Explore every episode of the podcast Pair of Kings: A Fashion and Culture Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Maxim, the Most Influential Knitwear Designer of Post-War America, Vintage Shopping in Maine, and the Most Influential Movies for Fashion | Season 14, Episode 9 | 22 Sep 2026 | 01:25:46 | |
Why are vintage Mary Maxim sweaters so good? What happens when gorpcore actually goes camping? Did American fashion miss its America 250 moment? Sol and Michael are back on Pair of Kings Podcast to talk knitwear, outdoor style and American identity. After a month apart, the boys reunite for a conversation about the clothes we collect, the places we wear them and the culture that makes us want them in the first place. From an Idaho vintage-store discovery to the 2016 fashion revival, this September 2026 episode connects menswear, archive fashion, craft, film and the great outdoors. Why do Mary Maxim sweaters deserve more attention? What does gorpcore look like beyond the city? Did fashion drop the ball on America's 250th anniversary? The conversation continues with Logjam Vintage, formerly Beankeepers, vintage L.L.Bean and a couple restoring Moose Peak Lighthouse on Mistake Island. Add old Champion T-shirts, heavy Filson wool trousers and the pleasure of finding clothes with a life before yours. Heritage menswear gets a lot more interesting when there's an actual story attached. Which movies make you want to change your wardrobe? Are vintage cowboy boots worth the money? What is the 2016 fashion revival getting wrong? Further, the boys get into Portugal, Lisbon natural wine, New York street style, Crocs cowboy boots, Balenciaga denim versus Levi's 501s, hemming jeans at Self Edge, a vintage 1999 Slipknot T-shirt, the relationship "swag gap," niche fragrance samples, Future Diary, Fogland, Hunter x Hunter and songs of the week from Timbaland and Justin Timberlake and The Black Dahlia Murder. The tangents are part of the outfit. This is integrated fashion: our season's exploration of brands expanding beyond clothes into culture and lifestyle, while people bring their hobbies, communities and interests into what they wear. In this episode, knitting, camping, cinema, music and vintage collecting all become ways of thinking about personal style. Glad to be back in your ears (no diddy). Lots of love, Sol and Michael. This season is sponsored by Scent Split. Episode Tags: Mary Maxim sweaters, vintage knitwear, gorpcore, America 250, American fashion, heritage menswear, vintage L.L.Bean, M.L. Leddy's boots, movie style inspiration, 2016 fashion revival, archive fashion, integrated fashion, men's fashion podcast Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| Why Fashion Needs Posers, Ball Hog Style, and the Dos and Don'ts of Menswear | Season 14, Episode 8 | 11 Aug 2026 | 01:31:21 | |
Why does fashion need posers? What is Ball Hog style? Should men wear loafers without socks? And why should every pair of suit trousers be high-waisted? - Why are posers necessary in fashion? - Who actually keeps luxury fashion stores alive? - What is Ball Hog fashion? - Is archive fashion becoming a costume? - Should men wear high-waisted trousers? - Can men wear loafers without socks? - Why are visible no-show socks so bad? - What color shoes go with a blue suit? - Why do rich people often dress badly? - How do designer clothes reach the resale market? - Is collecting vintage clothing pointless if you never wear it? - And what makes a fashion grail worth buying? Lots of love, Sol #fashion #fashionpodcast #mensfashion #archivefashion #rickowens
Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| Best World Cup 2026 Kits, Bootleg Fashion, and Horror’s New Era | Season 14, Episode 7 | 14 Jul 2026 | 01:40:11 | |
What are the best FIFA World Cup 2026 kits, and why do so many modern football shirts look worse than their vintage predecessors? What is the difference between a bootleg and a knockoff? When does a garment become vintage, true vintage, or archive fashion? Why does fashion feel like it is in a down cycle—and why are Leviticus, Obsession, Backrooms, and Longlegs part of the same cultural conversation? Lots of love, Sol TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 — Best World Cup Kits, Bootlegs and Horror Movies 1:11 — Pair of Kings Podcast Intro 1:32 — Food Influencers, PerfumeTok and Lifestyle Marketing 5:11 — What Counts as Vintage, True Vintage or Archive Fashion? 8:57 — Fit Check: Keep Earth Jeans, U.S. Open Tees and Fanatics 15:03 — Vintage Slipknot, Iron Heart Chaps and Raw Denim 23:09 — Knicks Fanaticism and Fair-Weather Fandom 27:13 — Knicks Bootleg Shirts and Fan-Made Sports Merch 29:35 — Bootleg vs Knockoff Fashion Explained 30:25 — Mexico’s Anime Football Jersey Bootlegs 31:48 — Grateful Dead Lot Shirts and Bootleg T-Shirt History 33:12 — Lithuania 1992 Olympic Basketball Merch 35:16 — Vintage T-Shirts in Thailand and Rare Merch Blanks 37:14 — Daft Punk Bootleg Tees 37:57 — World Cup 2026 Kit Review Begins 41:43 — DR Congo and Côte d’Ivoire: Best Kits of 2026 43:29 — Best Vintage World Cup Jerseys Ever 49:00 — National Identity and the Perfect USA Soccer Kit 51:42 — Wimbledon Dress Codes and Andre Agassi Style 54:11 — Balenciaga, Demna and Oversized Fashion 56:37 — Why Fashion Feels Boring in 2026 58:50 — Rick Owens x adidas SS27 and Inflatable Fashion 1:00:51 — Meta Smart Glasses, Privacy and AI Surveillance 1:04:14 — Vinted Conspiracies and Internet Panic 1:08:45 — How Horror Movies Changed After Found Footage 1:10:43 — Leviticus, Obsession, It Follows and A24 Horror 1:12:36 — Cuckoo and Longlegs Review 1:13:27 — Longlegs: Great Setup, Weak Ending 1:16:52 — Leviticus and Backrooms Review 1:17:11 — Toy Story 5, iPads and Screen Culture 1:19:44 — World Cup Politics, Iran and the United States 1:21:52 — Why Fashion Brands Avoid Political Commentary 1:24:13 — Zohran Mamdani’s World Cup Style 1:26:03 — 424, Clavicular and Ragebait Runway Casting 1:27:09 — Lolcow Culture, Woah Vicky and Fashion Media 1:31:23 — Fashion Algorithms vs Editorial Research 1:32:44 — Song of the Week: Meat Loaf and Sisqó 1:36:57 — Shaolin Soccer and Chrome Hearts --- Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| Is Fashion Art? Fashion History, Archive Fashion & Modern Trends with Alexis Romano | Season 14, Episode 6 | 24 Jun 2026 | 01:27:34 | |
Is fashion art? Why is archive fashion everywhere in 2026? Have designers created anything genuinely new since 1970—and what do postwar Paris, May 1968, 1970s punk, quiet luxury, vintage clothing, fashion TikTok, and the decline of print magazines tell us about how people dress now? On this episode of Pair of Kings, Sol and Michael sit down with Dr. Alexis Romano, fashion historian, writer, curator and professor at Parsons School of Design, for a conversation about fashion history, modern fashion trends, and the forces that turn clothing into culture. Alexis studies twentieth-century fashion, photography, women’s history, clothing archives, and everyday dress. Her book, Prêt-à-Porter, Paris and Women: A Cultural Study of French Readymade Fashion, 1945–68, traces the rise of French ready-to-wear after World War II through garments, Vogue and Elle, film, photography, oral history, and the lives of women who bought and wore the clothes. The conversation begins with a fit check spanning Rick Owens, Crocs, selvedge denim, and a vintage Mollie Parnis Ultrasuede set before asking whose clothing gets preserved as fashion history. Museums often prioritize haute couture, luxury fashion, and famous designers, while everyday sportswear, workwear, ready-to-wear, and heavily worn garments disappear. Alexis explains why ordinary clothing and oral history create a richer record. Sol, Michael, and Alexis trace French prêt-à-porter and its tension with haute couture. They discuss how postwar modernization, technology, urban life, New Wave cinema, fashion magazines, photography, and changing ideas about women shaped the modern fashion industry. They examine how ready-made clothing became fashionable rather than merely practical, why casual dress grew alongside social liberalization, and how fast fashion represents the latest stage of a much longer ready-to-wear system. That history leads directly into the fashion landscape of 2026. Why do many well-dressed people now choose either expensive designer clothing or vintage and secondhand clothes? Why are the 1990s and Y2K still being recycled? Has archive culture made younger consumers more historically literate—or convinced them that old clothes are automatically better than new design? The episode connects the 1970s “beige decade” to The Row-era minimalism, natural-looking materials, texture, tactility, pared-back luxury, and the quiet-luxury conversation. Alexis breaks down the decade’s competing trends: American sportswear, punk fashion, disco style, polyester, plastic, lamé, bold color, natural fabrics, wide-leg trousers, and Ultrasuede. Contradictory aesthetics existed at once—much like today’s mix of minimalism, maximalism, streetwear, high fashion, and microtrends. A major section asks the central question: is fashion art? The group discusses The Met Costume Institute’s 2026 Costume Art exhibition, the Museum at FIT, the Whitney Museum, MoMu Antwerp, and the growth of museum fashion exhibitions. Rick Owens becomes a case study in how a garment can be a consumer product, collectible design, personal uniform, museum object, and artwork at the same time. They also discuss Yohji Yamamoto exhibitions, the boundary between a fashion store and an art gallery, museum merchandise, and why fashion may be “the art of the people”—an art form audiences can wear, touch, collect, alter, and recognize in their own closets. This episode is part of Pair of Kings’ exploration of “integrated fashion”: the idea that brands increasingly operate across clothing, art, media, music, fragrance, retail, technology, museums, and lifestyle, while consumers build wardrobes around their hobbies, identities, communities, and references. Fashion is not only what appears on a runway. It is also what gets worn, photographed, posted, remembered, collected, studied, resold, copied, preserved, and eventually called history. Whether you follow high fashion, menswear, streetwear, archive fashion, vintage clothing, fashion TikTok, fashion magazines, modeling, editorial photography, independent designers, museum exhibitions, or fashion theory, this conversation offers a practical history of how taste is made—and asks what parts of modern fashion culture will still exist for historians fifty years from now. Alexis is collecting fashion oral histories and personal fashion autobiographies for her research. Find her at @dressondisplay and AlexisRomanoProjects.com. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording. Lots of love, Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| The 1,500 Person Fashion Survey | Season 14, Episode 5 | 09 Jun 2026 | 01:27:43 | |
What do shoppers actually want in 2026? Do brand vibe, culture, and ethos matter more than the clothes? Is experience-based fashion just better marketing? And what does “integrated fashion” look like when your wardrobe is built around music, sports, clubs, video games, vintage, coffee shops, and the internet? On this episode of Pair of Kings, Sol Thompson and Michael Smith break down the largest survey they’ve run on fashion preferences, shopping habits, and taste: 1,500+ responses on how people look for, select and justify clothing today. The duo use the season’s thesis of “integrated fashion” to interrogate why brand culture matters, how shoppers decide between buying piece-by-piece vs building a full aesthetic, why brand storytelling still works, and what makes a fashion brand captivating enough to hold an audience. We get into Rick Owens, Kozaburo, Rolling Dub Trio, Lost Control cowboy boots, Undercover, Comme des Garçons, Celine, Hedi Slimane, CC41 wartime tailoring, vintage band tees, Bruce Springsteen shirts, KMFDM, Electronic Research Department / ERD, Daft Punk, and controversy-driven fashion marketing. Sol and Michael also discuss Everlane’s sale to Shein, sustainability fatigue, ethical fashion, cost per wear, quality vs longevity, resale liquidity, wardrobe economics, consumer inequality, and why the modern fashion industry is selling lifestyles as much as clothing. Further, they ask what sparks the desire to buy: Honey Dijon at Coachella, Saturday Night Fever, The Batman motorcycle jackets, FKA twigs, Interplanetary Criminal, video games, old magazines, X-Files tees, Julian Carter, and archive fashion grails. Other topics include: NYC summer style, Havaianas and flip-flop discourse, Birkenstocks without socks, finance guys in Lululemon khakis and On Running shoes, Kangol hats, men’s matching sets, white jeans, World Cup style, vintage soccer jerseys, Newcastle kits, Nike Total 90s, Puma Speedcats, Big Red Boots, brand pop-ups, shock drops, fashion coffee shops, Instagram style discovery, raves, punk shows, clubs, flea markets, Harajuku, Santee Alley, gay clubs, furries, online fashion communities, The Devil Wears Prada 2, whether good marketing can compensate for bad clothes. We hope you enjoy just as much as we did recording. Lots of love! Sol --- Episode Tags: fashion podcast 2026, integrated fashion, fashion survey, menswear, streetwear, high fashion, archive fashion, shopping habits, brand culture, experience-based fashion, Rick Owens, Kozaburo, Everlane Shein, sustainable fashion, vintage fashion, World Cup jerseys, Nike Total 90, Puma Speedcat, Celine #fashion #fashionpodcast #rickowens #archivefashion TIMESTAMPS: #FashionPodcast, #Menswear, #Streetwear, #Fashion, #Style, #FashionCulture, #FashionCommunity, #FashionDiscussion, #FashionAnalysis, #FashionCommentary, #MensFashion, #MensStyle, #ArchiveFashion, #FashionArchive, #VintageFashion, #FashionHistory, #DesignerFashion, #LuxuryFashion, #FashionResearch, #FashionWriting, #IntegratedFashion, #FashionTheory, #FashionConsumer, #FashionShopping, #FashionTrends, #FashionIndustry, #FashionMarketing, #BrandCulture, #FashionConsumerBehavior, #FutureOfFashion, #RickOwens, #CommeDesGarcons, #Undercover, #HediSlimane Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| Dave Macklovitch (@dave1) Returns: Hedi Slimane, the Role of AI in Music, and the Legacy of Blogcore and Indie Sleaze | Season 14, Episode 4 | 27 May 2026 | 01:27:06 | |
Was Dave Macklovitch right about the Hedi Boy revival? Is Hedi Slimane’s skinny-jeans-and-leather-jacket universe bigger than fashion? And what happens to musicians when AI can make the record but not the room? Sol and Michael sit down with the podcast's favorite well-dressed unc, Dave Macklovitch of Chromeo, for his second episode and a proper apology tour after the 2025 Hedi Slimane craze proved him right. The trio explore the Hedi Boy phenomenon, Celine skinny jeans, Dior Homme codes, Saint Laurent leather jackets, indie sleaze, Grailed resellers, archive fashion, and why the looks that last are never just clothes—they come with music, photography, nightlife, diet, attitude, community, and a whole lifestyle system. Further, Dave connects that idea to Chromeo, explaining how the band built an 80s funk world through contrast rather than costume, why charisma still matters in the age of Suno AI and AI-generated music, and how the “human avatar” may become even more important as the back end gets automated. They also discuss Kid Cudi’s “Day ’N’ Nite,” Fool’s Gold Records, the birth of modern emo rap, Lil Peep, Yung Lean, Clams Casino, Lil Uzi Vert, Geese, DJ Sneak, Daft Punk, Radiohead, Kanye West, A$AP Rocky, and the strange grace we give artists after their best albums. On the fashion side, they talk Aimé Leon Dore as integrated fashion, Supreme and Dior Homme coffee machines, Rick Owens lifers, Tom Ford’s symbolic universe, Haider Ackermann, Berluti cowboy boots, Soshiotsuki, Anthony Vaccarello, Demna at Gucci, Kozaburo, how to interact with Thom Browne on a budget, Balmain by Christophe Decarnin, moto denim, Saint Laurent patina, eBay archive finds, vintage Abercrombie, CDLP, DEVOA, Issey Miyake, and why brands that sell a world—not just a garment—keep winning. We hope you enjoy this one as much as we did. Questions answered in this episode: - Why is Hedi Slimane influential? - What is a Hedi Boy? - Are skinny jeans coming back? - Why are Celine skinny jeans popular again? - What is integrated fashion? - Why do fashion brands sell lifestyle now? - What makes a brand universe successful? - How do music and fashion influence each other? - Why do Supreme, CELINE, Dior Homme, Saint Laurent, Rick Owens, and Tom Ford create such strong cultural identities? - How will AI music change musicians? - Will AI replace artists? - Why does charisma matter in live performance? - Why was Kid Cudi’s “Day ’n’ Nite” important? - Why is A$AP Rocky considered a fashion artist? - What makes archive fashion valuable? - How do Grailed, eBay, and Discogs shape taste? - What brands are exciting right now? Lots of love! Sol --- Episode Tags: Dave Macklovitch, Dave 1, Chromeo, Pair of Kings, Hedi Slimane, Hedi Boys, Celine, Dior Homme, Saint Laurent, integrated fashion, fashion podcast, menswear podcast, archive fashion, indie sleaze, AI music, Suno AI, Kid Cudi, Day N Nite, Fool’s Gold Records, A$AP Rocky, Rick Owens, Tom Ford, Haider Ackermann, Demna Gucci, Kozaburo, Soshiotsuki, Thom Browne, Balmain Decarnin, Grailed, vintage menswear #fashionpodcast #chromeo #hedislimane #celine #saintlaurent #dior Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| Stanley DeSantis, The Vintage Band Tee Bubble, and the Role of Ephemera in Fashion | Season 14, Episode 3 | 13 May 2026 | 01:27:14 | |
Who was Stanley DeSantis? Why is a 2004 Slipknot tee selling for $2,000? And what does a Daft Punk Roulette residency shirt have to do with how fashion brands sell you a lifestyle in 2026? Sol Thompson and Michael Smith return from their Neuehouse live recording for Episode 3 of Pair of Kings Season 14, continuing the season's deep dive into integrated fashion — the symbiotic loop where brands, hobbies, and ephemera matter more than the clothes. This week the boys go solo on the post-COVID explosion of the vintage band tee resale market and the story of Stanley DeSantis, the late character actor turned licensing impresario whose 90s company Passing For Sane made some of the most collectible all-over print T-shirts ever: X-Files, Aeon Flux, Spawn, Wizard of Oz, Speed Racer, Beavis and Butt-Head, Gone With the Wind, Pink Panther, Independence Day. The man licensed everything. Sol and Michael unpack why vintage T-shirts became fashion's most contested asset class: NYC's 8x vintage multiplier, why Slipknot Iowa-era merch and Daft Punk Vegas Roulette tees command four-figure resale on eBay and Whatnot, single stitch vs. double stitch hems, and the rodent-brain instinct of saving a Dub Tribe Sound System eBay search for years. They revisit the Miu Miu Literary Club through intellectual signaling (Simone de Beauvoir, Fumiko Enchi), the Aimé Leon Dore x Porsche 993 Turbo collab, defend RRL as American integrated fashion's original blueprint, and confront the imposter syndrome of wearing someone else's faded jeans. Other topics: Hedi Slimane Dior Homme resale gatekeeping, Charlie XCX Pop 2 merch as a future grail, the $3,700 Lady Gaga Schott Perfecto, why Akira and Ghost in the Shell tees became NFTs from first principles, scenecore and metalcore history (Suicide Silence, Dance Gavin Dance, The Used, Odd Future), Graceland Ridgewood, Rick Birkenstocks, and a moment for the goat — Stanley DeSantis, 1953–2005. Brought to you by ScentSplit. Tune in next week for a conversation on the artist as avatar. Lots of love! Sol Tags: Stanley DeSantis, Passing For Sane, vintage band tees, 90s licensed apparel, all over print t-shirts, integrated fashion, Pair of Kings podcast, fashion podcast 2026, menswear podcast, Slipknot Iowa shirt, Daft Punk Roulette, Hedi Slimane Dior Homme, Lady Gaga Fame Monster, Charlie XCX Pop 2, Aimé Leon Dore Porsche, Miu Miu Literary Club, RRL, Aeon Flux shirt, X-Files vintage, Ghost in the Shell tee, NYC vintage multiplier, Graceland Ridgewood, scenecore, archive fashion, ephemera fashion Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| Interview with Wesley Breed: Cars as Fashion, Aime Leon Dore X Porsche, and Why People Pay a Premium for Vintage | Season 14, Episode 2 | 29 Apr 2026 | 01:03:15 | |
Is fashion still just about clothes? Why are cars, watches, and Formula 1 the new menswear? What does Aime Leon Dore have to do with Porsche, and why, in an age of automation, are buyers paying a premium for things that are...worse? Sol Thompson and Michael Smith sit down with Wesley Breed, the New York-based influencer, storyteller, and car enthusiast who pivoted his fashion platform into automotive content, to unpack the rise of "integrated fashion": the symbiotic loop between brands, hobbies, and identity that's redefining men's style in 2026. Recorded live at Neuehouse, the trio dig into how taste is built across cars, clothing, and watches, why hyper-niche content outperforms mass content on social media, and why mid-century craft is making a comeback. We continue to chat about Wesley's charity car show, how Adidas reframed Mercedes-AMG F1 with the Y-3 collection at the Miami Grand Prix, Yohji Yamamoto's soccer kits, why Nike's stock keeps tumbling while Adidas eats their lunch, Nike ACG sponsoring the F.A.T. Ice Race in Montana with Ferdi Porsche, Meyers Manx, and Tuttle, the Porsche Carrera GT hammering for $6.7M at Amelia Island, and why pre-exit Helmut Lang and Raf Simons-era Prada hold value. We don't just cover fashion; we discuss Aime Leon Dore x Porsche collabs, Lewis Hamilton's Rick Owens and Kartik Research wardrobe, Mario Balotelli as the original unintentional style icon, the Puma Speedcat's roots in Michael Schumacher's Ferrari race boots, Why AI drives buyers towards things they can feel, and watches from Casio to Patek Philippe complications. Plus: Frank Ocean wearing Jenny Holzer at Panorama, white Ferrari t-shirts, NYU Gallatin self-designed majors, Wesley parting with his Margiela, Comme des Garcons, and Rick Owens archive for comfort, Kozaburo as the designer to watch in 2026, the Green Street SoHo car meet scene, and why loving the thing beats owning it. Hope you enjoy as much as we did recording. Huge thanks to Neuehouse for hosting us and everyone that came! Lots of love! Sol Tags: Wesley Breed, Pair of Kings podcast, integrated fashion, men's fashion 2026, fashion podcast, Aime Leon Dore, ALD Porsche, New Balance 574, F1 fashion, Mercedes F1 Adidas, Y-3 Yohji Yamamoto, Nike ACG, F.A.T. Ice Race, Ferdi Porsche, Meyers Manx, Porsche Carrera GT, Lewis Hamilton style, Mario Balotelli fashion, watch culture 2026, Patek Philippe, Casio Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| Integrated Fashion: How We Stopped Buying Clothes and Started Buying Lifestyles | Season 14, Episode 1 | 14 Apr 2026 | 01:36:08 | |
Why does every fashion brand run a coffee shop? How did a Stussy varsity jacket network from the late 1980s predict the business model of modern fashion? What does used spray paint have to do with why Miu Miu is one of the most effective brands in the world right now? Sol Thompson and Michael Smith open Season 14 of the Pair of Kings Podcast with a level set: the history of integrated fashion—the idea that buying clothes has always really been about buying into a lifestyle, a cult of personality, and an identity. Starting in 2014 at the height of Tumblr's image-first culture and tracing the full arc through Supreme drop culture, the grail sneaker peak, the outfit grid, the crash of sneaker resale, the rise of archive fashion, and the TikTok lifestyle-as-content revolution, they map how men's relationship with fashion fundamentally changed. They cover the Stüssy Tribe as fashion's original brand ambassador model—featuring Hiroshi Fujiwara, Michael Kopelman, and a pre-Supreme James Jebbia—the Supreme x LV collab as the undisputed peak of drop culture, Kith Treats and Cafe Leon Dore as the architects of the fashion third space, and the Miu Miu Literary Club as the most transparent example of what fashion brands are actually selling. We also touch on Demna's debut Gucci collection and his philosophy as a fashion anthropologist, the Hedi Slimane Saint Laurent Hedi boy cult of personality, the runway appearances of looksmaxxing and body dysmorphia, Vivienne Westwood and punk as integrated fashion's original historical anchor, the CBK/JFK aesthetic overtaking downtown New York, and what it means when even finance bros start buying Celine suits on purpose. Michael's fit: Wabash denim from Sugar Cane, Flat Head houndstooth flannel. Sol's fit: a Daft Punk Musique Vol. 1 CD release tee and a North Face layer. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did making it. Lots of love, Sol --- Episode Tags: integrated fashion, fashion lifestyle, menswear history 2026, drop culture history, grail sneakers, Stussy Tribe, Supreme x Louis Vuitton collab, archive fashion rise, sneaker resale crash, StockX history, Cafe Leon Dore, Kith Treats, fashion third space, Miu Miu Literary Club, Miu Miu girl, Demna Gvasalia Gucci 2026, Hedi Slimane Saint Laurent, Hedi boy aesthetic, Vivienne Westwood punk, looksmaxxing fashion, CBK JFK New York aesthetic, finance bro style 2026, Patagonia vest, Tumblr fashion era, outfit grid, KOTD, Instagram reels fashion, Hiroshi Fujiwara, James Jebbia, A$AP Rocky fashion, Rick Owens darkwear, archive PDF, menswear podcast 2026, Pair of Kings podcast, fashion podcast Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| How to Dress Better in 2026: An Actual Men's Style Guide by Pair of Kings | 13.19 | 17 Feb 2026 | 01:28:34 | |
Why are men's style guides just glorified affiliate link shopping lists? What should a real style guide for men actually teach you? And how do you build a wardrobe you love without spending a fortune? On the Season 13 finale, Sol and Michael tear apart the modern men's style guide — from GQ and Esquire to The Rake — and expose why today's fashion advice is failing young men. We do what none of those guides bother to do: share real, practical styling tips that will actually make you dress better, starting today. No affiliate links. No product lists. No bullshit. The duo covers how to find a good tailor (and why a $100 vintage suit tailored for $600 beats a $1,000 suit off the rack), why you need to wear your clothes and break them in instead of babysitting them for resale value, how to stop treating clothing as an investment piece, the right way to wash and care for your garments, why trying clothes on in person matters more than ever, how to build your personal style by copying first and evolving over time, and why patience and eBay alerts will get you everything you want for a fraction of retail. They also rant about "end game" brand gatekeeping, Our Legacy, why influencer fashion has broken people's brains, Raf Simons resale culture as a Ponzi scheme, and the forgotten art of just wearing a beat-up Oxford shirt to work every day like a Thom Browne employee. Plus: fit checks featuring a 1971 US military fishtail parka with original blanket liner, Rick Owens drawstring pants and Uggs, a FedEx customs horror story, Joe Pesci's golf fits, the season wrap-up, and a $250 giveaway. We hope you enjoy this one as much as we loved making it. Season 14 returns in four weeks. Lots of love! Sol --- Episode Tags: men's style guide 2026, how to dress better, menswear tips, men's fashion advice, style tips for men, how to find a tailor, build a wardrobe on a budget, personal style for men, fashion podcast, Pair of Kings podcast, GQ style guide critique, affiliate link fashion, Rick Owens, Thom Browne, Raf Simons resale, Our Legacy, military surplus fashion, fishtail parka, vintage menswear, garment care tips, eBay fashion finds, streetwear, archive fashion, men's wardrobe essentials, how to wear your clothes, investment piece myth, fashion for young men, Gen Z menswear, dressing well in your 20s, fit check, fashion criticism 2026, break in your boots, tailoring advice Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| Born DuBois on Viral Murder Mystery Parties, Vaquera's Paris Runway, Rick Owens Auditions, and What It Takes to Make It in Fashion | 13.18 | 11 Feb 2026 | 01:43:13 | |
What does it take to throw the most viral murder mystery parties in New York City? How do you go from pin-up modeling in Pittsburgh to walking for Vaquera at Paris Fashion Week? What happens when Rick Owens calls your name at a casting—but not for the runway? Sol and Michael sit down with Born DuBois—model, stylist, creative director, personal shopper, and the woman i-D Magazine called "A Star is Born"—for her very first podcast. Born has quietly become one of the most interesting people in New York fashion, juggling more jobs than anyone can count while throwing immersive murder mystery dinner parties that have attracted everyone from Interview Magazine stylists to Ella Emhoff. The trio get into everything: how Born writes 20-page plays for her murder mysteries with no outline, her Vaquera runway debut and the surreal experience of having her face printed on the entire collection at Paris Fashion Week, a Maybelline casting where she showed up in a latex bodysuit and was asked to dance, her ASAP Rocky audition that became a monologue about Amish country, accidentally getting high on cold medicine for a Nike billboard shoot at Madison Square Garden, moving to New York to get on SNL, getting kicked out of improv class for being too funny, the story behind her Numero Berlin cover, styling on a $300 budget, and why Lady Gaga's Joanne changed her life while she was shredding papers in a freezing basement. We also chat about Phantom of the Opera, Rick Owens trying to shave her eyebrows for TikTok, street casting in NYC, designing mugs on the Lower East Side, and Balenciaga Speed Hunters. We hope you enjoy as much as we did recording! Lots of love! Sol Episode Tags: Born DuBois, murder mystery party NYC, viral murder mystery, fashion model podcast, i-D Magazine, Vaquera runway, Vaquera Paris Fashion Week, Rick Owens casting, Nike model, Maybelline casting, modeling audition stories, fashion industry jobs, immersive theater NYC, fashion podcast 2026, menswear podcast, Numero Berlin, ASAP Rocky, street casting NYC, modeling career advice, fashion styling tips, Ella Emhoff, Prada, Balenciaga Speed Hunters, personal shopping on a budget, Paris Fashion Week model, Lady Gaga Joanne, Pair of Kings podcast, how to throw a murder mystery party, how to become a model, creative director fashion, thrift fashion, vintage clothing NYC, fashion week behind the scenes, dinner theater New York Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| Paris Fashion Week FW26 Review: Is Raf Simons Back? Rick Owens, Dior, Dsquared2 & More | 13.17 | 03 Feb 2026 | 01:32:17 | |
Is Raf Simons finally back? Is Rick Owens still the GOAT? Did Jonathan Anderson fumble his AW27 Dior menswear show? Why does Dsquared2 keep putting giant furry hats on models—and why do we respect it? Sol and Michael break down 2026's Paris Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week with their most unfiltered runway reviews yet. Which designers are cooking? Which creative directors are washed? Find out. RUNWAY REVIEWS: Prada FW26: High button holes, dirty French cuffs, and silhouettes echoing early Raf archive (Riot Riot Riot era). A genuine return to form—dressing cool young people, not runway theater. Rick Owens "TOWER": Military fashion without cosplay. Exaggerated shoulders replace traditional epaulets. Comparisons to Concordians, Porterville, Hollywood, Temple, and Lido—this might be his best of the past 5 years. Jonathan Anderson — Dior Men's AW27: Paul Poiret references and "heritage meets subversion" press notes that don't translate. Dsquared2 FW26: Dean and Dan Caten deliver giant furry hats, Olympic ski aesthetics, and jacked models with chiseled jawlines. Ralph Lauren FW26: Is Ralph pandering to the Aime Leon Dore and Bodé crowd? Vintage Polo Sport looks feel five years late to the Lower East Side menswear revival. But the tailoring buried later—velvet tuxedos, opera loafers, herringbone Chesterfields, cutaway collars—still hits. Balenciaga FW26 (Pierpaolo Piccioli): Post-Demna disappointment. Zara-coded varsity bombers, incoherent lookbook energy. Soshio Otsuki — Pitti Uomo 2026: The Japanese designer making YSL-inspired power suits for men. Double-breasted blazers for $600, Boro stitching collabs, jumpsuit-illusion suiting. Also discussed: Demna's Gucci debut, Louis Vuitton under Pharrell, London vs. New York street style, British tailoring culture, Rolling Dub Trio and Kozaburo boots, making a horse leather Birkin, and whether Dolce & Gabbana discourse is just an easy accountability checkbox. QUESTIONS ANSWERED: → What did Raf Simons show at Prada FW26? → Who is the best designer of 2026? → Who is the new Dior menswear creative director? → Is Ralph Lauren copying Aime Leon Dore? → What happened to Balenciaga after Demna? → Who is Soshio Otsuki? → What is the high button hole trend? → What are the best Paris Fashion Week FW26 collections? → London vs. New York: Who dresses better? Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| Paul Heavener on What a Creative Director Does at Hypebeast, Vintage Bape, Archive Fashion as a Trend & the Future of Streetwear | 13.16 | 28 Jan 2026 | 01:25:21 | |
What does a creative director actually do at a major fashion publication? Is Chrome Hearts still worth the investment in 2026? How did vintage Bape become the gateway drug for an entire generation of streetwear obsessives? And why is Rick Owens' FW14 Moody still influencing how we dress today? We sit down with Paul Heavener, Creative Director at Hypebeast, for a deep dive into his decade-long journey from Bape Talk forum moderator to leading one of fashion media's most influential creative teams. Paul shares stories about discovering Bape in a college dorm in 2005, his first fake hoodie, lining up outside in NYC for shark hoodies, and how internet fashion forums shaped streetwear culture before Instagram existed. Sol and Michael also chat with Paul about his obsession with Rick Owens (specifically the FW2014 Moody show, crop Stooges, and the Little Joe jacket), his complicated relationship with Chrome Hearts and their disappearing customization services, and why he now hunts for 1930s French workwear instead of hyped releases. We break down the rise of Golf as a hyped area of men's fashion and post-COVID individual sports culture, how Hypebeast balances legacy readers with Gen-Z audiences, the return of print magazines as collector's items, and why the anime-to-fashion pipeline is more real than ever. Finally, Paul reveals his favorite emerging designers (Professor E, Taiga Takahashi, Camiel Fortgens), explains how Hypebeast's creative studio actually operates, and shares his path from intern to creative director. Whether you're interested in breaking into fashion media, understanding how creative direction works at scale, hunting for archive pieces, or just want to know what the creative director of Hypebeast wears day-to-day (spoiler: Ann Demeulemeester jeans, Rick Owens long sleeves, and Chrome Hearts jewelry), this episode delivers. For extra episodes, early access to episodes, and giveaways, subscribe to our HeroHero!
Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| The Best Fragrances for Men, The Modern Master of Perfume, and Honestly Reviewing the Hottest Niche Fragrances of 2026: The PoK Scentacular | 13.15 | 21 Jan 2026 | 01:24:16 | |
What's the best men's cologne in 2026? Is Orto Parisi worth the hype? What does "grassy" mean? How do you actually describe how something smells without sounding pretentious? In the 2026 Scentacular, Sol and Michael sit down with over 50 fragrance samples (thank you, ScentSplit!) to answer these questions and more to create the ultimate 2026 fragrance guide for men. The duo dive deep into niche perfume houses like Orto Parisi, Serge Lutens, Frederic Malle, and Amouage—reviewing cult classics like Megamare, Jubilation XXV, Cowboy Grass, and Carnal Flower. They discuss why the fragrance industry is booming right now (hint: lipstick theory), how TikTok perfume influencers are changing the game, and dive deep into the trendy ingredients (like ambroxan) that give modern fragrances their smell and insane longevity. Further, Sol shares his new favorite daily wear from Story MFG's collaboration with master perfumer Joseph, and Michael finally reveals what that mysterious "plastic" note is that he's been chasing for years. We also discuss Chergui and Ombre Sultan by Serge Lutens, Osang and Reliqvia by Mendittorosa (the "Catholic guilt" church scents), Viride and Terroni by Orto Parisi, Targo by Blackbird, Milk by Commodity, Cowboy Grass by D.S. & Durga, Bois de Babylone by Welton London, Camutra by Attar Al Has, Macanudo by Maison Datto, La Fille de Berlin by Serge Lutens, and Anarchist A by Toskovat. The hosts also shout out emerging niche houses like Clue Perfumery, House of Mammoth, St Clair Scents, Pearfat Parfum, and January Scent Project. Whether you're looking for your signature scent, a date night fragrance, or just want to understand why your Sephora is suddenly packed with guys in the perfume aisle—this episode has you covered. For a chance to win $250 of ScentSplit credit, subscribe to the HeroHero! We hope you enjoy! Lots of love! Sol
best men's cologne 2026, niche fragrances, Megamare, Orto Parisi, fragrance review, men's perfume guide, Serge Lutens, Amouage Jubilation XXV, D.S. & Durga Cowboy Grass, Frederic Malle Carnal Flower, cologne recommendations, niche perfume 2026, ScentSplit, scentbar, date night cologne, Mendittorosa Sang, grassy cologne, Toskovat, Blackbird Targa, lipstick theory economics, Story MFG perfume, Commodity Milk, Byredo, Attar Al Has, Another 13, compliment getter cologne, streetwear fashion, men's grooming 2026, archive fashion fragrance Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| Shane O'Neill (@shaneisland) Explains Gooning, Jeremy Scott's Legacy & the NFL's Link to the Arab Spring's Love of SpongeBob | 13.14 | 13 Jan 2026 | 01:29:09 | |
Is Stone Island actually worth the price? What lifestyle requires techwear? Is Timothee Chalamet overrated? Why does Lady Gaga feel less authentic than Charli XCX? What is gooning, and how did it end up in Harper's Bazaar? This week, Sol and Michael sit down with Shane O'Neill, writer for The Washington Post's twice-weekly pop culture newsletter "Seriously?," to unpack the weirdest corners of the internet and how they intersect with fashion, music, and modern masculinity. The trio explore the techwear vs. lifestyle debate, why Stone Island might be "a little more serious" than necessary, the complicated appeal of Timothee Chalamet vs. Pedro Pascal, and whether Madonna's Celebration Tour was genius or needed a creative director. Shane defends his take on why Charli XCX feels more genuine than Lady Gaga, the overlooked brilliance of the Blue Man Group's first album, and how his job at the Washington Post lets him explore everything from competitive Excel spreadsheet championships to extremely niche fetish communities on TikTok. The conversation goes off the deep end: gooning culture and how Shane learned about it years before it hit mainstream media, why Jeremy Scott is "the Taco Bell of fashion" (complimentary), the NFL's official stylist whose college thesis connected SpongeBob SquarePants to the Arab Spring uprisings (not a joke), and why most luxury fashion houses are actually perfume or shoe companies pretending to sell clothes. They also discuss the Ice Spice SpongeBob movie premiere outfit controversy, why people pay to stand motionless at techno clubs, and Warped Tour nostalgia. Other topics include: Devoa, the Saint Laurent SS16 Surf Sound collection, ASICS x Comme des Garçons sneakers, the oura ring and Palantir data concerns, extreme fitness culture and dissociation, Russian seal best friends named Kroshik and Shlissik, and competitive Excel spreadsheet merch. We hope you enjoy! Lots of love! Sol --- Episode Tags: Shane O'Neill, Washington Post Seriously, fashion podcast 2026, gooning explained, gooning Harper's Bazaar, Jeremy Scott fashion, menswear podcast, streetwear podcast, archive fashion, internet subcultures, TikTok algorithm, competitive Excel spreadsheets, niche communities, oura ring review, Ice Spice stylist, men's fashion trends 2026, Kyle Smith NFL stylist, Alexander McQueen shoes Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| Rare Rick Owens Jackets, the Marty Supreme Jacket PR Machine, and the Muppets | 13.13 | 06 Jan 2026 | 01:38:09 | |
Did Rick Owens really design leather jackets for Ghost of Mars? Is Timothee Chalamet running the exact same PR playbook as Jack Harlow? What the hell is Goouch, and can a goose be a Muppet? Sol and Michael are back! They sit down to break down Rick Owens' early Hollywood costume design work (Ghost of Mars, Tank Girl, Otto; or Up with Dead People), the sock-heel technique that created the iconic pagoda shoulders, and Bailey Goldberg's knitwear producers. The pair then dives into the Timothee Chalamet Marty Supreme PR playbook—from Druski collabs and Chrome Hearts red carpet fits to basketball clout and cultural co-opting—and asks why Hollywood can't let a good actor just act. Finally, a full-blown rant about Front General Store's refusal to stock size Large, a $800 "Viet Cong Hunting Club" military liner, and the ethics of selling Vietnam-era militaria in 2025. They also cover: Lower East Side store tours (Self Edge, Desert Vintage, Commune, Copy, Brute Archives), why Orchard Street is still the fashion capital of New York, Japanese 90s rave culture photography books, the Fear of God represent era fashion time capsule, fake Chrome Hearts dunks, fake Geos flooding the market, Supreme box logo nostalgia, ins and outs list criticism, late 90s and early 2000s horror movie promo tees (House of 1000 Corpses, Flatliners, The Faculty, Planet Terror), why Good Art should make Birkenstock buckles, a heated Muppets debate (what qualifies as a Muppet?), Nine Inch Snails lore, Nicholas Cage movie quotes, Absolute Batman and Doomsday Clock, Happy Gilmore 2 and the nostalgia sequel problem, joggers vs boot cuts, long line tees vs cropped silhouettes, and much more. Big Announcement: The Pair of Kings Podcast turns 6 years old! Join us for the birthday party on Friday, January 16th—free entry, cake, music, and community vibes. Plus: Enter our military surplus giveaway (combat boots + milsurp jacket) through Hero at hero.co/pok. Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| Avery Trufelman on Why We Wear Military Clothes, M-65 Field Jackets, and how Military Surplus Shaped Modern Fashion History | 13.12 | 26 Dec 2025 | 01:24:38 | |
Where does your field jacket actually come from? Were WWII soldiers the original hypebeasts? What is the M-43 jacket? Sol and Michael sit down with Avery Trufelman, host of Articles of Interest and 99% Invisible veteran, to break down the military origins of menswear and why everyone's suddenly obsessed with gorpcore. The trio dive deep into the history of the M-65 field jacket, how World War II military surplus shaped American fashion, the invention of layering (yes, someone had to invent it), why Special Forces operators became fashion influencers, and the complicated ethics of wearing military aesthetics as civilians. Further, Avery shares insights from her latest podcast season "Gear," explaining the connection between outdoor brands and military contracts, the decline of army surplus stores, why The Row is making combat boots now, and how Buck Mason's militaria collection tells the story of American style. They also discuss Vivienne Westwood's punk legacy, the upcoming Antwerp Six book, athleisure as health signifier, Rick Owens' influence on tactical fashion, women's gear and the "pink it and shrink it" problem, plus whether military fashion makes you complicit in something larger. Other topics include: the Parsons jacket and Supreme-style military drops, George Doria inventing venture capital AND the field jacket, challenge coins and PowerPoint patch design, Americana Pipe Dream's hunt for rare surplus, Cher and the Armenian diaspora (a future episode?), and why fashion never really goes away — it just cycles back. Want to support the podcast? Subscribe to our HeroHero for giveaways, extra episodes, and more! We hope you enjoy just as much as we did recording! Lots of love! Sol --- Episode Tags: Avery Trufelman, Articles of Interest, military fashion, field jacket history, M-65 jacket, gorpcore 2025, menswear history, military surplus, tactical fashion, outdoor gear fashion, American style origins, 99% Invisible, fashion podcast, cargo pants history, Special Forces fashion, athleisure, Rick Owens menswear, The Row combat boots, Vivienne Westwood, punk fashion origins, Antwerp Six, Buck Mason, vintage military clothing, workwear fashion, heritage menswear, Americana Pipe Dream, OG-107 pants, archival fashion, techwear, Stone Island, CP Company, Helmut Lang, fashion trend forecasting, militaria collection, Patagonia military, Arc'teryx fashion, North Face history, functional fashion 2026 Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| Men's Skincare Routines, Chrome Hearts Jewelry, and Trying to Buy the Sauce | 13.11 | 16 Dec 2025 | 01:32:45 | |
Is that Chrome Hearts real or fake? Should guys actually use skincare? Why are "stylists" wearing head-to-toe counterfeit on the subway? Sol and Michael are back for a boys episode as they chat about spotting fake Chrome Hearts (and why people can't dress when they wear fakes), the perfume habits of Albanian men in the club, men's skincare routines that actually work (CeraVe, The Ordinary, La Roche-Posay) from an unsponsored viewpoint, men's skincare mistakes (and why Neutrogena face wash is apparently destroying everyone's face), the best affordable skincare products for guys, putting sports stylists getting in fashion jail, how Telfar bags are priced, the best fashion Black Friday sales, how to tell if designer fashion is counterfeit, Philadelphia sports culture (Go Birds), AI-generated restaurant menus (?!), people designing merch on Canva, why fashion people need to touch grass, andtheir massive skincare giveaway (you could win everything). We hope you enjoy :) Lots of love! Sol --- Episode tags: Chrome Hearts fake, men's skincare routine, how to spot fake designer, CeraVe skincare, The Ordinary products, men's grooming, counterfeit fashion, Chrome Hearts legit check, affordable skincare men, fashion podcast, fake fashion culture, La Roche-Posay, skincare for guys, vitamin C serum men, designer authentication, fashion styling critique, men's face wash, beginner skincare routine, Chrome Hearts real vs fake, drugstore skincare, fashion commentary podcast, men's moisturizer, skincare products men need, fake designer problem, fashion culture discussion, Pair of Kings podcast, men's grooming essentials, budget skincare routine, counterfeit spotting guide, fashion styling mistakes Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| Mandy Lee (@oldloserinbrooklyn) on 2026 Fashion Trend Predictions, Freaky Shoes, and Embodying the Old Loser in Brooklyn | 13.10 | 09 Dec 2025 | 01:33:21 | |
Who were the best designers of Paris Fashion Week 2025? Sol and Michael are talking the future of fashion this week! The duo sit down with Mandy Lee (aka oldloserinbrooklyn) to chat about fashion trend forecasting before TikTok existed (and TikTok fashion trends), microtrends vs macro trends (and why everyone's obsessed with ranking them), the Simone Rocha bride aesthetic, designer fashion show debuts in 2025, what it's really like being a Gen Z fashion influencer, how TikTok changed fashion predictions forever, the politics of fashion discourse (and why fashion people need to touch grass), pandemic TikTok origin stories (chainmail, anyone?), freaky shoes collections, why the fashion industry ate its own during COVID layoffs, fashion community building, Neo-punk revivalism right-wing mommy influencers (yes, that's a thing, apparently), and whether liberals are losing the culture war on the internet (among other things)! Want to support the podcast? Subscribe to our HeroHero for giveaways, extra episodes, and more! We hope you enjoy just as much as we did recording! Lots of love! Sol --- Episode tags: trend forecasting, microtrends 2025, Simone Rocha, old loser in Brooklyn, Mandy Lee, TikTok fashion, Gen Z fashion trends, designer debuts 2025, fashion show rankings, Brooklyn fashion, pandemic TikTok, fashion predictions 2026, balletcore, coquette aesthetic, fashion industry, runway analysis, fashion podcast, fashion forecaster interview, Sandy Liang, quiet luxury, mob wife aesthetic, fashion and politics, neo-punk revival, fashion community, fashion discourse, freaky shoes, Y2K fashion, fashion career advice Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| Glenn Martens' Margiela, Balenciaga Hoodies, Hedi Slimane Jeans, and How Sweatshirts Changed Forever | 13.9 | 02 Dec 2025 | 01:14:04 | |
Is Glenn Martens a good designer? Who owns Maison Margiela (and thus, controls the brand)? Are Margiela gats, futures, tabis, and shoes enough to carry a designer through their tenure? Join Michael and Sol as they chat about what it means to be a designer in 2025, Maison Margiela shoes, John Galliano, Martin Margiela, Hedi Slimane Jeans, Saint Laurent's rebrand (why did YSL change to SLP), mm6 (and the connotations of the line), Margiela's Line 2, Vetements Hoodies (and how to legit check vetements hoodies (they're all fake)), how fashion changed with social media, what the connotations of a hoodie/t-shirt/sweatpants changed, Sol's weird date, if Thom Yorke is a zionist, and Dubtribe Sound System's "Do It Now" (among other things)! We hope you enjoy :) Lots of love! Sol --- mens fashion podcast, margiela 2026, demna balenciaga, glenn martens designer, y project fashion, diesel fashion brand, gucci flip flops, streetwear trends 2026, luxury fashion for men, designer fashion explained, north face style guide, mens style tips, fashion podcast recommendations, balenciaga worth it, margiela review, streetwear essentials, mens fashion trends, designer sneakers 2026, hypebeast fashion, fashion for guys, mens streetwear guide, luxury streetwear brands, demna gvasalia designs, is balenciaga overrated, gucci slides styling, mens fashion advice, ski jacket streetwear, designer hoodies men, fashion podcast spotify, mens style 2026, streetwear fit check, designer brand tier list, margiela vs balenciaga, mens fashion basics, streetwear on budget, fashion trends explained, mens wardrobe essentials, designer fashion worth it, streetwear outfit ideas, fashion for young men, luxury fashion guide, street style men, fashion podcast youtube, mens fashion mistakes, designer clothing review, fashion trends tiktok, streetwear brands 2026, mens style evolution, fashion content creators, pair of kings podcast Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| Dr. Sonya Abrego (@sonyaabrego) on Men's Westernwear, The History of American Denim, and Where to Buy Vintage Jeans | 13.8 | 25 Nov 2025 | 01:15:16 | |
Where DO you find the best vintage jeans? This week, Dr. Sonya Abrego, the world's preeminent Westernwear historian joins Sol and Michael to talk about vintage jeans, American-made denim, the Cone Mills Corporation, Lee Jeans (and why pocket designs matter!), what IS selvedge denim, (and what is raw denim), her greatest finds from her days as a picker, the modern landscape of denim, how to date levis, what is so special about raw denim (especially if it's made in the US), some myths about denim production, the craziest denim/workwear brand you've never heard of (not a joke, Sonya blew my mind), her newest research, and so much more! Thank you so much to Dr. Abrego - we hope you enjoy the episode as much as we enjoyed chatting with her! Lots of love! Sol --- 0:00 Dr. Sonya Abrego - Western Wear Expert & Fashion Historian Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 13.7 - The Rick Owens Retrospective, Stone Island and CP Company's Fabric Development, and Modern Italian Fashion | 03 Nov 2025 | 01:23:21 | |
You could hear episode early and get access to our Rick Owens "Temple of Love" Giveaway by subscribing to our HeroHero! -- Ignore these tags: streetwear, men’s streetwear, urban fashion, hypebeast, sneaker culture, sneakerhead, men’s outfits, outfit inspiration, vintage streetwear, thrifted fashion, street style, fashion trends, TikTok fashion, Instagram fashion, Gen Z style, capsule wardrobe, men’s accessories, unisex fashion, oversized clothing, logo tees, baggy jeans, statement sneakers, graphic hoodies, layering, street fashion brands, everyday streetwear, athleisure, skate style, music and fashion, street culture, global menswear, Rick Owens, Maison Margiela, Balenciaga, Vetements, Chrome Hearts, Vivienne Westwood, Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, Givenchy, Saint Laurent, Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Junya Watanabe, Undercover, Kapital, Salomon, geobaskets, gorpcore, techwear, streetwear, athleisure, haute couture, archive fashion, thrifted, grailed, legit check, Carti aesthetic, opium style, Rick Owens reps, DHgate haul, Pandabuy Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 13.6 - International Tours, Object Permanence, and How to Win at Solitaire with Sophia Stel (@insignificantfunds) | 21 Oct 2025 | 01:15:03 | |
You could hear episodes early and get access to all of our giveaways on our HeroHero! It's with great pleasure that I announce this week's episode with Sophia Stel, the artist/producer/singer/songwriter behind not one, but two of the year's best EPs: Object Permanence and How to Win at Solitaire. Tune in as Sol and Michael chat with Sophia about her soon-to-be international tour, finding and working with "anime baddie" opener ilykimchi, living life without a phone, thrifting in New York City, how she thinks through her music from inception to release, remixes, Young Thug, sliming out your day ones the second you blow up, being comfortable, the Great White North, learning to tailor your clothes, and so much more! Thanks again to Sophia and her wonderful publicist Elizabeth for making this episode possible - the international leg of the tour begins on November 7th in Paris! Get tickets if you can :) Lots of love! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 13.5 - Rating and Reviewing Every Paris Fashion Week Debut with Sol (@ellaemhoff) and Michael (@hot_vodkaa) | 14 Oct 2025 | 01:15:07 | |
This episode has a $250 ESSX Giveaway! All HeroHero subscribers are automatically entered. The boys are back for a totally normal, definitely-nothing-amiss episode. Join Sol and Michael as they cover all of the recent runway debuts of Paris (J.W. Anderson's Dior, Pierpaolo Piccioli's Balenciaga, Louise Trotter's Bottega Veneta, Duran Latnik's Jean Paul Gaultier, Mathieu Blazy's Chanel, Ann Demeulemeester, Alexander McQueen, Glenn Martens' Maison Margiela, Miguel Frietas' Mugler, Loewe) and chat about what people are buying, stories of walking runways, and so much more! Huge thanks to Fifi and Ella for stepping in for this totally normal episode (Michael is traveling). Lots of love! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 13.4 - Inventing Health Goths (not a joke), Partying in New York Fashion Week, and Professional Basketball with Caitlin Cunningham (@caitlepillar) | 07 Oct 2025 | 01:22:28 | |
You could have heard this episode early and had access to our $250 Komune Giveaway on our HeroHero! That title isn't a joke, everyone! This week, instagram.com/_smithstagram and instagram.com/solthompson sit down with their new friend, instagram.com/caitlepillar (also known as Caitle, Caitlin Dark, Cait, or the progenitor of the health goth movement) to chat about their professional basketball career, what it was like to hang with Anna Delvey, Australia's fashion scene, *potentially* walking for Rick Owens, partying during New York Fashion Week, Lu'u Dan, getting solicited for feet pics, respectful DM slides, Cait's new music, and so much more! We hope you love the episode as much as we love Caitle! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 13.3 - How We Fix the Fashion Industry, NYFW Notes, and the Friends of Pair of Kings Live Show! | 30 Sep 2025 | 01:22:48 | |
Michael and Sol report live from their Komune popup, full of a live studio audience! Tune in as the boys talk about the highlights and lowlights from New York Fashion Week, why calling brands "emerging" isn't only a misnomer but deeply offensive, how to be #26andtappedin, the lack of quality menswear in New York, comic books, Matt Mercer, perfumery, hatmaking, what it's like to run a popup, and why spaces like Komune matter so much for fashion! They also have a few surprise guests, including shoe and bootmaker Ives Barrera, Joseph Baumeister from Perfume Making Co., and a whole host of listeners who ask questions live! Hope you enjoy - thank you so much for coming out to support the podcast! Lots of love! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 13.2 - Why Shit Not Working and How Do We Fix New York City with Chi Ossé (@chiosse) | 23 Sep 2025 | 01:19:00 | |
You can hear episodes early and get access to our weekly giveaways on HeroHero! The glaring issues of the greatest city in the world (New York) frustrate the Pair of Kings: little access to trains, high costs of living, improper addressing of the upper class' disparate tax burden... the list goes on. How can we change any of this? What can we do? This week, Sol and Michael bring New York City's District 36 Councilman, Chi Ossé on to the pod to chat Why Shit Not Working, how we can fix the city, some of the insane mayoral candidates, transit systems, affordable housing, and so much more. We hope you enjoy the episode just as much as we did recording it! Lots of love, Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 13.1 — Our Upcoming Popup, the Lower East Side Fashion Scene Update, and Sol's Shopping Mega-List | 16 Sep 2025 | 01:28:35 | |
Hi everyone! After a very long wait, we're back with a new season of the podcast! Tune in as the boys talk about the upcoming Friends of PoK popup (September 26th-28th at Komune) featuring designers NEVER BEFORE SEEN IN NEW YORK like Lac Demure, Ives Barrera, Bailey Goldberg, Perfume Making Co., Kozaburo, Jordan Arthur Smith, and so many more! Sol and Michael also discuss the changing landscape of the Lower East Side (uh oh!) and the mega-list that covers literally EVERY fashion stop in the neighborhood for both residents and visitors alike. We hope you enjoy, and we hope to see you at the popup (where we'll be doing a live podcast AND giving things away!) Also - drawing for the $250 in Komune credit closes on Monday, September 22nd. All you have to do is subscribe to the HeroHero (which supports the pod!): you'll be able to use it at the popup if you so choose! All the best, and lots of love! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.21 - The Great Big Berlin Fashion Week Wrap-Up | 15 Jul 2025 | 01:44:42 | |
You can enter into all of our giveaways (including the one on this episode) and get early access to episodes at our HeroHero Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.20 - The Best Brands You've Never Heard Of | 01 Jul 2025 | 01:24:59 | |
Sol spent a ton of time on a Substack article called Hometown Heroes; join Michael and Sol as they sit down and discuss a selection of amazing brands from around the world (including Isabella Charles, Empath LA, and Ulysse Poulin, to name a few), up-and-coming music act Sophia Stel, why Zegna suits cost >$10,000 but look terrible, the worst shoes ever created, the deep-seated terror Michael feels at sample sales, Italian brainrot, and so much more! We hope you enjoy! Lots of love! Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.19 - Discovering the Lost Art of Tailoring with Chloe Boxer (@chl0e.box) | 24 Jun 2025 | 01:38:06 | |
This week, Sol and Michael sit down with on-set tailor and clothing wizard Chloe Boxer to learn about her practice, work, and about her takes on clothing in general! Join the trio as they chart Chloe's introduction to and growth in the fashion world, historic clothing trends, her senior thesis (where she proved that a certain item of clothing was completely misinterpreted by historians!), what's changing in garment construction, which brands today are consistently impressing her (and which ones aren't), and some on-set stories from her incredibly dynamic and immensely interesting job! We hope you enjoy as much as we did recording the episode, and a huge thanks to Chloe! Lots of Love! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.18 - How New EU Regulations Stand to Change Fashion | 18 Jun 2025 | 01:40:52 | |
Wow! We're doing policy analysis? Sol's putting his degree to use? Michael's talking about some of the craziest reproductions of vintage clothing? What the heck? A podcast with heavy, heavy research? What's going on? Tune in to hear the duo talk about ESPR, tariff laws, fast fashion, medium-enterprise end-of-life adjustments, fabric responsibility, 1940's denim, inadvertent eugenics in the rattlesnake population, some fun fashion insider information about Martine Rose, JW Anderson's insane commitments, digital product passports, suiting and worsted wool production, and so much more! Lots of love! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.17 - How to Host a Perfect Runway Show, The Horribly Dressed Men of New York, and The Photographer-to-Influencer Pipeline with Tanya Ravichandran (@tanyar) | 10 Jun 2025 | 01:28:14 | |
We're back this week with our wonderful friend Tanya Ravichandran! Join Michael and Sol as they discuss the incredible team at Coach, Tanya's love for Ann D., how to host the perfect runway show, why all the guys in New York dress like shit, making the Margiela 5 Zip Exodia, Lee Alexander McQueen, some grails still eluding her collection, her wonderful boyfriend Roman's style, getting hangry, the direction of high fashion today, what it was like to work as a photographer at 14, and the very simple process to blowing up on the internet! Thanks again to Tanya for an amazing episode, and we hope you enjoy! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.16 (HeroHero Preview) - Reviewing Every Single Outfit From the 2025 Met Gala (Superfine: Tailoring Black Style) | 27 May 2025 | 00:13:23 | |
It's time for Michael and Sol's favorite yearly tradition: talking shit on the celebrities who spend thousands of dollars to walk the red carpet at the largest event in fashion! Join the duo as they talk about the best (no spoilers, but it rhymes with Mom Crown) and the worst (no spoilers, but it's (not) shockingly a white girl in a durag) of the night, chat about what makes for 'guy in a suit', and take nearly three hours to postulate about what outfits make the vaunted Pair of Kings S tier. Lots of love! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.15 - River Fashion, Sol's Life Changing Experience, and Everything You Missed in April | 20 May 2025 | 01:22:09 | |
You could have heard this episode early and had access to giveaways on our HeroHero: https://herohero.co/pok The title isn't hyperbole: Sol's back from the wilderness! Join the intrepid duo of Sol and Michael as they discuss Kanye West somehow proving that yes, you can always lose your mind just a little bit more, the Pope dying, what gorpcore's cooler older brother looks like, some slept-on outdoor brands, a horrible new beard, how the hell you dress for the longest river trip in the world (this is a fact), Weekend Warriors, Marseille Hiking boots, wearing brand new raw denim, how to look like a virgin, Kapital Century Denim and the Flare Star competition, Thom Browne suits for the low, new drinking games, and so much more! I missed you all, and I'm so glad to be back! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.14 - The Pair of Kings Official Rap Snacks Taste Test | 06 May 2025 | 01:10:53 | |
You could have heard this episode early and had access to giveaways on our HeroHero: https://herohero.co/pok Hello my dear friends! In this episode Sol and Michael eat way too many lil baby themed potato chips. We also discuss the Thom Browne employee uniform guidelines, the difference between "vintage" and "archive," the bible (again somehow), Alfargo's marketplace, military surplus (again somehow) and Sol's absolutely diabolical plan to undermine the fashion communities most prolific gatekeepers. Thanks as always for supporting us! This is likely our last episode for a week or two, as Sol is still floating his way down the grand canyon and we may be out of our backlog. -Michael Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.13 - Chrome Hearts Rocket Launcher with Luke Fracher | 29 Apr 2025 | 01:35:08 | |
You could have heard this episode early and had access to giveaways on our HeroHero: https://herohero.co/pok Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.12 - Saint Mike, The Karen Signoff, and Military Surplus that isn't Military or Surplus | 22 Apr 2025 | 01:19:44 | |
You could have heard this episode early and had access to giveaways on our HeroHero! Hey Everybody! Sol has run off to the grand canyon for the next 3 weeks and left me alone, afraid, and in charge of uploading the episodes. He has no phone and I am scared. But! there was a time that I was not scared and Sol was by my side and we recorded this episode for all of you. In this episode we discuss biblical names, that guy on instagram who does an incredible job of making bad hats, and how a number of your favorite clothing items jumped from military to high fashion to everyday - including some legacy works by Yves Saint Laurent, Jean Paul Gaultier, Helmut Lang, and Raf Simons Thanks for supporting us! Let me know if I did a good job they usually don't let me touch the keyboard or talk to anyone directly around here. -Michael Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.11 - Arts and Crafts and Modeling and DSquared2 FW25 with Ella Emhoff (@ellaemhoff) | 15 Apr 2025 | 01:39:19 | |
On this episode, Sol and Michael sit down with their good friend Ella to chat about the long-awaited comeback of Soft Hands Knit Club, Ella's career as a model, DSquared FW25 (and their unfortunate gap between what they show on the runway and what they sell through sites like SSENSE), the "White Boy of the Month" phenomenon of the Lower East Side, environmental sustainability as it relates to fashion, steroid gut, Calvin Klein underwear ads, "Shock Content", Thom Browne, and so much more! We hope you enjoy as much as we did recording! Lots of Love! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.10 - The Most Memorable Fashion Campaigns of the Last Decade and Jonathan Anderson's Legacy at Loewe | 08 Apr 2025 | 01:20:45 | |
One big announcement! We're organizing a pop-up at Komune (our favorite NYC boutique) with Kozaburo on April 11th! Swing by for a chance to win a free hat, say hi to the boys, and shop some of the Phantom Ranch goodies! This week, listen in as Sol and Michael discuss Jonathan Anderson leaving Loewe, being a vindictive ex-boyfriend, the legacy of fashion advertising and the most memorable ads of the last decade (or so), Jacquemus, terrible perfume ads, Dua Lipa, Gosha going to Heavn by Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu, smelling like you've been swallowed by a whale, and so much more! Hope you enjoy listening, and lots of love! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.9 - Fancy Footwork and Full Hedi Slimane with Dave Macklovitch (@dave1) | 01 Apr 2025 | 02:02:08 | |
One big announcement! We're organizing a pop-up at Komune (our favorite NYC boutique) with Kozaburo on April 11th! Swing by for a chance to win a free hat, say hi to the boys, and shop some of the Phantom Ranch goodies! The boys are back - and just in time! This week, Michael and Sol sit down with musical legend Dave Macklovitch (@dave1) of Chromeo acclaim in his Brooklyn studio to discuss his perspectives on style, whether or not Hedi Slimane is the greatest designer of the 21st century, having a uniform, Miss Kittin, old Daft Punk (you knew it was coming), being 'unc', appreciating different types of music, French literature, style inspirations from philosophy, and so much more! This was so lovely to record - I hope you enjoy! Lots of Love! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.8 - Was Demna's Run at Balenciaga Good? | 25 Mar 2025 | 01:27:48 | |
Two big things! 1. Don't forget! We're organizing a pop-up at Komune (our favorite NYC boutique) with Kozaburo on April 11th! Swing by for a chance to win a free hat, say hi to the boys, and shop some of the Phantom Ranch goodies! 2. We're doing a giveaway for this episode! All HeroHero subscribers will be automatically entered into a drawing for a Bryan Jimenez logo tee - we'll select two winners on the Monday after this episode! Sol and Michael are back with a boys episode! Strap in as the duo talk about Demna's move to Balenciaga, why Raf got so popular in the resale community, who's allowed to comment on fashion, the rise of Lemaire and whether or not it's any good (consensus no), future trends, churn in the fashion space (are people too quick to get bored?), Michael's utter disdain for the Margiela belt jacket, and much more! Lots of Love! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.7 - Helmut Lang's Spiritual Successor with Bryan Jimenèz (@bryanjimeneznyc) | 18 Mar 2025 | 01:01:52 | |
You could have heard this episode early and had access to giveaways on our HeroHero! This week, Sol and Michael sit down with Bryan Jimenèz, a New York based designer whose sampling, patterning, and referencing make him one of the most exciting young designers in the city. The trio talk about Bryan's inspirations, some of the challenges of scaling a brand, boxing, the other creatives he lives and works with, creating clothes that feel authentically lived-in while still being new, attending and selling at Paris Fashion Week, being stocked at SSENSE, and so much more! We hope you enjoy - we had a wonderful time recording. Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.6 - The Problem with Raw Denim, Racism in the Archive Community, and Fitbruary Takeaways | 11 Mar 2025 | 00:11:35 | |
Subscribe to our HeroHero for the full episode and a chance to win a Blackmerle field shirt! On this HeroHero-exclusive episode of the podcast, Sol and Michael announce a giveaway, try to big dog each other over pairs of pants, talk about the variety (or lack thereof) in their wardrobes, think about their next purchases (if any), discuss the ongoing conversation regarding racism in the archive community, examine who get access to what (shocker, it's the hyper-wealthy), and, finally, pick their most and least favorite outfits from the month. Hope you enjoy! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.5 - The Blackmerle Interview with Terry and Justice (@blackmerle) | 04 Mar 2025 | 01:11:34 | |
Want to support the podcast and hear episodes early? Subscribe to our HeroHero! This week, Sol and Michael are joined by the founders of Blackmerle, the South Korea-based brand making some of our favorite clothes of 2025. Tune into the podcast to hear the boys chat with Terry and Justice about how they approach design, how they choose materials, popups, their event at Komune, what they wish they could make, masculine cues in an outfit, double cuffs, color choice, rare Japanese fabrics, uniform dressing, jewelry creation, and why the brand started! Thank you again to the Blackmerle team for trusting us with such a wonderful interview! We hope you enjoy! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.4 - Listener Questions, Brooklyn's Underground Techno Raves, and the Only Clothing Worth Buying | 25 Feb 2025 | 01:33:46 | |
You can get access to our Rick Owens beanie giveaway and hear episodes early at our HeroHero! Hi everyone! On this episode, Sol and Michael bring back the listener question format from earlier PoK seasons! Tune in as they discuss Sol's theory of the four quadrants of clothing, Discwoman, Sweat Equity, the underground warehouse raves of pre-COVID Brooklyn, fast fashion, finance bros, cabaret laws, how to get cheap raw denim, Mercari / Yahoo Japan, how clothing has changed to accommodate for a fitpic, underrated style icons, and so much more! Hope you enjoy the episode, and lots of love! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.3 - Art Direction in the Age of AI, Henri Alexander Levy, and Campaigns in the Influencer Era with Kevin Chen (@bagelbiteskevin) | 18 Feb 2025 | 01:33:19 | |
We're starting our guest episodes of Season 12 strong with Hypebeast's Art Director, Kevin Chen! Join Sol and Michael as they chat with Kevin about his practice, what he wears on set, how Art Directors adapted to the growing field of AI, where fashion campaigns are moving, his dream campaign, ERD, elite boarding schools, how to land a fighter jet, classic photographic conventions, and his graphic design practice! We hope you enjoy as much as we did recording! Lots of love! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.2 - China's Fashion Scene, The Post-2010 Men's Fashion Timeline, and February's Ins and Outs | 11 Feb 2025 | 01:25:58 | |
On this episode of Season 12, Sol and Michael sit down to discuss Michael's recent trip to China (a three week excursion which saw Michael discover what might be the best clothing store in the country), differences in the fashion scenes between the US and China, Sol's Substack, serial killers and doing thing with zeal, and the changing face of who's impacting the clothing and fashion world (hint: it's changing from Kanye/Playboi Carti/Travis Scott to people like IShowSpeed and Kai Cenat). We hope you enjoy - I loved recording this one! Lots of love! Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 12.1 - The Worst Fashion Show of Paris FW25, What Makes Something "Artisanal", and Is Raf Simons Washed? | 04 Feb 2025 | 01:22:55 | |
Sol and Michael are back for a brand new season of the podcast. They're revitalized and revamped; tune in for discussion about Glenn Martens' new appointment at Margiela, Y-Project, some of the couture shows, the new Comme Des Garcons boots (that may or may not have been ripped from Rombaut, if you believe the claims), people not knowing simple references, Raf Simons being washed, and what artisanal means! Enjoy the episode, and lots of love, Sol Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||
| 11.19 - (HeroHero Exclusive) Shock Collar Fashion Trivia | 17 Dec 2024 | 00:15:06 | |
To support the pod, listen to the full episode, and get access to our giveaways, subscribe to our HeroHero! Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”. Links: Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Michael’s Instagram | |||