Style Scenario: The All American Summer Outfit

What are you going to wear? Sometimes there’s an easy answer. Sometimes not. Sometimes it’s good to look at a few suggestions then add your own tweaks and ideas. That’s what these are for. It takes a bit of digging to find a “Made in the USA” label in the world of retail, but there are plenty of companies, both brand new & heritage, making stylish goods domestically. The outfit below is proof that the U.S. can get it done when it comes to both style & substance. 

The Pants: Billy Reid Standard Jean in White – $78 ($195).  Not off-white, WHITE. Which, isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (don’t spill that tea either… bad news if it hits the pants). Feel free to switch these out for something in that off-white or even grey realm. Khaki works here too, but with that polo you might be confused for a Best Buy employee. Might want to give pants in a pale green shade a shot. Made in L.A. Heads up on Billy Reid Sale items… returns are for store credit only. (Also an option: The Bonobos Travel jeans. But most of us will have to wait for a sale.)

The Sunglasses: AO Original Pilots in Black w/ Comfort Cable – $57 – $62.  Well those won’t be going anywhere. Black frame instead of chrome keeps the flash down. Tons of options to pick from (frame, lens, ear pieces) and the AO original pilots are a favorite of plenty.

The Belt: Wheelman & Co. Thomas Belt – $29.00. Canvas web belt made in the USA using vintage D-rings. Top grain leather at the tip.

The Polo: American Apparel Fine Jersery Short Sleeve “Leisure” Shirt – $32.00. Don’t be freaked out by the word “lesiure”. It’s not polyester like a suit from the 70s. All cotton. The 70s influence comes in with the slightly large collar and lower dipping placket. Pretty sure these come with sewn-in collar stays that help it keep its shape over time (could be wrong… they might have changed the design). Also, if you’re in-between sizes, might want to consider sizing down. They do run long, which means you could (gasp) tuck it in if you wanted to.

The Notebooks: Field Notes ‘Red Blooded’ Edition – $11.74. Always nice to have on hand.

The Watch: Shinola Brakeman 47mm – $625. Good. Gracious these things are expensive. Quartz too. But they’re walking that line between retro and modern extremely well. Cushion case on this model. More on Shinola over here. Obviously way up there in price. For another “built” in America watch company that won’t dent your 401k as badly, might give Minuteman watches a look.

The Briefcase: Billy Reid Canvas Laptop Sleeve – $137.00 ($195). Slim it down young man. Slim it down. You’ve slimmed your wallet down, now it might be time for the briefcase too? Travelling light is something worth pursuing. 19″ x 12″. Two leather storage pouches on the interior with a separator. Made in Tennessee.

The Wallet: Guarded Goods Double Fold Card Holder – $30.00. From another new, small, leather goods company. Hand stitched Horween leather. Even the thread is from Maine. Great lines. UPDATE: The guys at Guarded Goods have provided a $5 off code: “DAPPERED5“. Well that was nice of em’.

The Shoes: Allen Edmonds Neumok in Snuff Suede – $156.00* ($260). You have to hand over an email address to Amazon, so they can send you emails about shoe sales, but once you do that you’ll save an extra 20% and drop it down to $156. Awesome price for this unstructured winger that you can wear year round. Thanks to Jarrett for the tip.