Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 12/19/2013

First, the spiel: "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!"

Comin' at you a bit early this week, as I will be spending all day Friday driving from Chicago to Philadelphia. Fun!

This week:

Johnston & Murphy 30% Off Sale:
J&M has a ton of stuff in their sale section, marked down to up to 30% off. Definitely take a few minutes to browse through, as this is going to be kind of hit-or-miss based on your personal preferences. Personally, I turn to Johnston & Murphy for stylish but not outrageously expensive shoes, so this pair of Westmore wingtips caught my eye, marked down to $120 (originally $175):

Westmore Wingtip in Burgundy Italian Calfskin | Johnston & Murphy

The burgundy color is so in right now (haha), and is incredibly versatile. I have a pair very similar to these that I snagged off eBay, and I wear them equally well with jeans as a suit. Plus, these guys have a rubber sole, which may be a detractor for some but is pretty appealing to me after walking home through the salt-and-sludge-filled sidewalks of Chicago. 

Also, their clothing section is worth taking a look as well. I can't personally speak to the quality as I have yet to try their attire myself, but they have some attractive options, such as this textured shawl-collar sweater:

Textured Shawl Collar Sweater | Johnston & Murphy

I think I've announced my love of shawl collars enough times here for you to get it, and this guy looks especially cozy. In addition to the shawl, I've been all about the interesting knits (cable knit, waffle knit, or a unique look like this one). This sweater is knocked down from $140 to $90, which isn't pocket change but is a good start for a chunky sweater. The cotton/wool blend (with a hint of nylon) will be warm like wool but a bit easier to maintain, thanks to the cotton.


Dockers 30% Off Sitewide (Code GIFT30):
I've been hearing rave things about the Dockers Alpha Khakis for a while now, and finally got to pick up a pair a few weeks ago. Damn, do they ever live up to the hype. Dressy as chinos but with a durable, denim-like hand, these are easily becoming one of my favorite pairs of trousers. Normally $68, the code knocks these down to under $50, and it looks like Dockers is shipping everything free at the moment.

Original Slim Alpha Khaki in Midnight | Dockers

I got mine in grey, but if I didn't already have a pair of navy chinos I would have grabbed these. Honestly though, there are a bunch of equally versatile colors available. I go with the original slim fit, which I think has the perfect amount of taper through the leg. 

Again, haven't personally tried their other apparel, but if their khakis are any indication, I'd say go for it. I browsed the rest of their collection, and saw this flannel overshirt, another piece I've been on the hunt for:

Flannel Overshirt in Carbon Heather Herringbone | Dockers

Ok, I wouldn't wear it like the guy in the picture, but as a casual 'shacket,' this looks pretty great, especially for under $50 (regularly $68). There's also a damn fine looking toggle-closure shawl cardigan that I'm only not listing because I've already got the shawl collar covered above.


Bonobos Extra 30% Off Holiday Styles (Code SNOWEDIN):
I make a rule NOT to buy anything for myself in the week before Christmas, but I might make an exception for this shirt. If you're like me and have been tempted to dip your toes in the color-blocking trend but haven't bit the bullet yet, Bonobos is giving a hella good chance to do so on the cheap:

Double Major Slim Colorblock | Bonobos

Available in their slim fit, this OCBD comes in a few colorways, but this is probably my favorite. Best part, with the 30% off, the shirt is only $27! Bonobos always ships and returns free, so this is hugely risk-free.

While you're at it, Bonobos is really known for their pantaloons. Along with Dockers Alpha Khaki, their chinos are among my favorites with an absolutely impeccable fit. They have a ton of colors available at a range of prices, but these brown cords are a steal at $35 after the discount:

French Corders in Brown | Bonobos

The warm brown corduroy fabric is perfect for the fall/winter season, and like I said, impeccable slim-straight fit. 

Word. Notebooks:
This one isn't a sale, per se, but these are cheap to begin with ($10 for a 3-pack), and therefore make the perfect stocking stuffer. These notebooks are cool enough just in design, with a variety of colors available, but the real gem is their bullet system that takes the to-do list to a whole new level.

Word. Notebook in Green Leaf | Word. Notebooks

I bought a few of these for my girlfriend as a birthday gift last year, and now she swears by them. Her endorsement has been so enthusiastic that these are high on my own list this year, and if none pop up in my stocking I'll be sure to grab a few for myself. 

The company also offers these very cool pocket journals for $11, or $45 with a monogrammed leather cover:

The Standard Memorandum | Word. Notebooks

The company description says it better than I could:

"The project began after Jon discovered his wife's great-grandfather's pocket journals from the early 1900's that basically recreated what his life was like. Born out of a desire to start doing this himself, Jon partnered with Word. Notebooks to create a journal like the ones he found. The Standard Memorandum is that journal."

The Kalob Griffin Band:

This last one is a shout-out to my good friends in the Kalob Griffin Band (or the KGB). Eric Lawry, the drummer for the band, has been one of my best friends since freshman year at PSU. He's always been making music, and in our senior year he hooked up with Kalob (another solid dude) and I've been rockin' out to their jams ever since.

June Found A Gun | The Kalob Griffin Band

KGB plays an awesome mix of rock, blues, folk and americana music that's irresistibly booty-shakin'. Their debut album, June Found A Gun is available on iTunes and Spotify, but their live show is where it's really at. We actually plan our trip back to Philly every year around their holiday concert, which is a helluva party and always a highlight of my year. If you can make it (or gift a ticket to a friend or family member), it's on the 21st at World Cafe (a great venue as well), and you can get tix here for $15.

On that note, have a great holiday and safe travels! I'll check back in with a short post early next week!

Shoes Fo' Po' People

A theme of this blog is the recurring problem that as one becomes more enlightened to the ways of looking good, one’s taste in clothes (and then things, and then women….haha) gets more and more expensive. Unfortunately, not all of us have the financial means to keep up with those tastes, which leaves a lot of us with the problem of not being able to afford what we we want, but knowing too much about the alternatives to want to settle.

This post adresses what, to me, provided the biggest gap between want and ability (besides maybe custom/bespoke suits, but I guess I don’t really need one of those at this point in my life): Shoes. It really seemed to me that, unless I was willing to throw down close to $300 on a pair of Allen Edmonds, I was relegated to fake leather, synthetic soles, boxy toes, and every other sign of sub-par footwear. Then, I found eBay.

Ok, that’s a bit overdramatic. I already knew about eBay. But, I had never really tried to use it to buy clothes and shoes. I’m still iffy about buying clothes (too much of a gamble regarding unseen stains, snags, stretches, and, worst of all, smells), but I have found eBay to be a goldmine for finding high quality shoes in good (not new, but good) shape for extremely affordable prices.

My advice before diving in:

1. Know your shoe size: This whole thing really only works if you can confidently bid on a pair of shoes without worrying if they are going to squish your toes. I know I am a size 10 D, and so far have not been let down (size-wise) by anything with those measurements.


2. Stick to leather shoes: This goes back to my aversion to clothes and shoes that smell like other people. Decently cared for leather shoes smell like, well, leather. Running shoes, sneakers, etc., these things tend to smell like sweat. And feet.


3. Know the brands you like: It is way more productive to search by brand than by shoe type. If you search for “Brown Loafers” you will get way too many results and half of those are gonna piece-o-shit shoes. Stick to quality brands, and search using those names. I have a list of brands that I routinely check for on eBay. These are brands I have worn and loved, or are reputable brands that I have seen on other forums with styles that I know I love.


4. Look for damage to the uppers as well as wear to the soles: Damage to the uppers is probably the most important, as it is very hard to repair deep scuffs or scratches. Soles and heels can always be repaired and replaced (as long as they were leather to begin with), but just be sure to factor that cost into your budget if need be.


5. Set yourself a standard price limit, and use the filters: My method is to, every few days, start a search under ‘Men’s Shoes.’ I slap on a price filter and a size filter (I usually run with $50 max, size 10D), and then just start plugging in those aforementioned brands.


6. Lastly, stick to items ending that day: You can find a lot of great deals, but you will also see a lot of great shoes starting at really low prices and then skyrocketing in the last day or two of the auction. You will be disappointed over and over again if you start bidding too early. Look for auctions that are ending soon, or have a Buy-It-Now option (this is just basic eBay shit, so get with it, people!)

Applying those guidelines, I have started to build a hell of a shoe collection. Here are my recent buys:


I scored these nice, Johnston & Murphy wingtip brogues for $35 and free shipping. While Johnston & Murphy is bit below Allen Edmonds as far as quality goes, these shoes came in great condition for $35. The sole is barely scuffed, the heels are only lightly worn, and the leather uppers are in perfect condition. They are a little stiff, but I’m hoping with regular polishing and conditioning they will soften up nicely. These shoes normally run $175 on the Johnston & Murphy website.



I had been really wanting a new pair of brown shoes (mine were, horrifically, a bit square toed), so I went after these bench-made Brooks Brothers cap-toe oxfords and brought em home for just $45 (plus $10 for shipping). These show a little more wear on the soles, but the uppers are in great condition and they are very comfortable. I also love that they work casually and formally equally well.



My favorite shoes are these black, quarter-brogue Allen Edmonds I bought for ONLY $25!!!! I love Allen Edmonds, and tend to use them as a scale against which I measure all other shoe brands (so get used to it). I also love these shoes because they were part of the beginning of my wardrobe upgrade and are my first nice shoes. This was when I broke away from long toed, or square toed, or synthetic, or other crap - shoes and landed with a classy, comfortable (the leather on these is incredibly soft), and versatile pair of dress shoes. Couldn’t. Be. Happier.

Lastly: I JUST (as in just yesterday) received a pair of Original Clark’s Desert Boots via eBay (for a slim $35 + shipping/handling). I haven’t gotten to wear or photograph them yet (with my shitty iPhone camera, I feel like saying ‘photograph them’ is a little misleading, but still…), but I guarantee a full report soon! Shop well, friends.