Style Scenario: Late Winter Layers – Smart Casual

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. It’s that weird time of year where it can be bitterly cold one second, then feel like mid-Spring the next. The answer is layers. Layers that look just as good worn all at once, or one (or two) gently cast aside if it warms up. We’ll hit three total style scenarios across the formality spectrum in the coming days, featuring layers appropriate for the unpredictable weather swings of late winter.

The Sweater: Wills Cable Knit Wool Sweater in Charcoal – $74 ($148). Substantial, yet being that it’s 100% wool and has some texture for airflow, this should still keep you from overheating if temperatures spike somehow during these unpredictable days. Sweater shown at the very top of the post is an old Huckberry-sourced Shetland wool crew from four years ago. If you don’t like wool, try this textured cotton sweater from Spier for $68.

The Watch: Seiko 5KX Dive Style Automatic – $225ish: A favorite. This is the sort of watch that balances solid quality, timeless good looks, and an accessible price. That seems awfully rare in the $200ish watch market these days. Full marks to Seiko for these. Full review can be found here. Also got a lot of coverage in our Double Time watch series.

The Shirt: Nordstrom Tech-Smart Trim Fit Geo Stretch Button-Down Shirt – $43.73 ($79.50). It’s a tech fabric button down (wicking/4-way stretch 92% polyester, 8% spandex), in a spring-ready color, with a button down collar that won’t stray out over your sweater’s crewneck. And it ships and returns for free. Perfect. If a geometric print isn’t your thing, your favorite oxford cloth button down (like Uniqlo) would work here as well.

The Jeans: Bonobos Premium Stretch Jeans in Rinse – $69 FINAL SALE ($149). Or go with whatever your favorite pair of dark wash jeans happens to be. These though… these are something. Extraordinarily flexible and comfortable. Final sale though. No returns or exchanges. So if you don’t know your size/fit with Bonobos, just go with something you’re familiar with instead.

The Sunglasses: Spier & Mackay Model 5 (Wayfarer style) Sunglasses in Dark Tortoise/Green Lenses – $38.25 ($55). On sale and an extra 15% off in your cart. Those green lenses are a nice nod towards the warmer days and brighter colors ahead.

The Belt: GAP Leather Belt in Brown – $35ish ($44.95). Cheap, reliable, and looks better with age.

The Socks: Made in the USA Darn Tough Merino Blend Ranger Micro Crew – $26.95. Seems like a lot for socks, until you start wearing Darn Tough. If you do, you’ll quickly come to understand that a few pairs of Darn Tough are more valuable to your feet than an infinite amount of cheap cotton socks could ever be. Worth the splurge. Midweight. Cushioned.

The Chukkas: Clarks Bushacre 3 – $51 – $63. An enormous improvement over the old Bushacre 2. Review and comparison here. Sold by Amazon, so the price is all over the place depending on size.