How to Spend it: So you got a gift card to American Eagle

Did you receive a gift card for your birthday? Or maybe you won one through a contest at work? Cleaned out a drawer and found an old, still good, unused gift card? Great! In this series titled How to Spend It, we search and sift through some of the more common retailers producing that fantastic plastic, curating a handful of men’s style items at various price points to show you what’s available. Specific sales and available sizes can vary greatly, so check the website or your local store often for the best deals.

Brand Note: If you’re over the age of 30, odds are you probably haven’t stepped into an American Eagle store in a few years. After visiting a few of them over the past week, I can confidently say that the overall style *still* leans heavily towards the high school and college freshman crowd. My local stores are chock full of bold graphics, bright colors, and enough ripped and acid washed denim to make Def Leppard jealous. With that said, I was pleasantly surprised with the fabrics and overall construction – most basics are 100% cotton and don’t feel overly cheap in the hand, despite their remarkably low prices. Another surprise was finding out that AEO has been on an upward financial trend for the last five years, anchored by double-digit growth from their body positive, lady-focused brand Aerie.

Under $25

Pique Polo Shirt – $19.99 ($25)
Slub Pocket T-shirt – $18.71 ($25)
Baseball Hat – $18
Tortoise Club Style Sunglasses – $16
Bob Ross Mini Puzzel – $8
Croc w/ Sunglasses Striped T-shirt – $19.99 ($25) I mean, you know you want to.

If you’re looking for a simple hat or some cheap sunnies for the lake, these from AE are actually decent. Big fan of the super simple “dad hats”, especially if you’re just tooling around town running errands or hitting the gym. Most of their basic tees are also under $25, too, so don’t be afraid to try some new colors or patterns for Spring.

Under $50

Canvas Workshirt – $29.99 ($50)
Tropical Print Short Sleeve Button Up – $34.95 also shown at top of post
Seriously Soft Flannel Shirt – $24.99 ($45)
Next Level Slim Chino – $49.95
National Park T-shirts and Sweatshirts – $25 – $50
Next Level 8″ Khaki Short – $33.71 ($45)

I was pleasantly surprised to see the large majority of AE clothing is priced under $50, which bodes well for those of us on a really tight budget. Of note, the “Tailgate” sub-brand has a ton of licensed names and images from sports teams and bands to NASA and the US National Parks. Big fan of the parks series tees, personally.

Under $100

Supply Lab Men’s Damian Sneaker – $100
Workwear Jacket – $100
Clarks Bushacre 2 Desert Boots – $100
Flex Slim Fit Selvedge Jeans – $59.96 ($80)
Birkenstock Men’s Arizona Sandals – $100
Cream Denim Jacket – $90

A coworker of mine swears by the Flex and Ne(x)t stretch fit jeans and chinos. The selvedge denim version of the jeans is pretty decent for the price and is available in eight fits from skinny to “Dad Jeans”. Heading into Spring and Summer, lots of us are looking for some new kicks.

Under $200

Only a handful of items in this tier, but you really can’t go wrong with Docs or some Danners. The duvet cover and pillow sham set feels great in person, which shocked me seeing these in person at a local AE store.

Outfits and Style Inspirations (multiple item buys)

Since American Eagle doesn’t sell any “grail worthy” items or anything over $150ish, we’ve pulled together a few outfits for some inspiration. It’s likely that you could snag most of these items on sale in the coming days, so if you’re holding onto a sizeable piece of plastic, these outfits might work for you!

Outfit #1 – Tropical print shirt, light wash jeans, and Clubmasters – $111 Total

Easy going Spring/Summer look. Best part is each piece can be changed up based on the day’s activities.

Outfit #2 – Workwear jacket, polo shirt, and jeans – $107 Total

Workwear Jacket – $49.95 ($100)
Pique Polo Shirt – $19.99 ($25)
Ne(x)t Level Stretch Airflex Slim Jeans – $37.46 ($50)

For nights out with your buddies, throw on this simple zip jacket over a polo shirt to dress it up a bit.

Outfit #3 – Hoodie, jeans, and sneakers – $162

Is there a better outfit for an easy Saturday around the house? Again, really digging these US National Parks hoodies.

Want more from our Gift Card Series? Head here for the archive, or, individual store posts are as follows:

About the Author: Adam Terry is Dappered’s resident shoe expert. He’s a thirtysomething Technical Trainer in the heating and manufacturing industry. He enjoys bourbon, boots, sneakers, raw denim, and being a dad!