Old Spice - Take A Look What You've Done

Earlier this month, Old Spice reached out to me to see if I was interested in doing a sponsored feature on their line of hair care products. At first I was hesitant, as I strive very hard to maintain the integrity of our reviews here. Regardless of what we get for free, get paid, or who sponsors us, we keep our writing 100% objective and would never recommend a product or service we wouldn't use ourselves. That in mind, I was worried I would be obligated to endorse a product against my better judgement. The response from Old Spice was great, and triggers my first recommendation for them as a company with some of that fore-mentioned integrity. Not only would they give me full creative control over my article and it's conclusions, they even offered to send the products with no guaranty of any article at all.

So, I figured, "What the hell? I may as well give this a try." I thought, worst case, I'd have a box of hair care products that I wouldn't use, no one the wiser. Best case, I'd find something worthwhile to pass on to you readers, and in fact, I was able to do just that.

First, a quick summary of the products they sent:

WOW. So. Much. Hair care. There's even more buried underneath....see the whole line here.

Basically, I was provided with two types of products: washing products, and styling products. We'll take a look at the washing products first. These included a variety of shampoo and conditioning treatments. Actually, all but one were 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner combinations, with the last being just a shampoo product. I'm not really sure why that one was set up differently, but there you have it.

So what did I think? In general, I was actually pretty impressed, and for two main reasons:

1. Right off the bat, I was impressed with the scents. Now, I do use Old Spice deodorant already, so I'm not opposed to the scents themselves, but in my past experiences, shampoos such as these, or perhaps those from Ax, or any other brand specifically marketed towards men, are so overpowering. Again, the scent might be pleasant, but the crazy doses they throw at you definitely aren't. Not so in the case of the Old Spice hair care. Instead, the scent was very subtle. While you definitely get a good whiff of it while you lather up, by the time you rinse and dry, there is just a pleasant lingering fragrance. Well done, smell-engineers, or whatever you call yourselves.
2. Second, I almost always veer away from 2-in-1 hair care products. While the concept is great and time/space-saving, and my hair needs don't require individual specialty shampoos or conditioners, I've found that combo products really struggle to get the ratios right. Either there's just shampoo and hardly any conditioner, and your hair feels like it only got hit with the first, or the conditioner is so heavy that by the time you get enough shampoo for a healthy lather, your hair comes out almost greasy. Again, Old Spice surpassed my expectations, as the 'Swagger' combo (my favorite scent, and the same one I use for deodorant) gave me the perfect amount of each. I came out with soft, clean, silky smooth hair that has been pretty well prepped for any type of styling I have in mind.

Which brings us to the second round; the styling products.

Here, I was a little less impressed, but still managed to find a bit of a gem. Why not impressed, you ask? Mainly, I just didn't get the described effects on 4 out of 5 of the products. High hold was damn near impossible to find, and while I did get some varying amounts of shine, nothing held up to the high shine, medium hold that I prefer for my day-to-day grooming. Even the pomade, which by name should have been a thicker, sleeker product, was a bit weak and lackluster.

Now, having said that, I did find a product that I will be using well into the future. I usually style my hair with a classic side part. I use pomade for medium hold and high shine, and give it just a bit of lift on top. This has worked for me for a long time, and on my day-to-day, I don't have much desire to change. However, there are some days where I don't want to look quite so put together and business like, instead opting for a more casual, laid back, almost 'thrown together without a though' type of a vibe. In this case, I want a hair product that will look like I didn't put anything in it - natural, low shine, flexible - but with just enough hold to keep everything out of my eyes. This has honestly been a damn tough product to find - and every time I'm on to something, my barber stops stocking it, or the brand changes their formula, and I'm back to square one.

Lucky for me, the 'Cruise Control' forming creme did that exact job perfectly. You can actually see me with this stuff in on one of my more recent outfit posts. See how the part is there, and the hair is out of my face, but it looks 'naked' and blows in the breeze. Fantastic.

Bottom Line:

So what's my overall conclusion here? For the money and the reputation of brands in it's league, I think Old Spice does a darn good job. If you have found your niche product and love it, I doubt there is much here that will pull you away. However, if you need something to shake things up here and there, Old Spice makes a relatively effective and very affordable option. 

And for me? I'll keep using the Swagger shampoo/conditioner, as I'm getting really attached to the ease and feel. As for the styling products, most days I'll be sticking with my Baxters of California Soft Water Pomade (more here), but when I want to kick back and keep it casual, I'll have a tube Cruise Control handy to do the trick.

Oh, and let's never forget, the real reason I agreed to do this post, was this lady. Can't you just feel the anguish in her cry of 'OLD SPIIICE'? I can...pulls at the heartstrings:

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

Solid Ties - Think Outside the Box

As patterned shirts get more and more play in office settings, it can get tricky to match a patterned tie. However, a plain silk, especially with any type of sheen to it, can look like something you would have worn to prom. Even a toned down version, like a silk twill, is just kind of boring. 

A quick and easy remedy is to stock up on some nice solid ties with interesting textures or fabrics. The solid color scheme will ensure that it will match easily with any pattern, but the visual depth that the texture or fabric choice adds will keep you looking like a man on top of his sartorial game. 

Here are some of our favorite options:

Silk Knit:

This is one of my go-to options year-round. Honestly, a silk knit with an OCBD is probably my favorite combination, and is so incredibly versatile that you'll find yourself reaching for it again and again. It's a look equally at home under a suit as it is with jeans and a tweed blazer. 

Solid Silk Knit Tie in Bordeaux | The Knottery - $18.00

Wool/Cotton Knit:

Keep it seasonal by changing your fabrics appropriately - cotton in the spring and summer, wool in the winter and fall.. The lack of any real shine here makes these a bit more casual, but can still work under a suit if done right - just opt for a coarser or heftier suit fabric with your wool knits, or a lighter summer fabric like linen or cotton (chino would look especially great) with your cotton neckwear.

Solid Wool Knit Tie in Charcoal | The Tie Bar - $15

Knit Cotton Tie | J.Crew Factory - $29.50

Raw Silk: Of all fabrics on this list, I have the least experience with Raw Silk, but maybe the strongest desire to give it a try. The stuff just looks very cool...it holds the elegance of a silk material, but the unfinished nature and inherent roughness take it from business to creative.

Solid Raw Silk Tie | Sid Mashburn - $95

Chambray:

The white weft threads in chambray give the fabric a bit more depth than a plain weave or twill, and also lends a lightness to the colors that is perfect for spring and summer. Just be careful, as a good rule of thumb is to keep your tie darker than your shirt. With that in mind, lighter colored ties such as these will work best with a white-based shirt. Of course, if you dig around enough, you'll be able to find a tie cut from dark chambray remeniscent of your favorite pair of jeans:

Stafford Cotton Chambray Tie | JCPenney - $30

Donegal:

Back to winter options, a Donegal wool tie will have the characteristic nubs and flecks that the name is known for. From a distance it will look solid, but up close you'll get some great texture and variation. These pair incredibly well with tweed or heavy english wools. 

New Look Donegal Tie | ASOS - $8.50

Silk Grenadine:

The rest of the options listed here tend to lean at least just a bit more casual, but grenadine knit is all about class. This textured weave is vaguely similar to a plain silk knit, but usually keeps the triangle point (as opposed to flat edge), and is a luxurious (although usually more expensive) alternative that will go great with a sharp power suit and slick dress shirt.

Handmade Slim Navy Grenadine Tie | Charles Tyrwhitt - $85

Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 3/14/2014

Do I need to keep saying this? Haha: "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 this week's deals are:

MyHabit Flash Sales:
I'll be the first to admit that flash sale sites like MyHabit, HauteLook, and Gilt can be hit or miss. A lot of the selection tends to be kind of...wonky, for lack of a better word, return policies can be restrictive, and shipping times can be pretty delayed. That said, some of the best purchases I've made have been through these sites, and I consider them well worth keeping an eye on. MyHabit tends to be a favorite of mine, as they offer free shipping and process orders at a reasonable pace. I'm not sure if it's a standard return policy, but both of the sales listed below are returnable up to 14 days after recieving your order for a $3.99 return fee. Use my referral link and you might get hooked up with a discount (this policy tends to change back and forth, if I'm not mistaken). Here are my picks: 

Levi's Made & Crafted via MyHabit:
First up is Levi's Made & Crafted, one of Levi's premium lines that normally comes with an equally premium price point. The selection here isn't huge, but what they have is crazily affordable. While they are obviously known best for their jeans, my favorite piece is this long-sleeve Tee in a Breton stripe, knocked down from $125 to just $50:

Breton Long Sleeve Tee | Levi's Made & Crafted via MyHabit

The timing for this is actually pretty perfect, as The Style Blogger (one of my favorite menswear blogs), actually just featured a piece with a similar stripe in today's WIWT post (check out Towni here). As they mention, the pattern is perfect for spring, and I really like the red/white/blue colorway (plus, it'll be great for 4th of July). Also, you almost don't notice the pocket, which makes it the perfect kind of subtle detail that will set it apart. 

There is also a decent selection of trousers with similarly huge discounts, but alas, not much in the way of denim.


Gitman Brothers Vintage via MyHabit:
Next up is another high-end, highly desirable designer line, Gitman Brothers Vintage. These guys are known for their perfect shirts, which is exactly what they have to offer here. There's a smattering of stripes, checks, and gingham button-downs available, all in great spring colors - is it finally warming up where you are? I have my eye on this orange and white number, marked down to $70 from a whopping $175. 

Broad Cloth Graph Check Sport Shirt | Gitman Brothers Vintage via MyHabit

Sure, not cheap, but for what you get, it's a helluva deal. Again, perfect orange spring color, and the checked pattern will work casually as well as it will for a brighter office look.


Hugh & Crye Square-End Cotton Ties:
Not a sale, but a good deal nonetheless. Hugh & Crye is best known for their shirts, but they've been steadily building a whole line of great mens clothing and accessories. Ties have been offered for a while, but they just released a new line for the upcoming Spring/Summer season that's been getting a lot of great press (including from GQ), and for good reason. I like these things more and more each time I browse the collection - the patterns are kind of bold, and definitely visually interesting, but something about the colorways and scale keep them from being in-your-face. The best part, is each runs just $25, making them damn affordable. Here are my two favorites:

'Legend' 2" Square-End Tie in Black and White Mosaic Print | Hugh & Crye

'Nightfall' 2" Square-End Tie in Navy and White Dot Pattern | Hugh & Crye

Even if these are a bit too casual for the office, they'll look fantastic under a cotton or linen blazer for summer cocktail parties, nights on the town, you name it. 


Clearance and Spring Sale at Dockers:
Dockers has a big Spring Sale going on with a bunch of their chinos on a good discount. I make my picks from the slim-fit section, but they have all four of their fits available. Granted, I've only tried their Alpha collection, but these Field Khaki's look real nice too:

Field Khaki in Slim Fit | Dockers

The $35 price point, down from $58, is a real bargain. The color is super versatile, and the flap coin pocket is a nice touch (again, it's the details that set a piece apart).

What's really crazy though, is the deals they have on their Alpha Khakis in their standard sale section, which are running at an unbelievable $19.00 a pair. The colors are mainly pretty bright and bold, so if you're looking for some go-to-hell pants, or even just something with a nice kick to it for the spring season, look no further. I even found this pair in a light blue that's actually pretty subtle, and would look really sharp paired with a lightweight navy blazer:

Alpha Khaki in Slim Fit | Dockers

Buy a Tie, Get a Free Pocket Square at Peter Field (code FREESQUARE):
Full disclosure: I recently started working for these guys as their Director of PR. It's a really exciting opportunity, largely because I think they make some awesome products and I'm really excited to help them move forward and continue to grow. Right now, they offer a line of custom ties (no more struggling to get the right length), as well as an assortment of double-sided pocket squares. For a limited time, you'll get that pocket square free with the purchase of a tie:

Like I said, their products are top notch, plus they are 100% made in America (actually, hand-made right here in Chicago), with fully customizable lengths and widths. Check them out! If you have any questions, give Nick (founder) a call, one of the most friendly guys I know.

On Tuxedos and Underwear - Featuring 2(X)IST

A few weeks ago, the interweb was all atwitter (yes, mainly on Twitter), over Bradley Cooper's recent visit to the White House. People weren't worked up over why he was there, or what he did there, but instead with his wardrobe choices. Well, one in particular. Apparently, Coop recently gained some weight for a role, and forgot to try his tux on before his appearance. Alas, it turned out to be a bit snug, apparently snug enough that he couldn't fit his damn underwear on underneath, and had to go commando. To the White House. With the President. Woof.

Anyway, it was just an amusing story, but then underwear brand 2(X)IST contacted me just a few days later to see if I was interested in trying out one of their new collections for a post here on the blog. Honestly, I don't really know how to 'review' underwear (it fits? keeps things in place?), and most of mine is from Target, but it turned out one of their collections was 'tuxedo' underwear (reportedly red-carpet-ready), and I immediately thought of Mr. Cooper and had to say yes.

The Tux Collection (plus socks) by 2(X)IST
Sorry, not posting pics of myself in my undies. We'll just pretend that's me. See the individual pictures below.

In all truth, the collection is a bit...gimmicky, haha. The socks have rhinestone-like jewels running up the side, the shirts have satin trimming, and the briefs have the satin stripe down the side (EDIT: It actually looks like the socks are part of a separate, but also new collection, available exclusively through Saks Fifth Avenue). Obviously, these aren't really functional additions, and not many people are going to actually see your drawers (and really, I'm not sure I'd want them to see these socks). However, the undergarments are very comfortable, and most importantly, fit very close to the skin. Maybe Bradley Cooper could have shimmied these under his too-tight-tux? I'd say it'd at least be worth a try!

All black-tie-fun aside, I'm honestly pretty impressed with these basics. The underwear is snug but not tight, and keeps all your 'stuff' in the right place. The shirts remind me of my Tommy John shirts, which are my favorite undershirts...the fit is slimmer (again, close to the body, and also long enough to stay tucked), but the fabric is a bit more luxurious. True, this ends up meaning a bit more bulk, and I'm interested to see if they are too warm in the summer, but so far they're just damn comfortable. Besides staying hidden, what more can you want from undergarments? 

Thanks to 2(X)IST for sending these along, and to Bradley Cooper for the laugh.

Studded Socks

'Tuxedo' Boxer Brief

'Tuxedo' Undershirt

This was a sponsored article, and the products reviewed were provided to me free of charge. The article, however, remains objective and unbiased and is published without prior editing or review by 2(XIST). While I love to be given products to review, don't worry, I will never endorse a product I wouldn't wear myself. 

Outfit Post - Dressing Up and Dressing Down

My girlfriend and I have been taking advantage of a service called HowAboutWe ever since I bought her a subscription as a Christmas present. I may do a longer post detailing the awesome perks, since we've been loving it so much, but the short story is that they curate events (or for the couples version, which we signed up for, 'dates'), that can include discounted or exclusive activities, hook you up with a reservation, and voila, next thing you know you're in a new brandy distillery in Chicago watching apples being smashed(?) by a man on a bicycle.

Really, it's been a great way to get us out of the house on the weekend when the weather says to just stay on your couch! Not only does it give my girlfriend and I even more quality time to spend with each other, it also has given me lots of opportunities to exercise my wardrobe by freeing me from my weekday business casual without taking me the whole way down to lounge-on-the-couch casual.

For example, we were back at it again this weekend with a quick trip down to NOSH food festival/farmers market, and I ended up rocking a great balance between the sharp style I like to exude and the more rustic, well, farmers-market-friendly options:

To start off, I love to wear a shirt and tie, and blazer when I can. However, going into this, I knew that coming in a pressed white shirt, silk tie, jacket and chinos probably wouldn't only not fit the crowd, but would also end up getting something spilled on it. So instead, I made some conscious choices to dress down my standard 'fit to something that would work great in the circumstances.

First, I went with generally rougher and more casual fabrics. Instead of a poplin or white oxford shirt, I rocked a plaid, heavier cotton (almost flannel) shirt. For the tie, I went with cotton knit instead of a shinier silk knit, and for the blazer I left my more constructed and sleek options at home, instead grabbing an unlined, soft-shouldered wool twill.

I even made the same general effect with my shoes...these boots are pretty sharp, definitely no shit-kickers, but the suede leather, as opposed to polished, takes things farther into casual territory, as do the lugged soles, which also came in handy walking home through the slushy mess that spring is bringing us.

On the other hand, a few details kept me feeling like I was still on the top of my game. The shirt, for example, while full of more casual details, is actually one of my custom shirts, so the fit is perfect (which will instantly have you feeling like you look 100%). I kept the tie clip, partly because I didn't want my tie falling in my food, and again, because it keeps a sharper edge to the whole look. Last, while I did pick jeans (like a farmer, eh?), I kept them slim and dark to keep some sharp lines from top to bottom. I also decided to go ahead and rock a pocket square (always a bit of a dandy move), but even kept that on the more casual end of the spectrum by picking a cotton, 'bandana' square in a spring-appropriate green that would compliment but not match the green tones in my shirt.

Last, I maintained the balance by throwing a casual waxed cotton jacket on top. No sense in building that careful balance, only to cover it all with a more formal overcoat. Lucky me, the olive color of my jacket worked great with the blues, greens, and greys making up the outfit so far.

Outfit Details:
Blazer - Frank and Oak
Plaid Shirt - Custom by Modern Tailor
Cotton Knit Tie - J.Crew
Cotton Pocket Square - J.Crew
Dark Blue Jeans - Levi's 513
Suede Boots - Polo Ralph Lauren
Waxed Jacket - Frank and Oak

Deals and Steals for the Weekend - 3/7/2014

You guys know the story by now: "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!"

Today, I'm blogging with a headache, so I'm keeping the descriptions minimal, but I wanted to get this out cuz there are some hella nice deals this week:

Up to 60% Off 'Fall Items' at GANT:
I put 'Fall Items' in quotes because there are a lot of pretty spring-y pieces available as well. Like these canvas chinos, at $66 (originally %165):

Canvas Chino | GANT Rugger

Sure, canvas is probably going to be a bit heavier of a cloth, but the color is definitely all spring. The faded red is a great way to add some color without rocking in-your-face go-to-hell pants. 

Also, this is pretty much the perfect dress shirt:

The Pinpoint Oxford Fitted Spread Collar | GANT

Marked down from $115 to $46, it's incredibly affordable, and incredibly versatile.


Extra 40% Off at Club Monaco (code MARCH):
They say orange is the color of the spring season, and like the canvas pants above, this slim-fit chino in a slightly darker shade is a good way to give it a try without getting too bright:

Lightweight Davis Chino | Club Monaco

The extra discount knocks these down to only $11.40 - enough said.

I'm not sure if I would have normally picked this merino polo, but I saw a similar piece featured on another style blog recently and really liked the way it looked, so I'd be up to give it a try:

Merino Polo | Club Monaco

It looks light enough to wear into the spring, and at $23.40, it would be a low-risk move to make.


Extra 40-50% Off Sale Items at J.Crew:
J.Crew has a ton of crazy good deals right now, and I had a hard time narrowing it down. I ended up going for one warm-weather pick to look forward to spring, and one cold-weather pick to continue to deal with this winter. For the rest of these cold months, this quilted jacket will make the perfect layering piece:

Quilted Shirt-Jacket | J.Crew

I've actually had my eye on this for a while, but the normal $168 was a bit too much to stomach. The current discount has it down to $80, which is much more do-able for a spring jacket.

For whenever it finally gets warm, J.Crew has a ton of classy but interesting swim shorts in a variety of lengths, sizes and colors, so you can look for your own needs. My personal favorites are these seersucker shorts:

9" Board Short in Seersucker | J.Crew

These are on sale for $21, regularly $69.50. Unfortunately, they don't have my size, so I'll keep looking.


Sea Vees via Huckberry:
I guess you could call Huckberry a flash sale site, but the collections are much more focused on quality, and a little less on crazy discounts. So you get things like these Sea Vees sneakers designed by Todd Snyder:

Army Issue Low by Todd Snyder | Sea Vees via Huckberry

White canvas sneakers are a classic for spring and summer, and the rugged laces on these are an awesome detail. The markdown isn't huge, but $74 really isn't bad, and still better than the original $92.

Alright, I'm out. Have a great weekend!

Still Recovering - Back on Friday!

The lovely Christine in front of the lovely Colorado Rockies. 

As I mentioned in last week's post, we went on a brief hiatus as I was out of town on vacation and away from my computer for a couple days. We skied in Snowmass, partied in Aspen, shopped in Breckenridge, hiked the Flatirons and shot pool in Boulder. I'm back in Chicago now, but still working to catch up (and let my body recover from the rigors of learning how to ski/falling down a mountain), so we'll return full swing on Friday with a new edition of our weekly Deals and Steals. Meanwhile, take a look through the archives, check out our social media, chime in on a discussion, shoot me an e-mail and say 'hi'...whatever floats your boat!

The whole crew...huge thanks to Christine's family for bringing me along and teaching me the ropes!