A Thread about the (mostly) menswear podcast you should know
Plugging someone else's show for once
I spend a lot of time banging on about my own podcast, so this week I’m going to talk about someone else’s. Thomas Griffin is the guy behind ‘My Own Garms’, a (mostly) menswear podcast with a refreshingly real point of view.
We share the opinion that style isn’t about fashion per se, it’s more about the emotional connections in what we wear; how clothing holds memory - personal, cultural, ancestral. For Tom, fashion is especially linked to his love of music, too.
Also, continuing my theme of fashion-people-building-fashion-things-outside-fashion-capitals, he’s based in Yorkshire! Any Northern readers, say hi in the comments.
Tell us about My Own Garms.
I’ve been making My Own Garms for about three or four years now. I’d already been producing podcasts for clients for years, so I had a really clear sense of what I did and didn’t like. I knew I wanted a broad mix of guests - so many podcasts end up feeling like the same conversation over and over, and I was keen to avoid that.
Talk us through the format and how you structure the episodes.
Although My Own Garms is about clothes, it’s really a lens for talking about people’s lives. I’m also a big fan of grime and bass music, so nearly all the music in the show comes from that world. The structure of the show reflects that too - My Own Garms is from a Wiley lyric and each segment is named after lyrics from some of my favourite grime tracks.
There’s Rep Your Ends, inspired by Sniper E, which focuses on place - where someone’s from and how that shapes them. Then That’s Not Me, which is a Skepta lyric, is all about fashion fails: times people dressed in ways that didn’t feel right. Top 3 Selected is from a Ghetts tune. That section satisfies my inner list nerd. And then there’s Next Hype, from Tempa T, which is about what’s coming next - personally, professionally or stylistically.
Where does your own interest in fashion stem from, and how would you describe your style?
My interest in fashion really comes from subcultures — especially musical ones. I was a mosher, then went through a hip-hop phase, then got into electronic music and more rave-y stuff as I got older.
I love the cultural codes in clothes. Things like playing with brands that have been associated with football hooliganism, or flipping preppy styles that were traditionally reserved for a certain kind of person. I enjoy using logos and garments that carry certain meanings and finding ways to repurpose or reframe them — like building your identity out of fragments of all these different worlds.
Menswear has absolutely exploded over the past few years. How do you feel like your point of view fits into the conversation (or goes against the grain)?
Yeah, it really has exploded, hasn’t it? I don’t know if it’s just where I live, but there used to be loads of blokes who dressed terribly - like 90% of them —-and now it feels like it’s down to maybe 50%. That’s cruel, isn’t it? I’m probably in that 50% half the time anyway.
But yeah, it does feel like things have opened up. There’s a much broader spectrum now, and that’s something I’m really interested in. I like speaking to people across all ages and backgrounds, from streetwear heads to tailoring obsessives. I want that more holistic view of what’s going on in men’s style.
The podcast’s audience is about 85% male, so there is a definite menswear skew, and I guess my perspective fits into that.
Any brands or trends you love to love (or love to hate)? Or people that are inspiring you style-wise at the moment?
I’m in a bit of a whirlwind romance with Olmes Carretti’s Best Company at the moment. My mate Seb - who runs Gone Fishing Vintage in Manchester and was a guest on the podcast - put me onto them. It’s classic Italian Paninaro gear from the late ’80s and early ’90s, and I’ve properly gone down the rabbit hole. I’ve ended up with five or six vintage sweatshirts, all beautiful loopback cotton, mad colours, but with a great quality and finish to them. I've got a gorgeous, boxy denim jacket by them, that makes me feel like a bully in an 80s film.
I know Paninaro isn’t a “trend” exactly - it’s been bubbling away through Stone Island, Moncler, that whole world - but I think it’s due a more full-blown revival. I’ll definitely be out this summer in white trousers and boat shoes pretending I’m in Milan in ’89.
You’ve had a really broad range of guests over sixty episodes. How do you plan who to approach?
60 episodes? Is that right? That’s mental. If you’d asked me, I’d have guessed around 20. As for how I choose guests, it’s pretty whimsical to be honest. I try to keep things varied. If I don’t know someone personally, I’ll just slide into their DMs and ask if they fancy doing it. Only one person has ever turned me down, and honestly, I really respect them for it. It wasn’t on brand for them, and I probably shouldn’t have asked in the first place. But, Blackhaine, if you ever change your mind - come on, mate. You’d make my dreams come true.
And while I obviously can’t pick a favourite child, I absolutely loved having Jojo from Rag Parade on the last series. He’s like this hyperactive ball of knowledge and stories - been doing it for decades, full of great tales, just the perfect mix of obsessive and entertaining.
In terms of creating the podcast, what have you learned along the way? Any tweaks and improvements you’ve made season to season?
I’ve definitely improved at making reels. A few from the last series did mad numbers. You sort of have to play the game with social media now. You need the cliffhangers, the clickbait-y openers, the provocative hooks. You’ve got to boil a bit of piss on Instagram to get people talking. It’s grim, because it’s not really how I am in real life. But if you can get people riled up in the first few seconds of a reel, chances are it’ll hit a million views.
I’m also thinking of introducing some new sections next series. One of the current ones — That’s Not Me — has started to produce a few too many samey answers. There’s a Tempa T lyric I love — “What kind of things do you have?” — which is him basically sizing up what he can nick when he breaks into your house. He’s a lunatic, but I love the line. I’m going to flip it and use it as a way of asking guests about prized possessions — the things they own and why they love them.
If you were a guest on your own show, which items of clothing would you discuss and why?
The first thing I ever bought on the internet was an N.E.R.D. trucker cap. I was in sixth form college, and this was before it was even easy to buy things online — that’s how old I am. I was obsessed with The Neptunes - Pharrell and Chad - and their In Search Of... album under N.E.R.D. I loved it. I think it came from the other side of the world, and it just felt completely unique. No one else at college had one. In fact, I don’t think I saw anyone else wearing one for a good year and a half. It made me feel mint - like a boss. All my mates wanted it. It was the perfect mix of musical fandom and hip-hop style. I deffo sold it on eBay for about a quid when I was skint, which I regret massively.
Finally, any shoutouts to brands or fellow fashion creators you particularly admire?
The weather’s been dead nice lately, and I’ve just fallen in love with a brand called SMR Days. I’m not sure if it’s meant to be pronounced “summer days” or just the initials, but either way, their cotton is unbelievable. What really sets them apart is the feel. You can’t see it in photos, but the fabric against your skin is just incredible. Proper tactile joy.
And in terms of creators,
, actually. His Substack writing and short-form reels are brilliant: sharp, informative, really entertaining. I love what he’s doing.Check out My Own Garms on YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and - as of recently - Substack!
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Threads of the week
Summer is here which means I don’t know what to wear! (I just ordered a Spiral Boxer skirt from Dauan Jacari - hoping it will be the silver bullet for my summer style..) For now I’m wearing a silly Only Fans tee, vintage adidas basketball shorts, Kara handbag, GH Bass Weejuns and vintage Chanel sunglasses. I think I look a bit like someone’s mum, but I think it could also be the way I’m holding my phone…
Loose Threads
I’m sure we’ve already metabolised all the Met Ball content from last week, but there’s one queen of the Costume Gala who kills it every year. Whilst everyone else waits for Rihanna, I’m on the edge of my seat wondering what Chioma Nnadi will pull out of the bag. Her taste in designers is exquisite, unexpected and always so cool - often wearing smaller names or indie designers. Here’s my tribute to all her looks:
Are raves the new runways? (love that Miu Miu’s girls are both readers and ravers… feeling seen)
Old news now, but I guess male designers find big boobs pretty funny? Women who actually have big boobs beg to differ…
Start your own Thread
Drop your favourite Met Gala looks and fashion podcasts in the comments!
Thanks for asking me questions Georgia!! A real honour