Dappered

Affordable Men's Style

  • Don’t Miss Anything
  • Start Here
  • Essentials Shop
  • Latest Deals
  • Style Scenarios
  • Reviews

The Best in Affordable Style from the Month that Was – August 2020

September 9, 2020 By Joe | Heads up: Buying via our links results in us getting a commission (not always, but just about), which helps keep the lights on around here. We also take your privacy rights seriously. Head here to learn more.

A wise man once asked: “What the hell just happened?” And for good reason. There is value in looking back. It gives us all a good gauge as to what is good, and more importantly, what is not good, going forward. Sure, the “clip show” is mostly a cheap (affordable?) device to create new content out of already published stuff. But it’s also a good way to catch up in case you missed something. So cue the flashback music. Here’s the very best from the month that was…

 

Best Sale: Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (expired)

Has to be, right? It was later this year due to the pandemic. Usually it’s in July, but it got bumped to August just so they could hopefully catch up, and get a bit more stock in. Yet stuff certainly sold faster than in years past. Everybody’s trying. This is a tough knot to untie. And kudos to Nordstrom for, albeit in a very small, retail-based way (read: doesn’t matter big picture)… delivering a bit of normalcy.

 

Most Useful Post: How to Dress Business Casual with Style – 10 Tips for Men

Whether you’re a cube farm worker (or more accurately for the times, a WFH cube farm worker with 8 zillion zoom calls a day WHY ARE THERE SO MANY MEETINGS?) or not is irrelevant. At some point, you’re gonna have to dress “business casual.” So how do you pull that off, look appropriate, but not be stuck in bad khakis and a blousey button down? Here’s how.

 

Best Steal Alert: J. Crew Ludlow Longwings for $104 (expired)

Full retail is $348, and a “target” price of these things is usually whenever they drop under $200. Made in China, Goodyear Welted, and the uppers are Italian leather. They really are, quite nice when on a bit of a sale. But a hundred bucks? That’s… crazy.

 

Best Mega Cheap Steal Alert: Amazon Merino Blend Bomber Sweater – $6 – $10 (expired)

Sometimes, the Amazon pricing robots get drunk. This was one of those times. And for the record, they’re still insanely cheap. Kicking around at $10 – $15 at post time. Looks like these originally launched at $50.

 

Best Big Picture Advice: 10 Tips for Staying Stylish If/When You Become a Dad

A lot of us aren’t dads (my hand is raised), but that doesn’t mean our guy Ryan’s advice isn’t still super useful. Just replace “become a Dad” with…. well… any big change in your life that brings some unpredictability. Like, say, adjusting to a pandemic. There’s some terrific advice here. Huge thanks to Ryan. Way to go, Pops.

 

Best New Release: The Nodus Contrail II – $600 ($675)

That right there, is beautiful, rugged, simplicity. Assembled in the United States too. Applause to the fellas at Nodus. That thing is sweet.

 

Most Divisive Garment: This Button Up Sweater Polo thing from Banana Republic

Is it Rat Pack cool? Charlie Sheen boorish? The answer appears to be: both. The vote was split. And you have no idea how much it warms my cold, stone-dead-heart to see that 9% of the total vote came in for “I like turtles.” God bless you. Each and every one.

 

Strangest Status Symbol: Yeti Cooler

I remember, as a kid, being dragged to carpet stores and clock stores to look at what was, at the time, the most stone-dry boring “grown up” crap ever. I just wanted to play with my legos at home. And now? Our guy Jason has me wanting a seafoam green Yeti cooler. What the hell.

 

Best/coolest looking stool sitter: This Guy

That man… can sit on a stool. Like, seriously. How does he make it look, y’know, not awkward? Perfectly casual but intentional? I can’t think of anything that could make this shot look any bett….

 

 

Oh SH*T. Fixed it!

 

Best Dappered Space Splurge: Amazon Stone & Beam Chesterfield Chair – $950

That thing is a beast. When it comes to leather accent chairs, there seems to be the cheap crap (mostly plastic, bonded leather) and then the mega expensive stuff (think $2000 – $4000 for one chair). This one from Amazon’s Stone and Beam brand appears to exist in the very, very rare middle ground. Still quite the investment, but delivery is free, and the reviews are surprisingly positive. Part of August’s Dappered Space Most Wanted.

 

Best non-clothes related photo: Corn Salad Galaxy

This was provided by our own Michael R, he who puts together the weekend reset. It looks like something the hubble space telescope took. The colors, the textures, the background of the stainless steel bowl… all of it. That’s art my dudes. I’d print that on a canvas and hang it on a wall, frankly.

 

Best Suggestion: Get out for an evening stroll

Leisurely. If you have a dog that needs to be walked, get that done earlier in the day. Yes of course the dog can come with! But this is leisure. This isn’t business. The pandemic has brought back the late evening stroll. Keep it up until the weather turns nasty.

 

Biggest fall trend?? Corduroy…

Sure, cord pants are always gonna be a thing. But this year that particular fabric is showing up in lots of places. Brace yourself. Here comes this zip-zop that is corduroy. Vest shown above is by Banana Republic.

 

Biggest Conundrum: The “mahogany” leather from Allen Edmonds

On the one hand, I can 100% see what they’re going for here. They want a super smooth, virtually maintenance free, soft and glossy leather for the younger set who don’t get and don’t want to “get” shining and polishing shoes and leathers that look more natural. It’s not plastic. It’s not rigid, gasoline smelling junk. Hardly. Some real thought went into this. On the other hand… no. And therein lies the challenge for a company like Allen Edmonds. Sure. We might all guffaw at their tattoo shoes and other attempts to branch out. But y’know what happens if they just do the same stuff they’ve always done? They become Brooks Brothers. It is a very, very tough nut to crack. And I don’t know what the answer is.

 

Most welcome return: Huckberry’s USA Made Flint and Tinder Waxed Truckers – $240

Because it’s a really cool, and quite warm, jacket.

Feeling Nostalgic? Here’s the archive containing previous editions of Best of the Month that Was.

Filed Under: Accessories, Clothing, Shoes, Watches Tagged With: best of the month

Continue the Conversation …

Want to share your thoughts on this article? Send us a tweet, join the discussion on Facebook, or hit us up on Instagram!

Don’t Miss Anything

Subscribe via email to get articles in your inbox or add Dappered on Flipboard. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Or subscribe to push notifications to get alerts immediately.

New Here?

Well, welcome to Dappered. Here are what we consider the most useful posts on the site if you're looking to put a little more effort into your appearance. Just want to see our favorite menswear products? Shop our essentials here.

Monday Men’s Sales Tripod – Woodlore Shoe Trees BOGO, Nike’s Extra 20% off Spring Sale, & More

Monday Men’s Sales Tripod – Woodlore Shoe Trees BOGO, Nike’s Extra 20% off Spring Sale, & More

Gap’s Friends and Family deal is live, and it’s last call for the Brooks Brothers extra 25% off.

One Store, Five Outfits: Extra 25% off Brooks Brothers Sale Items

One Store, Five Outfits: Extra 25% off Brooks Brothers Sale Items

Weekend Steal alert. Five style scenarios (mostly) mined from the just launched extra 25% off BB clearance event.

Stock Alert: The Q Timex GMT is back in stock.

Stock Alert: The Q Timex GMT is back in stock.

Back in both the blue and red, and the black and gunmetal.

Follow Dappered on Instagram »

Men’s Fashion or Affordable Style?

Men's Fashion or Affordable Style?

Fashion is temporary and expensive. Style is timeless and affordable. Dappered® helps you work the retail system so that you can be comfortable, look sharp, and save money.

Want to share a great product? Email Us.
For a fit perspective, see Joe's measurements.
Make sure to read our affiliate disclosure.

CONNECT WITH DAPPERED

Thanks! Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Most Popular on Dappered

  • Sanders Chukkas, Timex M79 Automatic Watches Under $200, & More – The Thurs. Men’s Sales Handful
  • One Store, Five Outfits: Extra 25% off Brooks Brothers Sale Items
  • header image of green beer Style Scenario: Going Green for St. Patrick’s Day – Casual
  • In Review: The Timex Mod Marlin Sub-Dial Automatic
  • Stock Alert: The Q Timex GMT is back in stock.
  • Spier launches new $298 Half Canvas Suit Line – The Best Wedding Suit under $300?

Popular Topics

  • Best dress shirts to own
  • Best looking watches under $100
  • Best men’s dress shoes under $200
  • Nike Killshot sneaker alternatives
  • How to wear a suit without a tie
  • Suitsupply store review
  • Suitsupply Blue Line review
  • J. Crew Factory Thompson suit review
  • How much does it cost to tailor a suit?
  • Dopp kit essentials
  • Brown shoes with gray pants
  • Men’s style buying guide

Copyright © 2023 Dappered.com | Dappered, LLC | Dappered® is a registered trademark of Dappered, LLC

Hat tip: Magazine Pro Theme On Genesis Framework

Dappered does not collect or sell its users personal information | Disclosures: Privacy and Affiliates, Gilt.com, FTC

WPE

We work with partners that use cookies to understand how visitors use our site. Find out more.