Month / March 2025

by Beau H.

See Now, Buy Now: This Ranger Station Leather & Pine Cologne Is a Perfect Spring Fragrance Upgrade

Best spring cologne for men.

We talk often on this Brooklyn style blog about doing things with intention, like taking good care to find the right spring style essentials (and the right essentials in any season), be it your choice of rugged leather boots, expertly crafted denim or a proper selection of seasonal outerwear.

But what about your grooming rotation? While we love brands like Taylor Stitch and Buck Mason on the blog, the proper grooming and fragrance certainly shouldn’t be overlooked.

It’s a bit more tricky to nail down, but no less important when it comes to, again intentional style and even personal expression. And yes, my friends, that’s where a company like Ranger Station comes into play.

Learn more now at Ranger Station

Perhaps you’ve stumbled upon Ranger Station in its Nashville home — a place where the great outdoors meets a sense of adventure and rough-and-tumble good times. Ranger Station embodies that ethos with a sense of old-world cool and a modern edge — its fragrances and candles are some of my personal favorites, with scents that are rich, rugged, masculine and yet refined and versatile, all at once. The company offers up collections that run the gamut from light and airy to intoxicatingly rich, and its products come in everything from spray cologne to candles.

Suffice to say, Ranger Station has serious chops, including collaborations with musicians like Waylon Jennings and Noah Kahan: High-voltage fragrance with a tasteful flair to it.

To hear the company tell it, Ranger Station delivers “premium, made in USA fragrances and candles inspired by the great outdoors that will create a fresh, clean, and sustainable experience for your environment.” I couldn’t have said it better myself, but it can be a lofty prospect to add a cologne to your rotation (or to select one as a starting point). The brand is bold and fun, however, making it worth your time to take a closer look, I’d say.

Choosing a scent to add to your rotation is a personal process, one that should consider how and where you’ll be wearing your new favorite cologne, and even the outfits you’ll be using that Ranger Station fragrance to complement. And for my money’s worth, there’s nothing quite like the crisp yet rich Ranger Station Leather & Pine Fragrance.

In fact, there’s an entire collection dedicated to the rich, versatile Ranger Station Leather & Pine Fragrance, from candles to room spray to the cologne that’s going to add a spritz of outdoorsy scent to your next #OOTD.

Shop fragrance and more at Ranger Station

Amber, leather and sandalwood come together handsomely in this fragrance, one of my personal favorites — while it’s a worthwhile pairing alongside more casually rugged outfits, like a henley, trucker jacket and black jeans, I find the Ranger Station Leather & Pine Fragrance can be used to add some appeal to business casual situations (think of pairing cologne with a look like you’d think of pairing shoes with an ensemble, in a way). However you chose to make your foray into the world of spring fragrance, you might have just found the perfect scent — and the perfect company — to take the leap.

by Beau H.

The Sunday Sale: Step Into Spring with These Stylish, On-Sale Sunglasses from Huckberry

As we move ever deeper into spring (at least, the early parts of spring), perhaps you’re dusting off some men’s style essentials you haven’t worn in some time (at least, not frequently during fall and winter). Among those spring menswear must-haves, perhaps you find yourself scouring the market for a set of the best new sunglasses — you’ve come to the right place on this fine Sunday indeed, folks.

Your friends — and mine! — at Huckberry are now offering up an on-sale selection to compete with the best of ’em, as the company’s new Walden Eyewear line is up for grabs at a discount.

Shop spring style essentials at Huckberry

Yes indeed, as we often say here at The Style Guide, it can be tough at times to find on-sale selections for gear that actually comes in handy in a current season (just check your favorite department store — winter outerwear is on the discount rack at a steal of a deal many places).

And so it’s refreshing to this Brooklyn style writer to come across the Walden Eyewear Passage Sunglasses at nearly 50 percent off via the always well-stocked Huckberry Sale section. As the famed adventure and Americana retailer says, its sunglasses line is “all about stripping away unnecessary details in favor of simplicity,” and that includes using sustainable materials in this clean, simple and versatile silhouette.

The build of the Walden Eyewear Passage Sunglasses is similar to a pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers in terms of subtly stylish, classic looks, while the frames themselves are fashioned from sustainable “green nylon” material. The handsome and effortlessly cool Walden Eyewear Passage Sunglasses also feature details like 100 percent UVA/UVB protection in lens form, plus a sleek tapered temple shape and five-barrel riveted hinges for added durability.

Shop the best menswear discounts ASAP at Huckberry

When you dive into crisply designed details plus Huckberry’s trademark penchant for durability, it’s a wonder the Walden Eyewear Passage Sunglasses are on sale for less than $70, a whopping discount given the fact that you can assuredly wear your new favorite sunglasses for years to come.

Even the use of recycled alongside the acetate build of the Walden Eyewear Passage Sunglasses speaks to durability and long-term toughness (and timeless style, of course). And for about 50 percent off, these dependable frames can be yours — just in time for spring and summer style moves aplenty, my friends.

by Beau H.

Style Pick of the Week: Wolverine 1000 Mile Rugged Leather Boots – Durable Adventure Boots for Spring (And Beyond)

There’s a sort of spring cleaning “style to-do” list of sorts when it comes to revamping and refreshing your wardrobe for the season at hand, starting from the ground up (at least, in my experience).

When you start out a seasonal refresh by looking at your footwear rotation — what to keep from the fall and winter months, what to bring back for spring and what to shelve entirely — perhaps you focus on an assortment of the best men’s boots — guilty as charged. In fact, you’ll often find me wearing a pair of the best leather boots from a company like Wolverine, based in my home state of Michigan and a longtime favorite of mine when it comes to the best boot brands for men.

Learn more now at Wolverine

Its roster includes boots legendary for their toughness, especially the Wolverine 1000 Mile lineup, and that lineup gets even better — with a bit of multi-season functionality in the mix via the Wolverine 1000 Mile Plain Toe Rugged Boots. You can certainly head elsewhere here on the blog to read more Wolverine boot reviews, but let’s dive into what makes these similar — and different from! — other classic Wolverine 1000 Mile men’s boots.

Wolverine 1000 Mile boots review.

The Wolverine 1000 Mile Plain Toe Rugged Boots retain many of the classic features that make the original Wolverine 1000 Mile men’s boots such a fan favorite and a success, including decades of bootmaking heritage. They’re made based on an archival work boot last pattern, then fashioned with famously tough Horween leather out of Chicago — a true Midwest style collaboration.

These handsome leather boots (available in the rich Brown seen here as well as an edgy Black edition) are then updated with a rugged Vibram outsole featuring thick treads for optimal traction on slick city streets this spring (and beyond, of course).

The Wolverine 1000 Mile Plain Toe Rugged Boots are also fashioned with Goodyear welt construction, that way they can be resoled for years of wear — and at the price point (an investment at nearly $400), you’ll want to get as much wear as you can out of the casually rugged yet highly functional Wolverine 1000 Mile Plain Toe Rugged Boots.

The western Michigan-based company, also known for its work boots of all shades, shapes and sizes, calls the Wolverine 1000 Mile Plain Toe Rugged Boots “ruggedly refined,” and I’d say they’re right on the money. The silhouette is able to be paired seamlessly with indigo jeans, black denim or even olive chinos, then styled classically with a heathered henley and a waxed trucker jacket, to name but one way to get the most out of the Wolverine 1000 Mile Plain Toe Rugged Boots.

With great looks, top-notch construction and a long-lasting build and design, it looks to me like you just might have found your new favorite boots for spring — and beyond.

by Beau H.

The Thursday Buy: This Flint and Tinder Western Shirt Puts a Modern Spin on a Rugged Classic

Best Western shirts for men.

As you build out your spring style rotation and look to bolster your wardrobe with stylish menswear aplenty, perhaps you find yourself exploring a mix of both old and new styles, picks that seem familiar but also feel fresh. While the denim shirt is a tried-and-true style classic, all things Western are having a serious moment right now (thank you, Yellowstone!).

So while a stylish denim shirt seems familiar, picking up a new twist on the style — one of the best Western shirts for men from the good folks at Huckberry — seems to be a wise move heading into the breezy climes of spring, does it not?

It feels classic yet contemporary, and the latest and greatest edition of the Flint and Tinder Bone Button Western Shirt certainly checks the right boxes in terms of durability, rugged appeal, crisp style and even versatility. Let’s take a closer look at perhaps your new favorite shirt, shall we?

Shop men’s shirts and more at Huckberry

Part of a refreshed rotation of stylish men’s shirts at Huckberry for spring, this on-trend take on the Western shirt still keeps the classic details front and center, despite its more eye-catching pattern.

With strong USA-made construction featuring 8oz. 100 percent cotton – light enough to wear on its own on hot days, sturdy enough to wear over a T-shirt or henley when it’s more breezy – I’d say the Flint and Tinder Bone Button Western Shirt is about as versatile as it gets in terms of casual shirting. In fact, you can even style this handsome Western shirt in slightly elevated fashion, as Huckberry showcases by teaming it with a Western-style blazer.

And recall what we said about those classic touches being front and center: The Flint and Tinder Bone Button Western Shirt boasts burnt cow bone button snaps, plus two angled chest pockets in timeless Western shirt fashion.

Shop the best gear for spring at Huckberry

Huckberry notes this shirt features durable stitching for good measure, and it comes in the company’s standard range of sizes — nicely tailored, but not overly tight nor too relaxed. When it comes to a slight style swerve from the norm, this tasteful Western shirt could be just what the (style) doctor ordered — and that’s a winner in my book for expert spring men’s fashion, folks.

by Beau H.

See Now, Buy Now: The Taylor Stitch Ojai Jacket Is Back for Spring and Better than Ever

Taylor Stitch Ojai Jacket review.

Although the menswear pantheon is packed with instantly recognizable classics (like the denim trucker jacket, the blue jean or one of the best men’s henleys), there are pieces that fly under the radar ever-so-slightly, yet still deserve their place in the sun (and their place in your rotation of men’s style essentials).

The classic chore coat very well might be one of them, with a silhouette modeled after French work jackets and still used to great effect today in matters of style and utility: The Taylor Stitch Ojai Jacket definitely meets the mark in this regard, and it’s back and better than ever for spring.

Learn more now at Taylor Stitch

The Taylor Stitch Ojai Jacket is a staple piece for the San Francisco brand, which has long been a favorite of this Brooklyn style blog — and which just so happens to make gear perfectly suited for the climes of San Francisco and for spring menswear transitions. The humble yet hard-working chore jacket certainly qualifies among the best men’s style for spring, and again, the Taylor Stitch Ojai Jacket is a prime example of the style done right.

It starts with 100 percent organic cotton herringbone, which in this case is pigment-dyed before being hand-sanded and garment-washed for softness and yet a sturdy weave right out of the box. That also gives the handsome Taylor Stitch Ojai Jacket a vintage-minded look, one that only gets better over time. It doesn’t hurt that the rich blue herringbone of the Taylor Stitch Ojai Jacket calls to mind the originators of the style, French work jackets often made from indigo-dyed cotton.

Taylor Stitch Ojai Jacket review.

You’ll find the hard-wearing yet stylish Taylor Stitch Ojai Jacket features plenty of timeless chore coat touches, including a top-entry chest pocket with space for your pen (note that Taylor Stitch also sells accessories!). The laundry list of features also includes hip patch pockets with both side and top entry capability, again crucial for your everyday carry essentials from Taylor Stitch.

Ring-back buttons are a durable, distinctive touch that should prove eye-catching as well as durable, at least when the Taylor Stitch Ojai Jacket is worn unbuttoned (perhaps over a breezy organic cotton T-shirt).

And when the weather truly calls for it, your new favorite casual spring jacket can be worn over a cotton sweater on especially breezy days (and yes, your friends at Taylor Stitch also happen to sell those). If your mission this spring is finding a dependable, stylish chore jacket for a sense of effortless cool on pleasant yet brisk spring days, consider the Taylor Stitch Ojai Jacket your new go-to.

by Beau H.

The Tuesday Steal: This Line of Trade Utility Shirt is an On-Sale Spring Workwear Steal from Bespoke Post

Spring weather brings with it the return of breezy, sunny days — ideal for breaking out some of your favorite menswear essentials, of course — but the season isn’t without its style challenges, including the need to gear up for all manner of rough-and-tumble work, spring cleaning and yes, the occasional adventure. You can readily turn to the folks at Bespoke Post for each and every single one of those situations, and then some — the same can be said for the brand the company helped start, Line of Trade.

Learn more now at Bespoke Post

While Line of Trade is now its own fully shoppable brand stocked with Americana classics like chambray shirts, canvas work pants and one of the best shawl cardigans, the great news is, you can still score discounts on Line of Trade menswear at Bespoke Post, which is why we find ourselves looking at one of the best workshirts for men at the top of the page, the Line of Trade Mason Utility Shirt.

For each of those pursuits mentioned above — from spring adventures to crisp spring outdoor imbibing (Happy Bell’s Oberon Week, my friends!), this durable workshirt rises to the challenge in matters of style and utility.

That’s an ideal thing indeed, because I’d wager you can get plenty of versatile wear out of the Line of Trade Mason Utility Shirt, all the while resting easy as your new favorite workshirt is marked down about 35 percent.

The Line of Trade Mason Utility Shirt is a near-perfect way to bridge the gap from your rotation of winter-ready flannel shirts to much lighter summer shirts in blends like cotton and linen — in fact, this shirt is made from a top-woven shuttle cloth that’s densely fabricated, yet still able to layer comfortably over a pocket T-shirt and beneath your favorite waxed jacket.

All the classic workshirt touches can be found in the Line of Trade Mason Utility Shirt, including buttoned chest pockets for your everyday carry. The two-piece collar is a handcrafted design touch, while the square back yoke offers ease of movement in tight spots.

Contrast stitching and reinforced pockets meet the moment in matters of form and function, while the Line of Trade Mason Utility Shirt just so happens to come in a handsome, neutral shade of olive you can style with everything from dark tan canvas work pants to light wash or dark blue denim, or even black jeans alongside burnished Chelsea boots at a dive bar (post-rock show, of course).

Yes indeed, the durably crafted, rugged Line of Trade Mason Utility Shirt checks the proper boxes when it comes to spring style essentials and the right mix of utility and great looks. Don’t forget about that discount opportunity either, my friends. Cheers to early spring!

by Beau H.

See Now, Buy Now: These Rugged-Meets-Refined Frye Lace-Up Boots are A Spring Footwear Essential

Best leather lace-up boots for men.

In my experience, the difference between a merely good pair of leather boots and a truly great pair of leather boots can prove quite vast — yes, seriously. Lace up an exceptionally well-crafted pair of the best boots for men, and you can see and feel the difference right away, in matters of both style and functionality.

And the difference is more clear than ever as we step stylishly into spring, particularly if you go ahead and pull the trigger on a new pair of men’s boots from Frye.

Learn more now at Frye Company

The newly released Frye Barrett Lace-Up Boots are nearly everything you could ask for in a casually rugged pair of men’s boots, particularly in the anything-goes climate of spring.

They’re not a tried-and-true pair of all-out rain boots or work boots, for instance, but they walk a delicate line between rugged and refined — never a bad thing to have in your wardrobe, at least in my experience scouring the market for the best boots to wear with jeans (and stretch chinos, and corduroy pants and more).

These boots are billed by the legendary Northeast bootmaker as “a timeless footwear staple for the modern gentleman,” with premium vintage leather construction that only gets better with age. And in a versatile, richly crafted shade of Cognac leather, I can see them getting plenty of wear with everything from dark blue denim to the best light wash jeans, tobacco-hued chinos and even tastefully tapered olive five-pocket pants.

Shop men’s boots and more at Frye

The Frye Barrett Lace-Up Boots boast a leather-lined interior that’ll develop its own patina over time, and the slightly burnished toe is a distinctive touch that’ll only get better with age. The Barrett features a textured rubber outsole for traction and durability, and for those who prefer minimal style, the Frye Barrett Lace-Up Boots also come in a crisp shade of Black leather.

Meanwhile, rawhide laces keep things squarely in casual territory, so feel free to wear this fresh set of leather lace-up boots with easygoing picks like dark blue jeans and a timeless chambray shirt — they just get the job done, and I think you’ll agree.

But let’s focus on what the Frye Barrett Lace-Up Boots can do for you this spring. They feature relatively sleek, classic plain toe construction — your new favorite leather boots are neither as bulky as work boots, nor as ornate as wingtip boots, and that’s not a bad thing for your next spring #OOTD. The Frye Barrett Lace-Up Boots

by Beau H.

The Sunday Sale: Save On This Rugged Field Watch from Marathon & Windup Watch Shop

Best field watches for men.

If you, like me, have spent plenty of time putting together one of the best casual outfits for men, one grounded in rugged classics like the best bomber jacket and one of the best men’s henleys, for instance, then you know the importance of the little things.

The small finishing touches, like a durable field watch from the good folks at Marathon — at the top of the page, of course — can make or break an outfit, especially a casually rugged one (Think: A classic T-shirt and blue jeans, or a shawl cardigan atop a thermal henley).

When it comes to one of the best watches for men, well, if you can find a way to save some of your hard-earned cash while amping up your watch collection — and your overall #OOTD — in the process, then you’ve hit what you might call the sweet spot.

That leads us to the good folks at Windup Watch Shop, curators, designers and sellers of some of the best watches on the market from a wide array of boutique and big-name brands. Some names you very well might recognize (including big-time watchmakers like Citizen and Seiko), but the array of smaller brands — like Marathon as shown at the top of the page — is of particular interest around these parts.

Learn more now at Windup Watch Shop

And it’s the Windup Watch Shop sale section that’s of particular interest today. That’s where you’ll find one of the best field watches for men, now at a discounted price (of course — we don’t call it The Sunday Sale for nothing, my friends).

Marathon Navigator Watch review.

The Marathon Navigator Watch should prove particularly useful, hard-wearing and stylish, especially if it’s an underrated take on the field watch you seek, and it’s got plenty of exceptional specs to match — spend enough time at Windup Watch Shop, as you’ll see in the weeks and months ahead on this blog, and you’ll realize the brand are watch experts of the highest order.

The cleanly designed, classically inspired Marathon Navigator Watch (marked down now below $400) gets the basic specs right, from the nicely sized 41mm dial diameter to its military dial design with a 12-hour and 24-hour scale.

The ballistic nylon mil strap coordinates nicely in Black, Desert Tan or Sage Green, and the case itself is sweat and shock-resistant. Is the Marathon Navigator Watch one of the toughest field watches out there for the price? It certainly seems that way, my friends.

To hear the company tell it, Marathon watches were “designed in Canada and manufactured in Switzerland,” and were notably “designed to meet some of the toughest MIL SPEC standards out there.” Not a bad deal through a famed retailer like Windup Watch Shop, right?

Learn more now at Windup Watch Shop

And with a three-jewel battery that should last for more than five years, this timepiece will prove an “excellent grab-and-go watch for your collection.” Given the fact that it’s on sale, it’s durable as can be and it’s casually rugged enough to go with most off-duty (and adventure-minded) looks, I’d wager the Marathon Navigator Watch is the first of many Windup Watch Shop timepieces to find its way into your collection.

by Beau H.

Style Pick of the Week: Luca Terra Low Leather Sneakers – The Perfect Sneakers for Early Spring

Best white leather sneakers for spring.

If you look at your wardrobe like a roster filled with men’s style essentials you can rely on season after season, then a pair of the best white leather sneakers might be a prime choice, in a starring role, through the fresh climes of spring and summer. The right pair is crisp and even slightly dressy, with the chops to be worn leisurely or with chinos and an Oxford shirt, for instance — to name but two examples.

And when your new favorite pair of leather sneakers just so happens to hail from the pages of hallowed retailer Huckberry, it’s a safe bet that they’ll deliver the goods in matters of looks, style and performance. That holds true with LUCA and the LUCA Terra Low Pebbled Leather Sneakers.

Shop sneakers and more at Huckberry

LUCA is a fairly recent addition to the Huckberry lineup, a stable of heavy hitters when it comes to the best menswear and gear in its own right. LUCA takes craftsmanship seriously, using top-notch technology and meticulous attention to detail to craft sneakers and chukka-style sneakers with distinct touches like moccasin-style stitching and gum rubber outsoles.

It’s a twist on the classic all-white sneaker, at least when it comes to the LUCA Terra Low Pebbled Leather Sneakers, which is an appealing prospect for your refreshed spring wardrobe.

The dressy yet sporty LUCA Terra Low Pebbled Leather Sneakers land in what Huckberry calls the “sweet spot in the closet between a sport sneaker and a dress shoe,” boasting comfortable performance touches like a leather lined interior and natural rubber outsoles for plenty of spring in your step.

A contrasting toe box and reinforced heel counter deliver a shot of clean style as well as utility — these sneakers are far from plain, particularly thanks to the gum rubber outsole, which gives them the look and feel of vintage-style trainers.

Shop men’s sneakers and more at Huckberry

That also means your new favorite white leather sneakers can pull double-duty — say, with stretch chinos, a chambray shirt and even a soft-shouldered navy blazer at the office, or with chino shorts and a breezy polo on the weekends. That kind of versatility is nearly unmatched, at least when it comes to Huckberry men’s style essentials and my experience with the famed retailer.

The LUCA Terra Low Pebbled Leather Sneakers are distinctive, eye-catching and just the right mix of sporty, sleek and casually stylish — sounds to me like a winning addition to your spring and summer menswear lineup.

by Beau H.

The Friday Read: New Spring Menswear & the Trip of a Lifetime with the Huckberry Explorer’s Grant

If ever there were a brand to puts its money where its mouth is, so to speak, at least in terms of delivering the best gear for adventures far afield, then it very well might be Huckberry. The Americana and adventure retailer is a fitting choice to kick off today’s Friday Read and to kick off your search for the best new spring menswear out there.

And on the heels of an adventure of my own last week — an opportunity to review a luxury hotel in Saint Tropez — I simply can’t wait to get back out there on the road again. There’s no time like the present to set your sights on the horizon either, as the triumphant return of Huckberry Explorer’s Grants delivers an absolutely prime chance to go far afield and carve out epic new memories.

The insanely cool opportunity hasn’t been seen in some time (I previously wrote about Huckberry Explorer’s Grant IV way back in 2016), but it’s now back and absolutely better than ever. The 2025 edition of the Huckberry Explorer’s Grant boasts a value up to a very cool $50,000, including four nights at a 5-star adventure lodge, first-class flights for you and an adventure companion to get there, and a whopping $20K in Huckberry credit to outfit yourself with the best new spring menswear and gear.

Learn more now at Huckberry

Not a bad deal at all, right? Oh, and don’t forget that the Huckberry Explorer’s Grant comes with credit for a rental car to get you where you’re going (and to get you far off the grid) with utility in mind. It’s an astounding opportunity that showcases what Huckberry is best at: Durable, rugged, hard-wearing gear made for going off-trail and around the globe (and that’s an understatement in this case).

Adventure options aplenty are abundant in the travel package, from southern Utah on up to Maine or out to Big Sur — to say the Huckberry Explorer’s Grant is rather epic is, again, an understatement. How to enter the adventure-focused Huckberry Explorer’s Grant contest (now until March 31st)? Sign up at Huckberry with your E-mail, then look out for up to 31 more ways to boost your number of entries.

The Huckberry Explorer’s Grant doesn’t come around very often, so now that it’s back in full force (thanks to Toyota), I’d say the chance of a lifetime is yours for the taking. Good luck entering the Huckberry Explorer’s Grant — take a chance while you’ve still got the choice, and we’ll See Out There, thanks to Huckberry, of course.