Hat tip to Matthew N. and “there’s more to life than J. freakin’ Crew” jlc for the style tips.

Here’s the issue with H&M and Uniqlo.  They don’t sell online (yet) so not everyone has access to them.  That was especially the case with the Spanish fashion giant Zara, who until a few days ago, also didn’t have an online store and only had about 50 locations in the U.S.  Most of which are clustered on the coasts (15 of them are in LA and NYC).  So if you were in flyover country, you most likely had no idea what the hell a “Zara” was.

That changed on Wednesday as Zara took the huge step to selling online, and celebrated with a pretty slick “Dear America” photo lineup which features one shot from each state.  Nice tribute.  Well done.

Zara is more modern and fashion centric than minimalist and timelessly stylish.  Certainly inexpensive, but there’s a lot of synthetic materials flying around.  Feels a little like a grown up ASOS since they’re selling drop crotch pants and all.  Here’s a few early picks.  Be ready with your take in the comments…
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The Shoes:  Vintage Oxford – $99.90 | Brogue – $99.90

Shoes don't usually look like this for under $100.

Finding a pair of interesting, slightly dressed up shoes you can wear with jeans and chinos on your downtime can make a big difference.  The Vintage Oxford looks like they could fill that role perfectly if not do some duty with real dressed up stuff.  Believe it or not, the Brogue comes with a leather sole.
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The Coats:  Herringbone Coat – $169 | Sheepskin Collar Coat – $229

Basic and really not.

The Herringbone coat is simple and straightforward.  It’s also a good example of how Zara tends to run with their materials:  30% Wool, 50% Poly, 20% Acrylic.  For the sheepskin collar double breasted jacket, I know… I know…  And no I didn’t hit my head.  Maybe less than a tenth of you would even consider it.  But it’s got an old Hollywood luxury feel to it.  This seems to be what Zara excels in.  Stuff that’s maybe just a step over the line for many, at a relatively affordable price.
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The Trench:  Double Breasted Trench w/ Hood – $189.00

Under $200 and a nice composition.

And this could be about as perfect as a trench gets.  The hood looks like it buttons off?  Maybe?  That’s key.  2/3 cotton with the rest poly so the water should bead up instead of soak in.
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The Work Bag:  Buffalo Leather Retro Brief – $189.00

Decent price for the looks and all leather

The detachable rucksack  conversion straps in the back are unnecessary and it’s going to be a little bulky for many, but overall not a bad looking leather brief for under $200.
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The Sweater and Shirt: Merino Wool Sweater – $59.90 | Contrast Twill Shirt – $49.90

The basics seem to cost about the same.

And this is where Zara might struggle.  $60 is pretty standard for a Merino Wool sweater, and sales can drop them much, much lower at other stores.  Fifty bucks is no small asking price for a button up shirt, but at least it comes with some different details like the contrast at the placket.

Your turn guys.  What’s your immediate reaction?  Does Zara’s look appeal to you?  And for the fellas who actually do have a Zara near them, how often do you shop there and what’s your take on the quality of the clothes?  Leave it all in the comments section below…

Originally Published 3/6/2010

Pitchers and Catchers have reported to their spring training homes, and before you can say: “Bud Selig” it’ll be time for Baseball once again.  Nine men appear on a lineup card.  Nine men in the field of play.  Here’s the nine shoes you’ll want to collect and have in your own personal style dugout for maximum versatility, set just as if this were a batting order.

1. Classic American Sneakers – PF Flyers Grounder Lo – $49.95

Just like a lead off batter, you want something light, dependable, and gets the job done without being overpowering.  Look hard at Converse Jack Purcells, PF Flyer Lo, or the Italian Superga.

2. Motorcycle Boots | Kenneth Cole Play 2 Win – $99.99

You don’t need to actually ride a motorcycle to enjoy these things.  Tall enough to keep the street crap off you, casual enough to be worn to whatever dive bar you frequent, and good looking enough to impress whatever women are there once you arrive.  Most of them are obscenely comfortable too, and only get better with age.

3. Black Dress Boots | Florsheim Men’s Colfax – $89.95

These see a lot of action.  And you need them to be able to work well in any number of situations.  Casual, dress, somewhere in between.  Get a pair that look just as good with a pair of lighter colored chinos, blazer, and tie, as they do with a pair of jeans and an un-tucked well fitting casual button up.

4. Black Laceups | Aldo Hepworth – $100.00

Your go-to.  The clean-up.  When you need to knock it out of the park.  Avoid Square toes.  Stick with the classics or maybe a touch modern, like these black laceups from Aldo.  And take care of them like they’re the foundation of your lineup.  Because they are.

5. Brown Dress Boots | Kenneth Cole Long Time-A-Bow – $117.00

You won’t lean on them nearly as much as your black dress boots, but when you gotta have them deliver, you want to have a good set at the ready.  Good with dark jeans and chino blazers or khaki pants.  They can stand up to a days worth of work and are especially nice when you gotta look nice and the weather is awful.  Don’t like the elastic sides of these Kenneth Cole’s?  Try another less tall version from the Kenneth Cole brand, the Foot Note Dress Boot for about $10 less.

6. Brown Laceups | ASOS Clean Point – $51.73

You want to depend on your black lace ups.  Your black laceups will go with your dark suits, and sometimes your brown shoes won’t perform as well with those.  But you NEED brown lace ups.  Great to pair with Navy suits for a very British look.  And that Lighter colored pair of pants or Chino Suit you have for the summer?  That’s what these were made for.  Shoes that are just like your cleanup heavy hitters, only… not as irreplaceable.

7. Waterproof Hiking Boots | ASOLO FSN 95 Gore Tex – $124.95

Getting down to the specialty guys.  It’s a big world out there.  Get out and see some of it.  GoreTex will breathe in the warmer weather and keep the water out when there’s snow on the ground.  A pair (or two) of wool socks will keep you warm enough in the winter that they can be an all season bad weather shoe.  Try wearing a pair of Sorels in July and you’ll see why splurging on solid Gore-Tex lined hiking boots is a smart decision.

8. Monk Strap | Aston Grey Reed Monk Strap – $99.99

Your Dad wore penny loafers or those loafers with the goofy tassels on them.  Monk straps are much more dressed up.  Not for beginners.  Takes some serious style chutzpah to pull them off.  Tough to find under $150 let alone $100 making this pair from Aston Grey Reed a real steal.  Want a double strap?  Try These from Gant.  Not cheap at $150.00, but very cool.

9. Running Shoes | Brooks Adrenaline | $74.95

Like most pitchers, great at one thing, not so great at others.  Your runners should be kept to the gym and the trail.  They shouldn’t function as casual shoes.  And also like pitchers, don’t use your running shoes every day.  The cushioning of your running shoes need time to rebound from the pounding.  If you’re a running freak and have to get your jog in every day, buy two pair and rotate.  The Brooks Adrenaline Running Shoe usually retails over $100, and even then it’s a bargain.  Bar none the BEST running shoe on the market for those of us who pound the pavement two to three times a week.  Durable as all hell, well cushioned, and fast.

So we’d miss any?  What shoes would you drop from the lineup, and which pair would you send in to pinch hit?  Leave those comments below.

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It’s always worth a look when a mainstream, upscale Men’s Style brand hits Giltman.  When it’s Cole Haan and Gilt says they’ll have accessories and sunglasses too… it’s something you’re first in line for right when the sale launches.

Cole Haan does way more than shoes, and they do those “other” things really quite well.  Take a look at the Aviators and Gloves that showed up in their summer sale from not too long ago.  They’re simple, classic, and have just enough extras to make them interesting.

Cole Haan is owned by Nike and has been since 1988, but they were around long before the Nike Folks ever started making Basketball Shoes.  Here’s the introductory preview text you can find on Giltman:

Founded in Chicago in 1928 by Trafton Cole and Eddie Haan, the namesake label, which originated as a men’s shoe collection aesthetically influenced by the sophistication of the jazz scene, has since expanded to produce vintage-inspired leather bags, thick belts and classic aviator sunglasses.

Sure their bread and butter is shoes, (which even got a little Presidential love lately) but here’s to hoping Giltman has more than a few bags, belts, and sunglasses up for sale as well.  Sale Launches on Tuesday 7/20 at Noon ET, sharp.

The teaser "buyers picks" from the upcoming Cole Haan Giltman sale.

$60 for a unique city boot.

If you live in a decent sized city that sees weather from time to time, you need a pair of go-to shoes when the climate turns to crap.  Muddy days, wet days, ugly days.  You’re not going to want to wear a pair of chucks or wingtips outside.

Sure you’ll want something waterproof (which these aren’t) if you’re shoveling snow or hiking through muddy foothills, but if you’re just trying to get to the store to grab a six pack… then these boots from the French shoe company Palladium are perfect.

The company was originally formed to make  vulcanized rubber airplane tires.  Palladium started putting canvas bands between the layers of rubber, and those materials made the transition to their shoe business once they started making boots for the French Foreign Legion.

The boots are pretty simple.  Rubber bottoms, canvas or leather uppers.  Aggressive traction pattern.  They look like a cross between PF Flyers and Merrells.  Which is the perfect midpoint for those fall, winter, and spring days where Mother Nature is challenging you, but you’re just not in the mood to take her on full bore.

$60.00 for Gray Canvas
$49.99 for Brown Leather (Limited Sizes)
$55.00 for Green Canvas

Square, not okay. Chisel? Why not?

Sure Steve Madden was once sentenced to 41 months in prison for money laundering and securities fraud, and he’s been accused of producing blatant knock-offs of his more expensive competition… but the guy knows how to make an inexpensive pair of shoes.

The Bedlamm Brown and Zacharyy Black dress shoes are precisely what you want on your feet when wearing a suit.  Nothing crazy, nice and sleek, Italian in silhouette and American in detail or lack thereof.  The black pair have a subtle cap toe and the brown pair are as plain as can be.

One note on the black pair, they’ve got a “chisel” toe, meaning it’s not totally rounded, but I certainly wouldn’t consider them squared off.  I’d wear them.  Keep them shined and when women check out your footwear they’ll be impressed.

Steven Madden shoes don’t have a reputation of being the highest quality, but I’ve never had any issue with them.  My pair of brown Steve Madden motorcycle boots have lasted three years without any trouble.  Now, there is a major school of thought that says spending a couple hundred bucks on an extremely well made pair of shoes is a worthy investment.  Spend $250 on one pair of quality black lace ups, and you won’t have to spend $400 on four pairs of black dress shoes you’d otherwise get over the next decade.

But that’s just not possible for a lot of guys.  These are possible for almost anyone.

Not nearly as much of a reach as the recently featured Guess Chuck loafer, this dress loafer from Kenneth Cole has enough flash to be almost obnoxious. But it’s not.

Not one but two buckles are modern in shape and they’re actually brushed, not reflective.  Which is nice because not many non-perverts like walking around with mirrors on their feet.  The stitching on the bike toe has perfect curves, and speaking of that toe it’s neither too blunt or too pointy.

Could even be worn with a suit. High fashion looking, but still plenty accessible.  They’re getting up there in price, but that’s usually the case for dress loafers and especially monk straps. Why? Designers probably know that most men stick to basic lace up designs. If a guy has laceups, he might move on to dress boots, and then maybe a pair of wingtips. If someone is looking for dress loafers, they know they’re into style. And that means they’ll pay more for it. Especially the Monk straps.

Colfax Dress Boot – $87.96

$90.00 is getting kind of expensive for a pair of shoes.  But when it comes to dress boots, finding anything cheaper than that is a chore.  And if you have found a pair of dress boots for say, $70… they’re probably made by Giorgio Brutini, which is a brand that has a tendency to make shoes that smell like gasoline.  Seriously, read some of the reviews of those shoes.  The words “Odor” and “Gas” come up a lot.  Dropping an extra $20 for boots that won’t make you smell like Octane 93 is well worth it.  Here’s two pair that are worth the extra money:

Kenneth Cole slim silhouette + Bicycle toe on brown leather = nice.

Kenneth Cole Custom Last Boot – $91.89

Brown shoes are almost always more casual than black shoes, so you can take a few extra liberties with a brown dress boot.  The bike toe on these boots wouldn’t necessarily look right if they came in black and you wore them with a suit… but in brown, they just might work with a khaki colored summer chino two button.

They’d look perfect with dark wash jeans, cords, or chinos and a sweater.  Not a bad pair of modern boots for around $90 from one of the bigger names in the business.

Front, back, and darn near perfect. Just $87.96

Florsheim Colfax Dress Boot – $87.96

Here’s the qualities of a good black dress boot:

• Can easily transition between chinos and jeans
• A pointed but not spear like toe
• Clean leather tops.  Less Stitching the Better
• Has enough shine that you could wear them with a blazer and tie.

Florsheim’s Colfax Dress Boot does all of that.  And for a decent price.  Would they be even better if they had a zipper on the side instead of the elastic?  Of course… but, at under $90 it’s tough to start getting that picky.

Finding a stand out pair of shoes for under $100 can be a challenge.  Aside from Steve Madden, there’s not a designer that consistently produces slick looking shoes for under three figures.  And Mr. Madden’s designs can be a little out there, plus the construction quality can leave a bit to be desired for.

It’s all about catching sales at the right time (early), when there’s still plenty of size options left.  Here’s three pairs from three different well known designers, in plenty of sizes,  that should satisfy any of your $100 and under footwear cravings.
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Calvin Klein Zeke Oxford – $87.36

The definition of black lace up. Under $90

Simple shoes are often the best.  A lot of guys don’t want any extra stitching, weirdly shaped toes, or anything that would distract from their overall minimalist look.  The Calvin Klein Zeke Oxford is as plain yet cool as it gets.
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Kenneth Cole Cast-A-Way Loafer – $88.99

Not your average driver. Just different enough. Brown or Black.

Retailing for almost $130, Kenneth Cole gets unique with a different style of driver.  The strap is buckled with a couple of D-rings, making it a detail that stands out but in a good clean way.
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Ben Sherman Premier Boot – $99.99

Weird... but... kinda cool all the same.

Like the unnatural and impossible lovechild of a Liger and a Mule, the Ben Sherman Premier Boot combines styling from combat boots and wingtips, then adds heavy heel and toe burnishing on top of that.  Better proportioned than a similar boot/shoe/thing from ASOS, it’s more than 50% off at just under $100

So if you had to pick a pair, which one would you go with?

Not a bad view... from the top

Guess Chuck Slip On Loafer – $83.03

From the top it looks perfect.  The toe is long but not too pointy, the stitching is placed at the perfect distance from where the leather meets the sole, and the strap and buckle detailing gives it plenty of character.

But is it too “metro” looking?

Remember the metro-sexual craze of the mid 2000′s?  Thankfully, the leather on this slip-on by Guess isn’t stamped with some sort of obnoxious detailing or winged pattern.  There were a few years there where you couldn’t find a modern shoe that didn’t look like it had been attacked by the hood of a trans am.  This loafer looks like a blank canvas for some of that stuff, but it escaped unscathed.

The only detailing hiccup is the Guess stamped “buckle” over the strap.  That might be too much.  But it’s really all about what you wear with them.  Wear them sockless, with an affordable gray summer suit, white shirt and simple tie, and they’ll look great.  Put on some distressed jeans and a white club shirt and you’ll look like a member of Jersey Shore.

(So would you wear them?  Or is that buckle a deal breaker for you?)

Double stitching on the rear.

For whatever reason, these Mojave Desert Boots by J. Shoes don’t look too clunky to me.  And clunkiness can be a problem for almost all desert boots.

Sure, a bit of clunk on a casual boot is just fine in most cases, but if you’re trying to dress em’ up at all, heavy footwear can make you look unbalanced.

I’m not saying you can wear a suit with these things, but a pair of chinos and an unstructured blazer?  Or some dark jeans and a light-weight sweater?  Why not…

Available in Black Leather, Brown Leather, and the standard tan suede.

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