Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 3/21/2014

"Every weekend, check in on the blog for a collection of the best (read: my favorite) deals and steals on the interweb for some quality shopping over the weekend. Have any to add? Share them in the comments or shoot me an e-mail. Also, if you're biting on any of these hooks, I'd love to hear about it!"

Voila:

Extra 30% Off Sale Items and Club Monaco:
I swear to god, CM has been offering this deal off and on for months now. Regardless, it's worth checking on every so often because the stock changes pretty consistently. This week, I found a few really nice pieces for the spring season. First on the list is this pair of brown lightweight 'Davis' chinos, discounted to a crazy $21 (originally $70):

Lightweight Davis Chino | Club Monaco

The Davis is their slimmest fit, and obviously, the lightweight version will be great for spring. I picked this color for two reasons: first, it's incredibly versatile, and goes very well with blue, which is probably the most prevalent color in my (and many others') wardrobe. This versatility makes the second reason even more useful: as a more neutral color, these pants will be a great way to ground a shirt in a brighter spring color. 

Next, I found this nice cotton crewneck in what Club Monaco calls 'placed stripes', originally $80, but down to $42 after the discount: 

Cotton Placed Strip Crew | Club Monaco

To me, it's reminiscent of a nautical stripe, but having it in red instead of blue is a nice differentiating touch that also lends a more spring-timey flair. This will be a great layering piece for a cool spring night.


American Eagle Outfitters Clearance:
There's not very much that I go to American Eagle for (I think their target customer is a bit younger than myself (like, a decade). However, I've had good luck with their OCBD's before, and they often end up in the clearance section. It looks like they all come in a slim fit, and while that cut isn't majorly slim, a quick trip to the tailor will have it fitting perfectly. In their current selection, I was particularly caught by this option in a horizontal black-on-white stripe:

Striped Oxford Button Down Shirt | American Eagle Outfitters

At only $30 (down from $50), it's a bit of an experiment, but a largely low-risk one. The horizontal stripes are a trend(?) that seems to be picking up steam, and I really like when done well (which, IMO, this is). The black on white color scheme, again, reminds me somehow of nautical stripes, making it, again (again), seasonal.

They also have this color-blocked OCBD that I liked (also marked down to $30 from $50):

Colorblock Oxford Button Down | American Eagle Outfitters

I still have yet to test the color-block waters, but this is an option I could definitely see myself in. Plus, like the horizontal striped shirt, this one is a bit outside the box just by leaning darker in both colors, where most color-blocked shirts that I've seen feature at least one pastel block. (Edit: I just noticed that this one is in 'prep-fit'. No idea what that means, but I take it it's not slim fit. Something to keep in mind).

30% Off All New Arrivals At J.Crew Factory (prices as marked):
Spring is finally on the way, and for a lot of people the warmer temps mean the return of seersucker. J.Crew Factory to the rescue with a few great options in the lightweight fabric. First is this suit jacket, marked down to $117.50 from $168:

Factory Thompson Suit Jacket | J.Crew Factory

A buck-twenty is not a bad price at all for a southern summer staple like this. Added bonus, the jacket is styled casually enough to be worn as a separate, which will give you significantly more chances to rock it.

If a seersucker jacket is too pricey or too bold for your tastes, opt for something cheaper and milder, like this seersucker tie:

Factory Seersucker Tie | J.Crew Factory

J.Crew ties are always up to par when it comes to quality and style. Wear it under a navy jacket with a white shirt for a sharp spring 'fit, or dress it down with a white or light blue OCBD. Either way, at just $30, it's not a bad deal at all.


Accessories Clearance at Nordstrom:
Since the rest of the selections this week were so heavily spring-oriented, here's a chance to grab some end-of-season deals on winter gear. Some people avoid off-season clearance in case trends or personal tastes change before the season comes around again, but I think leather gloves like the ones below are pretty safe bets to be just as 'in' next year (plus the prices are hard to beat). First up is this pair from Ted Baker:

London 'Skyfall' Driving Gloves | Ted Baker via Nordstrom

Goddamn are these things classy. I think I saw these on another blog when they were closer to full price, and the general consensus was that the original price of $120 was crazy, even if the 'Skyfall' has anything to do with James Bond. However, knocked down to $50 at Nordstrom, these are now crazy affordable.

If $50 is still too rich for your blood, grab a slightly more affordable pair from Nordstrom's house brand, in leather and tweed:

Tweed Gloves | John W. Nordstrom

$25, down from $70, is about as good as it's going to get, price-wise, for real leather gloves. Plus, the tweed backing keeps these from being too run-of-the-mill (and I have an admitted penchant for everything tweed).

Enjoy!