Dappered

Affordable Men's Style

Style Scenario – First Farmer’s Market

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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.
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The Sunglasses:  American Optics Original Pilot – $42 – $64.99*
The Farmer's Market is not time to get all hollywood.

Optics Planet has them for dirt cheap.  Never ordered through there, but I know some of you have… leave that feedback in the comments.  Made in the USA, shine free, classic, and the bayonet style temples are awesome.  AO sells them direct for $74.00.  The $64.99 price is through JackThreads, and they seem to be sold out for now.  Also worth a look, Gilt is running a sale on a bunch of Randolph Engineering styles.  Their squared off aviator, the intruder, is down to $80 in some styles.  Made in the USA as well.

 

The Sweater:  L.E.C. Supima Pencil-Striped V-Neck – $27.99* ($60)
Not quite white.

Now on sale and has been dipping even lower with those every once in awhile extra 20% off sales LEC seems to like to run.  Lighter weight pima cotton in a warm weather ready pattern.  A huge upgrade from a hoodie.  *Use the 30% off code PICK30 and pin 3022 to get this price & free shipping.  Code expires today.

 

The Shirt:  Mossimo Athletic T – $7.99 or Merona Light Blue Button Up – $22.99
Basics. Let the stripes do the talking.

It’s a farmer’s market, so feel free to wear the sweater over a t-shirt.  If you’re not down with the t-shirt under a v-neck look, and you need a collar, just stick with a plain light blue like the model is wearing in the LEC pic.  The Target shirt is cheaper, and skip ironing it for something like this.  It’ll be too long to leave untucked though.

 

The Pants:  A pair of well worn & washed jeans
Leave the rookie, wear the veteran.

Y’know when you first get a pair of really dark denim, and you’re not meticulous about how you care for them, and after a year or two they’re a couple of shades lighter than when you first got them?  Right.  Those are the jeans to wear.

 

The Belt: Wood and Faulk The Standard Belt – $85.00
When she asks: "What do you want for your birthday?"

A complete splurge.  Any ol’ leather belt will do, and know that wearing one of the real popular striped or brightly colored canvas/cotton/woven belts might be a little much with the cream striped sweater.  All those stripes and you’ll start looking like a television test pattern.  From a small goods maker in Portland who gets mentioned a lot on this website.  Don’t know em’, but man do they ever make some amazing looking stuff.  English bridle leather, solid brass buckle, beeswax finished edges, and made here in the USA.

 

The Shoes: Sebago Kerry Tassel – $63.96 w/ ALBRIGHT2 ($145)
A load of quality for $64.

The leather quality and construction on these is superb.  Thick, but still plenty soft and pliable leather, hand stitching, and a leather sole stitched to the upper.  Really relaxed and not everyone’s favorite as far as looks.  A bit of an ugly duckling that’ll still serve you well.  These only come in an E width, so be prepared to size down so you’re not flopping all over the place in them.  Some laced alternatives include Sebago’s Brattle for $136, Florsheim’s Kearny in Dirty Buck for $65, or the just in to DSW Cole Haan Buck II for $110.

 

The Watch:  Bulova 96A102 Canvas Strap – $76.37
Tough not to like this one.

Sure, Seiko might have the automatic movement, but plenty prefer the looks of Bulova’s take on the canvas strap.  Not a NATO or slip thru style strap either.  Acrylic crystal, but a scratch or two will only add character.  40mm in diameter and really well reviewed on Amazon.

 

The Money Clip:  Coach – $28.00 ($40) | Allen Edmonds – $12.00 ($15)
Both ship free.

You want cash for a Farmer’s Market.  And you want to be able to get to it quickly.  So front pocket, not back pocket tucked in a wallet.  Leave the silver shined up clip for formal events.  You don’t want to blind anyone, so stick with a leather or a fabric money clip.

 

The Bag:  Linus Bike The Sac – $65.00
Waxed with a coated base... for your protection.

Gah.  The tote conundrum.  Some guys view carrying a tote bag as equally awkward as holding on to your girlfriend’s/wife’s purse.  But they get the job done, and if you’re grocery shopping at a farmer’s market, you’re gonna have to put your purchases in something.  These options from Linus almost look like dry bags you’d use on the water.  Waxed canvas with a coated base.  Hooks on to your bike rack, and comes with a shoulder strap.

 

The Back at Home Beer:  Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA
White IPAs: Warm weather appropriate, but still sharp.

White IPAs aren’t quite wits and they’re not as forward as standard IPAs.  Chainbreaker is as refreshing as beer gets for guys who like a lot of flavor.  Not over the top in flavor by any stretch, and it tastes like a toned down version of their Conflux No. 2 beer that produced a… you guessed it, white IPA.

 

The later that night CD:  Raising Sand – Robert Plant | Alison Krauss – $10.53
Won 5 grammys. And for good reason.

In case you and your significant other decide to spend a quiet night in to make dinner out of whatever it was you picked up at the farmer’s market.

Top Photo Credit:  Dane Brian

Comments

  1. Bring your every day carry pocket knife to sample the produce.  I personally like the leatherman skeletool.  Can be used to pop open those White IPA’s.

  2. (When she asks: “What do you want for your birthday?”) caption and a picture of a belt doesn’t sound right to me. But when she does, time to put on that cd.

  5. A date…at the farmers market? Has this site jumped the shark?

    Also, that T shirt from Target is down to XXLarge only. I really would have liked to pick a couple up if they came in anything less than queen size bed  sheet.

  6. Definitely not a 1st date – 3rd or later “hey, lets swing by the farmers market, and figure out what to cook for dinner..” very nice.

  7. I won’t knock the loafers on style because I would not wear them, but I will knock them for function. The markets I shop are not free of dirt and water, and I just don’t like to take leather soles into muck. I’d be fine with the brown Sebago Brattles metioned before on Dappered. But for me, a pair of Stan Smiths or Purcells would be just fine.

    The music: I won’t pick on Plant; he is an old legend. But I would not use that record on me alone let alone a woman. There’s a lot of great new artists/music out there. War on Drugs, Slave Ambient is a good pick because you can listen to it, or let it float in the background. 

  9. Yes Jordan, this site has jumped the shark.  No need for you to ever come back and post here again.

  10. If you don’t know how suitable a farmer’s market is for a date, you have obviously never seen how 
    appealing to a lady being knowledgeable and passionate about food can be  😉

  11. Good call on the American Optics sunglasses.  Bought a pair with the bayonet temples a year or so ago for around $40.  Solid shades that get compliments all the time.

  12. I bought a set of AOs through Opticsplanet.  No issues. I didn’t like the matte silver color (it said matte, and the picture was black, so I assumed it was a matte black). They exchanged color for me pretty quickly (although I had to pay return shipping)

  13. Nice pick on the Deschutes. I hear they make some great brews. We don’t get ’em on the east coast so my go-to Belgian IPA is Raging Bitch from Flying Dog.

  16. Yes, that is what you can do with it after you have bought it at the farmer’s market. 
    Also, Farmer’s markets usually sell things that are good to eat straight away: Cheese, bread, fruit, maybe some local wine. Bring along your picnic gear and go straight from the market to the park. If you buy organic the produce shouldn’t need more than a little rinse before you eat it.

  17. If you’re wearing that sweater (which I would not, but whatevs), why would your belt be showing? Unless you’re one of those Ralph Lauren models that tucks in his sweater, in which case I’m going to be pointing at you and laughing from the other side of the farmers’ market…

  22. Probably won’t be: “any ol’ leather belt will do…”  But in case it does, a striped sweater on a striped belt gets a little preppy fast.  Which would cause the types of people who like to point and laugh at others, to maybe point and laugh.

    But then again, you should never dress for those types anyway.

  26. I’d love to hear any feedback anyone can give about having prescription lenses put into those AO shades.  I like how they look quite a bit, but I need prescription sunglasses (and contacts really aren’t something I can do).  Thanks.    

  29. Great pick on the Optics, Joe. Been looking for an alternative to the New Wayfarers I got.

    As far as the sweater, its not for me. But neither are IPAs. Its all a matter of taste.

    Doesn’t mean this site isn’t fantastic. Keep up the good work, Joe.

  30. I’m wearing it today.  It feels great.  Its a bit “wingy.”  Since we’re apparently making up words, that’s the only adjective I could think of.  I guess what I mean is that the armholes could be a bit smaller.  Otherwise, its great, especially for the price.

  32. You can use coupon code “efb5rc” on OpticsPlanet for 5% off. Only like $2.10 on the AOs, but every penny counts, right?

  33. I take it as a point of style that I own that sweater, and the guy who “would not” wear it is the same guy who would actually abbreviate “whatever” in the same manner as my 15 year old little sister.

  34. Um, there’s no mention of a “date” anywhere in Joe’s post.

    But I’m sure you can pick one up in the zucchini section.

  35.  What in the hell does “jump the shark” mean?  And, speaking from experience here, the farmer’s market is a great place to take a girl– it’s novel and wholesome and tactile and cooking dinner from what you buy is the obvious corollary.  They love it.

  36. I just ordered a pair of AO Pilots off OpticsPlanet and received them within a week.  55mm, SIlver, Grey Polarized Poly Lens, Bayonet. Good purchase experience. Go for it.

    QUESTION: I was thinking of going with Gold and Green or Grey Lenses for the next pair to get the Don Draper look, but does anyone suggest sizing down for that to 52mm?  His look small.  Would it be much of a comfort difference from 55mm to 52mm?

    Don Draper’s glasses: http://www.ivy-style.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/image001.png

  37. Had a great experience with Optics Planet when I ordered mine. I think the shipping might have felt a little slow, but I’m an avid Amazon Prime user, so I’m a little spoiled. I would suggest considering the cable ear pieces that wrap around your ear. I commute by bike a lot and it’s nice to keep them in place. The bayonet ends do look damn fine though.

    If you’re not sure about size, you might check out your local Nordstroms. Mine had Randolph Engineerings in stock, and since the shape is almost identical it should give you a good idea which size looks best for your face.

  38. The comment section here has generally been fairly gentleman like, it’s sad to see the direction some of these comments and child like insults are going. I guess as the site becomes more popular it will unfortunately adopt viewers from a wider spectrum. For better or worse.

  39. Just picked up a tote from Tanner Goods this weekend. Took my girlfriend to make sure the tote didn’t look feminine to her. Nope, these look like pretty solid man bags, and just in the last couple of days I’ve used it for groceries, other shopping and hauling my overnight stuff to and from her place. 

    Get one with squared angles, natural fabrics and colors, and little to no embellishment (if it doesn’t have a function, it doesn’t belong on the product), and a good tote won’t ever be mistaken for a purse.

    Plus, if you do have to hold your gal’s purse, you could drop it right inside your tote.

  40. “Jumping the shark” is a term that means some pop culture item, usually a TV show, has become a parody of its former self. Gone “over the hill” as they say.

    It comes from an episode of Happy Days in which the Fonz was water skiing and literally jumped over a shark…

  43. Wow, man. Reread what you just wrote. Are you proud of that – and would you want people in real life to know that this is how you handle things?

  44. I like the idea of part of a date taking place at the farmer’s market. Good call. Decent outfit too. Not a fan of that particular sweater but the combination of things looks good. Nice job on this one.

    Also, this is the most annoying comment section I’ve seen on Dappered ever. 

  45. Allison Krauss is “one of the greatest vocalists of all time”? You’ve got to be kidding me. She’s terrible and you may want to go find your testicles you left them somewhere.

  46. Dude this is way over doin it. V neck over a button down?  I know my farmers market can get kinda messy. I have those Sebagos and they would not cut it in any kind of water or mud.  I think less fussy would be better here.  Chambray or plaid with jeans and work or desert boots.

  47. I’d be less likely to wear suede desert boots to a sloppy farmer’s market (sounds sexy) than the Sebagos.  I have the penny loafer version, and the leather soles don’t soak up anything, and the leather is plenty thick and durable.  I’ve worn them in all kinds of weather.

    Really depends on the farmer’s market I suppose.  Of the three time zones I’ve attended farmers markets in, those shoes would do just fine.  Lots of pavement.

  49. Check your mouth Frankline.  They’re probably still swimming around in there.

    See how easy it is to throw insults around in the comments?  It’s weak.  We’ve gotten this far without turning the comments into a slum, so let’s keep it that way.  Thanks.  Questions?  joe@dappered.com

  52. Wow… this comments section was a little depressing. Good thing we’ve got lots more chances to give “polite and thoughtful” a try.

    I’m not sure I would go to the farmers’ market in loafers… but I’m not a loafer guy anyway. I’d probably opt for canvas sneakers instead – comfortable and washable.

  54. I think the loafers are a bit much.  I’d go with a Chukka boot or an athe-lesiure shoe. 

  55. Where I live, going to the farmer’s market means wearing your rattiest clothes and beat up shoes since you’ll smell like old fish and have flies around you the whole time.

    T shirt, shorts and old leather sneakers / rain boots (if you don’t want raw meat juice on your feet)Ah, the Philippines!

  56.  I’d rather read comments giving one’s opinion based on reality rather than a skewed perception of what something one has never heard will sound like.

  57. You’re totally right about abbreviating “whatever”—I should not have done that. As for the sweater, I definitely did not mean to imply that I think it’s unattractive, just that it isn’t my style. Joe does an excellent job of representing a wide variety of personal style choices on this site, which I appreciate even if I wouldn’t wear all of them.

    The whole (& only) point of my comment was to poke fun at the heavily styled runway-type looks where a sweater is worn over a shirt and both are tucked into pants by some stylist, usually just in front, for the purpose of showing off a belt. I just think it’s overkill, and I save my more interesting/colorful belts for when I know they will be visible.

  59. I just ordered a set of Rx lenses for my AO frames.  I have the Original Pilot 57mm in black.  The eye doc said there will be no problem putting lenses in them.  He did say that the attachment of the nose piece was a slight weak point, and that doing a larger size lens requires that it also be thicker.  However, at my prescription’s strength, the thinner lens option was available for only $15 more, so I got those.  He also said that the stock AO lenses are fantastic quality – real glass, great optics – so I will be keeping those around as backups.

  60. “It also, at its core, it makes no sense. The jump the shark episode was the season 5 premier.

    Happy Days had 11 seasons.”

    It makes perfect sense. It’s saying that the remaining seasons after the “jump the shark” moment are garbage, when the show became a parody of itself and is not worth watching. I mean, unless you think that The Simpsons is still a great show just because it’s on, it makes perfect sense.

  61. “If you’re wearing that sweater (which I would not, but whatevs), why would your belt be showing?”

    I dunno…in day to day life my arms are usually raised over my shoulders at least once a day. Your mileage may vary, say, if you are John McCain.

  64. Hey Joe, what other colors besides that light blue would you wear under that sweater?