Wythe Moleskin

This, sits alone, but is a close friend of the RRL Forever shirt, because with Purposeful Activity we aim to shine a light upon not just what is great now, but what has always been great and will always be great.

Wythe is intriguing.

Peter Middleton takes the classics of American Menswear and rewrites them with a studied, artful almost European edge.

I view it as ‘where from’, ‘where at today’, ‘where could it end up’?

In the course of 21 months, I’ve bought 4 Wythe shirts, two flannel, one Tencel and today’s subject and first purchase an olive green moleskin.

Out in the snow with Anderson & Sheppard gloves.

Items which manage to be of the moment and of tomorrow. Timeless, but away from simple reproductions of the past.

Quickly becoming modern classics, worn by those you know who really know. Whilst firmly inside the tent of present men’s clothing desire, they neither burn too fast, nor too hot to interest long term.

The Tencel western shirt is for Bah Mitzvah’s, bars and brawling, worn by scholars and lovers alike, with straight leg jeans, Chelsea boots and a desire to break hearts. Flannel’s sing of the old west, with heirloom patterns and a slightly square cut, they are the horticultural gallerists weekend choice.

As for the moleskin, it manages to be a libidinous yet faithful companion, mine customised with a hole, 10 minutes after arrival by errant puppy, was bought and shipped across the pond initially for reasons of style (a playmate, companion and accoutrement for the forever shirt), now lived and loved for reasons of life, activity, purpose and what defines the day between awake and sleep.

At some point closer to 6 than 7, I step out of bed, drink a glass of water and dress in the dark, then meander through house, into kitchen and make a coffee, before a dog walk calls my name.

Dog walk kit. Lead, whistle, scarf (this is A&S), Visvim ‘101xx Raw Unwashed’ for breaking in & Wythe.

Regardless of season, it’s rare for Mr Moleskin not to be with me on these early but life affirming treks, watching sunrise, dodging rain, strutting through wind. But this isn’t just an early morning cloth based friend, to be taken off when home and left until tomorrow.

It’s something I can’t really stop wearing. Fabric taut and tight after each wash when hung to dry, with wear it cuddles and comforts. The drape is full, not wrong, actually right, just away from how our eyes have been tricked and taught these last few years. Wythe isn’t a land of tight, more the state of suggested movement, not to hide sins but to embrace what makes you smile.

Under a tree, on top of a hill, windswept in Wales.

I’m loathe to call it an overshirt, although I wear it over things. Perhaps it is my fear of the dreaded shape and drape free MOR shacket. That said, it is more than just a shirt, it’s a piece of cutting edge wearable tech. Warm when needed, but cool when required, comfortable with capacious storage in an elegant colour. None of the fuss, or faff, just everything that is required.

Instead of imitators promising all things to all and in reality nothing to anyone, this is utility kit for modern life, for breaking some rules and perhaps, wow, imagine, being worn when making a new, better world.

Btw, sizing. In this I take an XL, rather than my usual size, because sometimes it is worn over things, and when worn under things I like the exaggerated proportion.

It is fluid. & fluid is what we want.

What I need.

Wythe Flannel & Moleskin, those A&S gloves and Visvim jacket starting to break in.

As a boy being a Cowboy appealed. The freedom, outdoors, life it’s on you, apart from the ether which could not be tamed, just worked with.

As I’ve aged, I still see that appeal, my life is a mix of Wales, Wiltshire and up the West End. My steed is less 4 legged, just 4 wheeled, and as I Land Rover it about, up Motorways, A roads, B and frankly what feels like C roads, I appreciate the freedom.

When this is published, I will have just dog walked my patch of English countryside and hopped in truck to head west, up over the hills Brecon way to run an errand, before Lunch tomorrow on the Beach.

In between errand and lunch, time on the farm. Later in the week? Steel and Concrete city time.

Wythe with Connolly knit and Real McCoy’s Henley.

This appears to be modern life, flexible, fluid and different one day from the next. As such, I want to share it with those items which whilst are best in class and wonders in their own field, are adaptable and able to be worn here, there, wherever.

They earn their chance by making me smile and hitting the brief. They keep their place, by exceeding expectations, running past the hype, paid placement and SEO engagement. When the mid-distance, starred, posing is done, do you still spot them and their kin on others out and about? And on who? The lads who quietly actually know?

I can tell you now, the list of those items, it’s brief.

But this, my moleskin from Wythe is there, intriguing us and joining for activities purposeful or purposeless, protection from and for life.