Seeking Suede

Didn't have much time to put together anything lengthy this week, but wanted to take a quick look at one of my (recurring) obsessions: suede footwear. To me, suede is a kinda funky deal, in that it feels ridiculously seasonal during two opposite seasons: late spring and late fall. As spring starts to turn to summer, there's something about, say, a pair of off-white suede bucs that's perfect for the rising heat. Come fall, with winter right around the corner, the warm nap of a pair of chocolate suede chukkas is just as perfectly appropriate. And somehow, tan suede loafers fit the bill pretty much year round.

Anyway, the point is, I'm on the hunt for suede in a wide variety of footwear applications. Here's a roundup of some of my favorites right now:

Suede Sneakers:

Pennant Pack 574 | New Balance - $79.99

The most casual of the lot, I've been loving vintage-y running shoes. I have a few pairs without, but the pairs that do have suede are by far my favorite this season. I just picked up this pair of New Balance's the other week - not only is the style on point, at $80 it wasn't a bank-breaking buy.


Suede Loafers:

Unlined Penny Loafer in Snuff Suede | Alden - $512

Stepping up the formality a bit, but still very do-able as a casual shoe, I love a nice tan suede penny loafer. I don't yet have my own, but I know exactly what I want in a pair, and it's essentially a loafer version of these boots I picked up from Polo Ralph Lauren last year. The above pair is by Alden, and would definitely fit the bill, but I'd love to find something with a similar shape and color that didn't cost an arm and a leg. Any suggestions?

Suede Chukkas:

Men's Field Chukka | Brooks Brothers - $298

Just as versatile as a penny loafer, a chukka can be dressed up or dressed down as you will, especially with a sharper pick like this pair Brooks Brothers. While significantly more expensive than a similar pair of Clark's (almost $300 compared to $130), the sleeker profile makes these far more appropriate with dressy clothing and suits. At the same time, they remain just as easy to pull off with a sharp pair of denim. And that warm, hot-chocolate-brown is as good as it gets as the temps continue to dip.

Suede Bomber:

Balderton Bomber | Bonobos - $695

Of course, suede isn't only used in footwear. In my opinion, the best alternative application of suede has got to be a nice suede bomber. It takes a more sporty style and adds a level of elegance that is just...next level, I guess! Of course, like any leather jacket, you won't find these puppies for cheap, but I'm a big fan of the jacket we offer at Bonobos - full disclosure, I do work there, but I'd recommend their iteration anyway! Keep your eye out for a promotion and you might be able to knock the price down to a bit more affordable point.

I'll end with a quick cautionary note: as perfect as suede feels for the fall, you've gotta be careful as we start encountering inclement weather. Personally, I think some suede looks fantastic all beaten up and worn out, but if you're trying to keep your suede fresh, snow and slush can be your worst enemy. Weatherproofing and diligent shoe care can help out immensely, but some days you'll just want to leave em at home.

Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 1/17/2013

First, the 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 now the deals:

Ralph Lauren Winter Sale:
Ok, starting off with a repeat, cuz it's just that crazy of a deal. Remember these colorful suede Chukkas I recommended a few months back? 

Casterton Suede Chukka | Ralph Lauren

At that point they were around $60, if I remember correctly, already a great deal. Well holy hell, look at 'em now. ONLY $40. Need I say more? If these are as nice as they look, this is an unbeatable deal. Come payday tomorrow, I know I'm grabbing a pair. Hell, for that cheap, I might get one of each color.

While we're on Ralph Lauren, I highly recommend taking a look at the Hats/Gloves section of their accessories sale. We've made it through a few months of winter already, but it's still far from over. There's a great selection of hats and gloves as well as scarves that will keep you toasty through the rest of the season at a reasonable price. Personally, I'll probably go for these cashmere-lined leather gloves:

Nappa Cashmere-Lined Gloves | Ralph Lauren

I bought a pair of dress gloves from Frank and Oak earlier this year, but they started to fall apart way too quickly so I had to return them and have been looking for a replacement ever since. These should fit the bill pretty perfectly, and at $42 (down from $98), they won't leave me broke.


Lands' End Canvas:
Not a designated event, but Lands' End Canvas has some darn good-looking deals going on right now. I've read that LEC is being phased out, which is a shame because they offer a more contemporary, slim-fitting take compared to the Lands' End standard. As such, there isn't usually a huge selection, but WOAH, did they just add a ton? Or did I unknowingly have some search filter on yesterday? Regardless, I've got my eye on these slim-fit herringbone chinos, down to $35 from an original price of $88:

Men's 608 Slim Fit Elston Chinos | Lands' End Canvas

I've been dying to get some really wintery trousers (I'm thinking tweed, flannel, etc.). These certainly look nice and wintery, but by using a cotton blend rather than wool, it looks like LEC has kept the pricing down. I'm also hugely impressed by the fact that inseams are offered at 1/4 inch intervals. I've never heard of that before, it's practically a free custom hem-job. On top of that, you can get them cuffed or un-cuffed (or un-finished if you want to go pay to have them hemmed yourself). 

My other recommendation isn't even on sale, but it's still a pretty darn good deal, and I'm considering it myself. Everyone loves a good white OCBD, and I've been wearing mine even more over the past few weeks. I'm not sure why, but I don't really need a reason! Either way, it's made me wish I had a fresh one to wear every day of the week, so this number jumped off the page:

Men's Washed Oxford Shirt | Lands' End Canvas

Even without a discount, these are very affordable at $39, and come with all the necessities: button-down collar, 100% cotton, 'close to the body fit,' a hemline that can be worn tucked or not, you name it. Get both of these (or any other combo over $50) and shipping is free.


Extra 40% Off Final Sale Items at J.Crew:
Ok, this one is kind of a cop out because a) there's only one size left - 32/32, and b) this is definitely a 'planning ahead' purchase that you won't be able to use until the summer. BUT, if that's your size, you're getting and incredible deal, and come summer, you'll be so glad you bought these. I have a pair of oxford-cloth pants from Bonobos that are the most comfortable thing I've ever worn and breezy-cool in the hot summer, and J.Crew's version looks just as nice: 

Bowery Slim in Oxford Cloth | J.Crew

Offered in the slim Bowery fit, these come at a ridiculously low price of $24 after the discount (originally $88). Get it.

To make up for the limited availability and delayed reward of that recommendation, here's a much more season-appropriate and widely sized option, also at an incredibly low price of $24:

Vintage Cord in Slim-Straight Fit | J.Crew

These deep red corduroy pants in slim-straight fit may look like a bold choice, but the softer texture helps mute things a bit, and honestly, the warmth of the color can be a welcome element to your wardrobe on a dreary winter day.


MLK Day Sale at Gap:
There's not a ton of things that I will regularly go to Gap for, but these 'lived-in' chinos are one of them. They are crazy comfortable, and in my experience a bit slimmer than the photos indicate, which leaves them at a perfect balance between casual and dressy. I've worn these with a t-shirt to music festivals and with a dress shirt, tie and blazer to the office. 

Lived-In Slim Khaki | Gap

Lately, I've been on the hunt for a pair of chinos in brown, and at $24 (hmm, popular price for pants these days) these are too good to pass up. 

While you're at it, grab another staple at a steal. A white tee may seem too simple, but throw one on with a pair of dark blue jeans and you'll be rocking a timeless look, comfortable but sharp, rugged yet refined. 

The Essential Crewneck T | Gap

This one is only $9, so you get above-Target quality for below-target prices. Again, too good to pass up.

Happy shopping, and have a great weekend!

As promised, here is a picture of my most recent eBay snag. I got these Clarks Desert Boots for $35.00 plus $12.00 for shipping, and they are in damn near new condition. They guy told me they were only worn once, and I believe him. The only way you’d even notice that is the ever-so-slightest scuffs on the soles. Clarks are a classic and every guy should have a pair. My little bastard pup chewed the hell out of mine a week or so ago and I didn’t hesitate to scope out a new pair. Sorry the picture is so shitty, swear to god this is with the HD setting on. Time to get a real camera.

A Tip Of The Hat To...(or something less pretentious)

A goal of mine is to provide a series of reviews through this blog. There are a billion places to look for inspiration, but I’ve found it hard at times to find out how to make that inspiration happen. Half the time I’ll read a blog and think “Yes! You’re right, I should own a pair of classic khakis. What have I been thinking??” (true story. Somehow I don’t own a single pair of khakis) and then I’m slammed with the question of where, among all the thousands of khakis sold online, to turn. On top of that, I am horrible at making decisions on my own, so I love blog articles that tell me exactly what to buy. Here, I figure I’ll spread the love. Since I don’t have a gazillion dollars, my plan is to review things as I buy them (I’ll pick some old favorites that I already own to start things off), and will also sprinkle in reviews/recommendations of other blogs, people to follow on twitter, etc. I’ll also try to keep these short and to the point, which is not my strong suit (for that, I turn to this great navy wool suit I got from…just playing. I actually don’t even own a suit. Puns aren’t my forte either. Neither is figuring out how to put an accent on the e in forte. I digress).

Since I am writing this post from work (shhhh, don’t tell!) and didn’t plan ahead to pick something out/take pictures of anything before I left the house, I will do my first product review some other time, and today you will get my first blog review!

I’ll start with one of my favorites: The Style Girlfriend. Written by Megan Collins, this blog has gotten a lot of positive attention lately (it was featured in GQ in the fall). I love it for a few reasons. One is that Megan is great at providing specific examples for all of her recommendations. As I said before, a pet peeve is being given great style advice with no resources on how to make that happen. Megan constantly gives links to that great pair of Chukkas she’s featuring (StyleGF LOVES chukkas).

Another thing I love is that, as a girl writing about menswear, Megan gives a view that, while incredibly educated in the matter, comes from outside. Sometimes I find it hard to relate to all these blogs written by rich Italian men or experienced tailors or heirs to vast fortunes that seem to expect readers to have grown up in the world of men’s fashion. In this sense, Megan and her intern(s) write very applicable articles for readers who are just getting their footing and would probably feel pretentious using the word ‘sartorial’ on a daily basis.

Finally, it’s ALWAYS great to have a girl say you look good, so I love to follow Megan’s recommendations (go Chukkas!).

There’s lots else to love about her blog too, I definitely recommend it. You can read her articles at www.stylegirlfriend.com, follow her on Twitter (@StyleGF), and like her on Facebook too.