The extra 20% off will even come off stuff that was rotting (marinating?) in the clearance section.  Again, it’s pretty much all on sale, and the extra 20% off lasts only through today.  That extra 20% makes a difference.  For example:
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Calfskin Monk Strap Desert Boot – $118.80 ($198)

Your Clarks might get jealous?

Those are something.  Monk Straps slapped on a crepe sole desert boot.  Terrific lighter tan color and leather linings.  No reviews yet so these are a bit of an unknown.  Already on sale.

Linen and Cotton Chalk Stripe Sport Jacket – $99.20 ($248)

Nice crocodandies.

Already on clearance with oddly all sizes available (for now.)  Chalk stripe, pick stitching, un-constructed, and a linen/cotton blend woven in Ireland.  No word on the off the rack fit, so it’ll probably need to be tapered at the sides by your tailor.

Garment Dyed Unlined Sport Jacket – $79.20 ($198.00)

As casual as Brooks Brothers will get.

Like the striped sportcoat above, this one started out pricey but can now be had with the clearance + sale + extra 20% off trifecta for close to GAP pricing.  Lapels look trim, only available in black.  Most sizes seem available.

Chukka Boat Boots – $76.80 ($128)

Winterized.

Kind of like Sebago’s Beacon, on with more boat shoe influence.  Great color combo, and the price isn’t half bad.

Four Brooks Brothers Dress and/or Sport Shirts – $140 – $160ish

But will anyone buy four shirts at once?

Here’s how this works.  If you buy two shirts you get 25% off (plus the extra 20% off today.)  Buy four or more and you get 40% off plus that extra 20% off.  So you really have to be the buy-in-bulk type to get these down to around $35 a piece.  Most of us don’t purchase four shirts at once, but it’s worth noting.  Shirts from Left:  Blue Oxford, White Oxford, Medium Tattersall, Red Plaid Sport Shirt.  All regularly $79.50 except the tattersall which is usually $69.50.  All styles shown here are available in the maybe-you-won’t-need-tailoring extra-slim fit.

Pebble Card Case – $34.80 ($58.00)

Lotta class for the price.

For the same price of a glass smooth Calvin Klein card case, you can snag this Brooks Brothers pebbled card case.  That won’t happen all that often during the year.

Lambswool V-Neck Arm Stripe Sweater – $38.16 ($79.50)

Varsity look might be too much for some.

An in-person with the same sweater (bought through Park & Bond) left a little to be desired when it came to the fit.  Despite some glowing reviews saying it wasn’t boxy, it does seem to have a little more room in the sides and arms.  Might want to consider sizing down.

The Splurge:  Levi’s 501 Made in the USA for Brooks Brothers – $88.80 ($148)

Expensive, but a nice investment for some.

Plenty put a premium on Made in the USA.  And there’s a boat load of us who swear by the fit of a 501.

Ray-Ban Caravan – $75.00 ($125) | Ray-Ban New Wayfarer – $71.40 ($119)

Back down to 40% off pricing.

If you’ll notice they say this sale is “up to” 40% off.  These, with the extra 20% off, actually get them down to that 40% off wall.  They were the same price during the accessories sale earlier this month.  More on the New Wayfarer here.

Rib Knit Merino Winter Hat – $40.80 ($68)

Santa screw up your hat order?

Just like the sunglasses above, these are now back down to 40% off.  Rib, almost cable knit, merino wool, and a “water repellent Teflon finish.”

Made in the USA Cedar Shoe Valet – $76.80 ($128.00)

Helps. Big time.

The affordable luxury shoe shine valet, if there can be such a thing.  Just north of $75, but it’s made in the USA, comes with a couple of horse hair brushes, two daubers for applying the polish/creme, and a couple other essentials.  Shining your shoes is much, much easier with one of these setups.

Leather Moccasin Boots - $148.80 ($248)

An investment, but plenty tempting.

Stitching around the toe like this (sometimes called an “apron toe”) can be awfully hard to keep dressy and slim, but somehow this boot looks like it accomplishes just that.  All without losing their should-work-with-jeans look.  $100 off through today.  Goodyear welt construction.

Greyhound Walking Stick – $88.80 ($148)

Perfect for shaking at clouds.

You bet your kester this is happening when I hit 80.  Now get the hell off my lawn.

The Semi-Annual Brooks Brothers sale ends Wednesday January 4th, while the extra 20% off ends 12/26/11…

Part of the Endless/Amazon extra 20% off summer sale.  No code needed.  Savings show at checkout.

These things need a good beating.  You know how leather that’s barely leather can look…  a little too smooth.  Out of the box there’s no noticeable odor, overly stiff feel to the uppers, or any sign that these are about to self destruct.  They actually feel halfway decent on your feet, but probably run about half a size too large from toe to heel, while running slightly small at the ankle opening where you insert your foot.

So if you’re somehow sporting a pair of cankles, these aren’t for you.  (A shore horn for anyone might be necessary.)

The shape of the upper and slightly tapered/rounded off toe isn’t half bad.  The Elastic siding, uh… stretches (as it should) and the sole is some kind of synthetic material with inlaid rubber panels.

For the last three years I’ve had a pair of Macy’s Alfani Side Zips (pictured below, second from left) that were purchased on sale for $45.  They’ve been beaten, barely taken care of, and they’ve held up extremely well.  They also looked more like real leather coming out of the box.  When compared with the old Alfanis side by side, it’s hard to believe the Bass could survive it to this “man those boots look like hell, but it’s an AWESOME hell” stage.

They certainly don’t look like they set you back $100 or more, but they’re also pretty impressive for $25.  Read that again.  Impressive… for $25.00. You can’t expect much for such a small investment, but you could (and probably should) save up for a pair of boots that’ll look a whole lot better.
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From Left:  Timberland Earthkeepers, Alfani Size Zip, Bass Chelsea, Sebago Beacon

Somewhere between the mountainous piles of logging influenced workboots and the flattened landscape of suede original desert boots from Clark’s, there lies a valley of moderation.  A utopia of in-betweeness.  And all of the residents wear something that looks like these Chukka’s from Nordstrom’s 1901 line.

I’ll stop before this becomes a full blown Dr. Seuss tale.

Leather exterior, rounded toe, slightly burnished, and thicker laces.  Plus they come in a denim ready chestnut color.  Not a bad look for someone who doesn’t want to jump on board the Logger Boot wagon, nor are they as in-love with the suede Clark’s desert boot as the rest of the world seems to be.

Just under $100, available at Nordstrom or through Nordstrom.com
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If you’re the kind of guy that spends more time  in nice jeans & a blazer at work, and less time in a full suit, then these should be relevant to your interests.

Full on sh*t kicker soles with dressed up leather wingtip tops.  Unreal.  This is the look you want for a stand-out boot this fall and winter.  Lumberjacks will only get you so far, but these can take you everywhere.  From home, to work, to out to dinner, and then to a cocktail or two after… all while looking slick thanks to what appears to be decent quality leather and a non stubby profile.  It’s those last two points that the similar Urban Outfitters Ritano seems to fall victim to (but for $78, it’s hard to complain about the Ritanos.)

The black version is all smooth leather on the upper, while the brown uses both smooth leather and a middle suede panel.  A nice touch for some, but over the top for others.

Free shipping too since the boots run over $100.

Side profile for the black and brown with suede.

Use code GIFTGUIDE10 for the extra 20% off – Expires 11/8.  Good on the entire Timberland site.  Also, get free shipping on purchases over $100 with SHIP100.  Credit Wes for both of the styletips.

I’m not quite sure if these are ugly, awesome, or both.

The moc toe Lumberjack boot has come out of nowhere to easily become the most noticeable footwear trend of fall 2010.  Everyone, and I mean everyone… is selling a version.  Contrast soles, rounded clunky toes, and horse-shoe top stitching define these things as casual stompers.

The distinctive toe

If you see snow less than once or twice a winter, you shouldn’t be interested.  But if you live in a place where it gets cold, wet, and sometimes snowy, owning a pair of tough city boots is a good call.  Especially if you’d rather not wear your gore tex Asolo’s every time you head out in the weather.

There’s nothing subtle about Timberland’s City Escape.  The reddish brown option looks traditional, while the dark brown on a black sole looks more urban than others in this variety.  The Blue laces are half sweet and half obnoxious, but the description says each comes with two different sets of laces in different colors.  And if the second pair doesn’t look quite right?  Buying an extra pair of ivory laces is a quick fix.

From Timberland’s Earthkeepers line, the leather is from a silver rated tannery, while the sole is almost half recycled rubber.  Not a bad touch of shoe karma for a boot with an  on-sale price of $70.00.  That’s a deal when you consider the same pair will run you $160 at Urban Outfitters.  Most sizes available.

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Credit to Wes for the style tip and extra 20% off.  But would you wear it?  What’s your take on the City Escape and other similar styled boots like these?

Nice toe.

Boots are like neckties in the way that you’d think the simple ones would cost less.  But they don’t.  So finding a pair of trim silhouette, rounded toe dress boots for a reasonable price can be a major chore.  And one of the last places you’d probably look is under the brand header “Bass.”

Well way to go Bass.  Sorry for underestimating you.

I can’t see anything wrong with the Dempsey by Bass.  It’s plain as can be, it doesn’t look clunky, the toe is trimly rounded off, and it’s $70.  Wear them with jeans, chinos, cords, even your heavier wool patterned pants.  Also available through Endless and Zappos, but you’ll pay a little more there.  Different views of the boots are available at Zappos.

Is this the best bang for your buck boot out there?  If you’ve got another find, leave it in the comments section below.

With work boot/blue collar/lumberjack style making a full blown renaissance, it’s not too surprising that Ralph Lauren is offering a $500 made in Italy luxury boot that will be worn by men who wouldn’t know what to do with an axe in their hands.  But the fact that a high end designer has made an almost virtual copy of a widely available and much cheaper alternative is something of note.

Would Ferrari make a knock off of the new Ford Fiesta?  Probably not.  But hey, Porsche does make an SUV.

The cheaper alternative is made by Palladium.  And they’re the company that invented this style of leather, canvas, and rubber sole desert boot.  Originally made for the French Foreign Legion, the rubber bottoms were durable enough for a lot of marching, and the canvas sides let the wearer’s feet breathe.

The pair you see at the top of the page is the all leather version and available for $85.00.  Want something that’ll breathe better?  Go with the Pampa Hi Canvas for $55.00.  Or if you want the direct canvas/leather combination that has inspired the R.L. Ransley, the new Pampa Hi II is also now available for $75.00:

Buying out of season is one of the easiest ways to save big money on clothes.  I’ve got patches of grass that are so dry from the weather and dog urine, that stepping on them would cause them to spontaneously combust.  Now is not really the time I’m thinking about what to wear on a blustery day near Christmas.  I’m just trying to not be the guy in the neighborhood with a yard that smells like smoke and dog piss.

But if you can set aside the climate that currently surrounds you (assuming you’re in the Northern Hemisphere), you can find some incredible deals on winter clothes.  Esquire’s Josh Peskowitz is the man behind this top 10 list.  Click on over for the slide show, then c’mon back for the Dappered.com Analysis.

Click here for Esquire's Top 10 Summer Winter Clothes Deals

The Dappered Take

1. Paul Stuart Wool/Cashmere Twisted Cable Crew: $249.75 (reg. $387.00) - There are some guys who say having an expensive, expertly crafted Wool and Cashmere sweater is a must.  I’m not one of those guys.

2. Filson Mackinal Cruiser Jacket: $251.00 (reg. $330.00) - That’s a great looking heavy wool jacket from a legendary name, but you can’t dress it up.  Stick with a more versatile Black or Navy Peacoat or Overcoat.

3. Clark’s Desert Boots: $69.99 (reg. $95.00) – Peskowitz is dead on when he says these hardly ever go on sale.  It’s rare to find them for this low, but if you want something less clunky, go with the Desert Boot by J. Shoes.

4. Paul Stuart Glen Urquhart Suit: $898.88 (reg. $1,284) - That suit would look great on Dwayne Wade.  If you’re not Dwayne Wade, skip it.

5. Fairfax Fair Isle Tie: $69.00 (reg. $130.00) - That tie would look terrible on Dwayne Wade.  Or anyone else.

6. Gloverall English Wool Peacoat: $199.95 (reg. $435.00) – I can’t say enough good things about Sierra Trading Post.  Been shopping there for outdoor gear and even casual/dress clothes for more than a decade.  That pea-coat is probably super high quality, but the buttons are set a little too low.  Aren’t they?

7. Golden Bear Distressed Goat Bomber: $199.95 (reg. $695) - Nice.

8. Eddie Bauer Mutli Purpose Upland Field Coat: $249.00 (reg. $395) - Nicer.  Whether you own a 12-gauge or not, this is a nice coat.  If you buy it, you at least better know how to knock a clay pigeon down.

9.  Brooks Brothers Black Fleece Cashmere Tartan Crew Neck: $250.00 (reg. $500) - Holy crap!  Somebody call Carlton Banks and tell him his favorite sweater is on sale!

10.  Danner Mountain Light II Hiking Boots:  $229.00 (reg. $250) – Fashion be damned on this one.  Lined with Gortex, with a perfect above the ankle height and D-lacing system, the fact that they’re great looking is secondary to the functionality of these boots.  Ditch the Brooks Brothers Sweater.  Get something like these instead.

Deal of the Week – Kenneth Cole First Place Boot – $54.99 (reg $158.00)

$55 for these? Why not two pair?

And it’s a deal that’s still going strong.  The Kenneth Cole Final Sale must be winding down, so if you’re in the market for a new pair of good looking slim boots, get after these.  Quick.
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Most Popular Post – The Rules of Manscaping

Just like his chest hair, Rooney was no where to be found.

To trim, or not to trim.  Or maybe even shave?  A rundown of what to do with the hair that grows where, plus a few devices to make your man mowing easier.
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Most Discussed Post – The Engagement Cufflinks

Not everyone was thrilled with this pick. But the idea, very much so.

So not everybody liked the Armani Cufflinks that were picked out (I still think they’re sweet) but everyone agreed in the concept.  Also suggested:  The Engagement Watch.  Look for a feature on that next week.

Hard to believe, but these two pairs of shoes actually have a few things in common.  First, the maker is Johnston & Murphy.  The same company that’s been providing shoes to the President of the United States, as a courtesy, since the Millard Fillmore administration.

And the second thing they have in common?  They’re both on sale for just under $100.  That doesn’t happen often with the Johnston and Murphy Brand.

The boot is a waxed leather, American Woodsman-styled boot.  Unforgivingly simple, and that’s what makes it look so good.  The loafer is the polar opposite.  Italian in inspiration, sleek and sharp with an absolutely perfect toe, it would go perfectly with a lighter gray suit.  Together these two pairs of shoes look like a classic Ford Pickup parked next to a Ferrari in the same Garage.

Obtaining both of those vehicles might be a pretty lofty goal… so we’ll just take the two pairs of shoes in our closet. 

For now.