Superfine has left an indelible mark on the fashion world, and provides us with much to reflect on in years to come. Click here to watch me sit-down with cultural critic and journalist, Herby Revolus, to unpack this year’s exhibition and participate in the Met Gala fanfare.

I was deeply inspired by the grand showcase of Black style on the blue carpet. So much so that I felt moved to share a few of my takeaways from the evening.

Power dressing: it’s more than just clothes

Met Gala 2025 reminds us how powerful fashion can be. Fashion is a tool we can use to express ourselves. For the black dandy, fashion is not only a medium of self-expression, but also a form of self-empowerment.

On the blue carpet at the Met, my fashion hero Tracee Ellis Ross said dandyism is about “claiming and owning your own identity, and fashioning it by your own terms”.

Tracee is a dandy in my book. And in hers too. She identified herself as one during her blue carpet interview with Vogue. Her Met Gala look is artfully designed and visually stunning but in true dandy fashion, its real power lies beneath the surface.

Tracee described her look as an example of “animated joy and artistry”. If you’ve followed Tracee’s oeuvre of fashion statements or actress work over the years at any point, you likely know how much it speaks to her essence. As a fan, I saw this look and immediately thought: that is so her. But when she spoke about it herself, I was reminded of how fashion can be used to reflect our spirit in all its uniqueness—an expression of individuality and source of internal power taking external form.

Fashion legend André Leon Talley offers us a masterclass in this. No conversation pertaining contemporary black dandyism can be had without mention of the late great ALT. In fact, his passing in 2022 led Andrew Bolton, head curator of the Costume Institute, to begin developing Superfine.

A black dandy in the highest regard, André used his personal style and taste to establish himself in the notoriously exclusionary fashion industry (and its high society circles). When you look back on what André has worn throughout his life, you can see how he used fashion as personal armor. Protection against the barriers of entry into spaces he sought to occupy. A means of providing safety for himself.

In a time when our rights are stripped from us every day, we can learn a great deal from André, who took command of his environments and reclaimed his power through what he wore. The feeling of empowerment that comes from using clothes to express ourselves can never be taken from us. Let André be our greatest example.

Do it like the dandy: subvert the classics

Historically, Black dandyism has challenged society’s conventions about how clothes should be worn. After seeing how boundaries were pushed at the Met Gala, I found myself questioning how I view ‘classics’ in my wardrobe. Wondering how I can push my own boundaries and introduce more subversion to my wardrobe.

If you know me offline or read my piece about white tees, then you know black pleated trousers are a mainstay of mine. But the tuxedo, which lies more on the formal end of the suiting spectrum, has become an object of my desire since last Monday.

So I got to thinking. First, looking inward. AKA surveying what’s already in my closet. Why not pair the old with the new? I decided to style a pair of tuxedo trousers that recently caught my eye as an exercise in subverting classics (while using my own resources).

Boom! I abandoned the idea that tuxedo pants ‘should be’ worn with a coordinating jacket or shirt. Opting for an electric blue windbreaker and a printed button down, of all things. Taking a core evening wear almost exclusively seen in very formal settings, throwing it in the mix with a cool athleisure staple, and something in-between as a buffer.

If I end up wanting to go super casual with my top, I’d wear either the rib scoop neck tank or the non-rib version from Buck Mason, where I get most of my tanks. A scoop neck or deep U-neck feels more refined than my go-to racerback tanks with higher necklines. It just makes more sense here.

We may not all be able to subvert social boundaries through wardrobe classics à la dandy. Regardless black dandies teach us a valuable lesson: pushing against the conventions that rule our wardrobes is an exercise of creativity. And that’s something we can all hold onto in our day-to-day. Whether our rules are self-imposed or a lot bigger than us.

Black creativity to the world

You may have thought this year’s Met Gala blue carpet was largely disappointing. Or you may think that more celebrities understood the assignment than those who didn’t. Either way, we can all agree that it provided Black designers with a greater platform to shine.

Of course, there’s always room for more support of all kinds. But I was still pleased to see Black designers break through the noise and saturate my social media timelines at a level they haven’t during previous Met Galas. Because they were finally given the opportunity to.

All of them who put work onto the blue carpet is worth recognizing, but I wanted to highlight the one behind my favorite menswear look of the night.

Grace Wales Bonner.

Tyler Mitchell’s Met Gala look was not only insanely beautiful, but it also centered Grace Wales Bonner’s work in the conversation. The refined tailoring of his suit, careful placement of royal blue along his collar, ornate brooch on his lapel, and the feather boa draped on his shoulder make quite the case for Grace’s talent. Sublime. No notes.

It came at no surprise though. Grace’s suits always hits the nail on the head for me. The blazer she wore at the Met made its way onto the never-ending wishlist in my mind. Lewis Hamilton also wore head-to-toe custom Wales Bonner last Monday. He was the best dressed co-chair to me and many others.

Similarly beautiful clothes and shoes come out of Grace’s marriage of British heritage and Afro-Caribbean spirit at Wales Bonner every season. The brand is heavily rooted in suiting, but ‘sporty chic’ is at the core of its identity. She appeals to bonafide athletes who want to look elevated but remain true to themselves and not-so-athletic dressers like me that want a hand in all things chic. Sporty included.

Speaking of sporty chic, I recently bought yet another pair of sneakers from her ongoing collaboration with Adidas. Unfortunately, they have to be returned because they’re two sizes too small. Which was ridiculous of me, I know. But what can I say… I already wanted them and couldn’t say no to the sale price I found them for. Don’t worry though - I’ll buy them again in the right size.

And if the windbreaker style class from earlier has you searching for a new victim, look no further. This WB one from the Adidas subset has the perfect twist. A panel of rich mocha brown fabric set against a backdrop of classic black nylon. Totally worth buying.

Aside from our (window) shopping, there’s a lot to take away from the Costume Institute’s honoring of Black style at the Met Gala this year. Hopefully, everything I’ve brought to your consciousness has resonated with you in some way. Causing gears to turn in your head about getting dressed amongst many other things. Above all, I hope Superfine helps us all remember that Black style is beautiful, dynamic, and worthy of recognition.

May our celebration of its impact and significance live beyond the first Monday, standing the test of time.

With love,

Ptah

Some useful background

When I decided to pursue a fashion career (circa summer of ‘23), I began searching for ways to align my aesthetic with my aspirations. In retrospect, a part of me was subconsciously preparing myself for major changes in every area of my life, using clothes as an external reflection of my internal transition.

I fell into the mindset that I needed to develop a capsule wardrobe as a springboard for the rest of my soon-to-be closet. A capsule wardrobe is a collection of a few (typically anywhere from 5 to 10) clothing items that are to be worn interchangeably. Your core mix-and-match pieces. The constants of your closet. And that’s not to say we should be confined to our capsule. I like to think of it more as a starting point.

In line with this concept, my quest to find the ‘perfect’ white tee was born. Because what’s more essential than any blazer, pair of denim, or jacket? A white tee.

The quest for the ‘perfect' white tee

I’m someone who generally takes a more minimalist approach to getting dressed and I’m also very particular about the clothes I wear. Therefore, it’s not hard to imagine how important it became for me to find a white tee that fulfills many intended purposes.

Fashion industry north stars, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, embarked on a similar journey when they started The Row in 2006. Nearly 20 years later, they’ve established an American luxury empire valued at $1 billion, now one of the most influential brands in fashion. But it all began with Ashley not being able to find what she felt was a perfect white tee on the market. I’d like to think this is a showcase of all that can be accomplished through the power of a white tee.

Ultimately what I’ve found since my search began: a white tee that’s *actually* perfect may not be possible. Or at least, in the way I first imagined. Perfect today may not be perfect tomorrow. Perfect for me may not be perfect for you. I think attempting to achieve universal perfection here is misstep, in fact.

Now, I know you need different white tees for different outfits, to serve different purposes. Below are some great ones.

Tried and true picks

Good ole’ faithful UNIQLO doesn’t disappoint when it comes to white tees. We’ll talk about three in their large cohort:

1. SUPIMA Cotton T-Shirt

2. U Crew Neck T-Shirt

3. AIRism Cotton Oversized T-Shirt

The SUPIMA Tee gets the most wears from me out of the UNIQLO bunch. 8 times out of 10, if you’ve seen me in a white tee within the last year and a half, it’s this one.

This tee carries me day-to-day, and day-to-night with ease. It tucks cleanly into my pleated trousers when I want to look elevated and it still feels casual enough to throw on with most denim I own.

The finely ribbed neckline is thick enough to notice how well its constructed, but still thin enough to appear refined. I love how it frames my neck underneath cashmere sweaters.

The SUPIMA Tee is indeed 100% Supima cotton. Supima in a t-shirt always wins in my book because it’s soft and supple to touch, and has a slight sheen. The texture is finer than your average cotton, making it equally great to feel and look at.

I’d say it has a classic, regular fit. I typically prefer classic or regular fit tees tucked into my bottoms. Otherwise, they can feel a little tight towards the hem and aren’t as pleasing to the eye untucked. I don’t typically run into this issue with solid relaxed tees. But I still grab the SUPIMA Tee as much as I do because I often tuck my tees more than I don’t.

Next, we have the U-Crew Tee.

The U Crew is slightly relaxed. Definitely not oversized or boxy. It’s just a little more relaxed than the SUPIMA Tee.

The cotton on this one is heavyweight. Stiff. And feels dry to touch. Very structured.

For some, a tee that checks off those boxes is the golden standard, but I reserve the U-Crew for ultra-simple, casual looks only. Lately, I’ve worn it with the sleeves rolled up once and tucked into denim. It frames my shoulders without looking like a shrunken tee, which I tend to stray away from. The cotton is stiff enough to hold sleeve rolls in place with less wrinkling in the hem area.

My favorite part of this one is the neckline—it’s thick and stands out against the backdrop of the tee’s matte finish. I haven’t been wearing necklaces regularly for a while so my shirts’ necklines end up being a focal point in my outfits... which is maybe why I like it so much.

Since The U-Crew is thick, I reach for it for on cooler days. And I prefer to wear it with denim as opposed to pleated trousers. I usually wear a Small in men’s or unisex tees but I’d go a size up if I wanted to ever wear it untucked. Maybe even with a sweater tied around my waist to break up the silhouette.

If I’m wearing a white UNIQLO tee untucked, it’ll probably be the AIRism Cotton Oversized Tee though. Just so happens that Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler sparked some conversation on Twitter for wearing it as this was being written.

My brain and social media’s coincidental alignment aside, this tee may actually be the true star-child out of the three. At least UNIQLO thinks so. You’ll discover signage raving about its popularity during a trip to your local store.

I think the AIRism Oversized tee is a crowd favorite because it hits several nails on the head at the same time.

For starters, it’s thick without feeling heavyweight. Thus is the technology of UNIQLO’s AIRism Cotton (a 50/50 of cotton and recycled material).

This tee is matte but still appears smooth. It’s oversized and may read as boxy at a quick glance, but it’s not actually cropped in length.

As seen on Michael and Ryan for ESSENCE, it’s great for untucked wear with mid or low-rise denim. A few of my guy friends wear it that way. They always look really good. Tucking it into trousers looks pretty good too.

What makes it a win: the dropped shoulders and half-length sleeves make it look and feel like a high-fashion spin on your everyday basic tee. So it’s great for high-low looks. We can thank Christophe Lemaire for that. He is the founder of Parisian fashion label, Lemaire, as well as the designer behind this tee. And the rest of the UNIQLO U line.

Anyway, enough about UNIQLO for now.

A mainstay in my closet from another retailer is the Linen-Blend Crewneck Oversized Tee by Madewell. Unfortunately, it’s sold out, but I felt inclined to include it hoping it’ll return soon.

While we await a restock, I’ll use this as an opportunity to go on a quick tangent about white tee styling.

Here’s an example of how to build a spring look around a white tee—this was an exercise in weatherproof layering.

My new go-to spring jacket is the butter yellow one in the picture above. I like the color and it’s usefully lightweight. However, as spring dressing follows, I need to remain mindful of how to make it work in both cool and warm environments.

I wanted to wear it this day, but I needed something pretty thick underneath it to remain warm in the morning’s crispness. But still light enough to avoid feeling hot during the midday temperature rise. Two options came to mind: either a knit sweater or maybe a white t-shirt and another thing…

I kept gravitating towards a white tee for some reason (it’s easy) but options were slim that morning as laundry day neared. Plus I was running late so there wasn’t much time to think.

I reached for the only clean white tee left in my closet: the Madewell Linen-Blend one. The problem was that it’s also lightweight so I knew I’d have to juxtapose it with some kind of knit for extra weight.

So I threw it over top of my favorite black merino wool turtleneck. Tucked it into my favorite straight leg denim, slipped into my black loafers, and went about my day.

Thanks to the powers that be, this outfit really did the job. It cut through the early spring chill as I boarded the R train around 9am, but my layers left me feeling airy as I ran into friends walking up and down Prince Street.

Thinking about how to mix fabrics and pair different items to get more wear out of my clothes year-round is becoming more top of mind. Up until then, I’d only wore this white Madewell tee alone or with a tank underneath. I reserved it for really warm days in the late-spring, summer, and early-fall. But my resources were limited, so I made it work.

More thoughts and trial-and-error to come.

New to me, (maybe) new to you

The previous four tees are all integral to my wardrobe at this point. I tried some more for this story, and I’ll recommend two for you to try.

I’ll start with the Sunspel Men’s Classic Tee. It’s been on my radar for a few years now and I finally tried it on for the point of field research. I think this is one you have to not only try on, but also move around in to fully grasp its value.

This tee falls somewhere between classic and slim, in my opinion. As I mentioned before, a tee usually has to be relaxed or boxy for me to wear it untucked but the Sunspel Men’s Classic would change that.

Sunspel offers a women’s version of the Classic too. But according to experts at the SoHo store, most women wear the men’s one just a size down. They claim the cut on the men’s version reigns supreme.

As I expected, it felt amazing on my skin. It’s made of very fine Supima cotton. 100%. Lightweight and has that ‘almost sheer’ look to it.

The sleeves frame my arms just the way I like for an everyday tee. The neckline is thin and very well-stitched. I immediately imagined how nicely it would lie underneath blazers, cashmere sweaters, and wool knits.

It reminded me of everything I love about UNIQLO’s Supima cotton counterpart, but turned up a notch. Apparently, Sunspel has been working on this tee for over 100 years, and it shows.

Another white tee on the market with similar rave reviews is LESET’s Margo Tee. LA-based LESET was founded in 2019 by Lili Chemla and has since grown in popularity for its modular everyday essentials. Notably, the Margo Tee.

Chemla opened a brick-and-mortar store in the West Village last year. I wanted to visit ever since I discovered LESET through my ongoing market research. And I finally got around to visiting for this story.

When I first tried on the Margo, I wasn’t certain I’d take it home but I knew without a doubt it’d make the newsletter.

This is something I’ll do quite a bit as we talk more. Just because it’s not for me, doesn’t mean the same for you. And vice versa. It may even be perfect for you.

What I fell in love with is how easy it felt. Easy to literally put on—which can’t be said about every t-shirt. It was also so easy to envision it just working with so many different bottoms. Straight-leg denim, wide-leg denim, pleated trousers, carpenter pants, track pants, sweatpants, bermuda shorts, and even skirts at various lengths all come to mind.

It has a great neckline, leaving just a little room for pendants to lie on the skin of your neck as opposed to the tee itself. The cotton feels durable and still very smooth to touch. It also doesn’t wrinkle with movement as much as other options on the market that didn’t move me.

It’s relaxed in some areas and tailored in others. The Margo’s length works naturally for it be worn either slightly tucked or completely untucked with high-waisted bottoms. I also see it working for mid or low-waisted options—the space between the tee and the pant would have to be just right.

I absolutely get the hype… but I contemplated buying it for myself because the sleeves fall just below the shoulders and it’s slightly cropped at the same time. The tee’s cut forced me to confront realities about my body that I wasn’t exactly ready for in the LESET fitting room. Remember what I said earlier about shrunken tees?

The journey is just that, a journey

Despite initial reservations, I feel inspired to take a leap and buy the t-shirt as I write to you all because ultimately, I do want it. And I think when you take these kinds of risks, whatever they may be, there’s an invaluable ROI.

Think about it this way. If you don’t like ‘the thing’, you become more aware of your preferences. And you’ll find that preference awareness is really important as your style evolves. There’s also much to be celebrated for stepping outside your comfort zone. Hit or miss. But if you love it, you’ll feel all the more confident.

These moments really help you accept and embrace whatever prevented you from taking said risk in the first place.In my case, the little white Margo Tee by LESET struck a nerve. For you, it could be a completely different piece of clothing. And that’s fine.

For me, not so long ago, the same could be said about womenswear in its entirety. Today, most of what I own is womenswear. Pleated wide-leg trousers are another example. I secretly pined to wear them as far back as high school. I only started wearing them about a year and a half ago. Now, I live in them. Women’s, by the way.

There is much to gain from getting more granular about why a good thing is good. Why it’s needed. Thinking ahead about the ‘where’ and ‘how’ an item is to be worn after purchase.

Sometimes thinking for longer and really exercising trial-and-error, helps us to clarify our preferences. Other times, it challenges us to dig deeper, and confront our hang-ups or imaginary rules that guide the way we think about getting dressed.

My philosophy is to start by window shopping! Hence the name of the newsletter. Try clothes on before you buy them. Don’t swipe your card right away. Think about it. Or if you order something online, try it on and sit with it before you wear it. Make sure it’s worth keeping.

Lean onto the Club for guidance. This is written for you to return to later. Every recommendation will be linked so none of them are going anywhere.

We’re starting with a few white tees, but I plan to cover much more ground in letters to come. In fact, I’d even like to build on this list in the future. But I implore you to keep window shopping in the meantime.

Talk soon,

Ptah