Style Scenario: Spring Temptation – On the Casual Side

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. In late March we brought you a round up of the best in new affordable men’s style arrivals for spring of 2018. With that in mind, here’s a way to create a casual leaning ensemble out of those spring offerings. Wear this for a casual date, happy hour with friends, or just for every day errands when you want to look put together. 

The Sweater: L.E. Button Shoulder Cotton/Modal Sweater ‘ $42 w/ GREEN & 5932 ($60). Getting that Armour-Lux style without the high price. Nice and lightweight without feeling flimsy. The cotton/rayon blend will work well for a just the right amount of warmth on a spring evening that cools down. Another option instead of relying on a hoodie.

The Watch: Timex MK1 Aluminum Chronograph – $99. Based on the original military spec watch from Timex, this watch has a retro, casual vibe at a palatable price. Fingers crossed it at some point hits Amazon and thus, gets a hefty discount. 40mm diameter should be wearable by most. Aluminum case means it should be noticeably lighter in weight than other watches, perfect for temperate springtime days.

The Sunglasses: J. Crew “Palma” Sunglasses – $59.50. Also has a retro thing going. Steve McQueen looks without the Persol upcharge. Amber acetate frames with blue lenses. Listed as “one size” fits all. Up for 20% off if you buy one more select item marked with the TAKE2030 code. Buy two more items marked with the code, you’ll get 30% off.

The Pants: Bonobos Summer Weight Chino in Harbor Grey – $78.40 w/ BLUEMOON ($98). Expensive since it’s Bonobos, but they really do know their fits. Lots of colors to pick from if you want to switch it up. These are the summer-weights that every one else tries to copy. And for good reason.

The Shoes: Gustin Made in Italy White/Green Sneakers – $154. A total splurge, but Gustin knows what they’re doing when it comes to making quality products for a fair price. The catch? It’s a pre-order system, so you’ll have to be patient. Italian Nappa leather. Cream Margom Sole. Lined in Calfskin. Looks like the green-backed campaign is closed for now, but you can get in on the all white option here. Or, there’s always Stan Smiths.

The Belt: J. Crew Braided Web + Leather Belt – $13.99 w/ TAKE2030 ($39.50). Braided cotton with leather accents, which makes for a pretty near perfect casual warm weather belt. Made in the USA. Just went on sale for under $20, and the TAKE2030 code knocks an additional 30% off.

The Shirt: Gustin Made in the USA Heather T-Shirt 3PK (Fern Green, Faded Blue, Crimson) – $39. Another Gustin pick, so you’ll have to do the pre-order thing and wait a while for the shirts to ship to you. But even basics can be done with intention, and end up a far superior product to a Fruit of the Loom 3 pack.