Dappered

Affordable Men's Style

  • Don’t Miss Anything
  • Start Here
  • Essentials Shop
  • Latest Deals
  • Style Scenarios
  • Reviews
  • Forum

Style Scenario: The Affordable (and versatile) Kentucky Derby Party Outfit

April 26, 2017 By Joe | Heads up: Buying via our links may result in us getting a commission. Also, we take your privacy rights seriously. Head here to learn more.

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. The Derby is coming up, and it’s as good a reason as any to get together with friends and knock back a mint julep or some bourbon over ice. The guys get dressed up, the gals wear dresses and big hats, and it can end up being a complete blast. Here’s how to look the part while still having a few bucks left over to go to the window with (even if the “window” is a hat placed on a chair in the living room of the host’s house).

Style Scenario: The Affordable (and versatile) Kentucky Derby Party Outfit | Dappered.com

The Sportcoat: J. Crew Unstructured Ludlow Blazer in Light Grey Stretch Cotton – $168. Granted, you could get an entire seersucker suit from J. Crew Factory for about the same price as the sportcoat… but here’s why we’re arguing AGAINST going with a classic seersucker suit on derby day. It’s just not that versatile. This light grey blazer on the other hand? You can wear this thing year round! It’s also unconstructed and unlined, so it’ll do great in the sunshine. So skip the seersucker unless you’re dying to go for that traditional southern gent look. Pick up something like the suggested sportcoat, and you’ll get tons of use out of it year round.

The Pants: J. Crew Factory Oxford Cloth Pant – $34.50. Not overly pressed. Airy. Light in color and weight. Has a bit of a blue tint to it so there’s enough color contrast with the jacket (not that a pale grey pant wouldn’t go great here too). Ships free today with the code NEWNESS

The Shirt: J. Crew Factory SLIM Linen Shirt – $35ish. Slim fit, all linen, and an easy, button down collar. Skip the tie (bow or otherwise). The Derby is dandy-ish enough. Ships free today with the code NEWNESS

The Pocket Square: TheTieBar Navy with white Dot Seersucker – $10. Just because you’re skipping the seersucker suit doesn’t mean you can’t invoke a little bit of the classic derby day fabric. Here? It’s done in a different way. Navy, silk puckered fabric. The dots are a nice touch too.

The Sunglasses: SHWOOD Prescott Sunglasses – $89.97 ($169). Not super cheap, but they are Polarized and made here in the USA. Big fan of that cool toned tortoise shell pattern too. Do know that these are a unisex design, and thus, run a bit smaller than most men’s sunglasses (these are 52mm, most men’s shades run 54mm+).

The Reminder: Bring cash! Singles preferably. See #5 over here for how to set up an unmanned betting window at your party. And to avoid fisticuffs, keep it to a buck a name (not $5 or $10… degenerates will ruin the fun).

The Watch: Timex Fairfield Chronograph – $76 w/ DAPP20 ($95). We used it before in a casual outfit, and this just goes to show that this watch can work in a dressier situation as well.

The Shoes: Allen Edmonds Leeds Blucher – $188.30 ($395). Currently on sale via Club Monaco, and an extra 30% gets taken off at checkout. Goodyear welted and made in the USA of course. Still too spendy? Try the 1901 “Richmond” buck from Nordstrom.

The No-Shows: Smartwool No-Shows – $13.95. A favorite. Far superior to cotton or cotton blends when it comes to no-show socks.

The Belt: GAP Textured Canvas Belt in Olive – $17.97 w/ GIVE. A warm weather belt that doesn’t go full Kennebunkport. Remember, with suede shoes you don’t have to perfectly match your belt/watch strap. Code gets you 40% off.

The 2017 Kentucky Derby is Saturday, May 6th. Top Photo: J. Poe

Filed Under: Accessories, Clothing, Shoes, Watches Tagged With: style scenario

Continue the Conversation …

Want to share your thoughts on this article? Send us a tweet, join the discussion on Facebook, or start a discussion on Dappered Threads, our forum!

Don’t Miss Anything

Subscribe via email to get articles in your inbox or add Dappered on Flipboard. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Or subscribe to push notifications to get alerts immediately.

New Here?

Well, welcome to Dappered. Here are what we consider the most useful posts on the site if you're looking to put a little more effort into your appearance. Just want to see our favorite menswear products? Shop our essentials here.

Steal Alert: The new Clarks Bushacre 3 for under $40

Steal Alert: The new Clarks Bushacre 3 for under $40

Brown or gray leather. $39.60.

The Weekend Reset: Asparagus, Books, and Crime Drama

The Weekend Reset: Asparagus, Books, and Crime Drama

Plus: Oscar Movies!

Cheap Tech Pants, Target’s Furniture Sale, & More – The Thurs. Men’s Sales Handful

Cheap Tech Pants, Target’s Furniture Sale, & More – The Thurs. Men’s Sales Handful

Sweats, suits, and flat pack furniture. This handful has more range than Mariah Carey.

Follow Dappered on Instagram »

Men’s Fashion or Affordable Style?

Men's Fashion or Affordable Style?

Fashion is temporary and expensive. Style is timeless and affordable. Dappered® helps you work the retail system so that you can be comfortable, look sharp, and save money.

Want to share a great product? Email Us.
Continue the discussion at Dappered Threads.
For a fit perspective, see Joe's measurements.
Make sure to read our affiliate disclosure.

Connect with Dappered

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Most Popular on Dappered

  • Cheap Tech Pants, Target’s Furniture Sale, & More – The Thurs. Men’s Sales Handful
  • Goodfellow Spring 2021 Roundup Header In Review: Target’s Goodfellow & Co. Spring/Summer 2021 Roundup
  • Monday Men’s Sales Tripod – $225 Super 120s wool Tuxes, New Shoes, & More
  • Steal Alert: J. Crew Extra 50% off Sale Items Blowout (but VERY limited stock)
  • The Best in Affordable Style from the Month that Was – March 2021
  • Steal Alert and in Review: J. Crew’s new Suede boots in Navy or Snuff for $85 ($278)

Popular Topics

  • Best dress shirts to own
  • Best looking watches under $100
  • Best men’s dress shoes under $200
  • Nike Killshot sneaker alternatives
  • How to wear a suit without a tie
  • Suitsupply store review
  • Suitsupply Blue Line review
  • J. Crew Factory Thompson suit review
  • How much does it cost to tailor a suit?
  • Dopp kit essentials
  • Brown shoes with gray pants
  • Men’s style buying guide

RSS Latest on Dappered Threads

  • Persol 714
  • Spier and Mackay Sweatshirts for 2021
  • Tuxedo
  • How do you dress when doing yard work?
  • Looking for Military/Field Shirt

Copyright © 2021 Dappered.com | Dappered, LLC | Dappered® is a registered trademark of Dappered, LLC

Hat tip: Magazine Pro Theme On Genesis Framework

Dappered does not collect or sell its users personal information | Disclosures: Privacy and Affiliates, Gilt.com, FTC

WPE

We work with partners that use cookies to understand how visitors use our site. Find out more.