September 2010
74 posts
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Ralphlauren.com 25% off September 30-October 11
nachobroadway:
25% off your entire purchase at Ralph Lauren stores and ralphlauren.com You will need the coupon received in mail to get the discount in store but online you can use the code RLGIVE2010 upon checkout for 25% off. They will donate 10% of your purchase to the Pink Pony Fund.
There you go.
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WIWT: 09-29-2010
So, this linen tie I have is great. I dig its texture quite a bit and I think it works nicely over this blue houndstooth patterned shirt. The problem though is that I really don’t have a pocket square that goes well with it, at least in my mind. What to do? Screw it: silver silk square.
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Interlude on the Brooks Brothers extra slim fit...
I’m home sick today, but just received the oxfords I ordered during Brooks Brothers’ friends and family sale (ends today, code “03friend”). A few quick notes:
The fit is perfect. The armholes are narrower and no windsail sleeves. It looks fine on my slimmer torso (plus works around the beer gut).
The quality seems fairly good and better than the Nordstrom 1901 oxfords and...
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Testing new waters
I decided to pay my two local dry-cleaners/alterationists a visit today, giving them each a sport coat to take in on the sides and also a dress shirt to taper on the torso and arms.
Normally, my tailor charges $45 to take in the sides of a jacket and $25 to taper a shirt’s arms and torso. One of them charged me $35 for a jacket and $17 for a shirt, and the jacket price was actually higher...
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Watchitsworn:
Informative look into the Horween leather tannery. This was done by Wolverine in anticipation of their 721LTD boot which will be made with Horween cordovan.
I like process, “how things are made” videos like this.
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Land's End 25% off Friends & Family sale
I’m a fan of Land’s End. I have one of their suits, two ties and two shirts from them and no complaints and plans to be a repeat customer. Right now they’re having their Friends & Family sale, with 25 percent off any regularly priced item (promo code SAVE25 and PIN 1373). Here’s a few items I’d recommend, where you’d definitely get a good bang for your buck...
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WIWT: 09-24-2010
Fairly standard look today. Double-breasted jacket, white oxford collar button down, navy knit tie, white silk square, white jeans and black wingtips. You can’t see them, but I’m wearing solid red socks (I should get my jeans hemmed and tapered at some point, but it’s not a priority for me just yet).
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WIWT: 09-23-2010
Chicago didn’t get the memo that summer’s over, so it decided to have temperatures in the 90s today. Time to break back out the lightweight chinos and ditch the sport coats for a sweater vest.
Oh, and go sockless while you still can.
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This Fits: The $180 Basic Navy Suit →
thisfits:
Last night, Put This On asked for recommendations for suits around $300. This weekend, one of those options is on sale for $180 shipped.
If you’re short on cash and don’t yet have a basic navy suit, the Tailored Fit Year’rounder from mainline Lands’ End might be for you.
I’ll second the Land’s End suit. Great price, great suit, needs to be tailored once you get it.
...
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Articles of debate: Chicago guys don't care how...
RedEye blogger/columnist Ernest Wilkins (@ernestwilkins / smileifyourewinning) posed this question lately, asking for thoughts on whether or not people agree with the statement, “Chicagoans (guys) don’t care how they look and dress” in comparison to New York City and Los Angeles.
Last weekend, I was out around Wicker Park and upon leaving a bar a guy and girl stopped me at...
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Brooks Brothers "Friends and Family" sale on right... →
Sadly, those awesome extra-slim fit gingham dress shirts are suddenly not available online. It’s worth noting though the sale extends to retail stores, too, through Monday.
Either way, their oxfords are up, so that’s something to jump on.
ADDING: Coupon code is 03friend.
ADDING x2: I gave the Brooks Brothers retail store a call on Michigan Ave., in Chicago. They only have the...
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WIWT: 09-22-2010
I guess today was the last official day of summer, first official day of fall, but I just wanted to give my “new” double-breasted navy blazer a spin. It’s the one I picked up at a thrift store for $2.50 (!!!), but it needed to be tailored in at the sides to fit my frame better. The total price came to under $50, which isn’t bad for an all-wool blazer that I’ll be...
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This Fits: New Lands' End Canvas Sweaters →
On the topic of business casual, thisfits has some great intel on the Land’s End Canvas line of sweaters that’s worth a read.
Why should you bother with sweaters, one might ask? Well, if your shirt’s a bit too baggy in the sleeves and/or torso, then a sweater is a great way to hide all that and still keep those shirts in rotation for your wardrobe. Plus, they always look great...
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25% off today at Piperlime.com
rakishgoodlooks:
25spree at piperlime for 25% off today, 20% off tomorrow & 15% off Thurs. Jumped on some DBs & Sperrys
For your convenience:
Clarks desert boots
Bass Brocktons
Sperry Top-Sider boat shoes
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WIWT: 09-20-2010
The fall uniform continues, brought to you by the color grey.
Lighting is a bit weird, but that shirt is a very light blue. The tie is a vintage Hart Schaffner Marx that I thrifted dirt cheap (100 percent silk, made in Italy) and is extremely wide. It works well on this jacket, since the lapels are wider, but I may try this tie-slimming method via C. Benjamin. We’ll see. I have a few...
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Gilt introduces their styleblog, 'MANual' →
The name strikes me as being a bit too cute, but considering they’ve got Gay Talese contributing, it might be worth checking out.
(And, yeah, if you don’t have a Gilt invite yet, here you go.)
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About the new J. Crew Factory Store online →
For those who have been wondering, cbenjamin has the relevant information about J. Crew’s “weekends only” online factory store.
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Dressing Up!
tomoatmeal:
What is it about putting on a nice suit that makes you want to walk up to some underdog looking guy and say (with a southern accent), “Soooooo…you really think a room-fulla’ jurors uh gonna believe you? Dressed like that!? Ha! Want my advice?”
Then you lean in and slowly whisper, “Take the settlement.”
Even Tom Oatmeal knows how the style game is played.
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Meet Kanye West's stylist →
He’s a sophomore at Yale and they met at Barney’s where Kanye complimented his shoes.
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Goodbye summer
As of today in Chicago, I’d definitely say summer is over: the skies are grey, the temperature has dropped and (naturally) the wind is screaming in your ears, “Fall!”
So it was almost fitting to receive an e-mail from my friend Jamey today, who got around to sorting through photos from a trip I took this summer to the U.S. Virgin Islands for a wedding.
I’m mildly amused...
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Cleaning out your closet
Somewhat recently, I went through my closet and drawers and decided it was time to clean house of stuff I wasn’t wearing — nor stuff that was working with the way I wanted my personal style to go in the future.
In some ways this can be a mildly painful experience. After all, you probably put down some hard-earned cash on some items, but ultimately you’ve got to be honest with...
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The Catorialist →
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C. Benjamin: Intel: Slim Chinos pt. 1 →
For those looking for a close-to-definitive guide to slim-fitting chinos, then cbenjamin has done a great job rounding up your lower-pricepoint alternatives in relation to fit and quality. Check it out.
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My perfect off-the-rack dress shirt
Finding a decent off-the-rack, ready-to-wear dress shirt isn’t easy (especially if you’re working on the lower price range like I am). There’s a lot to consider.
You want a trimmer fit in the torso and higher/smaller armholes. The last thing you want to do is have it be billowy and look like you’re a human sail.
Another requirement for me is that the shirt has to be 100...
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"True Prep": It Is Not the Time for the Preppy New... →
Wherein the author of “The Hipster Handbook” takes down the sequel to “The Official Preppy Handbook” at The Awl.
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WIWT: 09-13-2010
The grey jacket is becoming the fall uniform for me. I re-purposed my tan gingham shirt with a brown wool tie and ivory pocket square. And I went with these pants.
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Take it to the Tailor: L.L. Bean Town and Field...
You may remember my prior post about the L.L. Bean Town and Field Wool Flannel pants, which needed quite a bit of work.
First up, the waist was too large (I’m around a 33” waist, the pants only come in even sizes). Then the legs needed to be tapered through the seat of the pants. Finally, they needed to be hemmed.
I ended up going with a 7.75” leg opening with a small bit of...
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sallypants asked: Splendid blog! I have a question for you as a Chicagoan:
I'll be making it out to the Midwest in a couple of weeks and I'll be in Chicago for one day only, what are the essential stores I need to hit up?
Thank you for your advice.
I'll be making it out to the Midwest in a couple of weeks and I'll be in Chicago for one day only, what are the essential stores I need to hit up?
Thank you for your advice.
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This Fits: For sale: Allen Edmonds Park Avenues,... →
For those who aren’t following thisfits (and you should be), then you’re missing the chance to jump on these shoes for dirt cheap ($60). Seriously, if you don’t own a great pair of black shoes and are the appropriate size, then jump on this ASAP.
