Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 7/18/2014

After a week off, I bet y'all are chomping at the bit for some awesome sales, right? Ha, well, regardless, here you go. First, the usual:

"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 this week's deals are...:

Extra 40% Off Final Sale Styles at J.Crew (code SALEFUN): 
Wow, so it really seems like J.Crew has had some sort of discount (from 30% to 50%) off of their sale items pretty regularly for, what, months now? Anyway, we'll keep checking back in on them every so often, as they do change the selection pretty regularly. This week, we're pretty enamored with the prices on some of their more summery Ludlow suits. For example, they have this sharp chino suit in olive (pants here), a nice break from your standard khaki:

Ludlow Suit in Italian Chino | J.Crew

Now, they do have this in khaki too, if the olive is outside your comfort zone. That said, I think the olive color is fantastic. It's been highly touted across the menswear forums, blogs and magazines, and borrows colors from the military trend and applies them to sharp tailoring. These suits, like most Ludlows, are regularly too expensive for anything short of a planned investment, starting at $464, but with the discount off the sale prices, these will only set you back $255 (jacket and trousers together).

Another great option for these warmer months is this suit in a linen-cotton blend (pants here):

Ludlow Suit in Italian Linen-Cotton | J.Crew

The fabric, alongside a partial lining, is gonna make this bad boy a lifesaver if it ever gets swelteringly hot (surprisingly, Chicago has stayed pretty cool so far this summer). Only slightly more expensive than the chino suit above, these are running $264 (jacket and trousers together), and will be a sharp way to beat the heat.

As usual, we encourage you to peruse the rest of the sale, and keep your eyes open for days with free shipping, as J.Crew tends to pepper those in throughout the months.


Huckberry Sales - Bedford and Broome Accessories & Capital Eyewear Sunglasses:
Moving from suits to accessories, Huckberry has two really nice sales going on. The first is for neckwear and pocket squares from NYC-based Bedford and Broome. I actually first got turned onto these guys after seeing this picture on the Tie Society Instagram - it features some hella-sharp Everett ties, and it turns out that Everett is now Bedford and Broome. Anyway, I was excited to see them pop up here, and am really digging this red chambray tie.

Crosby Necktie | Bedford and Broome via Huckberry

I've talked about chambray enough for you folks to know how much I love it as a summery fabric. I already have a blue-grey chambray tie, and have been looking to add a red one to the mix, so I just might have to pick this one up. The discount knocks these down $5, which isn't a ton, but more than covers the shipping costs and leaves the ties running just under $30.

I've also been checking out the section from Capital Eyewear. If you follow me on Twitter, you probably know by now that I've been on the hunt for some sharp sunglasses - specifically with clear frames, a trend I've been loving. Most of what I've found so far has been either not quite my style, or super expensive, and these are a fantastic middle ground:

Morgan Sunglasses | Capital Eyewear via Huckberry

Regularly $125, they are now just under $100 via Huckberry, which is much more affordable than the almost-$400 pair by Garrett Leight that I've been drooling over, but promises to be much more stylish and better quality than something I'll find for $20 at Topman.

Up to 70% Off (or more?) Sale Items at Reiss:
Last on the sale list is this huge discount being offered by Reiss. I personally don't have experience with the brand, but I've read a lot of good things about them. I've tended to be a bit turned off by their high shipping fees, but the prices on some of their high-end tailored suits and jackets are so ridiculously low right now that, even with those shipping costs included, you can't call them anything but a steal. First, this grey wool jacket caught my eye, especially at just $95, from a regular price of $465:

Hastings Soft Grey Wool Blazer | Reiss

Now, that crazy low price is way more than a 70% price-drop, hence the 'or more' above. Anyway, what I really like about this option, beside the price, is that it's only partially lined, which makes it much more versatile through the warmer spring and fall (and maybe even summer) months than most wool jackets. The color is versatile, the styling classic, what more could you want?

For something a bit more eye-catching, try this navy blazer with peak lapels in a cotton linen blend:

Silva Navy Peak Lapel Light Blazer | Reiss

Again, hugely discounted from an original price of $445 down to $140, you can't argue that it's a helluva deal. And again, it's just partially lined - but this time around the fabric is a lightweight blend that makes it even more seasonal. On top of that, I really like the slightly lighter shade of navy, and the peak lapel details are right up my alley.

Browse through the rest of the sale as well - Reiss has a lot of really nice products, usually too expensive, that are surprisingly affordable on the tail end of this sale (I especially like a lot of the knit products).


Alright, we're gonna cut it off after those three, but there are a good deal of other sales going on that are definitely worth taking a look at, so we rounded up a little list of honorable mentions:

Extra 50% Off Clearance Items at J.Crew Factory (code EXTRA50): They're calling this one the 'Clear the Clearance' sale - sizes are limited on a lot of things, but there are some crazy cheap products to be had in pretty much every category.

Extra 40% Off Sale Items at Levi's (code EXTRA40SALE): If you're like me and have Levi's as your go-to for jeans, this is a fantastic chance to get some nice 511's for just a little over $20. They've also got a nice selection of denim jackets as well as shirts, while I found the accessories section a bit disappointing (but I'll let that slide, because $20ish jeans).

Gant by Michael Bastian at Haute: One of my favorite, unaffordable designers, now at unusually affordable prices, thanks to a flash sale from the fellas at Haute. Personally, I'm especially digging some of the casual shirts, but it's all pretty sharp.

Chambray and White Denim at Gilt: I usually stick to the brand-specific features at flash-sale sites, rather than general categories, but damn if chambray and white denim don't look friggin awesome paired with each other. Lots of brands here, lots of good prices.


Aaand that's it for today! Happy shopping, and enjoy your weekend.

Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 5/2/2014

Womp womp, it's almost the weekend! You know what that means:

"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 we've got some really good ones this week:

Sale Items at Imogene + Willie:
I've been yearning after this brand ever since I saw them featured on ESQTV's Alternate Route. Unfortunately, their retail prices are a bit out of my budget. Fortunately, they have some really nice items in their sale section that are way more affordable. For example, I have my eye on this Henley, normally $145, but now just $40:

Men's Henley | Imogene + Willie

Sure, it's a basic item, but it hits all the right notes. It's slim fit, and looks to be just the right thickness for a spring layering piece. I also love the natural/ecru(?) color - although the styling on the model is a bit funky.

They also have this fantastic chambray shirt, which would make a solid casual option year round:

Carter Chambray | Imogene + Willie

I've professed my love for chambray in previous posts, so it's no surprise that a high-end chambray at an affordable price would catch my eye. This guy is regularly $225 (hot damn), but now you can grab one for only $40.

Promotional Prices at Uniqlo:
So, if that $40 chambray is still too steep for your taste, Uniqlo has you covered. Their chambrays start cheap at $30, but for a limited time are available for a pretty unbelievable $15. 

Chambray Long Sleeve Shirt | Uniqlo

At a glance, it's identical to the Willie + Imogene option. In reality, you'll be missing out on some of the details that make the I + W shirt so...well...awesome (double-needle chainstitch construction, bartack-reinforced chest pockets, genuine shell fisheye buttons...things I don't even necessarily understand but sound damn nice), but you still end up with a helluva nice looking shirt. Take note that it is not a slim fit, but I usually even get the slim options from Uniqlo taken in a bit, so it's not really an extra charge.

Now, I'm halfway pumped about this one and halfway pissed, cuz I literally just got this two weekends ago for full price...but I really can't be that upset since my lovely girlfriend bought it for me as a gift. Anyway, I think I raved enough last year about Uniqlo's linen/cotton blazers for you to have gotten the point. They are lightweight, super comfortable, and ridiculously affordable at just $70. Now, they're even more irresistible as they are knocked down to a crazy $50. All the linen/cotton options are on sale, and you can't go wrong with a solid (like the navy I bought last year), but my favorite is definitely the one my gal gifted, in a light blue houndstooth pattern:

Linen Cotton Slim Fit Jacket | Uniqlo

It's just enough of a pattern to be interesting, but not so bold that it's hard to wear. I've been rocking it with an OCBD and a knit tie, or even just a white henley, and feeling sharp while doing it. If/when they go out of stock, Uniqlo tends to be pretty slow to re-up, so grab one while you can.


Sale Items Up to 70% Off at GANT:
Like Imogene + Willie, GANT is a brand I really enjoy but can rarely afford, so I'm excited when I see things pop up in their sale section that I really like. This slim OCBD in an indigo madras-y plaid balances dress and casual (generally more laid back, but good enough to wear with a tie), as well as fall and spring, and we all know how much I value versatility:

Indigo Oxford Check Hugger Original Button Down | GANT

At $41, down from an original price of $135, it's definitely a steal and definitely within the range of do-able prices.

I'm also really digging these twill pants, mainly for the color, but also for the $54 price, regularly $180:

Stick Boy Broken Twill | GANT

The green is perfect for spring...it fits in great with the color schemes I discussed a few weeks ago - along the same lines as the hunter green that was all the rage in the fall, but injected with just enough brightness to match the improving weather.



Aaaaand I'm actually going to cut it short this week, cuz as I'm writing this on Thursday night, every other sale I was going to mention ends today. Sheesh!

I will give a quick plug though, I've just started taking advantage of the various discussion forums for purchasing items directly from other stylish gents - for example, I'm getting a pair of like-new, light rinse Levi's from a fella on Reddit for $10, shipped. Boom. You can also find guys selling things on StyleForum, Dappered's Threads, and (I believe a relatively new site) Grailed. Of course, selection is hit or miss, but if you're patient and diligent you'll get some damn good deals.

Solid Ties - Think Outside the Box

As patterned shirts get more and more play in office settings, it can get tricky to match a patterned tie. However, a plain silk, especially with any type of sheen to it, can look like something you would have worn to prom. Even a toned down version, like a silk twill, is just kind of boring. 

A quick and easy remedy is to stock up on some nice solid ties with interesting textures or fabrics. The solid color scheme will ensure that it will match easily with any pattern, but the visual depth that the texture or fabric choice adds will keep you looking like a man on top of his sartorial game. 

Here are some of our favorite options:

Silk Knit:

This is one of my go-to options year-round. Honestly, a silk knit with an OCBD is probably my favorite combination, and is so incredibly versatile that you'll find yourself reaching for it again and again. It's a look equally at home under a suit as it is with jeans and a tweed blazer. 

Solid Silk Knit Tie in Bordeaux | The Knottery - $18.00

Wool/Cotton Knit:

Keep it seasonal by changing your fabrics appropriately - cotton in the spring and summer, wool in the winter and fall.. The lack of any real shine here makes these a bit more casual, but can still work under a suit if done right - just opt for a coarser or heftier suit fabric with your wool knits, or a lighter summer fabric like linen or cotton (chino would look especially great) with your cotton neckwear.

Solid Wool Knit Tie in Charcoal | The Tie Bar - $15

Knit Cotton Tie | J.Crew Factory - $29.50

Raw Silk: Of all fabrics on this list, I have the least experience with Raw Silk, but maybe the strongest desire to give it a try. The stuff just looks very cool...it holds the elegance of a silk material, but the unfinished nature and inherent roughness take it from business to creative.

Solid Raw Silk Tie | Sid Mashburn - $95

Chambray:

The white weft threads in chambray give the fabric a bit more depth than a plain weave or twill, and also lends a lightness to the colors that is perfect for spring and summer. Just be careful, as a good rule of thumb is to keep your tie darker than your shirt. With that in mind, lighter colored ties such as these will work best with a white-based shirt. Of course, if you dig around enough, you'll be able to find a tie cut from dark chambray remeniscent of your favorite pair of jeans:

Stafford Cotton Chambray Tie | JCPenney - $30

Donegal:

Back to winter options, a Donegal wool tie will have the characteristic nubs and flecks that the name is known for. From a distance it will look solid, but up close you'll get some great texture and variation. These pair incredibly well with tweed or heavy english wools. 

New Look Donegal Tie | ASOS - $8.50

Silk Grenadine:

The rest of the options listed here tend to lean at least just a bit more casual, but grenadine knit is all about class. This textured weave is vaguely similar to a plain silk knit, but usually keeps the triangle point (as opposed to flat edge), and is a luxurious (although usually more expensive) alternative that will go great with a sharp power suit and slick dress shirt.

Handmade Slim Navy Grenadine Tie | Charles Tyrwhitt - $85

How to Rock It (featuring Past the Pocket)

Last month, Past the Pocket was kind enough to send us one of their fabulous pocket squares for a review. This month, we're bringing their square back to the blog as we feature it in two different outfits. Hopefully these styling examples will give you some inspiration for rocking a similar square yourself. If you like what you see, pick up the 'Some Kind of Blue' chambray pocket square from Past the Pocket for the everyday low cost of $10.

In last month's review, I expressed my opinion that "the best thing about a solid chambray pocket square is it's versatility." With that spirit in mind, I wanted to show you just how versatile this square is by working it into both an all-decked-out ensemble and a laid-back-casual 'fit, side by side.

Admittedly, some chambrays are inherently more rough and rugged, but that's what I love about this fabric from Past the Pocket. It's just soft and luxurious enough that it doesn't look out of place when worn next to sleeker, dressier fabrics like the white twill shirt and blue wool suit.

I picked the wool tie to give this a more seasonal feel (photographed on a beautiful fall day) and to accompany the heartier textural element that the square brings to the look. Also, the sky-blue pin stripes really add to the blue theme of the look. The suit is actually my new made-to-measure number from Dragon Inside (further review to come), and the shirt is another new purchase from Modern Tailor (always highly recommended, use this link for $20 off your first purchase). I'd feel comfortable wearing this to a business meeting, a posh dinner date, or even a wedding.

Not headed to a business meeting, posh dinner date, or a wedding? Dressing for casual Friday in the office, or a trip to that new craft beer bar? No problemo. The square is just as easy to dress down. I picked a simpler fold and tucked it into the pocket of my brown blazer from Frank and Oak.

This blazer can be dressed up as well, but the flecked coloring does lend well to a more casual feel. To keep it dressed-down, I skipped the tie and wore this dirt-cheap Target OCBD, which as actually become one of my wardrobe favorites (despite some previously-mention issues with the armholes). The stripes play well with the color of the pocket square, while the fabric choice helps nudge the square towards casual territory. Not shown in the picture, I rocked this with a simple blue-jeans and boat shoes combo, which is my go-to casual gear. Piece of cake.

How would you wear it? Share your thoughts in the comments, or shoot me an e-mail!

Warm Fall Days

So many seasonal posts coming out of Wide Eyes, Tight Wallets! That's because these in-between times, where it's part fall and part summer, give you the most room to play when it comes to selecting your daily wear. Take my outfit the other day, for example. Friday felt like fall, but was still pretty warm in Chicago (definitely not time to start layering). Plus, it's September, one of those weird months where it might be freezing one day and sweltering the next. Rather than pick one or the other, I decided to dress a bit for both seasons:

First, I held onto some of the summer trends with this short sleeve chambray shirt (from American Eagle, believe it or not). The short sleeve, lightweight chambray was one of my go-to's this summer, and the dot print pattern just adds a bit more summery playfulness to the look.

Moving down, I started to head into fall territory. I wrote a post the other week about wanting a pair of burgundy chino's, but lucky me, I already have a pair of burgundy cords that I picked up at Gap last year. The color is fantastic for these transitional purposes. It let's you move into the darker, more earthy colors of fall while keeping a toe in the pool of all the bright colors that summer has to offer.

I tend to think of corduroy as a good transitional cloth as well, mostly because of the range the fabric offers. Wale refers to the thickness of the ridges on a piece of corduroy. Thin or fine wale can be seen as more formal, and is usually lighter in weight and one of the few corduror fabrics you will want to wear in the summer. Sometimes, you get an effect close to seersucker. Thick or heavy wale fabrics will be more rugged, casual, and warm, and are usually reserved for the winter. This pair is right in the middle, so I get a bit of the rustic fall look without sweating my cajones off.

I finished it off with my Clark's chukkas. I haven't worn these all summer...some people can do boots in the summer, but I am not one of those people. But I love wearing boots. So, now that it's cooling down, this was one of the first 'seasonal' items I unpacked and they finally got their first wear of the fall.

In the end, I think it's a great outfit for the day. It's moved on from summer, not clinging desperately to those last few rays of hot summer sun, but it's not quite ready to embrace the dreary cold days to come, instead walking the line between seasons. When those cold days do come, just throw on a light jacket and the look is just as sharp.

How do you dress on these not-quite-summer but not-quite-fall days?

Fabric of the Season - Chambray

At some point I’d love to have an ‘expert’ help us write a post about all the different fabric choices that are out there, from twill to poplin to oxford cloth, but for now I’m going to focus on one fabric that I’ve been addicted to lately and is definitely my go-to this spring; chambray.

Chambray is a relatively lightweight fabric woven with a white weft and colored warp (weft refers to the horizontal threads that are woven through the vertical warp), which results in a texture very similar to denim.

Traditionally, chambray is a blue color, once again much like denim, but these days you can find it in a variety of colors (I have blue, dark grey, and red). Personally, I love this fabric in the spring because I think it’s a great way to incorporate lighter spring colors like a dusty red or faded blue without sacrificing any manly ruggedness or falling into Easter bunny territory. Like linen and other more textured fabrics, it even looks good slightly rumpled.

I also love chambray because of how well it works in both formal and casual wear. Originally, denim and, likewise, chambray, were reserved for casual clothing and work-wear, but recently with the so-called ‘rules’ of men’s fashion being challenged and the boundaries stretched, it is more and more acceptable to wear chambray formally. If you want to dress up a chambray shirt, look for something with a narrower collar and no chest pockets. In addition to now being used for dress shirts and even blazers, there are a lot of chambray ties and pocket squares that look great paired with other cross-genre fabrics and patterns like gingham shirts or tweed jackets.

On top of all that, the stuff is damn comfortable! Think the ruggedness of denim with a more lightweight, soft cotton feel. Perfect for those spring days that aren’t too cold or too hot. My favorite chambray shirts both come from Frank and Oak and go for a mere $45 (sign up for Frank and Oak with my referral link for $5 off), but I’ve seen some strong offerings from J. Crew, like the red shirt shown below, among others, and I’d expect to see chambray options popping up at most menswear brands this spring.

Frank and Oak Reviewed

Before I Begin: 

If this post inspires anyone to give Frank and Oak a try, feel free to use my referral link: http://vnlink.co/S5B7dYb (you’ll get $25 credit for signing up, can’t complain about that).

EDIT: We recently provided an update to this review, 'Frank and Oak - Reviewed and Revisited,' which can be found here. Enjoy!

As promised, here is Wide Eyes, Tight Wallet’s first full-length brand review. More to come in the future!

Brand Background:

Frank and Oak is an online-only men’s clothing start-up service based out of Montreal, Canada. Their goal has been to offer stylish, modern, quality clothing at an affordable price by effectively cutting out the middle man. Instead of having a designer sell clothing designs to manufacturer, who then sells to a retailer (at a profit), who then sells to the consumer (at a bigger profit, those bastards), Frank and Oak does the whole process in house. The result (originally) was that nothing they sold cost over $50. More and more they have been surpassing that price point, but with the goal of offering some higher end clothing (their United Tailor collection is pretty damn sharp), and a wider range of articles (i.e. blazers, jackets, etc.). However, thus far their pricing has remained very manageable on all fronts. Frank and Oak are proud to make every effort toward sustainability, including using recycled goods for packaging and keeping a small selection to avoid overstock and wasted materials. They are also proud of their diverse backgrounds, stating on their website “We are you. We are designers, web geeks, architects and artists with a simple goal: to create high quality clothing and accessories and share them at a remarkable price.” Frank and Oak actually just celebrated their one-year anniversary this past month, so they are still just a bunch of young pups and I’m sure will continue to develop as time goes on.

In addition to standard online shopping, Frank and Oak offers a monthly trunk or ‘crate’ service called ‘The Hunt Club,’ of which I am a proud member. Honestly, this service is great. They do a much better job of explaining it on their ‘How It Works’ section, but here’s the gist: Every month you get to pick out three items, which they ship to you free of charge. You get to try on the clothes, decide what you want to keep, and send the rest back, at which point they charge you for the selections you’ve made. Not only does this give you a great, commitment-free way to try new clothes, they throw free shipping on all orders (crate and otherwise), which makes the whole thing worth it regardless of the crate in my book. I love free shipping. Some people worry with these kinds of services that you will be duped into buying things without realizing it, but Frank and Oak is great at keeping you on top of selection and return deadlines through great e-mail contact, and in the few cases where I’ve had issues with timing they’ve been more than forgiving. Final kicker? Hunt Club members receive 8% of every order back in store credit.

What I’ve Bought:

• Light Blue Oxford-Cloth-Button-Down (OCBD)


• Red Chambray Dress Shirt


• Charcoal Chambray Button-Down


• Charcoal Taylor Trousers


• Brown Wool Blazer


• Cotton Tie

Quality:

I have to preface this section by admitting that I am no master clothier. I don’t know the difference between types of stitches, and I couldn’t pick out a fused collar at a glance, but I do think I recognize a quality garment. In my honest opinion, Frank and Oak really delivers when it comes to quality for the price you are paying. Everything I’ve bought just feels sturdy. Well-made. Like it won’t fall apart after a few washes, or split at the seams in the middle of my workday (I’ve had this happen with a pair of H&M pants and will never go back there again). The OCBD seems especially rugged, and is the one garment I’ve bought that seems borderline coarse (personally, I’m not complaining, I love the shirt, but if you want something lightweight, look elsewhere. Then again, if you want something lightweight, and OCBD probably isn’t your best bet to begin with). While this isn’t bespoke, hand sewn, custom-cut clothing, it beats the hell out of anything your going to get for the same price at a mass-produced joint like Express. I’d put fabric quality on-par with what I’ve purchased from J. Crew, but the prices are much more reasonable (and I’m so much more of a fan of Frank and Oak’s fit).

Customer Service:

As of yet, I haven’t had any big issues to test out Frank and Oak’s customer service, but what interactions I have had have yielded no complaints on my end. The only mistake they made was they (once) sent me the wrong shirt as part of a Hunt Club crate selection. They offered to extend my selection deadline and send the correct shirt, but it was honestly something I was just trying on for fun, wasn’t going to buy, and liked the shirt they sent me instead anyway. I’ve contacted them a few times with minor questions about sizing and they have always been quick and friendly with their responses.

Also (and I’m not sure if this belongs in the ‘Customer Service’ section of the review), but they do go beyond just selling clothing, which is fun. Their main page every month includes a section called ‘The Edit’ which is along the lines of a monthly blog and includes interviews with a variety of people (from other players in the menswear world to musicians), lookbooks for some of that month’s selection, videos, and more. They also host a weekly #NecktieFriday competition on Twitter and Instagram that I have a blast participating in every week (in fact, I love it so much I already wrote about it)!

These guys are so great, in honor of their anniversary they made every competitor from that week a winner (which is how I scored that great cotton tie seen above).

What’s To Love:

The first thing to love about Frank and Oak is their price/quality ratio. By cutting out the middleman and encompassing the design, manufacture, and distribution of their products, they are able to offer high quality clothing at incredible prices. Blazers are the only thing that will cost you more than $50, and even those top out at little over $100. Even better, price aside I would still take one of their $45 shirts over a $75 shirt from J. Crew. As this blog focuses a lot on how to improve your wardrobe without breaking the bank (hence the Tight Wallets moniker), this is a huge plus in my book.

The biggest reason I personally love Frank and Oak is that everything fits me. Perfectly. I have never had this happen at any clothing company, and in fact I usually struggle to find brands where anything fits me great right off the rack. The dress shirts especially fit like a glove. I’m a pretty skinny guy and often suffer from shirts ballooning at the waist and through the arms (even from mid-high range brands like J. Crew and Ben Sherman), but I have none of those problems here. Everything seems very true-to-size and is cut with a modern, slim fit that is hard to find from any similar-priced store.

Additionally, the Hunt Club service is a huge benefit for a guy like me. I love shopping online (almost obsessively), but have a hard time committing to buying anything due to my afore-mentioned issues with fit from most brands. Being able to try things on risk-free gives me so much more confidence when making purchases and makes my shopping experience so much more stress-free.

Lastly, some might complain about the limited selection, but I think it’s another great part of what sets Frank and Oak aside. Sometimes, I find shopping from stores like J. Crew or other big-name brands to be overwhelming. With pages and pages of options in every category, it can be a chore to browse through a selection of pants just to decide there isn’t anything that happens to catch your eye. With the smaller, rotating selection that Frank and Oak offers, it is so much easier to take in the entire selection and make a quick decision about whether or not I want to make any purchases. Nine times out of ten there are still plenty of things I want, and that one time that there isn’t, I know it’s a mere 30 days until I have a whole new pool of items to pick from.

What’s Not To Love:

I personally have very few complaints when it comes to Frank and Oak. I have read that some customers have been displeased with variations in fit between similar garments. I will say that I have noticed this, but only very slightly. For example, my small OCBD fits a little bit looser than either of my small chambray shirts. However, the difference is small enough that I’ve still been very happy with the fit on all three shirts. I will be keeping an eye out for this issue as I continue to order, and if my opinion here changes I’ll be sure to mention it.

Another issue mentioned by other customers and noticed by myself is processing time. This seems (to me) to especially be an issue at the beginning of each month as Hunt Club orders are processed. Sometimes it has taken up to a week between submitting my selection and getting a shipment notice. However, I am very forgiving in this area. I think the benefits of the Hunt Club service more than make up for any wait time issues, plus I am inclined to be pretty forgiving as I keep in mind that this is a small startup with quickly growing clientele, and that’s half of what I love about them.

A final aspect that I have seen other customers take issue with is the fact that you have to sign up in order to browse the selection. If you ask me, this is a really silly gripe. There is no obligation in signing up, they don’t spam your e-mail address, and you can cancel at any point. So really, all you have to complain about is that hard, hard work you are going to put in typing your e-mail address and contact information. I know this can be exhausting, but I promise, it will be worth it.

Beyond that, I’ve noticed a few loose stitches here and there, but always in hard to see places and never to an extent that I feel significantly affects the integrity of any given item.

Luck Day! Bonus Section:

Conveniently, today Frank and Oak released their March selection, so I’ll let you all know what I’m ordering in my crate (whenever it comes I’ll give an update on how everything turns out):

Definitely getting the Newport Chinos in Olive. I checked with their customer service, and this is indeed more of a khaki color than olive (my new Olive Chukkas are more of a dark green). They did say it is a darker khaki, so hopefully it will be what I’m looking for. I’ve been needing a pair of khakis for way too long and have been waiting every month for Frank and Oak to offer their Chinos in the color I want.

I’m also going to get the Valmont Shirt in Pearl. This is another one I’ve trying to find for a while - a nice, great-fitting white shirt. It’s one of the most versatile items a guy can own, but while I do have a white shirt, I’m not a fan of the fabric or the way it fits, so I never wear it.

Lastly I want to try the Crosstown Bomber in Khaki. Honestly, I probably won’t keep this one. It’s a little out of my price range and not exactly what I’m looking for, but I’ve started keeping an eye out for a lighter spring jacket that I can wear with my office clothing, so I figured I’d at least give this a try.

Honestly, my selection is a little boring this month. I usually take advantage of the Hunt Club to try on things I wouldn’t normally wear. However, there are just those standards that I’ve been hunting for that have finally popped up, so I can’t resist and will have a lot more flexibility in my choices next month. I will say I was very tempted by the color selection for the Taylor trousers. I love my pair in charcoal and would have really liked some more colors, but the Chinos came in top priority. I also wish there had been a blazer that caught my eye, but not this month! Hopefully they have some nice lightweight ones coming up soon for the summer. They also (as always) have a great selection of ties and pocket squares, but I already have a go-to source for those that is a tad easier on the wallet (I’ll fill you in later).

Let me know what you think of my choices! I’m not ordering until tonight (gotta let the the girlfriend peruse the selection first), so you might be able to convince me to get something else (if you really care about what I’m wearing that much, sheesh. Just kidding, I love suggestions).

Anyway, sign up here (http://vnlink.co/SK2IDBd) and shop away! I really don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Has anyone else tried Frank and Oak? What did you think?