Thank You for Being Here
Reflections on the first 3 months of Letters from the Old World
It’s officially been 3 months since the launch of Letters from the Old World, and wow, what a ride it’s been!
PJ and I started this publication with the desire to ground discussions about aesthetics, style, and elegance in something deeper than surface level. We wanted to make the case for dressing well — and indeed, for cultivating beauty in all aspects of your life — from both a philosophical and theological perspective, blending practical advice with the forgotten wisdom of centuries of Christian tradition.
While we expected some interest in these topics, we were totally unprepared for the overwhelming response. Each week, we reads dozens of thoughtful comments, restacks, and DMs from our incredible readers. People have expressed gratitude for helping them articulate something they’ve long felt, or for encouraging them to see these topics from a fresh perspective.
Our paid readers have been especially supportive. Here are some of their comments, shared with permission:
Because of the support of our paid readers, we’re now able to expand Letters from the Old World to cover even more topics. Beyond just style and dress, we want to make the argument for cultivating beauty and elegance in all domains of your life.
In the coming weeks and months, we’ll be sharing more content to help you do just that. In the immediate future, we have two new article series that will occasionally supplement our Weekly Essays and What’s In a Fit series. They are as follows:
Old World Reads
This is a series we’ve had in mind since the start of this publication, and the first edition will arrive in the coming weeks. In these articles, we’ll look at the hidden gems of European literature: from Italian epic poems to forgotten works by authors like Charles Dickens.
Our idea is that by stepping into the world of these books, you’ll be able to immerse yourself in the artistic currents that shaped Europe’s great cultural tradition, and draw on that inspiration in your own life. These articles will be exclusively for paid subscribers.
The Elements of Elegance
Following up on the success of What’s In a Fit, we’ll begin looking at the building blocks of elegance itself, and what it means to carry yourself in the world with dignity. We’ll look not only at why elegance matters, but also how you can cultivate it no matter your stage in life: including the ones with toddlers and tantrums!
One of our main aims with Letters from the Old World is to strike a fine balance between philosophy and practicality. The articles in this new series will be no different, as we’ll share practical tips on how to live your life as a work of art. For, in the words of Pope John Paul II:
…all men and women are entrusted with the task of crafting their own life: in a certain sense, they are to make of it a work of art, a masterpiece.
A portion of these articles will be made available for all readers, while others will be exclusively for paid subscribers.
Moving Forward
If you would like to support our mission and help us share our message with even more readers, please consider upgrading to a paid membership. If you do so today, you can lock in at our annual rate (40% discounted) while it sill lasts:
We’ll be taking this week off to prepare for all that’s to come as we head into spring. In addition to the two new series outlined above, you can expect more surprises and features as the year progresses.
Our publication is 100% reader supported, and we truly couldn’t do this without you. Thank you for making the first three months of Letters from the Old World better than we could have imagined, and we look forward to continuing this journey with you.
Pax et bonum,
-Evan & PJ
One last thing!
Raphael Barberi, the brilliant photographer behind all our publication’s original photos, has just launched a fundraiser to help him add a new lens to his arsenal.
As part of his fundraising efforts, he’s releasing several of his most popular shots (such as the one above) as prints, phone backgrounds, or framed photos for those who contribute.
If you’d like to support his phenomenal work, check out his full catalog on X or Instagram, and consider backing him at the link below (the Founder’s Package is a great deal for photography lovers). Letters from the Old World truly wouldn’t be the same without him.
Upgraded. Looking forward to learning more.