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.

Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 1/3/2014

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!"

Before I get into it, once again, HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! 2013 was a blast (hey, I launched Wide Eyes, Tight Wallets, so you know it was a good one) and I'm seeing even greater things to come in 2014. OK, since your wallet might be hurting after a little uninhibited NYE spending, here are this week's deals and steals:

Up to 70% Off at ASOS:
ASOS is one of those perfect places to try out new trends, as they tend to have pretty fashion forward styles at very affordable prices to begin with. Add onto that 70% off and you'll be walking away with some snazzy duds for practically pennies. While tons of brands are stocked, I usually find the best deals from their house brand. For example, have you been looking to dip your toes into the wonderful world of plaid suiting? This blazer, regularly $155, can be snagged for just $78:

Slim Fit Suit in Brown Check | ASOS

With the trousers clocking in right around $35, you can get the whole suit for just over $110, which is about as good of a deal as you will find. Granted, these things are mostly polyester, but if you're experimenting and not ready to fork over big bucks for quality on something you might not even like, this is a good way to experiment. Also, if you do some digging, you can find some ASOS suiting with higher quality materials for a bit of a price increase.

ASOS is also great for closet staples like tees, socks, underwear, you name it. Again, these will start cheap, and with the sale running, go for practically nothing. I just bought one of these scoop-neck tees for less than $5.

Scoop Neck T-Shirt | ASOS

Mint green is one of my go-to spring colors, so I know I'll get plenty of use out of this when it starts to warm up. Extra bonus, ASOS offers free shipping and free returns, so I bought just this T-shirt and didn't even notice the divot in my checking account.

Up to 70% Off at Topman:

This is practically the exact same sale. Topman, like ASOS, offers very 'Euro,' fashion forward styles at relatively affordable prices, although sometimes sacrificing higher quality materials to provide a low price point (though a bit less so than ASOS). After you dig through some garish graphic tees, you can find hella nice bargains, like this lambswool-blend sweater that I just ordered for $20 (normally $80):

Textured Lambswool Rich Sweater | Topman

I'm all about sweaters in the winter, and I think the unique texture/weave on this one is a great mixture of casual and stylish. I'll definitely be layering up with this to take the dog to the park or for a night out playing pool.

Topman also has a bunch of jeans and trousers on sale, if you can find your size. Again thinking towards the warmer months, last year I was really looking for some inexpensive, light-wash jeans for sunny days when raw denim just doesn't seem right. These vintage slim jeans would fit the bill perfectly:

Light Wash Vintage Slim Jeans | Topman

Unfortunately, the sizing is very limited, so I'm gonna have to sit on these and pray someone returns a 30R...


Trashness Dress Shirts:
In all honesty, I have yet to try this brand out, but they popped up on my Instagram a few days ago and I'm pretty set on trying them out. They have this great-looking dress denim shirt with a spread collar (another piece I've been looking for), and while it isn't on sale, all their shirts are under $50.

Spread Collar Denim | Trashness

Plus free shipping worldwide?? It's a stingy menswear fiend's dream. A lot of the shirts come with pretty extreme cutaway collars that I don't think I'm quite down for, but there are enough options with this more subtle spread that are right up my alley.

I hadn't heard much about the brand, so I dug around for a few reviews. There's not a ton floating around the net, but what I read was pretty positive for the price. I specifically saw their OCBD's mentioned, and when I do make an order, I'll probably grab one of these as well.

OCBD White | Trashness

The review I read said these were thick but soft, which is perfect for a spring/fall shirt. Plus you can never have enough OCBD's in classic blue or white.


MR PORTER 50% Off Sale:
Sales at Mr. Porter are always a big deal. The discounts also tend to grow over time, and here's hoping this sale does the same, because even at 50% off, most items in the store are still out of my price range. However, there are definitely some affordable deals to be had. For one, I'm considering this thermal Henley from Billy Reid:

Thermal Waffle-Jersey Henley T-Shirt | Billy Reid via MR PORTER

It's clocking in at just under $50 (regularly $95), which definitely isn't cheap, but might be worth it. Not only will the burgundy color look great on it's own, I'd probably do exactly what they suggest in the item description and use this to layer up under a warm (but maybe itchy) sweater.

I also love to browse the accessories section during these sales and grab a pair of nice socks that would normally be way out of my price range. For example, $25 for a pair of socks, even Corgi socks, made from Egyptian Cotton, is a bit extreme for my tastes, but $12.50 on the other hand, is quite do-able.

Dog-Patterned Cotton-Blend Socks | Corgi via MR PORTER

There are many more classic patterns (stripes, solids, some flowers, etc.), but I'm a huge dog-lover and these are awesome. I'd rock 'em with pride (and my feet would thank me)!


Aaaand I'm gonna leave it at that this week. Shop away, share any more good deals here in the comments!

Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 12/12/2013

First, the spiel: "Every Friday, 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!"

This week's Deals and Steals:

J.Crew Anonymous Ism Fair Isle Socks:
Ok, J.Crew has a fantastic 30% off everything sale (code GIFTNOW), with free shipping and no minimum. This pick is probably (read: definitely) not the best deal available (for that, take a look at the Ludlow blazers, this English Tweed number drops to under $200 with the sale), but for some reason it's the one that stuck with me the most. Maybe it's because my feet are cold and these socks look so damn awesome:

Anonymous Ism Fair Isle Socks | J.Crew

The pattern is the perfect fix for my fair-isle addiction, and I would wear these with jeans or a grey flannel suit, no problem. These are running $13 after the sale, or, for a little more ($17 after sale), you can get this much warmer-looking but slightly less festive pair made by Scott-Nichol:

Scott-Nichol Woolsthorpse Socks | J.Crew

Club Monaco Hooded Parka:
This one comes courtesy of Valet's deal of the day (Valet is an awesome resource, I check it out daily). I actually just picked up a great Gloverall wool duffle coat from Gilt (see below), or I'd order this bad boy myself. Actually, if my size wasn't the only one sold out, I probably still would. Dammit.

Hooded Parka | Club Monaco

Club Monaco's outerwear tends to run out of my price range, but they have this hugely marked down and it's going for only $139. If you're looking for a practical, casual winter jacket that still pops with style, this will be a solid choice. While you're at it, Club Monaco is another good shop to check back in the clearance section every so often. I might just pick up this Ringer Henley, marked down to $29.00.

Ringer Henley | Club Monaco

Granted, a casual short-sleeve might be a little out of season, but come spring Henley shirts are a solid go-to, and the contrast collar/placket on this shirt make it stand out from your run-of-the-mill options.


Gloverall Duffle Coat via Gilt:
As mentioned before, I'm recommending this one based on personal experience. First off, I'm sometimes leary of flash sale sites because they tend to take forever to ship, but I ordered one of these from Gilt on Sunday and it arrived today. Not bad. It's not exactly cheap, but it's a huge discount on a $500+ coat at $290, and it's entirely worth it. From what I've read, Gloverall bought out the supply of the British Navy(?)'s duffle coats after WWII and sold them to the public. They were such a big hit that when they sold out, they started manufacturing more themselves and have been ever since.

Navy Duffle Coat | Gloverall via Gilt.com

I mentioned a good coat as a worthwhile investment piece and this is a perfect example. It fits great, looks incredibly sharp, and is so warm. I wore it on a walk with the dog in cold-as-all-get-out Chicago tonight and was warm...not just not cold, but warm. I haven't had a good coat in years, so I'm already loving this. I grabbed mine in navy, but they have a variety of colors, and a few other styles on sale as well.


Sir Jack's Smart Turnout Royal Air Force Watch Strap:
I never really checked out Sir Jack's before, but I was browsing their sale section today and spotted this watch strap. It's on sale for a reasonable $23, and I love the color choices. I have a nice-looking but inexpensive Timex that this would go great with.

Smart Turnout Royal Air Force Watch Strap | Sir Jack's

Navy is such a versatile color, my wardrobe is full of it, and the burgundy is a great color for the season. With the light blue, it's a classy wintery combination. The rest of the store is nice too, definitely worth a look.


Creature Comforts Bowser Bones via Barneys:
I gotta put these in because they are made right up the street from me and would make a perfect gift for any pet owner/lover (or your own pet). At $14 with free shipping they're easy on the wallet and are 100% natural.

Bowser Bones | Creature Comforts via Barneys

The classy package is the icing on the cake. I'm for sure ordering a few of these tonight!