Deals And Steals for the Weekend - We're Back!!

Holy cow folks, it feels like forever since I've posted - and it kinda has been! And I apologize for the lack of action over the past few days (and the slow movement over the few weeks before that) - as I mentioned the other day, I've been hard at work orchestrating a transition from the great city of Chicago to the great(er? - not to ruffle anyone's feathers...) city of New York! But now I'm here, I have Wi-Fi (and air conditioning, not sure which is more important right now), so it's time to get back on track.

I'll definitely be working on some NYC-specific things soon (especially as I might have the chance to hit up some NYFW events over the next week), and also have some great brand showcases/reviews on the way, but for now, I'm diving back into our regular schedule with an all-new Deals and Steals:

"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!"

Even though it's like, 90 degrees in NYC, I'm getting pumped for fall, so this week we're highlighting some great cool-weather options as we start looking forward to those lower temps. And we're off:


Men's Knitwear Sale from Woolovers:
If you're anything like me, one of your favorite things about winter layering is sweaters - lambswool, merino, and cashmere...cable knits, fair isle prints, and chunky cardigans. You name it, I'll wear it. Unfortunately, most of these are damn hard to find at a price that won't break your budget. Enter Woolovers - a brand hyped up a lot on menswear forums that I'm excited to try this season. Specializing specifically in knitwear, they offer a ton of great styles at ridiculously affordable prices. Even better, right now they have a sale going on with even lower discounts. For example, this Nordic Fair Isle is clocking in at just $44 (and is regularly only $52):

Nordic Fair Isle Sweater | Woolovers

I love the colors, the heavier weight, and of course the classic (but not too funky) pattern.

Likewise, they've got your Aran sweaters covered as well (and those tend to be even more expensive at other retailers):

Aran Sweater | Woolovers

This one clocks in at just $44 as well. Reviews for these things ain't bad - apparently the wool is of decently good quality (especially for the price), and honestly I think the biggest risk is ending up with something a bit boxy or large. I've seen some folks recommend sizing down, and I think that will be my strategy. Regardless, these chunky sweaters shouldn't be super slim to begin with, so I'm definitely going to bite on a few in time for the fall/winter season.


Todd Snyder x Champion via HauteLook:
Coming at you from the Nordstrom-partnered (owned?) flash sale site (yep, gonna have to fork over your e-mail address for access to this one), HauteLook is offering up the incredibly-comfortable looking Todd Snyder x Champion collab at hugely discounted prices. I've had my eye on these crewneck sweatshirts since the collaboration came out last year, and here they are at finally affordable prices. There is a variety of colors, but my favorite is this one in grey:

Pocket Sweatshirt | Todd Snyder x Champion via HauteLook

The light color will contrast great with a pair of dark blue jeans, and the details like the chest pocket, raglan sleeves and contrasting trim set the sweatshirt apart from your garden variety options - all for just $60 (regularly $130).

If you're looking for a bit more style, check out this shawl-collar 'popover' sweatshirt they have as well:

Shawl Popover | Todd Snyder x Champion via HauteLook

I'm a big fan of shawl collars, but most of mine are on slightly-more-formal knitwear (sweaters, cardigans, etc.). That said, I'm digging this dressed down version, and the shawl is bound to keep you just a bit warmer when it (eventually) gets chilly. Normally a whopping $195, you can snag this one for just $80.

Check out the rest of the collection for more cozy sweatshirts, sweatpants, and some nice (but still pricey) varsity jackets. Also, I believe our referral link will get both of us $20 credit.


Imogene + Willie via Huckberry:
Now, I know that even at these discounted prices, these jeans are pretty damn pricey BUT, ever since I saw them featured on the Esquire Network's Alternate Route, I've wanted a pair, and this is one of the few times that I've seen their Barton line (my favorite) on sale. I could talk em up myself, but just watch the episode (linked above) and you'll see why I dig the brand. Huckberry is offering them in both slim and slim-straight, both for $220, down from $250:

Barton Slim | Imogene + Willie via Huckberry

Barton Slim-Straight | Imogene + Willie via Huckberry

Bonus: they have some gals options as well, which I wasn't aware of, in case your special lady needs a pair too. Check em out at the bottom of the page.


Uniqlo Selvedge Denim Promotion:
Of course, if $220 is too steep for a pair of jeans on your budget (as it is mine), Uniqlo has you covered. Even at the standard $50 price point, their selvedge is damn affordable, and has pretty good reviews as well. Now, you can grab a pair for only $40 as part of their weekly promotions, which is about as cheap as selvedge denim gets. Check them out in dark blue navy...

Slim-Straight Navy Selvedge Jeans | Uniqlo

...or a lighter faded blue (but not dad-jeans territory)...

Slim-Straight Blue Selvedge Jeans | Uniqlo

Bonus: Pick these up in-store for free hemming (one of the many reasons I'm excited to live in NYC, even though Chicago is supposedly getting a location next year).

And with that, I best be getting back to unpacking, before my lovely girlfriend comes home and sees how unproductive I've been today (eesh)!

Birkenstocks are Back - Yea or Nay?

I’m back on the grind after a brief break for a weekend trip to San Francisco. It was my first time to the West Coast, and we had an incredible time, man, what a beautiful city! We’ll definitely be back. 

While we were traveling, I got an e-mail blast from J.Crew - I can’t remember the subject exactly but it went something like “Yes, You Can Wear Sandals” or “Birkenstocks Are Back” or a combination of the two, and had this conflicting surge of emotions. Ok, ok, so really, sandals and Birkenstocks don’t evoke surges of emotion, but there were some battling feelings for sure.

Birkenstock for J.Crew | Arizona Sandals

You see, on one hand, I’ve quickly latched on to the idea that men should never wear sandals in public - the only exceptions being the pool and the beach (and the shower-room, but I don’t consider that to be in public). Why? Part of it just goes to function - I believe you should use things for what they were designed to be used for, and the same way that undershirts should be treated as underwear, flip-flops and sandals in general should be treated as resort-wear. Another part is that guys feet are ugly. Girls feet can be small and dainty and cute, but guys feet are always callused, knobby and crooked. I don’t care who you are. It’s a curse. With that in mind, we should cover them up, as a favor to the rest of the world! Last, to me, sandals in public are just kind of lazy, and sacrifice style for a misperceived (an in reality practically non-existent) increase in comfort - like wearing gym shorts, or sweats.

On the other hand, I was raised by hippies, and couldn’t be happier about that! And nothing goes more hand-in-hand than hippies and Birkenstocks. Therefore, something about the classic style of sandal says way more ‘summers in the backyard’ and ‘music festival’ than it does dorm shower room or sloppy beach-goer (like most other sandals). For that matter, nostalgia aside, the Birkenstock isn’t a bad looking piece of footwear. The leather straps and buckles are well made, and you can tell. Even better, they don’t look like someone took a shower shoe and tried to dress it up (like leather thong sandals), and instead look comfortable in their own…shoes…or whatever. On first instinct, I’d say I won’t be snagging these any time soon, but the more I think about it, the more I could see myself tossing these on for a summer walk with the dog or a BBQ in the park. With J.Crew throwing their hat in the game with a limited collar (and updating the look with some snazzy white soles), the style might just be joining the preppy-menswear-mainstream right along with brogues and penny loafers.

What do you guys think? Running at $130.00, yea or nay? Would you wear them? More pictures and details below and at J.Crew:

Shopping on a Budget: Look for Collabs

One of the most frustrating things as an gent trying to up your style game (and a topic we return to frequently here on Wide Eyes, Tight Wallets), is seeing high end clothing, knowing what makes those garments so superior, and not being able to afford any of them. After you know what you're looking for, it's really hard to settle for anything less!

One trick that I've learned is to keep an eye out for collaborations between high-end menswear designers and low-budget retailers. This happens a lot more than you'd think, and you can get some great-looking clothing for a price that won't leave you penniless. Target often offers limited releases of collaborations, Gap works with GQ featured designers, even JCP, during it's short stint under the direction of Nick Wooster was offering some Wooster-endorsed duds to the masses. Be aware that, even if you are getting the stylish look, these clothes are still cheaper for a reason and will probably not be holding up for decades, but hey, that's what cheap clothes are all about! I especially love these kinds of finds as a way to experiment without investing my savings on new looks that I might not end up loving.

Most recently, and I think I may have mentioned this before, I was clued into the Michael Bastian collab currently running at Uniqlo, featuring some stylish-as-hell polo shirts. At a mere $20 price-point, there are enough styles and colors to make anyone happy, and with Michael Bastian's name attached (and honestly, Uniqlo's good rep as well), you can be pretty sure you won't be disappointed. I just ordered this guy over the weekend:

Uniqlo x Michael Bastian

I can't wait for it to arrive, especially as the temps are rising here in Chicago and I'm going to be needing some more short-sleeve options soon, for sure. It should arrive later this week, and I'll update you folks on how it turns out (along with my other Uniqlo purchases) in the near future.

Musical Interlude - David Bowie x Paul Smith

David Bowie has always been one of my favorite musicians. I remember belting out ‘Starman’ with my best friend in middle school while everyone else was rocking hard to P.O.D. and Limp Bizkit. Thus, you can imagine my excitement when I heard his new, ‘come-back’ album Next Day and it kicked oh so much ass. Harkening back to the style of his 70’s ‘Berlin’ recordings (i.e. Low, Lodger, and Heroes), the album showcases what Bowie does best, which is mashing together the classic with the experimental and coming out with something beautiful as a result.

Icing on the cake? Bowie just announced an upcoming collaboration with men’s fashion great Paul Smith. Now, I’m not sure if Bowie has ever released a fashion line before, but in the same way that he has always been a force in cutting edge music, his style has been alternately breaking the mold and redefining timeless classics. As of now, they have only announced a pretty predictable album-cover T-shirt, but anything from the man that brought you this: 

and this:

 

and this:

 

is bound to be exciting, if nothing else.

What are your thoughts? Will David Bowie x Paul Smith be classic and dapper or experimental and daring?

Also, be sure to check out the visually stunning video for his new single ‘The Stars (Are Out Tonight)’ which is a fashion smorgasbord all of it’s own!