WIWT - 10/15/2013 (Putting It All Into Practice)

Remember that lovely post last week about incorporating fall colors into your outfits? Through my work with some other style blogs and my own constant browsing of the menswear universe, I know that folks like to see these tips, rules and other advice actually put to action. With that goal, I picked out my 'casual Monday' (thank you, day-job, for making that a thing) outfit yesterday with my self-prescribed directions in mind.

Remember, we were focusing on two main colors: burgundy (or oxblood, or maroon, or whatever you want to call it), and dark (or forest, or hunter, or whatever you want to call it) green. Remember also that I discussed mixing these colors into your accessories, so that the clothes that you wear all year look like they were picked out just for that season.

Here was my endgame:

Neighbors had some killer Halloween decorations up.

Look familiar at all? It should, it's very close to this outfit, which I featured a few months ago as a spring outfit. And that's what I love about this method of dressing seasonally. Change just a few, inexpensive items and all of the sudden that spring/summer look fits perfectly into the fall/winter palette.

First, I swapped out the fun, polka dot tie from the spring for a burgundy knit tie. Not only is burgundy one of our fall colors, I also think knit ties fit the season incredible well, with a slightly more rustic look.

If you peek below, you'll see that I'm wearing burgundy socks as well. Normally, I don't like wearing completely matching items. However, socks get a bit of a pass, since you don't see them much. Even better, though, are the textural differences between the knit tie and the ribbed dress socks. Nowhere near the identical-tie-and-pocket-square matchy-matchy problems.

The spring post featured some Clarks chukkas as well, which would have been equally appropriate in the fall, but I stuck with my boat shoes because I wanted to illustrate their versatility as well. A lot of people only turn to them as a sockless option in the summer, but I think they look great year-round and fit the rugged/rustic look of this outfit perfectly (and show a little sock at the same time).

OK, so all good on the burgundy front. How about some green? I was happy to snag this camo pocket square from the Peter Field studio, and I think it balances the rich reds of the burgundy pieces with some more down-to-earth coloring. The camo trend is a highly disputed one, and one that I'm not 100% on, but I do like small touches of the pattern, as I mentioned last week. I think the pocket square is the perfect amount of camo...enough to be noticed but not enough to be gauche. You can pick one up for yourself over at the Peter Field website, or, if you're in Chicago, swing by the studio and meet Nick (founder) and maybe catch me there as well.

The shirt is a chambray number from Frank and Oak, and I see chambray as another great year-round fabric. This particular shirt is a little thicker, so once again it works really well for these color, between-season days. On top of that, the light green hit that mint motif that was so popular last spring, but still plays great with more earthy greens that are 'in' this fall.

The weather today probably would have allowed for a wool blazer, but I'm wearing the hell out of this cotton one while I still can (weather-wise, mainly, but I'm also noticing that it's starting to wear thin, which is what you get from a $60 blazer). I also think the camo square may have been a little too camouflaged in with a brown wool blazer, and this way it has a bit more visual pop to it.

Notice that the 'staples' of this outfit remained exactly the same across the two seasons. Of course, a nice pair of dark blue jeans looks good any time of year, but I think they lend themselves best to the in-between-times, before it's too hot for heavy denim in the summer or cold enough for thick flannels and tweeds in the winter. Easy choice.

Has anyone taken my advice from last week and worked these colors into their own outfits? I'd love to hear about it, or see some pictures! Share in the comments below, or shoot me an e-mail at WideEyesTightWallets@gmail.com.

The Details:
Cotton/Linen Blazer by Uniqlo
Chambray Shirt by Frank and Oak
Silk Knit Tie by The Tie Bar
Tie Bar by The Tie Bar
Pocket Square by Peter Field
Jeans by Hurley (via Nordstrom)
Socks by Frank and Oak
Shoes by Sperry (via Mr. Porter)

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!

Incorporating Fall Colors

Every year, the style world decrees a color or two as The Color of the fall. On top of that, you have a small handful of staple seasonal colors that just work best in these cooling months. Now, you might think that working these colors into your every-day wear is easy, but I personally find it helpful to stick to at least some semblance of a method. Mainly, I try to keep purely seasonal selections away from my closet staples. Instead, I prefer to have a solid foundation of year-round foundation pieces (i.e. trousers and dress shirts), and then use my accessories and embellishments to turn those foundation pieces into a seasonal outfit. To help you folks do the same, I put together the following suggestions for incorporating two key colors into your wardrobe:

Forest Green - The Fashion World's Favorite Fall Color (this year):

This year, the aforementioned Color of the Season has been widely proclaimed to be a dark, woodsy green. Now, I do have a pair of forest green chinos that have actually turned out to be pretty versatile year-round, but when it comes to this particular fall favorite I tend to turn to layering options. Something about a dark green canvas jacket, cardigan, or shawl neck sweater is perfect for getting your office-ready outfit to exude a vibe that's a bit more campfire and bit less conference-call.

A pricier option, but this olive cable-knit is exactly what you're looking for.
The Green Byrne Shawl Sweater by Ledbury | $225 

You can keep these items versatile past the edges of fall, which is nice as well. When we start getting snow falling instead of leaves, layering is still your friend, if not more so. Come spring, you'll be back in transition mode and some green in your gear will help you look forward to fresh spring foliage.

Want something a bit subtler, and perhaps easier on the wallet? Try some knit gloves, scarves or hats.

Titletown Wool PLaid INset Gloves by Lands End | $80.00 $24.99

I tend to struggle picking these items out, as I don't want my gloves looking like an extension of my coat (in grey, brown or black), but also don't want to look like I have clown hands (bright colors, stripes, etc.). Here, I've found that a dark green is the perfect balance.

Other ideas: Been interested in trying out that camo trend? Get a subtle piece in a dark green motif to satisfy both leanings. I'm not big on the camo look myself, but I can be sold on certain pieces.

Camo Belt by J. Crew Factory | $29.50 $24.50

A slim tie, for example, or canvas belt, or nylon watch strap, can all be great touches to rough up a sharp casual look. Just keep it small and subtle.

I've also been dying to grab a dark green pocket square, and have one on the way from J. Crew right now. My preferred jacket colors come in various shades of brown and blue, both of which could benefit from a hint of forest green to bring the look down to earth.

(EDITORS NOTE: Forgot to mention, Peter Field also offers a great camo pocket square. Check it out here)

Burgundy - My Favorite Fall Color (every year):

As I've written in previous posts, my personal favorite fall color goes by many names: burgundy, oxblood, maroon, cordovan, etc. I love the warmth of this color, especially on cool fall days. Green evokes images of camping, blue of cool collegiate tailgates, but burgundy brings to mind that cozy feeling that you can't really get all summer without suffocating in the sweltering heat.

Anyways, my favorite way to incorporate this into an outfit is through your leather wear, largely because you can. Trying to get out of browns and blacks with shoes can be tricky. You can find some grey suedes, and these days navy blue leather is starting to pop up more often, but it's really hard to wear these as regularly as you would your standard leathers. Enter a pair of oxblood cap-toes (or even better, cap-toe boots).


The Melton Cap-Toe by Johnston & Murphy | $175.00

Not far enough from brown to stick out like a sore thumb, but just red enough to not fade into the woodwork, you also get the added benefit that oxblood shoes pair with a navy suit better than any other color leather. With my first navy suit on the way, a pair of oxblood Johnston & Murphy's was an easy choice for me this year. I found a pair just like the ones above for $30 on eBay. Woop woop.

If shoes are a bit out of your budget (even on eBay), scale down to a belt. This point may be arguable, but I don't find it entirely necessary to match oxblood leather with oxblood leather the same way I would brown or black shoes and belt.



Bernard Slim Belt by Frank and Oak | $45.00

Personally, I would have no problem wearing black shoes with a burgundy belt, or vice versa. The trick is to find two leathers that compliment but don't blend. You want contrast without clashing. Your best bet is trial and error...just keep trying combos until you find something that looks good. Sometimes it's just that simple.

Other Ideas:

I recently dove into the colored-laces world, and pretty quickly stepped back out. I think I caught the tail end of the trend and it's starting to feel overplayed. However, burgundy laces still find their way into my rotation pretty often.

Burgundy Shoelaces by The Tie Bar | $3.00

I think they look great with a pair of lighter-brown shoes. Once again, it's in the way the colors work together. The burgundy (as opposed to say, orange, or lime green) laces don't distract, but they give some visual variety. At the same time, they are just different enough from the brown leather to actually be noticeable, and not look like you're trying (but failing) to match.

If you're looking for something a bit more formal, just grab a burgundy tie and socks. Preferably a knit tie. I got one from The Tie Bar last fall, and never stopped wearing it. The very best kind of seasonal accessory: one you can wear all year long.


My final suggestion: Mix and match these two colors! Try oxblood shoes and belt, with a green tie or (or, not and) pocket square.

What are your go-to fall colors? Have any great seasonal buys on the way? Share in the comments!

Top of My 'Buy List' for Fall

First things first: The Wide Eyes, Tight Wallets, "Wits + Beaux Giveaway" still has about 5 hours to go....get your entries in now to win some great socks!

On to new biz: The other day I posted a list of things I was excited for with the Fall season around the corner. I gotta make a big addition to the list, as I think these are at the very top of my fall 'To-Buy' list. I've been having a lot of fun with bright colors this summer, and as the it gets cooler I plan to keep it colorful, but to transition to more seasonal hues. I'm thinking dark greens and deep blues to take over the mints and sky-blues of summer. Call it what you want, oxblood, burgundy, dark-dark-red, this color was the color of the season last fall, and it's really not going anywhere this year. I love the color, partly for the richness and variety of tones, and more-so for the the fact that for how good-looking it is, there are suprisingly few people on the streets wearing it.

THUS, top of my 'To-Buy' list is a pair of oxblood chinos. Fellow bloggers Bowties and Boatshoes just  gave a little review/preview of this pair of twill Chinos from Bonobos and I'm captivated: 

They are running $148.00 with no sale price at this time, which is a bit out of my budget, so I may be looking for something slightly more affordable. Any suggestions? What's the first item you're going after this fall? Got any favorite colors in mind?