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Esquire’s Five Best Spring Accessories 2010

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Esquire’s Favorite Five – Spring Accessories 2010

The cold weather is gone until the fall, and along with packing up your heavy winter coats and sweaters, you’ll soon be pulling out lighter summer essentials.  Here’s Esquire’s list of their five favorite accessories from Spring 2010, with (much) less expensive alternatives that’ll help keep you from going broke.

Total Cost of Esquire’s Favorite Five – $1,769.00
Total Cost of the Dappered.com Alternatives – $451.23

The Belt – Esquire: J. Crew $45.00 | Dappered: Fossil Basic Strap Belt – $18.75

Can't go wrong with the J. Crew Belt. But you can go cheaper.
Can't go wrong with the J. Crew Belt. But you can go cheaper.

J. Crew’s distressed leather belt is perfect for laid back style, but it doesn’t seem to be available anymore through their website.  Try the Fossil alternative for half the price..

The Shades – Esquire: Oliver Peoples $325.00 | Dappered: Cole Haan Aviators $96.25

You can still get brand name style for under $100
You can still get brand name design for under $100

$325 is a lot for a pair of sunglasses.  And it’ll make your heart stop the first time you drop em’.  Your other option is to pay a third of the price and pick up a pair of on-sale Cole Haan aviators.  Same classic aviator wire bridge, not too pointy at the bottom of the lenses, and the Cole Haan’s come in three different colors..

The Bag – Esquire: Cole & Haan $895.00 | Dappered: Ted Baker XL Bowling Bag $135.27

$900 vs. $125. Your Pick
$900 vs. $135. Your Pick

Save yourself a month’s rent or mortgage payment and go with the Bag from Ted Baker.  The Bowling Ball Bag shape is kinda cool, plus it’s still long enough (18 inches) that it’s classified as a hold-all.  The Glen Plaid Check pattern is classic Ted Baker British Design.  It doesn’t look as tough as the Cole, Rood & Haan bag, but if you’re paying $900 for what amounts to a duffel, you’re probably not the Marlboro man either..

The Boots – Esquire: L.L. Bean Sig. $129.00 | Dappered: Timberland Earthkeepers $129.00

Same price, drastically different look and feel.
Same price, drastically different look and feel.

Your feet are going to get hot in those L.L. Bean Duck hunters.  Those are boots for when it’s getting colder, not when it’s getting warmer.  The Timberland Earthkeepers are the exact same price, and your feet will actually be able to breathe in them.  That, and they don’t look like something your Mom made you wear to school in 4th grade on a snowy day..

The Shoes – Esquire: Billy Reid $375.00 | Dappered: Steve Madden Wyndham $71.96

Similar enough, for $300 less.
Similar enough, for $300 less.

Paying a premium to have an Italian Shoemaker create a terrific pair of oxfords, then pre-bust them up for you… seems strange.  If you want pre-distressed shoes, go cheap.  Like these from Steve Madden.

And just in case you missed it:

Total Cost of Esquire’s Favorite Five – $1,769.00
Total Cost of the Dappered.com Alternatives – $451.23
Total Savings – $1,317.77