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…
March = in-between seasons when it comes to the retail style industrial complex. So we had one foot in end of season clearance, and another in new spring arrivals that were just starting to show up. And while people are flocking to Old Navy and NOT BR these days, BR is still cranking out stuff like their core temp chinos, luxe traveler jeans, and smart wool sweaters. Baby Brother Brand Old Navy might be lapping big brother BR on the revenue front, and that’s fine… but boy BR looks better.
Was sitting on the couch working away on Dappered, and noticed Jay Wright and the rest of the Villanova men’s basketball coaching staff were wearing Nike’s hyper-popular with the #menswear crowd Nike Killshots. Checked the Nike site, AND? They were on sale. Navy swoosh and all. For sixty five bucks. Just in time for sneaker season. Madness indeed.
There were a couple of instances last month of popular pants (Old Navy slim ultimate built in flex, J. Crew Factory Tech) dropping into the $10 – $19 range. So “the pants signal” was born. Unfortunately, it’s freaking backwards. Because I’m a moron. It’s not supposed to be a cutout of pants. It’s supposed to be a cutout of everything BUT pants, placed over the light, therefor, rendering a solid, dark pair of pants. Like I said. I’m a moron.
Should you spend big on suits (not really) but skimp on shirts (depends)? What about shoes? Is it really the cheap man who spends the most? Or can one get suckered into spending big bucks on stuff you just don’t need to? This is an attempt to answer those questions.
Yeeeeeeeeeeah. Dark brown with some hints of red. A little more visual interest than a flat brown, and not as showy as their chili or oxblood. Allen Edmonds just might have finally found their perfect shade of brown.
The average marriage lasts eight years*.
Flint and Tinder will repair anything that breaks, rips, or wears out on their USA Made Hoodies for the next ten.
I don’t know what that means, but there you have it.
*Correction: The average marriage that ends in DIVORCE lasts eight years. And just under half of all marriages end in divorce. But those that don’t end in divorce, obviously go a lonnnnng way (because they haven’t ended in Divorce, duh). And thus, the average marriage (both those that stick it out for the long haul and those that call it quits) is a hell of a lot longer than 8 years.
Now, the fact that I feel the need to correct this, because someone emailed me about it saying there was an “error on your site”, even though we’re a stupid affordable men’s style site and not, y’know, the freaking census, and I’m really just trying to find a way to say “for god sakes they guaranteed these hoodies for 10 years” says a lot about…
Listen, two things are true:
1. It’s an error and it needed to be corrected and he emailed me so I need to correct it. He’s right. I was wrong.
2. I can’t keep up anymore. I’m trying my hardest and I just. can’t.
The end.
Took me well into my 30s to realize that investing in underwear was worth it. No more “good pairs” and “bad pairs.” No more looking in the drawer in the wee hours of the morning and thinking “ah man, I only got the stuff I hate to wear left.” Just bite the bullet and wear only underwear that you love. Trash the stuff you don’t. Life is short.
Life goal: wear my “good” underwear, a 10 year hoodie, and these Grant Stone oxfords all at once. With nothing else. I’m gonna slay so hard on people of walmart.
It’s time. It’s time to get in there, try stuff on, see what still fits and what doesn’t (it’s been a long year, some of us have lost a lot of weight, while some of us have put on some pounds). Clear out the winter stuff for storage, and move in the fresher, lighter stuff. Big thanks to our man Michael for suggesting we (me too) finally get around to a spring cleaning of the ol’ closet space. Tackled that project myself this past weekend. Felt good.
Every office has a lunch thief. Even the Dappered WFH offices. Never even heard him approach. Turned around, and that’s what I saw. This is the kind of wheelhouse #menswear content you’ll get on our instagram feed. That cat loves to eat. Especially when we’re eating. Especially WHAT we’re eating, when we’re eating it. Ain’t to proud to beg, that one.
It is possible to try a bit without looking like you’re trying too hard. No one is saying wear a suit to class. But then again, no one is saying you have to wear carpenter jeans either.
Full credit to Ryan for getting out in his hammock, in shorts… when it was 40 degrees. It decidedly did not feel like the first day of spring when he took that shot. Sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate when you’re trying to shoot some pics for your friendly neighborhood affordable men’s style website. Nice book too.
Our shoe expert Adam makes no secret that he seems to favor the likes of Alden and Grant Stone over AE (while some of us would run through a brick wall for the Allen Edmonds classics like the Park Avenue and Strand). So when he reviewed the new Allen Edmonds courtside sneakers, and his review came in with high marks… I was stunned. Hey, at least they actually look like sneakers, and not… these.
I didn’t major in marketing. But, where were the jeans? There were no jeans.
And there’s nothing wrong with that. In doses. P-Nizzle in the house.
Things have been a swirling pile of sewage for a while now. So if you’ve been lucky enough to have kept your head above the turds, maybe investing in a little karma boost (instead of, say, a new pair of pants) is the way to go. If all of the options seem overwhelming, sites such as Charity Navigator and GiveWell can help figure out which organizations make best use of donations. Also, it’s tax season. So many states encourage donating via deductions. Big thanks to our guy Aaron K. for suggesting adding a donation to March’s best bets.
Wow April is flying by. It’s almost (traditional) tax day. Took me a bit to get the March look-back published. Time to stop signing stuff with the date 2020. Time to flip the wall calendar from February.
Feeling Nostalgic? Here’s the archive containing previous editions of Best of the Month that Was.
Steal Alert: Allen Edmonds 5th Ave. oxfords for $199. Leather or Dainite sole. 1st quality,…
For the casual get together where the "table" is a plate on your lap, and…
Something Wicked, hugs in jewelry form, a different kind of cupcake, and more.
Blazers in poly/wool blend for $63. Surprisingly great traveler jeans for $38. Lots more. Math…
Hitting the middle ground for the upcoming holiday feast.
In person with Hamilton's new 38mm, quartz powered field watch.