Consider these to be power rankings. Whether you’re looking for gift ideas or a quick upgrade for yourself, expect these to come around about once a month. The potential best of the best, which you may or may not have seen already. Agreements, disagreements, and additions are more than welcome in the comments section below. Top Photo Credit: andrew_j_w
5. form•function•form Field Notes Cover w/ pen holder – ??
These have been getting a bit of play on the FFF Facebook page as of late. Perfect for the guy who usually has something like 5-6 “working” notebooks at once, but likes to have one as his priority “this is for today” notebook at the same time. That to-do TODAY notebook can get lost in the shuffle, and a terrific looking leather cover might be the answer. Plus, there’s a pen slot to keep your favorite writing utensil from drifting off into the clutter ether. Price? Who knows. Looks like we might find out in the not too distant future. Made in the USA.
4. That Allen Edmonds expands the use of their “Merlot” leather shade
More versatile than their walnut calf, yet not as traditional as the burnished brown. Unlike Miles in Sideways, plenty of us will absolutely have this “f*ckin’ merlot.” Currently an option in only a few styles, like the Park Ave and Mcallister. Shown above on the Franciscan single monk, which are sadly now only available in black and walnut (found this random pair of 2nds on the Shoebank site).
3. The New Skagen Multi-Function – $134.99
($145.00)
Class out the… arse. Many, if not most, are going to see Skagen’s new multi-function as a huge improvement over their previous
2. To look good, at some point, with a Statham-like haircut
Maybe you’ve still got all your hair, but just want something super lean & mean for the summer months. Maybe your follicles are… starting to lose the battle. Better to fire them before they quit on you, right? Whatever the case, if you decide to go this route, may you look as charmingly menacing as one J. Statham. Photo credit
1. Suitsupply York Linen or Napoli in Light Brown Wool – $469.00
Napoli o Napoli, wherefore art thou a style that DOES NOT HAVE MORE OPTIONS TO PICK FROM IN YOUR AWESOME FIT?!? So. Many. Washingtons. Anyway, both of these suits should do extremely well this time of year. The all linen “York” on the left does wrinkle (it’s linen… that’ll happen), but man is it lightweight and breezy. Partially lined too. Meanwhile, the light brown (almost grey looking?) on the right shouldn’t be rejected just because it’s wool. Lighter weight wools do extremely well in warm weather. Wool breathes exceptionally well, doesn’t get bogged down with moisture like many other fabrics, and resists all that wrinkling. Yes, you want to avoid the heavy wool flannels when spring rolls around, but don’t reject a tropical-weight, lighter colored wool suit in warmer weather. Wool ain’t burlap. Just wish this Napoli jacket was half lined.
BONUS The New Filson Original in Black – $248.00
Ooof. Mean. As versatile as the navy? Probably not. But nice that they’re now offering this, plus a few other models, in black. Hat tip to the guys on threads for bringing this new collection up.
Want more most wanted? Click here for the top 5 most wanted lists from previous months.
Merlot is a great shade from Allen Edmonds. I have a pair of McAllisters that are excellent.
Already a few of the Skagens up on ebay for $116-$118 price range if anyone is interested.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.XSKW6065+&_nkw=SKW6065+&_sacat=0&_from=R40
Bike Lock. Please go hear and read completely. Gives you the break down of what you really need to know. Granted, if the thief really wants to steal your $$$$ bike, they will, no matter what. But this article helps. http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-bike-lock/
Watch noob – what would you pair the Skagen with? Is that considered a dress watch?
Since it has a leather strap, one would tend view it as a casual watch. Thus, you could wear it with jeans. However, since it is sleek and relatively clean, it would also be appropriate with a business casual attire. I would probably avoid a suit.
I absolutely disagree with Brian. A leather strap does not make a watch “casual.” In fact, a leather strap (preferably croc) is a requirement for a pure dress watch.
This particular watch could go either way. The silver dial and black leather strap lean dressy, but the complexity of the dial and the untraditional texture of the strap are also a bit sporty. I’d say it’s safe to wear with virtually any outfit, though if you want to dress it down I’d probably swap the strap out for brown leather or maybe a navy blue NATO.
Sorry, Joe. Some of us do not fit perfectly into Napoli. Why can’t they have more Washington-like fits without the peak lapels? Sienna fits similarly, but is more expensive and also does not have a ton of selection.
Napoli has shoulders wide enough to keep me between sizes.
It’s a very thin watch, which has always made me lean mine towards the casual side. However, I’d say it can work with a suit if your overall dress silhouette is a slimmer one ie slim lapels, tighter tailoring, etc. Helps if you’re a thinner guy too. Otherwise, it will look a bit out of place.
Beyond dress wear, its a great pair with a denim and blazer combo and any outfit in which one would wear driving loafer. Second the comment about picking up extra bands (NATO, brown leather) for casual wear
I prefer this gray dial, gold hands/indices version of the Skagen: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GN3LI3Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00GN3LI3Q&linkCode=as2&tag=primer05-20&linkId=XMPTJKDXMGNPLM6J
Ohh what I would give to look good with a shaved head. I shaved mine for about 6 years and consistently got comments about how I looked like I just got out of prison. When I decided it was time to be an adult I grew it out so people would view me in a better light. I still miss it on a daily basis.
Agreed with Ben R. That thing is absolutely suit worthy, and could also do casual yet cleaned up stuff. It’s super clean.
“Washington-like fits without the peak lapels” – YES. That. Twas more a commentary on the peaks than anything. Or, at least the width of those peaks. I’m all for more traditional width lapels, but those peaks on the Washington are pretty flashy & wide.
Legit just went on a 20 minute Jimmy Fallon side-bar youtube adventure thanks to the Jason Statham water wars link. Proceeded to watch Lindsey Lohan water wars, Tom Cruise Egg Roulette, David Beckham Egg Roulette, and Johnny Knoxville Battle Shots.
NO RAGRETS.
If you received comments like that, I’d say you DO look good with a shaved head. For those of us who actually don’t look good with a shaved head, people think we’re chemo patients.
As a young-looking blond guy, I look full-blown Junior Neo-Nazi with a shaved head. Not good.
Good point, I guess it could have been worse. Maybe what I really meant to say is that I wish I could look professional/respectable with a shaved head.
That York linen number, man… I guess I really have been reprogramed after years of looking at (and lusting for) Ludlows and Wrights- I’m totally dependent on a slimmer lapel. That looks like a great suit, but I just can’t see myself in it with those 3-incher’s. Blame Club Monaco, J Crew, and all the rest; damn you all!
Try the Lazio fit. It’s a notch lapel and the shoulders are subtantially narrower than the Napoli. Assuming you need the shoulders to be narrower. The Napoli that fit me well everywhere was too wide in the shoulders. The Lazio in the same size was perfect on my shoulders.
Love the pair I picked up off of ebay but have trouble figuring out how to make them work, along with figuring out how to match leathers with them – any tips out there?
Thanks!
How long did you leave it? I buzz mine at about 1/2″ and I don’t seem to get those comments.
The #2 suggestion up there is a nice complement to the bike commuter article from the other day. Easiest hairstyle for avoiding helmet-head.
I also have merlot McAllisters, they are bomb. I thought at first they would be hard to match, but they go with anything easily. They look great with navy slacks, khaki pants, grey suit, etc. I purchased them kind of on a whim, thinking they might be a nice addition to some walnut AE’s I have and a few other pairs of brown and black dress shoes, but it turns out these look great with everything. My wife likes them the most out of all my dress shoes. As you wear them, they tend to get a little distressed and lighten up in creased areas, which looks fantastic to me.
As far as pairing leathers…I went to Nordstrom rack and found a perfectly matching dress belt for $20. It’s a very common belt color. For matching a watch, I haven’t put effort into that. I just wear a watch with a dark brown leather band and hope people think it’s close enough, or I wear something so far away from the merlot color that people realize I’m conscious that it doesn’t match but the contrast looks good. The particular color I wear in this case is a very light tan color, approximately like AE’s walnut.
Those merlot Franciscans are incredible. I immediately went to shoebank hoping they would have a pair of those there. No dice.
No guard about once a week. To put things in perspective since High School I’ve fluctuated between 210lbs and 250lbs depending on what’s going on in my life. With my bone structure when I’m down around 210 I look really sick, like a anorexic gorilla. So there is a lot that goes into it.
Yeah, that likely makes a difference! I’m only about a buck-ninety on any given day (and 6′) so even with a full beard I guess I look more “nerdy professor” than “dangerous felon”.
Oh Jesus I’ve noticed the hair thinning out too 🙁
I keep showing my wife the point on my forehead that will trigger the shaving again.
I usually just wear grey wool pants, but they are pretty versatile overall though.
I just bought this watch (new) on eBay for $114, and also picked up the matching brown strap from Skagen for an extra $25. The brown leather strap usually only comes with the same watch but with a black face.
I wear it with a sport coat for work and also casually for dinner. It also works very well with the black strap with a suit.
Even if your hairline is healthy, it’s summer. Shave the back, shave the sides. Do whatever on top. Breeze + scalp = feels good man.