Happy Friday Amigos,

Welcome to the next edition of JM’s Weekly Roundup. A quick hit of what’s new at La Matera and a few things that’ve popped up on my radar lately.

Hard to believe we’re already closing out July. This is the part of summer when the weekends seem to move a little faster. Feels like a good time to leave some room for a long walk, a little water, and at least one meal that takes longer than it needs to.

This week I’ve got a green stretch belt that works just about anywhere, a book about the old paths that still shape us, a short film about the people keeping 80,000 school instruments alive, a Duluth bag company that understands how good gear should age, and a few thoughts on Glen Hansard.

TL;DR:

• La Matera Highlight: Bariloche Stretch Belt, dark green Italian stretch fabric, a khaki accent, and cognac leather in one easy summer belt.

• Worth a Read: The Old Ways by Robert Macfarlane, a journey along ancient paths and the stories that keep traveling through them.

• Worth a Watch: The Last Repair Shop, an Oscar-winning short about four craftspeople keeping Los Angeles school instruments in working order.

• Brand I’m Eyeing: Frost River, waxed-canvas bags made in Duluth and built to wear in rather than wear out.

• Worth a Thought: Remembering Glen Hansard, a songwriter’s songwriter who seemed to live fully, generously, and on his own terms.

1. La Matera Highlight: Bariloche Stretch Belt

Late summer calls for things that can handle a few different versions of the day without much thought. The Bariloche Stretch Belt stands out for exactly that reason. The dark green fabric and khaki accent give it enough character to be interesting, but the colors are easy enough to wear with shorts, denim, or chinos.

The stretch fabric is woven in Italy, then paired with cognac full-grain leather tabs and assembled here in the USA. It moves with you without looking like a piece of workout gear, which is a harder balance to get right than it sounds.

This is the kind of belt that works for a morning outside, lunch somewhere decent, and whatever the evening turns into. Simple, comfortable, and easy to keep in the rotation.

See the Bariloche Stretch Belt

2. Worth a Read: The Old Ways

I came across Robert Macfarlane’s The Old Ways, a book built around the ancient tracks, drove roads, sea routes, and walking paths that crisscross Britain and stretch beyond it. It is part travel writing, part natural history, and part meditation on what happens when people keep following the same ground for generations.

The idea at the center of it is that a path can hold more than directions. It can carry memory, work, ritual, and a way of seeing a place that does not show up on a map. Feels like a good book for anyone who would rather understand a landscape at walking speed.

3. Worth a Watch: The Last Repair Shop

The Last Repair Shop follows four craftspeople in a Los Angeles warehouse where a small team maintains more than 80,000 musical instruments for public-school students. The work is detailed and mostly invisible: bent brass, split wood, worn pads, loose keys, and a steady line of instruments that need another chance.

The film gets at something bigger without forcing it. Repairing an old violin or trumpet is useful work on its own, but putting it back into a kid’s hands changes the stakes. It won the 2024 Academy Award for documentary short, and it earns the attention without feeling dressed up for awards season.

4. Brand I’m Eyeing: Frost River

Frost River makes waxed-canvas packs, duffels, and field bags in Duluth, Minnesota. They use American-made waxed canvas, full-grain leather from S.B. Foot, Red Wing’s historic tannery, and solid brass hardware, which is a pretty honest materials list for gear designed to take some abuse.

What I like most is the way they talk about age. Their bags are built to wear in, not wear out, and the worn examples look better for the miles. That is usually the difference between something you own for a season and something that becomes yours.

5. Worth a Thought: Remembering Glen Hansard

The news of Glen Hansard’s sudden passing this week has stuck with me. He always struck me as a songwriter’s songwriter, one of those artists whose work seemed to mean as much to other musicians as it did to the rest of us. It has been pretty touching seeing the tributes from so many artists I follow. They all seem to be remembering not only the songs, but the man.

Life is a funny thing. It comes and goes, often without much warning. From everything I’ve read, Glen seems to have lived it fully and in his own way: making music, telling stories, showing up for people, and giving younger artists a hand.

Being that respected at what you do, while also being remembered for your generosity and the way you treated people, is certainly something I’d like to emulate. That is about as good a measure of a life as any.

Hope y’all find a good way to close out July.

Appreciate y’all being here.

Cheers,
JM

Jon-Mark Craddock
CEO

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Originally published in JM's Weekly Roundup on 2026-07-31.