It's raining menswear
Things that have been distracting me from the cold, rainy weather: denim, "ugly" shoes, and visa renewal docs
To the few people who have recently subscribed since I last wrote, welcome! If you are lurking and you haven’t subscribed yet:
Hello, friends. I know I mentioned this in one of my previous letters, but when I find myself struggling to write over here, it usually means I am taking this thing too seriously. It is always helpful to back to the tone I want to convey (more about tone in the P.S. section of this letter below), which is basically writing a long text message to a friend.
I should be taking advantage of the fact that Paris has been cold and rainy this week, which makes me just want to stay in. At the same time, there have been a few things that have been keeping me distracted:
The shoe details at Paris Menswear Fashion Week
I am a sucker for shoes with interesting details, sometimes to the point of purchasing things my sister has described as “ugly, but not really.“ This Menswear Fashion Week showcased shoes with details that make you think, from Prada’s curved cowboy boots boots, Comme des Garcons Homme Plus’ army boots that were dramatically pointed at a 90-degree angle, which I had the pleasure to see in person, and Dior’s sleek, immaculate shoe details.
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(Yes, I made a TikTok account after my mom, who likes the app, told me to. And since I am not ready to give my parents a grandchild yet, I might as well give them entertainment. LOL.)
Pretty denim
Last Sunday afternoon, I was strolling aimlessly around Le Marais with a few friends when one of them led us to the Dear Progress showroom. As someone who loves denim, I was happy to have made a few new discoveries!
L’administration française
In the meantime, I am currently buried in admin work to renew my visa. In the beginning it felt like the requirements would never end, but things are moving. After living here for a few years, every visa renewal is a chance to reflect and ask yourself what you really want, an opportunity to figure out what it really means to live life on your own terms—which is kind of the thesis of this newsletter. I’m at the age my parents were when they already had me, but instead, I’m prioritizing things like nice denim and travel and restaurants that score high on Google Maps ratings. I know I said these things were a distraction from the rainy weather, but at the same time, they are a lens in which we try to understand ourselves better.
Am I making any sense?
P.S
Going back to the importance of tone when it comes to writing, this podcast episode of In Writing with Succession creator Jesse Armstrong is gold.
While I said that the shoes at the Prada show were interesting, the overall collection felt like a slightly underwhelming execution of the theme (“unbroken instincts“). This piece on the newsletter No Sale gives a good analysis of it.
Another thing that always helps me when I feel stuck with writing is reading really good writing.
Here is a short piece The New York Times on how recent sex scenes in movies are not exactly sexy, and more about complex power dynamics.
See you guys next week!