Last-Minute Columbus Day Sales

Gah, so I know I missed out on last week's Deals and Steals post (had some good friends visiting and waaaay too many social obligations on my plate - not complaining!), so I'm dropping some real quick sales on y'all today.

The catch is, these sales all end tonight, so get shopping!
Editors Note - Hoooopefully some of these will get extended, but still, don't hesitate and miss out.

Extra 25% Off Sale Items at NeedSupply (code PICKYOURHEROES):
NeedSupply has an awesome mixture of urban, tailored, and more rugged gear. My big pick here is a pair of the Zanerobe Sureshot Joggers, regularly $99, now $69.50:

Sureshot Chino in Black | Zanerobe via NeedSupply

Been big on joggers lately, and these from Zanerobe are probably one of my favorite pairs - I'm a bigger fan of the khaki color, but would definitely rock these (especially at that low price).

20% Off Select Fall Styles and Steven Alan (code OCT20):

Nothing is cheap at Steven Alan, but it's pretty much all awesome. Even just a 20% discount is much more than you'll find on a lot of these brands, so if you're looking to make a splurge buy, this might be the time. For example, this Barbour waxed cotton jacket gets a $80 drop from $400 to $320:

Ashby Waxed Cotton Jacket | Barbour via Steven Alan

Like I said, still not cheap, but makes a splurge-worthy purchase just a bit less of an investment (and will be a perfect jacket for upcoming fall and winter weather).

Extra 40% Off Clearance at Club Monaco (code FALLSALE):

Tons of stuff up in this sale, including some great suiting steals, but my first choice would be this dobby oxford shirt, marked down to just $30 (regularly $80):

Slim Fit Dobby Oxford Shirt | Club Monaco

Love the dobby details that take this a step above an everyday blue OCBD, and that price is unbeatable. Also, check out the rest of the (non-clearance) sale section, which is still up for a 30% discount with the same FALLSALE code.

30% Off Sitewide at G.H. Bass (discount automatically applied at checkout):

If you're like me and love American prep style and classic penny loafers, you'll be just as eager to jump on this chance for some discounted Weejuns, like these in a more casual, matte dark brown:

Wilton Weejuns | G.H. Bass

Regularly $108, the discount drops these down to just over $75. You can also find some more formal styles in a sleeker, shinier leather, as well as the American-made Fenmore loafer.

Free Shipping, plus 30% Off Full-Price Items and 40% Off Final Sale Items at J.Crew (code WEEKENDPLANS):

Closing out with a three-way doozy from J.Crew. These sales are getting pretty common, but that extra kicker of free shipping might be hard to pass up. I love J.Crew's cozy sweaters, and might use this chance to grab something like this luxe lambswool cardigan:

Lambswool Three-Pocket Cardigan | J.Crew

Sure, even at $103 shipped (down from $148), it ain't cheap, but boy oh boy do I wanna cozy up in this puppy. If over a hundo is rich for your blood, there are plenty of more affordable options as well.

OK, in the interest of getting this post up before it's too late to enjoy these sales, I'll call it quits with that one. Here's a quick roundup of the sales I didn't get to cover in depth:

• Gap - 40% Off at Gap (code NEWOUTFIT)
• Ralph Lauren - 25% Off Select Styles at Ralph Lauren (code COLUMBUS25)
• L.L. Bean - 10% Off and Free Shipping at L.L. Bean (code FALL10)
• J.Crew Factory - Free Shipping (code OURBDAY) and 50% Off at J.Crew Factory (prices as marked)
• Jack Spade - Extra 25% Off Sale Items at Jack Spade (code FALL25)

Happy shopping!

'Know Your Patterns' - Glen Plaid

So I took some time over the long weekend to lay out the publishing schedule for the next few months, and am happy to announce that we will be introducing two ongoing series this summer: 'Know Your Patterns' and 'Know Your Fabrics.' Obviously, these are pretty self-explanatory - here at Wide Eyes, Tight Wallets, we firmly believe that knowledge is power. By being well informed, you can make stylish purchases, avoid regrettable ones, and make sure your hard-earned money is well-spent.

This week, we're kicking off the 'Know Your Patterns' series. First, let me point out that we've previously covered seersucker, madras plaid and gingham checks, and while we may revisit these later, for the sake of freeing up some space on the blog calendar, we'll just refer you back to those original posts. 

Which brings us to today's featured pattern: Glen Plaid. Obviously, this is a plaid pattern, and therefore incorporates bi-directional stripes and lines to create alternating checks and blocks. Where other plaids (like tartan or blackwatch) use stripes of different colors, which overlap to create even more tones, glen plain is more of a series of tonal lines, usually of one or more muted colors on a neutral background. Even more distinctive, the lines come together to create houndstooth checks, rather than plain right angles and boxes. It's honestly a bit hard to describe by word, but once you see it in action you'll know exactly what we're talking about:

A typical glen plaid pattern.

The pattern gets its name from the Glenurquhart region of Scotland where the textile was first produced. Interesting tidbit - during the Duke of Windsor's time as the Prince of Wales, he became such a big fan of the pattern that Prince of Wales Check became synonymous with the pattern as well. Since then, it's been rocked by everyone from Pee Wee Herman to James Bond to Ronald Reagan:

Surprisingly, of the celebrities mentioned here,
Pee Wee's suit bears the most conservative glen plaid pattern.

Roger Moore, as James Bond, rocks his glen plaid with an injection of color.

Reagan, on the other hand, goes all out with a deep aquamarine
glen plaid suit that deemed him 'unpresidential' to many.

Honestly, I usually associate glen plaid patterned pieces with fall and winter - something about the pattern looks fantastic on a heavy tweed jacket or a toothy wool tie. However, I've been seeing it pop up on some summer pieces and have been loving the way it comes out. Where winter glen plaid tends to feature a grey background, with some small color occasionally being injected through the plaid lines, these warm-weather pieces do the opposite, with a bright background and more muted plaid lines.

Take this shirt by J.Crew for example - the berry red is a perfect punch of seasonal color. If used in a more standard, multi-color plaid, it might be too bold, but by using a monochromatic glen plaid pattern instead, the look is grounded and business-acceptable while maintaining it's brightness:

Ludlow Spread Collar Shirt in Glen Plaid | J.Crew

Similarly, these chinos from Club Monaco - featured in last week's Deals and Steals - display a bright blue hue that could easily become garish with an inadequate pattern, yet the glen plaid, instead of amping up the boldness, serves instead as a stylish accent that will be surprisingly versatile: 

Plaid Davis Chino | Club Monaco

Who else is rocking Glen Plaid this summer? How do you incorporate into your daily wardrobe?

Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 5/24/2014

Holy cow, got behind for this week's Deals and Steals - but it's a long weekend so, you still have plenty of time to get your shopping in! So here we go:

"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!"

And for the deals - this is gonna be one of those weeks where we really focus on one retailer, cuz they have a killer sale going on:

30% Off Sale Items and 50% Off Clearance Items at Club Monaco:
The real killer deal here is of course the 50% off option for items specifically in the clearance section. One word of caution, these are all final sale, so make sure you're confident in your sizing choices before you purchase. My first pick is this plaid shirt, in bright madras-y colors, button-down collar and slim fit:

Slim-Fit Owen Plaid Shirt | Club Monaco

Madras is a staple in most stylish gents summer wardrobes, and for a good reason. It's comfortable as heck, and although the colors are characteristically bold, the fabric somehow never seems too garish or in-your-face. At $35 after the discount (regularly $80), the price is hard to beat.

This one is way off-season, but I've often talked up the versatility of a layering vest through the cooler seasons. Normally, I reach for my J.Crew Factory vest, but their colors are pretty limited, and this option from Club Monaco would be a nice way to inject some color into a winter outfit:

Hacking Vest | Club Monaco

Normally $150, the quality is sure to be a step up from JCF as well, and the sale brings the price down to $40, right around the lowest you'll see that JCF option for anyway.

Last from the clearance section are these lightweight Chinos:

Lightweight Davis Color Chino | Club Monaco

Club Monaco almost always has some of these in the sale section, but normally only the crazy bright colors. This time, they've got a bunch of more neutral options, including these in a light olive that I'm really liking. Normally $70, these will only set you back $25.

Moving on to the regular sale section (which is not final sale). While the 30% added discount isn't quite as impressive, there are still some great deals here. Among these are plenty of great staple items, like OCBD's, white Poplin dress shirts, blue blazers, you name it - but I keep finding myself drawn to some of the funky patterns that pop up here and there. First thing to grab my attention was this slim-fit shirt in a foulard pattern:

Slim-Fit Foulard Shirt | Club Monaco

I love the vintage-y feel of this, and while I can't see myself really matching it with a tie (I guess it could be done, but I wouldn't love it), I think it would make a shard addition to my casual wardrobe - and I'm all about keeping things sharp, even when off-duty. Regularly $90, this clocks in at $42 after the discount.

Likewise, check out these plaid chinos, in the slim Davis fit, knocked down to $35 from $80:

Plaid Davis Chino | Club Monaco

I keep going back and forth as to whether these are too loud, but something about them is just irresistible to me, and I think these will look awesome dressed down with a crisp white T-shirt or polo and some white bucs or canvas sneaks. Of all the items I've thrown up in this section, these are already in my shopping cart.


Moving on from Club Monaco, here are a few more that caught our eye:

15% Off from the Cool Material Shop:
Not a lot of apparel on here, but Cool Material is an awesome site for, well, cool material - gadgets, gear, supplies, you name it (plus, they were awesome enough to feature yours truly in a 'Wear This' feature a little while back). There are just tons and tons of cool things here, and all knocked down by 15% for the holiday weekend. The one thing I always come to Cool Material for are these notepads from Word. Notebooks:

Word. Notebooks | Cool Material

They have this funky to-do list system that I'm absolutely hooked on - honestly, if I leave mine at home, productivity is just out the window, it's an addiction! They are never expensive at $10 for a 3-pack, but the sale brings them down to an even more affordable $8.50. Browse the rest of the store and check out the watches, the pens, the flasks, yeesh, so much good stuff!


40% Off Regular Items at Gap:
Finishing things up with one pick from the Gap Memorial day sale - I've pretty consistently recommended the Gap lived-in slim khakis, but as the temps are finally rising and the summer heat is really coming, I've had my mind on some more lightweight options. These lightweight 'casual pants' are clocking in at just $33, making them a good contender for my summer shopping list:

Lightweight Casual Pant | Gap

We'll wrap up with that, but there are a boatload of Memorial Day sales going on. Honestly, it's a pretty safe bet that pretty much any brand will be offering some sort of discount, but you can also check out these lists from Well-Spent and Valet that round up some of the best!

Happy Memorial Day! Share any fun plans or great buys you've got in store this holiday in the comments below!

Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 4/11/2014

Before we get started, check this out: Cool Material has been one of my favorite sites since waaay before I could begin to call myself stylish. Most of the feed is just what it sounds like, with featurettes on just cool stuff (just check it out, everything is awesome, and I want it). They also have an ongoing series called 'Wear This,' where menswear bloggers and industry insiders put together curated outfit recommendations. I had the pleasure of drafting up my own, and it was published today! Check it out here, and add Cool Material to your list.

OK, you know what's coming next:
"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!"

So, I don't know how much you all liked last week's list, which was focused pretty heavily on J.Crew, but I'm gonna do it again. Similarly to the J.Crew sale (still going on here), Club Monaco is offering an extra 50% off their sale items, and just like J.Crew, there was way too much inexpensive awesomeness to limit to the normal two picks. Thus, a Club Monaco focused list it is:

Extra 50% Off off Clearance (code SPRING50):
Alright, this sale might be even better than last week's J.Crew one, because some of this stuff is unbelievably cheap. Proof: These classy khaki shorts, just $10 (originally $60):

10 1/2" Lemon Maddox Short | Club Monaco

With a 10 1/2" inseam, this will hit just an inch or two above the knee, which is just short enough to look grown-up without showing too much leg. Just like your chinos, a khaki color is about as versatile as it gets, making these a ridiculously good value.

Go up just a few bucks and you can score some lightweight slim chinos for just $15 (originally $70):

Lightweight Davis Chino | Club Monaco

Most of the other chinos in the sale section are in absurdly bright colors, but luckily these are much more neutral. I'm a big fan of this burgundy shade, which I picked out last year as a fall color, but will still serve you well through the year. The 'Blue Moon' color adds a bit more spring-timey brightness without going all dayglow on you.

There are a decent number of option for shirts as well, most hovering around the $30 mark (post-discount). The list includes some nice crew-necks and dressier button-ups, but this casual work shirt is what really caught my eye:

Slim-Fit Checked Workshirt | Club Monaco

I didn't even think about it until I saw this, but I've found a bunch of options to brighten up my more formal dress shirts for the spring and summer, but I haven't paid much attention to my casual button-ups. At just $20, knocked down from $90, this is a solid and cheap pick.

Don't be afraid to look a little higher up the price line, too, as there are some blazers that are definitely worth checking out. There's this jacket, in a brown and white stripe that's neutral, and will match with almost anything, but is still definitely unique:

Grant Corded Stripe Jacket | Club Monaco

Originally not cheap at $330, the discount brings this down to a Uniqlo-cheap price of just $80. Hot damn. 

They've also got this option, which they're calling a suit blazer. I'm not 100% sure what they mean by the 'suit' part...maybe there are matching pants? Regardless, it will make a fantastic summer sport coat on it's own:

Grant Poplin Suit Blazer | Club Monaco

It's made from a lightweight poplin and looks to only be partially lined, which will help you stay cool when the weather heats up this summer. It does cost a bit more than the previous pick, but it's still very affordable at $115 (also originally $330).

I'll leave it at that for CM, but definitely check out the rest of the selection, there's a ton there.

On top of Club Monaco, I found two more deals that I gotta share:

Last Chance for Discounted Pre-Orders from Beckett Simonon:
Beckett Simonon has made the list before for their full-price shoes, which are unusually affordable for their high quality to begin with. This spring, they are releasing a new batch of styles, and for just a few more days (until April 15th, I believe), you can pre-order the new options at a discount (up to 30% off - plus get $25 credit with our referral link). There's not a bad looking shoe in the batch, in my opinion, but I'm on the hunt for some warm-weather loafers, like these suede, tasseled bad boys:

Blake-Constructed Venza Slippers | Beckett Simonon

Love the rich chocolate suede, love the sleek, slipper-like silhouette, love the $114 price (originally $140).

The suede guys are admittedly a bit fashion forward, but Beckett Simonon also has these penny loafers in a more traditional style and color:

Goodyear-Welted Cohen Loafers | Beckett Simonon

I really like the shape on these. It's sleek enough to be a summer shoe, but not pointy or 'dainty.' These also clock in at $115, down from $140. They've also got some nice-looking monkstraps and a couple of chunk-soled options worth checking out.

Early Access to the Bonobos Spring Sale:
I'm ending things with two pretty safe picks from the Bonobos sale (plus, get $25 off your first order with our referral link), . They always have some darn cheap chinos in their sale section, but the selection is often limited to some wilder colors, or unflattering cuts. I was pretty excited to see some more neutral, classic colors available in their stellar slim-straight cut:

Seanotes Slim Straight Chinos | Bonobos

This blue isn't as dark as your go-to navy, but it's very subdued, not in-your-face bright at all. I think it would make a great seasonal alternative to that navy, and at $48 (originally $88) it will barely set you back.

Also knocked down to an affordable $48, these brown chinos are actually something I've been looking for (on sale, of course), for a while now: 

Mochachinos in Slim Straight | Bonobos

These would have worked great all winter long, but they'll still come in very handy through the summer, grounding bright gingham shirts with a foundation of earthy neutrality. 

That's a wrap!

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!

Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 3/7/2014

You guys know the story by now: "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!"

Today, I'm blogging with a headache, so I'm keeping the descriptions minimal, but I wanted to get this out cuz there are some hella nice deals this week:

Up to 60% Off 'Fall Items' at GANT:
I put 'Fall Items' in quotes because there are a lot of pretty spring-y pieces available as well. Like these canvas chinos, at $66 (originally %165):

Canvas Chino | GANT Rugger

Sure, canvas is probably going to be a bit heavier of a cloth, but the color is definitely all spring. The faded red is a great way to add some color without rocking in-your-face go-to-hell pants. 

Also, this is pretty much the perfect dress shirt:

The Pinpoint Oxford Fitted Spread Collar | GANT

Marked down from $115 to $46, it's incredibly affordable, and incredibly versatile.


Extra 40% Off at Club Monaco (code MARCH):
They say orange is the color of the spring season, and like the canvas pants above, this slim-fit chino in a slightly darker shade is a good way to give it a try without getting too bright:

Lightweight Davis Chino | Club Monaco

The extra discount knocks these down to only $11.40 - enough said.

I'm not sure if I would have normally picked this merino polo, but I saw a similar piece featured on another style blog recently and really liked the way it looked, so I'd be up to give it a try:

Merino Polo | Club Monaco

It looks light enough to wear into the spring, and at $23.40, it would be a low-risk move to make.


Extra 40-50% Off Sale Items at J.Crew:
J.Crew has a ton of crazy good deals right now, and I had a hard time narrowing it down. I ended up going for one warm-weather pick to look forward to spring, and one cold-weather pick to continue to deal with this winter. For the rest of these cold months, this quilted jacket will make the perfect layering piece:

Quilted Shirt-Jacket | J.Crew

I've actually had my eye on this for a while, but the normal $168 was a bit too much to stomach. The current discount has it down to $80, which is much more do-able for a spring jacket.

For whenever it finally gets warm, J.Crew has a ton of classy but interesting swim shorts in a variety of lengths, sizes and colors, so you can look for your own needs. My personal favorites are these seersucker shorts:

9" Board Short in Seersucker | J.Crew

These are on sale for $21, regularly $69.50. Unfortunately, they don't have my size, so I'll keep looking.


Sea Vees via Huckberry:
I guess you could call Huckberry a flash sale site, but the collections are much more focused on quality, and a little less on crazy discounts. So you get things like these Sea Vees sneakers designed by Todd Snyder:

Army Issue Low by Todd Snyder | Sea Vees via Huckberry

White canvas sneakers are a classic for spring and summer, and the rugged laces on these are an awesome detail. The markdown isn't huge, but $74 really isn't bad, and still better than the original $92.

Alright, I'm out. Have a great weekend!

Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 12/12/2013

First, the spiel: "Every Friday, 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!"

This week's Deals and Steals:

J.Crew Anonymous Ism Fair Isle Socks:
Ok, J.Crew has a fantastic 30% off everything sale (code GIFTNOW), with free shipping and no minimum. This pick is probably (read: definitely) not the best deal available (for that, take a look at the Ludlow blazers, this English Tweed number drops to under $200 with the sale), but for some reason it's the one that stuck with me the most. Maybe it's because my feet are cold and these socks look so damn awesome:

Anonymous Ism Fair Isle Socks | J.Crew

The pattern is the perfect fix for my fair-isle addiction, and I would wear these with jeans or a grey flannel suit, no problem. These are running $13 after the sale, or, for a little more ($17 after sale), you can get this much warmer-looking but slightly less festive pair made by Scott-Nichol:

Scott-Nichol Woolsthorpse Socks | J.Crew

Club Monaco Hooded Parka:
This one comes courtesy of Valet's deal of the day (Valet is an awesome resource, I check it out daily). I actually just picked up a great Gloverall wool duffle coat from Gilt (see below), or I'd order this bad boy myself. Actually, if my size wasn't the only one sold out, I probably still would. Dammit.

Hooded Parka | Club Monaco

Club Monaco's outerwear tends to run out of my price range, but they have this hugely marked down and it's going for only $139. If you're looking for a practical, casual winter jacket that still pops with style, this will be a solid choice. While you're at it, Club Monaco is another good shop to check back in the clearance section every so often. I might just pick up this Ringer Henley, marked down to $29.00.

Ringer Henley | Club Monaco

Granted, a casual short-sleeve might be a little out of season, but come spring Henley shirts are a solid go-to, and the contrast collar/placket on this shirt make it stand out from your run-of-the-mill options.


Gloverall Duffle Coat via Gilt:
As mentioned before, I'm recommending this one based on personal experience. First off, I'm sometimes leary of flash sale sites because they tend to take forever to ship, but I ordered one of these from Gilt on Sunday and it arrived today. Not bad. It's not exactly cheap, but it's a huge discount on a $500+ coat at $290, and it's entirely worth it. From what I've read, Gloverall bought out the supply of the British Navy(?)'s duffle coats after WWII and sold them to the public. They were such a big hit that when they sold out, they started manufacturing more themselves and have been ever since.

Navy Duffle Coat | Gloverall via Gilt.com

I mentioned a good coat as a worthwhile investment piece and this is a perfect example. It fits great, looks incredibly sharp, and is so warm. I wore it on a walk with the dog in cold-as-all-get-out Chicago tonight and was warm...not just not cold, but warm. I haven't had a good coat in years, so I'm already loving this. I grabbed mine in navy, but they have a variety of colors, and a few other styles on sale as well.


Sir Jack's Smart Turnout Royal Air Force Watch Strap:
I never really checked out Sir Jack's before, but I was browsing their sale section today and spotted this watch strap. It's on sale for a reasonable $23, and I love the color choices. I have a nice-looking but inexpensive Timex that this would go great with.

Smart Turnout Royal Air Force Watch Strap | Sir Jack's

Navy is such a versatile color, my wardrobe is full of it, and the burgundy is a great color for the season. With the light blue, it's a classy wintery combination. The rest of the store is nice too, definitely worth a look.


Creature Comforts Bowser Bones via Barneys:
I gotta put these in because they are made right up the street from me and would make a perfect gift for any pet owner/lover (or your own pet). At $14 with free shipping they're easy on the wallet and are 100% natural.

Bowser Bones | Creature Comforts via Barneys

The classy package is the icing on the cake. I'm for sure ordering a few of these tonight!