Worn Out Wednesday – John Peabody

By Cator Sparks Published December 21, 2019

Today we speak to New York based journalist John Peabody:

I’m a freelancer writer and photographer and a blogger for my own site, the Hand & Eye, which covers makers and creative entrepreneurs. That’s sort of a catchall way of saying I write and photograph people who are craftsmen and have their own businesses. I find that people who are following their passions and running their own businesses are hugely inspiring. I hope to catch a little of that and share it on the site.

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I’ve been working in journalism since I was in college – originally at a paper in Colorado, then California, and eventually back in New York City. My last job working for a big media company was at Reuters where I was the small business editor. That’s what really turned me on to this amazing mini industrial/manufacturing revival that we’re seeing today that I cover on the Hand & Eye.

Now most of my time is spent in this space. I write for Newsweek, Inc., Boston Magazine, Hodinkee, and most recently Quartz. I also recently launched a small online shop on the Hand & Eye that sells collaborations with some of the makers we’ve featured. They’re things that are only available on the site.

To round it all out, I also do some consulting work for startups and brands, mostly about content and general digital/social strategy. I have a new project that’s launching early January as well so I can’t say too much about it right now, but I can’t wait to share it.

As for my personal style:

Jeans: I’ve spent the last year and a half in a pair of Imogene + Willie Barton Rigids. They’ve held up well. Also, I’m a 33×30, which is sort of an odd size for denim but they tailor in-house before shipping so it’s really easy.

Shirts: My everyday standard is a blue J-Crew vintage oxford shirt. And I mean every. Single. Day. If it’s cold, I wear a LL Bean signature chamois shirt, most likely blue. Pretty much everything I wear is blue.

Pants: Oh man, Dockers. They have a pair called the Alpha Khaki that fits really well and if I’m not in jeans I’m in these. I sort of get teased by friends and family for wearing skinny pants and there’s a weird pleasure I get from telling them they’re Dockers.

Suits: Well I have a Calvin Klein suit (dark blue) that fits like a glove but I definitely have my eye on something from Billy Reid.

Shoes: Red Wing Iron Ranger boots currently in Red Wing Minnesota getting re-soled with something with some actual tread. Took too many falls last winter because of those things. In the summer, Eastland boat shoes every day.

Accessories: I wear a Tag Heuer Carrera with a leather Hodinkee strap. A while ago I picked up the habit from my old man of carrying a bandana in my pocket everyday. These days it’s one from my shop on the Hand & Eye. My girlfriend designed it and we worked together a lot on it and the site, so it’s kind of a cool reminder of what’s possible when you set your mind to something.

Outerwear: I have a Billy Reid Car Coat that I got a few years ago. It’s a beautiful brown tweed sort of ¾ length coat with an absolutely perfect fit. Every time I wear it I feel like a king, which one sort of needs every now and then in NYC.

Favorite Cologne: No cologne but I’m particular partial to the Bay Rum aftershave at C.O. Bigelow. Not getting to use it everyday is the one drawback to having a beard.

Your favorite App: Google Maps. I was a geography major in college and we used to fantasize about what would be possible in the future of mapping. It far exceeds everything we dreamed of.

Favorite piece of technology: My phone.

Next tech purchase: My iPhone is on its third screen. It’s barely hanging on. Presently trying to decide if I’m going to make the jump to Android.

Former Former Digital Trends Contributor, The Manual

Cator Sparks was the Editor-in-Chief of The Manual from its launch in 2012 until 2018. Previously, Cator was covering…

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