Photos by Nathan Michael

Thinking back on this past Saturday’s NorthernGRADE Chicago pop-up, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude. Gratitude to the vendors for participating in it. Gratitude to the bloggers and publications that helped promote it. And, above all, gratitude to every person that came to be a part of it. I’ve always liked NorthernGRADE more than the other menswear events because of how laid back it is. It’s an easy place to strike up a conversation with a stranger, and actually enjoy it. And I think that carried through in Chicago. It seemed like everyone was having a pretty good time. I know I was. A few of the many people and products that made the day what it was are after the jump. Hat tip to Nathan Michael for the photos.

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By Caleb Bushner

If there’s one thing the world doesn’t need, it’s another denim brand. And that’s precisely why Tony Patella started Tellason Denim. You see, Tony is the kind of guy who will spend twenty minutes talking about a coffee table. Not because he’s trying to impress you, but because he’s that excited by the craft and design that’s gone into it. It’s, as he would call it, “the right product.” And Tony would much rather buy the right product once, than buy (and replace) the wrong one every season. “In high school I would buy Lacoste polos. They were $60 and made in France. My friends would buy polos from The Gap for $20. But by the end of high school they’d have bought several pairs of ill-fitting, low quality shirts while my Lacoste polos were still looking great. In the long run they spent more money and didn’t have as nice of a shirt.” It’s that kind of long-term thinking that makes his denim company a little different – and a lot better – than most.

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