10 Best Bets for $75 or Less – Patterned Polos, 100 Year Guaranteed Valet Trays, & More

Seventy Five bucks. That’s a lot of money. It’ll get you a couple pairs of Levi’s, a decent casual dinner out, or a couple months at your local gym. Ten picks follow, all for $75 or under, with some of them much, much less. Expect these round-ups on a monthly basis. Got a tip on something for under $75? Send those in to joe@dappered.com.

 

B.R. Slim Luxe Fit Polo in Leaf Print – $29.70 w/ BRWIN ($49.50)

A so smooth it’s almost slick fabric. A subtle light gray leaf print pattern. Modern without smashing you over the head with ye-ole-trend-bat. Obligatory warning: These shrink severely in the wash, for some. Not all, but some. So if you have bad luck (or, even moderate luck) with laundry? Skip it. Size shown above is a large slim on 5’10” / 200. Fits me pretty good (even post wash), and I’m like 60% torso, so, I must have good laundry luck.

 

Leatherman FREE T2 – $40

Because I’m a moron, I tried to use my Opinel No. 8 the other day to screw in a loose screw that was barely holding a guard onto a weed wacker. It was just me, a totally empty garage, an overgrown lawn, the weed wacker, and my knife. I felt like I could make it work. I just about lost a finger in the process. Because, again, I am a moron. And of course, just a few days later, these things are released. Everything you need for every day carry. Nothing you don’t. One handed operation. Looks pretty good too.

 

J. Crew Factory 9″ Gramercy Linen-Cotton Short – $19.95

For when it’s not just hot, but really hot. Linen cotton blend. Lots of colors to pick from. 9″ is a favored inseam by plenty.

 

Old Navy Soft-Washed Bold Striped Tee – $8 ($14.99)

Dressing well while dressed down isn’t rocket science. But it seems to escape a lot of us. Or, all of us, at one point or another in our lives. Something as simple, and as cheap, as this bold/rugby striped t-shirt is a timeless classic. Goes with lots of stuff. Perfect for summer, and a favorite you can lean on all year-round. 100% cotton. It is Old Navy, so be warned about sizing. This stuff can run big.

 

Made in the USA Filson Twill Logger Cap – $19.90 ($45)

Protect your eyes and your face and your scalp (especially your scalp for some of us) with this Made in the USA from their famous rugged Twill Filson ball cap. I don’t know why some heritage workwear brands continue to have fashion “moments” (Carhartt as high fashion? Really?) but they are. This one looks good and isn’t trying to walk some sort of weird line.

 

TheTieBar Tipped Knit Ties – $25

For all those warm weather weddings you have coming up, or, for every day use if you’re someone who wears ties often. Warm weather = knit tie weather. Made from knit silk, these are just different enough by avoiding the usual (and just fine frankly) blunt knit tie ends.

 

Saddleback Hard Valet Tray – $79

Close enough to the $75 limit. Why? Because it’s guaranteed for the next 100 years. Plus, a lot of valet trays leave a lot to be desired in terms of heft. This brings the heft. Saddleback’s four standard colors of leather are your choices here.

 

Bruce Springsteen, “Wrecking Ball”

“You put on your coat, I’ll put on my hat. You put out the dog, I’ll put out the cat. You put on your red dress for me tonight honey, we’re going on the town, looking for easy money.” The 4th of July is coming up. And unless you want to John Phillips Souza your way through the holiday, consider this album from The Boss. Released in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, it was his attempt to make a thoroughly modern, but still true to his styles, record. And it didn’t do well. I think it should have. You can have Born to Run, Thunder Road, and Dancing in the Dark. Give me this foot stompin’ stuff. I didn’t know I liked Bruce Springsteen until I heard this record.

 

Cool Material Public Library Candle – $20

This has been mentioned before, but it’s worth another mention. Sometimes your place stinks. And you want it to stink better. But “Yankee Candle Co. Shop” is NOT better. This is! Made in the USA. 16 oz. Somewhere, a sexy librarian is day dreaming about sorting out your dewey decimal system with this flickering in the background.

 

Ledbury Lavender Fairlake Check Dress Shirt – $71.20 ($145)

On sale and getting an extra 20% off at checkout, no code needed. Get yourself more lavender in your life. Just keep the rest of your outfit pretty quiet, and you’ll be good to go. The kind of shirt that might just flip that sexy librarian’s pages. You must be part of Oprah’s book club. Because I can’t help but Check. You. Out. BACK THOSE STACKS UP MADAME LIBRARIAN.

For other Best Bets under $75 from previous months, click here.