Hooray for all those lovely things that warm weather brings, but we’re in the dog days now. And looking forward to fall is hard not to do. New designs are working their way online and in stores. Be warned: Much of these are full price for now, as well as excluded from codes & discounts since they’re new on the scene. 20 today, 20 tomorrow, and just think… in 40 days we’ll be breathing down the equinox.
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American Eagle 100% cotton Navy Trench – $99.95
Incredibly well done for a hundred bucks. It’s a medium to thicker weight chino, so it’s not the dressiest thing of the bunch, but it could be pulled off with most suits. Easily worn with jeans, chinos, cords, etc… Blue is good and deep, fit leans trim, and the length of the coat is a perfect mid to lower thigh which ends a few inches above the knee. No logos on the exterior except for etched “American Eagle Outfitters” on the buttons, but they’re not painted so they’re not noticeable. Easily worn with or without the belt.
Lands’ End Canvas Rugged French Terry Rugby – $80.00
Huge fan of everything about this one… except for the price. Eighty bucks seems pretty steep for a rugby. But at a second glance, they’ve gone hog wild with the details. The contrast corduroy collar and cuffs are outstanding. They’ve also done some reinforcing to the underarms as well as quilt stitched the shoulder yoke, so it’s going to feel much more substantial than a regular old jersey rugby. Cuffs have single buttons too so you can roll them back instead of pushing them up. Yeah, $80 is steep, but LEC always goes on sale, and this one is going to appeal to those of us always in the hunt for more non-hoodie substantial weekend wear.
B.R. Elbow Patch Merino/Nylon Crew Sweater – $69.50 (but $48.65 when 30% off)
For some odd reason BananaRepublic.com doesn’t show the elbow patches. So there they are. They’re made from the same (excellent) material that the sweater is from, only in a contrasting color. It’s the same 80% merino / 20% nylon Italian yarn that was used in last year’s raglan crews. Really good stuff. It’s not overly bulky but has some depth to it, and it’s got a tougher texture without being rough. Half a dozen colors to choose from. *Note: 25AFTER5 gets you 25% off (or 30% if you’re a cardholder) today from 5pm – 11:59pm ET online.
Johnston & Murphy Hattington Wingtip Boot – $195.00
The less-rich man’s version of the Allen Edmonds Dalton? This one is tricky. Because if you’ve got $200 to blow on a wingtip boot, you’re probably doing pretty well for yourself. So is $375 for the Daltons that big of a stretch when you consider the upgrade from the J&M bondwelt to full Goodyear Welt made in the USA Allen Edmonds Quality? $375 is pushing $400. $195 is almost half of $400. So, yeah, there very well could be a market there. Slight lug sole. Italian calfskin. Lined in plaid fabric and sheepskin.
M.E.C. Stealth Automatic – $320.00
Hard as hell to find a real, non J. Peterman-ized pic of these things. Matte finish prevents light reflection. Mineral crystal with a Miyota movement. Made by the Italian brand MEC. And again, sold by the J. Peterman company. Grey doesn’t appear to be available.
Black Butte XXIV – $12 – $16 (11% ABV)
Bend Oregon’s Deschutes brewery has been producing one of these for almost a quarter of a century. 24 years ago Deschuttes made their really, really good Black Butte Porter which is still sold today. This is that, but ratcheted up every which way to make an outstanding dessert style sipper. 11% ABV, dark chocolate nibs, dates, and figs. Has some spice flavors in there too. Every year it’s incredible. This one keeps that streak going strong.
Get Squared “Moody Blue” Pocket Square – $5.00
You’d be surprised how often you can find occasion to quickly fold up and stuff a navy blue pocket square in a jacket. Does pretty decent to fill out a tieless grey suit, or, spruce up a brown tweed hunting style jacket. White contrast stitching on the edge here, and is always the case with “Get Squared”, they’re Made in the USA, they ship free, and they’re only five bucks.
Lands’ End Canvas Blue Sportcoat & Tweed Peacoat – $$$?
Yes LEC launched their new fall line yesterday morning, but it doesn’t appear that they launched all of it. Taken from their Facebook fall preview gallery, neither of these two items seem to be for sale right now. Yet this and this is. Innnnteresting.
Herschel Supply Co. Duffel – $110 | Backpack – $80
Cut from the same canvas cloth in a washed black that’ll look good with whatever you may be wearing while carrying it. Seems a little steep out of the gates for Herschel. Might see these end up in the sale section in a few months?
J. Crew Cord Sportcoat in Ludlow Fit – $148.00
The easiest damn thing to wear with jeans once the highs stop crackin’ 55. Currently catalog/online only. Might need some tailoring despite it being the ludlow fit. But where’s the slate grey color this year?
Hawkings McGill Grey Suede Desert Boot – $69.00
The Urban Outfitters house brand is the current grand champ of stupid cheap footwear around these parts. For a quality perspective (that may or may not hold true here), these are still going strong and have only needed a little touch up at the toes with some cognac shoe creme. If these are anywhere near as decent, they’re a wildly inexpensive way to work grey into your look when you’re casual.
Hugo Boss Silicone Strap Chrono – $269.00
| Non-chrono – $195.00
Not the most subtle things ever, and certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, but they’ll appeal to some, and there’s some potential here for swapping out the silicone strap for something leather and rally inspired. Quartz. Bit of a guilty pleasure. All right fine, a lot of a guilty pleasure.
BR Tailored Fit Italian Wool Suit Separates: Glen Plaid or Blue/Grey – $303 – $505
These come to $353.50 when 30% off. And since they’re not the “monogram” line, once they’re no longer categorized as “new arrivals”, they should be available for code application more often than not. Haven’t caught the the blue grey on the right in person yet. But according to Farhan over here, “The color on that jacket is hard to describe. You have to see it in person to make up your mind about it.” If the fabric quality and feel of the jacket is anything like the Glen Plaid, then it’s going to feel terrific. Even if it is fused. Already out, but worth mentioning again since the fabric is such an upgrade. Starting to get close to Suitsupply territory though, and not much less than an Indochino.
*Note: 25AFTER5 gets you 25% off (or 30% if you’re a cardholder) today from 5pm – 11:59pm ET online.
Zara Quilted Jacket – $89.00 | Barbour Liddesdale – $159.00
The key to quilted jackets is to keep it from getting too puffy or too bright. This one keeps it slim and comes with tabs for adjusting at the waist as well as cuffs. A little overboard on that detail, but it gets the rest of the taping/piping and dark colors right. The Barbour does much of the same as the Zara, and while you’ll pay a premium, it has character to burn.
Shannon Sharpe’s Wardrobe returning to television
Don’t worry (especially to those whiners who just can’t stand to see one measly post a week be dedicated to Sha-NON). Won’t be keeping track of Shannon each week this year. Had a ball with it last year, and might check in a few times if anything is out of this world, but it’s always worth stopping by CBS (or just keeping it there) on Sunday pre-game for the duds of one Mr. Sharpe.
And we’re underway with fall. Stylistically. Sort of. You can buy it, but you can’t wear it comfortably in most of the country. Thoughts and additions can go in the comments below. Less than four weeks until the NFL regular season kicks off.