In the beginning there was man, and he was pantless.
Then came shame and other, more troubling affronts to pantlessness: bug bites, brambles, precipitation.
And thus man gave in — begrudgingly — and put on pants (and shirts, jackets, etc.).
These are clothes for that man: Runabout Goods, a new outfitter out of Eagle Rock that makes their wares with natural fibers and a healthy disdain for frills.
Their henleys, chinos, work pants, anoraks and shawl collar sweaters are hard-wearing but don’t skimp on the details. The label was started by Mike Hodis, the designer behind Rising Sun Jeans, as a way to pay homage to his love of fly fishing and the timeless functionality of army gear from the 1930s-1950s. “I wanted wearable goods,” he explains, “that you could wear on a daily basis and still feel comfortable going into the woods.”
As for the fit, it’s true to size — so if you’re normally a medium, stick to it.
Our favorites from their first collection:
The Honest Henley
The short-sleeve henley works best as a base layer or exposed undershirt. But Runabout’s has chambray-wrapped buttons and ribbed sleeves that make it great on its own on a warm day.
Grandpa Cardigan
The 1930s Grandpa Cardigan is stitched of soft virgin wool and has a broad shawl collar that reads stately but casual.
Roundabout
The club collar on the Roundabout harkens to the 1920s, but the stitching and fit are contemporary, so if you’re normally a medium, this’ll hunt. The chain-stitched Western pattern really stands out. Feel free to layer it with the two above.
Vanguard
The Vanguard has a 1940s-1950s cut that leaves a little room in the leg. The mix of cotton twill and Italian selvedge linen gives them a crumpled texture that can still be churched up.
Angler
If you’re in the market for some everyday chinos, you could do no better than the Angler. Slim-fitted and made of Japanese selvedge twill for a rough, simple look.
Shelter Anorak
We haven’t worn an anorak since the halcyon days of Boy Scouts, but this one makes us want to revisit that. The waxed cotton keeps out the elements without sacrificing the beauty of natural fibers.
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