Photo by Joe Gannon
You may recognize Max Wastler from his blog All Plaid Out, but the champion of all things American is doing much, much more. Now based in Chicago (after ditching New York), the writer/producer/blogger/designer/etc. has his sights set on your small screen (but he still comes home for Lion’s Choice). Get to know this stylish St. Louisan who has made a career out of celebrating local industry and artistry, wherever that may be.
First, the basics:
High School: Chaminade College Prep
College: DePauw University
Suburb: Kirkwood
First car: Audi 5000S
Sports/extracurricular activities: Varsity water polo, swimming, yearbook, campus ministry and choir
CV: Co-owner of Buckshot Sonny’s Sporting Goods; co-host of Made Right Here; writer of All Plaid Out
St. Louis Magazine: You’ve built a reputation as a crusader for American industry and craftsmanship, especially where fashion and style are concerned. What are your favorite American-made brands and companies?
Max Wastler: All of my ventures provide the opportunity to visit some of the country’s remaining manufacturers. We’ve made jeans in a gas station in Nashville, Tennesse (Imogene + Willie), we made baseball gloves in an old cowboy boot factory in Texas (Nokona). And then there’s the trip that started it all: I visited the L.L. Bean Boot and Boat-and-Tote factory in Maine.
SLM: Why is local industry so important to you?
MW: It’s important that we support our own. Much of the skillset is being lost as companies continue to shutter domestic production. Trades that have been passed from generation to generation are no longer being passed. Not to mention, the people I have met while traveling to factories and studio spaces and one particularly notable, and (I think) illegal trip to a river in a national park are endlessly fascinating, with great stories to tell, uniquely American stories of self-made men and women who, pardon the cliché, pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and literally made something of their lives.
SLM: Tell us about Made Right Here.
MW: Made Right Here began in Billy Moore’s shed. Alongside my co-host, Joe Gannon and our friend Billy Moore, I’d spent much of the day making belts and belt buckles at Billy’s place in Gatlinburg. It was one of the best days I’d had in a long time. Joe said, “There’s something to this. We should be filming this.” About six months later, we were and we’ve taken trips to Tennessee and Texas to bring this show to life.
SLM: What inspired you to take your creative projects from the internet to the small screen? How will your audience differ?
MW: As a middle schooler, while other kids were busy idolizing Ozzie Smith and Brett Hull, I imagined one day I’d grow up to be the next Bob Costas. Through high school and college, I worked at TKO DJs, honing my skills behind the microphone in hopes one day, I’d be able to talk about things I care about in a medium that best suited my talents. My hope is that, like my blog, there is an audience for stories about the American worker, people who’ve devoted their lives to a craft in the hopes of creating something useful for the world.
SLM: Having lived in New York City and now Chicago, what tips do you have for St. Louis guys who want to build a wardrobe that is both classic and stylish? What should they avoid?
MW: Buy once; buy right; and choose quality over quantity. The most stylish men I know in New York and Chicago have a signature: a belt he bought in New Mexico, a watch his grandfather wore, a pair of cowboy boots he had made by a man with a bolo tie, but otherwise they stick to the basics. As J. Crew CEO Mickey Drexler once said, “Guys need two things: a blue shirt and a blue shirt.”
SLM: What’s on your calendar this summer?
MW: Summer is the best reason to be in Chicago. The weather is absolutely perfect. There’s a reason, unlike other cities, Chicagoans stick around on the weekends in the summer. That said, I will likely make another weekend trip to Elkhorn, Wisconsin to stay at my friends’ summer camp called Wandawega. I have plans to visit friends in New York and I would really like to take off on a weeklong road trip up the East Coast.
SLM: Imagine you’ve just returned home for a long weekend. What’s on your agenda? What’s the first thing you do upon arrival?
MW: When my brother would pick me up at the airport, we had a tradition. Our first stop was always Lion’s Choice. Something about the au jus or the Lawry’s seasoned salt, their roast beef sandwich is the best fast food. My folks are enormous fans of Amigo’s in Kirkwood. It’s likely we’d go there for some margaritas and tacos. If it’s summer, it’s Jeremiah’s, also known as The Custard Station. I’d ride my dad’s old Raleigh Rapide up there, get a mint Oreo custard, and watch the trains roll by. My father has always been a fan of railroads and cycling, and the two never converge better than a ride on the Katy Trail to Mount Pleasant Winery. That place is heavenly.
SLM: Favorite STL restaurants, bars, attractions, traditions?
MW: Winslow’s is my home away from home. Charlie Gitto’s makes my favorite ravioli, though I have a soft spot for The Pasta House. Richard’s Ribs makes the best pork steak sandwich in the city. The Village Bar is so perfectly seedy and the sort-of secret Maryland House will forever hold a special place in my heart. Recently, when I’ve been back, I’ve become completely enamored with the level of quality food and great service Niche has brought to the city. I love the Bloody Bull at the Famous Bar. The Laumeier Sculpture Park is incredibly overlooked. My family will forever love taking a tour of the Christmas lights in South City. And because I was just talking about this with a friend today, I loved Strassenfest. It’s my understanding they’ve changed the format, which is too bad. Oh, and The Fabulous Fox. There’s a scene in the documentary Hail, Hail, Rock ‘n Roll about Chuck Berry where Chuck is walking through the lobby. He gives this near-Shakespearean monologue about what it means to him to be playing The Fox. Brings a tear to my eye every time.
SLM: Current favorite men’s brands? What trends would you like to see die?
MW: I am very impressed with The Hill-Side & Co.’s debut this spring. Though known for incorporating the highest quality fabrics into their line of accessories, The Hill-Side teamed up with some of its favorite companies to make clothing from some of The Hill-Side’s most popular fabrics, hence the “& Co.” As far as death-worthy trends, in reference to going to watch the Cardinals take the field at Busch, to quote a recent tweet from Rules for My Unborn Son author Walker Lamond, “They're not going to ask you to play; don't dress like it.”
SLM: Favorite items in your wardrobe?
MW: My dad’s jean jacket from high school and Indiana Jones’ Boots
SLM: Favorite men’s style and American-made blogs?
