a continuous lean by Michael Williams

To celebrate the return of The Print Edition we got dressed up and went to Chateau Royale to raise a martini to the new issue.

We celebrate our beloved Masters at Augusta. Then we consider the incredible setting, remarkable patron experience and the wild world of golf clothes.

We started our podcast five years ago because we wanted to talk about the things we’re into. By now you know what they are: travel, style, sports (and airline lounges!) and the details that make those things better. Oh, and we wanted to have a good time. That’s the same reason we started a newspaper: The Print Edition.

We’re back from Iceland and celebrate my Atlantic salmon success.

This is Nick Hilton. He’s someone who the real menswear people all know and respect. They also like him because he’s a pretty nice guy. If you are interested in style, clothing, and dressing well, then Nick is a good person to meet. He has an interesting story, which he details in his book A Tailor-Made Man. At one point, Nick’s family had one of the world's largest American-made tailored clothing brands. Fun fact: His father gave Ralph Lauren (who worked for Norman Hilton) the seed money to start Polo. This is just one of the many interesting stories surrounding the Hilton family, which Nick chronicles so well in his book.

We catch up after a long month away. I talk about Los Angeles, then we get to our usual programming of sad fandom, the Pitti clown show and fishing trips.

One of the great joys in life is finding a hobby which involves travel. To play tennis in Italy, go fly fishing in Argentina or play golf in South East England (as I am doing this week) is a wonderful prism in which to meet people and see the world.

Kevin McLaughlin is the owner of the beloved New England heritage brand Quaker Marine and the co-founder of J.McLaughlin. He’s a no nonsense New Yorker with an intimate knowledge of the nuts-and-bolts of making clothes. I would have a hard time finding someone more involved in the history of garment manufacturing in New York. It’s a delight to be able to chat and learn from him.

Historically there is perhaps no contribution to the game of golf and the Masters Tournament as overlooked as the hardworking, predominantly Black local caddies of Augusta National Golf Club. In a recent update to his book, The Legendary Caddies of Augusta National, Ward Clayton gives a voice to these incredible people and their long overlooked contributions to America’s most prestigious golf club and most famous golf tournament.

David’s new book The Believer is out today. This past week I joined him for the launch of the book at The Ranch at Rock Creek in Montana. We sat down to record this podcast and talk about The Believer in detail. We also get into bigger and smaller issues surrounding the main themes in the book — travel, friendship, leisure, acquired skill, patience, our own mortality and of course fishing. This is our 151st podcast together and I think this is one of the best conversations we have had. If you have made it to this page I think it’s safe to say it’s worth your time.

Mark McNairy played a big role in the initial inspiration for starting ACL. I met him in 2005 when he was the creative director at J. Press. At his core he’s a product guy, and he introduced me to so many interesting people, brands and American manufacturers. The first factories I visited in Maine and New York were with him (one of which was the Bentley Cravats factory in Chelsea which we discuss briefly) and the first time I went to Japan was with him.

It feels near universal that PGA TOUR pro golfer Keith Mitchell is the best dressed man in the game. In some ways, we hold him up as proof that performance clothing isn’t as important as some may think. Even if you aren’t into golf his point of view is worth considering. Going beyond his appreciation for classic menswear, Keith has earned a reputation for holding good design in high regard, a trait which explains his appreciation for Mizuno irons and fine watches. This focus on aesthetics combined with his talent on the golf course which places him at the center of the cool-guy Venn diagram. Keith is the rare case of an aesthete athlete. He’s someone who has done the on-course clothing thing differently, and done it to great success. In a sea of sameness he separates himself in all of the best ways. To say it’s a breath of fresh air would be an understatement.

Cost and efficiency can’t be the only things that matter. Sometimes you need to take the meandering route. If one-click ordering ruled everything we do, then we would be neglected an experience like the one Jake Mueser provides at J Mueser.

Ghiaia is the best example of everything I could ever hope for in a brand. It’s the combination of three important attributes that make it special to me.

One of our favorite shows of the year. Michael reveals his psychedelics strategy, Coggins learns to make rice and we look forward to the holiday. 

We’re with Central Division back after too long and catch up about Las Vegas, London and the Rose Bowl Flea. Then we submit to some daring dream analysis. 

We talk about Michael’s trip to New York, a curious incident at Keens Steakhouse and the Coggins family finally getting into roller bags (gasp!). 

Welcome to a long weekend edition of Central Division. With the end of Succession we have the settings set for a rare public podcast that’s open to everyone to enjoy. We talk about the greatness of Succession, the hilarious and tragic Roy family, Michael’s fear of corporate PR and his appreciation of Hugo.

There really aren’t a lot of ways to reinvent a woven shirt. Somehow in 1999 Steven Alan found a way to do it. That was the year he created the Reverse Seam which would go on to sell tens of thousands of shirts. The innovation? To twist the placket and to reveal the outseam. It’s more than that though, Steven flipped the dress shirt to be a deliberately casual button-down. It’s not complicated, but the Reverse Seam was a important reinterpretation. It’s like going back in time two decades and popularizing the entire ridiculous idea for Untuckit. Only these shirts were for people who don’t hate themselves. (Sorry, I had to do it.) In all seriousness, a casual woven shirt was a great idea and that’s why Steven has sold so many of them and why Amy Larocca called it the perfect shirt, which I think sums things up fairly well.

Last year I was reminded that it is easy to accumulate things, but difficult to get rid of them. I spent most of the year giving things to friends, donating to charity, selling on eBay and just generally pushing to divest. It was happening in every area of my life; my closet, electronics, bikes and as you well know, my extra car. If I wanted to just junk things it would have been easier, but it probably would have resulted in much more separation anxiety. If I sell something cheap on eBay or Offer Up I'm glad it went to a place where someone will use it. 

It’s been a year of Central Division. It’s hard to decide if a podcast’s birthday is something to be proud of or embarrassed about. But here we are. So we reflect on a year of the show, consider some friendly criticisms from loved ones, and fearlessly look forward. 

As promised, a conversation with Huckberry founders Richard Greiner and Andy Forch.

A few weeks back I recommended the book Everything Now: Lessons from the City-State of Los Angeles by Rosecrans Baldwin for a summer reading list. Having been an admirer of Rosecrans’ writing (especially in his newsletter) I was eager to chat with him about the book on the podcast. He graciously drove across town and we had a great chat in my backyard. We spoke about the many great stories in the book, life in Southern California and he even opened up about his relationship with the brand Patagonia.

Midwesterners like to celebrate commonality. It doesn’t matter if there are actual similarities or just those that are imagined. Michael Hainey and I never had to fabricate the connection or likeness. It was always apparent that we had much in common beyond the geography of where we grew up. His childhood in Chicago and midwestern roots are well documented in his brilliant book After Visiting Friends, which is one of the most beautiful stories you could ever read.

As you may know, I’ve been back in the cycling game. It’s been a lot of fun and good exercise, but there have definitely been some sore nights. The last thing you want to do in those tender moments following a ride is wear anything made of technical fabric. This use case is exactly why Ralph Dunning created Foreign Rider. He calls it “post ride comfort” and if you have even been sore from a ride, workout or 36 holes of golf then you know you need exactly what Ralph is talking about.

As someone fascinated with the origins of prep and American style, a conversation with Lisa Birnbach is always going to be something I find compelling. Like a lot of people who are intrigued by prep, I view it as an interested outsider who wants to understand how it became what it is today. Lisa helped to define the preppy lifestyle and also played a big part into pushing it into the mainstream culture with The Official Preppy Handbook. Preppy style really took hold after The Official Preppy Handbook was released. It’s interesting to think about prep in those early days, where it went and where it’s at today. Especially considering what has happened at J.Crew, Brooks Brothers and other big American brands recently.

Noah Kalina takes beautiful photos of beds, rivers, old factories, Zuckerbergs, motel rooms, this tree, chickens, bagels and many other interesting things. His wonderful eye and talent shine through in whatever big or small project he is doing. I love his photography, but it’s his newsletter that I find the most fun. Every edition delights me with his quirky adventures and wit.

Today I’m not shopping for stuff on sale, I’m asking myself the big questions. Why do I own all of this stuff? How did I get to this point? Should I be buying stuff on Black Friday?

The conversation that I had with Will Welch above would have been hugely satisfying if it were just him and I had it over a breakfast meeting at Lafayette. The fact that we could share it as a podcast really makes me happy. I greatly enjoy deep conversations with people where we go beyond the surface level small talk. Obviously, small talk is not the point of a podcast, but sometimes I think it’s difficult to truly get people to open up and be real. This wasn’t the case with Will and it never is. He’s the super talented guy who’s also loyal, kind, and accessible. As the person running GQ Will could be unapproachable and walled off. He’s the opposite. To say it’s refreshing is an understatement.

Mickey Drexler is a product guy. He’s always feeling fabrics, talking about key items, and thinking about upcoming trends. He is obsessed with the details. Obviously he has excellent taste and is driven to keep pushing brands to new and better places. That’s why he is universally known as an incredible merchant.