5 Favorites from Dappered Reader All-Star Marshall Lilly
Sure it’s just stuff. But stuff can make life easier, more enjoyable, etc… Every so often we ask one of our favorite people to rattle off their five favorite things. This week you’ll find favorites from some of Dappered’s most active readers.
Marshall is a 30-year old trying to straddle the line between dressing well while working in a conservative city (Washington D.C.), but living in a more laid-back city (Baltimore). He works at the Brookings Institution and has come across everyone from Bill Clinton to John McCain to King Abdullah of Jordan, who once gave him and his wife matching Swiss watches. He’s also covered in Tattoos. It’s been his experience that if you put the effort into really figuring out who you are, you can square just about any circle.
He’s hugely active in the comments section here on Dappered, and the tone of his comments is always appreciated..
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#1. Ledbury Shirts
“I know ratio is considered tops around here, but this Virginia-based company is worth checking out. Every Wednesday, they do a giveaway on Facebook, and have sales regularly. I wore one of their shirts at my wedding and I can’t say enough good things about these guys.”
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#2. Mountain & Sackett Ties
“Handmade ties from New York. When I needed one of their ties for my wedding, they didn’t have the longer version in stock at the time. I emailed them and explained my dilemma. Someone emailed me back the next day saying they’d make the long version of the tie I needed. Can’t beat that. They do giveaways on Art of Manliness and have sales on a regular basis.“
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#3. Tokens & Icons cufflinks
“This is a splurge, but you can get cufflinks made from game-used hockey pucks, baseballs, stadium seats, etc. It’s more about knowing where they came from as opposed to other people seeing them. Totally worth it.”
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#4. Field Notes Brand
“These notepads are for people who appreciate things (books, records, etc.) as objects. These guys put out limited edition versions four times a year that will make you fall back in love with the idea of actually writing things down as opposed to emailing things to yourself or recording it in your Ipad.”
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#5. Goodwill/Thrift Shops
“If you’re lucky, you can find a pair of Allen Edmonds for $30. I’m not kidding. It never ceases to amaze me what people will give away. You can by a pair of used Allen Edmonds for $30, then pay the $120 to get them completely re-crafted, and then end up with what amounts to a brand new pair of $330 shoes for half the price. You can’t beat that if you tried.” Goodwill Photo Credit: Terry Ross
For Previous editions of “5 Favorites” see the archive here. Very Top “5” Photo Credit: Gunnar Bangsmoen
Ah. Cuff links. I can never get enough of them. Thanks for another source! Off to shop now…..
Good picks. A little pricey for these parts, but great suggestions. I never heard of Ledbury. The shirts look to have real potential. I did just receive my first ratio shirt (grabbed the daily hookup) and was not as blown away as I’d thought I’d be. It’s nice, but I have OTR shirts I like just as much (and fit just as well).
Those Ledbury shirts look pretty bad A. Anyone else have any experience with them?
Ledbury shirts are great, especially the slim fit shirts. Great styles and the best customer service.
Field notes lovers, what kind of stuff do you write in them ? I like the idea, but I never was a note-taking kind of guy in school, so I’m not sure I would really have a use for it.
They are the modern equivalent of “commonplace books” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonplace_book). Write down snippets of conversations you thought intriguing, random ideas you have, dreams, quotes, and so on. The idea is that you remember things better when you write them down, and also that, when you pause to think about your life and write something down, you give yourself a chance to interpret your own world, which we rarely do these days. You also run through them later and find some really wonderful things you’ve forgotten about. I teach and write for a living, so this sort of practice helps me immensely. When I fill one up, I run back through it and see what strikes me again, and I’ve written articles and even book chapters that basically came out of random observations that I happened to jot down.
Ledbury being OTR and costing 150$ a shirt for those of us with reasonable arm lengths means it really doesn’t have much place on a cost-effective style site. They have some of the best patterns i’ve seen on dress shirts but I just can’t justify the price.
I’m more of a Moleskine man, but what I write down are just random odds and ends – recipes (in case I’m at the store wondering what to get); ideas for recipes inspired by stuff I just ate at a restaurant; interesting beers/liquors I want to look for the next time I’m at a specialty shop; sets of homophones (the missus and I have a running list and I always think of new ones in random situations); dumb jokes; names; locations for ____ people recommend to me; etc.
Often just the act of writing the thing down fulfills the purpose of committing it to my memory without me ever having to consult what I wrote again. Maybe it’s just that I’m old enough to have forged all of my important neural pathways before the internet was in wide use, so my memory works with pen and paper better than with tapping on my iphone (which I also carry and love, btw).
goodwill in the DC area = fantastic
nice tip.
Good call — Ledbury slim fit is as good a fit as any shirt I have (6’2″ 185). Their selection is constantly changing. The “short run” concept is rather creative. And they run deals — two weeks ago it was $100 off 3 shirts. Their selection right now isn’t as appealing as usual, imo. But check back. Stanton Gingham, Keeneland, and Urbana Check are three I wear all the time.
As a tall, but not NBA tall guy, I unfortunately can’t even try them out to see if they’re worth the price. 16.5 neck comes only in 35″ sleeves (or under, if you pay for shortening). I either would need to by a 17 neck to get 36″ sleeves, or walk around with short sleeves all day–either way, I’d look like I was wearing Dad’s shirt. Rather unfortunate, as I do love their selection and like the idea of the company otherwise.
I love this site but this spot goes against the whole concept.
Shirt = $135
Tie = $60
Cuff link = $90
I appreciate the inclusion of dedicated contributors, but this should not be an opportunity to brag. The authors last two recommendations are spot on, but 2/5 isn’t enough.
Can you recommend some good thrift/goodwill stores in DC area? I have had mixed results. My best finds were a pair of AEs and a pair of Vasque Sundowners GTX each under $20 at Unique Thrift near Tysons on Gallows Road.
Goddamn I love those ties. And I wear a tie like twice a year.
I need those CTA cufflinks!
i just gotta say, i dn’t know whats so special about having tattoos and being professional. like come on bro, congrats on being a normal, decent dude? S/O 4 goodwill tho
I’d like to give Joe a big thanks for thinking to include me this week. I discovered Dappered right around the time I made the decision to start putting more effort into my appearance, and when I think of the money I’ve saved by the deals that Joe digs up, and the sharpening of my own skills when it comes to making smarter purchases thanks to my Dappered education, this site literally changed my life. I have more confidence in my professional life, which is something that comes into play on a daily basis. Dappered really is a special online community, and I’m extremely proud to be a part of it.
These are “favorites,” not recommendations. It’s to be expected that some of people’s favorite things will tend to be the things they chose to invest in.
Part of Dappered’s ethos is affordability, but another part is the idea of upgrading your style. In my opinion, mixing and matching investment pieces with more affordable pieces is one of the arts of affordable style – it keeps costs down but still lets you show off handcrafted details you won’t find in a Macy’s.
16.5 neck / 36″ sleeve here. It’s unbelievable to me that there aren’t more shirts made with these specs. Any time I’ve ever gone to a department store looking for this size, I typically get “oh, we did have a few, but they go extremely quickly!”
One of my favorite parts about Field Notes is that on the back inside cover of each notebook, you’ll find a long list of practical applications (alongside a lot of other info). When you get one of the limited seasonal editions, the practical applications are tailored for whatever the theme is. For example, the Summer 2012 edition was called “Day Game,” and it was baseball themed. Some of the applications include: fantasy team rosters, post-game bar tab, players under Mendoza Line, backyard wiffle stadium plans…you get the idea…it’s all part of the charm. They’re pocket sized, so I just like being able to write something down if I need to.
Nothing to do with the article, which is great; but are you a How I Met Your Mother fan by chance? I just ask because of your name, and you probably get that a decent amount. Anyhow, great article!
Ha! I do get that a lot, but I didn’t really become a fan until a few seasons in. When I first met the wonderful woman I married, she actually thought I was using a fake name. She was already a fan of the show and introduced me to it. I actually thought about putting a pair of red cowboy boots as my 5th favorite as a joke!
RE: Ledbury shirts – I admittedly have a slight build (5’10, 145lbs), but smallest Ledbury slim fit shirt (15 neck/slim fit) was the boxiest shirt I have ever tried on. it literally engulfed me. It could have easily passed for a size 17 standard cut.
Can anyone recommend some good thrifting spots in Orange County?
hes a DC big shot what do you expect?
Depends what you are looking for. Goodwills in Costa Mesa are hit or miss. You also might try flashbacks but that is mostly costume-y. You might investigate Goodwills in the Fullerton area due to the university and high population of students.
What area are you in?
That’s what I thought at first too. I had the chance to wear one for my wedding and I’m a believer now. It absolutely is a splurge, but we all make those from time to time. I can assure you that you’re getting what you pay for here, and they do have sales fairly regularly. $150 is also the very high end of their prices, and most shirts fall under that and come in at around $125. Again, not cheap, but absolutely worth it.
Couldn’t agree more on the thrift shops.
Last week at a Goodwill auction, I scored 1) A pair of Allen Edmonds Sanford, 2) Allen Edmonds Park Avenue 3) Tod’s Chukka Boots, all for a whopping total of $45. Good enough condition they don’t even need repairs. I’m thinking they all came from the same person, and to that person–can’t say thanks enough!
Was that comment necessary?
FWIW, love the look of those ties.
If you’re snagging AEs, I think you’re doing just fine. I haven’t seen any AEs, but I’m also not particularly looking.
I’ve had good luck at the larger goodwill stores in Falls Church and lower Arlington. The one in Seven Corners is my favorite, a serious amount of men’s selection.
Perfect timing on #5, Marshall. I’m a HUGE Goodwill advocate. With the Dappered guiding me, I’ve reworked a lot of my wardrobe with quality and stylish pieces. I went by today and found a new grey Merona double-breasted peacoat for $9.99. Absolutely worth the trip if you have a good one in your area.
Field Notes! For some reason, I find the old fashioned pocket computers to be highly appealing.
I totally agree with goodwill I got 3 pairs of Allen Edmonds for $20, 2 for my dad and one for me. I also found a pairs of Alden shoes for $5, which I have been wearing as is because they look good worn in.
Agreed. Sometimes you leave empty-handed, but other times you walk out with absolute treasure. It’s silly to purposely miss out on that possibility.
I just dont get #2.
with tiebar.com’s huge selection, why would anyone ever look elsewhere?
What BenR said…
I’ll jump in to agree with Ben on this one. First of all, this is hardly the first time that something that’s considered a splurge has been featured on the site. The whole point of this recurring feature is that someone is asked to pick their favorites. I have a lot of ties on the rack at home, but my favorite one is from Mountain and Sackett, hence it’s spot in the post.
I live in Richmond where the shirts are made and have been to their store. I own 5 and have really liked them. Great quality and very nice fabrics/patterns
Wait until you break down and actually get one. Opening that package up and holding one of these things in my hands for the first time after looking at the site for so long was intense. These are some seriously amazing ties, and most of them don’t cost much more than a regular price tie at Macy’s.
Pulling…them…off.
Because Mountain & Sackett = Made in US. The Tie Bar ties aren’t. But that’s just my personal philosophy.
Based on the comments below, it is comforting to know that I’m not the only who believes this guy is a jerkass.
I’m on vacation. Now I’m here reminding you to keep the personal attacks to a minimum. Thanks a lot for that Anonymous. Cripes.
agreed. 3 of the 5 readers profiled were good. this guy ain’t one of them. little too into himself and pompous (the job, tattoos…we dont care). this stuff usually isn’t seen on dappered…too bad, but hopefully Joe is back on monday! 🙂
Ugh, what a bunch of hipster BS. $135 dress shirts? $75 ties? $200 cuff links? Nothing says pretender like over-paying for your entire wardrobe so you can be special and different.
By all means splurge on 1-2 items in your wardrobe, but at a certain point, when you’re paying $200 for a set up cufflinks, you need to reevaluate your priorities. Style is cut, quality, and color, not cost — embrace it.
What BenR said.
And to quote BenR from earlier in the week…
You mad bro?
I have 25 filled moleskine notebooks in my bookcase. I write about everything in them, travel notes, work notes, books I’ve read etc. Once you start to use one they become very important to you. Just the act of writing causes you to think about things differently.
Again, I’m here, but I’m not, but… you think his picks say something negative about him? Evaluating his picks and everyone piling on says something else if you ask me. Please keep it classy guys. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have internets to not look at.
I’ll break my rule of not responding to people hiding behind a cloak of anonymity on this one to make the following point…
I’ve got Goodwill on this list, and you list the first three things as being hipster?!? Look son, if you’re going insult the list, at least get it right. A $135 dress shirt is about as far away from ‘hipster’ as it gets. A hipster also wouldn’t even have a pair of cuff links to begin with, let alone a nice pair.
haha its def not hipster, but I agree its kinda the big shot DC man mentality thats kinda annoying with this guy its the me me me pompus attitude that numerous readers of dappered dont like about this clown, but what can you do. Don’t think thats the definition of hipster tho. Also, can we start coming up with more original things than the “you mad bro”? cuz you just sound like a tool.
It’s much more special than being to have an adult conversation “Wick.”
@wutang jackass…please head back to whatever swamp you were trolling around at before you happened to find this place…
not “trolling”…another great nerd nerm btw. just giving my opinion about this “all-star” writer that others clearly share with me.
I’m pretty sure I posted a comment on this article and its no longer here. I suggested a tailor in Annapolis who does custom shirts. Was it removed, and if so was there a reason?
Scott, all Ledbury shirts are made in Europe, according to their website. Richmond, VA is their company base.
Late response, but I am in south county.
Goodwill in Fullerton and Brea. ARC in Fullerton. Buffalo Exchange in Fullerton (can be pricer than Goodwill and runs a bit towards hipster, though). I’ve found ties and/or blazers I love at all of the above stores, for cheap.