When Testing Trends Works

The pieces we’ve done this spring on testing trends (and then putting that advice into action) really seemed to connect, so here’s one more follow up. The best part about trends, and giving yourself the chance to test them out, is that some of them really stick. So far, both of our other examples used the black/white contrasting minimalist look as our ‘trend’, and while I’ve enjoyed wearing it again a few times since then, I’m still not 100% sure if it’s me. However, there definitely are some moves that I’ve tested over the past year or so that have really landed for my personal style, and are now staples in my closet.

First and foremost is my broken-in, braided leather belt. This started out on a whim, as I’d seen it in a few looks I’d liked, but for some reason had grown up with an aversion to the style. Therefore, I wasn’t about to go spend a bunch of money (or even a reasonable, but significant, chunk of change) on a brand new belt from one of my favorite stores. In fact, I almost never bought one at all. 

Then one day, rummaging through the odds-and-ends at a local thrift shop, I came across one that was nicely worn in, but not beat-up, and in just the right length. Price check - $1.50 (or something in that neighborhood). Sold. I figured, hell, if I only wear this once, I can toss it in the trash, no harm done. 

Once I got it though, I couldn’t stop wearing it, and have gotten to the point where I wear it as often as possible. It’s the perfect shade of brown to match with anything except my black shoes, and is worn in enough to look casual while still dignified enough to wear with chinos and a blazer. 

Dressed up - dressed down.

True, I wouldn’t call the braided belt a ‘trend,’ per se, but it was still a move outside of my own box that I was hesitant to move forward with. This ‘test’ turned out even better than most, in that my ‘budget’ buy is (to this day) the perfect piece for me. Sure, now that I know I love it, I could go blow some stacks on a high end replicate, but I couldn’t be happier than I am with this super-cheap find.

Another one, and this one goes back even farther, is the knit tie. By now you know how much I love a good knit tie, but I wasn’t always that way. In fact, I really didn’t even know they existed (when I say way back here, I’m talking back to the day I first wore a tie to work). As I researched and browsed pictures and really started diving into reinventing and reinvigorating my personal style, something kept drawing me back to these slightly-casual, square-ended oddities. 

The only time I’d really seen one before was digging through my dad’s closet as a kid - and my dad doesn’t wear ties, so I thought it was, well, a tie for people who don’t wear ties (or didn’t know what they were doing - no offense dad, I don’t think I ever even saw you wear it)! But here it was, popping up again and again on fellas with timeless prep aesthetics, looking damn sharp in them. 

Classic prep style captured by Tommy Ton at Pitti Uomo.

Still, I wasn’t 100% sure, and wasn’t ready to really commit myself to the look. Instead, I went the uber cheap route, going below even the $15 options from the Tie Bar, and using one of my first selections from the Tie Society subscription to give one a try. Hell, I almost didn’t even return the thing, and now I wear them constantly. Sure, I have many more non-knit ties that I do knits, but I wear my knits far more often and far more regularly.

Dressy dots and casual solids.

Anyway, the point is (and sorry it took me 600+ words to get here), is that there is more than one benefit to our method of testing trends on the cheap - not only do you get to try out something you find interesting with taking out a second mortgage, but you open yourself up to new styles that otherwise you may have never given a chance, but are now a fundamental part of who you are and how you dress. We can’t grow without stepping outside of our boundaries, but it’s far safer to do so when you have a system to your exploration.

Do you have any ‘trend-testing’ success stories? Staples in your wardrobe that you’d have been shocked to see yourself wear five (ten, twenty) years ago?

Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 2/21/2014

The deal: "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 the steals:

End of Season Sale at J.Press/York Street:
J. Press and their younger brother, York Street, are both offering some awesome end of season deals...so many in fact that I'm having a crazy hard time trying to decide what to highlight (thus, I highly recommend checking out the whole selection on both sites). Honestly, there's a ton of great stuff, so I picked two items at the ends of the spectrum. First, from York Street (the slimmer fitting of the two), there is this fantastic looking navy overcoat in a highly desirable (read: soft and warm) blend of wool and cashmere: 

Classic Top-Coat | York Street

At $295, it's still an investment, but when you take a look at the original price of almost $1000, it's for sure a steal. Ignore the foolish pants this model is wearing...and damn if that coat doesn't hit all the right notes. Ticket pocket, three button closure, hits a bit above the knee, available in navy and grey...plus, since it's a York Street offering, it will fit slimmer than something from the standard J. Press line.

Which is the very reason I picked this classic-prep striped tie as my recommendation from J. Press. Obviously, since it's neckwear, you don't have to worry about losing the slim fit. Even without 'fit' to worry about, I thought this tie would run wide, but it's 2.75" at it's widest, which is actually my favorite tie size - not quite hipster-skinny, but still proportional for a slim guy.

Leeds University Tie | J. Press

This one hits the other end of the price-commitment spectrum at less than $20, but the original price of $70 hints at a much higher level of quality than other options in the $20 range. The pattern is super preppy, which I actually dig, and while the burgundy/dark green colors are maybe just a bit Christmas-y, they are also just generally seasonal.

Ok, ok, so there were so many great things that I had to include one more. I was just showing my girlfriend the Todd Snyder + Champion crew neck sweatshirts and telling her how much I was coming to like the chest pocket. Then I saw this one from York Street, and the more I consider it, I think I actually like this option even more: 

Vintage Reverse Sweatshirt | York Street

Originally, the York Street sweatshirt goes for $135, pretty close to the Todd Snyder price, but now it's on sale for only $34. That's just crazy. 


Free Shipping (and Clearance Section) at Levi's:
Levi's is currently offering free shipping, which is especially good news when combined with the fact that they have a ton of stuff already marked down to some awesome prices. For example, they have their iconic denim trucker jacket marked down from $88 by more than 50% to just $40:

Slim Fit Trucker Jacket | Levi's

This one is the dark blue rinse, but they have a few others as well. Offered in a slim fit, it will be a versatile and timeless addition to your wardrobe. Wear it as a light jacket in the spring and fall, and carry it into winter as a layering piece. 

These wool/cotton blend jeans aren't quite as good of a bargain, but I'm fascinated by the idea. Wool jeans? Well, at least partly wool? I've seen jeans with a minor percentage of silk before, but this takes things in the opposite direction. With this never-ending winter, making your jeans a tad bit warmer wouldn't hurt.

501 Original Fit in Wool Denim Rinse | Levi's

Like I said, not as crazy cheap as the trucker jacket, but still offered at a significant discount, down to $60 from $128 (again, over 50% off there, folks). In the classic 501 fit, which is always a popular choice.


Up to 50% Off Select Styles at Banana Republic:
Banana Republic is offering up to 50% off, and once again, they have just a ton of stuff on the list. Definitely worth browsing through, but I locked onto this dot-print button-down shirt because it'd be so great to stop thinking about winter and start looking forward to spring...sigh. If you step back (or look at the smaller picture), it looks solid, but up close it actually has a pretty bright, almost bold pattern.

Slim-Fit Soft-Wash Dot Print Button-Down | Banana Republic

The pattern itself will be perfect for a spring or summer casual option, but that solid-from-a-distance appearance keeps it from being in-your-face. Best part? At half off, it's barely over $30 (just $32.50).


Jack Spade Accessories at Gilt:
I love Jack Spade style, so I was excited to see them pop up on Gilt. I was kind of disappointed to see that the bags were still out of my price range, until I found this pair of cashmere gloves. Discounted down to only $45, which is cheap for gloves in general, let alone cashmere, I was expecting some sort of crappy, 5% cashmere blend. But no. Well, yes. It is a blend, but a whopping 92% cashmere???

Tommy Cashmere Gloves | Jack Spade via Gilt

At one-size-fits all, these are sure to have a bit of stretch, which means that the final-sale caveat shouldn't be too big of a risk.


New Arrivals at Spectre & Co.:
We reviewed Spectre & Co. last year, and I was a big fan of their dress shirts. I've kept in touch with founder Jeffrey Zhang since then, and he gave me a heads up on some new additions to the shop. As always, they're bringing everything at pretty spectacular prices, so we'll end this list of deals and steals with a few from them. One of the big areas they've branched into has been accessories, with scarves earlier in the year, and just this week the addition of belts. They have some in solid colors with contrast edging, but my favorite are these braided belts:

Dark Brown Braided Belt | Spectre & Co.

I've been on a big braided belt kick lately...funny, I always thought they were kinda dorky looking when I was a kid, but now I love them. While I have one that I got for next-to-nothing at the thrift shop, it's pretty beat up, and I'm definitely thinking of updating and upgrading to one of these, especially with the $50 price point.

Also, not necessarily a new offer, but recently re-stocked, I'm going to grab one of their white OCBDs. Like all of their standard shirts, this guy will only set me back $45:

Washed White Oxford Button-Down | Spectre & Co.

The white OCBD should be a staple in every man's closet, but I've recently found a renewed love for them. I find myself wearing my few multiple times a week, so I've come to decide that I can't have enough of them. Therefore, finding an affordable but high quality option is awesome. Soon, they'll be adding ties for $35, and I'm pumped to see what they've got.