The Best in Affordable Style from the Month that Was – June ’15

A wise man once asked: “What the hell just happened?” And for good reason. There is value in looking back. It gives us all a good gauge as to what is good, and more importantly, what is not good, going forward. Sure, the “clip show” is mostly a cheap (affordable?) device to create new content out of already published stuff. But they’re also a good way to catch up in case you missed something. So cue the flashback music. Here’s the very best from the month that just was…

 

Best Sale(s): J. Crew’s “5 Days of Surprises” 6/22 – 6/26

J. Crew ran five, one-day sales the week of 6/22, and while the week started off a little… weak, (shorts & tees sale Monday, swim sale Tuesday), it got real nice real quick from Wednesday on. That Wednesday their Sale section was 50% off. Pretty rare air there. And it was stacked to the gills with desirables. Stock did go fast, but on Thursday they did a 30% off “dressed up styles” promo that featured a bunch of their summer suiting. Friday was 30% off most of the site, with even more suiting added to the mix. (Honorable mention for best sale goes to Nordstrom’s Clearance event.)

 

Best Summer-fied Shades of Blue: Icy Light Blue & Saturated Teal

Call em’ the “new blues”. Navy is what most of us reach for in fall, winter, and spring. Then when summer rolls around, blue gets a rest. But recently retailers have started to offer their lightweight, summer-ready goods in more shades of blue than standard navy and royal. Remember a few years back when everything was red? Right. This is kinda like that, only not so hard on the eyes. Cool teals and icy blue shades have started to show up in everything from pants to polos, and button downs to watch-straps. That’s great news for those who don’t love earth-tones, and are just fine being hooked on blue. (Above: J. Crew Factory’s & Old Navy’s summer weight chinos.)

 

Best Reason to buy a sweater in June: J. Crew’s Cotton Shawl on sale

Again, Bond isn’t wearing J. Crew’s “rustic” cotton shawl in Quantum of Solace, but the newish arrival from J. Crew is pretty darn close. Currently 30% off and down to $82.60 w/ SUMMERSTYLE. Pick up a bright white poplin, a pair of light khaki chinos, some brown suede desert boots, and you’re set. Unless it’s 80+ outside. Not everyone gets to live in a breezy Italian island villa.

 

Best breakthrough in e-commerece: AE 2nds hit their main site

Brilliant. Inertia is a funny thing. Making a phone call doesn’t seem like it’s that big of a deal, but it keeps a lot of guys from playing the Factory 2nds quality game with Allen Edmonds. But last Friday, they launched a full-blown e-commerece flash sale on their main site for Factory 2nds. Same return policy as 1st quality shoes, and it was as simple as click, click, shoes. Prices are the same as they have been on shoebank.com during their tent sale, but it was just that much easier to order (and return). Sale runs through Thursday, but know that stock went REAL fast on normal sizes for most models.

 

Best Unexpected Use of Florals: Coach Card Case – $60.00

Patterns are huge this year, and even florals are getting use in menswear. Some guys will not, NOT like florals. Understood. But for those who kinda like the idea of their limited use, look to accessories. A pocket square. Or something else that goes in a pocket. Like a card case. A quick glance and you might think this black on off-white pattern is a skull & crossbones pattern. Not quite. Currently on sale in this color scheme, as well as an even more subtle black & blue motif. First showed up over here.

 

Best Solstice + Style-Related reason to celebrate: Fall is coming

June 21st has come and gone. The days are getting shorter. That means fall is coming. And in a few short months, triple digits will be a thing of the past, autumn will roll around, and we can all get back to wearing more of what we want to wear, and less of what’s going to not give us heat-stroke. But until fall arrives… here’s a few ways to try and embrace summer.

 

Best way to get a decent watch for cheap: Orient’s 50% off Dad’s Day Sale

Sure, all the watches were final sale. But half off on all their models doesn’t happen real often. Sometimes their more common models can be had for less on Amazon for under half off, but not their new ones. The new, dead simple automatic “Duke” was $145. The rectangular dial Producer Automatic was down to a silly $125. Promo ended on 6/21, and it’s probably safe to say we’re not gonna see something like that again for a good-long time. Hat tip to reader Greg Y. who sent in the above pic of the Duke he won during the giveaway a few weeks back.

 

Best Reason to Not Spend: Nordstrom’s upcoming Anniversary Sale

The Nordstrom anniversary Sale is set to launch on July 17th. It’s one of the best sales of the year. Some year’s it’s the best sale of the year. Just depends on what items they pick for the sale. This is the sale that puts next season’s (fall) goods on sale early, instead of waiting for an end of season clearance. Early access for card holders launches on July 9th. And while the savings can be impressive, it can still do some serious damage to your wallet. So, might be time to sell a few things on ebay in preparation. Want a preview of some of what’ll go on sale? Here’s a link to the online catalog. Big thanks to Adam T. for sending in the tip.

 

Best Reason to Not Feel So Dumb After All: This Picture

Because sometimes even the genius crowd gets it wrong. Thanks to Beth for providing us with that. More on this shot here.