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).
The Suit: J. Crew Unstructured Ludlow Seersucker Sportcoat & Pant – $266. Otherwise good seersucker suits are often ruined by heavy structure and gobs of cheap lining. That’s not the case here. A new addition to their unstructured & unlined suit separates line. Don’t want to invest in a full seersucker suit? Understood. A lightweight sportcoat and off-white chinos would work here too.
The Shirt: Charles Tyrwhitt Extra Slim Fit Non-Iron Twill White Shirt – $69.95. Or, whatever your favorite and best fitting white dress shirt happens to be. You should be able to nab this shirt for $33 as part of their ongoing three for $99 shirts site.
The Pocket Square: TheTieBar Dotted Hitch in Classic Blue – $10. Bigger dots here because smaller dots would clash with the smaller stripes of the seersucker (contrast is key when it comes to mixing patterns). Is a seersucker suit and polka dot pocket square a little… whimsical? Yeah. But it’s the Derby. Not a job interview (or a first date). So looking a little costumey is actually encouraged.
The Sunglasses: Tom Ford Retro Sunglasses – $159.97 ($380). Mega splurge territory, but, Tom Ford ain’t gonna be cheap even when heavily discounted. Sold via Nordstrom Rack. Wanna go cheap? Try these from UNIQLO.
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: Orient Bambino 2nd Gen Version II – $144.20. All class, and the retro good looks fit in perfectly with the fact that you’ll be watching a horse race.
The Shoes: Nordstrom 1901 Merick Derby in Cigar Suede – $110. A rich suede buck for not many bucks (sorry.) Ships and returns free via 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: Banana Republic Suede D-Ring Belt in Brown – $44.99 ($59.50). No, your belt and shoes don’t have to match perfectly (or, at all) if they’re suede. Or hell, even if one of them is suede. Suede is a bit of a get-out-of-sartorial-jail-free card.
The 2017 Kentucky Derby is Saturday, May 6th.
Sunglasses. Swim trunks. Sweater polos. Suede chukkas and loafers. Huckberry's annual summer sale is on.
From Target clearance t-shirts, to 43% off Brooks Brothers 1818 line Italian suits.
Linen-wool sportcoats, UK made dirty buck chukkas, and longingly looking (very) forward to fall.
In person with BR's flagship suit separates.
Significant savings. While they last. Which usually isn't very long.
One of the best affordable watch releases in recent memory. Yours to win. Perhaps.