Bills Khakis - A Quick Update

Today we wanted to just chime in real quick with an update to last week's look at Bills Khakis (and interview with their founder, Bill himself). A few days after posting, we received our samples in the mail and wanted to give you our in-person evaluation!

The folks at Bills were kind enough to send the following items:

Selvedge Cramerton chinos in M2 Standard Fit (Plain Front)

Poplin Shorts in M2 Standard Fit (Plain Front)

Kingston Plaid Shirt from the Tea Label Collection

Newport Stripe Polo

The samples we all sent in size medium and 32 inch waist, and unfortunately I'm a size small and 30 inch waist, but while I was unable to get a good feel for the fit and sizing of the items, I did get to check out the fabric, construction and design. Here are my thoughts:

Selvedge Cramerton Chinos: 
Right off the bat, my first reaction to these is that they feel tough. And in a good way. The fabric isn't rigid or stiff, but it definitely has some heft and feels like it could take a beating. I'm digging these less for the fit (which seems a bit relaxed to me) or super-fashionable styling, but because I really feel like I get a sense of the origins of Bills Khakis - which was originally inspired by a pair of WWII khakis. Unlike a lot of 'fashion' chinos, which you'll be lucky to maintain through a couple-dozen washes, these are a real pair of work pants, more than up for the challenges and wear of ever day life. I also like that they offer them in finished inseams or an unhemmed length if you want to take them straight to the tailor for a perfect fit.

Poplin Shorts: 
For these, I had an almost opposite reaction as to the chinos. Again, the fit seems more relaxed that something I'd prefer, but the fabric is great. Instead of being a standard twill chino, these come in a poplin fabric - interested in the difference? We've got an article on twill in our 'Know Your Fabrics' series and one coming up on Wednesday diving into poplin, but long story short, the poplin is lighter and breezier - perfect for a pair of summer shorts.

Kingston Plaid Shirt:
Of all the items, this is the one I want to keep the most. While they don't advertise it directly as such, the fabric is very lightweight and breathable, and with the bright plaid pattern it immediately brings to mind an outside-the-box madras (read more about madras here). I could see this easily becoming a go-to casual summer shirt, with a distinctive laid-back rumpliness (is that a word?) and actually one of the slimmer fits of the items sent - maybe indicative of their younger Tea Collection line. Thumbs up.

Newport Stripe Polo:
Big fan of this one as well, which comes in a jersey fabric as opposed to the more traditional pique. Honestly, that's what I like most about this - I'm really not a fan of standard pique polos, something about it just says frat boy to me, and this comes as a great alternative. The navy and orange horizontal stripes are a nice stylish touch as well, with a vaguely nautical vibe, interesting colors, but nothing that will stick out like a sore thumb. Again, can't really get a feel for the fit, but it does look to be a little looser, so keep that in mind.

In conclusion, I think the items really emphasize some of the points that were made in last week's article - each has some decidedly modern and stylish aspects (selvedge detail on the chinos, poplin fabric on the shorts, slimmer fit and bright colors on the shirt, and non-traditional fabric on the polo), but hold onto a more classic relaxed style that dads, older men or more conservative dressers will definitely feel comfortable in. The prices are a bit out of Wide Eyes, Tight Wallets ideal budget, but after getting a feel for the products I think I can confidently say you're paying for quality, so if you have the funds, Bills duds would be a great investment.

This was a sponsored review, and the products reviewed were lent to me free of charge. The article, however, remains objective and unbiased and is published without prior editing or review by Bills Khakis. While I love to be given products to review, don't worry, I will never endorse a product I wouldn't wear myself.

All Things Seersucker (in time for National Seersucker Day)

Every so often, I get pitch letters from PR agencies sharing the latest news from whichever brand. Since I try to stick to practical advice and reviews here on the blog, rather than sharing upcoming news that every menswear blogger is getting, I usually read these with some amusement and file them away. However, the most recent letter, sent on behalf of Southern trad clothiers, Haspel, caught me eye.

Apparently, 'National Seersucker Day' used to be a thing - centered on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., but shared by menswear enthusiasts across the country, the day is a celebration of 'a simpler time when there was more charm and playfulness in Washington Attire.' During the recession, the tradition was ditched (I guess the D.C. vibe just wasn't so charming and playful as our economy tanked), but this year, they're bringing it back.

The day comes on June 11th, so you have plenty of time to stock up on some of the summer fabric. To help you out, we've picked out a few of our favorite options currently available across the web.

First, though, what is seersucker? Until I really became interested in style, it was a word I heard relatively often but really didn't know what it meant. Traditional seersucker is a cotton fabric easily recognized by its light blue and white stripes, but the identity of the fabric goes beyond the pattern to the material itself. Seersucker is uniquely puckered along the lines of the stripes (and these days, you can find alternatives like seersucker gingham, which puckers with the checks, or solid navy seersucker which shares the puckered lines of traditional seersucker, but over a solid background). This kind-of-rumpled effect helps lend the classic southern look - similar to the wrinkles in linen, but also serves a practical purpose by keeping the fabric off of your skin, and therefore allowing better airflow to keep you cool in hot summer weather or southern climates.

A very dapper seersucker getup.
Photo courtesy of Haspel

Seersucker can definitely be seen as a bit of a 'statement' fabric or pattern, bolder than your every-day neutrals. Depending on your own sartorial tenacity, you may embrace the southern-swag full-on, or might just be interested in sprucing up your summer duds with a dash of the fabric. Here are our recommendations, in order from the most subtle to the most bold:

A tie is easily the simplest way to pop some seersucker into your rotation, and you can find them practically anywhere this time of year. The Tie Bar has an absolutely fantastic-looking option for only $15:

Cotton Seersucker in Midnight Navy | The Tie Bar

One of the big risks with seersucker suits and trousers is that you may end up looking too summery and casual for the occasion, which is why I love a pair of seersucker shorts. Shorts are already pretty darn summery and casual, so pretty much any occasion that calls for a pair of shorts will be just fine to wear seersucker. I just got turned onto Jomers, who are selling made-in-NYC shorts for $35. Hot damn, on my shopping list for sure:

Midwoods Shorts in Navy Seersucker | Jomers

While not quite as widespread, seersucker shirts are a great way to stay cool in the summer heat. Plus, the look plays off of more year-round styles, like a striped oxford, or a Bengal-stripe dress shirt, which will keep the piece from standing out like a sore thumb. This number from J.Crew is a bit pricey at full retail, but wait for one of their many sales and snag it at a discount:

Slim Seersucker Shirt | J.Crew

From there, things take a much bolder turn. If you aren't ready for a full seersucker suit, start off with the trousers. It's still a strong style move, but isn't quite was overwhelming as a full seersucker suit can be. Try these Thompson suit pants from J.Crew Factory, currently on sale at $88:

Thompson Suit Pant in Seersucker | J.Crew Factory

Of course, you can always say 'hell-with-it' and go all-out in your southern swag. In order to avoid a frumpy boozehound look (I guess that's the best way to describe it?), do your seersucker suit like any other suit - keep the profile slim, get that bad boy tailored, and rock it with confidence. While still probably not appropriate for a day at the office, a seersucker suit is a great choice for a summer wedding, a cocktail party, a day at the races, and numerous other warm-weather occasions. Here's the jacket to match the above pants (and the whole suit clocks in at around $225, not too shabby at all):

Thompson Suit Jacket in Seersucker | J.Crew Factory

To bring things back to Haspel real quick, while I don't have any personal experience with the brand, they are well known as a staple of southern gent style, and this year are trying to bring some modernity and youth to their line (slimmer suits, brighter colors, you get the gist). Check them out, not only for some nice duds (although a bit expensive for my budget), but also for some upcoming #seersuckerday giveaways. Free stuff is always worth a look!

Who's got seersucker in their wardrobe? What's your favorite way to rock it?

Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 4/11/2014

Before we get started, check this out: Cool Material has been one of my favorite sites since waaay before I could begin to call myself stylish. Most of the feed is just what it sounds like, with featurettes on just cool stuff (just check it out, everything is awesome, and I want it). They also have an ongoing series called 'Wear This,' where menswear bloggers and industry insiders put together curated outfit recommendations. I had the pleasure of drafting up my own, and it was published today! Check it out here, and add Cool Material to your list.

OK, you know what's coming next:
"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!"

So, I don't know how much you all liked last week's list, which was focused pretty heavily on J.Crew, but I'm gonna do it again. Similarly to the J.Crew sale (still going on here), Club Monaco is offering an extra 50% off their sale items, and just like J.Crew, there was way too much inexpensive awesomeness to limit to the normal two picks. Thus, a Club Monaco focused list it is:

Extra 50% Off off Clearance (code SPRING50):
Alright, this sale might be even better than last week's J.Crew one, because some of this stuff is unbelievably cheap. Proof: These classy khaki shorts, just $10 (originally $60):

10 1/2" Lemon Maddox Short | Club Monaco

With a 10 1/2" inseam, this will hit just an inch or two above the knee, which is just short enough to look grown-up without showing too much leg. Just like your chinos, a khaki color is about as versatile as it gets, making these a ridiculously good value.

Go up just a few bucks and you can score some lightweight slim chinos for just $15 (originally $70):

Lightweight Davis Chino | Club Monaco

Most of the other chinos in the sale section are in absurdly bright colors, but luckily these are much more neutral. I'm a big fan of this burgundy shade, which I picked out last year as a fall color, but will still serve you well through the year. The 'Blue Moon' color adds a bit more spring-timey brightness without going all dayglow on you.

There are a decent number of option for shirts as well, most hovering around the $30 mark (post-discount). The list includes some nice crew-necks and dressier button-ups, but this casual work shirt is what really caught my eye:

Slim-Fit Checked Workshirt | Club Monaco

I didn't even think about it until I saw this, but I've found a bunch of options to brighten up my more formal dress shirts for the spring and summer, but I haven't paid much attention to my casual button-ups. At just $20, knocked down from $90, this is a solid and cheap pick.

Don't be afraid to look a little higher up the price line, too, as there are some blazers that are definitely worth checking out. There's this jacket, in a brown and white stripe that's neutral, and will match with almost anything, but is still definitely unique:

Grant Corded Stripe Jacket | Club Monaco

Originally not cheap at $330, the discount brings this down to a Uniqlo-cheap price of just $80. Hot damn. 

They've also got this option, which they're calling a suit blazer. I'm not 100% sure what they mean by the 'suit' part...maybe there are matching pants? Regardless, it will make a fantastic summer sport coat on it's own:

Grant Poplin Suit Blazer | Club Monaco

It's made from a lightweight poplin and looks to only be partially lined, which will help you stay cool when the weather heats up this summer. It does cost a bit more than the previous pick, but it's still very affordable at $115 (also originally $330).

I'll leave it at that for CM, but definitely check out the rest of the selection, there's a ton there.

On top of Club Monaco, I found two more deals that I gotta share:

Last Chance for Discounted Pre-Orders from Beckett Simonon:
Beckett Simonon has made the list before for their full-price shoes, which are unusually affordable for their high quality to begin with. This spring, they are releasing a new batch of styles, and for just a few more days (until April 15th, I believe), you can pre-order the new options at a discount (up to 30% off - plus get $25 credit with our referral link). There's not a bad looking shoe in the batch, in my opinion, but I'm on the hunt for some warm-weather loafers, like these suede, tasseled bad boys:

Blake-Constructed Venza Slippers | Beckett Simonon

Love the rich chocolate suede, love the sleek, slipper-like silhouette, love the $114 price (originally $140).

The suede guys are admittedly a bit fashion forward, but Beckett Simonon also has these penny loafers in a more traditional style and color:

Goodyear-Welted Cohen Loafers | Beckett Simonon

I really like the shape on these. It's sleek enough to be a summer shoe, but not pointy or 'dainty.' These also clock in at $115, down from $140. They've also got some nice-looking monkstraps and a couple of chunk-soled options worth checking out.

Early Access to the Bonobos Spring Sale:
I'm ending things with two pretty safe picks from the Bonobos sale (plus, get $25 off your first order with our referral link), . They always have some darn cheap chinos in their sale section, but the selection is often limited to some wilder colors, or unflattering cuts. I was pretty excited to see some more neutral, classic colors available in their stellar slim-straight cut:

Seanotes Slim Straight Chinos | Bonobos

This blue isn't as dark as your go-to navy, but it's very subdued, not in-your-face bright at all. I think it would make a great seasonal alternative to that navy, and at $48 (originally $88) it will barely set you back.

Also knocked down to an affordable $48, these brown chinos are actually something I've been looking for (on sale, of course), for a while now: 

Mochachinos in Slim Straight | Bonobos

These would have worked great all winter long, but they'll still come in very handy through the summer, grounding bright gingham shirts with a foundation of earthy neutrality. 

That's a wrap!

Summer Wishlist

I didn't really start dressing well until the cooler months last year, and as a result, I'm suddenly finding myself overwhelmingly unprepared to keep up the level of dapper in these warmer months. I've been working overtime to remedy the situation, and here is what I have left on my list to round out my wardrobe:

Lightweight blazer:

I already got a cotton/linen blend, unlined blazer from Uniqlo in dark blue/navy, but I'm hoping to add one more summer-weight blazer in a lighter color. I'm considering another from Uniqlo, probably this one in a red cotton/linen blend:

Uniqlo

as I was very happy with the one I just bought (review forthcoming), but am also considering this tan option from H&M:

H&M

Normally I stay away from H&M due to previous quality-of-construction issues I've had with their clothing, but I've heard good things about this blazer (for the price), and I'm digging the ticket pocket. Unfortunately, it is fully lined, which seems counter-intuitive for a lightweight jacket, so I guess I'll have to stop in and check it out.


Swim Shorts:

No joke, I haven't bought a pair of swim shorts since high school. Therefore I only own two very 'cool-at-the-time', past my knees, big-Hawaiian-floral-printed pairs of board shorts. It's definitely time for some man shorts to wear to the beach (if you can call it that) here in Chicago. What I really want is this pair in seersucker from J. Crew:

J. Crew Factory

but alas, they don't have my size, so I'm on the lookout for something similar.


Boat Shoes:

For a while I was struggling to find any summer-appropriate shoes. Recently, this purchase off of eBay covered my 'colored suede wingtips' bases, but I'm still on the hunt for some good boat shoes. My biggest problem so far is that I do most of my shopping online, and honestly, I think all boat shoes look crappy in product photos. The soles look clunky, the laces either weirdly long or weirdly short, etc. etc. However, when I see these bad boys in person (just took a browsing trip to DSW today), they all look damn fine. So, as soon as I can belly up to a straight up $75-$85 (depending on where you buy em') purchase in one fell swoop, I'm grabbing this pair of Sperry Top-siders for those more casual and/or nautical sock-less days:

Sperry Top-Sider

Light Wash Jeans:

Dark jeans are fan-fuckin-tastic pretty much year round, making that smooth move from casual to dressy without breaking a sweat. However, I've started breaking a sweat wearing mine, so I'm searching for some more lightweight denim. While I'm at it, I'm going to shake things up a bit and get something with a lighter wash as well to better embrace the bright sunshiny-ness of spring that I miss all Chicago-Winter long. Right now I got my eye on these cotton-linen blend jeans from Uniqlo:

Uniqlo

but I just wish I could visit a store in person to take advantage of the on-site, complimentary hemming. I've tried a few pairs of Levi's out, but haven't found the wash or weight that floats my boat. You know, that boat I'm wearing my boat shoes on.

Prescription Shades:

Cuz I'm blind as a goddamn bat. And I'm dainty and sensitive to the sun. Haha no, in all seriousness though, having a good pair of sunglasses is key during those summer months when you're trying to soak in as much sunshine as possible. I used to wear contacts and would just throw on a pair of knockoffs, but I've switched back to glasses in the past year and am going to have to pony up for a pair of prescription shades. I've been loving pretty much everything coming out of Warby Parker, and for $150 (prescription included), the price can't be beat (plus, fingers crossed, hopefully my insurance will cover them). Personally, I have my eye on the Jasper:

Warby Parker

 or the Winston:

Warby Parker

but there are a bunch that I'd rock any day.

Shorts

I only have two solid pairs of shorts in my wardrobe, and honestly, that's almost enough. Monday through Friday I'm pretty much limited to pants by the dress code at my day job. I have one pair in khaki, and one in grey chambray (super comfortable, by the way), both 9"-10" inseams. However, I'd love to have a few more pairs of chino shorts to let me show a little variety on those days off. I'm keeping my eye open at the J. Crew Factory website, since they have some damn good sales, but I'll be happy with a pair from Gap, Frank and Oak, and a small variety of other brands as long as they come in the right fit and at the right price. Right now, my ideal would be a pair in dark blue:

Gap

 and a pastel pair in oxford cloth:

J. Crew Factory

Linen Shirt

Another problem of mine: it gets hot as all get-out in Chicago in summer. However, I do prefer to wear a tie every weekday, especially at work. More unfortunately, I'm not a fan of the short-sleeves and tie look (this is widely debated across style blogs, so make your own decision). That said, my best option for staying cool on summer workdays is probably a nice, linen dress shirt. The biggest challenge I'm facing is finding a shirt that is reasonably priced but also comes in a slim fit. Most moderately priced linen shirts are much more casual and are designed for a loose, beach-y look. By the time you get up to dress shirt stylings, the prices are usually pretty damn high. Frank and Oak has a linen shirt that I'm going to give a try:

Frank & Oak

but if all else fails I'll snag one for cheap from Uniqlo and get it tailored (I checked their fabrics and I'd say it's tie-appropriate with a cotton or knit tie).

Cotton Ties

While winter weather calls for more substantial fabrics like thick silk or wool for your neckwear, summer similarly calls for it's own weather appropriate ties. I'm looking for options in cotton and linen, as well as some light-color, solid knit ties. I've already stocked up my closet at Tie Society, but for my permanent additions, I'm turning, as usual, to the The Tie Bar. I especially have my eye on this knit tie in coral: 

The Tie Bar

Or this one in cotton seersucker:

The Tie Bar

Uniqlo also has some great options for linen ties clocking it at $12.90, which is a steal. Most are in plaid/madras, and I'm a fan of this one:

Also, here is a short list of some other recent purchases for the summer:

Light (almost white) Chino's in Stone from J. Crew
Light Blue/Slate Chino's from Gap
No-show loafer socks from Nordstrom Rack
Short-sleeve casual button-up (needs tailored) from American Eagle
Mint OCBD from Frank & Oak