About the Author: Ryan N. is a professional web developer for (and alum from) the University of Delaware, who keeps a close shave as to not be confused with his strongly-bearded twin brother. He plays guitar and drums, loves going to concerts watching livestream concerts with his wife, and loves being a dad.
My affection for Goodfellow & Co. grows each year, and I always welcome when these Spring and Fall roundups come along. As a longtime devotee of Merona and Mossimo, I was at first skeptical of how they’d combine the two directions of those lines, while still being unified, affordable, and relevant without being “fashion”. And would the prices rise with the streamlined approach? Well, as I continue to find new favorites all the time from Goodfellow, it was arguably the best thing that could have happened (but not to my wallet). Are there still a few hiccups? Of course. But this year, there’s not a dud in the bunch.
SIZING NOTE: I’m 5’9″ / 155, all tops shown are a size small. Jeans /chinos are 30—30 unless noted.
Are these the same pair that we reviewed last Spring? In all honesty, it’s possible. BUT, that does say something for Goodfellow & Co. in general, yes? They are producing quality fit and finish on some of their mainstay pieces like these, year after year. Definitely stretchy, definitely opaque, and definitely the same quality we’ve come to expect from Goodfellow denim. For what it’s worth, last year’s not-white “light denim” pair has seen extensive use throughout the past 12 months, and they don’t look or feel any different than the first time I tried them on. No busted knees, no looser waist due to stretchy materials, just the same great jeans. Kudos to Goodfellow for producing resilient pieces that don’t wear themselves into the donation pile within a year.
The retro styling, tipped sleeves and collar, the cool pique texture, and the dashing overall feel are great. 55% cotton, 45% poly, and a loose pique weave means it can be a touch roomy. It’s not uncomfortable by any means, but personally, I found the sleeves to not skim as close as I’d like. Lots will be happy with this one, though, and offers a lot of solid value for $15. The fabric here is also on the substantial side, but the pique weave makes it nice and breathable.
Standard fit here, so, will fit a bit looser on some frames (like mine). Target’s always been great for basics like tees. This year is no different. Featuring soft gray pinstripes that effectively make a “colorblock” effect, there are plenty of ways to style a tee like this. Maybe even a casual blazer over top?
Hey, uh, Mr. Goodfellow? Standard Fit, Regular Fit.. which is it? They seem to use the two interchangeably. And speaking of standard, the photos on this are just not accurate, which is unfortunate. On the product page, it just looks like your run-of-the-mill marled/heathered tee. Not so. It’s a fantastically detailed, subtle stripe pattern, with lots of visual interest and color variation that dress it up more than a flat-color tee. Uses the same 60% cotton, 40% poly blend as the white striped tee, yet this feels quite a bit softer, somehow.
Their Hennepin chinos have been around for quite some time now, but this a color you don’t see much, outside of, say, Bonobos. Pretty exciting to see Goodfellow branch out a bit in the color department without getting too “dandy.” That Coral option looks sharp, too. Shown here in Slim fit, and also available in Straight fit and Skinny fit. However, the Skinny fit stock photos look pretty drastically different for being the “same color”. No guarantees from us, fellas.
Interesting that these two pairs of shorts are filed under the same product, when in reality, they couldn’t be more different. The Chambray color is 100% cotton, with no stretch, whereas the chino colors are 98% cotton, 2% Spandex. They share the same basic shape, basic features (2 front slash pockets, coin pocket, and buttoned back welt pockets), but it’s a bit surprising that shorts with different materials are lumped together. For what it’s worth, Target’s site does indicate the correct materials when you change colors. Just strange. A note: reviews say these run large, but I thought the 30 fit me fairly accurately in both.
Wait wait wait.. they make a Slim Fit, finally? Standard was everything for a while there.. glad to see that there’s not just one fit anymore. Mustard yellow (or is it spicy brown?) or not, I still always subject short-sleeve button-ups to the “Dwight Schrute” test. As in, will this be a boxy and unflattering fit? Or does it actually skim the body and flatter? Thankfully, this passes with flying colors. Slim, but not tight fit, a tapered midsection, and sleeves that aren’t *too* long. I’m a fan of shorter sleeves, so I decided to roll here, but here’s a comparison shot of how the sleeves look unrolled. Add in a little bit of stretch, button-down collars and a perfect untucked length, and you’ve got yourself a go-to summer favorite. Could be a less-fortunate-man’s Bonobos Riviera for a quarter of the price.
*GASP*
TARGET CHANGED THEIR HENLEYS??!
Okay, everybody calm down. CALM DOWN. I was worried too. I’ve waxed ecstatic about how Target’s henleys have gone from good to better to great over the years, and now, a pretty stark redesign. Gone are the trademark raglan sleeves, and the buttoned placket has narrowed a bit, with the top button directly on the collar rather than below it. Long story short.. yeah. I love it. I really do love the changes. They’re fantastic. The fabric itself has a nice “burnout” slub to it, but without the see-through appearance you can sometimes get with that style. Fit and finish is excellent, wears extremely comfortable. 100% cotton, as always. Target knows henleys. Old style, new style, they get it.
Goodfellow’s upgraded shorts line, their “Linden” shorts, feature upgrades to fabric pattern and feel. Not sure why these are titled on Target’s site as “chino” shorts, since they are very much not due to the 55% linen, 45% cotton blend present here. Heck, you could call these “linen” shorts, so I’m surprised Target didn’t want to push that fact. These feel great to the touch, wear easy, and move and breathe well. The light gray color with an almost birdseye-look fabric pattern can be dressed up or down, giving you a lot of bang for the buck. I would easily prefer these to the regular flat front shorts already mentioned above, and especially so given the price is exactly the same.
This is the jacket last year’s Goodfellow blazer should have been. Obviously a military-inspired field jacket isn’t meant to be compared to a blazer, but when it’s basically the same color and implied level of casualness, it’s hard not to connect a few dots. Same color, but man, what a world of difference. Instead of toeing the line between casual and dressed up, this is embracing fully casual, and it’s that much better for it. There’s a hint of stretch (notice a pattern here?), but the best thing about this isn’t what stretches, it’s about what doesn’t. This jacket features a cinching waist drawstring, which can be tied on each side of the inner natural waistline to produce a tapered fit. Talk about sharp. I was originally a bit hesitant about the fit, but once I got the waist cinched a little, this jacket fits me like a glove. Proportions are also key for a jacket like this, and it’s not too short or too long, but just right. Storage galore with two chest pockets, two front buttoned pouch pockets (with side glove pockets), not to mention an inner phone pocket. Double zipper hardware can be a bit clunky, but you can always skip it in favor of the snaps that also line the placket, and the collar stands up nicely. Button closures provide some adjustment at the cuffs.
These are another item that was so good last year, they didn’t change a thing for this year’s run. Echoing the sentiment earlier, it’s reassuring that Goodfellow is producing the same quality items year after year. These are my go-to shorts almost every day of summer. Aptly named, they’re easy to pull on, come in a variety of colors, and hit at a great length that’s not too long nor too short.
Not content to just offer a slim fit on their short-sleeve shirts, they’ve also brought it to their long-sleeve shirts, with the “Untucked” label proving quite appropriate. More than a few prints to pick from here. The subtle pattern and bit of stretch can help you nail that “smart casual” look, where you want to appear put together, but not overly so. Small patterns help that, and nailing the fit does even more. As you can see, it skims in all the right places, and the tail hits where it should for a self-proclaimed “Untucked” shirt. Yet I found this to be also pretty good tucked in too? YMMV of course. And take it for a test drive, tucked in, before you wear it to something that demands a tucked in shirt. You don’t want to be uncomfortable/constantly re tucking your shirt.
The ol’ Regular Fit vs. Standard Fit rages on, eh? Unlike 2019’s chunky, clunky “standard fit” sweater, this might just be the perfect affordable house sweater. A looser but not baggy fit, this toes the line between “shirt” and “sweater,” with the construction and fit of a shirt, but the comfort and warmth of a sweater. The deep navy is subtle and desaturated, and the collar is substantial enough to stay up if desired. Front patch pockets and a chest patch pocket provide some storage options, and button cuffs help make the fit yours. Speaking of buttons, the main placket buttons are on the small side to me. Yes, it’s a “shirt” jacket, but the buttons are barely bigger than shirt button sized, where I expected closer to sweater-size buttons. Far from a deal-breaker, but worth a mention. Sleeves actually hit where they should, unlike many, many of these types of jackets. Nice.
Man, everybody is getting into the blue light glasses game, eh? Goodfellow & Co. has introduced a number of options for keeping your eyes more comfy while staring at screens as much as we do these days, and they really did a good job of making them actually stylish. Many cheaper frames really skimp on the “would this ruin the rest of my outfit?” But not here. The “Clubmaster” style is one of my new favorites. While I liked the Tortoiseshell fit and finish, the lenses themselves were very noticeably blue. If they were more transparent, they’d also be a big time winner.
Old School Persol cool color scheme, only in a hyper-cheap package. Usually cheap blue-lensed shades are a more obnoxious, bright blue, like gas-station aviators. But these are quite inky, making them pair as well as dark denim, and the orange looks dashing with more outfits than you’d expect it to. The deep navy helps really ground them and dials down the “dandy” factor.
Got a tip on something from Target’s Goodfellow & Co. line that didn’t make this round up? Send those suggestions into joe@dappered.com.
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