the life changing power of a haircut

Welcome to clipboard, a weekly newsletter about clothes, hospo and Tāmaki Makaurau, by me, Reilly Hodson. This week, I got a haircut, and it was truly the best thing that has happened to me in what feels like months. Plus: Mitchell Tan on Kathmandu’s Patagonia baggies dupes.

a haircut!

This week, over a 100 days after I went into lockdown already overdue for a haircut, I was finally able to hit the hairdresser again. The endless lockdown has presented all manner of disruptions to normal life, and increasingly, the one which has been the most difficult to handle is the increasing length of my hair. More than once I considered buying some clippers and taking the nuclear option.

Where I settled, after a few months of self delusion, was essentially wearing a hat every day. Don’t get me wrong, I love hats, think a good hat is a core part of a summer wardrobe, but wearing a hat every single day is not great. I essentially made the call that constant hat hair was better than taming my growing mane. Not fun. It was definitely not helpful for my new fitspo life as a runner - it felt like running in a beanie, in 20-plus degree heat.

Anyway, on Friday I went to see my hairdresser, Chris King at Common People, masked up, presented my vaccine pass, and told him to go nuts. Instead of just asking for a short back and sides, or whatever, I walked him through the emotional journey I’d been on with my hair, and asked him to do whatever he wanted.

I love where it landed. Much shorter, messy on the top, with a cool, inconsistent length. It’s a great summer vibe, and much more manageable than what I was dealing with before.

More than anything though, I’ve exercised some control of my life. The defining feature of the past three months has been a lack of control: the government has been able to (for good reason!) define where I can go, what I can do. It’s forced me to work from my dining table, to order my coffee from outdoors, wait in line at the grocery store. It’s hard to exercise agency in that environment, which I think is part of why I and others have gone down the fitness rabbit hole, trying to take control of something.

Now that my hair is cut, I’m back in control over how I look. Not only am I able to wear my cool little outfits, but I look how I want to look when I wear them. It’s a little thing, but it has made a huge difference. If you’re lucky enough to get a booking before Christmas, try something fun, and take control!

clips

• Excellent online publication The Spinoff has a new redesign, and I’m into it. More publications should take big swings on design - the Herald and Stuff sites are truly the worst websites I regularly have to use (for work).

• A lovely read about Rose Matafeo, one of NZ’s best comedy exports, in Ensemble.

• Camper Coffee has officially opened its new Commercial Bay spot. Good coffee in the CBD is hard to find (bad coffee is exceedingly easy to find), but the options have just improved!

• This week in new local clothing drops: keep an eye out for new tees from my favourite t-shirt makers, Buddy, and the new Summer range from Porter James (this cricket jumper is a big vibe).

• Ockhee, the best restaurant in town, just dropped another load of typically excellent merch, including this very fun chiller bag for your natty wine picnics.

• If you’re a current or aspiring watch nerd, check out Wynn & Thayne, purveyors of fine vintage timepieces. Maybe one day I’ll have the money to spend on a piece like this Datejust…

the perfect summer short?

A TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT special report, by Mitchell Tan of Rubbish Bin.

there seems to be an international shortage of patagonia 5” black baggies right now. BUT in true Blackbird SpyPlane fashion i have some true recon for ya….

like a true underdog the kathmandu evry-wear 5” short has come out of nowhere and provided a NEW ZEALAND BASED alternative and i’m here to give a review.

obviously i’m a proud owner of both, although my baggies are a size too small but here's the comparison.

material - both are a recycled nylon but the kathmandu pair are a PEACHED nylon finish, which means they attract lint and feel kinda gross. both are DWR coated and quick drying, but yeah that peached finish is not it. furthermore the kathmandu pair are more of a washed black, but obviously that's personal preference.

WINNER - patagonia

fit - both fit similar but i like the kathmandu one more, a bit more athletic and really show off your dumper.

WINNER - kathmandu

lining - no mesh in the kathmandu pair! obviously it’s a bit of a personal preference but i always cut the lining out of my shorts. if u wanna go commando rock the baggies i suppose

WINNER - up 2 u

storage - baggies are known to have terrible pockets, they're a bit too deep and are not separated from the short, so your phone slaps around as you walk. furthermore, the onseam entrance makes it harder to get your hands into, as opposed to the set in kathmandu pockets. granted the kathmandu pockets have slightly poorer draining than the baggies, and are a bit more prone to things falling out, but are overall nicer. the zipped rear pocket also feels far more secure and nicer.

WINNER (kinda controversial) - kathmandu

mana/street cred - kathmandu is a certified bozo-brand, with their penchant for terrible down jackets and association with middle-aged wannabe hiker dads. bit unfortunate considering they actually make some super nice stuff, i remember trying on some schoeller dryskin pants earlier in the year that slapppppped. however, the eco-friendly, cool outdoors dude facing patagonia takes the cake. that vista logo is not only iconic, but looks great too.

WINNER - pata

pricing - both retail at around $80, but kathmandu always goes on sale, and i copped mine for 50 bones on their "black friday sale" despite it not actually being black friday.

WINNER - kathmandu

overall - i mean the baggies are great and iconic and i don't want to be judged for wearing kathmandu lol. HOWEVER, the kathmandu pair are a fantastic alternative this summer if u cant seem to find the patagonia bois in ur size. heavily recommend either, or if you're an idiot dumb monkey brain consumer like me buy both bc why not.