Bespoke Post June 2012: Summer Essentials – $45.00
For $45 per box, Bespoke Post will deliver to your door a “box of awesome” once a month. Inside you’ll find hand selected items curated for a guy like you. You can skip any box you want or cancel at any time. Click here for more.
Well… the bad news first. The sunglasses, first mentioned over here, are a bit of a disappointment. They just don’t look as good in person, and despite GQ suggesting them in their best-sunglasses-under-$100 feature, the $75 retail price is awfully hard to swallow when you hold them. They’re really lightweight. Also, the pattern is less tortoise shell and more Tony the Tiger. Lenses are close to mirrored too. They’re a decent pair of backup shades (good for the beach, imagine that…) but after seeing them in person, they might not be the best choice to go along with that previously mentioned style scenario.
Each box includes the June issue of Details, which Bespoke Post is featured in.
But, and this is key, Bespoke Post isn’t asking you to spend $75 on the sunglasses. The cost is $45, and there’s more than just the sunglasses in the box.
Bespoke Post partnered up with Details Magazine for this month, so there’s a copy of the June issues in each box. Not bad for flipping through on the way to the beach, or once you get there.
Also included is a blanket that’s anything but your normal beach towel. It’s linen, and it’s excellent. It’s big (80″x55″), comes with a real nice plaid pattern on it, and there are a couple of tie strings attached to the end so you can just roll it up, tie it, and go. It’ll become your go-to outdoor blanket. Sounds cheesy, but having one comes in handy when you think about those trips to the beach, 4th of July fireworks, taking her on a picnic, outdoor concerts/theater, etc…
A set of dominoes finishes off the box. Dominoes is a game plenty of us have always wanted to learn how to play, and now here’s the chance. It’s fun once you get the hang of it, and instructions are included with the box. Electrifying? Maybe not quite that, but it’s the perfect game for when you want to relax. Takes less mental power than chess or scrabble, but there’s still plenty going on. The dominoes themselves feel to be of decent quality, and have a similar clay-like feel & weight that affordable poker chip sets have. Not plastic. A step above.
The sunglasses might have been a bit of a letdown, but the box as a whole will be plenty worth the $45 for many.
Win it: To enter to win Bespoke Post’s June Box of Awesome, send your first and last name in an email to contests@dappered.com w/ the subject: “Bespoke Summer”. One entry per person. Deadline: 11:59pm E.T. 6/14/12.
UPDATE: Congrats to Avisha N. who won this month’s Bespoke Post Box. Thanks to all who entered…
I intern for a tech company and Bespoke Post is actually right across from where I sit. If anyone has any questions for the guys behind Bespoke Post, I could ask for you.
Ah – I actually already signed up for it. That’s unfortunate about the glasses because they looked pretty cool, but, like you said, if nothing else, the blanket looks great and I would love to learn how to play dominoes.
I intended to be a little crotchety and a little Andy Rooney, since this is absolutely not Bespoke in the least. Also, the glasses do look cheap and if you’re spending $45 to get those glasses, why not just spend another $100 and get the real Persols off eBay? I could care less about a dominoes set.
The linen blanket looks rad though and I just went to the go-throw.com website, looks like they sell this thing for $100 on its own. Suddenly not so bad of a deal.
“why not just spend another $100” Uh… when did a hundred bucks become so disposable? Ebay can be a little spooky for designer goods too. I know some guys love ebay, but for others, it’s just too risky. Now, go trim those eyebrows Matthew…
I think this is a brilliant idea. I’ve always wanted to change my style and never really wanted to spend the money to get to where I want to be. This is a great way to motivate myself and slowly transition. Plus, it’s only $45. Like they stated, each box is worth at least $60. There are no obligations to purchase every month, you can opt out if you aren’t interested.
Joe – Spot on: “You mean the Raybans shipped from China and the Lacoste tennis shirts from Taiwan ROC I bought on the bay aren’t the real thing?”
As far as $100 being disposable: I live in NYC and packing a lunch for 2 weeks (vs. a $10 salad and $2 diet coke), skipping 1 happy hour and taking a subway rather than a taxi twice will add up to a $100 (easily).
I agree with pretty much all of this and was about to post the same thing.
Don’t know what is “bespoke” about this company. Seems to be the opposite. Or, probably, they are just another company trying to cash-in on a luxury/fashion word.
It seems like a lot of their items fall more on the side of novelty than style. Cheap sunglasses and a Details magazine? My 19 year old self is all about this. Dominos? My 7 year old self is ecstatic. It seems like a few weeks ago they had grilling salts or something like that? Yeah, I guess that’s cool, but at this point in my life I have no use for that or the energy and time it takes to make myself use it.
Their pitch or mission statement or whatever rubs me the wrong way as well:
“Our experts work with emerging brands to hand-select products you need – everything from whiskey tumblers to an aged t-bone. Subscribe and each month we send you a new Box of Awesome. You can skip a month anytime and shipping is always free.”
The linen blanket is probably something I’d be interested in, so maybe there is something to it. Otherwise it just seems like a waste of $45. Oh well. Tl; dr: just hating on this company.
I agree with this to an extent, but couldn’t you also say “when did 45 bucks become so disposable?” I’m not sure how spending money on some cheap sunglasses simply because they are part of a set or a monthly deal is better than what Matthew suggested about ebay.
Really not trying to come across as such a hater, but I just don’t get the company. Just don’t see why I should spend $45 on crap I don’t want or need. Of course, who knows, maybe one month they’ll really knock it out of the park and I’ll change my mind. There’s also the opt out thing, so maybe I’m being overly critical. Just annoyed by the arrogance, I guess.
I’m not seeing any arrogance, and the fact that you can opt out… like I did last month and the month before… I mean, c’mon. Not seeing why there’s a reason to get annoyed at all.
You don’t have to spend money on the sunglasses. You don’t have to spend any money at all with them.
That’s a shame on the glasses. I had actually the order this box yesterday too. Luckily I was able to opt out today. That Tony the Tiger bit unsold me pretty fast.
Moreso that they have presented their product as something you need to be stylish or be a gentleman. To me style is something you discover yourself, not something that is prepackaged and sent to thousands of other males who also paid $45. Just seems like there are many better ways to spend $45, but I guess that’s just me.
Ah, I didn’t mean to come off like a jerk. Maybe I’m oblivious to sunglass prices since I have to get RX, but I am just usually not a fan of middle tier stuff. I (think I) would much rather get those Nordstrom Persol knock offs you previously posted or some H&M ones for $10 (granted, not folding) or go full blow, save up a little and get the real deal, than spend money on mid-range.
You can’t really buy cheap glasses and have lenses put in though, something about the plastic vs acetate in higher end frames. I got a pair of Persol 714s off eBay and took them to lenscrafters for lenses (Sams Club/Costsco said they couldn’t do that shape). The manager came out to asked where I bought them from and for how much. Him and two other sales reps looked them over, checked out the lenses and everything… said he had no doubt they were legit. I have no idea how/why people are selling so cheap on eBay, but they seem alright.
I am probably gonna get the box just because I want that blanket, which was the point of my post although I unfortunately came off as a whiner. That $100 blanket for $45 seems like a steal. The sunglasses I’ll just try to flip or sell to a friend.
I got the box because I was interested in the blanket (I have all of August off between jobs and live near the beach. I also need a set of dominoes since the set I have has a few cracked dominoes. 25 ON THE GLASS! If you have never played dominoes, the real rules dominoes, you are missing out on a great game if you are just sitting around with a few friends.
The glasses review is a bit disappointing, I was hoping they would at least be passable. If not, at least they are easily stored in the glove compartment for when I forget my regular shades.
Failure to close my parenthesis. Also, the big logo on the glasses makes them hideous, regardless of anything else.
Would have liked to get last month’s box. That one had the eShave stuff. This month, not like so much. Cool you can opt out though.
Gotta be honest, man. Dominoes? A good thing? That’s a bit of junk right there that will go into a drawer and stay there for 4 years until you decide to donate it. No offense to anyone who likes dominoes…
I smell haters everywhere. Stop drink yo Haterade!
Indeed. Lots of bitching for a giveaway.
I honestly didn’t think that hard about it, and it seems pretty tongue-in-cheek to me. They call it a “box of awesome” for Pete’s sake. Pretty sure we all agree that “style” is something you discover yourself.
I ordered the box, so I’m hoping the sunglasses aren’t quite as awful as they sound; I’m still looking forward to checking out the blanket, though.
Hey Joe, have you heard of 12society? They’re similar to Bespoke Post and officially launched today. Not really sure what’s in the boxes, and they don’t seem to let you know before they ship. You can check them out here: http://www.12society.com/index, or if any of you should be so kind as to use a referral link: http://12so.co/SdKCz.
So, I was looking into signing up for the Bespoke Post, however, it looks like I have to pay $45 to sign up? They ask for my CC info on the sign up page and it mentioned something about a $45 charge. Is that for this month’s box, or is this a sign up fee?
If it is for the current month’s box, I think I may just wait until I see a box I really like, especially since these sunglasses were a disappointment.
They automatically charge $45, but you should be able to opt out of this month’s box.
Thanks Stephan!
So it’s kind of like credit toward a box, whether it’s this month’s box or a future one?
Sometimes the comments on these posts just make me scratch my head and sigh. This is a giveaway people. A chance to win stuff. Let’s keep things in perspective.
No problem! Exactly…they’ll charge you the cost of a box upfront and they’ll basically hold it until you order a box, and then they’ll charge you for another box if you keep it.
These are practical items, with quality (save for the mag.), for a beach day. Cool.
I got this box, and the sunglasses and blanket are awesome, particularly for $45. I have several pairs of RayBans and those cost a helluva lot more. This is a fun way to try out some new things without spending a lot of money. Will let you know how well the blanket repels send when I take it to Fire Island this weekend.
I just received this box. The sunglasses really aren’t that terrible, and the beach towel was worth the cost of entry alone.The dominoes are still being held up in customs, but they do give you a nice deck of cards as an apology for that. I’m actually looking forward to the next box.