Skip to main content

PAKA redefines transparency in the manufacturing process

Know what your impact is with this alpaca fiber

PAKA weavers working
PAKA

Look, we get it. We all love a great sweater. Nothing beats throwing on your favorite sweater when the fall hits, feeling the crisp air hit every spot of exposed skin, and experiencing the simultaneous protection your best knitwear provides. There is also a deep love for the soft, breathable, luxurious, and incredibly warm alpaca fiber that makes up your favorite sweater. Back up, if you don’t know what we are talking about, then stop what you are doing and treat yourself to a quality alpaca sweater. For those of you already in the know, you have a PAKA sweater, hoodie, crew, socks, or hat that you are already wearing (probably at the moment you read this because it is never far away). If you are, look under the bottom hem, there you will find the name of the person that made the sweater handwritten in. While this is one of our favorite features of a PAKA sweater, the company is going even further into the transparency of its operation with PAKA Traceable Alpaca.

Trace your alpaca back to the source

Man in PAKA hat
PAKA

When you buy a sweater from PAKA, you get more than a high-quality shirt that will last; you get the product of thousands of years of culture, knowledge, and craftsmanship. Living in the Andes Mountains for as long as people have populated the area, PAKA employs these creators to make every piece on its shelves. Thanks to a provided QR code, you can now trace exactly where your item came from. Just scan it and sit back, learning the process and origins of your favorite sweater.

PAKA Traceable Alpaca

Mark McKee
Mark is a full-time freelance writer and men's coach. He spent time as a style consultant and bespoke suit salesman before…
A gentleman’s guide to the morning suit: The must-know details
Too dressy? Or the next step in vintage wear?
what is a morning suit timothy everest in

If you have ever watched James Bond, The Crown, or Downton Abbey, you will likely have seen the characters wearing some version of an elevated dress code known as morning dress or a morning suit. What this entails is a version of what we call black tie. While Black tie is the second highest dress code level we engage with, it is not usually worn in the day. Morning dress is worn by men at weddings, memorial services, and daytime events in the presence of The King. Perhaps the most famous time it is worn is in the Royal Enclosure at Ascot. But even if you're not a part of the royal family and getting into the Royal Enclosure isn't likely in your future, you can still wear this whenever you want to elevate your style a little higher in any situation.

There are some rules and regulations surrounding a morning suit, but the most obvious one is that it contrasts with evening dress. Where the black tie dress code and the white tie dress code are very conservative and straightforward, the morning dress should be brighter, colorful, and playful. Here is what to keep in mind with each piece.
The hat

Read more
Wicked Director Jon Chu wears custom made from exclusive members only brand
The most exclusive luxury menswear makes an appearance at the Oscars
Jon Chu in custom

The 97th Academy Awards was a show stopped by Adrian Brody's acceptance speech that beat the record for the longest ever, and Kieran Culkin reminding his wife that she agreed to have four children with him if he ever won an Oscar. While Brody beat out the likes of Timothee Chalamet, Sebastian Stan, Ralph Fiennes, and Coleman Domingo and Culkin beat out Edward Norton, Guy Pierce, and Jeremy Strong, we had our eyes keenly planted on Wicked Director Jon Chu and his custom dinner jacket made by one of the most exclusive luxury menswear brands in all of Hollywood: NB44.
Only 44 lucky members as of now

Wicked is one of the year's biggest phenomenons. After years on the stage, the Wizard of Oz prequel finally made it to the big screen and landed ten nominations, including Best Actress (Cynthia Erivo), Best Supporting Actress (Ariana Grande), Editing, and Best Picture. The winning nomination paid tribute to the best costuming of the year, and Chu led the charge with one of the best looks on the red carpet. Of course, he wore green, which paid homage to his Best Actress nomination, but that isn't the only thing that made this dinner jacket stand out. It is a custom piece from NB44, one of the most exclusive LA brands. Launched by Nicolas Bijan, only members get access to his exclusive three or four collections a year. While you can apply to be an addition to the small 44-member brand, it costs a cool twelve grand just for access. No matter the cost, Jon Chu's was the best red carpet costume, making the twelve grand almost worth it.
NB44

Read more
An expert from Moose Knuckles explains this year’s long coat obsession
Industry expert helps us with the long winter coat
man in long coat

When I walked around New York City throughout the month of February, I noticed a trend that seemed to overtake the entire island of Manhatten: The men's long winter coat. Around every corner during New York Men's Day and New York Fashion Week were puffer coats extending all the way to the mid-shins or lower. While the Big Apple is one of the colder big cities, I was surprised to see a melting pot of a city entirely overtaken by one overwhelming trend. In an attempt to understand the phenomenon, I reached out to Ryan Lewis, Director of Community & Culture at Moose Knuckles, one of the brands with the most significant footprint among the bundled-up masses.
Why the long coat?

The key to wearing a coat and remaining stylish is to strike a balance between something fashionable and something functional. You need to be protected from the winds, rains, snows, and ice, but that doesn't mean you can't look as good as you feel. Lewis believes that is partially what drove that explosion this season.

Read more