Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 1/31/2014

Finally back on the grind with a working computer. Also home sick today, so I have some time to throw together a Deals and Steals!

Free Shipping at J.Crew Factory (Today Only, Code FREESHIP):
First off, J.Crew Factory is offering free shipping today (and today only, so jump on this fast). There aren't any other markdowns, but this is a great opportunity to snatch up some cheap accessories. I'll be grabbing this wool tie at just $15.

Wool Triple-Stripe Tie | J.Crew Factory

I've been a big fan of every J.Crew tie I've bought, and the clearance discount plus free shipping puts this one at a less-than-Tie-Bar price. Easy pick.

I also recommend picking up this card-holder/wallet. A slim wallet like this is a great chance to reduce your bulk and keep your silhouette trim. I have one myself, and the leather is nice and has aged well over time.

Leather Card Holder | J.Crew Factory

Again, the clearance markdown to just $15 makes this an easy buy on any budget. I'm a big fan of the classic brown, but they have a few other colors available as well.

BONUS: My girlfriend is a big fan of J.Crew (and factory) necklaces, and they've got a 40% off sale going on in their women's jewelry section. V-day is coming up....


Additional 40% Off Sale Items at Bonobos (Code TOASTY):
This one has been going on for a while, but now everything is knocked down to Final Sale. Stinks if you are unsure of your sizing, but this also means that the seasonal sale is probably on it's last legs and won't be around much longer. So, if you're thinking of grabbing something, now is the time! I'm a huge fan of the fit of Bonobos pants, and even with the Final Sale, you should be safe going with your regular size, in a slim-straight fit. Sizing is getting pretty limited, but luckily they have these maple brown cords in my size:

French Corders in Maple | Bonobos

I have yet to pick up a pair of cords this winter, and they are one of my favorite seasonal fabrics, so I'll most likely be jumping on this last chance, especially at the affordable price of $40.

It's also worth taking a look beyond the pants that Bonobos is known for. I bought a few of their sweaters lately and have been loving them (slim-fit in the merino wool and you can't go wrong). This time, I'm looking forward to spring and taking advantage of some super low prices on tees. I'm really digging this one in a nautical stripe:

Vintage Wash Tee | Bonobos

At under $10 with the discount, I'll probably grab one or two in classic white as well...it's a menswear wardrobe staple, and mine are getting a bit worn.


Additional 30% Off Sale Items at Original Penguin (Code OPSALE30):
I don't shop at Original Penguin too often, but everything I've gotten from them has been solid and stylish, and this sale has some good deals available. For one, I'm still on a huge warm-sweater kick as the weather stays nice and crappy here in Chicago. OP has a V-neck lambswool option for under $25 after the discount:

Hector Lambswool V-Neck Sweater | Original Penguin

Not much more to be said...that's a steal of a price and a darn cozy-looking sweater.

While you're at it, you can grab a sharp dress shirt to wear underneath. They have several options, but this windowpane is classy, and would be very versatile as well:

Windowpane Dress Shirt | Original Penguin

I don't have personal experience with Original Penguin dress shirts, and there isn't a fit description, but at $30, you should have a few bucks left over in case this needs a quick trip to the tailor.


Clearance Sale at Imogene + Willie:
Ever since Imogene + Willie was featured in an episode of Alternate Route (by the way, Esquire is killing it with their TV Network), I've been dying to get a pair of their jeans. Unfortunately, their super-premium denim is usually way out of my price range. However, there are some HUGE discounts in their sale section right now that have me tempted to whip out my credit card. For example, these black rigid straight-legs are sharp, and marked down to just $105 from an original $275.

Willie Black Rigid | Imogene + Willie

Everyone is all about their indigo blue jeans, but black can be just as versatile and sometimes even better-looking. I've been on the lookout for a pair, and might not be anymore.

The rest of the sale ain't cheap, but the discounts are still hard to beat. If you've been considering dropping some dough on a premium button-down, Gitman did a line for Imogene + Willie, and this dark blue shirt stands out in the shop:

Navy Gitman for IW | Imogene + Willie

Like I said, $80 for a shirt isn't a steal, but when you consider the original price of $165, it just might be a deal.


I'll leave you with a final recommendation: check out sales in person! I'm an online shopping addict and do most of my buying from the comfort of my couch, but you can catch some crazy good discounts in-person. Perfect example: I stopped in at Gap on a whim last week, walked out of the store with a pair of buttery-soft and cozy-warm moleskin Chinos for less than $10. I can't even find the damn things online, so there's no way I would have gotten a deal like that without actually walking into the store. Goes to show, it's worth getting off your ass every so often!

Shopping for Stylish Tech Accessories

I'll start off with a little background: As you all know, iPhone 5S came out recently, and the lines were out the doors and the shipping times through the roof. I was perfectly content to wait out the rush and buy mine in good time....until my iPhone 4 decided to stop charging. One day after all the new iPhones went out of stock. Long story short, I was stuck with a little candybar go-phone with no camera, no music, no keyboard, and feeling a lot like Stringer Bell with a burner (boom, 'Wire' reference). Fortunately, ATT way overestimated the time it would take to get me my phone, and a mere week later I had it in my hands.

Since I had the phone shipped to me, I didn't get a chance to pick out a case in the store. Lucky for me, I didn't have to look to hard to find one online. I bought my girlfriend a nice leather case from J. Crew last year, and I've been admiring their iPhone 5S cases for a hot minute, and voila, same day I get my phone, J. Crew Factory does a flash sale (something like 30% extra sale plus free shipping). Needless to say I was on that case like rainbows on an oil spill (I heard that line in Malcom in the Middle the other week and have been using it every chance I get). I ended up with this beaut of a case in navy leather:

From J. Crew Factory 

Pretty much two minutes later, one of my coworkers came over to announce he had just ordered his phone, and started to lament about his own search for a case. We quickly got into a conversation about how lame all of the go-to options are. If you walk out of Best Buy or and Apple Store with an iPhone case, chances are pretty good your phone is going to be twice as big, five times uglier, and look like it's wearing crocs. Somewhere along the line, all the big tech companies decided that everyone wanted their phones padded and wrapped in the ugliest rubber boxes money could buy.

So, the point is, these aren't your other options. If you know where else to look, you can get a functional and fashionable case, which is so nice, since your phone is one of those things you ALWAYS have and people are bound to see. Here are my suggestions:

First and foremost, don't look at companies dedicated to tech accessories. Their expertise is in making things work, not necessarily making them look good. They might try, but that's not where their training lies. And honestly, it's not that hard to make a case that works. Instead, go to the people who are experts at looking good. In other words, go to your favorite fashion and apparel sources. Nine out of ten apparel stores has an 'accessories' section, and if they do, you're bound to find some iPhone cases.

J. Crew, obviously, is one of my favorite sources. They have a good selection of classy and well designed cases for both men and women. On top of that, they are very reasonably priced (rarely higher than one of those ugly boxes from the super-store), and very often go on sale (or show up on the Factory outlet shop). I suggest picking one out online and then stopping by your store to pick it up (unless you get lucky with a free-shipping code like I did).

Jack Spade is another great option. They are already very well known for their protective but styling outerwear, bags, and luggage, so it only makes sense that they'd be able to do the same for phones. Their options run a tad bit higher, at about $40 a pop, but are still very reasonable. My favorite is this one in a 'book cloth' material (whatever that means, it looks nice).

From Jack Spade

If you want something with a print on it, try this guy from Original Penguin. Yeah, it's the logo, but I love penguins so I had to pick this one. I'm sure you can find some other options as well. This lil guy sells for around $40 also:

From Original Penguin

Back to leather, you can get a even classier with one of these options from Bonobos, which are made from Italian leather and have a great luster and depth to them (if that's your thing), but clock in over the $60 mark. These are currently only available in the iPhone 4 dimensions, but I'd expect to see options for the 5 and 5S arriving shortly:

From Bonobos

Keep shopping around and the opportunities are endless. You can even find cases in the uber-luxurious $300+ range from designer brands like Burberry and Saint Laurent (check out Mr. Porter for some of these as well). Have something really specific in mind? Last year I was trying to find a tweed covered case, searched all over in stores to no avail, only to find dozens of options on Etsy. I ended up sticking with the case I had for one reason or another, but I always keep Etsy in the back of my mind as another option.

Do you have the cajones to go case-less? If not, how do you protect your phone? Is your priority style and looks or functionality and ruggedness? Tell us about it in the comments!