A truly excellent way to close out 2020 and head on into 2021 the right way.

My friends, I can’t believe we did it. We turned the page on 2020 and have now officially stepped into 2021. Welcome! And thanks for being here as we kick off a new year in style with my first post of 2021 and another edition of The Friday Read. Fittingly enough, my friends at Bonobos have had the right idea to close out 2020 with the Bonobos Winter Sale, aptly named the “Longest Year Ever” Sale, as you can see above. If you’re a longtime fan or a newfoud enthusiast of the NYC-based brand (makers of some of the best men’s pants and more), this sale is for you. Fittingly enough, you can get Bonobos pants and jeans for as low as $48, and a slew of some of the best men’s jackets for winter starting at just $78. What better way to leave 2020 behind and start a new year in style?

It’s certainly one of the sales I’ll be shopping digitally today, and I’ll also be carrying on my New Year’s Day tradition in slightly different fashion — I would typically head to a Brooklyn sports bar to enjoy a day of college football and cold beers, but instead, I’ll be posted up at home, enjoying games from afar. What does your New Year’s Day look like? Feel free to connect with me on Twitter to stay in touch about menswear, craft beer and more. For now, I’m looking forward to kicking off 2021 with some writing for The Manual and GearMoose this week, among other projects. To help you shake off that hangover and ease right on into it, check out the rest of The Friday Read below. Cheers!

A proper addition to your EDC to start the new year.

• The new year really is an excellent time to take stock of all of your gear, including your everyday carry essentials. Stock up and step out with the proper picks, all thanks to Detroit-based WESN (the name stands for “West-East-South-North). The WESN Henry Knife, as shown above, is one of the most rugged and versatile pieces you can add to a well-curated EDC kit, in fact, and it helps that it’s affordably priced ($115 at WESN) given the quality and construction. Your everyday carry essentials just got even better, folks.

Mott and Bow are now making some of the best men’s chinos, folks.

• Here’s another men’s style essential you need to power up your new year. We’ll talk more about some of the best men’s chinos on the blog in the coming weeks, but for now, just know that the Mott and Bow Everywhere Chinos are as solid as it gets. They’re a recent addition to the brand’s lineup of the best men’s jeans and more, and they could just become become your new favorite pair of pants (owing to the tailored fit and durable cotton twill fabric).

• My friends, I’m going to keep this post rolling with one more featured essential for the new year: A pair of the best dress shoes for men, courtesy of Bruno Magli. The Italian footwear maker delivers some of the most refined, classic men’s dress shoes you’re apt to find, including the Bruno Magli Butler Cap Toe Oxfords. These are a major step up from what you might be wearing these days, and who doesn’t appreciate getting dressed up at home for a date night or to set the tone for the day? And hey, when you head back into the office eventually, you’ve just found your perfect pair of dress shoes.

• Let’s talk winter layering for a second, shall we? To get you out the door with comfort, style and warmth top of mind, I wrote all about the best cashmere cardigans for 2021 over at The Manual, and you’d do very well indeed to check out some of my favorite picks from brands you know and love (and possibly, some that you don’t know yet!).

Without further ado, that’s going to wrap up our first Friday Read of 2021. Who’s ready to set the tone for the new year in style? It’s my hope that picks like the best men’s chinos (from Mott and Bow, of course), and the Bruno Magli Butler Cap Toe Oxfords are all you need to get your mind focused on sharp-as-can-be style to kick off 2021. If you like what you see here, just know that we’ll be publishing content seven days a week on the blog — and naturally, tomorrow’s Style Pick of the Week will help you step into your first weekend of 2021 the right way. Folks, as always, thanks for reading, stay stylish and stay safe!