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. “You look like fall incarnate.” Those were the words that made me realize the outfit I was wearing was destined to end up on Dappered as a style scenario. Eat your heart out, Mr. Autumn Man. Fall is finally in full-force throughout much of the country, with temperatures now dipping into the 50’s and autumnal colors painting the landscape in my neck of the woods. I find something beautiful in the feeling of new-life brought on by fall, a time in which plant life is actually slowly dying. This new-life transfers into your drawers and closets, and a go-to piece for this time of year is a quilted vest. Here’s one way to wear one.
The Vest: Banana Republic Water Repellent Quilted Vest – $101 ($169). I purchased this exact vest back in August during a big 50% off sale knowing it would sit in the closet for a few months. Well, the time has come to don the vest, and I have trouble taking it off. Not like, physically. I know how a vest works. Pretty easy to figure out. But I just like this thing that much. Superb comfort and cut, in a gorgeous shade of forest green. It’s not super puffy like a typical vest, but not overly thin. Just right. The quilted stitching supplies added visual texture, and the buttons, zippers, and fabric all convey a sense of durable quality. I love this thing.
The Watch: Orient Bambino 2nd Gen V2 Silver/White – $111.15. Got all that? The Bambino range is now a mouthful, with seemingly infinite variants and more coming every year. But, for the money, it’s one of the best basic-yet-beautiful timepieces and this expression is my absolutely favorite. You’re stealing this at $111. Sure, it’s “dressy” compared to the rest of the outfit, but I think that’s why it works here. Stand out in a good way.
The Henley: J.Crew Essential Longsleeve Henley in Navy – $39.50. Or, whatever your favorite long sleeve henley might be. I wanted something a bit thinner, as it’s yet to be DEEP fall, so temperatures may still vary and the vest will lock-in necessary heat. Navy is a good base for the vest, as it allows more options with your pants and keeps the darker, more earthier tones working in your favor. It doesn’t offer much contrast, but we’ll let that happen next.
The Pants: Goodthreads Slim 5-Pocket Corduroy in Khaki – $30. Incredible value at $30. Color is listed as “khaki” on Amazon’s website, but it’s more of a deep chestnut hue than your traditional, “Dad’s Dockers” khaki. Wale isn’t too thin, nor too wide, with great texture and stretch too. Big fan. Recently reviewed as part of the Goodthreads fall roundup.
The Belt: Tiebar Navy/Green Braided Belt – $25. A personal favorite. The pattern and colors work perfectly with this outfit, without being too matchy-matchy. Shockingly durable for the price and material.
NOTE: TheTieBar is currently having some issues with fulfilling orders? Caught wind of a recent email from them to a customer which said: “Yesterday you received an e-mail regarding an outage with our third party fulfillment center that impacted your order. We want to keep you updated on this outage as we learn more about the severity and duration. At this time there are still no shipments leaving the fulfillment center and we are still uncertain of when shipping and fulfillment will begin again. We will continue to keep you updated as we learn more.” So yeah. That doesn’t sound… good. Big thanks to Josh P. for the tip here.
The Gloves: Allen Edmonds Wool Tech Gloves – $55 ($85). Tech accommodating, wool backs and leather palms, and on sale thanks to the Rediscover America event. (Even though these are made in the Philippines. Go figure.) A nice casual glove that stays far, far away from “I just got off the ski-hill” territory.
The Shoes: Allen Edmonds Higgins Mill in Brown Chromexcel – $295 ($395). Pricey, even with the current $100 off during their big sale, but excellent and worth the asking price. I’ve worn this exact pair 3-4 times a week for the past 2 fall and winter seasons (sans snowy days) and they still look incredible. Superlative leather for the price range. Prices sure have risen, though. If I remember correctly, just two years ago, these were going for about $225 during the same sale. Keep in mind, if you need a new pair of boots and buy these, you can wear these in just about any situation and they’ll last you for years to come.
The Socks: Bombas Merino Wool Socks – 4 for $55 w/ MERINO20. Merino is king in the fall. Keep the thicker lambswool socks at bay for another couple months. This four-pack from Bombas comes in at a far better price than the $18 per pair, especially with the 20% off code. Fun colors, too. And, for each pair sold, Bombas donates a pair to a homeless shelter.
About the Author: Jason P. is a Dappered devotee, having curated the majority of his wardrobe through the site. He is an enthusiast of wool sweaters, chino pants, and affordable automatic watches. In his free time, you can find him at his boxing gym or antiquing with his wife.