Updates - NOLA with Bonobos, 'Gift Guide', The Future, Effortless Gent, and More!

Wow, the past few weeks have been a crazy and exciting time at the new job with Bonobos. We've been gearing up for a big marketing shoot, and I jet off to New Orleans this week to help make it all go down. It's been an awesome experience, but has left me with very little time to tend to the blog! A few technical difficulties on top of that, and I'm a bit behind in my posting. Oops!

SO, although I don't have a full post ready to rock at this time, I figured I'd just drop in with some quick updates:

First on the list, we've never really jumped on the bandwagon of putting together a formal gift guide for y'all - and we still aren't really. BUT - we have added a 'Gifts' board to our always-growing Pinterest account. Anyone looking for some gifting inspiration should head over and take a look, there's some really nice things in there. Also, in the spirit of crowdsourcing, feel free to leave any gift suggestions in the comments, and if we dig em as much as you do, we'll ad them to the mix!

Also, always adding to our standard Pinterest boards, so click around, and maybe you'll spot something you like.

In other news, we hope you liked the article that Rickey wrote a few weeks back, as it sounds like he might become a regular contributor. Hopefully we'll be able to put up another post from him before the holidays, but if not, definitely keep an eye out in the new year.

On the subject of future posts, as we wrap up the year, I'd love to hear what you guys want to see coming from us. With more limited time, and therefore a more selective publishing schedule, I want to make sure we are putting out content that is helpful, entertaining, and informative for you! Sound off in the comments, or shoot me an e-mail. We do have a few things in the works, including some reviews that I'm excited about, as well as some more editorial pieces that we hope will spur some good discussions. Again, keep an eye out!

Last, just wanted to point you over to a new article on Effortless Gent - I've had the pleasure of working with Barron for just about a year now, and just helped him put together a follow-up to my previous review of Gagliardi sport coats. A few months ago, I got to check out one of their summer blazers, and they followed up with both of us this fall to style some of their more wintry products.

He and I each put together a look featuring a cozy wool blazer, and I think it turned out pretty awesome. Find the article here, and give a shout to Barron and I in the comments!

With that, I'm off to NOLA - I'll be doing my best to post some of the excitement on my personal Instagram, so follow along there!

Announcing 'Dad Packs' from Tie Society in time for Father's Day

Hey fellas, Father's Day is just around the corner, have you gotten your dad a great gift yet? Sure, it's a little last minute, but if you're still shopping around, Tie Society has a hell of a nice package custom-built for the holiday. 

Hopefully you've all read my review of Tie Society from some time last year. If you haven't, it's right over here, but the short version is that Tie Society is a pretty awesome service. Their (unofficial?) tag line sums it up pretty perfectly - it's like Netflix for ties - for a very affordable monthly fee, you get to shop their 'closet' of sharp ties, pocket squares, tie clips, and other accessories. Just like Netflix, you 'borrow' an item (or three, or five, depending on your subscription), wear it as long as you want, and send it back when you're ready for something new. Not only is it a fantastic way to get a feel for you personal style, try new looks, and experiment without committing to a hefty purchase, but it's run by some great guys who are really there to help you look good. 

Anyway, I'm always happy to shout out their deals and promotions, and their Father's day offer is pretty spot-on. For the holiday, they've put together a pre-curated box, or 'Dad Pack' if you will. Each box comes complete with two ties, a pocket square, tie bar, and a cufflinks set, along with a custom, handwritten message (dictated by you), along with a few extra TS freebies:

Even better, they give you two options for gifting this pack: for $50, you rent the package, and along with all the goodies, your dad will get a three-month, three-item subscription to Tie Society, and the 'Dad Pack' serves as the first shipment, with a bonus of including all five items (plus the freebies and note) in his first package, instead of three. The second options is to straight-up purchase the box, which will run you an even $100. 

Either way it's a great deal - the three month subscription is regularly $19.95/month (so about $60 for three), and if you opt to purchase, the ties alone have a retail value of $75 or more. Frugal, stylish, and a solid company - sounds like a Wide Eyes, Tight Wallets winner to me.

Head over to Tie Society to rent or purchase your pack today, and tune back into the blog later tonight for the weekly Deals and Steals!

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!

Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 12/6/2013

Back at it again. To recap: "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:


Faribault Woolen Mills Scarves via Sierra Trading Post:
Now hot damn, this is a good deal. STP is one of those places that can be pretty shitty with just one look-through, but if you consistently browse through their constantly changing products, prices and discount codes, you can stumble across some fantastic finds. Like these scarves! Faribault Woolen Mills makes a variety of wool goods, with their throw blankets getting a lot of hype.

Awning Stripe Scarf | Faribault Woolen Mills

Personally, I think their line of scarves is a knockout (and would all make good gifts). Enough color and pattern to never be boring, but in classic and subtle presentations that will go with anything you're bundling yourself up in. The regular $55 price, while not astronomical, can be a turn-off, but STP has them down to just around $14, aaaaand I'm about to buy every single damn one. Get on this one, it probably won't last long.
Ed. Note: My friend Rachel Dunbar (the gal behind Style Steno) found code SFBTD12113 which drops these down to under $10. Thanks Rachel!!!

Bonobos Extra 25% Off Holiday Sale (code SPRUCEDUP):
Of course, there are a ton of good options here, so take some time and browse through. Bonobos does do sales every so often, so if you don't see something you like, come back later. Personally, there's plenty for me to like. I'm especially digging this brown cords, which (sale included) drop down to a mere $42 or so (plus free shipping, as always from Bonobos).

French Corders | Bonobos

The color is fantastic for the season. Plus, I've recently been turned into an avid fan of Bonobos Chinos, and if these fit as well as my chinos do, I'll never be unhappy with them. No experience with tops from Bonobos, but they seem to know what they are doing, so it could be worth checking out.


The Tie Bar via Nordstrom:
I shop The Tie Bar all the time. Sure, they aren't made by hand, or in America, and sure, some of the designs are a bit tacky. But they have a solid selection of 100% natural-fiber (read: no polyester) ties, all at $15. Add to that a slew of tie bars and clips, socks, scarves, shoelaces, cuff links, money clips, holy heck I can't even remember what else, and it's hard to resist. ANYWAY, point is, I stumble across some of their offerings at Nordstrom.

Winter Ties (my picks) | The Tie Bar via Nordstrom

Pricing is all comparable, if not exactly the same, so it may not seem like a big deal. BUT! First of all, lovely Nordstrom offers free shipping, so you can get these to your door without spending an extra dime. On top of that, I'm pretty sure some of the current offerings on Nordstrom are no longer available through The Tie Bar, so, boo ya.

Another crazy J.Crew Factory code sale:

So J.Crew and their Factory Outlet have been getting all sorts of creative with their codes these days. Right now, JCF is offering 50%-60% off EVERYTHING, plus an additional 15% off and free shipping with code 12DAYS. With all that stacking up, there's plenty worth shopping here.

Warmspun Colorblock Raglan Sweater | J.Crew Factory

This factory warmspun color-block sweater ($38 after discount) caught my eye and is now dangling in my cart...to buy or not to buy. I think the color-blocking definitely gives it a more casual edge, probably not appropriate under a suit or with a shirt and tie. For a casual piece, though, it's damn sharp (mmmm....burgundy....Homer Simpson noise...), and could give a huge boost to any other-wise lackluster weekend outfit. Plus it looks cozy, and the heat is off as I type this so...yup. 

H.E. by Mango - November Collection up to 50% Off (use code 6THANKSMNG)

Have yet to take a bite with this brand, but I've heard some good things and their stuff looks very stylish. It's all modern, but not as trendy, flashy or 'euro' as things from H&M or even ASOS. Right now their entire November Collection is heavily discounted. The selection isn't huge, but there are some solid picks, like this Slim-Fit Check Shirt down to $40 (I've been on the hunt for a over-sized plaid/check shirt myself):

Slim-Fit Check Shirt | H.E. By Mango

Also have had my eye on their outerwear. Most of it didn't make this sale, but for a casual but cozy look, I could see myself in one of these puffer jackets, down to $60:

Foldable Feather Down Coat | H.E. by Mango

So what are you waiting for, get shopping!!! And really, share any more good finds in the comments, I'd love to find MORE things to spend my money on!!!