Great Results Can Be Achieved With Banging Garms
You do what you want when you poppin' / You do what you want once you cop it / You do what you want when you got it
This week we’ve got a statement cardigan from Seattle’s Pearl, cracking creps from London’s Palace, and something whimsical for the woofers from LA’s WKND. The Soldier of the Week hit The Tunnel in a surprising skateboarding shirt. The Enemy of the Week rides for Lakai and Plan B. It’s a barnburner!
💥TUESDAY MEANS WAR💥
TACTICAL UPDATES
UPPER UNIFORM
Buffed Cardigan by Pearl
Unbelievable apparel developments are occurring in the Pacific Northwest. No, not in the footwear skunkworks of Portland. We’re talking about the cultural epicenter of Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington, USA. Born from the creative powerhouse that is 35th North Skate Shop, Pearl is the brainchild of Dane Nomellini, Andrew Nedimyer, and Griffin Gass that has been producing garms of exceptional quality since 2022. Initially rolling out assorted tees and sweats that emphasized Made In USA craftsmanship and hand-sewn detailing, the line has steadily expanded over time to include socks, beanies, custom-made bags featuring the same attention to detail and artisan craftsmanship we’ve come to expect from the perfectionists behind Pearl. Winter 2025 just hit the scene and the headline garm is an absolute statement - the Buffed Cardigan. We’re not shy about our love for cardis, so this one was destined to be a hit at Fort TWR. This one boasts a brushed mohair blend knit in grey and taupe patchwork, an eye-catcher even before you notice the silhouette of a sweater with cardigan details, a subtle twist that refreshes a garm that’s usually only spruced up by detailing. The detailing on this is not taken for granted either, with Mother of Pearl buttons down the front and hand-sewn custom labeling at the neck and interior pocket. As Pearl puts it, “Those who seek beauty will find it.” Look no further.
FOOTWEAR
Nike Air Max DN8 by Palace Skateboards
We told you the Air Max DN8 is a lowkey banger. We warned you this was on the way. We implored you to get your head out of your ass and feet into one of Nike’s most comfortable silhouettes. A lot of you didn’t listen. We’re disappointed, but we move forward knowing we tried and we can’t help Every Soldier. The long-rumored Palace colorup finally dropped, and we checked out before the clock struck 8:01am PST. We went for the black colorway for maximum wearability, but the grey had us tempted as well. Hart Copy had the scoop on the inspiration, looking to the “Eclair Lightning” TN colorway from the turn of the millennium, bringing London’s love-affair with the Air Max Plus onto the beefed-up version 25 years later. The accompanying commercial was a wonderfully weird affair, sort of like one of those unexplainable fragrance ads we’re bombarded with this time of year, where Ville Wester asks a heavy metal wizard knight to mind his chihuahua. The heavy metal wizard knight summons the lightning of the gods (or whoever the fella was in the gimp suit) through his guitar, transforming his DN8s from colorway to colorway and Ville’s cute chihuahua into a terrifying demon wolf straight out of an Iron Maiden album cover. We’re sure Ville will be stoked with the results, just like us when the DN8s hit our front porch and we finally slip our feet into a pair of Nikes with a Triferg. The haters are plenty but we cannot hear them. We’ve waited a long time for our two favorite brands to link up, and we’re excited for the future.
EQUIPMENT
VX1000 Dog Toy Plushie by WKND Skateboards
Dogs truly are a Soldier’s best friend, whether they’re chilling at The Shop or (hopefully) leashed up and calmly observing the sesh with the rest of the crew. We have a special love for companies who recognize their importance and reward that loyalty with a little something for the furry homies. Some immortalize them on garms while others keep them laced with high-end accessories and Expensive Garms. WKND just dropped their new collection and they kept the pups in mind with a couple plush toys: a squeaky VX1000 and HPX ready for their destruction. May we recommend the VX1000 version given our personal vendetta against the legendary camera and desire to see it torn to shreds as we look on cheering. Don’t get it twisted, we can still appreciate VX footage from time to time! We love to see obsolete technology continue to thrive at a time when everyone moves so quickly to The New Shit the minute it’s available. Perhaps it’s our eyes, perhaps it’s our brain, perhaps it’s the filmers misusing the camera, but we’d rather see a crisp-ish clip where we can make out the trick and spot and skater than the often disorienting blur produced by much of today’s VX1000 footage. Normally we’re 100% behind The Old Shit, and this surprises us to be quite honest with you, but it’s high time to ditch the VX and embrace modernity. There are exceptions, but consider this The Rule.
FIELD NOTES
SOLDIER OF THE WEEK
Bones Hyland
Athletes routinely pull up in some Supreme or a pair of Dunks or something else tangentially related to skateboarding. It’s always exciting to see something from This Thing Of Ours in the mainstream! Bones Hyland came out of left field this week when he hit The Tunnel in a Hardies tank. Like Kevin Durant celebrating his first NBA title in an Alltimers tee, this was completely unexpected and bizarre and brought so many questions to mind. Is he Hardies Gang? Was he laced by Tyshawn himself? Info on the zip hood? Why didn’t someone talk him out of the rest of the fit? If anyone can put us in touch, we’d love to dig deeper on this sartorial marvel. Important aside: much love to the many Minnesota Commandos, but we’re obligated to note that the Suns are 2-0 against the Timberwolves this season.
ENEMY OF THE WEEK
Chris Joslin
We’re obviously not backing the pick for SOTY. It’s laughable in every way. Read more here.
You’re now up to speed on the latest from the battlefield. Use this intel wisely and pass it on to others who may need our guidance. We can’t win the war unless we’re in it together.