed with this store specifically. We just see so many stylish people specifically in this neighborhood and it's just really exciting to be able to style them and provide pieces.”
What’s the focus?
Christian: “I would say Americana is kind of like the overarching theme, but for us, it's really our calling to point towards the lesser known brands and western pieces.”
Maddie: “I think just an eclectic lens of Americana. We like to have a sense of humor with a lot of these pieces and I think people pick up on it, which is always really nice. Nothing's meant to be taken too seriously.”
Maximum Henry Braided Belt
I’d owned braided belts over the years but a while back I decided to go all-in on them. They’re less fusty than a dress belt, more forgiving of waistline fluctuations, and I like their prep undertones. After buying one too many commodity belts on clearance I decided to pony up for something handmade in NYC. I think
put me on to Maximum Henry, and I’m glad it did, because I’ve been wearing my Braided Oval belt every day for six months now. Highly recommended.New Balance 1300JP Vid
Love this new video from New Balance for several reasons: first, it’s just a perfect piece of brand and product storytelling, shot in kind of a documentary style and running over three (!!) minutes long, an absolute eternity on social media. Second, it’s got Japanese musings on American style and craftsmanship, something I could listen to all day. And third, it features New Balance’s Skowhegan, Maine factory, which I once had the pleasure of visiting with Bryan Derballa for J.Crew (pretty sure that Raye Wentworth was also the one who showed us around).