Travis Moore (🇨🇦 in 🇱🇺)

here are examples of me talking about trudeau's socks in 2017, 2018, and 2024. i've been writing about men's style for over 15 years, always with the same views about classic tailoring, dress as social language, and a cosmopolitan appreciation for various aesthetics.

Although zippers were invented before the dawn of the 20th century, they didn't appear on men's clothing until the interwar period. Early versions were expensive, clunky, and often not well-marketed. People were also reluctant to put this newfangled technology on their bodies because clothes are tied to personal identity. Thus, they first appeared on tobacco pouches, rain boots, and children's clothing before making it onto menswear. Since jeans were invented in the early 1870s, they were made with buttons for about 50 years before Lee introduced a zippered version in the 1920s (the Lee 101Z). Still, even that model was not terribly popular. It was not until the 1950s that zippers started appearing on jeans en masse, meaning people had been primarily using buttons on their jeans for about 80 years before zippered denim flies were really a "thing." If you close your eyes and imagine iconic mid-century jeans — such as Marlon Brando in the 1953 film The Wild One — there's a strong chance they're button-fly jeans. That's why guys who are into vintage-styled jeans prefer a button closure. It's the same reason why $500 Japanese repro-style jeans will still feature a serged inseam: that's how jeans were made back in the day, even if it's considered a "cheaper" method than something like a French seam. Whether on jeans or tailored trousers, there are many reasons to prefer a button fly. First, there's less chance of mechanical failure. Second, since buttons are spaced apart and a zipper is a continuous metal object, a button fly will sit a bit flatter than its zippered counterpart. This fact was referenced in the debut episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm ("This is like a five-inch bunch-up I have here"). The downside is that they take a bit more time to fasten (I find unfastening is the same once you get the hang of it). A friend of mine once joked that button flies make you unnecessarily fiddle with yourself down there at a urinal, which could attract unwanted suspicion. I much prefer a button-fly, partly because I like vintage details and prefer the fly to lay flatter when I sit down. In fact, Italian tailors like the design so much that they commonly use a seven-button fly! About four up the fly, then a fiddly three-button closure to keep the fly and waistband stable. Think of it as a chastity belt. If you want to learn more about zippers, Google "Articles of Interest zippers." Avery Trufelman did a deep dive into the zipper's history in a 45-minute podcast episode. It's genuinely a fascinating listen.

Kid just SMOKED a CNN reporter outside of Artemis II launch: CNN: "Why do you want to be here?... Why do you love being a part of history? Kid: "We're going back to the f*cking moon, that's why!" 🤣

This is an absolute BANGER LOL The random "thirty five" in there 😭😭