The Friday Read: A Southbound Trek to Austin, Texas

Best rugged gear for men from Huckberry.

Folks, the time has come again: I’m gearing up to hit the road with my favorite travel essentials, all in pursuit of yet another story in my many freelance writing adventures. As luck would have it, I’m once again venturing down to Austin, Texas — a favorite city of mine that’s also a second home to one of my favorite brands, Huckberry. Naturally, gear from the retailer is just the right blend of rugged and refined, ready for just about anything — and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The reason for my trip? Exploring the city and getting to learn plenty more about Still Austin Texas Whiskey, a rising Texas whiskey brand that should fit nicely into my spirits writing over at Maxim.com. Naturally, I’ll be wearing Huckberry menswear as I venture around the city and the distillery itself — from Texas whiskey blending sessions to cocktails and bar visits, there’ll be no shortage of some of the best Texas whiskey around.

If you want to keep up with my travels, give me a follow on Instagram. In rather exciting news, I’m hoping to use Saturday to explore some favorite spots from past trips, like Easy Tiger’s beer emporium and the righteous blend of iced coffee, cold craft beer and tasty food trucks over at Cosmic Coffee. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and gear up for your own weekend with gear from Huckberry — tomorrow’s Style Pick of the Week is on the way, and as always, thanks so much for reading!

The Thursday Buy: The Mott and Bow Oliver Jeans Are Your New Everyday Blue Jeans for Spring (And Beyond)

Even as we all (still) continue to adapt and readapt to dressing with some sense of normalcy — sometimes a tricky move for these Brooklyn-based style writer — the classics stay the classics, right? When you don’t know what to wear to head back to your office, to head out to a more casual date night or to simply head out across town for the weekend, what do you reach for?

If you’re anything like me, you reach for a pair of classic blue jeans, perhaps a pair from Mott and Bow. The NYC-based denim upstart continues to change the process of shopping for jeans online for men, as they did when they launched about a decade ago.

Luckily for you and me both, that same approach holds true with more recent denim releases, like the Mott and Bow Oliver Jeans, which could certainly prove a strong candidate as your next go-to pair of blue jeans. What makes the Mott and Bow Oliver Jeans such a newly essential part of your wardrobe? It comes down to the company’s use of what it calls Denim Science, a process of hand-finishing, scraping and fading its jeans ever so slightly, and in the case of the Mott and Bow Oliver Jeans, it lends itself quite nicely to a pleasing fade that’s not too extreme.

That process — a just-right result that gives the Mott and Bow Oliver Jeans a lived-in look that’s still somewhat dressy — is also accentuated by the structure of these jeans. They’re billed as a “refined version of the traditional blue jean,” another area in which Mott and Bow excels, and that means the Mott and Bow Oliver Jeans a boast a medium-to-heavy 13oz. fabric. Yet, fear not: They’re bolstered by an 18 percent comfort stretch rating (the jeans are made up of 99 percent cotton, 1 percent elastane).

Wake Up Eye Stick

These stylish blue jeans also boast a fit that’s slim through the hip and thigh, with a 15.5-inch leg opening measurement — think of the Mott and Bow Oliver Jeans as the kind of jeans that should prove quite flattering on most guys.

For good measure, these jeans come in two shades (a Dark Blue and my personal favorite, a Light/Medium Blue offering), each of which should prove reliable enough for any situation in which a great-fitting pair of dark blue jeans can pass muster. If that sounds like just the ticket, then consider adding the Mott and Bow Oliver Jeans to your shopping cart ASAP.

See Now, Buy Now: The Filson Prospector Hoodie is the Casually Rugged Layer You Need This Spring

Best men's hoodie for layering.

It might seem like casual, off-the-clock menswear is one area you can treat as a bit of an afterthought, right? After all, we’re talking about hoodies (like the Filson Prospector Hoodie, shown above!) and tailored joggers, but there’s a way to step up those menswear essentials.

And if the pandemic and the changing of the seasons has taught us one thing, it’s that your laidback, off-duty garb could soon become daily wear (especially if you’ve got to brave the elements and could use an extra layer or two).

Don’t just take my word for it, though: Invest in some of the best spring menswear essentials with a new hoodie from Filson, one of the hardest-working, hardest-wearing brands on the market.

But it’s just a hooded sweatshirt, right? Guess again, my friends. A pick like the Filson Prospector Hoodie is an indispensable workwear piece for those who value cozy warmth and functionality, and it can do just as much for your casual wardrobe, too. In fact, I’ve got some great news for you about the category in general.

There are absolutely companies, like American Giant, making one of the best men’s hoodies with an added level of quality and attention to detail top of mind, and if you ask me, that’s very goods news for your off-duty wardrobe — very good news indeed. And of course, as one might expect, Filson is leading the charge in that regard.

Best men's hooded sweatshirt for spring.

The Filson Prospector Hoodie ups the ante in every regard as far as rugged dependability and durability is concerned: This isn’t any bargain-bin hooded sweatshirt, and it’s got the price tag ($115) to match. If it’s anything like my past experience with Filson menswear however, it’s going to live up to that lofty price tag — and then some.

Crucially, the Filson Prospector Hoodie is made with what the brand calls a thick cotton-blend fleece, all the better for insulating warmth when layered beneath a Filson waxed jacket or atop a rugged Filson thermal henley.

The Filson Prospector Hoodie should prove remarkably warm as a mid-layer (try it beneath a Filson vest) or a grab-and-go top layer for casual style situations aplenty. The drawstrings and eyelets feature a metal finish for added reliability, too. Crucially, t’s shrink-resistant, with a wide rib-knit hem and cuffs to deliver a snug fit and extra coverage.

Plus, Filson has designed the fabric to resist pilling, and that’s a good thing – whether you select the deep Redwood version or the workman-like, highly visible Laser Green color for extreme conditions, the Filson Prospector Hoodie is sure to become a new essential, casual spring layer. Invest in your new favorite hoodie now, then reap the rewards all spring long.

The Tuesday Steal: Save 60 Percent On These Stylish Sunglasses from Huckberry

Best spring and summer sunglasses for men.

The theme of these past few weeks on your favorite men’s style blog, if you ask me, has been prepping early and often for the season ahead. Warmer spring weather will soon be afoot, and if you find yourself in the market for a pair of stylish sunglasses after a cloudy winter, you’re in luck. Of course, a pair of the best men’s sunglasses are practically an essential year-round (think of the sun hitting blinding white snow!), but there’s something even better on tap today: Head over to Huckberry to shop the excellent Huckberry Sale on Sale, where you’ll find that you can get an extra 15 percent off the best menswear essentials.

Included among those essentials, of course? The Walden Eyewear Passage Sunglasses, a timeless pair of men’s sunglasses that are now a whopping 60 percent off. That price drop — now through this Friday! — brings them down to $47 from the already agreeable price of $119, and that’s a deal worth shopping right now.

Most stylish sunglasses for men.

Of course, the Huckberry Sale section always seems to be an action-packed spot, and it’s all the better you can save quite a few extra bucks on picks like these stylish men’s sunglasses. There’s a world of Huckberry menswear to shop, so I’m going to wrap up today’s post early — get out there and get to it, my friends!

See Now, Buy Now: The Buck Mason Storm Stopper Deck Jacket Is the Perfect Casual Jacket for Spring

Best men's spring rain jacket.

Sometimes, stepping into a new season is all about turning back the clock. Take the good folks at Buck Mason, a brand with a knack for taking old-school styles and updating them in a way that results in nothing less than, say, one of the best spring jackets for men (among many other throwback staples at which the brand excels). Whether it’s an eye-catching rugby polo or one of the best thermal henleys, there’s something special about gear made to last — especially when the piece in question is the impossibly cool yet highly functional Buck Mason Storm Stopper Deck Jacket.

Helpfully, you’ll find it within the carefully curated Buck Mason Spring Preview section, an enticing look ahead at breezy weather and breezy layers, from the famed selection of Buck Mason T-shirts to perfectly executed lightweight sweaters and of course, the Buck Mason Storm Stopper Deck Jacket.

It all starts with the fabric when we’re talking spring jackets, especially one of the best spring rain jackets, and this vintage-inspired jacket is built with yarn-dyed cotton-poly weather cloth, perfect for standing up to spring breezes. Of course the throwback inspiration behind the Buck Mason Storm Stopper Deck Jacket is applause-worthy, too.

Best men's spring rain jacket.

That’s because the Buck Mason Storm Stopper Deck Jacket takes its cues from deck jackets, with a seemingly simple design that actually packs in tons of functionality. It’s fully lined in nylon and finished off with corduroy cuff and collar accents in old-school fashion (turn up the collar for added protection from the elements), while the Buck Mason Storm Stopper Deck Jacket also boasts a drawcord waist for a snug fit.

Shop New Arrivals from Billy Reid

For good measure, the Tanker Green color is utterly classic, almost as cool as a jacket you’d discover in an old Polaroid, while the combination of both a zipper and button front offers even more protection from the elements. The price tag on the Buck Mason Storm Stopper Deck Jacket is agreeable considering it could easily morph into an everyday, casual spring jacket as well as a highly dependable jacket on breezy, rainy days.

Satchel and Page

It’ll set you back $228 at Buck Mason, not a bad price for your new favorite spring jacket. It’s the kind of casually rugged jacket meant to be worn with Buck Mason jeans or even stretch chinos, whether on the road or at home around town, and it’s never too early to prep for the season ahead.

The Sunday Sale: Take An Extra 15 Percent Off On-Sale Menswear at Huckberry This Week

Huckberry Winter Sale 2023

As I often talk about here at The Style Guide, curating a wardrobe packed with menswear essentials you love to wear should be fun, it should be consistent, and it should involve really seizing the day and striking while the iron is hot, so to speak. What exactly do I mean by that?

Well, take this weekend’s ongoing menswear sale at Huckberry, long one of my favorite brands (and one of the best online menswear shops at which to spend your hard-earned cash). If you know where to look — say, the Huckberry Sale section — you can indeed strike while the iron is hot, saving yourself an extra 15 percent in the process.

That’s because my friends at Huckberry are now running a Sale on Sale, now through March 10th. So, time is of the essence as you peruse the always well-stocked Huckberry Sale section, and that’s a good thing — these deals won’t stick around for long in terms of inventory, either.

Best waxed jacket for spring.

The scoop is this: You’re already getting as much as 40 percent off some of the best rugged menswear around, yet now Huckberry is throwing in an extra 15 percent. That means classics like the Flint and Tinder Waxed Hudson Jacket are now well under $300, and just in time for rugged spring layering, too. Don’t take my word for it, though: Check out the Huckberry Sale section yourself this week to save an extra 15 percent on your new favorite menswear. Cheers, my friends.

Style Pick of the Week: Todd Snyder Dylan Suede Jacket – Spring’s Coolest Luxury Jacket

Best men's spring jacket.

Perhaps you’ve felt it in the air lately: Not winter’s chill but instead, a breezy spring on the horizon (if you’re lucky, that is). The answer to spring weather? The right spring layer, be it one of the best chore coats or else, this impossibly cool suede trucker jacket from Todd Snyder. Yes indeed, leave it to the famed American designer to deliver a luxe style essential that levels up just about any spring look you can think of — and then some. I’ve previously sung the praises of the famed Todd Snyder Dylan Jacket on the blog, but there’s something about this suede iteration that practically screams spring style — don’t you agree?

The Todd Snyder Italian Suede Dylan Jacket is quite literally a cut above in terms of design, material and price (it’ll run you $998, after all), but there’s a premium, timeless quality to this piece (as with most Todd Snyder menswear picks, in my humble opinion). With the frankly incredible Todd Snyder Italian Suede Dylan Jacket, you get a little bit of everything: Luxurious, soft-to-the-touch 100 percent calf suede, plus made-in-Italy production, all blended with the rugged appeal of the classic trucker jacket. It only gets better from there, my friends.

You see, the Todd Snyder Italian Suede Dylan Jacket also gets the small details right, like Todd Snyder logo buttons, plus hip side pockets and two front flap chest pockets for your everyday carry essentials. Crucially, the Todd Snyder Italian Suede Dylan Jacket fits true to size, so take your normal size — ideally, this handsome suede trucker jacket should fit well enough to wear over a Todd Snyder x Champion T-shirt or one of the designer’s perfectly cut Oxford shirts.

For good measure, the Todd Snyder Italian Suede Dylan Jacket comes in six rich colorways, including a dusty tan Cappuccino shade and a timeless Navy option. Again, it’s a splurge at nearly $1K, but given Todd Snyder’s penchant for quality, it’s an investment worth making — trust me on that. Happy shopping, my friends!

The Friday Read: The Best End-of-Season Menswear Sales & an Upstate Getaway

My friends, thanks for joining us for another Friday Read, your indispensable guide to the best weekend menswear sales and plenty more (at least, in my humble opinion). Chief among the deals you should shop to start your weekend? Well, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The Billy Reid Winter Event is giving you a major “sale on sale” on opportunity, with the chance to save 40 percent on already on-sale menswear from the famed Alabama designer. It’s the discount that keeps on giving, as I’ve talked about on the blog, and it’s your chance to save on refined style gear aplenty. So, how about it, ehh?

It’s the kind of deal I’ve got my eye on, no doubt about it, and you should keep a weather eye out for savings and style, too. Speaking of keeping a weather eye out… perhaps you’re planning your first big getaway of this new season? If you find yourself in New York or on the East Coast and fancy an upstate getaway, there’s hardly a better spot to visit than the Wylder Windham Hotel in lovely Windham, New York.

I found out for myself when I visited the locale for Maxim earlier this winter — here’s my full travel review of this exceptional property. If you can’t get away right now, put it on your list — and in the meantime, here are a few more deals and a few more reads to get your weekend rolling the right way.

  • Folks, step right up and step into a new season with some of the best men’s boots for spring (and well beyond). I talked earlier this week on the blog about Astorflex at Huckberry, makers of some of the most sustainable men’s boots on the market, and it’s high time you got yourself a pair — yes? Consider this a reminder to step into a stylish new season ASAP.
  • Speaking of boots, here’s something every boot enthusiast in your life (yourself included) can appreciate: Over at WERD, I wrote about the best boot brands for men to shop now, a comprehensive guide to ramp up your rotation heading into the blustery spring months. Again, consider it a reminder to step into a stylish new season!
  • Here’s one more style reminder to send you off into the weekend: A chore coat can act as a rugged hybrid between a blazer and, say, a field jacket, with plenty of style points to go around. That’s why I wrote about one of the best spring chore coats — from Todd Snyder, naturally — just yesterday on the blog. Read up, start shopping and layer up accordingly, my friends.

That’s going to wrap up today’s Friday Read — did you find what you were looking for, perhaps in the way of a pair of the best men’s boots for spring, or else with some inspiration for your next upstate getaway? Here’s hoping, and if not, well, more style inspiration is always close at hand with my Saturday Style Pick of the Week or Sunday’s sale highlight. Stay tuned, stay stylish and thanks for reading, as ever!

The Thursday Buy: This Todd Snyder Chore Coat Is Your New Must-Buy Early Spring Jacket

Best men's chore coat for spring

What are we up to this week at The Style Guide? Well, much like yourself, I’m dusting off my spring style gear, checking out some new spring menswear essentials and preparing to step slowly but surely into a new season. The best way to gear up for a new season varies based on where you live, to be sure, but I like to start from the top down (or the bottom up), and one way to revamp your early, early spring dressing this week? One of the best men’s jackets for spring, a downright cool, casual and classic pick from Todd Snyder’s New Arrivals section.

The Todd Snyder French Blue Chore Coat, in fact, might be one of the best spring jackets you can get your hands on right now, what with its old-school, workwear appeal and the sort of construction that makes it easy to layer for plenty of days and weeks ahead. This style of jacket, as you might have guessed, was first worn by painters and tradesmen in France, the original home of denim.

The earliest iterations of the fabric lent itself to hard-wearing, hard-working silhouettes, best epitomized for the modern man by the Todd Snyder French Blue Chore Coat. It makes perfect sense that the famed American designer would want to offer up his own take on the silhouette, considering he already crafts one of the best canvas work jackets out there.

Best spring chore coat for men.

It’s a handsome workwear jacket that almost functions as a blazer hybrid, what with its hip patch and chest pockets, plus that rich blue color akin to your go-to blazer. But the Todd Snyder French Blue Chore Coat has a few more details going for it that turn it into an eye-catching spring jacket, including the use of imported Japanese indigo and a breezy, unlined 100 percent cotton construction. Note that the indigo dye on the Todd Snyder French Blue Chore Coat will fade over time, so wear it carefully, but get ready to look for wear patterns that tell unique stories all your own.

Best men's chore coat for spring.

After all, with a jacket like the Todd Snyder French Blue Chore Coat — which retails for an investment-worthy $468 — you’re going to want the chance to wear it as often as possible, right? And something with as timeless a design as this handsome indigo blue chore coat offers plenty of style potential.

To wit: Team the Todd Snyder French Blue Chore Coat with a heather grey T-shirt, tan stretch chinos and brown leather chukka boots for a nice mix of high-low style (just like wearing a lightweight blazer over a T-shirt!). Beyond that, look to pair up the Todd Snyder French Blue Chore Coat with a grey Oxford shirt and dark brown chinos or five-pocket pants, all the better for 9-to-5 style and beyond. No matter how you choose to wear it, just know that every guy should have a touch of workwear style is in his rotation this spring, and the standout, investment-level Todd Snyder French Blue Chore Coat is the one to buy now.

See Now, Buy Now: Lace Up these Classic Astorflex Chukka Boots from Huckberry for Early Spring

Best chukka boots for men this spring.

Check your calendar and turn the page into a new month: It’s, rather incredibly, now March, and that means you should be full-steam ahead when it comes to stocking up on the best menswear essentials for early spring (and well beyond, of course). As you know if you read the blog frequently, there are a few sources your Brooklyn style writer trusts when it comes to early spring style essentials, and chief among them — at least for the purposes of today’s post — is Huckberry, the San Francisco brand with an eye for what looks great and wears well for the modern man, season after season.

And today’s main goal? Stepping out of your sturdy winter boots into a pair of the best chukka boots for men, an early spring must-have you can lace up now and wear well into the summer months. In fact, the Astorflex Brownflex Boots manage to improve upon the chukka boot itself, a truly timeless footwear style boasting a soft, supple crepe rubber sole.

They also feature the kind of versatile design that wears incredibly well with everything from stretch chinos to a pair of your favorite blue jeans. Let’s dive into the pair you need now, yes?

Best men's chukka boots to buy now.

The boots in question, of course, are coming to you courtesy of Astorflex, the long-running Huckberry favorite with a penchant for crafting some of the most stylish chukka boots for men, all at a family-owned Italian factory and all using sustainable materials and production processes. You certainly recognize Huckberry for crafting the best rugged lace-up boots for more brisk fall and winter climates, but what about chukka boots for spring? Enter the Astorflex Brownflex Boots, a new and improved pair of the best men’s chukka boots here to welcome a new season.

The key when it comes to the Astorflex Brownflex Boots? They were custom-developed for the good folks at Huckberry, featuring upgraded touches like a leather lining, not to mention a custom last that follows the foot’s natural shape. Those are but two touches that lift the Astorflex Brownflex Boots a cut above a more standard pair of chukka boots, and they’re crafted from soft suede leather — available in four handsome shades for maximum versatility.

They’ll stand out handsomely and stylishly when worn with everything from some of the best blue jeans for men to olive or tan chinos, and things only get better from there, since they’re priced below $200. The next time your spring footwear game needs an upgrade, get your hands on a pair of the Astorflex Brownflex Boots.