Wits + Beaux Reviewed and Raffled!

Our product reviews have been pretty consistently the most popular posts on the blog, so I'm making an effort to bring more of them your way! Here's the first in a while, a review of the up-and-coming men's accessories brand, Wits + Beaux, who were kind enough to send us a few pairs of their snazzy socks. Along with a review of the goods, we are happy to finally announce our celebratory giveaway. Check the deets at the end of the post for instructions and get your chance to be the lucky reader! 

The Brand:

Wits + Beaux is a NYC-based men's accessories brand founded by Kevin, Dan and Kent. These guys noticed that, for the most part, menswear brands were adding lines of accessories almost as an after-thought to their clothing lines. They wanted to take the challenge of making accessories their focal point, and started their journey with a line of socks. Socks aside (for a moment), the name, 'Wits + Beaux,' has an awesome story of its own. Apparently, 'Wits' and 'Beaux' were nicknames from the 1800's Regency-Era England. 'Wits' were thinkers, and 'Beaux' were the stylish trendsetters, and the apt combination is a name that is a "tip of [their] hats to this rich history of sophisticated and stylish gentlemen" (from WitsAndBeaux.com).

We just reviewed their socks, but Wits + Beaux is a new brand, and one of the great things about getting in with a new brand is looking forward to the good things to come. At this point, Wits + Beaux is working on some great new ideas. The one I'm probably most excited for is a tool on their site that allows you to design your own socks. Custom menswear is all the rage these days, but you don't really see many opportunities to really personalize what's going on under your shoes. I don't believe this option has fully rolled out yet, but it looks like they have some sort of 'beta' test program going on on their site. Definitely worth checking out.

Wits + Beaux is also currently funding new lines of goods via their latest Kickstarter. In their own words, "Socks were our first step in accessorizing your wardrobe each season." Now they are looking to expand to other accessory lines, including belts, pocket squares, bow-ties (ha, love that they call them Beaux-Ties) and watchbands. You can already order a few bow-ties and pocket squares, but if you pledge through the Kickstarter campaign you can get in line for the new lines, which are expected to start shipping sometime in September. My only beef so far is that the bow tie and pocket square selections match each other exactly, and hopefully you all know now that matching tie/square sets are only for sports commentators. That said, all of the options will go great on their own, so just don't wear them together and you're all set.

I especially like the 'Life's a Picnic' pocket square shown above (reversible pattern = two squares for the price of one = winner).

The Socks:

My Selection (Hero, Rabbit, and Tango)

Of course, with socks the real test is a test of time, whether or not these bad boys will last. Since I just got my pairs a few days ago, I can't really attest to their durability yet, but on all other counts, these socks are great. The colors are pretty accurate to the pictures on the website (one of the downsides to online shopping can definitely be the possibility of incongruity between what you see online and what you get in person). The socks are comfortable as well, thin but not flimsy. There's an elastic band that gives a bit more support in the arch, and the socks are tall enough and just tight enough that they don't fall down through the day.

The "extra four inches in height" really make the difference.
No problems with these falling down throughout the day.

As far as the selection goes, I will say that all the options are bright. You aren't going to find any subtle patterns or classic staples here, but you will find some great options to put a punch of color into your outfits. This has it's pros and it's cons, as most things do. 

The Cons: it's hard to match these socks with any bold patterns or colorful items you might already own. For example, I got this pair of blue and green striped socks ('The Hero'), hoping that I could use the blue to compliment one of the many blue-based shirts or ties that I own.

Unfortunately, the blue in the socks is so bright that it doesn't really play well with the mostly-navy or subdued light-blues that I own. There are also a lot of oranges and bright yellows, which you won't find much of in my existing wardrobe. I also gotta say, I find $20.00 a pair a bit pricey for socks. It's nothing ridiculous, but with the brand advocating themselves as an affordable option, this seems a bit of a stretch.

The Pros: Keep the rest of your outfit calm, and these socks are a fantastic way to add some pizzazz to an otherwise stolid look. For the businessman who can't wear a bold plaid shirt in the office, a bright pair of socks might be perfectly acceptable.

Adding said 'punch' to a slightly-drab-on-their-own combo of grey and black.

If you're keeping things simple with jeans and a white tee, flashing some color at your ankles can distinguish you from the rest of the crowd. Where I mentioned price in the cons, you can get these goods in a three-pack, which brings the price down to a more wallet-friendly $42.00 ($14.00/pair). 

The Giveaway:

So here's the exciting news: A few weeks back we hit 500 followers on Twitter (woot woot), and to celebrate the milestone, we've been promising to host another giveaway. Wits + Beaux has been good enough to provide us with a code for a three-pack of socks of your choosing, and we are passing this gift on to one lucky reader! Each of the following will gain you one entry to the sweeps:

• 'Like' us on Facebook
• 'Share' the review/giveaway post on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter (@WideEyesTWBlog)
• Tweet about this giveaway (just be sure to tag us in your tweet)
• Leave a comment on this post (let us know what you think of the socks, share your favorite sock brand, just say "Hi," the choice is yours).

All entries must be submitted by 11:59 PM (CST) on Tuesday, August 27th. The winner will be announced and notified on Wednesday, August 28th.


The Fine Print:

**While the socks reviewed in this article were provided by Wits + Beaux, the opinions expressed are entirely my own and not biased in any way by my relationship with the brand. 

**By entering our giveaway, you agree to the following terms and conditions listed in this Terms agreement

**No purchase or donations necessary to. Giveaway is open to legal residents of the United States 18 years and older. Void Where Prohibited.

**Odds of winning depend on total number of entries received during the giveaway period. The winner(s) of the giveaway will be chosen by Wide Eyes, Tight Wallets.

**Winners will be selected at random from the entries received via the entry methods described above. 

**Entries will be accepted from the time of posting until 11:59 PM (CST), 8/27/13. Winners will be notified on or around 8/28/2013. 

**Winners will have one week, until 1:59 PM (CST) 9/4/13, to claim their prize. If a price is unclaimed, another winner will be selected using the previously described methods.

**Duplicate entries will be removed and excessive duplicate entries will result in disqualification.

*Prizes are non-transferable. Federal, state and local taxes, if any, and any other costs or expenses related to acceptance and use of the prize not specified, are the sole responsibility of the winner.

**This giveaway is in NO way affiliated with or sponsored by Facebook, Twitter, Google or any other website. It is sponsored by the participating blogs/websites/company’s. By entering, you release Facebook, Twitter, Google and any other webistes from any liability. You are providing information to WETW and/or other participating blogs/company’s/websites and not to Facebook, Twitter, Google or any other website.