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. 1901 Cashmere Crewneck – $62.49 ($125)
100% cashmere, a trimmer fit than most sweaters, thin stripes, and from one of Nordstrom’s younger/leaner house brands. What’s not to like? Ships and returns free too. Not a bad option for the late winter/early spring transitional period.
2. Bespoke Post “Sweat” Box of Awesome – $45.00
Probably should call it Sweat Part II (deux?) since the goodies on the inside of the bag are slightly different. Last time it was a bag of protein powder and some American Crew “forming creme” hair product. This time it’s four different workout products (pre, post, etc…) that varies from bag to bag. The headliner is still the Made in the USA duffel from Blue Claw Co. Blue cotton exterior, red plaid interior, perfect for the gym or getting out of town. Most of us probably got the “Heritage” box email notification. But this is available too. Always good to bounce on over to Bespoke Post once a month and see what else they’ve got up for grabs.
3. Claiborne Reversible Leather Belt – $17.85 w/ SAVNJAN ($28)
Not gonna be a hand-me-down, but it hits a lot of high points. Black on one side, brown on the other, inexpensive, and a slightly rounded buckle. It’s a belt that blends in. That’s what most of us are looking for.
4. Portolano Hand Sewn Shearling Gloves – $69.00 ($150)
Warm & thick without obnoxious bulk. Sueded tops with fuzzy shearling interiors. Made in Italy. Available through Nordstrom Rack for HauteLook.
5. Timex Originals Q-Dial in Blue -$84.99
or Black – $54.99
Yes sir! They’re back. The Timex Q dial nails the updated-retro look. And since it’s a Timex, it’s tough to be pretentious. It’s anti-pretentious. Afterall, it has the word QUARTZ plastered on the dial. Battery powered and proud of it. 38 mm but has a little bit of beef to the case. Perfect for those with small wrists or who prefer more traditionally sized watches. These can be tough to find and tend to come and go pretty quickly. Available through a couple of 3rd party sellers on Amazon, or, $76 for the black option with the promo code SAVE 20 on Timex.com.
6. B.R. Birdseye Shawl-Collar Sweater – $64.80 w/ BRSAVE40
A cold-weather ready shawl collar that avoids standard earth tones, and instead goes with a birdseye navy/light greyish blue combo. 60% extra fine merino, 40% acrylic, so it should be pretty soft. Expensive, even at 30% off. M and L available at post time. Might be worth checking the clearance/sale rack in store. Code is good for 40% off (lots of exclusions as usual) and ends today.
7. Bonobos Triple Stripe Wool “Barclay” Belt – $60.00
Here’s the thing about this belt. That’s a lot of preppy in one package (right above your package). So if you want to avoid looking costumey, skip most (if not all) other preppy related things when wearing it. Boat shoes, brass buttoned blazers, etc. Heck, this might look right at home with a pair of boots, jeans, and a crewneck sweater.
8. Billy Reid Heathered Polo – $58 ($115)
Just a basic, but man does Billy Reid know how to upgrade a basic. Four button placket with natural mother of pearl buttons. Chest pocket. A trim cut as well, so consider sizing up. Made in Peru. UPDATE: Head on over to Nordstrom where it looks like they’ve got two of these colors for $51.75 w/ free shipping & free returns. Buttons on the “chocolate” aren’t white, but they sure appear to be the same? Thanks to B.A. in the comments…
9. Goodfellas: FREE – $5.00
“Whoever sold you those suits had a sense of humor.” With Scorsese’s Wolf of Wall Street getting so much recent praise, it might be a nice time to go back and see one of his best. Free, unlimited streaming, if you have Prime.
10. Massimo Dutti Black Croc-Print Money Clip – $15.90 ($35.50)
Gotta love Zara and big brother Massimo Dutti… and their lack of clear translations on their English sites. “BLACK CROCODILE-PRINT PURSE”. Pretty sure that’s not a purse. “Italian crocodile embossed leather purse with a foldover flap fastening and interior coin compartment.” Allright, so it looks like a misplaced description more than a bad translation, but still. Ships and returns free. Not bad for a dressed-up money clip.
BONUS These, if they weren’t so chopped: UNIQLO Cotton Blazers – $69.90
Looks better than okay on the left, but on the right? Good gracious, it’s barely longer than a t-shirt. If this guy would go by the curled hands test, he’d come up inches short. And for those in the “jackets should cover my butt” crowd, the rear-facing shot shows the jacket barely touching the top of his back pockets. Maybe he’s just really tall? Inches short. Never a good thing.
For other best bets under $75 from previous months, click here.
The money clip, expectedly, is already sold out. The Dappered Effect strikes again!?
Wow.. who ninja’d that jacket?
I got the Sweat box from bespoke post last time. Most of the stuff in there was meh, but the bag is fantastic. I use it almost every day at the gym. Would recommend.
UNIQLO’s new ad campaign: “NORMAL GUY…IN A LITTLE COAT!”
Love that BR shawl-collar sweater, so I’m bummed it’s not available in my size. Any other shawl-collar sweaters out there that people like?
I got that Billy Reid l/s polo in the red. It’s everything it’s cracked up to be. As a heads up, though, I had to go up from M to L because of the chest and shoulders. The sleeves on the L are juuuust a touch long for my arms but with the barrel cuffs that’s not a deal-breaker at all.
Question here: The blue claw bag does not appear to be on their website. The closest is a $98 duffel, but it’s closer in size to the $145 duffel. What am I missing? Materials seem similar, it’s the same company…but for ~$100 less you get a little BoC inside a really nice bag? I need a new duffel and that whole made in the USA thing…
Sweat box almost seems worth it for the bag alone, seeing that a smaller one goes for $98 at Blue Claw. Or am I missing something?
if i put that blazer on I’d be looking to see which side the buttons were on… is there really a market for these chopped blazers where the extra fabric usually gets used to make the sleeves too long (are these things designed by humans??). this look is somewhere between effeminate and childish, you look more grown up in a dinosaur t shirt than a chopped sports coat
Same here. Sized up. Really nice. Also I think it’s a few bucks cheaper at Nordstrom’s w free returns.
I’m currently waiting for the UPS truck to deliver Sweat Bespoke Post Box!
A word of warning about the Claiborne belt. I had a similar one a few years back that broke on me while at a business event. The buckle is held on only by friction and glue.
there is also solid color 1901 sweaters and a cashmere hoodie on sale at nordstrom.
The BR birdseye shawl collar sweater is a solid purchase! Steps just out of the ordinary.
I forgot to mention this, but I’ve never had a reliable reversible belt. They always come undone at the insert, and once it’s out, it’s out for good. I’d much rather buy two different belts for $20 each then spend $20 once a year on disposables.
I know opinions are hit-or-miss when it comes to Frank and Oak, but they have some nice shawl sweaters in their sale section. Personally, I don’t love everything F&O does, but I’ve been loving those sweaters, have one in each color. Comfortable, warm, good-looking.
I bought the Sweat box because I needed a new gym bag. It’s awesome. So awesome that my wife has threatened to steal it even though I’ve only had it for a week now.
Gonna check out the Billy Reid polo in green, first purchase from him
What’s with Billy Reid using 40% poly in their polos? Can someone explain this? I thought poly is cheaper than cotton and an upper scale brand such as Billy Reid should be using 100% cotton.