The Daily Valet. - 2/26/22, Saturday
✔️ Weekend Reading: The Fashion Guy's Morning Routine
Weekend of February 26th
I’ve known Andrew Chen since the early days of Valet., so I’m excited to welcome him to one of our most popular series, “My Morning Routine.”
Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
Weekend Reading
The Denim Master’s Morning Routine
Savoring the good moments with 3sixteen’s Andrew Chen
In fashion, there are a lot of loud, hype guys—ones that talk a big game but rarely deliver. Andrew Chen is not one of those guys. He's the real deal with a solid industry reputation to prove it. The founder of 3sixteen, Chen is one of the preeminent names in selvedge denim. Of course, these days, 3sixteen makes plenty more than just jeans. Known as a brand that sweats all the right details, they make outstanding outerwear and design their own custom denim, working with Kuroki Mills in Okayama, Japan. Chen himself is no stranger to hard work either. In addition to 3sixteen, he's also a co-owner of the bicoastal Self Edge stores. In fact, we caught up with him as he had his hands full tackling a few things all at once. “We started throwing around concepts for next spring while trying to close out preorders on the fall season and getting things in order to launch this spring,” he tells me. “It's kind of crazy to have to think about three seasons at once, but it's definitely a fun challenge ... and a good reminder to try and stay in the moment and enjoy the stuff we've already been working on for almost a year before rushing off to the next season.” Here's how the denim master starts his day.
I’m definitely not a morning person.But I'm usually up at 6:30 am so I can help my wife get the boys ready for school. In quarantine I became a morning person and would wake up at 5:45 to get a super early workout in, but since our routines have normalized again, I'm back to my groggy self.
I know my body.Getting seven hours of sleep has me feeling pretty good. That means that if I'm in bed and asleep before midnight the evening before, I did well.
I am guilty of hitting the snooze button.I use my phone as an alarm and it's just to easy to hit it. But not more than twice—I have my standard. On the weekends, I try not to set an alarm.
I do have a bad habit of checking my phone first thing in the morning.I definitely leave longer email responses for when I get into the office, but will typically answer WhatsApp chat messages that our factories have sent overnight. I do read a few emails in the morning, but those are usually quick-hit news roundups (shout out The Daily Valet.) to start the day.
There’s a lot happening on my nightstand.I've got my phone, watches and jewelry on there. There are a few books, and a candle from Square Trade Goods Co. Right now, I am particularly into their Stone Moss fragrance.
My wife and I split duties with the kids.Once we're up, either my wife or I head downstairs to make lunch for the boys and get some coffee brewing, and the other will be dragging them out of bed and making sure they're getting dressed. Breakfast is on the table for the boys around 7:20, but I typically skip it or at least wait a few more hours before I eat. I'm off to drop the boys at school around 7:40, and then my day can begin.
Good coffee is crucial to a good morning.We always have a bag of beans in our home from Portrait Coffee in Atlanta, GA—we use a Chemex to brew it, it's my favorite method. In the summertime there's always a batch of homemade cold brew in the fridge ready to go. I drink my coffee black whether hot or iced—the only exception to this rule is if I'm at a diner, where I'll happy to indulge it with sugar and half n' half.
Breakfast is kind of all-or-nothing for me.My all time breakfast favorite is corned beef hash and two sunny side up eggs, but you obviously can't eat that all the time. On a day to day basis, I try to skip breakfast and make it to lunch. Saturdays are our days to indulge in a big family breakfast at home, which consists of some combination of crispy fried eggs, diced potato hash, bacon or sausage, and some toasted sourdough bread—and maybe some pancakes. I love Saturday mornings.
If I don’t exercise in the morning, then it’s a total lost cause for me.I do so many mental gymnastics where I tell myself that I can just jump into the day's tasks and carve out time in the afternoon to get a workout in, but it rarely happens. So four times a week I am at my local boxing fitness gym, which I head over to right after dropping the boys off at school. It's definitely a workout class and not a sparring gym type situation, but the trainers there are legit and I also take one-on-one classes to improve my form and technique. When the weather is warm, I'll get a run in twice a week.
I try to take time to read the Bible or pray on the way into work.My mornings are pretty hectic, so the first bit of peace and quiet I get is the 45 minute train ride from Queens into Manhattan. I find that I can approach the day in a much more focused way when I've taken time to mediate on what is most important to me.
I just use my Google calendar as my to-do list.I'll set deadlines throughout the day (i.e. "handle payroll at 12pm") so that I don't miss certain tasks. If it's a particularly busy day I'll just create a single appointment called "To do" and will type in everything I want to handle. Not super efficient, I suppose, but it works for me.
I could probably use a better grooming routine, for sure.My approach until now has been the same that I do with footwear, which is to wear stuff into the ground and take as little care of it as possible. While that might look good for a pair of Roper Boots, that's not going to fare as well for my face so I recognize the need to do better—starting with putting on some sunscreen each morning, something I never did before.
Clockwise, from top left: Advanced Snail Hydrogel eye patch, $28 by COSRX; Underhill natural deodorant, $15 by Misc. Goods Co.; Firme pomade, $12.84 by Suavecito; Tacit Eau de Parfum, $130 by Aesop; ProNamel Gentle Whitening toothpaste, $8.19 by Sensodyne; Sonicare Expert Clean toothbrush, $169.99 by Philips; Daily multivitamins, $24.90 by Kirkland Signature; Digestive Advantage probiotic gummies, $28 by Schiff; Stone Moss candle, $28 by Square Trade Goods Co.; Founders blend, $15 by Portrait Coffee; Resurrection hand balm, $31 by Aesop
I put together a fit in the morning depending on what I’ll be doing.If I am going to be out and about I'll keep utility in mind: extra warmth in the winter and breezy, breathable layers in the summertime. Pants are the foundation for me—I pick something out that matches how I'm feeling and then I put the rest of the fit together around the bottoms.
Never leave home without ...
My Good Art sterling silver bracelet. My wrist feels naked without it.
Model 10 “A” bracelet, $1,635 by Good Art
See you Monday.
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