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 season that was…
It looks like BR is really sticking to their new policy of not offering perpetual 30% – 40% off codes anymore. Those days are gone. Yet a few times a year they’ll do a 40% off deal, and when they DO, it’s very much worth paying attention to. Core Temp Chinos. Their new Signature Italian wool suit separate jackets and trousers. Smooth dress shirts. Merino sweaters. Classy and sleek accessories. Smart looking and comfortable casual wear. Even some of their shoes are winners. Banana Republic’s stuff doesn’t feel wimpy, stiff, or cheap. Any truly disappointing “duds” among their (wait for it) duds are few and far between. The quality is good, the prices are mid-tier for many, and the overall styling is grown-up while being anything but frumpy or dull. BR continues to excel. You just have to be patient and wait for one of their rare sale events if you want to save (a big) chunk of change.
Deal/steal price isn’t currently active, but they’re made in Italy, have a natural rubber crepe sole, and seem to fit true to size for most. So while Final means Final and no returns, they’re worth the risk for some, and absolutely worth it for repeat MacAlister boot buyers. Haven’t seen this “hickory” color of suede in person quite yet, but as long as it’s not too off the mark (J. Crew sometimes struggles with their color accuracy for their studio-photography,)… then these Italian made desert boots for fifty bucks are a roaring steal. If you got a pair of these for yourself and wouldn’t mind providing some feedback on the color (and possibly a picture), send an email to joe@dappered.com.
Giving someone a wristwatch for graduation is thoroughly old-school. And it won’t be appreciated unless the recipient is an old-soul themselves, no matter their real age. But why could it be a fantastic gift? Because time is the only commodity worth a damn. And a wristwatch is a reminder that our own, personal supply of time is a quickly depreciating resource. So it’s best to use it wisely.
Full review here. These new redsuits are total outliers in terms of the price-inflation affordable men’s suits (and almost everything else) has been seeing these last few years. Context:
And then Spier comes out with a sub-$300 line? There’s something to be said for zigging while everyone else is zagging.
Getting a mention right under Spier’s new Red Label suits because “affordable” and “cheap” are not always the same thing. Under fifty bucks?! What year is this, 2009? These new $45 blazers started showing up in early spring and Target has been having a hard time keeping them in stock since. It’s best to check stock at your local brick-and-mortar Target at this point. Full review here if you’d like to see it.
Spring and Summer means wedding season. It’s electric! (But is it really?) The overriding philosophy for dressing well during one of these things is to anticipate what the groom might wear, then take a step or two down in terms of formality. You don’t want to overdress the groom. So if if it’s a beach wedding and he’ll be in flip-flops, please don’t wear a suit. If he’s up at the alter in a tux, wear a necktie.
These are long gone, but $250 for the Swiss made, surprisingly wearable (read: thinner than you’d expect) Glycine combat sub dive watch is silly good. Doesn’t look like Costco stocks any Glycine watches at present. So that was fun while it lasted. Welcome to Costco, I love you, indeed.
A good cobbler is like a good tailor. They extend and enhance the life of your stuff. They’re part craftspeople, part magicians. Fixing what you already have while supporting a local business like a cobbler is always the better, more affordable way. Big thanks to our man Adam for this post, and another significant and genuine thank you to the good folks at Nashville’s Unsung House for (unexpectedly!) providing the above video, as well as having Adam in to shoot some pictures. Also thanks to them for being totally on board with our policy against silly influencer-style freebies-for-coverage. We paid for the work, they did the (excellent) work, and we got to use that work to demonstrate the whys, hows, and whats for the article.
Some old favorites did great – Rhone
Some old favorites did NOT so great – BR Luxe Touch feels like it changed, and not for the better
Some new arrivals absolutely smashed it out of the park – Target’s All in Motion
Twenty-six polos, from dirt cheap to extra splurge-y. Cotton, merino, performance tech fabrics. All of it. All in Polopalooza, here.
Six years after paying $310 million for Bonobos, Walmart is selling the Bonobos brand for $75 million. The buyers are a partnership with one of the partners being the clothing brand EXPRESS. It was an eyebrow raiser… but then again it didn’t seem like that big of a surprise either. It was one of those: “WHOA! Oh, well, yeah I guess” kind of moments.
It’s sharp, it’s comfortable, it’s professional and approchable and athletic and simple and cool. And yes, we’ll keep publishing various combinations of Chinos Chukkas Polo this summer.
Can a trend be anything but trendy looking? It’s a combination that’s pretty classic. Heritage inspired divers both in looks and often size, complete with goldish (but not garish) bits like the hands, indices, logos, etc. They look great on stock stainless bracelets as well as aftermarket NATOs.
And while we’re at it with heritage-inspired dive watches… there’s a new standard for the best entry-level automatic. It’s the Invicta 1953 Automatic. 40mm, Seiko movement, feels and looks great, and it costs $108.99. That’s it, that’s the (new) list in terms of where the automatic-movement wrist-watch-curious should start. Full review can be found here.
Tess: You know what your problem is?
Danny: I only have one?
It’s worth it. Wear your good stuff. At least they were just gummy worms. Thought I had stepped in dog crap. The Target parking lot can be full of obstacles. Chukkas shown are the Sanders Chesham. Full but not bulbous toe which means there’s good amounts of room for cushy socks. Studded rubber sole. Easy to dress up or down. Good traction too. Even on gummy-worms.
Pants that WICK, for YER SWEATY… legs. Please keep your hose to yourself.
If you’re on this website right now, you might be the type who likes to save AND spend money. Ain’t that a weird, ongoing collision inside of our heads?
But that’s also money for you. When it swings in one direction, things get weird. When it swings in another, all hell breaks loose. There’s a constant push and pull. It’s a conundrum. A fuzzy, wholly manipulatable yet dependent on a relatively stability conduit through which we’re all connected.
Jacob Goldstein’s book “Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing” is an expertly delt-out collection of vignettes about money’s march through history. And there are plenty of stories (and bank runs). Just like a strip-club patron with a stack of bills, Goldstein deftly and precisely peels off these stories one by one. And when he’s done making it rain, the reader is left with a better grasp on the seemingly unexplainable.
“excuse me sir, can I ask…”
“I’m cutting a slice of cheese to artificially elevate the back of a classically sized wristwatch in order to make it and another watch of a more contemporary size somewhat equidistant to the camera lens as to accurately demonstrate the size difference because without the cheese the smaller watch would be significantly sunken farther away from the lens therefor making it appear inaccurately and artificially small.”
“………… what kind of cheese?”
“…gouda. Strangely enough.”
Because it’s made in France!
Probably too subtle. The croissant.
Who’s hungry?
And with that, Spring’s in the books. Here’s to the summer ahead. Thanks for your readership. It honestly means a lot that you continue to allow us to borrow some of your attention every so often, as we roll through with a few treats now and then.
Be safe out there in the coming months. Stay frosty!
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.