komono watch | The Style Guide

Editor’s note: You’ve surely seen this hashtag lots of different places, including on Instagram. But how does that carry over to real life? The #OOTD series will take one great item and put together a versatile, stylish outfit around it. Look for past features here.

Ahh, the shawl cardigan — that masculine style essential that I find myself turning to time and time again. It simultaneously combines a rugged edge and old-school vibes (in the case of this piece, a cable knit) with new-school cool — in a slim cut, it can definitely be dressed up or down. It’s the type of piece I find myself wanting to wear far too often, simply because it looks great with lots of different pieces — be they slim chinos, dark denim or some colored jeans fit for the office or the weekend. And lucky for the both of us, the fine folks at JackThreads, makers of the cardigan you see below, are stocking a terrific pick-up at a steal of a price (as it seems with most of the brand’s offerings). Here’s but one way in which to wear it! Let’s see if you’d style it in a similar manner, yeah?

Taking a rugged style essential and mixing in rich color and texture.

The Shawl Cardigan: JackThreads Cable Cardigan, $51.75 (On-Sale) — A terrific navy color plus that great cable knit texture (and the essential shawl collar) at a winning price.

The Denim: Bonobos Dark Roast Travel Jean, $108 — Pricier than a pair of Levi’s, but Bonobos Travel Jeans bring quality in spades — plus the deep brown color here is excellent.

The Shirt: JackThreads Slim White Oxford Shirt, $49 — Another super-solid JackThreads pickup at a standout price — this is your everyday white Oxford.

The Boots: Dr. Scholl’s Burke Lace-up Boot, $155 — I’ve said the before and I’ll say it again: Who knew Dr. Scholl’s made men’s boots? This pair is lightweight and stylish, and they’re a solid way to mix black and dark brown (which CAN be done).

The Socks: J. Crew Medium-Dot Cotton Socks, $14.50 — A bit more expensive than a standard Wal-Mart pair of socks, but they’re much comfier and offer a solid change of pace in terms of color — even though they’re blue!

The Belt: Will Leather Goods Marlow Belt, $75 — As first seen in this site’s New Year’s Eve Style Suggestion; it’s got texture that falls in line with the watch, and a sleek black color to fit the boots. Again, black and brown can work together in dark shades like this!

The Watch: KOMONO Winston Herringbone Watch, $99.95 — As reviewed here; there’s hardly a better price for a seasonally appropriate watch that adds some great visual interest to this ensemble.

So we mix in lots of texture, from the cable knit of the sweater to the herringbone watch to the suede belt, and ground it with a classic white Oxford and saturated dark brown jeans — good enough for just about anywhere, right? Don’t forget to top it off with a slim topcoat and some warm winter accessories. Have suggestion as to what you want to see in these #OOTD entries? Send me an email or drop me a line on Twitter.

Editor’s note: Expect these posts weekly detailing one standout item coveted by yours truly. Sometimes, these fit within budgetary restrictions and other times, they’re expensive splurges worth saving for. For more Wish List items from Beau, head here, and to see other Style Picks, head here.

Tons of fall texture in an unlikely place — your wrist. The Winston Herringbone from KOMONO.

The theme of my wardrobe has centered, in recent weeks, around trying to will fall here — that is, wearing thicker boots, sturdier denim and wishing for a cool chill in the air. That’s why it’s (nearly) entirely appropriate to extend this focus to other, more unexpected pieces of clothing — like the watch you wear on you wrist. It’s a place that more brands are viewing as a complementary style piece — whether it’s a patterned NATO strap or something with a more fall or winter-centric tilt, like the KOMONO Winston Herringbone Watch. It’s simple yet eyecatching in a modern, minimalist way (even the offkilter logo doesn’t jump too much), and KOMONO is absolutely worth a look. They’re a quickly growing brand that offers a bevy of watch styles — nearly 250 — plus hundreds of sunglass styles, too. And they do so at prices that are quite manageable — more than a Timex (although the new Waterbury collection gets up in their price), yet far below Omega territory (this watch goes for just under $90). That’s all the better, because while some KOMONO options — like the Royale Silver — are more versatile, something like the Winston Herringbone is more unique, and thus less wearable across the board.

Some interesting detailing at the end of the strap adds a bit of flash to a sharp timepiece.

A closer look at the texture and off-kilter logo on a super-crisp dial.

But if you’ve built out a nice watch collection — maybe with a few styles from this post — it could be time (tick, tock) to look for something a bit different. And thanks to the cold weather-friendly texture on this strap, now is a great …. time to try out this move. It does, of course, have that black dial, so wearing it frequently in business casual situations with some brown chukka boots or brown dress shoes might look off. But on the weekends with a chunky cardigan, some trusty jeans and a beat-up pair of captoe boots, it should look just fine. The same goes for more neutral situations — like when paired up with suede chukka boots and a V-neck sweater on a casual work day. The black herringbone pattern even ensures that it could, in theory, work up against a tan wool blazer. It’s clean and minimal enough where it won’t look out of place in casual or appropriately matched dressier situations. And it’s affordable enough for you to take the plunge and still have a bit left over to celebrate Oktoberfest.

Would you rock a fabric watch? How about this particular style?

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Tag / komono watch

#OOTD: Styling a Shawl Cardigan for Winter

Style Pick of the Week: KOMONO Winston Herringbone Watch