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!

Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 6/6/2014

Alrighty folks, it's that time of the week. I'm gonna keep it pretty short this week, got company coming in and our apartment is a bit of a mess, so I gotta wrap this up and get to work! So here we go:

"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!"


Semi-Annual Sale at Mr. Porter:
This is one of the most highly anticipated sale events in the menswear world. Mr. Porter carries, like, exclusively cool stuff, but most of it is very high end and very expensive, so their semi-annual sales are sometimes the only chance for us budget-conscious shoppers to grab some of their dapper duds. Right now, discounts are up to 50%, but later in the sale you'll see them jump to 60% and even 70%, so expect to see us revisit this. This week, take a look through the J.Crew selection, which even at the lower discount becomes pretty damn affordable. Among the standouts to me was this madras-y popover:

Check Cotton Shirt | J.Crew via Mr. Porter

This hits all the right notes for a perfect casual summer shirt, plus, J.Crew's popover selection is kinda new and therefore often excluded from sales (and rarely in the clearance section), so the discounted price of $45 is hard to beat.

Also gotta point out this Ludlow suit in a beautiful glen plaid, which is a perfect follow up to our recent 'Know Your Pattern' feature. At full price, the suit will run you a hefty $678, but the sale has it down to $339 for both the jacket and pants:

Ludlow Slim-Fit Glen Plaid Suit | J.Crew via Mr. Porter

Ludlow suits are a go-to these days for gents liking a more modern, slim cut, but eager to avoid the chopped-jacket trend. I love the rich brown of this color, and while it might be a bit heavy for summer, it will look fantastic come fall. The link above will take you to the jacket, and you can find the matching pants here.

Just a few links to some other products I'm digging:
A nice casual cotton crewneck pullover that will be a perfect layering option for cooler summer evenings - $42.50 (originally $85)
A fair-isle patterned wool sweater that I was hunting for this winter, but never found at an affordable price - now just $60 (originally $120)
In a quick look beyond J.Crew, this Levi's Vintage T-shirt - sure, it's not cheap at $45 (down from $90), but I'm really liking the 50's retro feel, might be worth the extra dough.

Again, we'll be revisiting this sale in the future, so keep an eye out!


Extra 15% off at Kohl's:
Honestly, I've never shopped at Kohl's before, and never really considered it. However, my girlfriend has been working with them at her marketing firm and recommended I take a look - I was pleasantly surprised to see some nicely discounted Levi's and Dockers, which are two of my go-to's for jeans and khakis. I'm thinking about picking up this pair of Docker's (I believe they are Alpha Khakis - Kohl's has them listed as 'Slim Tapered Modern Khaki Pants' but they sure as heck look like the Alphas, and the 'Slim Tapered' fitting is consistent with the Alphas as well:

Alpha(?) Khaki in Ink | Dockers via Kohl's

They have a bunch of classic neutral colors, which are actually sometimes kinda hard to find. I'm particularly drawn to this 'Ink' color, which has a subtle grey tint to a darker blue, and clocks in at just $35 (originally $58). 


Effortless Gent Giveaway:
This last one is just straight up a steal, haha. I've mentioned before that I'm lucky to get to do some work helping Barron with Effortless Gent and his other project, Cladright, so I'm happy to spread the word about a killer giveaway he's running. Through Wednesday, June 11th, you can enter to win a pretty damn good-looking pair of loafers from up-and-comers Paul Evans: 

Even better, if you win, you get to take your pick of the four colors (my favorites are the tan fellas on the right). Head over to the site for information on how to enter!

Have a great weekend!

Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 5/9/2014

Woof. This felt like a really long week. All the better that it's finally time for some weekend fun - and maybe some weekend shopping? Here it is:

"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!"

Alpha Khaki Collection Sale at Dockers:
I feel like we've been throwing Dockers on the Deals and Steals list a lot, but we've always focused on their (awesome) pants. There are still plenty of chinos on sale, especially if you are up for venturing beyond the Alpha Khaki collection, but this week I was really caught by their other apparel. They've had some really stylish stuff running, but it never ends up in the sale section...until now. First thing that caught my eye was this casual button-up shirt in a perfect-for-summer madras-y plaid:

Wrinkle Twill Shirt in Coral | Dockers

They are calling it 'wrinkle twill,' but I'm just interpreting that as their version of seersucker, which makes this bad boy all the more tempting, especially as we just had our first 'hot' day of the summer here in Chicago and my mind is finally full swing focused on hot-weather duds. Normally $68, this shirt is going for just $41.

Definitely take a look at the rest of their tops - along with some other nice shirts, they have some good-looking sweaters and other knits, if you are looking to stock up for next fall. Back to the pantaloons, I noticed these 'City Khakis' also listed under the Alpha collection:

City Khaki in Navy Smoke Stripe | Dockers

They aren't described as Alphas in the product details, so I'm not sure if that's a mistake? The fit sounds similar, with a slim cut and taper below the knee. Regardless, I'm kinda digging them...the microstripe, again, seems like a play off of seersucker and will look very seasonally appropriate this summer. The 'permanent crease' will dress these up a bit too, I can see myself rocking these with a nice summer blazer. At just $40, down from $68, these might be hard to pass up.


Additional 25% Off at Brooks Brothers (code FF25):
Brooks Brothers, one of the original pioneers of American prep style, is having their yearly(?) friends and family sale, knocking down pretty much all their prices by another 25%. Brooks Brothers is usually a bit out of my budget, but when you combine that discount with some already-great sale prices, things get affordable fast! First off, if you happen to be a size large or bigger, please buy this popover oxford:

Solid Oxford Popover Sport Shirt | Brooks Brothers

I want it, so bad, but they've been sold out of my size forever. This was a great deal even before the F&F discount, which takes the final price to only $30 (originally $80). I'm kinda obsessed with popovers this season, and they are hard to find at an affordable price, with this classic and risk-free of a style. Jump on it.

Brooks Bros is one of those brands that names all their fits actual names (as in, not just 'slim' and 'regular' or 'classic,' etc.). They also have a lot of them. Just know that Milano is their slimmest fit, and probably the one you want. Lucky us, they have some nice Milano fit chinos in the sale section as well:

Milano Fit Vintage Chinos | Brooks Brothers

Originally $100, the sale price combined with the additional discount marks these down to a crazy low price of $22.50, which would be a steal almost anywhere. Classic colors like navy and khaki are contrasted with a bright mustard, so you have some safe options and a bold kicker in there too. 


Extra 30% Off at J.Crew Factory (code SALE30):
J.Crew Factory is at the discount code game again, this time offering 30% off sitewide. While the whole site is worth a browse, I headed right for the clearance section to see what I could get dirt cheap, and I was disappointed. Their leather plaque belt has been very highly recommended to me as an ultimate go-to dress belt:

Leather Plaque Belt | J.Crew Factory

Normally the price doesn't dip far below the original $40, but with the discount it's currently all the way down to $12, which is kind of insane. So just buy it, don't even think about it (ha! horrible advice for budget-conscious shoppers, I know). 

I was also pretty delighted to see chinos in the clearance section, and even though they only have this 'apple green' color, as opposed to your more standard chino colors, I'm actually a big fan of the color:

Slim Broken-In Chino | J.Crew

It's light and bright enough to really take on that spring/summer vibe, but is a bit more grounded than a full-on mint or teal. Even better, there are tons of sizes available, which doesn't tend to be the case for JCF clearance. Along those lines, I always check out the accessories for one-size products, like these socks (bright, yes, but also under $3 a pair).


Dharma Eyewear at Touch of Modern:
So, Touch of Modern is a modern design flash-sale site. Full disclosure, I've never actually bought anything through them, but I've been getting their e-mails for years and always enjoy checking out the beautiful products they sell. After all that time, this sunglass collection is the sale that might make me actually try them out. Never heard of the brand before, but I'm really liking this style:

Karma in Indian Summer | Dharma Eyewear via Touch of Modern

It's got that vintage-y modern vibe, with the keyhole cutout and Persol-ish shape - but I'm taking a poll here, what do you think of the color scheme? I keep seeing shades with that clear-ish acetate frame, and the more I see it the more I like it - but is it too bold for me? Is this specific example tastefully done? Please, chime in! I'm horrible at decisions and could use your help!

Regardless, they also offer the same frame in a much tamer tortoise-shell color:

Karma in Tortoise | Dharma Eyewear via Touch of Modern

Normally $100, these are already competitive with Warby Parker, but Touch of Modern is offering them for only $70 - and they have all the attributes of a quality pair of sunnies (polarized lenses, 100% UV protection, shatterproof, hell, they're even inspired by Radiohead). Sounds like a winner to me.


Lastly...
DON'T FORGET - Sunday is Mother's Day!
Treat her to something special! Flowers are never a bad choice and are sure to brighten any Mom's day. Delivery can get expensive, but lucky for you, From You Flowers is offering free shipping (a $15 value), but only through midnight on Friday, so act fast! 

So there you have it, shop away! Also wanted to mention quickly that I had the pleasure of writing a product review of some goods from Gagliardi for Effortless Gent. The review went live this week, and focuses on a great plaid summer blazer - definitely worth a look, plus they are hooking EG readers up with a discount! Check it out over here, and let me (or Barron) know what you think!

Off For the Weekend!

Sorry folks, no 'Deals and Steals' this week. I'm traveling to the West Coast (San Francisco, to be exact) to celebrate my birthday, my fourth anniversary with my girlfriend, and to visit some good friends. Unbelievably pumped, but I need to be at the airport in oooh, 7ish hours as I'm writing, so yep, no big post going up before I leave.

I'll be back in action next Wednesday, so check back in then. Meanwhile, check out the archives, shoot me an e-mail and say hi, follow us on all the social networks, or just, you know, go about your lives, ha.

If you really need your menswear fix, I'll leave you with this: This will be my first time in SF, and we won't have a ton of time, so I'm keeping my own menswear-related activities to a bit of a minimum. That said, I will be visiting:

Uniqlo, because we still don't have a damn store here in Chicago, and I hate paying for shipping. I'm 100% getting a MB x Uniqlo Polo, and my gal has promised me a new linen/cotton blazer (I've got my eye on this one).

I'm also planning a quick stop in at Unionmade, but probably will do my wallet a favor and just kinda window shop. I'll surely be drooling over their selection of impeccable Alden shoes.

I'm also very excited to be meeting/hanging out with some other industry insiders, including Barron Cuadro of Effortless Gent, who I've been working with for the past few months, and Jake Kuzceruk, CMO of Tie Society (one of our reviewed and endorsed menswear services) as well as one my first un-official mentors in the industry.

Have a great weekend, I know I will!!

Where's the Focus? - A Style Principle

One of my side-jobs has been to do some editorial/proofreading work for Barron Cuadro over at Effortless Gent. I was working on a piece recently that brought up a strong point that I thought was worth mentioning over here (without spoiling the upcoming EG post).

That point is that, no matter how much we love clothing and style, and the accessories and accoutrements, color-ways and patterns, the focus should always be you.

Put even more simply, your clothing (and the choices you make regarding them) should be purposed to make you look better, not the other way around. 

A jacket so loud it will drown out whatever you have to say.
Picture c/o STREETFSN

I think this is a great thing to keep in mind, especially to those of you new to the style game, and I say that completely based on my own experiences. I remember how easy it was to get caught up in flashy new pattern-matching that I had just learned how to put into action, combined with the excitement of my first tie-bar, and wanting to put that bold new blazer to use as soon as it came in the door, and how many times that probably resulted in outfits that drew all the attention to what I was wearing, and away from me. 

Even now, as I'm much more comfortable with my personal style, and have learned (I hope) to master the art of balance subtlety and boldness, I think it's important to keep this principle in mind, lest I get too carried away with my attire and distracted from my character.

Sorry to pine philosophical, but it happens! Carry on, dapper dudes. Oh, and keep an eye for that post on Effortless Gent. The above point aside, it's a fantastic article. Due out this week, I believe.

eBay Risks (a.k.a. Who Wants To Buy These Shoes?)

Welp, this one's going to be a quickie, it's been a super busy week for me. You folks may have seen my feature on Effortless Gent, and I've been continuing to do some work helping Barron out. He's launching his Cladright program soon and I encourage you all to check it out. Barron's a great source of information and inspiration, and I'm really excited to see how Cladright develops. Learn more about Cladright here, and be sure to read up at Effortless Gent as well.

I've also had the pleasure of joining the team at Peter Field, a menswear startup here in Chicago. I'll be sharing more information on Peter Field soon, but in the meantime, check out the website and the current collection of awesome custom ties (sourced and handmade in the good old U.S. of A. That's right, responsible business practices). Check me out in a Peter Field tie here, no joke, they rock, and there's lots more to come. My recommendation is to snag a wool tie in time to be seasonally fashionable as fall finally sets in.

OK, on to the meat of this post. I laud the glories of shopping eBay for shoes all the time, and have plenty examples of incredible finds that have worked out impressively well for me. However, all of those happy endings should come with the disclaimer that, while often rewarding, shopping on eBay is always at least a bit of a gamble. Case in point: I have a navy suit on the way from Dragon Inside, and really wanted a pair of oxblood dress shoes to wear with it. After a couple days of scouring eBay, I found a hella-nice looking pair of Johnston & Murphy cap-toes with a Buy-It-Now price just below $40, shipping included.

Apologies for the poor lighting.

Lately, I've had a few pairs of 10D shoes that felt a bit wide, and these puppies came in 10B (narrow), so I hoped they'd be spot on. Woops.

Five days later, my feet were killing me as I tried to go a day squeezed into these shoes. The fact that the shoes themselves were in damn fine condition, and exactly the style I wanted, just made them hurt that much more. Sad face. The moral of the story here, however, is not to scare you away from eBay. It's just a reminder to shop smart. While these shoes aren't going to work out for me, and I can't return them, I didn't save up or spend a paycheck to get them. Worst case, I'm out $40. Even better, I bought a popular brand and a popular style that I knew I could sell back if I needed to, which is exactly what I'm going to do.

You can look for these on eBay in about a week, but I'll give you all the chance to scoop them up without getting in a bidding war. Like I said, size 10 B, and definitely narrow, but in damn good shape. They retail for $175 (see them new here) and look like they've only been worn for about a week. Interested? Shoot me an e-mail, I'll part with these for just $30, including shipping. No bites in a week and they'll go up on eBay. See more pictures below:

Uppers in great condition, minor creasing, no scuffs or blemishes.

Minor wear to soles and heels, still have lots of life.

Inners in pretty perfect condition. From the Johnston & Murphy Optima line.

Size 10 B (narrow).

Sayonara!