Jonah Weiner was a feature writer for the New York Times. Erin Wylie was working for Apple. Lockdown hit and the couple deployed Blackbird Spyplane. It’s become one of the most influential men’s fashion publications. Readers who can look beyond the lo-fi graphics and hipster voice are rewarded with early warnings on new brands, wise analysis of the industry’s issues, and a sprinkling of on-point celeb interviews. 

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Daniel-Yaw Miller established the sports desk at the Business of Fashion. With Sportsverse, he’s gone solo but continues to track the billion-dollar convergence of sport and style. His twice-weekly missives blend tight analysis of the latest news stories and deeper trend reports (the K-culture takeover, starring Son Heung-min). 

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Rachel Karten's Substack is becoming essential reading for anyone working in social media. Shrewd consumers are catching on too, recognising that to understand social is to understand the world – or at least whatever’s making waves in it that day. Up your subscription to paid and you’ll get weekly advice to inform your own posting strategy and to reduce mindless browsing.

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David Coggins is a man who seems happy with his lot. And why not? A life dedicated to writing, fishing, travelling and dressing well is probably a good one. It also sounds like an easy one, but it’s surprising how many of us never get there. To avoid falling by the wayside, follow David and listen to everything he says about low-profile New York restaurants, great Tokyo whisky bars and the enduring value of OCBDs.

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Another lockdown newsletter that has become something much bigger, Vittles understands that what we eat says something about who we are. Founder Jonathan Nunn has built a roster of writers offering perspectives you won’t find elsewhere on topics usually left uncovered by traditional food media. Restaurant reviews are more likely to focus on an old place in Green Lanes than a new one in Green Park. Recipes are drawn from Peru, Poland and beyond. A recent guide to Paris explored the underbelly of the French food scene. 

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Across politics, technology, culture and society, Ian Leslie is a calming influence. He weighs in only when he – or someone he’s spoken to – has something useful and important to say. AI is a favourite topic right now, as it has to be, but no subject is off limits. Immigration, trans women in sport, the murder of Charlie Kirk – everything gets covered in good time by a Substack that always turns the temperature down a notch.

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Photographer-writer Jamie Ferguson has been covering menswear and lifestyle for 15 years. That Dusty Heat is where he gathers reflections on the state of his own wardrobe, up-close new gear reviews for everyone from Rubato to Stan Ray, and anything else that’s caught his eye while he’s been out shooting for Drake’s, MR PORTER or someone else.

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This is what Substack was made for. Once a week, Simon Mills – a writer for the nationals, GQ, Esquire and others – mind-dumps at Male on Sunday. From what we do when a friend dies, to where you can still find a £5 negroni, to whether Ashton Kutcher can save Soho House, he might not set that week’s news agenda, but he will offer a considered opinion that you won’t find elsewhere. 

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TV critic Scott Bryan can tell you what actually deserves your time. He’s scrolled the streaming services so you don’t have to, but he also keeps a close eye on terrestrial output. Recommendations can run from Slow Horses to Celebrity Traitors, but they will always be carefully justified – and, more importantly, correct.

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Drinks writer Richard Godwin is an excellent companion for cocktails. Each Friday afternoon, he sends out something to whet your appetite. It might be a recipe (a few years in and he’s just reaching some interesting B-sides like the apricot daiquiri or the Midori spritz) or a recommendation for a bottle you should make room for in your cabinet (Galliano, say). Either way it will be a well-chosen weekend enhancer.

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Times columnist James Marriott spends every spare minute reading. If you’re not in the same habit (and we’re talking about books not Stories), you can still enjoy the fruits of his labours via this Substack. Drawing on everything he’s read, he puts out links so you can go direct to source and – more importantly – turns out conversation-starting essays of his own, like the one about how everyone’s stopped reading.

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