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10 Best Bets for $75 or Less – March 2012

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Seventy Five dollars.  That’s a lot of money.  It’ll get you a couple pairs of Levi’s, a nice dinner out, or a couple months at your local gym.  Seventy Five dollars.  It is a lot of money, especially if you spend it right.  Ten picks follow, all for $75 or under, and some of them are much, much less.
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1. Ratio Clothing Blue Windowpane – $75.00 w/ code DAPUNDER75 ($98)
Shown: Spread collar. Go with semi-spread for max versatility.

All hail the perfect shirt pattern. A small but not tiny windowpane like this can be dressed up, dressed down, worn in the dead of winter, and looks perfect in the spring and summer.  And many thanks to Eric and the guys at ratio/clothing for the temporary price drop for this month’s $75 or less feature.  Full review on this shirt and Ratio over here.  Their custom fit process is the perfect blend of precise accuracy without being invasive.  $75 is a lot for a shirt, but it’s made in the USA, will/should fit incredibly well, and the 2-ply fabric feels bulletproof.  Code DAPUNDER75 expires 3/25.

 

2. Original Penguin Volley Swim Trunks – $65.00
Bond. Shy Bond.

Swim trunks in March?  You bet.  People are in the vacation mood.  Get your swim trunks situation squared away now, because if you leave shopping for a good suit till the last minute, you won’t find one.  Guaranteed.  The Penguin Volley Short is bar none the best bang for your buck (even though it’s a steep $65) suit out there.  It has a comfortable liner, so no loose parts flying around under the fabric.  It’s neither too short nor too long.  And there’s no diaper like elastic at the waist.  There’s even a version with a similar color scheme to the pair Daniel Craig wore in Casino Royal… only with the Penguin version it won’t be painted on.  In case, y’know, you’d rather keep your package size to yourself.

 

3. Maxton Men Gingham Pocket Square – $15.00
Checked. Yes please.

You know that blazer you have that you’re not sure if it can work in spring?  Right.  Throw this in the pocket.  Done.  It works.  Just fifteen bucks and ships free like everything else from Maxton Men.

 

4. GAP Double Breasted Moto Jacket – $56.24 w/ GAPEVENT ($98.00)
The cotton cafe pea?

Bit of a freak this one, but could be a serious winner for the guys who aren’t trench guys, prefer short jackets, but are over the utility jacket thing.  Mainly cotton with some poly and nylon so it should be water resistant.  Available in Small, Medium, Large, and XL.  On sale already and an extra 25% off with the code GAPEVENT (exp. 3/20)

 

5.  Linus Bike Silver Teardrop LED headlight – $36.00
Sorry Cateye. You lose.

You certainly don’t need some big fat cruiser to slap this on your handlebars (or your fork.  It’ll go there too.)  Anything this side of a workhorse mountain bike or serious road bike will look much improved with this thing.  We’re getting into the time of year where some of us gladly leave the car in the garage and hop on our two wheel non motorized machine.  This’ll help you get back home, safely, after you stay out later on your ride than you had expected.

 

6.  Buffalo Leather Card Case made by U.S. Vet – $19.99
Great for the guys who want something unique.

Credit to Serge with the style tip about these leather goods.  The seller says he makes them one at a time, and he “learned leather work at a Veterans Administration Hospital Vocational Rehabilitation program.”  Small, simple, and made from Buffalo leather.  Shipping is free and returns are accepted within 14 days.  And that ain’t all.  The seller has a lot more accessories to chose from.

 

7. Ticket to see Jeff Who Lives At Home – $5.00 – $12.00

Any guy who has the guts to try his hand at the Muppets deserves the benefit of the doubt.  The great reviews on this one help as well.  There’s a terrific Porsche meets tree scene (shades of Sideways?), the entire story gets going when Jeff leaves his home to buy wood glue, and the fact that it’s only 82 minutes (YES.  More of this Hollywood!) makes it well worth the risk for the ticket price.  Stars Jason Segel, Ed Helms, and Susan Sarandon.

 

8. Tulips for the woman in your life – $5.00 – $35.00
Sparker of romance, and outrageous economic bubbles.

It’s spring, they’re becoming widely available (grocery stores) and they’re cheap.  The % of women who like tulips is about the same as the % of men who like pizza.  Plenty enjoy them.  And when’s the last time you gave her something for no reason?  They’re also one of the few flowers that are as pretty as they are cute.  Just like her.  AWWWWWWWWwwwwwwwww (Go ahead and use that.  Especially the “aww” after.)
Tulip photo credit: Liz West

 

9. Brooks Brothers Cricket – $59.00 ($118) | Striped V-Neck Sweater – $49.25 ($98.50)
Risky, and not as risky.

Both from the well picked over clearance section.  The lambswool cricket sweater seeps prep, but being that it’s not one of those white country-club numbers, you might be able to keep it from getting too stuck up.  The merino striped V-neck would look great over any number of oxfords.  Be wary of the Brooks Brothers sometimes too generous fit.

 

10. One of DSWs new Mercanti Fiorentini Black Cap Toe shoes – $149.95 for the pair
Keep it up Merc.

Yes you’ll need to buy both at once.  But it looks like the DSW brand Mercanti Fiorentini might have another $100 – $200 winner here.  Simple cap toe, a true oxford, and great lines.  Made in Italy and should go on sale the next time DSW does on of their tiered sales/codes.  (Also new: Mercanti is now making a brown wingtip)

For other best bets under $75 from previous months, click here.

Comments

  1. Reading mixed reviews about Mercanti Fiorentinis. However am looking for a brown wingtip. Worth the $200 saving over a pair of AEs?

  3. So, is the code just for the windowpane shirt on display here? Or can it be used say, on one of their lovely oxford cloth shirts?

  4. If you’re a guy that likes to keep his shoes for 10-15 years and you have 4 pairs or less, Allen Edmonds may be a better value. There’s no question the quality will be superior on the AE’s. However, most people either have a few more pairs or have lower expectations (a couple of years) on how long they expect a shoe to last, and Mercanti fits the bill.

    It’s a good shoe you can buy and not feel married to.

  5. I have a pair of black Mercanti Fiorentini closed lace oxfords and I really like them.  They are comfortable and of decent quality.  I do, however own a pair of AE McAllisters and love them.  Otherwise, I probably would have sniped a pair of the MF Brown Wingtips mentioned here.

  6. Really looking forward to Jeff Who Lives at Home.  I always have to give Jason Segel the benefit of the doubt, and the previews look great.

  10. I’m seriously digging that LED headlight. It would go really well on my wife and my own matching cruisers… Right next to the cup holder. 😉

  12. I recently discovered Maxton and I’m very interested in trying but not interested in losing my money to an online store I’ve never heard of.  Anyone have experience with them?

  13. I tried on the Mercanti Fiorentini in store and when I took them off, there was a piece of the leather on the sole that rolled up and was, ‘peeling up’. I dont know if it was this shoe specifically, but I left and wound up buying a pair Magnani shoes at Nordstroms because they were unbelievably comfortable, and stil pretty good looking. I did have to pay an extra $50, but I was really concerned about the sole peeling up on these, otherwise I would have purchased them.

  16. I think they get their ties and pocket squares from the Tie Bar.  But you can correct me if I’m wrong.

  19.  Well that’s unfortunate.  I’ve put my two pair of Mercs through hell and back and they’ve held up extremely well for me.  But they’re not bullet proof quality by any means. 

  21. Yeah, I assumed that it was that particular shoe, but I needed them fairly quickly, so I had to change plans. But I would never have even known that they existed without this site, so keep up the great work! It’s well appreciated

  22. I was sitting at my desk this morning think “I’m going to bring home some flowers for the gf today just because,” and was going to pick up some roses. After reading this, I’m totally going with tulips instead for maximum unexpected factor because I normally do roses. Thanks Dappered!

  23. Those buffalo card cases look pretty awesome. I picked up a similar-styled thing from Nordstrom Rack a while back and use it as a regular wallet (IDs on one side, debit card and cash in the other). It strikes a nice balance for those of us who want a really small, minimalist wallet, but don’t want to go the card case/money clip route.

    I might get one of his leather bifold or trifold wallets as a birthday gift for my dad, whose ’80s Marine Corps nylon wallet is finally falling apart…. Thanks for the heads-up on these.

  25. Naturally I just ordered that exact shirt from Ratio a week and a half ago at full price.  CURSES!

  26. Ordered a pair of socks from Maxton. Arrived quickly (within 3 days) and as advertised.

  27. I got some white, red, and pink tulips a couple of weeks ago from Dominick’s/Safeway.  Good looking, long lasting, and cheap.  Nice to be ahead of the Dappered curve on occasion…!

  29. Liked the trunks since one of your swim wear posts. Though it’s too steep for me. Wish there was a similar trunk for less. 

  31.  Do you have a Penguin store near you?  I was able to find a pair on clearance for 40% off.  There’s always waiting for codes/sales with the OP site…  They also do 20% off for new email subscribers.

  32.  100% agree. I’m fixing up an old 70s schwinn cruiser right now and I think I’ve got a “bright idea” to top it off 🙂

  33. I would enjoy a swimsuit round up around this time of year if you are so inclined, I like the penguin but will definitely pick up another also.

    Thanks.

  34. Picked up some tulips for gf just prior to this post, and I can attest to these being a good idea.

  35. ANYTHING Jason Segel gets my MarCar seal of approval!  And that Ratio shirt is mad FRESH! 

  36. Hey, I enjoy your site. There is a 33% off retailmenot coupon for OP. You can also get like 4% cashback through ebates. code for OP is OPGRTMN33OFF. I like the OP pair, nice pick, but I have enough swimshorts… 🙂