Issue #331 | The Rise of the Grocery Store Sneaker

The Rise of the Grocery Store Sneaker

“It might seem strange that two competing grocery store chains would make a surprising pivot into collectible sneakers, let alone that there would be a large and insatiable audience for them. But at a time of worldwide economic uncertainty, when grocery prices continue to skyrocket in a way that has been keenly felt by younger consumers in particular, brands like Lidl and Aldi, known for their common-sense thriftiness, have made immeasurable gains in credibility, becoming lifelines for people who are having a harder and harder time paying for staples like bananas and eggs.”

GQ

Yes, There Is a Better Way to Tell Time

[Partner] Hands, who needs them? Not the M3S watch from Swiss company Dwiss, who’s been releasing pieces since 2011. The stainless steel M3S, the latest in the brand’s M series, tracks hours and minutes a little differently. A 25-jewel automatic movement—that you can peer into via crystal displays—progresses a blue band around the dial like a race car around a track. A wheel at the center with a knuckle, not quite a hand, points to the minutes. Both in a Côtes de Genève finish, this, and the award-winning R2 that uses a floating hour display, will set any watch head on a whole new track.

Tell time differently.

Gen Zers Are Spending Like Maniacs on Watches: Report

“According to the report, over the last year 41 percent of Gen Z acquired a luxury watch. Their average spend on a watch was $10,870, with millennials spending around half that much. On the pre-owned watch market, Gen Z is spending between $7,500 and $10,000. Astoundingly, Gen Z is buying on average 2.4 new watches per year, and 1.43 pre-owned watches. I don’t use this phrase lightly, but those numbers are totally bonkers.”

Robb Report

Actually, Now Is the Best Time in Menswear

“Today, dress is still tied to identity, but things are more fluid, tenuous and complex. It’s no longer the case that a person’s attire necessarily telegraphs anything about their cultural interests, socioeconomic background or even lifestyle. Graphic designers in Brooklyn wear Carhartt WIP double-knee work pants and French chore coats; rap fans dress goth; older men wear streetwear, while younger men dress up as [former Italian senator] Mr Gianni Agnelli.”

Mr Porter

This $3.5 Million Rolex Just Set an Auction Record

“Over the weekend at the Monaco Legend Group auctions, a sharp yellow blade meant for dicing up Gruyères and Comtés, with the phrase ‘It’s a Good Watch’ printed on it, hammered for $3.5 million. Oh, and it also happened to come with a one-of-12 Rolex chronograph that was never made available to the public. The Rolex 4113 is no stranger to breaking auction records. In 2011, it became the first Rolex ever to cross the million-dollar mark. So what makes it so special?”

The biggest difference between cheap and expensive suits. The do’s and don’ts of dressing for weddings. A British sportswear retailer looks to expand across the southeastern U.S. following an acquisition. New Balance’s sneaker-loafer—the “snoafer”—sparks debate.

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