10 Best Bets for $75 or Less – October 2012

Seventy Five dollars.  That’s a lot of money.  It’ll get you a couple pairs of Levi’s, a nice dinner out, or a couple months at your local gym.  Seventy Five dollars.  It is a lot of money, especially if you spend it right.  Ten picks follow, all for $75 or under, and some of them are much, much less.
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1. Skagen 858 Slim w/ blue hands – $54.99 ($110)

This one’s a bit of a holy grail for the slim and minimalist crowd.  It’s sold by a 3rd party retailer on Amazon but as of post time it’s “fulfilled” by Amazon.  That means Amazon has the product in their warehouses, ships it out, and handles returns.  So Amazon has skin in the game.  Credit to Logan who sent in the style tip about it being back up on Amazon.  It looks like hell there, but he reports that it’s legit:  “I tracked this down almost a year ago via 10-20 calls to Macy’s after I saw it posted on Dappered… I then lost it on a trip a few months later.  I love minimalistic watches and this is by far my favorite.  I was ecstatic to see it available again, and I immediately laid down the cash for it.  I’ve received it and although it isn’t sold by Amazon it’s every bit as authentic as the one I got from Macy’s.”

 

2. Suitsupply Cashmere Cable Knit – $59 | “Sophia” Ribbed Cashmere Hat – $38.50 ($100)

If you’ve never splurged on a cashmere winter hat, and you’ve got the cash to do it this season, might be worth a look.  It’s soft, it’s warm, and instead of that prickly feeling at your forehead, it’s all smooth butter.  Fabric… butter.  Or something.  The “sophia” brand hat (don’t worry, it’s for guys) is available through LastCall.  Extra 30% off sale (Update:  Cold weather gear is an extra 45% off through Tuesday so that drops the hat to under $40.  Many thanks to tomservo in the comments) appears to end today.  The Suitsupply option also comes in brown.

 

3. Target Merona Pinstripe Shirt – $22.99 (in store only)

There’s this odd law in men’s style that goes something like this:  As the price on a striped dress shirt decreases, the obnoxiousness of the stripes increases.  Is it that hard to make a white shirt with uniform, thin stripes?  Sure seems like it is.  This one nails it.  Proof that a simple stripe can go a long way can be found in the Bond meets Vesper scene.  This shirt’s a bit different, but right there is some solid proof that a little stripe, pin or self-stripe, goes a long way.  Not available online.

 

4. Flor de Cana 12-yr-old rum – $36.99

And here comes the brown bottles.  We’re entering that time of year where Scotch or Bourbon fits real well with the cool to cold nights. Nothing wrong with ordering a single malt, but if you’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth but still like liquor unmixed either straight or on the rocks, give this a try.  Not nearly as sweet and smooth as Zaya (which is awfully vanilla forward…. and awesome), but still plenty deep and flavorful with some heat and spice.

 

5. “A Very Private Gentleman” by Martin Booth – $9.99 – $14.33

And now that you’ve got something to slowly sip on during a quiet night in, here’s something to read.  The book that the George Clooney Movie “The American” is based on.  There’s enough differences between the book and the movie that it’s not really fair to compare the two.  Signor Farfalla in the book isn’t all that similar to Clooney’s movie character.  And there are plenty of major differences in the plot to keep you guessing.  Will absolutely appeal to the lone wolf side of many.

 

6. J. Crew Factory Striped Lambswool Crew – $43.50 ($62.50)

Hooray for the more layerable sweater fabrics like cotton blends and merino, but having one more substantial lambswool sweater in your arsenal for those real cold days is advisable.  J. Crew Factory Lambswool sweaters seem to not have too much room at the sides, which can be common for lambswool sweaters.  And the stripes are a plus.  Sign up for their email list and you’ll get free shipping until November 1st.

 

7. Stafford “Cutter” Cap Toe Boots – $60.00

Dark brown, simple cap toe, great looking shape, and coming from a brand with serious recent shoe success.  And who the hell ever would have thought that would be said about Stafford?  Haven’t seen them in store.  Beware of sizing.

 

8. Coach “Bleaker” Leather Money Clip – $48.00

A splurge at fifty bucks, but as perfect as a magnetic money clip gets.  We’re all back in jackets, blazers, etc… so that means we’ve got pockets to put a card case in other than the pockets on the rear of our pants.  Card case with the essentials in the inside jacket pocket, and a money clip in the front pants pocket.  One of these Coach clips in their high quality “glove tanned leather” walks that line between dressed up and casual perfectly.  Carry it everywhere.  Jeans, suits, whatever.  Doesn’t ship free though.  So that stinks.  Let’s see, cheapest shipping option is… TEN FREAKING DOLLARS?!?!  Re-damn-diculous.

 

9. Water Jug Plastic Lever Spigot – $3.18

For those of us who stink at carving pumpkins, but wouldn’t mind something useful at a Halloween party.  Sure it’ll soak up some of the beer and it won’t do anything to keep it cold or from going flat, but the presentation is spot on.  Huge hat tip to Jimmy at Si.com’s hotclicks and his readers for finding this gem.

 

10. Tommy Hilfiger Rugby Cable Scarf – $31.99 – $39.99

These have three things going for them:  The cable knit, the rugby stripe, and the wool/nylon blend.  Keep an eye out for a 20% off code and you can grab one for $32.  Might be worth a peek instore to see if they’re cheaper there.  And unlike other Hilfiger stuff, scarves have a pretty universal fit, so… no surprises there.

For other best bets under $75 from previous months, click here.