january clips

Welcome to clipboard, an irregular newsletter about good shit in Tāmaki Makaurau by me, Reilly Hodson. This time: a roundup of cool stuff so that we can get back to know each other again.

Kia ora! Not that you may have noticed, but it's been a while. Since the last clipboard, I've moved house, won an award at work (cue celebratory LinkedIn post), had a birthday, planned most of a wedding, and experienced a couple of existential crises. I've also had a couple of flurries of new signups to this newsletter, which is now on a new platform which is more strident in its anti-Nazi stance than the old one.

I've missed writing for fun, but because I do it so much during my day job, the mental space has been somewhat lacking. This year, I'm hoping that I'll be able to find the time a bit more often to write here, but given past form, I'll make no promises.

I'm reviving clipboard with a classic "clips" post, sharing some of the best things I've encountered recently, but I'm planning to do more longform writing and thinking in between the lists of links in the next few weeks and months. As always, I'd love to hear from you, too - what do you want to see, what have you been liking in the world? Flick me a DM on Instagram, or just reply to this email. Let's get into the clips.

clips

• Clipboard day 1 Mitchell Tan of Rubbish Bin has started a newsletter! Mitchell is one of the smartest thinkers about clothing that I know (you may remember his short lived column in this very publication), while also being a literal doctor. If you care about clothes, sign up and thank me later.

• Summer is the time that I get the most reading done, and I've cleared through a bunch while on annual leave. The one that has kept me thinking the most so far is Status and Culture by W David Marx (who also wrote the brilliant Ametora). It explores Marx’s big picture theory that all culture, from social mores to fashion trends, ties back to humans' desire for status. Depending on your background, your response to that logline might be "duh" or "that's a wild oversimplication," but either way I think you'll find this an interesting read - it's seriously rewired the way I see cultural movements from Taylor Swift to Birkenstocks. It's hard to find in stock in NZ so I'd recommend using BookHub to find it at a local store, or buy it on an ereader (my beautiful fiance bought me one for Xmas and I’ve been using it a lot, although there’s still nothing like a good softcover).

• The other book I've really responded to this summer is Worn: a People's History of Clothing by Sofi Thanhauser, which I read on recommendation from Blackbird Spyplane. The book does what it says on the tin - it's a social history of clothing through the lens of five different fabrics (linen, cotton, silk, synthetics and wool). A must-read for any clothing obsessive, it comes from the perspective of someone who loves clothing and so doesn’t read as overly preachy. Instead, it's encouraged in me a more conscious point of view of where my clothes come from, in the literal and metaphorical sense of that phrase.

• This wouldn't be a clipboard without me shilling for Checks Downtown. Checks has recently launched an excellent collaboration with iconic Aotearoa activewear brand Canterbury of New Zealand, bringing together the coolest brand from my primary school days with one of the best doing it today. I have barely taken off the excellent stripy rugby jersey since I bought it on release day, but the real best piece in the collection is the iconic track pants, best styled with a slight unzip at the bottom.

• If, like me, your least favourite and most frequent conversation is some variation of "what was that actor in" while watching a movie or TV show with friends or family, you'll know that the IMDB website is a travesty - truly the worst user design of any website. Luckily, there's a solution that isn't 95% ad which can help you answer the question of "how old was Kristen Stewart in Twilight" quickly in a nice app. It's called Callsheet, and if any of this has resonated, you probably won't mind paying $2 a month for it, either.

• No fashion brand in New Zealand is doing it like Thom Morison. Thom's consistent collections of super wearable, incredibly well made pieces in delicious fabrics defy exaggeration. If money was no object, I'd buy every piece, every season. My current favourites are these pleated pants (I own a pair in black which I've worn at least 3 days a week for over 6 months), and this, the only short sleeved shirt cut you'll ever need.

• I've had a temporary reprieve from car-free life over summer (thanks to my in-laws!) and have been using that freedom to have as much brunch at Burnt Butter in Avondale as possible. It's the perfect cafe: tasty filter coffee, simple and delicious food and a friendly vibe. The hash browns might be the best I've ever eaten - worth the drive for those alone.

• My fiance and I had dinner at Roses Dining Room on Karangahape Road a few months ago, and it rocketed right up near the top of my favourite restaurants in the city. It feels like going for dinner at your coolest, best at cooking mates' house. No notes.

That's all for clipboard this time around, hopefully it won't be months before we see each other again. You can find me and clipboard on Instagram, and send any thoughts, feedback, recommendations or job offers by replying to this email.