Shopping for Stylish Tech Accessories

I'll start off with a little background: As you all know, iPhone 5S came out recently, and the lines were out the doors and the shipping times through the roof. I was perfectly content to wait out the rush and buy mine in good time....until my iPhone 4 decided to stop charging. One day after all the new iPhones went out of stock. Long story short, I was stuck with a little candybar go-phone with no camera, no music, no keyboard, and feeling a lot like Stringer Bell with a burner (boom, 'Wire' reference). Fortunately, ATT way overestimated the time it would take to get me my phone, and a mere week later I had it in my hands.

Since I had the phone shipped to me, I didn't get a chance to pick out a case in the store. Lucky for me, I didn't have to look to hard to find one online. I bought my girlfriend a nice leather case from J. Crew last year, and I've been admiring their iPhone 5S cases for a hot minute, and voila, same day I get my phone, J. Crew Factory does a flash sale (something like 30% extra sale plus free shipping). Needless to say I was on that case like rainbows on an oil spill (I heard that line in Malcom in the Middle the other week and have been using it every chance I get). I ended up with this beaut of a case in navy leather:

From J. Crew Factory 

Pretty much two minutes later, one of my coworkers came over to announce he had just ordered his phone, and started to lament about his own search for a case. We quickly got into a conversation about how lame all of the go-to options are. If you walk out of Best Buy or and Apple Store with an iPhone case, chances are pretty good your phone is going to be twice as big, five times uglier, and look like it's wearing crocs. Somewhere along the line, all the big tech companies decided that everyone wanted their phones padded and wrapped in the ugliest rubber boxes money could buy.

So, the point is, these aren't your other options. If you know where else to look, you can get a functional and fashionable case, which is so nice, since your phone is one of those things you ALWAYS have and people are bound to see. Here are my suggestions:

First and foremost, don't look at companies dedicated to tech accessories. Their expertise is in making things work, not necessarily making them look good. They might try, but that's not where their training lies. And honestly, it's not that hard to make a case that works. Instead, go to the people who are experts at looking good. In other words, go to your favorite fashion and apparel sources. Nine out of ten apparel stores has an 'accessories' section, and if they do, you're bound to find some iPhone cases.

J. Crew, obviously, is one of my favorite sources. They have a good selection of classy and well designed cases for both men and women. On top of that, they are very reasonably priced (rarely higher than one of those ugly boxes from the super-store), and very often go on sale (or show up on the Factory outlet shop). I suggest picking one out online and then stopping by your store to pick it up (unless you get lucky with a free-shipping code like I did).

Jack Spade is another great option. They are already very well known for their protective but styling outerwear, bags, and luggage, so it only makes sense that they'd be able to do the same for phones. Their options run a tad bit higher, at about $40 a pop, but are still very reasonable. My favorite is this one in a 'book cloth' material (whatever that means, it looks nice).

From Jack Spade

If you want something with a print on it, try this guy from Original Penguin. Yeah, it's the logo, but I love penguins so I had to pick this one. I'm sure you can find some other options as well. This lil guy sells for around $40 also:

From Original Penguin

Back to leather, you can get a even classier with one of these options from Bonobos, which are made from Italian leather and have a great luster and depth to them (if that's your thing), but clock in over the $60 mark. These are currently only available in the iPhone 4 dimensions, but I'd expect to see options for the 5 and 5S arriving shortly:

From Bonobos

Keep shopping around and the opportunities are endless. You can even find cases in the uber-luxurious $300+ range from designer brands like Burberry and Saint Laurent (check out Mr. Porter for some of these as well). Have something really specific in mind? Last year I was trying to find a tweed covered case, searched all over in stores to no avail, only to find dozens of options on Etsy. I ended up sticking with the case I had for one reason or another, but I always keep Etsy in the back of my mind as another option.

Do you have the cajones to go case-less? If not, how do you protect your phone? Is your priority style and looks or functionality and ruggedness? Tell us about it in the comments!

WIWT - 4/24/2013

It’s been a while since I did a WIWT post, and I’m pretty damn happy with my wardrobe selection today, so WIWT it is. Mostly, I’m loving this outfit because it’s letting me use several new pieces that I was really excited to purchase and receive as gifts.



The first is this green chambray shirt from Frank and Oak. I think, from previous articles, you should know by now that Frank and Oak and chambray are two of my favorite things right now. I am also starting to be addicted to mint green as my go-to spring color, so when I saw this shirt in the April F&O selection I immediately jumped on it.

As usual with Frank and Oak, I’m really happy with the shirt. It fits me great as is, and the construction is very solid. It’s actually a bit heavier than my other Frank and Oak shirts, which is a bit of a mixed blessing. While I was kind of hoping for something light as the weather warms up, I’ve actually ended up being really happy with this weight on cooler spring days. It’s breathable enough that it doesn’t feel like a blanket when the sun comes out, but thick enough to give me a bit of a substantial layer when it gets cloudy and windy (as it so often does during Chicago springtime).



Next is the tie and pocket square combination, which I recently purchased from The Tie Bar. I’m always a big fan of polka dots, and this tie has pretty much the perfect scale going on for a fun tie that still fits the office environment. In my opinion, smaller and busier pin-dots lend to a more formal look, while larger and more spaced-out dots tend to look more casual, and this tie gives a great balance between the two. I’ve worn it with jeans, like here, or with dress pants and was equally pleased with both looks.



I also love this pocket square. I’m just starting to get into the pocket square game, and it can be tricky. You want to compliment other parts of your outfit without matching exactly, which can be tough to do at times. This square works great because I have a lot shirts and ties that are either blue or have blue accents, but I don’t have anything with a hounds-tooth pattern. Also, while it is a shinier silk square (as opposed to linen or cotton), the pattern breaks it up enough that it doesn’t look too dandy-ish (in my opinion).



Last, but definitely not least, is this Timex watch and strap from FormFunctionForm, which was a recent birthday present from my wonderful girlfriend.



I haven’t worn a watch since I was, oh maybe 10 years old? At which point my dream watch was one with a calculator, or a Tony the Tiger watch from a box of frosted flakes. As I’ve worked on upping my style game, I’ve decided it’s time to get back into the habit. Unfortunately, I’m not in the financial position to be buying a $500 watch (or anything near that price range…tight wallets, my friends), and my girlfriend isn’t in the financial position to be gifting me one either. On the other hand, I have enough taste to be pretty averse to buying some chintzy (is that a word? it is now) $50 timepiece from Urban Outfitters. Enter the FFF Timex. The face itself is classic and simple, and while it’s inexpensive it doesn’t look cheap.



The strap is top notch, made from quality Horween Chromexcel leather that will age beautifully and featuring and adjustable notch system reminiscent of the Everlane belt that I reviewed before (fully adjustable, but only ever showing one hole). It’s great, end of story.


Just a few final notes: Got the jeans going on and it’s not even casual Friday! Thank you, office, for Staff Appreciation Week.



Also, notice the brown belt and watch strap…while not entirely necessary, in general you should match your watch along with your belt and shoes.

Finally, the last time I wore this basic outfit, I wore my brown loafers, and I think I prefer that look. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I think something about the olive green tone in these Clarks blends in too well with both the shirt and jacket. The dark brown shoes lent a bit more contrast to the look, along with a little more gloss. I will say though, that I’m loving the way these boots are ‘aging.’ I’m normally OCD about scuffs, so the waxed leather, which shows every mark, took a little getting used to, but it’s definitely grown on me.





Ok, almost done rambling. I do want to say that I had a reader or two voice the opinion that they would like to see more pictures on the blog. The weather is finally shaping up (natural light is way better than my house lights) and I have my fancyshmancy camera, so I’m doing my best to indulge - I do care what you folks have to say, so keep the feedback coming! On that note, I’ll leave you with this mid-gesture action shot that my gal (and photographer) insisted I include (she thinks I’m cute).





Today’s Outfit:

Jacket and Shirt: Frank and Oak

Jeans: Hurley (bought at Nordstrom Rack)

Tie and Pocket Square: The Tie Bar

Boots: Clarks Desert Boots (bought on eBay)

Watch: FormFunctionForm

Fashion Faux Pas - Belt and Shoes

Welcome to the second edition of Fashion Faux Pas, the on-going series on shit you shouldn’t wear (I’ll be the first to admit, this is mostly based on experience). Todays topic: picking your belt and shoes.

Brown shoes = brown belt. Black shoes = black belt. This may seem boring and conservative, but in my opinion it is one of those rules that should rarely be broken. First off, it is a widely known rule, and one that others will notice quickly. I’ve actually seen this on models on some online stores and it drives me crazy (I think I actually was a big enough asshole to e-mail a company and tell them their model looked like an ass). Second, I just think it is really hard to look good with mismatched belt and shoes. The colors don’t have to match exactly, but your leathers really ground your outfit, and if they seem disjointed the rest of your clothing will too.

Fortunately, todays slightly bolder fashion world does allow some room to branch out from the standards. For example, as colorful D-ring belts are becoming more acceptable with formal or business-casual clothing, belts have become a great way to put some pop into your clothes. I actually have this belt from Levi’s on the way and am really excited about the options that it will open up.

Bottom line though, when you’re wearing standards like black and brown leather, stick to tradition and make sure those suckers match.