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Affordable Men's Style

Most Wanted Affordable Style – April 2012

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Top 5 Most Wanted – April 2012

Consider these to be power rankings.  Whether you’re looking for gift ideas or a quick upgrade for yourself, expect these to come around about once a month.  The best of the best, which you may or may not have seen already.  Agreements, disagreements, and additions are more than welcome in the comments section below.  Click here for the top 5 most wanted lists from previous months.  Top Photo Credit: andrew_j_w
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5.  Shoes from Ciro Lendini:  Grey Suede Monks – $69.00 ($155, but now sold out)
Regular price is fair. Sale price is criminal.
Ciro Lendini is one of 2-3 shoe brands that accomplish a rare trifecta:  They’re made in Italy & the construction is decent, the styling is current (sometimes too trendy) but a few pairs aren’t over the top, and they go for around $125 – $175.  If you hold out for an end of season clearance you might get real lucky.  The above suede monks in “lead” just sold out, but that’s to be expected since they were on clearance for $69.  A few pairs worth a gander:
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There aren’t any half sizes, and they seem to fit true.  A 10.5 D slightly wide foot (mine) is a too tight squeeze into a 10 in the suede double monk.  Regular leather quality?  Not sure.  But their wingtip boots did well during last year’s search.  Know that they’re from yoox, so you’re on the hook for shipping.

 

4. Mossimo / Merona Light Blue Fitted Dress Shirt – $22.99
Online only. For now?

What in the… Plenty of us are big fans of Target’s Merona Ultimate dress shirts.  They’re inexpensive, the collars are good, and they’re somewhat fitted. But there hasn’t been a perfect, light blue option.  Till now?  Target.com calls this a “mossimo” long sleeve shirt, but the tags clearly say Merona and “fitted” when you zoom in.  Got one on the way.

 

3.  Jack Spade Buffalo Check Computer Case – $169.15* ($395)
Toned down shades on the outside. Not so on the inside.

*Sign up for their email list and you’ll get a click-through email that’ll take 15% off your next order.  That drops the on sale listed price of $199 down to $169.15.  Careful though… it says on their site that items that are half off or more are final sale.  So maybe the extra 15% off email discount means you can’t return it now.  Free ground shipping through Jack Spade too.  Has that  nubby looking wool exterior, but the blue and orangeish brown keep it from being relegated to winter only duty.  Chocolate brown leather handles, and an interior that’s a nice surprise.

 

2.  21st Amendment Brewery Bitter American – $8 – $10 per 6-pack
Canned. Excellent.

Canned, low alcohol beer isn’t supposed to taste really good.  I’d drink barley wine year round if possible, but there’s something not quite right about standing over a BBQ on an 85 degree day swilling 10.5% stuff the color of mud.  21st Amendment Brewery has somehow created a session ale that tastes much bigger than it’s 4.4% ABV.  Malt, hops, lots of flavor.  Even the guys at BeerAdvocate like it.

 

1. BR Wool/Linen & Chino/Linen Suit Separates – $266.00 w/ BRBREAK ($380)
How embarrassing. They both wore the same tie.

These have serious potential.  On the left: 54% wool, 46% linen.  On the right: 62% cotton, 38% linen.  By blending linen with another fabric, you get a suit that’s still breathable, light, and should resist wrinkles a little better.  Both come in Banana Republic’s much trimmer “Tailored” fit. Haven’t seen them in person yet.  BRBREAK is good for 30% off site wide with a few exclusions.  Codes Expires 4/4.

Comments

  1. Those grey suede monks…wanted them even when they were in stock but no half sizes 🙁 

  2. These BR suits are in the shapely “tailored fit”.  Their “modern fit” suits are their “democratic”, boxier option.  (They also have a special “tailored slim fit” which is like the tailored fit but with slimmer pants.)

  3. If canned beers is your thing, you could and should rather go for stuff from Sixpoint (NY) and Oskar Blues (CO). Phenomenal stuff. Leaves 21st Amendment behind in a blur (not that 21st Amendment is a subpar brewery. It just leaves something to be desired with most of their brews). 

  7. Have you tried the Bitter American? Maybe we just have different palettes, but I think it blows the current six point canned offerings away. Now Oskar Blues, there we are in agreement, my friend 🙂

  8. Sixpoint, for me, is on the same level as 21st: both are disappointing. I do like me some Oskar Blues though (except for the onion fest that is Gubna). If we’re talking strictly Pale Ales from a can, even though it’s everywhere, I would still rather have canned Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Just has a nicer hop presence. Although I would rather have some canned
    Surly over any of those!

  10. In full agreement with this.  The Sixpoint Cream Ale (not sure if they can it though) is out of this world, and Dale’s Pale Ale from Oskar Blues is phenomenal–could be the last beer on earth for all I cared…

  11. Problem with Surly is that it’s not available outside of MN! Now I won’t mind setting up a trade for a few if you have access. 🙂

  16. Looks like the Target shirt is the only thing I could afford this month (okay, I could afford the beer, but that’s not really my thing). I just spent a decent amount (for Target, at least) a couple of weeks ago, but maybe I should swing by again this week to look for that one.

  18. Awesome. After finding this site a few months ago, I bought a pair of Steve Madden suede double monks from Zappos and I’ve gotten so many compliments on them that now I’m addicted and want to rebuild my shoe arsenal.

  19. I’m looking forward to seeing whether or not Target starts stocking these new “fitted” shirts in-store. I’ve been really pleased with the fitted Merona polos I bought a few weeks back.

  20. I picked up a grey fitted shirt just a couple of weeks ago.  At the store that I went to, they didn’t have many colors/styles of the fitted shirts in-store yet.

  21. Oh I have access… Actually of all the beer being made in MN it is not my favorite, but it is damn good.

  22. Am I the only one having trouble getting the BRBREAK code to take effect?  I click on apply, but it just doesn’t change the price. 

  23. Have you read the fine print of the coupon? There are some big exclusions, like the Monogram suiting, the Mad Men stuff, a few different styles of pants, etc.

  24. I was at a Target today and their fitted polos were a sweet $10, on clearance.

  26.  Agreed.  I always have a few Merona dress shirts in the mix, but never saw any of them labeled as “fitted” before.  Joe, can you give us an update when yours arrives?

  27. No worries; even BR doesn’t always get their labeling right. 🙂  Remember that charcoal windowpane suit?  It was labeled as “Tailored Slim fit” but it’s actually “Tailored fit”.  And that great nailhead grey suit?  It’s labeled “Tailored fit” but it’s actually “Tailored Slim fit”.  Seems to happen on quite a few items — I’ve come across several pants labeled “straight leg” which were actually “relaxed leg” too.  Perhaps worth noting in future reviews if you come across such mislabeling . 🙂

    (Still thankful to BR for making some very nice clothes affordable on a regular basis!)

  28. Ever consider insoles? These usually add just about half a size in my experience or can be used without socks since they are washable

  31.  I was trying to get the cotton/linen suit that Joe showed in the post.  Is that one of the exceptions?

  35. Trifecta aside, there’s something else in some of these Ciro Lendini shoes.  Looking at the leather double-monk, it says:
    Under Proposition 65, consumers in California are entitled to receive specific warnings regarding products containing chemicals that are known, to the State of California, as causing cancer, birth defects, or other types of harm to reproductive systems, when exposure of these chemicals to consumers exceeds designated thresholds. Then it specifies:WARNING: These products contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.  

    Does anyone know more about this?  Good shoes should increase one’s chances of successful reproduction, not damage them.  Are these chemicals something specific to certain manufacturers, or are these chemicals widely used throughout the industry?  How might these chemicals pose a danger to human health when used on a shoe? The shoes look nice, but they aren’t to die for!