The Best Dressed Real Man, & how to spend $1,000 at Kenneth Cole

Esquire’s Best Dressed Real Man 2010 – Angel Ramos

Congrats to Atlanta Real Estate Agent Angel Ramos, who thanks to his $50 pair of used glasses, Italian leaning sense of style, and some great photography by Alison Church (see photo at right for a prime example), he’s now Esquire’s Best Dressed Real Man in America.  Along with an impressive new bullet point for his resume, he wins a trip to New York City, a $5,000 ITC watch, and $10,000 in new clothes, shoes, and accessories from Kenneth Cole.  Not a bad take for looking great.  Credit to Angel for mentioning the other four finalists and that he was “humbled” for being picked from that particular group to hold the title.

A personal congratulations goes to Sabir P. who somehow, (God knows how) found his way to our corner of the internet, and has even posted a few comments right here on Dappered.  The man is versatile.  Take note guys, Sabir knows how to get it done.

Look for a feature on Angel in the upcoming issue of Esquire, and also look for him to be exiting a Kenneth Cole store near you, arms full of bags, in the not too distant future.  $10k is a lot to spend anywhere, but at an affordable retailer like Kenneth Cole?  That’s a boatload.  Here’s a few suggestions on how he (or you) could drop just $1,000 on Kenneth Cole merch….
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The Suit:  K.C.N.Y. Two Button Jacket – $198.00 | Wool Flat Front Pant – $98.00

The lapels are the perfect width, the two button closure is raised up to give you a nice silhouette, and the shoulders although not totally natural have minimal padding.  $300 for a dependable modern cut suit isn’t a bad price at all.  But keep your eyes peeled on Overstock.com and you can sometimes find similar suits for a steal.  Just make sure they’re the Kenneth Cole New York Wool suits, not the REACTION line which is all synthetic.
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The Blazer:  K.C. New York Knit Blazer – $107.70* (reg. $179.50)

For those of us addicted to jackets.  All cotton, slim fit, and as casual as a blazer can get.  It seems to be made of sweatshirt like cotton material.  At first I raised an eyebrow, but then I thought about an extremely relaxed winter afternoons with a cup of coffee, bowl of soup, or (more likely) dark beer sitting in front of me.  Nice.

The Dress Laceup:  Kenneth Cole New York Regal King – $88.80* (reg. $140)

Could that chisel toe be rounded off a little more?  Sure.  Is it a deal breaker at under $90?  Nah.
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The Wingtip:  Kenneth Cole Mind Tricks – $148.00

Dress em’ up, dress em’ down, they’ll stand out.  Both in color, shape, and the details.
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The Boots:  Kenneth Cole New York Mister Mind – $168.00

Expensive for a Kenneth Cole boot, but the shape is right as is that buckle detail.  You could go plain, but if you just won $10k in Kenneth Cole Merchandise, wouldn’t you reach a little?
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The Watch:  Kenneth Cole New York Iconic Chronograph – $150.00

About 80% of Kenneth Cole watches are too busy (touch screen digital?) but… he’s got more than a few that would look great on anyone’s wrist.  This model is certainly one of the best thanks to the simple and stark white dial.
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The Small Accessory: Kenneth Cole New York Skinny Tie Clip – $35.00

1.65 inches wide.  Silver.  Everything you want and nothing that you don’t.  Just make sure to brush up on some suggested rules before you start sporting this one.
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Final Total:  $993.50

There.  Not a bad start if you’re the new Best Dressed Real Man in America according to Esquire.  And with $6.50 left after spending the first 10% of your Kenneth Cole $10,000 wardrobe, you’d have just enough for a drink before heading home to plan how to spend the other 90%.

Got a favorite piece from Kenneth Cole?  Other suggestions or comments?  Leave it all below…
*Looks like these sale prices just expired.  But you know how it goes.  If it’s on sale once, it’ll be on sale again.  Keep an eye out for those sale prices to reappear if you can hold out…