Style Scenario: Lightweight Color for False Fall (nothing over $100 edition)

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. Every year, and I mean EVERY year, once we start posting about fall/cool-cold weather styles, we hear from the fellas who are still suffering through swamp-craw and sweaty pits weather. We hear you. The world is a big place. So if you’re still stuck in some heat (AKA “false fall”) or, you just run warm and want some lightweight layers, here’s an outfit for you. 

The T-Shirt: J. Crew Factory Slim Broken-in Deck-Striped T-Shirt – $16.50. Breton stripes were first used on fishing boats because the high contrast between the dark and light was easy to see in the fog and spray and… in the ocean, in case someone went over the side. Now? They look great as a base layer.

The Pants: Banana Republic Core Temp Chino in Dusty Blue – $67.99 ($98). Working in those greyish blue (or even true-blue) lighter-weight chinos from this summer. Nobody says you can’t wear them year round. The “Dusty Blue” is getting short on sizes, but the “Malibu Blue” absolutely works here too. And those are 40% off! Now, what to do when it gets truly cold? Swap these lightweight chinos out for your favorite pair of dark wash jeans. Keep the rest of the outfit the same. Somehow, that’d totally change the look and feel of it.

The Watch: Casio 200m Diver – $50ish. The legend. Super cheap, looks awesome, and feels surprisingly solid for the inexpensive price tag. Shown in the header photo would be a manual-wind Christopher Ward Trident Diver in black. That thing was NOT $50. But the Casio is more accurate, and actually has a better water resistance rating. Nothing makes sense about wristwatches.

The Watch Strap: Speidel NATO Style Black & Gray Watch Band – $12. While the rubber strap on the Casio is just fine (which is odd for a $50 watch), swapping it out for a gray and black striped NATO looks a little cooler. All without getting too matchy-matchy with the navy and white striped Breton tee.

The Sweater: Spier and Mackay 100% Merino Caridgan – $68. Nobody maxes out the high quality to low cost ratio like Spier & Mackay. Can’t swing that price? Try the UNIQLO alternative, which won’t be as nice, but drops to under $40 during sales. And don’t knock cardigans till you’ve tried them. Looks pretty good up top, wouldn’t you say? Plus, unlike a crew or a v-neck, they won’t totally screw up your hair when you take them on and off. Guaranteed there will be a run on cardigans when the Mr. Rogers biopic comes out.

The Belt: J. Crew Factory Washed Leather Belt in Dark Brown – $23.50. A personal favorite. Super versatile. Yeah, it’s just a belt, but the slightly less bulky look works in more situations than you’d think.

The Shoes: Banana Republic Factory Faux-Suede Chelsea Sneakers – $44.80 w/ FLASH. Long Live the BR Tully! Even though… the BR Tully is dead. Dang. But these faux-suede less-expensive versions from lil’ bro BR Factory will do just fine thank you.

The Bag: Banana Republic Waxed Canvas Briefcase – $95.40 when 40% off. Under $100 (a necessity for this post) and surprisingly solid quality. Full review can be found over here.