The Under $100 Outfit: Summer Casual but Still Sharp

What are you going to wear? Sometimes it’s good to look at a few suggestions then add your own tweaks and ideas. That’s what these are for. Consider this new subset of the Style Scenario feature to be a bit of an experiment. How far can one stretch $100? The goal is to balance affordability while also not ending up in the total-crap quality mud. Some risks will have to be taken of course. Here’s one way to look relaxed yet put together, stay cool, and not draw more than $100 out of your bank account.

The Polo: UNIQLO Dry-Fabric Button Down Collar Navy Polo – $14.90 ($24.90). One of the best values on the polo market. They did change their fit over the winter, so be prepared to size down if you’re a slimmer fellow. Nice of UNIQLO to add an improvement like a shirting under-collar to help provide crispness and stability. ($85.10 left) UPDATE: These jumped to $19.90 overnight. That’ll happen from time to time. We’ll stick with the original math, since they’ll dip back down to $14.90 at some point, or, just kill off the bracelet.

The Pants: J.C.F. Oxford Cloth Pant – $12.49 FINAL w/ CLEARIT. Super lightweight, soft, and not as bright as they appear online. Seriously, don’t pass them over simply because of that shade of green. It’s more versatile than you’d think, and it’s a little more faded in person. Also available in their true-slim “Driggs” fit.  ($72.61 left)

The Watch: Timex Weekender w/ Camo Strap – $23.50. Yeah, camo is a bit trendy with the ultra-hip crowd. But in small doses it can work for those of us who are more quiet and conservative in our daily clothing choices. Plus, this one is about ten bucks cheaper than the other strap options. And every little bit counts here. ($49.11 left)

The Sunglasses: American Eagle Blue Lens Aviators – $6.49 ($15.95). Have seen and tried these on in person. And they don’t feel like gas station cheapies. But they’re priced that way. ($42.62 left)

The Belt: BC Belts Canvas Belt in Charcoal – $7.99. Inexpensive and casual. Easy to wear with just about anything laid back. Ships free. ($34.63 left)

The Bracelet: MysticKnotWork Narrow Black Sailor Bracelet – $5.00. Plenty of us (my hand is raised) just aren’t bracelet guys. But if you are gonna do the non-timepiece wrist accessory thing, stick with natural materials like leather or rope. Pretty sure these are made in the USA? Not a bad way to keep reminding yourself of a big goal that you’re working on this summer. Put this on, and you’ll have a constant “hey, don’t forget” visual. ($29.63 left)

The Shoes: H&M Canvas Sneakers – $24.99. The riskiest of the bunch. Sure, it’s tough to screw up canvas sneakers, but $25 isn’t a lot of money. So expect cushioning on these to be… not great? Fingers crossed though. If you want to splurge (and these have been recommended before) the Superga Cotu Classic is tough to beat in terms of comfort and build quality. ($4.64 left)

The Lip Protector: Neutrogena Lip Moisturizer with SPF 15 – $2.99. Most think of winter as chap stick season. Summer can turn your lips into Tatooine too. If you’re prone to that sorta thing, try a lip balm with SPF. ($1.65 left)