You ain't that young, kid

You've heard it all by now

It was a Monday to end all Mondays as I sat down to pen this newsletter (usually, the last item on my to-do list after penning features for sites like The Manual, GearMoose and Maxim, truth be told!). That can make it difficult to find inspiration at times, as I wrote about on Saturday, but every so often, I hit shuffle on my Spotify playlist and find the perfect tune to set the tone for this newsletter. Heck, even the title of today’s featured track, “You Ain’t That Young Kid,” a stomping number by ex-The Walkmen leader Hamilton Leithauser, tracks pretty well with these last few days (or really, all 12 days of 2021 so far). And wouldn’t you know it, there’s our man pictured at the top of the page (his 2020 release, “The Loves Of Your Life,” was a favorite record of mine last year!).

But back to today’s track — again, it’s an upbeat stomper that’s also filled with melancholy, and lyrically, it hits pretty close to home. But if ever you’ve seen Hamilton Leithauser play live, you know it’s delivered with gusto and spirit — and style, of course. It all comes together in today’s edition of The Style Guide In Brief, so let’s time it right and launch into this track (and more, of course!).

What To Listen To This Week: “You Ain’t That Young Kid” By Hamilton Leithauser and Rostam

Today’s featured track comes to you from 2016’s wonderfully named “I Had a Dream That You Were Mine,” a collaborative effort between Leithauser and Vampire Weekend luminary Rostam. The title itself is pretty on-the-nose if you’ve been following, well, *gestures at everything* the past few days, but really, the song itself is sung from Hamilton’s perspective about growing older and growing apart, but it’s in sharp contrast to the “hootenanny” sound of the track itself, if you will. It always gives me an introspective shot in the arm, so to speak, and it’s got a timeless quality I find reassuring in these tumultuous days. And yes, it surely helps that Hamilton is a sharply dressed singer, a fan of white dress shirts and sharp tailoring, as you might recall from a past edition of this newsletter. Good menswear inspiration, yes? Counting in this next pick in 1 … 2 … 3 …

What To Wear This Week: Bruno Magli Angiolini Leather Dress Boots

Now, you might be thinking that some stylish black leather dress boots are the last thing you want to wear in these increasingly casual days … fair enough! But when the time comes around once again to dress in razor-sharp style, you just might be glad you gave these sleek, tailoring-friendly black leather dress boots a try. Class up your well-loved navy suit with these Bruno Magli boots (yes, you can wear navy and black together!) or take a page out of the Hamilton Leithauser playbook and wear black leather dress boots with a crisp black suit. You’re going to look great either way (and with the price tag that these have, why not wear ‘em as much as possible?).

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What To Sip This Week: The Sexton Irish Whiskey via Drizly

If you’ve fully committed yourself to Dry January this year (and what a year to make a go of it, right??), then keep on scrolling. I myself have had some downtime to start the year, but it’s made me savor a finely crafted cocktail or whiskey all the more when I do mix one up. And with National Irish Coffee Day approaching later this month (January 25th!), why not get ahead of the game and pick up an Irish whiskey you can enjoy aside from a weekend afternoon Irish coffee, ehh? Plus, this whiskey seems like something to be enjoyed as you listen to the soulful music of one Mr. Hamilton Leithauser. The Sexton Irish Whiskey has plenty going for it, including a seriously cool bottle design that’ll stand out nicely on your bar cart. Plus, you can get it delivered right away via Drizly delivery service. It’s a finely crafted single malt Irish whiskey inspired by the north coast of Ireland. It doesn’t get better than that, right?

The Final Pick: Bruno Magli Roma Black and Rose Gold Dress Watch

I’m going to send you back to Italian luxury brand Bruno Magli for today’s final pick, a suitably refined and stylish black leather dress watch to pair with your Bruno Magli boots. Hey, who said you can’t dress up at home every now and again, yes? And the Bruno Magli Roma Watch takes the cake as far as accessible luxury is concerned, from the fact that it’s currently on sale for less than $180 to the fact that it’s sleek and carefully crafted. I have a feeling our man Mr. Leithauser might approve of this watch, and if it’s good enough for a sharply dressed frontman, it’s good enough for you and me.

Sometimes, it just takes a change of tune (literally) or a change of wardrobe (hello, slim jeans and dress boots!) to shake up my day and my routine — if you’re in the same boat, I hope these picks are of use. Mix up an Irish whiskey cocktail, throw on your Bruno Magli Roma Watch for a refined evening at home (or in a heated outdoor dining space, for that matter!) and really go all out with Bruno Magli boots and of course, the classic and timeless sounds of Hamilton Leithauser. We might not be all that young anymore after just 12 days of 2021, but who says we have to think about it all that much? I’ll see you later for happy hour.