The List: Here are the Best New Gear Picks to Buy For the Month Ahead

We’re stepping fully into spring today with Taylor Stitch — and plenty of other men’s style essentials, of course.

It’s hard to believe that we’re into April already — how wild is that!? It’s fitting, then, that we’re telling you all about the best new men’s gear for the season today. To wit: We’ve got gear picks from some of my favorite brands, like Taylor Stitch (as seen above), and gear picks from top online sites, like Huckberry, too. You need a one-stop shop of sorts to revamp and refresh your men’s style essentials (and home goods, and camping gear), and that’s what this edition of The List sets out to do. Cheers!

Taylor Stitch Short-Sleeve California Shirt — $98

Your new go-to short-sleeve shirt.

Just as you would expect, Taylor Stitch delivers on the season’s must-have short-sleeve shirt. Echoing the fit of the iconic Taylor Stitch California Shirt but in a short-sleeve cut, this classic short-sleeve shirt is a new essential from the TS brand, made with breezy fabric that’ll keep you comfortable for more than a few rounds at your favorite brewery. It’s also made with an organic cotton blend and would wear nicely with, yes, Taylor Stitch chinos. Perfection.

Portuguese Flannel Linen Shirt — $115

Every guy needs a breezy, easy-to-wear linen shirt for spring and summer.

Linen shirting exudes laidback cool — and the best linen shirts, like this handsome, refined-yet-easygoing number from Portuguese Flannel, can even be worn underneath a classic khaki suit this spring and summer.

Levi’s Made & Crafted 501 Original Fit Denim — $148

Classic jeans for any season, including spring and summer.

While you might associate spring with light wash denim — which is perfectly fine! — the Levi’s Made & Crafted line is worth adding to your consideration set. That’s especially true given that these indigo jeans are an update to the classic Levi’s 501 Jeans.

SYMBOL Audio Unison 52″ Record Stand — $3,695

Simply a beautiful way to store your new favorite records — worth every penny.

OK, bear with me here. Maybe it’s the fact that I recently got a new record player, maybe it’s the fact that I’m coveting a unique way to store records … but the SYMBOL Audio Unison 52″ Record Stand is simply exquisite, the ultimate home audio upgrade if ever there was one.

Vessi Footwear Waterproof Knit Sneakers — $129 

Sporty, sleek, stylish spring sneakers.

If the name of the game is stylish spring sneakers — and it is — then the Vessi Footwear Waterproof Knit Sneakers are the way to go. Light as air and functional to boot, they’re the perfect travel sneakers this season.

Traveler Guitar Camper CS-10 Guitar — $254

Bring along this lightweight guitar to your next bonfire or camping trip.

While not what you might consider a traditional menswear pick, the aptly named Camper Guitar from Traveler Guitar is a heck of a neat camping essential to bring along on your next trip — and even if you can’t play, I guarantee someone else in your group can.

Pakt Pakt One 35-Liter Travel Bag — $325

A sharp, sleek bag made with rugged functionality.

When it comes to your everyday carry essentials, nothing but the best will do. And the Pakt Pakt One Travel Bag, although a little more minimal than the gear I feature on my Instagram, could just be your new go-to travel bag.

MWC Watches G-10 Watch — $172.98

The durable, lightweight spring field watch you need now.

Spring calls for evaluating your wrist game as well as the rest of your wardrobe, and if it’s a durable field watch you seek, turn toward the real thing with the MWC Watches G-10 Watch.

Fourlaps Relay Track Pants — $74.98

Sleek sweatpants to wear to the gym or to a casual coffee outing.

As we start a new season, I’d wager you’re going to want to get outside more — the comfortable, mobile Fourlaps Relay Track Pants (also available via Fourlaps.com) are the way to go. See, you can find functional and stylish sweatpants if you look long enough.

Proof 72-Hour Merino Long-Sleeve Henley — $98

A comfortable, mobile henley for breezy spring nights.

We’re moving our way through spring, and that means you can expect blustery days and breezy nights. This stylish long-sleeve henley from Proof should suit you well for travel and a spring bar crawl alike.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H4 Wireless Headphones — $300

These are the functional, sleek headphones to carry you through your commute.

There are the AirPods or regular headphones you pop in every day, and then there’s these high-quality headphones from Bang & Olufsen. Go on, treat yourself this spring.

Ekster Parliament Minimal Wallet + Tracker Card — $99.98

The functional wallet that provides security and durability, all in one.

Let’s keep talking about the everyday carry essentials you need for spring — for both security and style, this card tracker and wallet combo from Ekster gets the job done.

Proof Nova Series Insulated Vest — $73.98

The understated layer to go with all your spring outerwear.

If layering up with a vest is more apt to make you think of “Back to the Future” than anything else, think again — the Proof Nova Series Insulated Vest is the stylish spring layer you need right now. Wear it over a denim jacket if you wish (wink, wink).

Portuguese Flannel Pop Brick Shirt — $61.98

This is the printed shirt to shake up your spring style.

We’re back again with another highly stylish spring shirt from Portuguese Flannel — the seriously cool Pop Brick Shirt, to be more specific. Wear this printed short-sleeve shirt with light wash jeans and leather loafers to steal the show at your next spring backyard BBQ.

 

Alright, we’re all squared away with today’s edition of The List. Did any of the above gear picks catch your eye? If you want a functional spring layer, you can’t go wrong with the Proof Nova Series Insulated Vest. If you want a durable spring timepiece, you can’t go wrong with the MWC Watches G-10 Watch. And if you want to splurge a LOT? Well, you can’t go wrong with the  envy-inducing SYMBOL Audio Unison 52″ Record Stand. As always, thanks for reading!

 

 

 

The Friday Read: The GQ for GAP Collection, Throne 2.0 and Levi’s Vintage Clothing

Editor’s note: Expect these posts once a week on Fridays — consider this a jumpstart on reading for your weekend downtime. Expect a mix of style and non-style content. For more entries, click here.  

It seems as if it was just last Friday evening and I was standing in the crowd jamming out to Lucius in Central Park — yet, here we are with a brand-new edition of the Friday Read. The past weekend — and the last few days — have been a nice introduction to fall; if you don’t have a Fall Style Wish List made yet, I’d advise you do so now.  It’s everyone’s favorite time of the year, right?It’s a time for chukka boots, chambray shirts, thick cardigans — you name it, it’s nearly fair game. If I were you, I’d stick around for Monday’s post on … well, we won’t give it all away just yet. If fall travel is in the works, don’t forget that durable weekender bag. And like most weekends, I hope you’ve got your outfit for a football tailgate — seriously, it makes a difference. I’ll be cheering on my Michigan State Spartans as they take on Indiana, and I’ll be exploring the city with my good friend Ian Kullgren, himself a proud Spartan. It was nice to visit with Ian in  Washington, D.C. in May, and I expect just as great of a time checking out the city.  Everything from Central Park to favorite spots off the beaten path, like the excellent Berg’n in Brooklyn, are on the agenda. Oh, and about that football game — Go Green! Before we get to kickoff though, let’s start the weekend with the best in menswear — and keep your eye on the blog tomorrow for a special post with my friends at US Authentic; if you want to talk fall, one of the brand’s leather jackets is the way to go. (Hint: It’s part of the Style Pick of the Week series).

  • While we’re talking all things fall style, the good folks at Esquire picked out the week’s best style upgrades — you might recognize a certain shirt from a certain #OOTD published this week on the blog…
  • A standout watch is the perfect finishing touch when it comes to your ensemble, and us lucky watch aficionados might have just stumbled onto the perfect one. Throne Watches just launched the Throne 2.0, a super-clean yet classic chronograph assembled from Swiss movements. The overall look is stellar — crisp enough for dress situations, versatile enough for casual wear. Truly, you should get your hands on the Throne 2.0 soon (oh, and the sub-$600 price tag isn’t bad, either!)
  • If — like me — you’ve been eagerly perusing GAP’s site for news of the GQ for GAP Collection, you’re in for a treat! If you haven’t seen it already, that is. The new GQ for GAP Collection is live — snap it up quick. A few of those pieces, including that excellent Michael Bastian blazer, look mighty tempting.
  • Lastly in the world of new collection launches as we enter the stellar fall season, Levi’s Vintage Clothing — the premium, workwear-inspired offshoot of Levi’s — just launched a truly great seasonal offering. It’s focused in part on NYC’s hallowed 9th Street Exhibition, a downtown location that served as a backdrop through the 50s for tons of artistic expression — I’m no art history buff, but the resulting menswear is pretty neat, including some excellent 1954 501 Jeans. Good stuff!

Last but not least — one more piece of menswear for y’all:

  • Remember taking summer vacations out West, anyone? Maybe to a national park? Eddie Bauer evokes that sense of nostalgia nicely with its latest launch — a revamp of the brand’s iconic 1936 Skyliner Jacket, this time done up in reversible Pendleton wool patterns that pay tribute to the national parks. It’s a pretty neat feature, to say the least.  You can read more about it via my latest post on The Manual, and you can look for more details on the jacket in the coming weeks on my Instagram (wink, wink).

Enjoy the weekend, and follow along with all things menswear over on Twitter — ’til the Style Pick of the Week post,

-Beau