Clarks Desert Boots in a spring-friendly color, available at UNCRATE right now.

Friday means one thing: Well, OK, a few things. It’s the start of an early spring weekend and the right time to close out the week, look towards some relaxation and of course, knock out some seasonal shopping and reading. In the spirit of quite literally stepping into the weekend, my first pick for you today can be seen above: The Clarks Combi Desert Boots are springtime distilled down into a pair of footwear, with comfort and a spring-friendly construction top of mind. This makes them the perfect pair of spring boots with which to lead off today’s post. Courtesy of UNCRATE’s New Arrivals — always worth keeping an eye on — this pair of Clarks desert boots features a helpful pop of color, a very agreeable price and all the classic Clarks comfort you could ever need. See, aren’t you feeling a bit more into the spirit of spring already?

Suffice to say, I sure do. And I’m feeling ever-so-slightly more optimistic heading into this weekend in particular, as the vaccine rollout kicks into higher gear and some of my favorite NYC beer bars announce their reopening plans with warmer weather on the way. Blustery spring weather is still on the horizon, of course and I’m still catching up from my recent trip to Florida (as seen on my Instagram). That being said, I’m hoping to breeze through my to-do list and get out for a Brooklyn weekend stroll. Speaking of: For your own weekend, consider subscribing to my menswear-music-craft beer newsletter, The Style Guide In Brief. It’s free, it comes out twice a week (including tomorrow!) and it’s a heck of a lot of fun (I think!). In the meantime, here are some other choice shopping picks and reading selections for your weekend. Cheers, friends!

Technical pants that look simply great for early spring and beyond.

• It’s only fitting that we dive into today’s Friday Read with an essential pair of men’s pants for early spring, is it not? The good folks at Olivers Apparel (you might recognize them from another Friday Read entry) blend the best of the best as far as technical, performance apparel and style is concerned. That includes the just-launched Olivers Apparel Spring 2021 Collection, and of course, the Olivers Apparel Traverse Pants (as seen above). It’s the stretch canvas, the UPF50+ sun protection and the water-resistant construction that makes them your new favorite pair of spring pants.
• Get ready to read and shop for your new favorite watch, ehh? That’s because I wrote about the seriously cool, rugged and adventure-ready Oris Whale Shark Limited-Edition Watch for GearMoose. A durable dive watch that raises awareness of the rare whale shark? How cool is that? Too cool.

A classic-yet-modern take on the Oxford shirt for spring.

• Now, I talked about one of the best winter blazers for men from Alex Mill on the blog here not too long ago. But check your calendar, folks. We’re into spring now, so consider Alex Mill menswear an easy go-to right now — particularly the breezy Alex Mill Overdyed Oxford Shirt. It’s one of the best men’s shirts for spring, with all the laidback style potential and casual polish you need for Zoom calls and more.

New denim from Todd Snyder? No problem at all.

• In the spirit of a new season, how about you pick up some of the best new men’s denim from a lauded designer? That’s right: You can now head to Todd Snyder to find out about three new denim categories from the acclaimed NYC fashion icon. What’s more, I wrote all about it for Maxim.com — it’s worth your time, trust me.

That’s going to do it for the lion’s share of today’s Friday Read, but I’ll leave you with one more pick heading into the weekend. If you find yourself in need of a new #OOTD for spring weather, my guide on how to wear a field jacket is going to be just the ticket for standout, durable and functional style. If you do check out any of those selections, be sure to let me know on Twitter. Once again: Cheers!