All of our dress shirts come with our Ledbury structured collar, which keeps your collar from collapsing when worn without a tie. A slightly lowered second button creates the perfect "v" at the neckline, and reinforcing interlinings inside the collar band and both sides of the placket ensure your collar stays standing tall.
When choosing a white dress shirt, consider the weight of the fabric, the weave of the material, and the addition of non-iron treatment as differentiating factors.
While we have several weaves available in our dress shirts, our favorite white shirts are made of fine twill. It is most easily recognized by the diagonal texture created by the weave structure. We love twill for dress shirts in particular because it is very soft and drapes well throughout the day without wrinkling as easily. It is also typically a bit thicker than a poplin or other plain weave fabrics and avoids being sheer even in white, all while being a versatile mid-weight. In short, twill keeps you comfortable and looking your best all day long.
Our four bestselling white dress shirts are all fine twill, but there are some key differentiating factors. Read on to decide which option is best for you.
For warmer climates: The Madison Fine Twill
Our most popular and versatile dress shirt. It is the lightest weight white dress shirt of the collection, while still being substantial enough to drape well and avoid appearing sheer. The Madison is also treated with a very light, easy-to-iron treatment to keep the wrinkles at bay. This is an excellent option for those living in warmer climates, preparing for an outdoor summer wedding, or for those who simply prefer a light weight fabric.
Shop the White Madison Fine Twill
The all-season workhorse: The Signature Fine Twill
Slightly thicker and with a more visible diagonal weave texture than the Madison, our Signature Fine Twill is the gold standard at Ledbury. Crafted from luxurious European-woven mid weight fine twill, the fabric exemplifies sophistication. It has body that holds its shape wear after wear and has a similar easy-to-iron treatment as the Madison for wrinkle reduction. It is the perfect year-round dress shirt and it works well in every environment, from the boardroom to the orchestra.
The luxurious heavyweight: The King Fine Twill
The King Twill is our most substantial dress shirt. The European woven twill boasts more body and weight than our other fine twills and is sure to keep its shape impeccably all day long. It also features our light easy-care treatment to reduce wrinkles. The King Twill feels solid and durable while also being ultra-comfortable and luxurious. This is the right choice for you if you live in a cooler climate or simply prefer a more substantial feel. This shirt also features mother of pearl buttons - a small detail that adds an elevated touch.
The non-iron standby: The Sanders Non Iron
The Sanders is a great mid-weight option, also created in a smooth fine twill fabric. However this shirt has been treated with a true non-iron finish, meaning it is the most wrinkle resistant of all our fine twill dress shirt styles. The Sanders is ultra-smooth and is suitable for any season of the year. The fabric has more sheen than the Madison, Signature, and King Fine Twills, without being over the top. It’s a great option for the office, a wedding, or travel, when you need to look your best all day long.
Still unsure which shirt is right for you? Feel free to reach out to our customer service team via our chat widget or by email at [email protected]. You can shop all of our white shirts here. And be sure to check out our full collection of dress shirts including solid colors, checks, tattersalls, stripes and more here.
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Legend has it that the pattern was first created in the 1800s by the Countess of Seafield as a tribute to her tenant farmers, who were known for their unique plaid designs. The pattern eventually caught the eye of Edward VII, who was then the Prince of Wales, and he began wearing suits made from the fabric. Thus, the "Prince of Wales" check was born.
Image Via
But the story doesn't end there. The pattern on suits actually went through a revival in the 1970s thanks to none other than the punk rock movement. It was adopted by punk icons like Vivienne Westwood and Johnny Rotten, who saw the pattern as a symbol of rebellion against the establishment.
Today, the Prince of Wales check is a staple in men's fashion. It’s a timeless pattern for a shirt or suit that adds a touch more style than your average check.
Illustration from
Rockmount Ranch Wear
The Western shirt received an upgrade in the 1940s when a company called Rockmount Ranch Wear added pearl snaps to create a shirt that was easy to put on and take off while wearing gloves. Pearl snaps proved much easier to navigate than buttons for ranchers overworked hands.
During the 50s, the western denim shirt became a fashion statement as Hollywood westerns glamorized the cowboy lifestyle. Celebrities like James Dean and Elvis Presley helped make the denim shirt a symbol of youthful rebellion.
Image Source
Today, the men's western denim shirt continues to grow in mainstream popularity (no need for a horse or cattle). Its enduring appeal is a testament to its practicality, durability, and timeless style.
Our Charlap Denim Western Shirt comes with classic western style details like a curved yoke, double flap pockets and pearl snaps. And it’s topped off with our all-new Western Collar that is a casual mid-spread with the perfect roll.
The post Linen: A Closer Look appeared first on Easy Goer.
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Linen is woven from the fibers of the flax plant (Linum usitatissimum), a long and flexible herbaceous plant sprouting a single blue flower. The stalks contain the bundles of fibers that are later turned into fabric. Flax thrives in climates where the soil is relatively warm and moist, there's plenty of sunshine, and the nights are cool. Albini grows its flax harvest in Normandy, France, where its terroir and proximity to the ocean encourages the best crops. In the 17th Century, the early settlers at Jamestown were encouraged to produce flax in the hopes that it would turn into a viable source of profits for the settlement. Ultimately flax harvesting in Virginia was short-lived - the soil wasn't agreeable and tending to the crops proved to be too labor-intensive for the earliest Americans. The tobacco boon quickly eclipsed the dream of a booming American flax industry.
Harvesting and processing flax is incredibly labor-intensive and requires many skilled and unskilled workers to take it from the field to fabric. Flax needs a deep, rich soil and quickly depletes the nutrients of where its planted, requiring constant crop rotation. Albini has trusted its flax production and care to Terre de Lin, a flax growers association and cooperative that has passed down the practice and tradition of flax production for generations. It is said that these flax experts can judge the success of a harvest with just a quick glance at the flax in bloom. Terre de Lin is the largest linen cooperative in Europe, with over 600 farmers who cultivate close to 25,000 acres in Normandy.
The collective are also involved in constant research and innovation on the flax seed. Every year they begin a new process of natural selection where over 20,000 seed varieties are sown via genealogical selection to create new species, which takes nearly 10 years to develop. The harvest itself takes 100 days for the flax to reach maturation and is sown between March and April.
The next step towards becoming your favorite shirt, the flax goes through the process called "retting" where they essentially pull the flax stalk from the soil and leave it in the field for a period of time (from two weeks to sometimes up to three months) and let nature run its course. During this process, micro-organisms naturally found in the dirt (fungi and bacteria) work in tandem with the natural elements (rain, humidity, sun) to degrade the thick fibrous stems of the flax plant to prepare it for extraction. While rain is an integral part of the retting process, too much moisture can lead to mold and potentially destroy the crop.
Once retted, the plants are then baled like hay with linen twine to prevent cross-contamination. The bales are then transported to the turbines where the flax is "scutched" or processed through a machine that beats the woody parts of the stalk to separate it from the valuable fibers. After the scutching process, the longest fibers are then hand-selected from the turbine based on their general characteristics and natural coloring. The cultivation of linen, a process that Terre de Lin is so passionate about, is a niche culture and represents less than 1% of global production of natural fibers.
After the final refinement process and various steps of quality control, the transformation of the linen continues in Italy in the Bergamo province. The premiere linen manufacturer, Linificio e Canapificio Nazionale, transform the long fibers into yarn using the most cutting-edge spinning technology. The process includes four steps: combing, pressing, bleaching, and spinning the linen.
From the fields of Normandy to your back, the next time you don a free and easy linen shirt we hope you'll remember the painstaking and arduous process it took to become the fine fabric we love.
Tips for wearing linen, from our unofficial linen guru, Derek Guy of Put This On:
Linen pants: yes or no?: Definitely yes.
Styling with linen: For shirts, you can wear anything from casual chinos to a more formal pair of tropical wool trousers. Really, anything will work so long as you don't pair a linen shirt with a business suit. The informality of the shirt will look odd against the formality of the suit. A casual suit in cotton, however, would be perfect.
Linen care: Regular laundering is fine. Just don't bleach linen, as harsh chemicals can be harder on linen than cotton.
Linen rules: As long as it's hot, and you're not going to a board meeting, linen both looks great and feels good.
The wrinkle factor: So many guys are looking for ways to take the formal edge off of tailored clothes nowadays-- from unbuckling their double monks to wearing whimsical socks to pairing sneakers with suits. If you want something that looks a bit more sober, nothing will beat the natural sprezzatura that comes with linen. It will look much more naturally carefree than anything else you can wear.
Shop our Collection of made to order and ready to wear linen shirts now.
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Surfin' Spoon, Jesse and Whitney Hines' frozen yogurt shop on the Outer Banks.
Not long ago, he was an OBX local trying to make it big in the surfing industry. He and his wife Whitney moved cross country to California in pursuit of his dreams. “... And then I lost my sponsors. I was like, what am I gonna’ do?” What he did is what a true Outer Banks local would do. Adapt. “I came back here and my friend told me he’d give me a job doing construction. I said, ‘I don’t know how to read a measuring tape, but I’ll come.’” He jokes in his personal brand of sarcastic, self-deprecation. “You have to adapt. At that time, it was kind of a failure for me to leave California and come back here.” Eventually, the economy turned around and so did Jesse’s fortunes. “I got calls from companies and was able to get sponsored again.” But having learned just how fickle his chosen career path was, this time around he kept up his side hustles. “The whole time I was a pro surfer
Surfing also got him in shape for an unexpected side gig: modeling. While his good looks are undeniable, he seems to be unaware of this fact. Not exactly the kind of person you’d expect to be in a Polo ad in GQ. But, as it turns out, that’s exactly the kind of guy he is. “When I got called to go on the modeling job, I was on a construction jobsite. Everyone was making fun of me.” His voice drops a few octaves and gets intentionally gruffer and saltier, “‘Oh, model boy, where ya’ goin now?’” He laughs lightheartedly at his story. “I was terrible at construction. I was just a scrub that they yelled at every day. And then I’d fly to Miami or New York City and get pampered.” Modeling took him around the U.S., but surfing took this small town kid all over the world. “I always got called to go on trips no one else wanted to go on… I went to Yemen, Oman, and places like Iceland and Norway.”
- Indonesia, because it has the best waves. “It’d be like vanilla. You know you’re gonna get something good. Vanilla with cookie dough bites, reese’s cups, and hot fudge...you really can’t go wrong.”
- Tavarua, Fiji. Perfect waves, food, and culture. It’d be pomegranate raspberry. “It’s just refreshing and healthy and the waves are awesome. There’s no aftertaste.”
- Norway. “It’s the prettiest country I’ve ever seen.” Key Lime Pie. “It’s the ultimate flavor.”
- Iceland. “That’s like a mix of every flavor, because the topography is so different there. It’ll be a grassy field, then a volcanic beach with black rocks, and then a glacier. So, it’d be a mix of ten flavors in your bowl.”
- Mainland Mexico “because the waves are big and scary. It’s a big, crazy version of here… maybe if we had a Red Bull flavor, because that’s what you need to survive that place.”
To wrap things up, we asked him what he’d recommend to travelers coming to his own beach here on the Outer Banks:
- Surfin’ Spoon
- Art’s Place
- Obviously any beach
- The wild ponies in Corolla and Carova
- Any of the lighthouses
- Jockey’s Ridge -- “I mean there aren’t too many places in the world you can run up a giant sand dune.”
Words by Laura Gomez-Nichols. Photos by Adam Ewing.
Interested in the shirt Jesse is wearing? Shop the Lightweight Mayfield Oxford here.
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Honey Badger
- 1 ea. Lemon and Orange wedge
- ¼ Jalapeño
- .5 oz. St. Germain
- 2 oz. Belle Isle Honey Habanero Moonshine
- 1 oz. Ginjo Sake
Muddle the St. Germain with the jalapeño, lemon and orange wedge in a cocktail shaker. Next, add 2 oz. Belle Isle Honey Habanero Moonshine and 1 oz. Ginjo Sake. Shake well. Strain into port wine glass rimmed with sugar.
Pillow Thief
- 4 oz. Strawberry White Balsamic Puree
- 1.75 oz. Cucumber Vodka
- 1 ea. Juice of Lemon wedge
- San Pellegrino Pompelmo Soda
Combine the strawberry white balsamic puree, cucumber vodka, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker. Shake well. Strain over ice into a collins glass. Top off with San Pellegrino Pompelmo soda.
Laura Palmer
- 1 ea. Lemon and Lime wedge
- 4 ea. Maraschino cherries
- .5 oz. Luxardo
- 1.75 oz. Aviation Gin
- .5 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
Muddle the Luxardo, maraschino cherries, and lemon and lime wedges in a cocktail shaker. Add 1.75 oz Aviation Gin and .5 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth. Add ice and shake. Serve in a collins glass (saran wrapped for the full Twin Peaks effect, if you so choose).
Shiny Blue Ball
- .75 oz. Belle Isle Moonshine
- .75 oz. Vodka
- .75 oz. Gin
- .75 oz. Tequila
- 1.50 oz. House sour mix
- Splash of RC cola
Pour over ice in a blue ball glass.
Three cheers for Todd Richardson, Bartender William Seidensticker (pictured above), Chef David Shannon (who you may recognize as a 2016 James Beard Semi-Finalist for Best Chefs in America, Mid-Atlantic region) and the entire crew at L’Opossum for opening up their incredible bar to us on a sweltering day, and of course, for supplying such incredible drink recipes.
With menu items like “Fabergé Egg Bèdazzled with Caviar,” “Ahi #1 On The Orient Express with Excess Baggage” and “Swanky Mac is Back,” the overall experience at L’Opossum alone is worth a weekend getaway to our hometown. Hopefully whipping these delicious drinks up at home is enough to hold you over until you have the chance to experience the magic of L’Opossum itself!
Photography by Kate Thompson of Betty Clicker Photography.
]]>The post Interview: ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque appeared first on Easy Goer.
]]>Tell us a little bit about yourselves. Are you born and raised Virginians?
FULTZ: I was born in Austin, Texas and raised in Mesquite, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. I studied architecture in undergrad and moved to Virginia in the mid-nineties to pursue a master’s degree in architecture from UVA. I landed a job in Richmond and moved here in 1996.
GRAF: I am a Virginian, my folks moved from the Midwest when I was two. As a teenager visiting family in Central Texas, I tubed the Guadeloupe.
Where did your love of Texas barbecue stem from? What makes Central Texas BBQ so special?
FULTZ: My earliest memories were barbecue at my grandmother’s house on Christmas Eve and on fishing trips with my dad. My dad had a knack for finding small roadside barbecue vendors on the way home from fishing. My first brisket on butcher paper was sold to us from a guy doing what he loved on a country road outside of Dallas. Honestly, my love of Texas barbecue was inspired by the absence of it after moving to Virginia. Primarily it was the lack of good beef brisket, which of course I took for granted until I moved away from Texas. I have always been a purist at heart, in about everything I do, and Central Texas Style is the bedrock of all Texas barbecue. It originated in German and Czech markets in the 19th century in Central Texas. They brought smoking traditions from Europe and applied this to undesirable cuts of meat that did not sell. The smoked meats were sold by the pound on butcher paper, similar to your local butcher, and served with simple sides such as a slice of tomato, onion, or avocado, maybe a wedge of cheese, and some white bread or crackers. As popularity grew the markets evolved into barbecue joints. You’re both architects.
What are some ways that barbecue and architect design are similar?
FULTZ: You’ve probably heard the description of architecture as a blend of art and science and smoking meats is no different. Similar to architectural design, barbecue is a process that requires an understanding of the science of cooking with fire and practical knowledge of the elements of barbecue; the smoker, the weather, the fire, the meat, etc.. For me, the most important similarity between architecture and barbecue is how essential intuition is. I was always more of an intuitive designer and trusting my instincts smoking meats has served me well.
GRAF: The creative process involved in cooking is the similar, pursuing a vision and hoping like hell it plays out.
Describe to us what a pitmaster does. How did you learn the tricks of the trade?
FULTZ: It’s funny because I am still a bit reluctant to use that term because every time I cook I learn something new- no two cooks are alike. The pitmaster has to light the fire, tend the fire, prep the meat, cook the meat, and make sure it is held properly until service. A typical day cooking brisket lasts about 18-20 hours.
GRAF: The pitmistress does the rest!
What makes the perfect brisket? Any tips for at-home chefs?
FULTZ: The perfect brisket starts with a great cut of beef with good marbling. The final product should be tender enough to cut with a fork without falling apart and have a rich bark that is a savory blend of smoke, spice, and succulent fatty goodness. One of the most important aspects on cooking meat is proper resting. When your brisket reaches your desired internal temperature or tenderness let it rest for at least an hour in order for the muscle fibers to fully relax and for the rendered fat and collagen to redistribute. If you don’t do this you will lose everything you worked for!
If someone were going to Texas in search of the best brisket, where would you tell them to visit?
FULTZ: I would have them try old school and new school barbecue. I would have them experience old school tradition first in Lockhart,Texas - the epicenter of Central Texas Style barbecue. In Lockhart I recommend Smitty’s Market followed by Black’s, then Kreutz. From there I would travel north to Lexington, Texas on a Saturday morning and try Snow’s Barbecue. After breakfast at Snow’s I would travel a few miles north east to Taylor, Texas and try the legendary Louis Meuller Barbecue - order the beef ribs! For new school “craft” barbecue I would head to Austin and try La Barbecue, Micklethwait, and Stiles & Switch. Unless you want to wait in a four to six hour line I would avoid Franklin Barbecue. La Barbecue is every bit as good and is supervised by the pitmaster that co-founded and perfected Aaron Franklin’s brisket, John Lewis.
Word on the street is that you're a reformed vegetarian. Does ZZQ have any offerings for those going meat-free?
GRAF: Reformed, well at least former. I quit eating meat as an adult for about a dozen years. Long before I encountered Chris, I found a rack of lamb that brought me back. Now it is important to me, that we offer something for the brisket lover’s friends that might not eat meat. So I make seitan that then is smoked. I get that there are so many reasons a person might make the choice to live meat free but we have options. Vegetarian options include the Jalapeno Mac n Cheese, Buttermilk Potato Salad, Terlingua Cole Slaw, Mama Singh’s Black-eyed Peas, Oranges Texas Caviar, and the hand made smoked seitan.
While the brisket is the star of the show, what kind of sides does ZZQ offer?
GRAF: In addition to the list above there is Blackstrap Collard Greens, Frijoles de Charro and we pickle our own red onions. What do you hope to develop for ZZQ in the future? Any product development or dreams of bottling your sauces or rubs?
GRAF: We are in the process of designing bottles for our sauces. Currently we have one sauce, but are working on one or two more.
What does the future hold for ZZQ? How do you see Texas barbecue evolving in Virginia?
FULTZ: This will be a big year for us, now that we have Max and can cook more volume, we are serving meats by the pound on butcher paper on metal trays. This style in Virginia is not without its challenges; for example, in our first couple of outings we discovered that some customers require a bit of education on how to order barbecue on a tray. The culture of barbecue in any region is meant to be a communal dining experience and building a tray of barbecue is no different. I think once people get the idea of ordering a big tray of meats and sides together, sitting at a picnic table, and sharing the experience of eating the food it will catch on quickly. In our mind, there is no better barbecue experience.
You can find ZZQ Barbeque (and Chris, Alex, and Maxine) at Ardent Craft Ales in Scott’s Addition every Saturday from 12pm until they’re sold out.
Lead photo by Betty Clicker / All other photos by Fred Turko of Fred + Elliot Photography.
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LEDBURY: What sets your boards apart from other boards? Do you have a signature style or touch?
SCOTT: The designs, shapes and what people like changes all the time. You have to be open to change with different ideas and thoughts. Doing custom work - it’s mainly figuring out what the customer wants. They just let it up to me to figure it out.
LEDBURY: How did you get into surfing?
SCOTT: I moved to Florida in the 6th grade and lived right in Cocoa Beach. One day I went to the beach, and there was an older guy who asked me if I wanted to give it a try and he pushed me into the surf. I just stood up on the board and was immediately hooked. As kids, we used to hit the waves with rubber mats. It started in 6th grade, and then I surfed all through high school.
LEDBURY: When did you first start making surfboards?
SCOTT: I started in 1977. It was something that just grew little by little. When I started longboards were the style, so I took an old longboard I had and stripped all the fiberglass off and shaped it. Each time I did it I learned something new. Then people started paying me. At that time, there were a lot of guys who got into building surfboards on the east coast and we all learned from each other. It was all an experiment for us. We sanded all the fiberglass off with a sander. I never knew about fiberglass itch until then. At that time, there weren’t a lot of people to learn from - I just learned by trial-and-error.
LEDBURY: How has the craft of board making changed over the years?
SCOTT: It’s changed dramatically since I first started. The biggest change has been with CAD designs. I don’t use a computer or any technology, really. It’s all hand-shaped. These days computers end up doing a lot of the work. I like making custom boards because of the relationship you have with the customers. With hand-shaped boards, a lot of the process is done by eye combined with some hard measurements. I also have templates that I’ve acquired over years. I just do it by feel and by eye from doing it over and over again.
LEDBURY: Do you see yourself more as an engineer, designer, or artist? It feels like you’re an equal mix of all three.
SCOTT: (Laughs) I hate to think of myself as any of those things. I just enjoy building surfboards. It’s enjoyable to watch people ride the boards I’ve built for them. I like the process of giving each board a distinctive look. In the end it’s enjoyable because you’ve created something. You took a block of foam and sculpted it into a shape. I see the beauty in the shape - the curves, the outline, and how it all comes together as one unit. It’s nice when you complete it and it comes out the way you want. But it’s also hard work. You’re hot, you sweat, there’s fiberglass everywhere - but it’s satisfying work.
LEDBURY: How does surfing in the Outer Banks compare to other spots on the East Coast?
SCOTT: Here on Cape Hatteras the gulf stream is so close and the continental shelf isn't that far. The waves are a lot more consistent out here than the east coast in general. I’m not saying other places don’t have good surf - it’s just much more consistent and powerful here. It’s so dynamic - it’s just amazing. I noticed how much has eroded out that getty. I think about it a lot. The beach changes so much in the day-to-day. In the 38 years I’ve been here there have been dramatic changes. In 1999, they had to move the Cape Hatteras lighthouse because of erosion - the shape of the island just changed. When it was first built it was only ¼ mile from the shore. The roads have washed out several times since I’ve been here. Keeps it interesting, that’s for sure.
LEDBURY: Do you surf as well, how often? What are your favorite conditions?
SCOTT: I don’t surf as often as I like. If there are waves I try to get out there as much as I can. I’m probably out there a couple hundred days out of the year. Everyone likes glassy waves - when the surface of the wave is nice and smooth. The best times of year for that condition are spring and fall. Fall is especially nice because the water is still warm.
LEDBURY: How many boards would you say that you’ve made so far?
SCOTT: Over 10,000 boards.
LEDBURY: Favorite surf movie?
SCOTT: The Endless Summer is the best surf movie out there that there ever was. I haven’t watched it in a long time. Fifty years later and everything in the movie holds true today.
LEDBURY: Off-season or peak season?
SCOTT: Everyone likes it in the off-season. It’s a double-edged sword. We can’t live here in the off season if you don’t have the tourist season, it’s what supports our business. Winter is nice because we get a little time to relax. Of course, you can surf year-round and the hardier ones among us don’t mind putting on all that rubber and getting out in the winter surf. Natural Art Surf Shop + In the Eye Surfboards has been an Outer Banks destination since 1977.
Interested in the shirt Scott is wearing? Customize your own striped shirt with our made to order program. Shop Now.
]]>The Outer Banks, you see, has many moods: sunny, stormy, muggy, soft, bitter, spectacular, dangerous. And the ability to read and anticipate those moods is an essential element of happiness here. Coastal weather changes fast, and the window of opportunity for seizing the day is narrow. You need to be prepared.
Clear water and blue skies? Bust out the snorkel and go wreck diving. Oppressive dog days of August? Stand by for an all-night electric light show over the ocean, with a soundtrack of rumbling thunder, better than any fireworks display you’ll ever see. Bone-chilling nor'easter battering the beach with damp wind and angry seas? Surf should be pumping tomorrow, and a new cache of sea-glass will surely have washed ashore. Unseasonably warm December temperatures in the mid-70s, the ocean calm as a lake? Join the motley assortment of skiffs, kayaks, and commercial rigs a mile offshore, hauling in red drum as fast as they can throw out a line. Category 3 hurricane bearing down? Pray it tracks offshore and brings epic surf, but prepare for landfall. Crank up the generator, stock up on beer, open your house to friends in need. Nobody wants to ride out a hurricane alone.
In earlier days, the allure of year-round life on the Outer Banks was a well-kept secret. The few, the proud, the insane who chose to stay here at summer’s end, we had it all to ourselves. In supermarkets and post offices on glorious off-season afternoons, we would greet each other with knowing smiles, swap fish tales, boast of gnarly surf sessions, share news of impending severe weather. A pride of place, sense of belonging to something special, kept us warm through the bitter and sometimes desolate days that we accepted as a trade-off for all the gifts this sandbar has to offer.
But now the secret’s out. Over the years, the Outer Banks has become a well-known destination for fishing, surfing, kiteboarding, beach combing, and just getting away from it all. Our population has been steadily rising, more restaurants and bars are staying open year-round, and we’ve become one of the top wedding destinations in the country. The OBX is now a metropolis of sorts, complete with Starbucks, rush hours, fine dining, and a vibrant music scene.
For the most part, we’ve taken these changes in stride. Sure, we love to complain about the summer traffic, and veterans of earlier times love to talk about what it was like back in the day. But growth has its upsides. In the old days, if you wanted to live here, your employment opportunities were pretty much limited to restaurant work, construction, and commercial fishing. But in the new economy, local entrepreneurs have flourished: yoga studios, spas, landscapers, photographers, wedding planners, surf schools — even musicians can make a living plying their trade full-time, year-round. Now, with a little ingenuity and perseverance, an enterprising soul seeking a place in paradise can open up a yogurt shop, or an art gallery, or a graphic design service, and make a living doing something they love. And for visitors, that means more options for a better experience at the beach. Have a chef come to your house and prepare a gourmet feast for your family. Get a massage. Learn to surf. Go horseback riding. The possibilities are endless.
Still, the greatest attraction of the Outer Banks has never changed: this wild, moody, ever-changing strip of sand remains a sanctuary of sorts, a place to escape the rat race, a place to experience raw nature in all her glory, whether it be stormy, steamy, or pitch-perfect and sun-dappled. And if you open yourself up to its boundless charms, you may find yourself browsing the property listings, and dreaming of carving out your own little corner of paradise here. Just make sure to brush up on your meteorology before you commit.
]]>What is the best undershirt to wear with a dress shirt?
Undershirts are an often overlooked but still vital part of one's wardrobe. They serve several purposes, including helping to shape your dress shirt, keeping you warm or cool, as well as keeping you comfortable over long periods. Undershirts should be close fitting, moisture-wicking, and long enough that it stays tucked in all day. T-shirts generally do not make the best undershirts, as the average T-shirt is made to be worn as a T-shirt, not as underwear. Undershirts are constructed out of different fabrics and are made in different fits to specifically be worn under dress shirts.
While white undershirts are the standard, they might not be the ideal option when the goal is to have an inconspicuous undershirt. Some shirts and skin complexions make white undershirts instantly noticeable, which can look sloppy. Try a light grey or light tan undershirt that does not contrast heavily with your skin tone to achieve an almost invisible look under your white dress shirt.
Shop our collection of dress shirts here.
]]>What is the best dress shirt collar for your face shape?
While there’s no right or wrong when choosing a collar for your dress shirts, here are a few tips to find the best collar for you:
Round or Wide Face Shape
If you have a square, round, or wide face, you should try a point or mid-spread collar. These collars are narrower, and the tips point down vertically. This creates a vertical sightline for the eyes, slimming and elongating the face. Different degrees of spread will affect how prominent this effect becomes. For example, if you have a square face with a strong jawline, try the point collar to achieve the optimal slimming effect.
Narrow or Long Face Shape
If you have a diamond, oblong or tall face, try a spread collar to achieve a fuller look. Spread collars are wider and point away horizontally, which will help balance a longer face, making it look broader and more substantial. Try to avoid pointed collars, as it will only serve to lengthen your face.
Oval Face shape
For Oval faces, since they are already naturally balanced, all collar styles will suit you. This is a great opportunity to get creative and express your personality through your collar. Try experimenting with different styles to find your personal favorite.
No matter what collar style you pick, Ledbury’s dress shirts all have a lowered second button, creating the perfect v-neckline that compliments all faces. Shop our Dress Shirts here.
]]>What is the best dress shirt for an interview?
As dress codes become more lenient in our post-quarantine world, we believe our White or Blue Oxford Button-Down is the perfect dress shirt for in-person or remote interviews. This versatile shirt can be dressed up with a jacket or worn more casually with a pair of jeans or chinos. The classic button-down collar will ensure the collar stays in place and stands tall, while the study oxford weave makes it less prone to wrinkles. Overall, our Oxford Cloth Button-Down is a great dress shirt in any work environment and will be sure to leave a good impression.
Shop our all-time favorite oxford cloth button-down shirts here.
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Shop our all-time favorite white twill dress shirts here.]]>
What is the best dress shirt material?
We believe that a 100% cotton twill is the best fabric for your dress shirts for most occasions. Twill has the perfect balance of weight, a soft hand feel, and a flattering drape that can be worn in almost every setting. The raised diagonal weave of twill creates a great textured look, but can also make the shirt a bit weightier. So for the hotter summer months, poplin is a great option, as it makes for a crisp, light, breathable dress shirt while also being cool to the touch.
Whether Twill or Poplin, we suggest an 80s Two Ply or 100s Two-Ply. The compact weave creates a clean look and will prevent white shirts from looking sheer.
Shop our collection of twill and poplin dress shirts here.
]]>Here are a few of my choices for a classic wedding ensemble:
The Ledbury Tuxedo Shirt -- Our tuxedo shirt is constructed from a luxurious white two-fold royal twill that has a removable button placket so you can choose to wear it with or without studs. I love that this tuxedo shirt doesn’t have a bib, so you can take your jacket off at the reception and dance the night away.
A Classic White Shirt from our Made to Order Collection -- Our collection of white shirts are the perfect choice for weddings in any season of the year. Made to Order shirts are custom made for you, and we guarantee the perfect fit.
Your Go-To Sport Coat -- Our sport coats are made of high quality Italian fabrics and promise to be your go-to option for special occasions for years to come.
There’s more to come! If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email. Cheers, Eric [email protected]
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The best Sea Island cotton is grown in Barbados for its humid climate and consistent sunlight. This allows the cotton to grow uniformly throughout the year, and Sea Island cotton is constantly inspected by hand to ensure the highest quality levels are maintained. There are trademarks surrounding the use of Sea Island cotton; keep an eye out for "Certified Sea Island Cotton," as other trademarks such as "Sea Island Quality" are often found in the market and are not authentic Barbados Sea Island cotton.
Shop our collection of Sea Island Cotton here.]]>
In particular, Giro Inglese dress shirts have a distinct geometric texture that pairs well with other textured fabrics, such as a honeycomb or birdseye sport coat. This unique texture not only gives Giro Inglese a distinct and classy look, but it is also the reason behind its great breezy feel as well as its flattering drape. Giro Inglese dress shirts are best worn during the summer months due to their lightness and fantastic breathability and can be attractive in both casual and formal settings.
Shop our collection of Giro Inglese dress shirts here.]]>
Dress shirts made from performance fabrics are often the most low-maintenance shirts. They never shrink or fade in the wash, and colors will not bleed onto other clothing. Performance dress shirts are also wrinkle-free, seldom needing an iron out of the dryer. Due to their moisture-wicking qualities, performance fabrics have very low levels of absorption, preventing odor build-up and the dreaded pit stains.
As fabric technology gets better, performance fabrics will only continue to improve and find their way into the wardrobe of the contemporary professional. Providing unparalleled comfort and a sharp appearance, performance fabric dress shirts can be dressed up or down, perfect for hot summer months or long days at the office.
Shop our collection of performance fabric shirts here.]]>
Due to the nature of the dobby loom, dobby dress shirts can incorporate many different fibers such as cotton, linen, and silk. The thicknesses and weights of yarns might vary as well, which creates a distinct subtle texture. This unique characteristic makes dobby dress shirts an excellent choice for expressing your personality during a more formal occasion.
While dobby fabric's inherent ornateness lends dobby dress shirts to formal occasions, dobby can be worn casually as well, providing texture to linen or denim shirts. The robust weave makes it resistant to wrinkling, and its variety in thickness and thread counts make dobby dress shirts a welcome addition to any wardrobe.
Shop our collection of dobby shirts here.]]>
Great for both work and leisure, chambray's soft hand feel and breathability make it a perfect lightweight summer or fall option. Chambray dress shirts also age well as they get softer after each wash. Although chambray dress shirts can also be prone to wrinkling, they iron well and usually do not hold creases.
Shop our collection of chambray shirts here.]]>
We believe that flannel is the best dress shirt fabric for fall and winter; its soft, warm fabric is perfect for bundling up. Although it is decidedly casual, our finer flannel shirts can effortlessly be dressed up with a sweater or jacket for your holiday party or a night out.
Shop our collection of flannel shirts here.]]>
Dress shirts made from denim will create a durable and low-maintenance alternative to your office staples. Denim's robustness prevents dress shirts from wrinkling, and its twill construction ensures a flattering fit every time. The versatility of denim is its biggest strength, as it can be emphatically casual or can be dressed up and even be worn with a tie. It will also fade slightly and get softer and softer with each wash.
For us, a denim dress shirt is a classic piece for any wardrobe. From business occasions to a simple lunch date, a denim dress shirt can be used to change things up from the usual poplins and oxfords while still keeping a sharp and classic look.
Shop our collection of denim shirts here.]]>
For more formal situations, pinpoint oxford is the ideal balance of dress and comfort. Sporting a higher thread count and finer yarns, pinpoint dress shirts are lighter and silkier than standard oxfords, great for days at the office or an evening out.
Royal Oxford is the most luxurious and elaborate oxford; its distinctive texture gives Royal Oxford dress shirts an even more pillowy hand-feel than its pinpoint counterparts. Best suited for the most formal occasions, its glossy finish will look extra sharp paired with a dark suit or tuxedo.
While traditionally a more casual fabric, we believe oxford dress shirts have a place on any occasion, from summer backyard barbecues to black-tie events. Overall, oxford cloth dress shirts with a button-down collar, such as our Hudson Pinpoint dress shirt, are a classic wardrobe essential for many due to their durability, versatility, and low maintenance.
Shop our collection of oxford dress shirts here.]]>
Linen fibers are also hypoallergenic, making it an ideal choice for anyone with sensitive skin or common allergies. Its breathability and moisture-wicking qualities further prevent bacteria and odor build-up throughout the day. Linen is also a more environmentally-friendly option, as flax requires little water, pesticides, or fertilizer to grow compared to cotton and is much more biodegradable.
Linen dress shirts are typically woven more loosely than cotton dress shirts, accentuating their breathability and lightness, yet linen's natural strength prevents the dress shirt from stretching or becoming misshapen. The loose weave combined with the flax fiber's natural texture gives linen shirts its distinctive look and feel. Linen dress shirts often age well, as washing linen dress shirts make them stronger, shinier, and softer.
Although linen's high tensile strength gives it its unique texture, it also makes linen dress shirts more prone to wrinkles, thus making linen dress shirts more suitable for casual or outdoor occasions. While we love the look and feel of pure linen, some prefer a cotton/linen blend, which provides the same coolness and breathability as a linen dress shirt without the propensity for wrinkling.
Shop our collection of linen and cotton dress shirts here.]]>
For us, poplin is the ideal material for everyday business shirts or special occasions. Poplins tend to be thinner and lighter than other fabrics, perfect for wearing under a jacket or sports coat. Its simple over-under weave gives poplin the smoothest and silkiest hand feel while also delivering vibrant colors, perfect for check dress shirt patterns. This weave also gives poplin a subtle sheen, accentuating its dressy look.
While poplin's fantastic lightness and breathability can make poplin shirts a great year-round option, it can be sheerer than a comparable twill, particularly white poplin dress shirts. Poplin also can be prone to wrinkles; however, poplin dress shirts are easy to iron and return to a crisp state with little effort.
Shop our collection of poplin dress shirts here.
In our opinion, twill is the best dress shirt fabric (particularly for classic white or blue dress shirts). Twill fabrics are incredibly soft. They also tend to be thicker and less transparent than comparable poplins. The diagonal weave gives a dress shirt a flattering drape and helps it to keep its shape. The weave also adds a bit of shine (gloss), which gives the dress shirt more depth in texture when not wearing a jacket.
Twill tends to be easier to care for than other dress shirt fabrics. The uneven surface of the weave makes it naturally resistant to wrinkles and easy to iron.
One potential downside to twill is that it is a bit heavier than poplin and consequently might be warm in the heat of summer. But overall, twill makes for a wonderful option for work or leisure.
Shop our collection of twill dress shirts here.
Gin hasn’t always been a go-to for me (blame it on the cheap G&Ts of my twenties), but lately I’ve found myself with an appreciation for the stuff. When done right, it’s herbal and clean and totally refreshing.
On a recent trip to the Baltimore Whiskey Company distillery I had a chance to chat with two of the owners. Over glasses of their Baltimore Shot Tower navy strength gin, I asked the guys their preferred way to drink it. Max and Eli both agreed that a pink gin is the way to go. It was new to me, but as soon as I got home with my bottles of Shot Tower gin, I mixed a couple up.
Right on, guys. The name may sound sweet, but that pink tint comes from angostura bitters, which complement the herbal quality of gin perfectly. Just add a twist of lemon and you’ve got your new favorite before dinner drink.
PINK GIN
- 2 ounces gin (I’m enjoying my Baltimore Shot Tower navy strength gin)
- A few dashes of angostura bitters
- Lemon twist
Mix gin and bitters in a glass with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon. Enjoy! And remember, real men drink pink.
Arielle Goldman lives in historic Church Hill and is the proprietor behind the lifestyle blog Scotch & Nonsense.
]]>From the outside, it’s easy to think that New Orleanians don’t do much of anything. We eat, drink and dance with brass bands. People casually stroll down French Quarter streets like time doesn’t exist. And to be honest, it stood still here for some time. But the residents of New Orleans do so much more than people assume. They just do it in a different way. In the Big Easy, leisure is a lifestyle, and keeping up with the hustle of modern life is far less important than building relationships with the musicians, chefs and bartenders we often worship. I set out to experience a typical afternoon in the life of a New Orleanian about town and enlisted the help of the city’s most famous bartenders — Chris Hannah of the French 75 Bar and Paul Gustings of Empire Bar.
“Early” Monday morning (11 AM is early in New Orleans) I met up with Hannah. He walked up in a vintage olive green pinstripe suit — finished with a felt hat from Meyer the Hatter. Easily recognized by his eclectic suits, the man is a style legend. He spends his days off scouring New Orleans for red beans and rice, neighborhood dives and great music. I asked Hannah to write down some of his favorite don’t-miss spots for visitors to New Orleans, like he does so many times at his bar.
Chris Hannah’s Don’t-Miss Spots for Food/Drink:
Cocktails: Barrel Proof, Black Penny
Coffee: Spitfire, Arrow, Church Alley
First things first, we chatted about where to have an afternoon drink, because nothing ever gets done in New Orleans without a cocktail. The Erin Rose, a legendary neighborhood bar popular among bartenders and chefs, seemed like the perfect choice. This early in the day the bar was already humming with drinkers. Here, they’re famous for their Frozen Irish Coffee. And some of the regulars put a shot of Branca Menta on top, which makes for a delightfully minty first drink of the day.
Hannah needed to get back to his bar to set up for the night, so I said goodbye and walked next door to the famous New Orleans restaurant — Broussard’s, a local destination since 1920. It’s fitting that one of the most storied bartenders in the city works here at the swanky Empire Bar. The man behind the legend is Paul Gustings. Part curmudgeon, part cocktail wizard, Gustings consistently makes some of the best drinks in town, all while grumbling about whatever the annoyance of the day happens to be. Gruff exterior aside, Paul is one of the nicest and most honest bartenders in New Orleans. And I do mean honest. If you are in any way inept or lacking in faculty, Gustings will give you hell for it. But if you happen to be a pretty girl, well, let’s say he’ll light up like Christmas morning.
My favorite cocktail that Paul makes is the Sazerac, which is traditionally prepared with rye whiskey, bitters, sugar and absinthe. The maestro got to work preparing the cocktail with a style one can only compare to an alchemist concocting a cure-all potion. All of the ingredients were poured into an ornate mixing glass, and then with a vaguely aggressive stabbing motion they were “stirred” together to create the cocktail. The end result was a Sazerac so divine that many cocktail aficionados say it’s the best in New Orleans.
The Sazerac can trace its roots back to the innovation of the Creole apothecary, Antoine Peychaud. At the time, he used his bitters as a cure for what ailed you. Soon, he discovered that if he added Cognac (the brand he used was called Sazerac de Forge et Fils) the drink tended to sell better. Certainly no surprises there… The Sazerac, one of the oldest known cocktails, is now considered to be the official cocktail of New Orleans.
After consuming an unknown amount of Sazeracs, I stumbled out of Broussard’s and into the cool French Quarter evening. I strolled past tourists wearing flip-flops (which is a terrible idea in New Orleans, by the way), and locals donning bowties and seersucker casually made their way to dinner. There were buskers playing gypsy jazz, and a lone opera singer with a lute singing Nessun Dorma. I even had the good fortune to catch clarinetist Doreen Ketchens playing an incredible rendition of “Basin Street Blues”.
Famous local writer Ian McNulty once said, “People don’t live in New Orleans because it is easy. They live here because they are incapable of living anywhere else in the just same way.” After a relaxing day of eating, drinking and listening to music, I am convinced that he has it right.
THE SAZERAC
2 OZ Rye Whiskey
.25 OZ Simple Syrup (1:1)
6 Dashes Peychaud Bitters
Splash of Herbsaint
Lemon Twist
Stir ingredients with ice and strain into frozen, Herbsaint-rinsed glass. Garnish with lemon.
Words by Hadi Ktiri. A seasoned eater early on, Hadi grew up eating curry, tagine, and boudin. So when he moved to New Orleans in 2009, devouring crawfish by the pound seemed natural. He currently is a regular contributor to Travel & Leisure Magazine and spends most days scouring the city for the best in dining and cocktails.
Photos courtesy of Adam Ewing. Follow Adam on Instagram here.
BULLEIT: My family has been in and out of the bourbon business for six generations. I worked in distilleries in Louisville when I was growing up. I went on the University of Louisville School of Law and practiced law for about 15 years. I then told my dad in the late 80’s that I wanted to be a distiller. Paul, on some level, we’re both in manufacturing - we’re both creating something.
TRIBLE: I actually applied to law school and at the last minute decided to go another route and enter the non-profit world. Later I went on to business school at Oxford and was heading towards the finance world. Then Lehman Brothers happened. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy when I decided to leave my career in finance to start selling shirts door-to-door.
BULLEIT: My father was a wonderfully pragmatic man. I had just returned from Vietnam and went from Louisville to Georgetown Law. At that time, if you had a good job you wouldn’t just leave it. When I told him I wanted to leave my stable government job and start a law practice in Lexington, Kentucky he said “I raised a fool.” Later on when I told him I wanted to quit law to become a distiller he said, “Tom, that’s between you and your banker.” He was far more understanding in 1987. He did not live to see the business come to fruition.
TRIBLE: My dad told me a similar thing. He said, “If you can do it, and you can fund it, we have nothing but full moral support for you. You are trying to start a luxury clothing business in the worst retail environment since the Great Depression. If you fail, that’s expected, but if it works, it will be a huge success.” Our biggest challenge is that we didn’t know how to make shirts. What were some of your earliest challenges?
BULLEIT: My family was incredibly supportive in those early years. I was closer to the industry than you were. I knew the basics of how it worked - but I didn’t know the chemistry of it. I know the bottling line, the distilling process, the aging process, etc. My background in business law was a great asset in the business. I was able to do the intellectual property work and understand federal law and regulation. So who in your family is in the clothing business?
TRIBLE: Ha, my dad’s in education and my grandfather was a salesman. To learn the craft, we attached ourselves to the hip to an esteemed Jermyn Street tailor Robert Emmett to figure it out. It was a very intensive one-year apprenticeship to get the product where it should be.
BULLEIT: I love Jermyn Street - I have a great appreciation for well-made clothing and style. I’ve learned that the the difference between being elegant and being dapper is height. I’m 5’6” so that means I’m dapper. (Laughs) Distilling is a hard slog on the front end. You have years before you have a hard product. It was a very hard slog at that point - in the late 80’s. I was here late at night writing checks for things on borrowed money thinking “Well, this is your job to pay the bills on time and keeping on keeping on.” I was probably just dumb enough to keep going, like all entrepreneurs. I didn’t fully understand the distribution structure. I had that blessed ignorance of an early entrepreneur.
TRIBLE: We go into these things pretty naively in the beginning.
BULLEIT: Exactly. We’re 28 years into it now, and as you know, we’re doing well. But it continues to be a hard slog. I’m an entrepreneur in a big company, and that itself has challenges. When I wrote the business plan almost thirty years ago, I went to the library to do it. That’s unheard of these days.
TRIBLE: It’s always like, what comes next? It’s hard to celebrate those small victories along the way - you need to maintain that perpetual forward motion. If we had known anything about the clothing business beforehand, we probably wouldn’t have gotten into it.
BULLEIT: The ability to deal with change is huge - but I like to look at change as just really great opportunities. We are, first thing, a relationship business.
TRIBLE: You’ve mentioned marketing a few times. The Bulleit brand has been able to stay relevant and build great awareness over the years. What does marketing mean to you?
BULLEIT: We’ve caught a wave now with bourbon. My daughter Hollis and I have traveled all over the country for 20 years now and have visited thousands of bars.The evolution of the cocktail culture over the past 6-8 years has really helped Bulleit, it's become a cult brand with bartenders. You can use Bulleit in a lot of cocktails. Social media has affected everyone. The captains of the industry - our bartender - they come from all over the world for Tales of the Cocktail. All the bartenders know each other from all over - and they connect on social media. I remember one story when I recently was at Husk in Charleston, I got an email from a bartender in Seattle who told me to go back in and say hi to the bartender, his friend. Social networking is huge. It helps our business because it can expand our relationships, our proposition, and it connects our bartender ambassadors. Technology and social media bring us these opportunities.
TRIBLE: If you can reach out directly and meet those people, that’s incredibly powerful as a brand. As the founder of the business, I’m always thinking about how my role changes over time. What’s important to you at this point in the game?
BULLEIT: If I taught a class on entrepreneurship the most important thing I would say is that it’s a relationship business, and that’s it. In the beginning, I was working on all aspects of the business: ordering bottles, procuring the cork from Ireland, finance, accounting, everything from A-Z. My daughter Hollis came back and worked with me. We don’t advertise - the most traditional ads we do are in Garden & Gun. We are a word-of-mouth, bottle-by-bottle brand, based on relationship building. Flavored whiskies are great - it’s a great idea, but it’s not for us. We are an old school straight whiskey brand. It’s a constant evolution of my role, which I love, because I get to do new things all the time. I want to use non-GMO grains. After some discussions we are - it evolves. There is never a dull moment.
TRIBLE: We recently bought a 108-year-old shirt company based here in Richmond. It’s been a really interesting lesson for us. It’s a humbling experience to learn how that all comes together. But really gratifying too. We’ve always wanted to make something here in Virginia.
BULLEIT: Well, you’re half my age, so keep that in mind. You have plenty of runway left.
Follow Bulleit's cross-country travels on Instagram here.
]]>In the summer, we would prefer to go barefoot, but the reality is "no shoes, no shirts, no service" tends to get in the way. For whose lifestyle allows them to live in flip-flops, we commend you. For most of us, we require a more diverse set of warm-weather options.
So what really makes a great summer shoe? First, comfort. In the summer, we live outdoors, and we're constantly on the go. The shoe has to feel great straight out of the box and feel even better after the mile hike. Second, breathability. Ultimately, feet hate to be hot. And if you're like me, you rarely open your sock drawer between Memorial and Labor day. Lastly, versatility. Summer shoes need to work with a whole range of looks (think shorts and jeans) and settings (office and the yard). To wrap this all in a single shoe is a difficult feat (get it?), but we think we have four that will get you there.
The All-Day Summer Shoe - Patara Nomad
Look good without breaking a sweat in these lightweight lace-ups. Dressy enough for the work but casual enough for any outdoor adventure, these get five stars for versatility.
Our favorite feature: a super light and supportive cork sole that makes the shoe as comfortable as they are breathable. And with sustainable sourcing, you will feel as good about what you're wearing as your feet feel when you wear them. Shop The Nomad here.
The Go-Anywhere Loafer – The Tangier Tolliver Flex Loafer
It is quite possibly our favorite loafer ever. It's ultra-flexible, lightweight, and designed specifically for warm-weather wear. French water-resistant suede protects them from the elements and keeps your feet cool all summer long (suede breaths much better than leather). The versatile dress/casual look makes them the perfect choice for a weekday dinner out or weekend away. Available exclusively at Ledbury.us.
The Essential White Sneaker - The Ascot and Charlie Leone Sneaker
These are the best sneakers we have ever worn. Designed in France, each pair is hand-made in Italy. The design is minimal, but far from boring, leading to an elegant shoe that you can wear in any setting. And amazing comfort! Chalk it up to pillow-like insole, a cushioned heel, and a spacious enough width for a wider foot without looking like a clog. Available for the first time in the U.S. at Ledbury.
The Do Anything Boot – The Tangier Kingstowne Kudu Boot
Everyone needs a least one boot in the summer, and this is it. After all, it rains, you'll go on hikes, or you might escape to cooler climates.
Go laceless (perfect for getting through TSA) with a Chelsea style that hits just above the ankle. The Kudu (African antelope) is ferociously durable and surprisingly lightweight. The hide is also naturally a bit distressed, so roughing them up only makes them better. Go for the Gaucho color, and you have a boot that pairs with any pants and will be a favorite for the Summer, Fall, and the next ten years.
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