David Coggins

David Coggins is a New York-based writer, author, and cultural observer whose work spans travel, men's style, fly fishing, art, and design. He is the author of the *New York Times* bestseller *Men and Style*, alongside *The Optimist: A Case for the Fly Fishing Life* and *The Believer: A Year in the Fly Fishing Life*. Coggins also publishes "The Contender," a weekly Substack newsletter that explores his core interests, blending personal anecdotes with practical advice. His writing, which appears in publications such as the *Financial Times*, *Esquire*, and *Art in America*, is marked by a poignant, humorous, and honest tone. His approach to travel emphasizes active exploration, from extensive road trips across the American West to global fly-fishing expeditions in destinations like Norway, Cuba, and Argentina. He advocates for the value found in both new discoveries and the cultivation of traditions through revisiting beloved places, seeing travel as an opportunity for self-contained observation and connection with the natural world. Beyond his literary pursuits, Coggins collaborates with men's fashion brands like Drakes and J. Crew, promoting a philosophy that combines classic sensibility with individual expression. His work consistently explores themes of personal growth through experience and the embrace of new challenges.