Columbus Day & Nautical Style
Columbus? Guy was a total prick. He didn’t know where he was going, completely underestimated how far his journey would be, and when he finally stumbled across the “New World” (which wasn’t really new at all) he refused to believe that he wasn’t in the Eastern Hemisphere. He played the “I swear, it was Asia” card till the day he died. And on top of it, he was a brutal incompetent dictator.
But FDR made it a federal holiday in 1934 and it’s been Chris Columbus and 1492…ocean blue ever since. You won’t be getting any mail today. You’ll most likely be working. Might as well get something out of the top “why are we still doing this?” holiday on the calendar, with a quick look at some of the more affordable Nautical-inspired style pieces out there…
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The Peacoat: AE Wool Mix Peacoat – $129.50
Yes it’s a wool mix (58% recycled wool), yes it comes from a teen-favored store, yes there are higher quality options out there. But if you just want a peacoat that doesn’t fit super boxy, doesn’t have a visible logo on the exterior, and has perfect had warmer pocket placement… here’s your cheapest option. If it’s too much of an eye roll, for $70 more you can get a Made in the USA classic from Schott (credit to Jared for that find). For the spendy brand-addict, have fun spending ten times as much on this one from D&G.
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Nautica Watches: NCS 300 White Dial – $137.15
| NSR 01 Resin Band – $82.98
Somewhere between Fossil and Swiss Army lies Nautica. Usually larger in case diameter and heavy on the sailing details like chronos and tachymeters, their sport watches are incredibly reasonable. The NCS leather band could be a solid choice for a daily timepiece, and the NSR Resin Band gets high marks from reviewers for a weekend watch. The resin band is about as sporty as it gets, but the hands and font used for the numerals give it an old-school feel within the case. Not a bad pairing.
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The Boat Chukka – Sperry Top-Sider A/O Chukka – $95.00
Columbus day weather usually doesn’t make for walking around sockless in boat shoes. You’ll need something a little more substantial. Something leather, and something you can wear socks with. Sperry has you covered with their Chukka boots which have that unmistakeable boat shoe shape, side lace details, and contrast non marking sole.
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The Thick Marled Crewneck: BDG Sweater – $48.00
Beefy and pretty impossible to dress up, this thing was made for cold weekends and stomping around your home town. Overall a bit of a beast compared to say, a Banana Republic Cotton Cashmere, but still cut slimmer through the torso. Good for cutting cold wind whether it’s got sea salt in it or not.
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The Cable Knit: Express Cable Knit Cardigan – $53.60 w/ code 9982 (reg. $98)
This is a straggler in the current 30% off plus more with the code Express sale. Forever associated with fisherman and sailors, cable knit can sometimes stand out a little too much. That’s not the case with this sweater. The good neutral gray and high cardigan neck keeps it from looking like you picked it up while visiting Ireland. A note: the code expires at 11:59 ET on Monday.
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The Striped Belt: Rugby Grossgrain Belts – $39.50 for B&W or Green and Red
More beach wear than nautical style, Grossgrain/striped belts were one of the stand out pieces of the summer. Wearing them in fall and winter is far from banned.
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The Rum: Rogue Hazelnut Spiced Rum
Located in Newport Oregon and overlooking the Pacific Coast, Rogue Brewing’s booze-making arm is a bit of a secret. Their Hazelnut Spice Rum is light, sweet, hot, and perfect for smelling then sipping.
We miss anything? Leave your Nautical style suggestions in the comments section below. Now, you won’t get a holiday in your honor, but working a few of these into your land-lubber lineup isn’t a bad idea. Wearing more than two at once? That is. You’ll risk looking like you’re wearing a costume…