Casual Trends I’ve Had My Eye On (And Frugal Picks to Try Them Out)

I had a really interesting conversation with a friend the other day. We talked about how tailored, business, formal, or basically any 'suited' style can actually be easier than dressing casually - at least for a guy who wants to put some effort into dressing well anyway. Why's that?

When you put on a suit, or even a blazer with a shirt and tie, you are automatically presented with a set of garments and accessories, and forced to match them appropriately. Every time, you'll have you shirt, slacks and jacket, and then your tie and pocket square. It does take effort, it does take savvy to do it right, but the blueprint is there for you already.

When you dress casually, however, there is a lot more room to maneuver, which actually presents some more complicated issues. On one hand, it's easy to just resort to jeans and a tee - and not be wrong. The right jeans and tee combo can look even better than the most 'sprezzy' tailored fit. However, when you try to go above the basics, that blueprint you had with your tailored clothes, just isn't there. What's your first step? A graphic tee? Some mirrored shades? Stacked bracelets? When do you stop?

Anyway, the point of the issue is, it actually has taken me a lot longer to delve into stylish casual clothing than it did to dive into sharp, preppy tailored pieces. Now that I have the confidence in my style tastes and judgment to do so, I'm enjoying the hell out of it. Hopefully I'll have some interesting looks to share soon. Meanwhile, here are some casual trends I've really been hooked on, as well as picks so you can snag em yourself without breaking the bank:

Lightweight Bombers: Never really were out of style, but they really seem to be all the rage these days. They can sometimes be pretty damn pricey, but at the same time, it’s becoming easier and easier to find affordable options that have some of the same details and styling as high end, luxury goods.

Men's Lightweight Bomber | Old Navy - $45 ($42 at time of posting)

The Lightweight Bomber | Everlane - $68

Chambray Bomber | J.Crew Factory - $118 ($60 at time of posting)

Jogger Pants: Chinos meet streetwear with these cuffed trousers. Maybe hard to pull off in anything close to a tailored or business casual occasion, but they add some edge (without losing the class) to a more casual, off-duty look. And you know what? I could see them with a more relaxed blazer, too.

Twill Jogger Pants | Gap - $50

Jogger Pant in Campus Khaki | American Eagle Outfitters - $40

Regular Cuffed Chinos | ASOS - $47.61

Tailored Fit Jogger Chinos | Publish via Nordstrom - $82

Chore Coats: This classic workwear piece has seen a surge in popularity, probably in large part due to the popularity of visvim and other high end Japanese denim brands that pull from classic Americana styles. Another one that’s often very expensive, Uniqlo is finally offering a pretty stylish and darn affordable piece.

Denim Work Jacket | Pure Blue x Uniqlo - $80

Land’s End also has this one, which I just wish was denim rather than terry: 

French Terry Chore Coat | Land's End Canvas - $128 ($40 at time of posting)

Bold Printed Shirts: Another trend that has admittedly been around for a while now. To be honest, I thought most of the earlier, affordable iterations were just, kinda, poorly designed. Something about them just made it instantly clear that they were not the designer pieces that they were supposed to resemble. These days, however, there are a bunch of budget-friendly brands really doing it right.

Geometric Print Shirt | Frank & Oak - $55 ($25 credit with our referral link) 

Short-Sleeve Popover in Reverse-Printed Floral | J.Crew - $80 ($50 at time of posting)

Clear-frame (or translucent) Sunglasses: I keep seeing these pop up and love them, but the first pair I really drooled over was a crazy expensive pair by Garrett Leight. I’ve since found them on sale a few times, but never in my price range. Searching for cheaper options has largely been a bust, but recently I found a few that I really dig (for the record, I ended up settling on the American Optical pair via eBay, and love them, although the ‘smoke grey’ frames are a bit darker than I’d ideally like).

Clubmaster Sunglasses with Clear Finish | ASOS - $23 ($15 at time of posting)

Safety Glasses | American Optical via eBay (~$35) or Independence ($70)

Black Waxed/Coated Jeans: This is maaaybe the first mark NYC is making on my style - the edgier, kinda rocker look is much bigger here than in Chicago. Also, not working at a law firm any more is giving me the opportunity to explore my casual tastes more, and has me interested in trying moves along these lines. Just avoid anything too shiny, or it’ll look like leather...tooo rock and roll, man. Those H&M numbers might be pushing it, gotta check em out in person.

1969 Slim Fit Jeans (Coated Black Pigment Wash) | Gap - $80

Waxed Jeans | H&M - $50

OK, I'll leave it at that, but this is one where I'd really love to hear your input - both as to the original discussion at the beginning of the article, as well as any casual trends you have your eye on. Share below!

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?

Father's Day with Bill Thomas of Bills Khakis

Happy early Father's Day to all the dad's out there - mine was the best. Look at me, stuntin in my high-top All Stars!
 My dad might not have been big on fashion, but those fades would be the envy of many a denim head today!

I spent some time trying to think of a great way to approach a Father's Day post. On personal holidays like this, I don't like to suggest specific gifts, because our circumstances (and our dads) can be (and probably are) very different. There also isn't some standard of attire or event for this day (like there is for St. Patrick's or even Memorial Day), so, hell wear whatever you want. Anyway, I was dancing around the subject until I got an email from some of the reps for Bills Khakis, offering to set up an interview with Bill himself (founder Bill Thomas) to chat about the holiday.

Bills Khakis is a company I've had on my radar for a long time, but never got to try out myself. My interpretation of them, up to this point, was as a company blurring the lines between modern and traditional - offering classic and durable worker chinos alongside more slim-fit and modern options, and managing to make the distinction between the two much less pronounced - which I think is pretty awesome! I browsed their merch, read a bit more about the company, and was definitely interested enough to set up the interview.

On a little side note - I half expected a pretty 'promotional,' one-sentence answers, 'buy our stuff' interview, and was really impressed with the thought Bill took into answering my questions, and I think the interview turned out really well. In fact, I'm still waiting on some samples that they are sending me so that I can get an in-person feel of their products and judge them myself (and pass the deets on to you folks), but I couldn't wait to get this on the blog, and especially wanted to do so in time for the upcoming holiday. Soooo, here's the (short) interview - Bill does have some recommendations specific to his brand, so check out their goods (they've got a really solid rep, so I wouldn't hesitate if you see something you like), but there's also some good thoughts here on bridging the generational style gap. Here we go:

As a young menswear blogger looking ahead to Father's day and apparel or style related gifts, I keep coming back to the potential 'style gap' between young fashion-forward guys and their fathers - as in, I love my dad's style, and he definitely appreciates mine, but there isn't a lot of crossover between the two. Where my dad is a meat-and-potatoes, jeans-and-tee kind of guy, I like things a little more tailored and a little more bold.

I think Bills Khakis is great in that you cover a both ends of the spectrum. How do you and your team successfully approach the balance between trendy or modern and classic or timeless?

Bill Thomas: "Simple, purposeful and authentic. The Bills Khakis brand has grown from the values represented by an original pair of WWII khakis I found at an army surplus store while I was in college. These timeless characteristics serve as a compass for men’s fashion in America across all generations. Each generation redefines the nuances, but the building blocks are the same. It’s our job to evolve in concert with this progression. “Fit” is a primary driver with color, wash and detailing also playing a part. Our design efforts take this all into account. Our “Tea Label” Collection is a great example of how Bills Khakis can speak to a more trend oriented customer, who often is younger, while our original label continues to drive business with customers whose personal style is more traditional."

Can you suggest some approaches to Father's day gift buying for style-minded guys with dad's that...

M3 Trim Fit Poplin Pant in Marine

...want to try new modern styles, but still act their age?

"Get your father into a slightly more tailored fitting pair of khakis and shirt. WORD OF CAUTION! Even if your dad runs triathlons, he will likely not want the fit to be super trim. He’ll never be comfortable wearing skinny fit anything, and frankly, if you saw him wearing a pair you would probably agree. Our M3 pant fit and “Tailored Fit” shirts strike the perfect balance of comfort and updated fit. Throw in a cool belt and make sure the shoe is right and you've brought your father into 2014."

Supima® Pique Polo

...have a solid sense of style, but like to stick to the classics?

"In addition to our WWII inspired khakis, there are great stories behind many of the products we make - stories that will help your father see what they are wearing in a different light. For example, our Supima® Polo shirt is not only cut and sewn in America, the cotton was grown and harvested here as well. For those not familiar with Supima®, it’s among the finest cottons in the word. Supima® is strong, color fast but still breathable and soft!"

Oxford Gingham Shirt

...might enjoy some stylish flair, but don't even know it?

"Add a little color. Like khaki, “navy” really isn’t a color when it comes to pants or shorts. Easy to wear shades include: Wicker, Sage, Pewter, and Marine. Also, a blue gingham check shirt will be a giant step for his sense of style."

...have little interest in style (or the way they dress), and might benefit from a (very subtle) 'nudge' in the right direction?

"Chances are this dad has always bought the lowest price anything he can find. Introduce them to “quality” merchandise. The experience of wearing exceptional products will enlighten him. Chances are he’ll never splurge on himself."

Last, on a more personal note, I'm actually a native Pennsylvanian, now living in Chicago, so I relate to your background. Something that's always been very interesting, though occasionally challenging as well, has been coming from/living in these areas where style and fashion aren't as front-and-center as places like NYC or LA. I'd love to hear how this has affected your style as well as the development of his brand!

"I have never considered Bills Khakis a fashion brand in the sense we need to “drive” fashion. However, we do need to be “on tend” to remain relevant. Chicago reflects how most of America dresses - think of NYC and LA as two strong magnets with Chicago in the middle. Chicago will never get pulled too hard left or right, but it will oscillate."

Big thanks to Bill for taking the time to speak with me, and a big thanks to all the Dads out there, for being Dads - awesome Dads, I hope - and the biggest thanks of all to my own Dad, who's the coolest guy I know and really helped make me who I am. And, of course, my heart is with my Pappy and Grandpa, may they rest in peace, I miss you uber-dads every day.

Curled up, thumb in my mouth, my 'ginky' (blanket), while my dad reads me 'The Night Before Christmas.'
Couldn't have been happier.

Bonus: Any expecting Dad's out there? If your beautiful baby is born on Father's Day (June 15th, 2014), Bills Khakis will send you a pair of Authentic Khaki's on the house. Can't beat that, a baby and some killer menswear in one day...just gotta get that timing right!

Testing Trends - Putting It Into Practice

Incredible photography by the lovely Christine.

As much as possible, when we give advice here on Wide Eyes, Tight Wallets, we like to follow up with a post where we put that same advice into action. You may remember a few weeks back, we wrote a post on budget-conscious trend-testing. While we were speaking to a bigger technique to be applied to any new and semi-risky fashion trends, we applied it specifically to the black/white combo that has been popping up (quite stylishly), especially among streetwear-leaning celebs.

I spent a little time and followed through, picking up some key pieces in very affordable/lower quality 'test' items so that I could see if I could rock the style myself (and not be out big bucks if I failed). Fortunately, I already had a crisp white OCBD (as every man should), so I was off to a solid start with my existing wardrobe. Even if you don't (gasp!), you can pick one up on the cheap from Uniqlo (although you certainly wouldn't be remiss shelling out a bit more on a staple piece like this, which isn't a style risk on it's own at all).

White Slim OCDB | Uniqlo

Even better, I ended up picking up a pair of bright white Converse Jack Purcell's as part of a completely independent project to amp up my summer casual kicks beyond my go-to Sperry Topsiders. Again, though, even if I was purchasing these for trend-testing purposes alone, they only cost $60, and alternatives from brands like Vans are even more affordable.

Jack Purcell | Converse via MR PORTER

So right there, I have the 'white' component of this trend completely covered without spending a risky dime. All I needed to round out the look was a pair of black jeans, which would contrast very strongly between the shirt and the shoes. Now, I could have gone for this pair of Back x Black denim by 3Sixteen that I've been drooling over since I first saw them pop up in GQ or some similar magazine a few months back. However, being my first pair of black jeans, and not being positive if the look is me, I smartly took a much safer route, hitting up my favorite thrift store - eBay. After just a few days of patiently browsing the listings, I managed to pick up a pair of lightly used Levi's 511's for well under $20, shipped. Again (get the trend here?) even if I couldn't score these on eBay, I would have gone with a way affordable option, like these from Levi's that run under $50:

Black Stretch Denim in 511 Fit | Levi's

And there I had it, just a week or two of putting the pieces together, and I had an outfit all ready to test out the trend at hand. Here's the result...

...and I'm pretty damn happy with it! I really dig the contrast, and while say, dark jeans and any light shirt would get a similar effect, this has a bit more of an edge to it. Still, I'm glad I went cheap, as I don't see myself wearing this every day. Who knows, now that I have a taste for black denim, maybe I'll get hooked and end up ponying up for a premium pair down the road, but for now, for the occasional wear, I'm perfectly happy with my budget-ensemble and will funnel my money towards a few other larger purchase I know I'm looking for this season.

What's the latest 'trend' that you've tried out? How did it work?

Wearing Orange (and Other 'Uncooperative' Colors)

Struggling today...not enough sleep, early afternoon migraine, it's been rough. Anyway, keeping it short this Wednesday (and pulling pics from Instagram), we're taking a quick look at how to rock the color orange. Earlier this year, when all the designers were busting out their new collections at the fashion weeks, the menswear world was all about orange as the color of the season, which is challenging, because it’s also inherently bright and bold, and therefore kind of hard to work into an everyday outfit. Fortunately, there are some moves to try that will allow you to incorporate the color in your wardrobe without taking any huge style risks.

Editors Note: Since deciding to write this article, I've noted that this trend didn't necessarily take off, and orange isn't the ubiquitous tone of the season that I came to expect - maybe it is yet to come, but regardless, you can adapt these same tips to other bright colors that you may be tempted to experiment with.

The first route we can suggest is to just tone down the brightness and boldness that make orange a tricky color to work with from the get-go. With a lot of other bright colors, we often suggest washing them out or opting for more faded or pastel versions, but with orange we suggest going the opposite direction, instead looking for darker, over-saturated, 'burnt' shades. That rusty orange color actually works a lot like a lighter shade of brown, and plays great with blues (lucky for me, since my wardrobe has a lot of blue in it already). You can get some great chinos or shorts in this color (try these from Bonobos, on sale for just $38 - and $25 off with our referral link - or these from Topman for something a little less bright), but my go-to move has been this vintage tie that I scored off eBay:

Got this bad boy on eBay for something like $3.00. A new favorite!

You can get a similar look with this number from The Tie Bar (at only $15, it makes a relatively low-risk trend-testing option).

Knitted Silk Tie in Rust | The Tie Bar - $15

Our other recommendation is to use orange in very small splashes, and mate it with similar, but more commonplace and classic colors. My girlfriend gifted me a bright orange tie clip last fall, and I've been loving to play it off a slim tan leather belt and tan suede boots:

Not the best pictures, but you get the gist.

The leathers are both bright in their own way, and when worn with a monochrome blue ensemble, they inject this punch of color at regular intervals - shoes, waist, torso. Among other options, I could see this working quite well with red and oxblood or burgundy.

So there you have it - my words of wisdom for the day before I go nurse this clinging headache - migraines, man. 

How do you all rock bright, 'uncooperative' colors? Do you have any orange in your wardrobe? What's your favorite way to work it into an outfit? Hit up the comments section!

How To Test a New Trend

Menswear folk preach timeless style all the time, and you'll read on many blogs tons of advice and comments instructing you to avoid trends. In general, I tend to agree - to an extent. Yes, timeless pieces are just that - timeless - and as such, will probably be the more long-lasting versatile pieces in your wardrobe, and as such, are the ones worth investing in. However, trends shouldn't be ruled out entirely. For one thing, some of those trends do end up graduating to timeless status. If we never tried anything new, we'd still be wearing togas, or caveman skins. Even classic style evolves, and that can't happen without people trying new things. Also, timeless can get boring...sometimes you need to jump off a cliff and do something exciting, new, and fun.

So how do you go about testing a new trend? My recommendation is to dip your toes in the water before you dive in (although I did just make a reference to jumping off a cliff...). The trick is to find a way to try out a new style without investing yourself so heavily that if, as many trends do, yours falls to the wayside in a few months, you're out a chunk of change and stuck with some expensive and now useless crap.

With that in mind, you'll want to treat these trends exactly the opposite of how you treat timeless pieces. Instead of focusing on construction and quality, and saving your money to invest in a truly worthwhile piece, look instead for quick fixes - inexpensive options that embody the heart of the trend but don't require you to hand over a month's pay. Skip all the painstaking research, go with your gut, but go cheap.

For example, I've really been digging this microtrend lately of stark black and white outfits - especially in more casual terms. It's definitely a more street-wear friendly look, which isn't one I usually go for (tending instead to stick to a nice preppy/prepster balance). I'm thinking black jeans, some black leather trainers, a bright white tee, and a black bomber jacket. Something like one of these looks:

John Legend (photo via Créme de la Créme) | Anthony Urbano (photo via Closet Freaks)         

I've been so tempted to try it out, but I'm almost certain it's not going to be a strong player in my 'fit rotation, and might even just be relegated to a few wears. Therefore, I'm not even starting to look at premium denim, designer sneakers, or classic bomber jackets (I would spend some $$ on a tee, but only because everyone can use a white tee, and I'll rock that part for as long as it lasts). 

Instead, I'm going as cheap as possible. I just grabbed a pair of lightly used Levi's on eBay for around $12 (shipping included). If it weren't for those, I'd pick up this pair from H&M (a store I usually skip). I found a bomber jacket at Forever 21 (where I also wouldn't normally even consider shopping) in an especially fashion-forward mixed-media for only $30 . I actually already have a white tee that I copped from Bonobos, on sale for around $10, but you can score one for the same price at Uniqlo year-round. Even the trainers, I'm grabbing for just $45 at Vans. Voila, an entire (on trend) outfit for well under $100 (which wouldn't even cover the shoes for a 'timeless' ensemble):

This way, no matter the outcome of my little experiment, I'm only out a small amount of money. If I like the look, I can take some more time and spend some more money to get pieces really worth being proud of, and swap them out for my cheapskate options over time. If I'm not so fond of the look, like I said, little skin off my back (way less than if I went high-end on everything right off the bat).