Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 7/25/2014

Hot damn, when I first started writing this up I didn't think I was going to have much to share, but after a little digging I have a ton of great finds for y'all. First, our usual little spiel:


"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 here we go:
'Contemporary Collections' up to 90% off at Gilt:

Striped Cotton-Wool Pant | Gant by Michael Bastian via Gilt

When it comes to shirts, though, Gilt has you covered in another umbrella sale:
Button-Ups Under $50 at Gilt:

Solid Oxford Sport Shirt | Brooks Brothers Red Fleece via Gilt

If you're looking for something a bit brighter and bolder, Brooks Brothers has you covered there as well with a bunch of options in very seasonal, madras-esque colors. Of course, my favorites are the popovers, and I have my eye on this number, clocking in at just $35 (originally $70):

Plaid Popover Sport Shirt | Brooks Brothers Red Fleece via Gilt

No-Show Socks from PACT:

Campground Stripe No See Ums | PACT

Zig Zag Picnic Stripe No See Ums | PACT

Even if you aren't a big fan of the colors/patterns, I still say check them out - the whole point, after all, is that you can't see them, even in your low-cut loafers and boat shoes.
Up to 75% Off Online and In Stores at Gap:

Botanical Print Shirt | Gap

Next is a pair of skinny white jeans, which I actually just picked up a few weeks ago (see me in them on my Instagram here and here). Normally $70, this style is now just $46:

1969 Skinny Fit Jeans | Gap

Alright, last from Gap. I saw this field jacket pop up on From Squalor To Baller (one of my newer blog finds that I've been kinda hooked on):

Fatigue Jacket | Gap

Alright, it's getting late so I'm gonna wrap this puppy up. However, there's still plenty of sales, so here's a list of honorable mentions:
30% Off Bonobos Sale: Thank the folks at Dappered for this one, they managed to score an early code for Bonobos' upcoming discount. Link directs you to Dappered.



First up, Gilt is running a bunch of non-brand-specific sales with pretty extreme discounts. Brands are wide-ranging, especially if you check out some of the other 'collections.' My method was to pick a sale, and then narrow it down by picking out the brands I knew I liked. Whatever your method, I recommend applying some filters, otherwise there's just too much to see. Anyway, my favorites from this sale were mostly trousers from Gant (either Gant Rugger or Gant by Michael Bastian), like this pair in a very fine grey stripe:
I'm loving the cotton-wool blend on these bad boys - the 62% cotton will keep them light and cool, plus make care a bit easier, while the 38% wool will help them stay wrinkle-free and up the dressiness of the pair. Originally pretty damn pricey at $375, Gilt has these knocked all the way down to $79. Also catching my eye were these chinos with patch pockets ($49) and this rugby shirt with button-cuffs ($49), both from Gant as well. Other brands I checked out included Brooks Brothers, Ben Sherman, J.Press and more. 


Again, I filtered by brand to narrow things down. Of course, my favorite picks were the OCBD's, with solid options from Grayers, Gitman, and Brooks Brothers, like this option in classic solid white from BB's younger Red Fleece line:
Crisp, white, and slim-fitting - what more needs to be said? Oh, maybe that it's marked down from $70 to just $45. Sold.

Like I said, very summery colors, and I've been hooked on popovers since picking one up from Frank & Oak a few months ago. Normally, pretty hard to find at affordable prices, so this is a steal worth checking out.

Moving right along, the good folks at PACT have marked down a few sets of their no-show socks, which are my absolute favorites and a must-have for a stylish, sockless summer. I think they're affordable at full price ($15 for a three-pair set), but discounted to $9, they're too good to pass up. The two sets available on sale:

As usual, my go-to at gap is the lived-in slim khaki, but I've hyped that enough so I picked out a few other options. First is a bit outside the box, but very on-trend with the latest reemergence of Hawaiian floral shirts. If you ask me, the trick to not looking like your weir uncle on vacation is to keep it to one color and avoid the huge, big-petaled, stereotypical Hawaiian flowers. This short sleeve shirt hits all the right notes - I even checked it out in-store the other day, and was pretty impressed:
The big risk with shirting at Gap is that it can be hard to find slim enough cuts, but this is listed as a tailored fit, plus the casual nature means you won't be wearing it tucked in anyway, which gives you a little more leeway as well. Originally $45, you can pick this up for just $27. 

Now, I'll admit, I'm not positive this was the cut I got, so it might be worth stopping into a store to see if you need slim, skinny, etc., but they have a few different fits on sale so you should be good to go regardless. I think the white denim looks perfect paired with a dark blue chambray shirt and boat shoes - kinda nautical, preppy, and summery.

I've really been digging the military aesthetic lately, and the cut of this jacket is very classic M-65. At the same time, the navy color keeps it a bit out-of-the-ordinary, and for a guy like me who already rocks a ton of blue, will fit in very well with the rest of my wardrobe. At $70 (originally $98), it's very reasonably priced as well. 


40% Off Final Sale Items at J.Crew: Plus free shipping if you break $100. As we've mentioned, they keep freshening up the selection, so take another look.
50% Off at The Knottery: Haven't tested this one out myself, and I'm not sure how long it lasts, but supposedly code BURFDAY will get you half-off of these affordable, stylish and well-made ties.
Hugh and Crye Summer Sale: Damn, some really nice prices here. I have yet to try these guys out, but I hear awesome things, and this sale might be a great chance for a first buy. The question is, shirt or blazer? Shirts start at $39, and blazers at $149.
FRIDAY ONLY - Twitter Day at H&M: Never heard of this before, but apparently if you show a cashier that you follow H&M on Twitter, they'll give you 25% off. Not a big fan of H&M quality, but they have a lot of fashion-forward items and can be a cheap way to test out recent trends.

Picking up anything good this weekend? Share in the comments!

Three Things I Love (Including an Update from Proper Cloth)

Over the past month or two, I had three things I really love come together in such a way that I had to share here on the blog:

1) Reader Participation: As much as I love sharing my own menswear knowledge, I never let myself forget that I myself still have tons to learn. With that in mind, one of my favorite things about blogging is getting feedback from you folks, especially when you open my eyes to new information that helps me be a more stylish gent (and more informed blogger at that). Last month, following my review of Proper Cloth, AJ helpfully pointed out one ill-fitting aspect of my MTM shirt that I would never have noticed. Take a look at the following picture and see if you catch it:

To me, it seemed like a pretty perfect fit - but take a look at the armholes. As AJ was kind enough to inform me, the armholes on a proper-fitting shirt should drape vertically (or close to it). The way that the armholes on my shirt angle inwards is an indication that the yoke was cut too wide. Who knew?! Thanks AJ, from now on this will be one of my 'checklist' areas when evaluating fit.

Which brings me to the second thing I love:

2) Great Customer Service: After AJ pointed out the above flaw, I shot an e-mail to Proper Cloth. Honestly, since I hadn't even noticed the issue, I would have been happy keeping the shirt as is, but I wanted to adjust my pattern for future orders - but Proper Cloth would have nothing to do with my lack of demand for perfection! Not only did they help walk me through the changes in the measurements that would correct the angle, but they promptly submitted an order for a re-make, no prodding from my end at all. Fan-freaking-tastic. In my opinion, as MTM options become more and more abundant, finding a brand that makes a good fit is far easier than finding a brand with a great product and customer service that sets them above the competition, and Proper Cloth rose to this challenge with great success.

And that brings me to the final item on my list:

3) A Perfectly Fitting OCBD: Just check out the difference in the shoulder and arm:

Perfect vertical arm-hole seam!

So I'll close out with two pieces of encouragement (wow, all about numbered lists today, huh?): First, check out Proper Cloth. Second, chime in! Teach me something, share your style, or just say 'Hi,' I love to hear from you.

To reiterate, this article refers to a sponsored review, and the products reviewed were provided to me free of charge. The article, however, remains objective and unbiased and is published without prior editing or review by Proper Cloth. While I love to be given products to review, don't worry, I will never endorse a product I wouldn't wear myself. 

Started From the Bottom, Now We're Here

Disclaimer - I don't like Drake. But that lyric keeps popping into my head. Don't hold it against me, either way.

So, I'm actually out of town on a ski trip with my girlfriend and her family, and wasn't planning on posting anything while I was gone. However, I was going through some e-mails before I left and realized we just hit our one year anniversary! I can't believe that it's been a year...on one hand, it seems like yesterday that I sat down and started typing away at my first post, but at the same time, it feels like I've been doing this forever. I remember when we first reached 100 followers on Twitter, and it was such and accomplishment. I watched each follower come as we ticked closer to triple-digits. Just a month or two ago, we broke 1000 followers, and barely noticed through the whirlwind of activity that Wide Eyes, Tight Wallets has grown to. Looking back, I couldn't help but jot down some notes to share on our progress over the past year:

How Far We've Come:

• From a whim of a blog to a focused and functional men's style blog.
• From a silly name like 'Something Less Pretentious' to a slightly less silly name.
• From unheard and unseen to almost 5,000 visitors every month and steadily growing (thanks, readers!)
• From a tumblr-only launch to the Wide Eyes, Tight Wallets 'empire' - our own domain name, Twitter feed, Facebook page, Instagram profile, tumblr feed, Bloglovin' feed, DETAILS Network page....we takin' over!

To Where We Stand Today:

• We've settled into a strong and consistent publishing schedule.
• As we expand our platforms, we are working to keep every aspect polished and tight (for example you should see some improvements to the tumblr feed, which I've been cleaning up).
• We continue to seek great brands and writers to work with, and have a steady queue of reviews and posts in the pipeline (contact me if you want in).

All the while, we look to make even bigger steps, and in the coming months we hope to make huge improvements to the blog as we work to create a redesigned site and move to a self-hosted platform (which in turn will open up even more opportunities to take Wide Eyes, Tight Wallets to all new heights).

Anyway, the point is not to brag or anything, but to express my appreciation both for the journey itself and for the support I've gotten from readers, colleagues, friends and family alike. Thank you to all of you, and here's to another great year in the works!

NOTE - We'll be offline for the next few days as I romp around Colorado, trying to learn to ski and hopefully not breaking any bones. You can expect us back by the end of next week (March 7th), if not sooner.

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