Style Scenario: Casual Autumn Date

What are you going to wear? Sometimes it’s good to look at a few suggestions then add your own tweaks and ideas. That’s what these are for. Maybe it’s a sleepy Saturday morning coffee at a local shop. Or you’re staying in and cooking dinner together. Or you’re making cocktails and watching election results a hollywood classic. Fall has lots of opportunities to cozy up & slow down with a romantic partner, but plaid pajama pants and an oversized college hoodie probably isn’t the answer. Here’s one way to keep it casual while still giving your partner-person the style-respect they deserve. 

The T-Shirt: J. Crew Slub Jersey T-shirt in Deck Stripe – $10.43 FINAL w/ 25HOURS ($39.50). On mega sale (extra 64% off), but that code 25HOURS ends tonight, 11/7/22. High-contrast white & navy Breton Stripe shirts were originally worn by French sailors to help them stand out during storms on the high seas. Think of it as anti-camo. Because blending in on deck when there are waves and spray crashing everywhere is a good way to get… morte. Over the last century+, the pattern has trickled down to become a classic for us land-lubbers looking for something other than a solid. And those stripes sure do seem to go with everything. Looks good without shouting. The J. Crew option is made from a lightly slubbed jersey fabric, but only in classic fit. No slims. Sure do wish they made slims. Here’s how a large classic fits on 5’10″/185.

The Sweater: Amazon Goodthreads Merino Cardigan in Camel – $47. Merino wool is the next best thing to cashmere and will set you back a lot less money. Relatively light weight, so you won’t overheat if you two are making dinner together… or if you start to MAKE SOMETHING ELSE TOGETHER AWWWW YEAHHHH. …sorry.

The Watch: Orient Bambino Version 3 “Bauhaus” – $129. Clean, modern lines keep it simple and timeless. Looks great dressed up, but can absolutely look great when worn casually too, as shown at the very top of the post.

The Jeans: Banana Republic Slim Luxe Traveler Jeans in Slim Fit or Athletic Tapered – $78 ($130). The best in the business. And finally they’re on sale. 40% off through tomorrow, 11/8/22.

The Belt: J. Crew Leather Round-Buckle Dress Belt – $35.10 w/ 25HOURS ($65). Yes it’s dressy-ish, but with that rounded buckle it can do some duty with more dressed down looks too. Not some clunky “jeans only” belt.

The Socks: Taylor Stitch Made in Italy Socks in Olive – $22.50. Not too casual, not too dressy. Machine washable.

The Boots: Made in Italy Greenflex Chukkas – $195. Desert-boots, but really nice and made with top notch materials. Super soft suede and a springy natural rubber sole. Full review here. The cold months mean desert boots stay on the shelf/get used inside the house (they can slip and slide outside on cold wet surfaces), so this is a great excuse to break them out. And do put on some shoes for date night if you’re staying in. The fuzzy slippers probably aren’t the best choice.

The Soundtrack: Ella Live on Stage: The George and Ira Gershwin Songbook. It’s too early for the Christmas album. This’ll do perfectly.