How Ethan Glenn Turned His Tasteful TikTok Into A Full-Time, Offline Job

A conversation with one of the Internet's most well-curated creators on his rise to digital superstardom and IRL brand Every Other Thursday.

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I don’t remember exactly when, after joining TikTok last year, I first came across Ethan Glenn. Whenever it was, I would have clocked within the first 5 seconds of seeing his content that he is different than your average “creator.” While the (hopefully, for my sake, not soon banned) app is flooded with Zara-adorning, Chelsea boot-hocking dudes who exist to shill what is most charitably described as “1.0 level” fashion advice, Ethan is far more like the style-minded guys I know in real life. His fits are simple, his taste is impeccable, and he doesn’t talk like he’s going for shock value, but rather to simply explain things he likes—the way a friend would over coffee.

Additionally, while most creators get more polished the bigger they get, 400,000+ followers later Glenn’s videos remain LoFi. They feel like the result of something he’s cooked up and posted just moments before heading out the door. For example, he typically includes the potentially disorienting act of placing his phone on a surface before getting to the actual content, something all of my instincts tell me to edit out. Then, he’ll retreat into the space (a perfectly curated living room, a sunny backyard) to reveal the full outfit—usually some combination of beat-up vintage jeans, eBay-sourced shirt, and classic outerwear. Again, there’s a minimalism, ease, and borderline vulnerability to each video that to me—someone who mentally shifts gears and puts on a half-smile before loudly positing some attention-grabby headline at the onset of every video—is enviable.

So as far as my thumbs were concerned, I was sold from the jump. Then, last year, I got fully influenced when Glenn, via his brand Every Other Thursday, dropped a navy blue, oversized fleece jacket that feels high-quality and fits incredibly, yet somehow only retailed for $90.

The brand started as a mood board, posting daily photos of the best versions of everything—rugs, jeans, cars, plants, you know the drill. The idea is certainly not revolutionary (Glenn will tell you as much), but it’s a recipe that, when done right, will never not work to earn my follow and/or double taps. (I like good-looking shit and pretty photos—sue me!) As for the fleece, despite the fact that I ordered a size too big after not properly calibrating for my recent weight loss (yes, I’ve included this as a backhanded brag), is a piece I’ve worn at least 3x a week for the last few months. It’s not the kind of fashion product that’ll turn heads or demands big likes online, but is wearable, comfortable, and looks good with the other stuff I own. Did I mention it was less than 100 bucks?

Me, at peace, courtesy of my Every Other Thursday fleece.

The shift of Every Other Thursday from reliable source of style and interior design inspiration to regular purveyor of purchasable products was a recent one, but today the range is rapidly expanding into multiple corners of your standard menswear wardrobe. To date, the brand has released hats (of the rope-adorned fisherman variety), hoodies (with retro-inspired 2-button fastenings) graphic-printed sweatshirts (boxy, oversized, green), card holders (gold foil lettering, also green), and soon knitwear, which will launch at the end of March. Each item is the distillation of all that vibeyness into products that look like they perfectly exist within the page’s naturally lit, timeless, capital A-Aesthetic. Others too are beginning to notice, as evidenced by the fact that Zara (allegedly) bit one of EOT’s designs last year when they released a shirt printed with the words “Every Other Sunday.”

But as a follower, admirer, and customer, not to mention a fellow creator, I wanted to hear from the source how all of this—his 400,000+ audience, his fledgling label, all of it, came to be. How did he end up on my feed in the first place? How does he, at just 25-years-old, manage to remain so steady and frankly, so fucking chill in the quick-twitch age of TikTok? Does he, like me, ever feel like the platform and its huge user base are a blessing, but also like bunch of bullshit?

Below, I discuss all of that and more with the Toronto native.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity because otherwise it would be ridiculously long and meandering, which is annoying to read.