Sure it’s just stuff. But stuff can make life easier, more enjoyable, etc, Every so often we ask one of our favorite, style-appreciating people to rattle off their five favorite things. Sometimes those things will fit into the realm of “affordable,” and sometimes they won’t. We’re going for the favorites here.
If you’ve even visited Dappered Threads, and especially kept an eye on the WIWT thread, you’ve seen Ollis Leander, otherwise known as Leanderthal to the Threads community.
Aside from seemingly always looking spot on, this self-proclaimed menswear aficionado (that knows how to take a good photo, and takes the time to do it) is an active duty member of our nation’s Coast Guard, and also finds the time to raise 2 children with his wife.
We’re glad to have this long time member of the Dappered community share a few things that can claim a spot in his top 5 favorites. Want to peruse some of Leanderthals looks? Check out his Instagram account.
Meermin Lama Baby Calfskin Balmoral Cap-Toe Boot – $245
I love these boots. I know that there is some debate when it comes to whether or not Meermin is worth taking the risk of ordering from the US, or if their quality is up to par to some other brands in a similar price bracket, such as an Allen Edmonds sale. But in my experience, they have paid out dividends. And for my personal taste, the styles that they offer, and the shape of their Hiro last make them hard to beat for the price. These boots took a bit of breaking in, but once they did man are they great! I wear them often and with everything, from a jacket and trousers to jeans and a sweater. Their sleek design and perfect versatile shade of brown have made them quickly rise to the top of my shoe rotation.
Ray-Ban New Wayfarers – $80 – $100ish
My go to shades. Actually, they’re currently the only pair that I own! I’m honestly not a huge sunglasses guy, but when I do reach for them I don’t want to have to think about whether or not they’re going to be appropriate for what I’m wearing, and these fit the bill perfectly and seem to go with everything. They’re a great in between of classic and modern and well balanced between casual and dressy. More than I’ve ever spent on a pair of shades, but they’ve proven themselves to be worthy, and the matte tortoise finish of my particular pair gives them a great aesthetic appeal without being too flashy for my taste.
Mitchell Leather Money Clip Wallet in Prem. Horween CXL – $79
Before this I had a beautiful ostrich skin three fold wallet that my wife had given me as a birthday gift several years ago. I loved it, and it was a wonderful gift, but the problem was it was always too full. I mean it was just stuffed with all sorts of crap. Receipts from days past, stray cash, random business cards, Whatever I found and that I didn’t know where to put went in to my wallet. Usually it was so full that I could barely fold it, and it was a pain to get in my pocket, especially if I was wearing anything tailored. And more often than not, whenever I would go somewhere, I found myself either lugging it around in my hand or shamefully stuffing it in to my wife’s purse. Or just taking out my cards and locking it in my cars center console. But this little beauty changed everything! It’s funny how such a simple thing can make your life so much less complicated. Purchasing this billfold forced me to consolidate and only carry the essentials. It’s so sleek and thin that during the first couple of weeks using it I literally forgot that it was in my back pocket. It fits perfectly in a jacket’s inside breast pocket as well. It only gets thinner with time, and the Horween Chromexel breaks in beautifully. I now only carry an I.D., three cards, and some cash. Everything else gets sorted and put away appropriately or thrown away. Life is simple!
Merkur HD 34C – $34.99
This thing saved my neck! Because of my occupation I have to shave on a daily basis, no exceptions. And it used to be fine, but as I got older and my facial hair grew thicker I started to develop a nasty case of razor burn. I would always have red bumps and pimples from shaving and I would get huge patches of ingrown hairs on my neck. It was painful and embarrassing and I became very self conscious about it. I thought I was SOL until a good friend recommended that I try using a safety razor instead. I bought my first Merkur about a year ago and I haven’t looked back since. It was like a miracle. My shaving issues immediately cleared up and went away, and my Gillette Fusion went in to the trash. Not only did it help my skin, but I also discovered that, after the initial purchase, it was much friendlier on the wallet. There’s also a pleasing nostalgic feeling that you get from standing in front of the mirror, taking your time, getting a perfectly smooth shave with a Merkur.
Canon EF 50mm Lens – $125
I’m not a photographer, nor do I claim to know anything about photography. But I do appreciate a well taken photograph. And, like a lot of people, I used to only take pictures on my phone, but I eventually got tired of the lack of quality. So I did a little bit of research and ended up buying and old Canon Rebel DSLR, and this little gem here. It’s fool proof, and can make even the least capable photographer (like myself) look like they somewhat know what’s they’re doing. It takes beautiful portrait and outfit shots, mainly due to the f/1.8 and the creamy bokeh effect that it produces. Even on a full automatic setting it does a great job. I use it for all of my pictures now, including family, friends, and outfit photos.