10 Best Bets for $75 or Less – Billykirk, Clarks, & more

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.

1. Ebbets Field Flannels Authentic Fungo Shirt – $75.00

A total splurge for an ultra-casual, around the house/running errands shirt.  Made in Canada and based off the two-layer undershirts classic baseball players were given as part of their uniform.  Merino wool blend outer layer, aerated cotton inner layer, two button Henley style with your choice of 10 team names/logos screen printed at left chest (including the New York Knights from The Natural).  It’s that time of year when for even those of us who abandoned baseball long ago, you can feel a small twitch of that buried hope springing eternal.  And then you think of Tropicana Field, and… well there goes all the romance.

 

2. Billykirk Jackalope Leather Tray – $35.00

You can’t stop your accessories, but you can hope to contain them. Perfect for on top of your dresser or desk. An extra border to keep your little things in line. Dimensions are 4.5″ x 7 3/4″. And it has a JACKALOPE ON IT.

 

3. Slim Fit Merino Crewneck Sweater – $48.99 ($78)

Still a little pricey for a merino crew, but it comes in J. Crew’s trimmer, slim fit.  So, no sweater-spare-tire for those who are on the leaner side.  Pale grey that’ll work well with everything from jeans to almost white pants to chino shorts.

 

4. Slacker Radio’s SVP & Russillo Station – Free

Irreverent with focus?  They seriously don’t take themselves too seriously?  With segments like “WHAT” (where they just pick up the phone and ask a caller that one word question), ESPN Radio’s Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo are a rare thing in the world of radio.  They’re a national program, representing an enormous company… and somehow the suits allow them to be… weird.  It’s a well produced show and there’s not an ounce of laziness, but they’re more than fine with letting the thing run off the rails.  The music they come back from commercial from is always outstanding. No crap-tastic throwaway beds with these guys.  They and their production team has grabbed hooks from everyone from Wu-Tang to The Stones to TV on the Radio.

 

5. jcp Striped Jersey Polo – $16.00 w/ SPRINGUP  ($20)

Nails it in the looks department, but before JC Penney went back to coupons, some of their jersey polos were going for $14.  Some still are, but it’s these new arrivals that get the mark up / wait for a code or sale treatment.  And here’s the real problem:  So far, it seems like even after the sale, the prices aren’t as low as they were under Ron Johnson. But the jcp house-brand seems to be destined for extinction anyway, so, get em’ while you can.  Consider sizing down though.

 

6. Vintage Vinyl Tennis Bag – $40.00

Channel your inner Boris Becker on the cheap… even if you don’t play tennis.  Sometimes, as guys, we have stuff we can’t carry all at once and instead put it in a thing with handles.  29″ x 6″ x 11″ are pretty unique dimensions, but that’s half the fun.  Shipping is a bit steep at $16, but will ship for $8 if you buy another item from this Etsy store.  Store happens to be run by a reader who emailed in about something else.  Saw he had a store, checked it out, found this.  Don’t know him from Adam.  Love the bag.

 

7. UNIQLO Linen Cotton Blazer – $69.90

Is it time to give Uniqlo a spin again?  Their blazers sure seem to run short in the tail and long in the arms, but a 65% linen / 35% cotton blend blazer for under $70 is awfully tempting.  That, and there was a lot of guys asking why they didn’t make it into Store Wars this year.  Maybe a project for a tailor?  See last year’s One Store One Outfit with UNIQLO here.

 

8. One of these Sawa Tsague Sneakers – $150.00 (for the pair)

CHEATING.  Of course you wouldn’t buy just one sneaker.  But these seem pretty unique, and thus, worth a mention. Way overpriced for some, but others will appreciate that deep blue suede, the lighter khaki colored sole, and the fact that the materials are sourced from the same place they’re manufactured… Ethiopia.

 

9. TheTieBar Seersucker Pocket Squares – $8.00

Investing in a full seersucker suit isn’t for everyone.  It’ll see limited use.  But a seersucker pocket square?  That injects the right amount of spring/summer feeling, without costing you a boatload.  Consider sticking with less intense/pastel colors like navy or grey, and feel free to shove one of these in rumpled cotton blazers (like Target’s Kensington) to your most well cut suit.

 

10. Clarks Bushacre in Beeswax leather – $64.00 w/ SPRINGUP ($100)

Hat tip to Andrew W. for sending in the style tip here.  Listed at $80 on the JC Penney website, and the extra 20% off code knocks them down to $64.  Ships free to a local store if they don’t have your size and/or you just don’t want to head to the mall unless you absolutely have to.

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