St. Patrick’s Day 2013 – The Best of Green

Green gets the shaft.  Kermit knows this.  For 364 days out of the year green takes a back seat to blue, black, grey, and a host of other colors.  But not on St. Patrick’s day.  That’s the one day when Green reigns supreme.  In honor of Green and the upcoming arrival of St. Patrick’s Day, here’s the annual list of green things maybe worth the green in your wallet.

 

1. TheTieBar Wool/Silk Pinstripe Tie in Olive – $15.00

Proof that you can step outside of the usual blue, red, and grey tie lineup and still have some success.  70% wool and 30% silk.  Ties a nice knot too.  2.5″ wide and first mentioned over here.

 

2. Mossimo 60/40 Cotton poly blend t-shirt – $8.00 – $9.99

Green tees look great with jeans and desert boots (or sneakers, or drivers, or whatever).  No need to size down here since these are their athletic fit, which is darn near perfect for most of us.  Various shades of green are available online, but check in store the next time you drop in.  Just wish they’d bring back the Mossimo polos.

 

3. Bulova 96A102 – $89.00

40mm in diameter and classic field style to burn.  Hard not to love the font and hands on this thing.  Yes, only the band is green (the dial’s black) but man it’s a perfect fit.  Acryclic crystal on this one, so scratching it up might be of concern.  But at that price, and with the just-found-it-in-the-attic look, a ding or two wouldn’t be the end of the world. Quartz movement.  Other watches worth a mention:  The Seiko 5 in olive/green, the Orient Aviator, and the Orient Flight.

 

4. Filson Medium Duffel – $295

Big, but not so enormous it’s unmovable   25″ x 14″ x 13″ gets you 4550 cubic inches.  That’s plenty for a long weekend (and then some depending on how light you pack).  Made in the USA.  A classic, and a total looker in tan.

 

5. L.L. Bean Signature Sundress in Mallard Green/Raven Blue – $119.00

E.  Gads.

 

6. Allen Edmonds Olive Leather Neumok – $250.00

Different, but different with purpose.  Unlined on the inside so more casual but still incredible quality.  Full review on over this way.  Also available in a blue, red, and brown leathers, plus a couple different shades of suede.

 

7. Jack Spade Monza Business Card Wallet – $59.00 ($115)

A place to keep your business cards so they stay in mint condition.  Shoving them in your standard card case certainly works, but the risk is your swiped-a-plenty debit & credit cards starts to dirty them up.  A warning:  Final Sale on this one, so no returns.

 

8. Crown and Buckle Black and Olive (Bond) NATO Strap – $12.00

As close as it gets to the scheme Bond wore in Goldfinger (some claim it was grey on black, but let’s not Bond Nerd Out too much here).  Available in 18, 20, 22, and 24 mm.

 

9. Lands’ End Canvas Wool Plaid Bomber – $129.99 ($250)

Was just going for $90 during the most recent Friends and Family sale, so might want to hang tight for a code.  Running out of time to wear it this year (depending on your location) but it’s a “I’m running to the store/gonna walk the dog quick” jacket with tons of character.  Stand-up ribbed collar is a  nice switch from the standard bomber style.

 

10. Bonobos Rhodes Collar in Slim or Standard Fit – $78.00

Something to mix in with your light blue and white OCBDs.  It injects some visual interest without going full neon. Also, these have got to be prime candidates for the sale section.  $78 is a lot of money for one shirt (even though Bonobos Oxfords are borderline legendary) but the light green might scare off enough people to doom them (hooray!) to clearance.  Bonobos shirts have always fit decently trim, but these, like many of their shirts, are now available in an even closer slim fit.  A fit comparison between the slim and standard is coming next week, so standby for that.  Not made in the USA like some of their oxfords used to be.  (Too pricey?  L.E.C. make a more vibrant option that can drop under $40 if you wait for a code.  Nothing green on the jcp OCBD front yet, but they do have a patterned poplin for $25.)

What else?  Anything obvious missed?  Got a suggestion for a favorite green item?  Leave it below.  Have a safe St. Patrick’s Day weekend, and remember, Guinness trumps lite beer that’s been greened up with food coloring every single time.