Exploring the City of Easton, Pennsylvania, with Majestic Athletic

 Wearing - Detroit Tigers Cool Base Jersey by Majestic Athletic | Uniqlo Shorts | Vans Anaheim Authentics | 

Universal Works Tote Bag | Moscot Sunglasses | Percival Cap

  Getting to know the film crew on wanders around old town Easton

This blog post is in partnership with Majestic Athletic + MLB.

After an exhausting first day of filming at the Majestic Athletic factory in the small town of Easton, Pennsylvania, we got to doing what we crew were craving – sitting down with an ice cold beer.

Just a quick recap of part one; myself, Jordan Bunker + a film crew were visiting Easton to work on documenting the cultural importance of this small city – the home of the US-made cool base jerseys, worn by MLB players + fans all over the world. My first blog post was all about our day at the Majestic Athletic factory, and for part two we're sticking to the city.

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At 10pm the evening before, the cameras stopped rolling. Full up on pizza, burgers, pasta from one of the city's many old school bars, we headed back to the hotel to get some rest. Truth be told it felt like one of those 2-second sleeps the likes of Salvador Dali championed in the surrealist movement.

Our next day was all planned out; up at 7am for a quick breakfast before heading back to the factory to make sure we hadn't missed anything, followed by a couple of hours of exploring the city before driving back to New York to catch a game at the Yankees stadium. A dream day!

Visiting Key City Diner for cherry pie + coffee, and what the locals call a "hoogie". It felt like I'd just stepped into the original Twin Peaks film set - clashing colours, a mixture of food smells and families just being families

 Wearing - Philadelphia Phillies Cool Base Jersey by Majestic Athletic | Banana Republic Shorts | Converse 70s Sneakers 

In several way Easton felt like many small towns I've visited across America. Welcoming and warm, sleepy yet full of life, slightly unpolished but reassuringly organised. In a round about way this city is what I think of when I picture working class America.

A visit to Key City Diner – just across the river where Pennsylvania meets New Jersey – was an experience to remember. I've been visiting America all of my life, but the countless trips to Universal Studios couldn't prepare me for stepping into what felt like a real-life film set."Dya want curly fries with that?" hollered the waitress as she took our order – the answer is always yes. I'm yet to have a better strawberry milkshake.

Our group probably stood out like a sore thumb, but after the food arrived we settled in and became a part of the furniture. No trip to an American diner would be complete without an order of homemade cherry pie and a cup of coffee – this one came directly from David Lynch's well-referenced playbook.

It felt great to be wearing these Majestic Athletic jerseys all day, especially knowing how much worth the factory and its workers brings to the local economy. The locals know it too, I received a bunch of nods + compliments as we wandered the city. True, my limited baseball knowledge has all been acquired through Seinfeld, but at least I looked the part.

 Exploring the city's craft beer scene - the beautiful interior at The Separatist taproom + the raw authentic feel of Weyerbacher Brewery

Saying goodbye to our three days in Easton, PA, with Majestic Athletic. Long days, short nights, but one of the most rewarding projects to date.

For me, researching before you've got to a new place is all a part of the fun, and food, coffee, local stores and beer are always high on my list. Easton is a true 9-5 city, so I should have expected no less than the evenings being driven by American cooking and the craft beer scene. Visits to two local beer spots made for the perfect ending to Part Two of our trip. 

The beautiful interior of The Separatist taproom contrasting against the grassroots set-up at Weyerbacher Brewery felt similar to how I now see baseball. On one hand you have the polished side of MLB, with players looking perfect as they hit the stadiums, ready to entertain all, and then you've got the Majestic Athletic factory workers with 40+ years experience, just quietly getting on with their jobs. Both contrasts, but both parties working towards the same goal – to champion a wider movement.

Our time in Easton had come to an end, but our journey wasn't quite finished yet. Next stop three days in New York - I'll can't wait to share more with you soon!

The Majestic Athletic Cool Base Jerseys which feature in this post are all available here.

Photography by Jordan Bunker.

This blog post is a part of a wider documentary project in paid partnership with with Majestic Athletic + MLB.

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Visiting the Majestic Athletic Factory in Easton, Pennsylvania

 This blog post is in partnership with Majestic Athletic + MLB.

When something curious drops into your inbox an eyebrow can often be raised. Too good to be true? A spammy scattergun email approach? But these emails can often be worth a second glance. A few months back I had one of those emails staring back at me. It started with sometime along the lines of, "...we think you'd be perfect for an exciting project we're working on with Majestic Athletic and Major League Baseball". Whoa. They got me hooked.

After several phone calls, brainstorm sessions and small bits of pre-project photography I found myself boarding a plane heading to New York, in preparation of meeting up at the small city of Easton, Pennsylvania, with the Majestic Athletic team, a production crew from London + my stalwart travel buddy – and photographer for the project – Jordan Bunker.

The idea behind the project was to document the journey which Majestic Athletic's iconic US-made baseball jerseys go through to finish up on the backs of professional players of MLB and the millions of fans worldwide. From the cutting room floor to the finishing room of Easton, PA, to the final product on the MVP players at Yankees stadium in New York. We'd follow the process, from start to finish.

An integral part of this brief was to also look further than the product; to dig deeper and find out more about the people that make this all happen. Who were the personalities behind each step of the production, what makes this small blue-collar town really tick and how this historical factory effects wider community.

As a last minute surprise I was told that I'd have a hand in creating my very own Majestic Cool Base Jersey. I'd shadow the whole process, from the tailoring and fitting to sewing down the name + numbers on the back. This was going to be a fun day!

 Resident tailor Micheal Pannuccio was on-hand to take my measurements for my custom Cool Base Jersey

 Myself + the adorable "Button Babe" Lori J. Smith after my attempts of sewing buttons onto a one of the jerseys

A 4:30am start on the day of filming was quite a shock to the system. But, we were there to shadow the working day of some of the Majestic factory's most invaluable workforce – we were on their time. From the 6am clock-in and mid-morning precision at the cutting table, to the magically rhythmic sewing team and the all-important quality control stations – seeing this US production line in action was an experience not to be forgotten.

Easton's community spirit runs deep throughout the Majestic fleet. These guys have been responsible for creating the official MLB jerseys in the factory since 1976. We spoke with Plant Manager Mark Todd about the buzz he gets when seeing the MLB players hitting home runs on TV while wearing jerseys made on his floor, and watching the charismatic "Button Babe" Lori J. Smith sew the mother of pearls on faster than you'd ever imagine. The day was filled with these short but memorable interactions; each worker connected by a passion for their job and the drive to hone their craft.

A Change of Climates | Genova Travel Diary with Ralph Lauren

 Mediterranean mode was fully activated in Genova, Italy. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Ralph Lauren

When an important anniversary rolls around it’s worth reflecting on the journey that we've took to this point in time. Pulling out all the stops to commemorate such an occasion is one of life's joys – looking back on those memories that will cement themselves in time. It’s hard to believe that myself and Hollie will soon be celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary, it feels like yesterday!

But first, we have another event to get the party poppers out for. 2018 marks 50 years of Ralph Lauren: an iconic within pop culture. Which brings us to one of the brand’s most recognisable pieces, an item which constantly finds itself fitting into the category of timeless (and effortless if your initials are JFK): The Mesh Polo Shirt. Many menswear aficionados would consider the humble polo shirt as a staple in their wardrobes since they were yey high – you'd be hard-pressed to find a gent who hasn't worn one at some point in his life.

To celebrate this anniversary we this we took a two hour plane journey, from Manchester, over to the historical Italy city of Genova - the birthplace of America’s founding father, Christopher Columbus, and home to one of the most significant port industries in the whole of Europe. Would you believe that our whole trip cost us less than a two-day round trip to London?! I think I'll be making similar excursions more often...

The city itself mirrors many of Ralph Lauren’s distinctively recognisable qualities; seldom effected by time, always improving with age, and at its core, charmingly simple.

Mesh Polo Shirt c/o Ralph Lauren | Trousers by Folk x MR PORTER | 
Sneakers by Converse | Sunglasses by Moscot

One walk around the city’s historical quarter left me wondering why my only prior knowledge of Genova was from watching Football Italian when I was a young boy. Winding, narrow pathways seemingly leading to nowhere, shadowed by towering building, each showing signs of weathering from decades of bombardment from the Mediterranean sun. Look + listen; you’ll hear locals sharing conversations across balconies, unintentional beauty with colour-matching laundry hanging from washing lines, bleached-out power cables + everyday life barely altered by modernisation. Genova truly felt like "old Italy"; a close-knit community built on family values, hard work and honesty – qualities which I know the Ralph Lauren the brand is centred around.

The Mesh Polo Shirt is a piece of clothing I’m revisiting at a time in my life where I feel at ease with my personal style. Experimentation from at early age saw me sporting polo shirts on countless occasion, but it’s an item that has eluded by wardrobe for half a decade.

The breathable qualities of the polo came in handy for the 30° heatwave we found ourselves in. I felt at ease knowing that my outfit would take me through the day; from a 9am breakfast of pastries + coffee, to a late night dinner at a local gem known as Groove Burger. Polo Shirt 1-0 Ketchup.

One feeling that did come over me when wearing the fresh white polo shirt was confidence. I'm not sure if it was the freedom of being somewhere new or the fact that I was pretty pleased with my styling choice, but everything about wearing the polo shirt just felt right. It's garments such as Ralph Lauren's lived-in Mesh Polo Shirt, worn-out blue jeans, sun-bleached baseball caps, classic Chucks or threadbare chinos that evoke what true Americana means to me; a honest reflection of an individual personality.

Photography by Jake Millers.

This post is an paid partnership with Ralph Lauren. Your support of the brands + businesses we work with helps make this blog happen.

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A Conversation with Ashlyn Chesney of MR PORTER's Style Council

Town Hall Hotel, Bethnal Green, London

It's fair to say there has been a slight shift in my priorities this year. Buying our first house has brought on a whole heap of new responsibilities, and when you add a wedding to the mix (yep, 8 week to go, flipping heck!) – as well as starting up a new agency, Three Letters, with Nik – I have somewhat neglected my regular two-blog-post-per-week goal. 

One of my weekly visits to our capital city was to spend an afternoon with Ashlyn Chesney, the main driving forces behind MR PORTER's Style Council. If you haven't heard of the Style Council, simply put, it's a regularly updated travel, food + drinks guide, as recommended by some of the coolest + most well-connected chaps on the planet. 

I met up with Ashlyn at the beautiful Town Hall Hotel, in Bethnal Green, to find out how she came to be in the role of Style Council Director, where her enthusiasm for design + interiors comes from, how she decides which locations to recommend + a little bit more about the MR PORTER's Style Council.

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Mat - Tell us a little bit about how someone from Maine, USA - a state known for its fishing trade and shipyards - comes to work in fashion, travel and lifestyle?

Ashlyn Chesney - I’ve always chosen to express myself through fashion and was encouraged by family and friends to do more with it; however, growing up I actually wanted to be an archaeologist – I wanted to travel and explore and learn about the origin of things yet to be discovered. I also loved creating moments for people and wanted to understand more about what motivates us as a society, the hows and whys of when we can come together and the turning points at which we are motivated to do better/create better/be better…It led me to study business and psychology and eventually move to NYC where I managed fashion events and later worked in the hospitality business.

And where does MR PORTER come in, how did the role as Director at The Style Council come to be? Did the role just seem like a perfect fit for you?

In 2015 I decided I needed a change. I was working non-stop, based in NYC but on schedule with London, NY and LA; I hadn’t taken a holiday in several years and my role had become my biggest fear: a desk job. I decided to move on, visit my mom for the first time since I’d started, and then embark on 8 months of travels that brought me to Paris, London, Italy, Argentina and Uruguay. 

I was introduced to Jeremy [Langmead], MR PORTER’s Brand & Content Director, while I was in London, at Mark’s Club. After learning about what I’d done for work and what I was looking for, he told me he might have a perfect role…he wasn’t lying. As Style Council Director, I’ve been able to take the best parts of what I’ve done over the years and I get to do what I’ve always dreamt: travel the world, work with incredible people to experience new places and help others to connect with the world around them.  

 

Folk Shell Jacket | Beams Plus Long Sleeve T-Shirt | Dickies Trousers | Converse 70s | Persol Sunglasses | Instrmnt 

Watch. All linked items c/o MR PORTER.

 Origami-inspired interior is a really unusual contrast against the original Edwardian building

Ex-Commuter | J SHOES x Sanders

 Charlie Brogues by J SHOES x Sanders

 ASOS Overcoat | Vest c/o Lavenham | NN07 Jumper | Asket Shirt | Dickies Chinos | Shoes c/o J SHOES x Sanders | Farer Watch | Corgie Socks | Vintage Army Beanie

Did you know that Captain America - The First Avenger was filmed in Manchester's Northern Quarter? Marvel director Joe Johnston chose the location for its ability to be adapted to create a vibe of post-WWII New York City. It seems like an unlikely neighbourhood to choose - known for its independent clothing stores, record shops, coffee hangs and decent beer - but if you look closer, and start to look up at the architecture it all starts to make sense.

British footwear brand J SHOES recently contacted us with a project that instantly caught our attention. To celebrate the their 20th anniversary J.Shoes has created a limited edition collection with Northampton-based Sanders. We set ourselves the task to create a photo-story which represented the link between heritage + modern values.

The unisex collection features the Charlie brogue in two colourways. We decided the full-grain Chestnut, for its district use of tonal coloured grain leathers and green welting.

Photography by Jake Millers

If we rewind the clock a few years you would have found me making a daily commute to Manchester city centre. My e-commerce role led me to taking short-cuts through many dark alleys, wet industrial side streets + Victorian-designed squares – shaving minutes off my dash to make that 4pm cut-off time at the Post Office. Now, I find myself in those same side streets and dark avenues, taking advantage of the city's Northern character.

Staying true to my own personal style, I wore the beauties – which have been entirely made in England, using Sanders' trademark crepe sole – on the smart casual side of things, sticking to navys, greys + browns. Layering was essential for a bitterly cold + wet day; wearing the Laverham vest over my beige jumper by NN07 and classic oxford shirt by Asket, and tying in that American connection with slim fit strides by Dickies.

In around five month's time myself + Hollie will be heading over to Las Vegas to get married. It seems fitting that the J SHOES x Sanders collection has come along when it has - the perfect wedding shoes?

Let me know your thoughts on the shoes + if you think the setting was a good choice!

This post is in partnership with J Shoes. Thank you for taking the time to support the brands + businesses that make this blog happen.

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