The 11 best singles day style deals for men

Welcome to a very special 11 item edition of our Weekly 10 feature. That’s right, you get eleven for the price of ten. Which considering the price of this post is “free”… the value being delivered is, frankly, unquantifiable. A mystery lost to the universe, pondered for centuries by only the greatest thinkers. 

Anyway, for the last few years the global retail industry has leveraged what’s known in some cultures as “singles day” to run a bunch of sales. Often but not always, those promotions are really their Black Friday deals bumped up a few weeks. Here’s eleven of what we consider to be the best looking/highest value individual items picked from the whole lot. 

 

#11. BR Factory Slim Moleskin Pants – $32 ($100)

Via: BR Factory 50% off + an additional 20% off most 

A favorite fall and winter fabric, moleskin is cotton based so it launders easily, but it’s also soft with a bit of a nap to it. And while most of BR Factory’s inventory is 60% off right now, these are a pleasant outlier, and priced cheaper at 68% off. Just know that these pants have an elastic section on the back “for comfort.” Not sure why the designers decided on that detail.

UPDATE: Thanks to reader BJ who said he ordered a pair of these and they showed up “Crazy short.” Much shorter than the travel jeans he purchased in the same size. Maybe a one off, but still, maybe not. Big thanks to him for the tip.

 

#10. Timex Waterbury 39mm Chronograph – $224.25 w/ Single25 ($299)

Via: 25% off select at Timex w/ Single25 (exp 3am ET on 11/12)

Panda style, not oversized at 39mm, and a reasonable price.

 

#9. Carfia Polarized Men’s Sunglasses – $23.19 ($33)

Via: Amazon’s “Today’s Deals”

For an “available on Amazon” (and basically nowhere else?) brand, Carfia makes pretty nice sunglasses. Nicely weighted acetate frames, polarized lenses, good feeling hinges, no silly/obnoxious visible branding, and at 53mm they should fit most guys just fine.

 

#8. J. Crew Ludlow Slim-fit Jackets in English Cotton-Wool Blend – $224.50 ($348) 35.5% off

Via: J. Crew up to 40% off  select styles (exp 11/13)

Every year J. Crew sources fabric from England’s Abraham Moon & Sons for a set of their unconstructed fall sportcoats. These are those. 53% cotton/47% wool. Unlined back. Non functioning sleeve cuff buttons make for easy tailoring. Wear it with jeans, chinos, cords, etc.

 

#7. Brooks Brothers Salinger Bluchers – $148.80 ($248)

Via: Brooks Brothers: 40% off most (exp 11/11)

“Borrrrrrrinnnggggggg.” Yeah but there’s hardly anything as versatile as a plain brown derby/blucher. They’ll go with everything from jeans to suits. Yes, even suits. Somewhere out there hyper traditionalists are clutching their fedoras and monocles, gasping with despair (because in the past closed-lacing oxfords were thought of as the “right” choice for wearing with a suit). But… whatever. The rules have relaxed. Almost $100 off and now in an all too rare price sweet spot decent quality dress shoes just don’t fall into much anymore.

 

#6. VAER USA Assembled C5 Ameriquartz – $254 – $356 ($299 – $419)

Via: Vaer’s select models holiday sale event

Pricing (range) note: Base price on Vaer Watches includes two straps (usually rubber and fabric). Price goes up from there if you instead choose one of the optional leather straps or a stainless steel bracelet.

Full review here. Shown above on a 7.5″ wrist. 40mm case diameter, and they also make a smaller/more vintage-sized 36mm version. Movement is a USA-built FTS Ameriquartz 70200A. Water resistance is 100m. Crystal is single domed sapphire w/ AR coating. And it’s assembled in the USA. Splurge on one of the available stainless steel bracelet options, and you end up with a set-it-and-forget-it Quartz powered USA alternative to Hamilton’s Murph.

 

#5. Banana Republic Wrinkle Resistant Dress Shirts in Slim or Standard Fit – $48 ($80)

Size shown here is a medium slim on 5’10″/185

Via: Banana Republic: 40% off most full-price (exp. 11/11)

Because finding a good dress shirt with a sharp collar for under $50 can be a chore. Wrinkle resistant 100% cotton fabric, and all the colors/patterns you could want. A bit of ironing may be needed by most, but it irons up easy and doesn’t come out of the dryer looking like a wreck. So if you wear it under a suit, sportcoat, or sweater, you can probably get away with skipping the iron. The one major drawback (and it’s a dealbreaker for some) is that despite being dress shirts, they’re sold in “alpha” sizes like small, medium, large, etc. Although they do offer a tall template, for our vertically blessed folks out there. Really wish BR would make the switch to neck and sleeve measurements for their dress shirts. It’s just more precise.

 

#4. Brooks Brothers Wool-Blend Shell “Tech Puffer” – $478.80 ($798)

Via: Brooks Brothers: 40% off most (exp 11/11)

At almost half a grand (even at 40% off) it’s the opposite of cheap. Yet it’s the rare “sleeping bag” coat that can also look right when worn with a suit. Great for those who have to or like to dress up, even in the depths of winter. A big time investment, but this may (key word: may) be the last time it dips this low until post-Christmas clearance time.

 

#3. VAER USA Assembled D4 Meridian Solar 39mm – $375 ($469)

Via: Vaer’s select models holiday sale event

As wheelhouse as it gets. Assembled in the USA, a dependable solar quartz movement, and versatile style that goes with everything. $375 is what you pay for the stainless steel bracelet equipped option shown above. You’ll also get a rubber tropic-style strap. Both the strap and bracelet have quick change pins, so you can swap back and forth without having to bust out a springbar tool. Yes there are cheaper dive watches out there. But VAER has done some pretty amazing things these last few years, and supporting American watchmaking is important to many.

 

#2. Bonobos Knit Cotton or Poly/Wool Blend Blazers – $262.50 ($375)

Via: Bonobos: 30% off  w/ TREATYOSELF (exp. 11/11)

Shown above:

• Navy Blue Glen Check in 69% Cotton, 16% Polyester, 15% Wool
• Burgundy in 65% Wool, 35% Polyester

“Icon” solids as well as limited edition patterns and colors. Flexible and comfortable. Knit fabrics either in cotton blend or wool blend. One of their bestsellers. Not as droopy as a lot of other knit “swazers.” These do have a bit of structure to them. So if you’re looking for a sweater that’s just been cut into the shape of a blazer, these aren’t them. If you want something less formal than a standard woven blazer, but still can dress up with a collared shirt, then these are those.

 

#1. J. Crew Dark Navy Ludlow Suit Separates in Italian Worsted Wool – $521.30 ($800)

• Jacket – $358.80 ($550)
• Trousers – $162.50 ($250)

Via: J. Crew up to 40% off  select styles (exp 11/13)

J. Crew’s suit separates rarely go on sale. And outside of their semi annual suit sale (which they were “only” 30% off at that point), if any suit is seeing a discount it’s probably in a weird color or some gigantic trendy fit. Not so here. Cut in their immensely popular Ludlow fit with Italian fabric in a timeless dark navy. Sold as separates so you get to pick the size of the jacket and the size of the trouser independent of each other, which can greatly cut down on tailoring costs compared to traditionally “nested” suits.