Tag / shawl collar cardigan

by Beau H.

#OOTD: Styling a Shawl Cardigan for Winter

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.

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.

Florsheim

by Beau H.

Online Shopping Picks: H&M

A budget, fast-fashion brand with some nice steals.

A budget, fast-fashion brand with some nice steals.

Editor’s note: Normally, brand or site round-ups haven’t been covered here on the site. However, sometimes seasonally appropriate or standout items just jump off the page. These choices don’t reflect sales picks at the moment, but simply offer a snapshot of great products from a (hopefully) affordable brand.

H&M exists in kind of a funny spot as far as fashion brands go. They’re clearly part of the cycle of fast-fashion retailers who pilfer ideas from larger, more successful retailers and offer their own versions at lower prices (this means, of course, cheap labor). At least on paper, they’ve been making progress in that arena. And on the clothing end, you tend to pay for what you get — their products aren’t ridiculously well-made, but they look just as good as more expensive brands and can definitely work in a pinch. Like other fast-fashion brands (Zara comes to mind), there are misses on the shelves and online — but some gems, too. Check out key picks below.

#1. Merino Wool Sweater — $19.95 (On-sale)

A seasonal sweater at an excellent price.

A seasonal sweater at an excellent price.

Merino wool is a great in-between fabric for V-neck sweaters — it’s not as expensive as cashmere or cotton-cashmere, and it still provides more depth and heft than a lightweight cotton sweater. This H&M option is quite the steal for their site. It’s was on-sale last week but the price has jumped back up — however, there are nearly all sizes available across five different colors. The gray black or ‘khaki green’ picks would be wise choices for their versatility, while the burgundy and evergreen options offer perfect seasonal tonality.

#2. Fine-Knit Cardigan in White — $34.95

A cream color that would sit well with solid neutrals, like a great pair of blue jeans.

A cream color that would sit well with solid neutrals, like a great pair of blue jeans.

While the site is all sold out of the navy option (which wouldn’t look out of place when worn this way), the cream option provides something most sweaters don’t  — a nice jolt of bright color in the winter (not that there’s anything wrong with darker colors — option #1 here, for instance). The shawl collar and texture through the body are different visual touches that call to mind an old fisherman’s sweater without the thicker cable knit pattern. This would pair well with dark denim or some burnt-orange chinos (as featured in last week’s Thanksgiving style piece) and a chambray shirt.

#3. Derby Shoes in Brown — $49.95 

A basic brown dress shoe that would work for most business-casual situations.

A basic brown dress shoe that would work for most business-casual situations.

H&M definitely isn’t the first place you should turn for quality footwear – DSW provides many brands that are a step up in quality for just a bit more coin, for example. But if you’re on an extreme budget and need a good pair of basic, reliable derby shoes for business-casual wear (get a breakdown of shoe terminology from Dappered), it couldn’t hurt to throw these in your cart. The metal eyelets do make this shoe more casual, but they should still work with more ‘casual-dressy’ pieces like a crisp knit tie. A word of warning: The company’s site even points out the shoes are made with imitation leather, so this could lead to a rather quick weardown. However, they shouldn’t fall apart right away on you, and could work in lots of different scenarios, especially with tan chinos.

#4. Patterned Flannel Shirt — $34.95 

This shirt looks eerily similar to a Frank & Oak piece, but at a lower price.

This shirt looks eerily similar to a Frank & Oak piece, but at a lower price.

I don’t personally have a lot of experience with H&M shirts, but the higher price point on this piece might bode well for its quality. The other thing that jumps out is the similarity (generally) to another printed flannel shirt on the market now from Frank & Oak. Prints now seem to be moving towards more and more graphic-based, busier and bolder looks, so grabbing a fall and winter-weight shirt at a lower price should definitely be appealing. This shirt, despite the busy print, could work under a tan herringbone blazer, and grey worsted wool trousers would also bring out the varying shades of blue well.

#5. Leather Chelsea Boots — $99 

A trendy pair of footwear at an agreeable price.

A trendy pair of footwear at an agreeable price.

Much like the derby shoes above, H&M wouldn’t normally jump to mind as a place to get great footwear — however, they have received some acclaim for their Chelsea boots, which hit the sweet spot in terms of affordability and looks. This pair appears sleek and slim, the ideal silhouette for boots that should work with everything from slim trousers and a V-neck sweater to some dark denim and a chambray shirt once it gets warm. While the lighter tan version is flashier, it’s arguably less versatile – darker brown leather would probably go with more outfit combinations, including black denim (like David Beckham wears here). But on the more fashionable side, if you’re looking to diversify your boot selection, lighter tan fills in a gap that other boots might not.

What are your top picks from H&M? Any items to recommend? Leave your thoughts below, and thanks for reading!

 

by Beau H.

Men’s Style Fall Wish List

Now that Labor Day’s rolled right on by, it’s time to seriously start thinking about snagging some key style pieces for fall. While the eyes of the fashion world have been focuses squarely on spring 2015 this week in New York City, the rest of us should probably be focused on more affordable (and wearable) style than what’s seen on the runways. With that in mind, it’s still important to take stock of what’s currently in your wardrobe, and what could use a refresher — seasonal additions in appropriate colors (like a rich burgundy or a faded indigo) are always a great way to shake things up. And on that note, I’ve had my eye on some purchases for the colder weather; hopefully, some of these picks make it into your closet as well!

Gap Reverse Jersey Shawl Cardigan

A fall (and winter) cardigan thanks to the shawl collar and cream color.

A fall (and winter) cardigan thanks to the shawl collar and cream color.

A chunky cardigan is a terrific alternative to a more traditional V-neck sweater, especially with a thicker shawl collar, like this one. In a cream shade, it’s also ideal for fall — it provides a nice contrast to darker, rustic colors, like auburn, burgundy or navy. It would also pair extremely well with a chambray shirt, thanks to the rugged-looking collar and patch pockets. It would also layer well over a henley or under a peacoat (and for more on a nice potential winter coat pick-up, read on below).

John Doe 420 Boot in Brown

A cheaper alternative to Wolverine's 1000 Mile boot.

A cheaper alternative to Wolverine’s 1000 Mile boot.

While this brand isn’t what you might think of when reaching for a pair of boots (Wolverine’s stellar 1000 Mile collection comes to mind) that’s exactly what makes them a great pick-up. This pair is still a deep, rich shade of brown that’s on-par with the similar Wolverine boots, yet these have a slimmed-down appeal — a less aggressive toe, considerably smaller shoelace eyeholes and a sleeker overall shape. Now, from a brand with arguably less of an emphasis on craftsmanship and less history than another competitor like Wolverine, quality concerns could arise.  But as part of a rotation with other boots in the fall, these are most likely a solid pick-up.

Saturdays Surf NYC Ulysses Peacoat 

 

Fit for fall and beyond.

Fit for fall and beyond.

A classic navy peacoat will never really go out of style, but it’s always nice to have a change of pace on hand when needed. This slick-looking option from Saturdays Surf NYC does just the job. Also available in navy, this heather grey number is a visual standout. A slim cut and an additional built-in collar are welcome updates to this classic piece of outerwear, and the price tag is substantially lower than the much-coveted Bond peacoat from Billy Reid — making this a welcome alternative.

 Form-Function-Form Button-Stud Burgundy Watchband

Changing up the typical black or brown-leather strap.

Changing up the typical black or brown-leather strap.

While a black or brown-leather watch is great to have on-hand (or on-wrist, rather) for repeated wear, sometimes your watch game needs an update. Much like a patterned watch strap can provide a jolt of color to your spring and summer wardrobe, a unique shade of leather more than gets the job done in the  fall and winter. I’ve already got a black-leather strap from form-function-form, and if the quality of this strap is anything like that one, it’ll hold up quite well over time with repeated wear. And the great thing about this shade of burgundy is that it can provide a needed (yet seasonally-appropriate) pop of color against black shoes, while working well with rich shades of brown.

What’s on your fall wish list? Any planned big purchases?