New York really does change the way you dress
A trip down Condé Nast memory lane.
When I interviewed for an editorial assistant job at Vanity Fair in 2008 I was told by multiple people—the guy I interviewed with (shoutout friend of the newsletter Mike Hogan), the managing editor’s assistant, the evil HR person, the wonderful woman in the production department I was temping for—to “dress nice” for my final interview with then-managing editor Chris Garrett. I’d already had my requisite five-minute meeting with Graydon Carter. There was one final box to check.
I’m still not sure why they told me to “dress nice.” I’d been in the city for nearly a year at that point and had fully molted my midwestern skin. I spent my first five months in New York as an intern at Esquire, where I very quickly ditched my TJ Maxx square-toed shoes for Chuck Taylors I wore with a gray Trovata (RIP) blazer with big white buttons. I read
. I was broke, but I had two white button downs I rotated. I wore a tie every day! (Thank you, Esquire fashion closet giveaways.) They probably just told every clueless 23-year-old interviewing to not show up in a t-shirt.I got the job, but the reason I’m still dwelling on this 17 years later is because Hogan recently announced he was leaving VF after 25 years, which prompted a flurry of photos from various Oscar parties over the years and conversations about how funny it is to look at pictures of someone the day they started at Condé Nast and the glow-up six-to-nine months later. Also: I went to see MJ Lenderman at Brooklyn Steel this week and when he played “Bark at the Moon”—a song that is ostensibly about Guitar Hero—the entire sold-out crowd sang along to one of his many clever lyrics: “Don't move to New York City, babe, it's gonna change the way you dress.” This rang true to me, a middle-aged guy who now lives in a midwestern college town. New York really does change the way you dress.
So, uh, dress for the job you want, I guess? These days it’s unstructured blazers and chore coats—though I secretly just want to wear lightweight cotton suits on Zoom every day (more on that later). Noah wears very nice t-shirts in the summer and very nice sweaters in the winter. We make a good team. There is no dress code at Three Point Four Media. This is a newsletter about turning 40.
Onto the links.
An article
As Twin Peaks Turns 35, the Mystery Is Still the Message for a World of Fans
Nearly 8,000 words about the David Lynch cult classic Twin Peaks. Hogan really did go out in a blaze of glory with this Vanity Fair feature. I am halfway through season two of Twin Peaks and loving it: the acting is kind of bad, but the plot and the town drives the story. Highly recommend.
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A project
A new longform piece for our friends at Spotify Advertising. This one goes deep on Spotify’s new and revamped advertising tools.
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A concert
Went to Vegas to catch Dead and Company at the Sphere (sorry Sphere™️ is what the brand guide calls it) for my birthday. What remains of the Grateful Dead plus John Mayer in Vegas for a 40th birthday? A little on the nose, but it delivered.
Dead and Co. are at their best when they lean into the blues vehicle for John Mayer energy. They did not disappoint last week. It really feels like a Vegas show: legacy act setting up shop for a six-weekend residency that sells out immediately. A mix of real fans and folks there just there for the spectacle. Mayer’s lightweight (perhaps Japanese?) suits paired with Hokas are a very nice touch—perfect uniform, and if anyone reading this knows where Johnny got his suits you have my email address. I’m ready to watch archival Elvis Vegas shows now.
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A recipe
Currently obsessed with this Andy Baraghani fresh lemon and chile pasta. Creamy and garlicky with the right amount of spice and citrus. I’ve made it a few times and the store was out of serranos every time—turned out great with a Fresno chile substitute. This recipe comes together very quickly, so I’d say it qualifies as a Weeknight Meal.
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A run
I was out in New York this week to celebrate my birthday and after a week’s rest from what I initially thought was a catastrophic calf injury I hit the roads with Noah. Disaster and injury averted—the calf appears to be just fine. “When you turn 40, you just run through things all the time,” Noah told me. Wise beyond his years. But this is a small business newsletter and I am here to tell you: We do our best thinking on and after runs. Let the endorphins do the talking.
Thank you for tuning in for this week’s trip down the dying days of Condé Nast memory lane. We’ll have a Q&A for you next week. In the meantime, read up on what the current job market is like for soon-to-be college graduates. Just make sure you dress nice from the waist up for that Zoom interview.
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