The Best in Affordable Style from the Month that Was – April ’16

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: J. Crew’s 30% off Lots of Stuff (expired)

After months and months of running sales and excluding seemingly more than half their inventory, J. Crew finally opted to allow their Legacy Blazers, some shoes, some summer suits, and a bunch of new arrivals to go up for the code. Sadly, their new (and awesome) summer-weight blazers weren’t up for the 30% off. Fingers are crossed that they do come up for a code in the not too distant future.

 

Best Individual Price Drop: Allen Edmonds Fifths – $245 (also exp.)

Yesterday was the last day for the deal. And boy, that’s a lot of shoe for $245. Especially with prices on the rise everywhere. Not as flashy as the medallion toe bedazzled Strand, but still. Perfect for business, interviews, special occasions, and/or every day wear. Looks awesome in that light shade of walnut shown above. Kudos to those who snapped up a pair.

 

Best Post about Style you Can’t Wear: AAW’s Decor Trends

The payoffs that come with having a good sense of style absolutely extend to your home. Whether you’re in the smallest of studio apartments, or a good sized house, designing your space with purpose can not only be a blast, it can make it that much more enjoyable to exist in. Here’s Part 1. Here’s Part 2. Many thanks to Beth for doing such a great job on these. (Photo Credit)

 

Strangest Social Media Response to a Post: How to Spend your Tax Refund

Something went sideways on Facebook, and it seems like the post about how to hypothetically spend half of the average tax refund found… some people who don’t frequent this site. And it got weird and ugly in a hurry. On this side, we have no idea how that happened. But the negative reaction (almost assuredly from people who had never heard of Dappered before) ranged from “#truckpartsarebetter” to “I wouldn’t buy any of this gay shit” (people still talk like that? and in a public forum?) to “Why would I spend my money to look like a tool?” That last response, the “tool” one, I kid you not, was posted by someone who is an assistant manager at a Hot Topic in California (this is what happens when you don’t make your FB profile private). So yeah, we were convinced something got weird with Facebook. An anomaly for sure. Those comments are gone now, and, to each his own of course, but boy… Lighten up Francis.

 

Most Welcome Return: “Canvas by Lands’ End”

What was once Lands’ End Canvas is now Canvas by Lands’ End. The smarter looking, more stylish line from the Wisconsin based retailer. Now if they could just allow codes and promos to work on that stuff, and we’d really be happy. It’s a limited line to start, but absolutely worth keeping an eye on for future releases.

 

Second Most Welcome Return: Peaky Blinders Season 3

Set to launch on May 5th in the UK, its US release on Netflix can’t be that far behind… no?

 

Worst Timing for a Post: Spring Casual Daytime Date

The day after this post launched, most of the eastern United States was getting slammed by a bizarre cold snap. So… chambray pants, polos, and sneakers they were not wearing. But hey, we got half the nation right. (And bonus points for the rest of the Northern Hemisphere? Maybe?)

 

Most unexpected post: How to get a Tattoo you won’t regret

Gotta thank the panel who we assembled to provide this advice. They did a really nice job. And really, why not that post on this site? After-all, its editor has a portrait of Miss J. inked to his right pec. I regret nothing.

 

Most Over-covered Item: The Timex Waterbury x Red Wing

A lot of digital ink was spilled on these things this month. But hey, people wanted em’. And they were sold out, and then they weren’t, and then they were, and now they’re not again (as long as you order from the UK based retailer END).

 

Best Instagram Shot: Don’t get a Big Head

We are serious people who demand to be taken seriously.

 

Best way to Spice up your Patio: The Wild Rose

A kick in the pants and the head. But not overly so. One of the key ingredients is Serrano peppers. Like an ornery chained dog in a yard, the heat runs, woofin’, right up to the fence that separates you two, but then backs off and returns to the shade of the tree it was sleeping under. Just enough to get your attention without causing you to perspire.

 

Best Excuse for Not Cleaning Out the Closet: 3 Winter Colors to Wear Now

Spring cleaning usually involves swapping out the cold weather gear for the warm weather, and deciding what should stay for next year, and what might need to head to the thrift store. But… why go through all that work if you can wear some winter colors now? No? (But when you are ready to re-organize that closet, here’s how.)

Feeling Nostalgic? Here’s the archive containing previous editions of Best of the Month that Was.