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Worn Out Wednesday – Backyard Bill for Beltology

By Cator Sparks Published August 6, 2021

This week’s Worn Out Wednesday is action packed. While we interviewed one of the most in demand photographers, Backyard Bill, we are also covering his latest project with Beltology. We are big fans of the brand of belt that requires no holes and we have been following Backyard Bill for years. Naturally, we were excited about this project.

Barbers and Baristas have become the titans of cool over the last several years. They are the ones who get you going in the morning and keep you looking good after a quality cut. To honor these men, Beltology asked Bill to shoot some of these new style icons (all wearing the brand’s belts of course) as well as asking them his short and sweet Q&A’s. It is great to see some of our favorite spots like Frank’s Chop Shop, Blind Barber and Sweatshop NYC getting some love.

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This is an ongoing program so keep checking back on their site to see who else will be featured. Your very own coffee savior may well be shot soon.

Rob McMillen of Blind Barber NYC — Blind Barber

We spoke with Bill Gentle to hear more about his personal style while we were at it:

Jeans: Love Copper King and vintage 501s

Shirts: Orslow

Pants: Margaret Howell

Suits: Carson Street Clothiers

Shoes: White’s boots

Related: Beltology

Ryan of Sweatshop NYC — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Hats: Ebbets field 8 panel cap; watch, Swatch.

Jewelry: I have a gold chain I have a love hate relationship with.

Outerwear: Needles wool denim, RRL rubberized mac

Favorite Cologne: DS and Durga’s Bow Makers

Your favorite App: Chess.com

Favorite piece of technology: Cannon 5D MK3

Next tech purchase: New camera

Mr. Bee at Franks' Chop Shop — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Beltology is collaborating with Bill to photograph and interview a variety of local barbers and baristas at spots such as the Blind Barber and Five Leaves. We’ll continue to look for and photograph more subjects in the coming months, and invite all barbers and baristas to submit their interest by e-mailing them at feelthelove@beltology.com or tag an image on Instagram using the hashtag #BarbersAndBaristas.

Former Former Digital Trends Contributor, The Manual

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Legendary designer has a project coming up you may not know about

Legendary designer, Tom Ford, is writing and directing a film adapting the Anne Rice novel, Cry to Heaven

Accessories, Formal Wear, Tie

Tom Ford is a name that every fashionisto knows well. He is the top of the top when you talk about famous suit makers. He began his career changing the landscape of multiple brands, including Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, before launching his own self-named brand of his own in 2005. The brand has remained a mainstay in the industry for the last 20 years, including the acquisition of Estée Lauder in 2022 for an estimated $2.8 billion. For the movie buffs in the room, you also likely know about Tom Ford because he became the exclusive tailor and suitmaker for Daniel Craig's James Bond for Quantum of Solace in 2008. He carried that gig all the way through the series and defined men's style for two decades.

Now, for the real cinephiles in the room, you may also know that Tom Ford himself is a movie buff and entered the industry as a writer and a director in 2009 by directing A Single Man with Colin Firth and Julianne Moore. Then again in 2016 with Nocturnal Animals with Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Michael Shannon. Of course, the wardrobe was stellar in both, and we will get a chance to see his talents onscreen again this fall with a new Anne Rice adaptation, Cry to Heaven.

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The ‘Dad Reset’ is on the horizon: Megan Collins leads the charge

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Person, Sitting, Adult

One of the most frustrating moments in any man's style journey is when your wardrobe starts to feel stale. No matter what you do, you feel like everything you put on is old, boring, or tired. You try to switch it up. You pair it differently. It just lost its luster. The truth is, it happens to all of us. But the people who struggle with it the most are middle-aged men. With a specific focus on dads. Middle-aged men are too young to resign themselves to not caring about their look anymore. They are too old to dive into the trends with the changing of the fashion winds. So many of them throw in the towel. Add to that overwhelming feeling being a busy father, and there is just no way to spend the time and energy on rebuilding a wardrobe. That is where Megan Collins comes in. Her business, Style Girlfriend, takes men and restores their confidence from the ground up with new, elevated, and evolved stylistic choices.

When you have one outfit you love, you wear it. When you wear it, you notice how much better you feel. Then, you want another outfit that gives you that same feeling. That's how confidence builds. Not all at once, but one good decision at a time. - Megan Collins, Founder, Style Girlfriend

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Shinola’s new blacked-out Mackinac Night Race revives a rare sailing complication

The Detroit brand's new limited edition puts a one-of-a-kind forged carbon dial on a yacht timer — the countdown built for sailboat starts.

Wristwatch, Arm, Rope

Shinola has made watches about Detroit, about the Apollo program, and about a lake monster. Its newest one is about a sailboat race, and damn, is it good-looking.

The Detroit-based brand is launching the Mackinac Night Race, a limited edition built around the yacht timer — the countdown complication used to time the start of a sailing race, aka one of watchmaking's more specialized tricks. The name nods to the Great Lakes maritime history the watch draws on (so not technically an official race tie-in).