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Third Way navigates the changing menswear landscape with LA inspiration

Los Angeles is the perfect place for inspiration. It is the place where dreams come true. There are hundreds of people who have stepped off the bus every day for a century in search of the bright lights of stardom and many more who entrench themselves in the beach vibes surrounding them. From that comes a brand looking to honor the smaller corners of the city, and Third Way has a different view of the City of Angels than those people looking for stardom. They look to change the focus on the important aspects of garments and what makes them unique instead of the name on the tag.

“I think what we are witnessing in menswear is less influence from the top (luxury) and more interest in smaller independent names making well-made pieces with a story or function,” says founder Tony Lee. “It’s less about the brand and more about the fabric or how the piece is constructed. It’s really the ideal environment for us.”

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LA is more than beach vibes and Hollywood

Third Way AW2024 pocketed sweater
Third Way

LA is known for the beach vibes of Venice, the surfers, the gym rats, and the never-ending beach weather. It is also known for the glitter of Hollywood. People use a distinct pair of themes for the vacations they plan for the coast. But there is more to it, and therein lies the inspiration for Third Way.

“We are just digging through its history and connecting with the heritage and values we uncover,” says co-founder Jon Croney. “It’s a diverse place with so many subcultures and industries. I hope each collection will celebrate the different aspects of the city’s layered identity.”

Third Way AW2024

Mark D McKee
Mark cut his teeth in the men's style world when he sold suits first at box stores such as Men's Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank…
Peserico drops spring and summer looks in thier backyard during Fashion Week
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Milan Fashion Week showed out as usual, with designers from around the world coming together to showcase what they have in store for us purveyors of menswear. Of course, the usual suspects were in attendance with the ability to continue legacies and further movements. The big ones are the ones I have been reporting here for a while now. Browns and more browns seem to remain the industry's call. Canali took it further with a spice theme, which doubled down on the color theme while deepening it. Prada took the simplistic classic aesthetics we've been seeing to what I assume is their logical conclusion. "Doing more with nothing." Continuing a theme we saw at Pitti Uomo last week, Brioni focused on the ideas of personalization and customization, bringing out the personality of your looks. And finally, Dinhill wrote a love letter to the blue blazer, calling into focus their love for the English gentleman. Out of all these campaigns, one that stood out to me was the SS27 launch from Peserico. An Italian classic with decades of quality showing off in its own backyard.

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1977 Rolex GMT-Master II survives being ejected from a cockpit only to land in a special collection
A U.S. Airforce pilot was forced to eject mid-flight wearing his Rolex. Fifty years later, it's sitting solid in a special collection
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Air Force pilot Captain David Bartell fired up his F105-D for a training mission like any other time. Nothing was different—a routine training mission to link up with a KC-135 aerial tanker to refuel. As soon as the plane lifted from the runway, the engine blew, and he began to plummet toward the Earth. At the last second, when it was clear he wasn't pulling out of the dive, he yanked a lever near his cockpit chair, and the canopy exploded off the frame and catapulted him 100 feet into the air. A few seconds later, when his chute opened, and he began to drift down toward the safety of the ground, he discovered the plane had become a fireball on the ground. He narrowly navigated away from danger a second time before he found solid ground. Then, when he was about to breathe again, pops sounding like cannon fire sounded. Driving him into the bushes. Witnesses to this real-life crash on Thursday, July 13, 1977, said Capt. Bartell only responded with "What a ride." One of the most intriguing parts of this story isn't the failed training mission, but that on his wrist was a Rolex GMT-Master II. Fifty years later, Bob's Watches Founder and CEO Paul Altieri has procured it for his own collection.

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From dirt to downtown: Adidas drops new TERREX Freehiker 3
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Last fall, I got the opportunity to experience Lake Tahoe for the first time. I loved the downtown areas with the mountain town vibe. I loved the fine rock beach on the banks of the lake. I tried yoga for the first time and figured out that I was both open to it and terrible at it. But, above all, the hiking around the famous lake is the draw, and I got to get my first trial of the Adidas TERREX Freehiker. The hiking functionality, combined with the stylistic aspects Adidas has always been known for, was a great experience. Now, the iconic shoe brand drops the third iteration, deepening the collection even further.

Our ambition with the Freehiker 3 was to double down on what made this franchise iconic from the start: exceptional comfort for long days on rolling terrain. Tom Louage, Sr. Director Product, Adidas. 

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