How to Pattern DJ
Plus dark denim doubles down, a DIY trick for hoodies, swaggy moccasin boots & more unbeatable recon
Welcome to Concorde, Blackbird Spyplane’s “women’s vertical” that the fellas love as well. Every edition is archived here.
Our Great Bags Report, with everyday carries for everyone, is here.
Mach 3+ city intel for traveling the entire planet is here. Spyfriends just came through with recon for Mumbai, Oahu, Naoshima and Memphis.
Erin here, back with another smash-hit Concorde. Today we've got:
How to Pattern DJ with plaids
An ingenious DIY trick for freaking a hoodie you already own with wit, elegance and ease
The moccasin lace-ups boots I longed for ($600) and the near-exact vintage ones I scored ($35)
Playing 4-D (Dark Denim Doubled-Down) Chess
But first —
This week marks the 3rd anniversary of Concorde.
Since our inception, we’ve performed regular fashion miracles, and sent an uncountable flock of revelatory acronyms out into the world like big-brained, sauced-out carrier pigeons. We vow to keep having fun and to keep answering your style questions profoundly — you can always post one in our chat room. I’ll of course continue my deep dives into the enduring appeal of swag icons like clogs, scarves, rollneck sweaters and matching sets. You can count on me to tell you about the coolest clothing lines and boutiques, along with ways to reinvigorate the clothes you already own. I’ll keep tapping in with independent designers and artisans like Julia Heuer and Zoe Mohm. And, yes, I promise never to withhold my clairvoyance on important footwear matters.
Thank you for flying with me!
Now let’s get to it —
In the anniversary spirit, today I’m revisiting a styling concept I introduced back in Concorde Year One: Pattern DJing, a.k.a. mixing patterns harmoniously. Fall is, of course, a perfect season to do this.
Since I debuted the idea, I’ve noticed Jonah occasionally dipping his toe into the mixed-patterns pool. The other day he dropped a triple-check fit so pleasantly resolved (below) that I wondered if the student might someday surpass the teacher: