About the Author: Adam Terry is a thirtysomething salesman in the HVAC and hydronics industry. He enjoys bourbon, boots, sneakers, raw denim, and working on his dad bod father figure.
Sales of giftcards were up, wait for it, 43% this past holiday season. So chances aren’t half bad that you received a piece of that fantastic plastic, and now it’s burning a hole in your pocket. Or sitting somewhere in a drawer, waiting to be forgotten. In this series titled How to Spend It, we search and sift through some popular, gift-card producing retailers, curating a handful of 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: Bonobos is no stranger to the pages of Dappered. Founded way back in the mid-aughts, Bonobos cut their teeth on well fitting chinos and dress pants with their infamous curved waistband and a more tailored fit. Things have changed a lot in the menswear landscape in the past 15 years, but Bonobos is still soldering onwards with their fantastic fitting chinos, dress shirts, dress pants, and suiting options. Never a cheap brand, Bonobos tends to be a half-step more expensive than it’s mall brand competitors J.Crew and Banana Republic, but less expensive than Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers.
Bonobos: a pants company that’s way more than a pants company.
Overall quality tends to be good – materials, hardware, construction, etc. – and most of the Bonobos items I own have lasted many years with frequent wear. Being a more modern and fashionable brand, they offer a variety of fits and cuts so that you’re more likely to find something that fits you well without much, if any, tailoring. The MSRP tends to be a hair too high for my taste when compared to the value I place on their items. While Bonobos doesn’t offer as many 30-40% off coupons as they once did, they do still happen from time to time. Keep your eyes peeled for one of those codes and you’ll be good to go. Cheers!
PRICING NOTE: Bonobos has been another brand who has cooled off in terms of promos and sales, yet our “how to spend it” post is hitting right at winter clearance time. A lot of their stock (especially seasonal stuff) is now marked down, with MUCH of that sale stuff now final sale. No returns or exchanges on anything marked final. So be careful here. A giftcard might have required someone else’s money to acquire, but it’s very much your asset now that it’s in your hands.
Normally I’d say that the sub-$50 tier is chock full of tees, shorts, accessories, and some sweet third party merch. However, Bonobos really doesn’t offer a lot in this price tier, so you’ll need to keep an eye on their ever-changing sale section to take maximum advantage of any gift cards you may have received. If you are interested in some great day to day basics, I highly recommend their “Forever” 100% cotton tees; the thicker fabric feels great.
The bulk of the Bonobos lineup tends to be on the higher end of this price tier, bumping against that $100 hurdle. Fellow writer Jason recently had an excellent write-up on the new Stretch Washed Chinos 2.0 model and how that differs from their classic “Original” stretch washed chinos. As someone with a desk job, a toddler, and a Dad bod, I prefer the roomier and stretchier 2.0 model for my day to day wear. I pair those with a simple Stretch Oxford shirt and a wool crew neck sweater or cardigan for the days when I’m in the office with other employees or customers.
Spend a bit more and you’ll take home some fantastic “dress” shirts and chinos, which may be the right choice for those of you on the upper end of the business casual scale. Premium is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but the Bonobos premium stretch jeans are pretty fantastic. As a denim nerd, I like to pair these jeans with a button-down collar polo for those days where a clean, tailored look is called for but we don’t have any meetings.
If you’re currently working in, or hoping to work in, one of the few remaining sectors where a true suit and tie is regularly called for, Bonobos has a handful of options for you. Their Jetsetter suits are slightly stretchy and wrinkle resistant; this is great if you’re headed to court and don’t have time to steam a traditional wool suit jacket. If you’re meeting with business clients and need to look the part, their Italian performance suits use a higher quality stretch wool blend from the Italian Marzotto mill. If you prefer to enjoy the finer things in life from time to time, their top tier premium line of suits uses a wool/cashmere blend fabric from the fantastic Italian mill Vitale Barberis Canonico.
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