Philadelphia… a city known for its notorious sports fans and a certain delicacy known as the cheesesteak. Last year entrepreneur Steve Grasse, the man behind Gyro Mart and Root liquor, injected a little a dose of welcomed style into the city with his shop Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. (And yes the name is inspired by the Walter Benjamin essay.) Whether you’re searching for the newest Billykirk piece, new scents from CB I Hate Perfume or tobacco for your prized briar pipe, this shop has you covered. Nestled in Old City, this perfectly curated store brings a refreshing mix previously one might have needed to take the trip up to SoHo for. Art in the Age also has monthly art shows curated by another Philly staple, Space 1026. Product can be ordered form their online store, but you’d be doing yourself a favor by taking the walk down N. 3rd and stopping by for a visit.—SEAN SULLIVAN

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I had the pleasure of visiting the Urban Outfitters offices in Philadelphia yesterday to do some poking around and lunching with the men’s team. It was nice to be able to see everything first hand. Eventually, we walked over to the commissary to get lunch and it was embarrassingly and humorously apparent that everyone was essentially wearing the same thing. I suppose that was symbolic of our shared outlook on menswear at the moment. I’m impressed with the really smart and cool group of people that URBN has assembled. We could have talked forever about 60/40 jackets and vintage shopping and all sorts of other materialistic pursuits. This plus the fact that the UO HQ is located at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and is surrounded by massive U.S. Navy battleships made my adventure the ultimate ACL field trip.

One of the many cool things I saw in Philadelphia was Urban’s collaboration with the iconic American brand Filson. The partnership consists of a limited run of canvas bags that were made especially for Urban Outfitters in the special color ways. Launching in mid-April in selected cities (New York, LA, etc.) the special styles will be priced at $205 for the small duffel and $129 for the zipper tote. These special Filson items come on the heels of the cool Patagonia big label product last fall. Seems like URBN is two-for-two with men’s collaborations — I’m excited to see what is next.

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Friend of ACL, Nick Schonberger is a patriot, writer, historian, Abe Lincoln expert and nacho lover. As a special contributor, Nick helps to shed some light on one of Philadelphia’s most intriguing neighborhoods.

A few weeks back I noticed a sly comment from Mr. Michael Williams about my neighborhood in Philadelphia. I emailed him, what do you know about Fishtown, USA? “I know that it is shitty and awesome and I love it. What do you know?,” was the gist of his reply. I told him I know that I live in Fishtown, and the idea for this photo essay was born. I’ve lived in Fishtown on and off for the last 18-months. The neighborhood straddles the fine line between vibrancy and decaying urban America. Nestled just north east of Northern Liberties on the banks of the Delaware River, Fishtown has a distinct, if not exceptional history. William Penn signed his treaty with the Native Americans just a few blocks from my home. The spot is now recognized by a memorial park, a place people spend Saturday afternoons smoking blunts by the water. Few of these revelers would know that they are steps away from where the local industrial history begins. A center for the Delaware Rivers Shad fishery, the name Fishtown derives from the activity. The 20th-Century brought boatyards, dry docks and Reach Sporting Goods Company. All since perished. But, like the fishery, the remains of that industry continually play a roll in the neighborhood. It is primarily working class, with a small influx of professionals and artists, and the bars and taverns that mark corners are a reflection.

Below: The look, the feel, of Fishtown.

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Not Metropolitan or Wall Street, I’m talking about Trading Places. The 1983 comedy set in old-money Philadelphia is a perfectly costumed dose of 1980s Prep / Wasp goodness. The subject matter may be tongue-in-cheek, but you would be hard pressed to find a more preppy styled movie.

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Anyone that has ever bought vintage Patagonia knows the value and difficulty in finding the much loved 80s big label variety. As it turns out, the eBay monopoly is about to end. The coveted (by American and Japanese alike) and colorful Synchilla jackets are being re-released in mid-October through a collaboration with Urban Outfitters. The brightly-hued fleece is revived with two different styles, a pullover model and a zip-up version. The new jackets are said to be more slim-fitting than the regular Patagonia, and will most likely be in the same price range as the current stock. Sounds like a win-win to me.

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Did you ever think you would hear Band of Outsiders on public radio? Kurt Andersen (who bought his first tuxedo for Harvard Lampoon dinners) followed WHYY’s Jonathan Menjivar for the public radio show Studio 360 to be fitted for his first ever suit. After unsuccessfully trying the off-the-rack options at the Macy’s mens store, Menjivar hooked up with Scott Sternberg of Band of Outsiders for a much more stylish option. The journey takes them to the venerable (and now very fashionable) Martin Greenfield Clothiers in Brooklyn to be expertly fitted. The result is sartorial radio at its best. I loved when style expert Russell Smith quipped, “The shorter jacket is starting to look a little bit like a school boy outfit, this is an unfortunate look if you are portly”.

Audio here:

Download

Further Reading:

Jonathan Menjivar on Studio 360

Russell Smith: Men’s Style: The Thinking Man’s Guide to Dress

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As a PR guy I should be upset by that headline, but I’m not. I like to keep things pure and simple just as much as the public television station WHYY in Philadelphia.

Kempt had a good item on national Mr. Rogers sweater day.

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