Dappered

Affordable Men's Style

  • Don’t Miss Anything
  • Start Here
  • Essentials Shop
  • Latest Deals
  • Style Scenarios
  • Reviews

Style Scenario: The first, real nice spring day.

March 12, 2012 By Joe | Heads up: Buying via our links results in us getting a commission (not always, but just about), which helps keep the lights on around here. We also take your privacy rights seriously. Head here to learn more.

.
What are you going to wear?  Sometimes there’s an easy answer.  Sometimes not.  Sometimes it’s good to look at a few suggestions then add your own tweaks and ideas.  That’s what these are for.  All designed to get you in some stuff that’ll make you look and feel great, then get you out the door and off to do things other than thinking about your clothes.  Look for these with no regularity.  Want to suggest a scenario?  Send those in here.  Photo: Chris McClanahan
.

The Blazer:  Target Merona Kensington Blazer – $35 – $44.99
"Attention shoppers. Get your butts outside. It's 60."

If you’re hitting a patio for after-work drinks, chances are a stiff breeze might kick up and you’ll be wishing you had on more than a polo.  If the afternoon happy hour drifts into an evening out for dinner, you’ll really want long sleeves.  A lightly structured or completely unstructured navy cotton blazer is the answer, and the Kensington from Target is excellent for the price.  It might need tailoring, but it’ll be a go-to for when you’re relaxed but want to look sharp.
UPDATE:  This is now available on the web.  Credit wsgm in the comments for the tip.

 

The Pants:  Off white or not quite white 5-pocket denim-like chinos
Not jeans, but not khakis either.

These are not bright white jeans.  And yes you can wear them with confidence.  They’re a bit of a hybrid.  Look for colors like stone, light grey, maybe very light khaki, in a mid-weight fabric with a rougher texture than chino.  That’ll create a nice visual border between the pants and the blazer above.  The 5-pockets also keep it real casual, since a dressed-up and pressed pant might look wonky with the very casual blazer.  The perfect example is last spring’s BR 5-Pocket canvas pant. A few to consider now, with hopefully cheaper options showing up as the weather warms:

  • Bonobos Rawhides Bull Denim – $98.00 (could use a groupon here)
  • Levi’s 514 Slim Straight Twill in Pewter – $44.00
  • J. Crew Tompkins 5-pocket – $96.00 (ouch on the price)
  • L.L. Bean Signature Five-Pocket Natural – $69.00 (fit could be bad here)
  • Old Navy Slim Straight Jeans in Natural – $39.94 (but there will be sales)

 

The Shirt:  A bright, white, poplin with a good sized collar.
Oxford is too thick here. Stick with poplin.

You want it bright enough and white enough that if the jacket comes off there’s a noticeable difference between the off white of your pants and the bright white of your shirt.  So no dingy shirts here.  Bust out your best white dress shirt if you need to.  Keep that collar in line with some wurkin’ stiffs, and feel free to unbutton the second button if that’s your thing.  Shirts from left:  Nordstrom Trim Fit, Calibrate Trim Fit, Target Merona Ultimate Dress Shirt.

 

 The Shoes:  Suede Something:  Ciro Lendini Double Monk – $155.00
Certainly doesn't have to be monks if that's not your thing.

Ciro Lendini seems to be an Italian Made brand on par with the DSW house brands Mercanti Fiorentini and Mike Konos.  Italian made, great looking shoes that are of above average quality, and the brand did well during the wingtip boot search.  Other options:  Last year’s Mike Konos Lace Ups if you got em, or the all but gone Florsheim single monk.  Bass Suede Chukkas could work as well.

 

The Belt:  Something subdued and not too bright.  Different if you’d like.
Ease off the bright colors with these.

A bright, striped, grosgrain or web belt might be too obvious here.  That and you risk starting to look like you’re following every damn trend ever (hat tip to the double monks).  Keep it grown-up, dressed down, and darker but not necessarily all matched up with your shoes.  Grey is just fine here.  And that old casual brown leather belt that you’ve got?  That’s more than just fine here as well.  Belts from left:  1901 Nubuck, Martin Dingman.

 

The Slight Risk:  Fossil “Nick” Polarized sunglasses in rust – $70.00
Mr. Ripley I presume?

Not everyone looks good in keyhole style sunglasses.  Some look downright goofy.  So if you’re attached at the hip to your aviator Ray-Bans or AOs or REs, or even your new-wayfarers, then carry on.  These aren’t as aggressive or sloped as some keyholes, but still… these would be for the guys who like to take more risks.  Certainly retro without going full bore Clubmaster.  Good price for polarized too.  There is a small “fossil” branding at the temples.

 

The Watch:  Timex Q Dial – $80.75 w/ WINTER12 | Citizen Eco Drive Chrono – $240.00
Smallish... and not smallish.

The Timex is a bit on the small size, and the Citizen leans quite a bit towards beefy.  The perfect play here might have been the silver dial / blue hands Skagen, but that’s once again seemingly impossible to find.  The Citizen is a bit of a beast, but it’s a stunner.  Powered by Citizen’s Eco Drive movement, and the dial is actually a deep navy.  More on the Timex with an in-person over here.  Citizen photo credit

 

The Pocket Square:  Fifth&Brannan light chambray – $30.00
peek-a-awesome.

This is optional.  The 5th&B one is obviously a bit of a small-company made in the USA splurge, but the fabric is pretty incredible.  (And yes, our pal Barron from the effortless gent is part of 5th&B.  But the fabric on these is something else.)  Might be too many different shades of blue if you’ve got the Q-dial on.  Much cheaper $8.00 version from TheTieBar can be found here.

Filed Under: Accessories, Clothing, Shoes, Watches Tagged With: Belt, Blazer, blazers under $100, Citizen, fifth&brannan, Fossil, Kensington, keyhole, Merona, Monk Strap, monk straps under $200, polarized, Spring, spring outfit, style scenario, Sunglasses, Target, timex

Continue the Conversation …

Want to share your thoughts on this article? Send us a tweet, join the discussion on Facebook, or hit us up on Instagram!

Don’t Miss Anything

Subscribe via email to get articles in your inbox or add Dappered on Flipboard. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Or subscribe to push notifications to get alerts immediately.

New Here?

Well, welcome to Dappered. Here are what we consider the most useful posts on the site if you're looking to put a little more effort into your appearance. Just want to see our favorite menswear products? Shop our essentials here.

BR Factory New Arrivals (and 49% off), Seiko 5KX decent price, & More – The Thurs. Men’s Sales Handful

BR Factory New Arrivals (and 49% off), Seiko 5KX decent price, & More – The Thurs. Men’s Sales Handful

Totes, sneakers, and Nordy Rack is worth a look.

Style Scenario: Groundhog Day

Style Scenario: Groundhog Day

Bing!

Spier launches new $298 Half Canvas Suit Line – The Best Wedding Suit under $300?

Spier launches new $298 Half Canvas Suit Line – The Best Wedding Suit under $300?

They’re calling it their Red Label line. So… why another line? And how?

Follow Dappered on Instagram »

Men’s Fashion or Affordable Style?

Men's Fashion or Affordable Style?

Fashion is temporary and expensive. Style is timeless and affordable. Dappered® helps you work the retail system so that you can be comfortable, look sharp, and save money.

Want to share a great product? Email Us.
For a fit perspective, see Joe's measurements.
Make sure to read our affiliate disclosure.

CONNECT WITH DAPPERED

Thanks! Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Most Popular on Dappered

  • 10 Best Bets for $75 or Less – Rugged Boots, Italian wool trousers, & More
  • Monday Men’s Sales Tripod – Italian Traveler Wool Blazers, Nordy’s NOT final sale section, & More
  • BR Factory New Arrivals (and 49% off), Seiko 5KX decent price, & More – The Thurs. Men’s Sales Handful
  • Style Scenario: It’s still winter. (Nothing over $100 edition)
  • The Dappered Space: 5 Essential Home Decor Items for any grown-guy’s home
  • MTO Suits, Goodyear Welted Boots, & More – The Thurs. Men’s Sales Handful

Popular Topics

  • Best dress shirts to own
  • Best looking watches under $100
  • Best men’s dress shoes under $200
  • Nike Killshot sneaker alternatives
  • How to wear a suit without a tie
  • Suitsupply store review
  • Suitsupply Blue Line review
  • J. Crew Factory Thompson suit review
  • How much does it cost to tailor a suit?
  • Dopp kit essentials
  • Brown shoes with gray pants
  • Men’s style buying guide

Copyright © 2023 Dappered.com | Dappered, LLC | Dappered® is a registered trademark of Dappered, LLC

Hat tip: Magazine Pro Theme On Genesis Framework

Dappered does not collect or sell its users personal information | Disclosures: Privacy and Affiliates, Gilt.com, FTC

WPE

We work with partners that use cookies to understand how visitors use our site. Find out more.