Style Pick of the Week: Outerknown Chroma Blanket Shirt – Spring’s Best Men’s Overshirt for Rugged Layering

Best shirt jacket for men.

As I often say here on the blog, building a stylish wardrobe of menswear essentials is a bit like looking into the future: You need to be ready for just about anything, and that’s particularly true during the blustery days of spring. That means, to me, that if you leave the house on a sunny day wearing one of your favorite pocket T-shirts, you very well might need to layer up as the afternoon goes on and the day gets a bit more blustery.

What’s a guy to do? That’s easy, at least in my book. Shop one of the best men’s shirt jackets early and often, and do it from a brand you can trust: A brand like Outerknown, of course.

The company, founded by surfing legend Kelly Slater, has plenty going for it, including eco-friendly production through every step of the process. That goes for sustainable menswear essentials like one of the best crewneck sweatshirts, and it carries onward into today’s featured Style Pick, the Outerknown Chroma Blanket Shirt. It’s notably part of the Outerknown New Arrivals section, which is always worth a look if you want rugged, durable and versatile gear with a sustainable touch.

Most rugged shirt jacket for men.

What makes the Outerknown Chroma Blanket Shirt such a winner in my book? There’s plenty, of course, starting with the fabric itself. It’s made from an organic cotton twill for a soft yet durable feel, the kind that wears easily as a shirt jacket atop a super-soft Outerknown T-shirt. It’s also not too far off from the much-loved Outerknown Blanket Shirt, which is one of my favorite shirts on the market. But of course, the Outerknown Chroma Blanket Shirt has plenty of character all its own, including eye-catching buttons made from nuts, plus a fit that’s easy to layer.

Notably, the Outerknown Chroma Blanket Shirt also comes in nine versatile, dusty colors, each of which have a pleasingly vintage look to them. This is the kind of rugged, durable shirt jacket you can toss on over your favorite henley for a day hike or a casual afternoon at your favorite brewery, and yet the Outerknown Chroma Blanket Shirt is well-suited for everything from camping trips to cool evenings around the bonfire.

The chest pockets also turn the Outerknown Chroma Blanket Shirt into a highly useful workshirt, and with its wrinkle-fighting design, the brand notes that it’s one of the best travel shirts for men, too. When you want eco-friendly design and plenty of durability to go along with it, opt for the essential Outerknown Chroma Blanket Shirt

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Style Pick of the Week: Faherty Brand Tried And True Shirt – An All-Time Style Classic

Best men's denim shirt for summer.

If you’re anything like me, perhaps you appreciate menswear styles that stand the test of time, that tend to look good from season to season and year to year, and even era to era. Take one of the best denim shirts for men — or in this case, one of the best indigo shirts for men, made from an innovative, modern fabric blend.

The shirt in question today is the Faherty Tried and True Shirt, released to celebrate the easygoing, coastal style-meets-rugged-classics appeal of the New York City brand’s 10th anniversary. And if you ask me, this shirt (a new favorite and possibly one of the best men’s shirts for summer) lives up to its name, and then some.

Faherty seems to rise to the occasion in multiple seasons, be it making a breezy knit shirt as one of the best men’s shirts for spring, or else going a touch more rugged with waxed outerwear, or a touch more versatile with stylish stretch chinos. And quite literally true to its name, the Faherty Tried and True Shirt is another fine addition to the brand’s stable of casual, laidback yet crisp shirts, shorts and chinos.

It starts with the light blue Vintage Indigo color, but the aforementioned modern fabric — a blend of Tencel and linen for stretch and breathability — helps things along quite nicely.

Best denim shirt for men.

Four-hole urea buttons add a touch of contrast to the Faherty Tried and True Shirt, but it’s that soft wash that’s going to make all the difference this summer. It should prove comfortable enough to wear on its own, sleeves rolled up alongside your favorite pair of chinos at the office, but the Faherty Tried and True Shirt really excels in more easygoing yet classic situations.

Take the Faherty Tried and True Shirt for a spin with classic dark blue jeans for a timeless combo on cooler spring and summer nights, or wear this handsome indigo shirt atop a classic graphic tee or pocket T-shirt for days on the water. The thing is, with a comfortable and casually cool shirt like the Faherty Tried and True Shirt, you can do just about anything — as long as you add it to your wardrobe starting this weekend.

If you end up picking up this shirt, let me know in the comments — stay stylish, and thanks for reading!

Style Pick of the Week: Mack Weldon Silver Pique Tee – The Best Luxe Tee to Wear This Summer

Best men's T-shirt for summer

I don’t know about you, but when I get dressed on the daily, I often look for pieces that are classic, yet upgraded slightly and done in ways that are ever-so-different. Take the practice of wearing a T-shirt (or rather, one of the best men’s T-shirts). It’s an item I’m willing to bet you might wear as many as 7 days a week in these more casual, work-from-anywhere times. If that’s the case, at least one of the T-shirts you’re wearing might as well be a well-made, luxe upgrade, right? And that’s where my good friends at Mack Weldon come into play.

You likely recognize the brand for making one of the most versatile men’s jackets, as well as comfortable and high-quality basics like the best men’s underwear and socks, yet the Mack Weldon Silver Pique T-Shirt does things even better than one might expect from the New York City DTC brand. Now, keep in mind that the Mack Weldon Pima Crew T-Shirt is already a fan favorite (and that’s thanks to the soft cotton construction), but the Mack Weldon Silver Pique T-Shirt goes a step further.

Best white T-shirt for men.

Crucially, the Mack Weldon Silver Pique T-Shirt is built with both Supima cotton (again, another soft touch in terms of fabric), plus the brand’s anti-odor Ionic+ silver technology, which fights odor. There’s also a side split hem on the Mack Weldon Silver Pique T-Shirt, so it drapes more like a polo, while the White version of this stylish men’s T-shirt boasts a tipped navy collar for a touch of refinement.

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That turns it into a classic tee you can wear underneath a soft-shouldered navy blazer, or else with olive chinos and your favorite pair of leather chukka boots for a touch of high-low style. Of course, it’ll wear just as well with some of the best blue jeans for truly timeless style.

HELM Boots

And crucially, the Mack Weldon Silver Pique T-Shirt uses a stretchy micro knit pique fabric weave, just like one of your favorite polos, so it moves with you and performs on the course, across town and everywhere in between. Naturally, that makes the Mack Weldon Silver Pique T-Shirt pricier than other Mack Weldon T-shirts (it retails for $68, compared to $38 for the standard Pima Crew Neck).

And yet, once you try on this soft, breathable and classed-up tee, you’ll really feel the difference. Go on, upgrade your T-shirt this spring and summer — you’ll be glad you did.

Style Pick of the Week: Flint and Tinder 365 Chino Pants – Spring and Summer’s Perfect Everyday Pant

Best men's chino pants.

Don’t step into a new season — or step out for your next casual or tailored pursuit — without the proper attire, my friends. It’s easier to knock it out of the park than you might think, whether you’re heading to the office, to a wedding or to a casual day around town, cold beer in hand. The solution lies in some tried-and-true classics, as in a pair of the best men’s chino pants.

Of course, it goes without saying that you should round out the rest of your ensemble with something as equally hard-wearing, stylish and classic, like one of the best Oxford shirts or even your favorite denim jacket, but I’ll leave that to you: Let’s talk chino pants right now, shall we?

And like clockwork, the good folks at Huckberry have precisely the pair you need. They hail from the always well-stocked Huckberry New Arrivals section, and the Flint and Tinder 365 Chino Pants do something that’s nearly impossible: They take a tried-and-true classic (the Flint and Tinder 365 Pants) and improve upon them in a way that’s classy, versatile and effortlessly sharp.

Best chino pants for men.

Of course, the Flint and Tinder 365 Pants are as dependable as can be in their own right, with a five-pocket build to rival your favorite denim and yet, the crisp cut of a chino pant. But, here’s the catch: The Flint and Tinder 365 Pants aren’t quite classic chinos, although they’re darn close (plus, highly affordable and stylish). The key here with this new pant? The streamlined design of chinos, with front slant pockets and what Huckberry calls a “clean, tailored look.”

The Flint and Tinder 365 Chino Pants only get better from there, thanks to a performance stretch cotton blend that delivers mobility and lightweight comfort, even in the heat. The best chino pants, after all, should help you stay polished no matter what, and again, Flint and Tinder certainly knows how to deliver on that front.

The fabric itself is also garment-dyed for softness, while the Flint and Tinder 365 Chino Pants come in four crisp colors, including Earth (my personal favorite). And for good measure, you’ll find your new favorite chino pants in both Slim and Straight cuts. You’ve just taken the guesswork of what to wear to your next spring or summer shindig, my friends.

Style Pick of the Week: Mott and Bow Benson Jeans – Best Men’s Light Wash Jeans for Spring and Summer

Having menswear picks you can rely on is part of the fun of getting dressed on the daily, if you ask me. In the same way that you find yourself reaching for your favorite pair of leather boots every day, you very well might find yourself opting to rock, say, a classic pair of blue jeans. But in the world of the best men’s jeans, there are some subtle switch-ups you can make as the seasons change, all in the name of comfort, style and dependability.

Naturally, I’m talking about shopping for a pair of the best light wash jeans, a suitably breezy and lightweight style move for spring and summer — and but one way to avoid giving up your love of denim, even in the hotter months. And if you ask this Brooklyn style writer, there’s one brand above all others that delivers the right mix of quality, comfort, sharp looks and agreeable pricing — stop me if you know where this is going, but Mott and Bow can readily offer up some of the best light wash jeans for men.

Best light wash jeans for summer.

The jeans in question in today’s Style Pick of the Week? The Mott and Bow Benson Jeans, a fresh take on the timeless five-pocket blue jean, all done up in a fittingly spring and summer-ready light wash. The Benson Jeans feature the New York City brand’s nicely tailored Slim fit, but it’s the 19-month wash that elevates the Mott and Bow Benson Jeans to another plane in terms of warm weather style.

Best men's light wash jeans.

Another crucial key with Mott and Bow men’s jeans? That comfort, notably the 17 percent stretch factor (and the use of 2 percent elastane in the fabric blend). That means that the Mott and Bow Benson Jeans are supremely comfortable right out of the box, with a light wash that feels super-soft to the touch.

Man and woman standing in a field looking at the camera wearing white tees and jeans

Other style details are taken care of accordingly, from the contrasting copper-colored rivets to the back leather patch for a distinctive branding touch. Your new favorite pair of jeans are also agreeably priced at $129, and available in waist sizes up to 40.

Better still is the fact that the Mott and Bow Benson Jeans are reliably casual, able to be paired up with, for instance, a Mott and Bow men’s T-shirt for expert spring and summer style. Don’t fuss too much over your next denim purchase — make it the Mott and Bow Benson Jeans. Stay stylish, my friends.

Style Pick of the Week: Taylor Stitch Apres Shorts – Spring’s Best Casual Men’s Shorts

Best casual shorts for men to wear now.

For as much as you need spring menswear essentials for those days you’ve got to get back out there and into the world, there’s also a time and a place for more laidback style moves, the kind you reach for on vacation or during relaxed days at home on the back patio, cold beer in hand.

As luck would have it, the good folks at Taylor Stitch make gear that’s meant for both, be it a classic striped T-shirt, one of the best spring jackets for men, or else today’s Style Pick: The supremely easygoing Taylor Stitch Apres Shorts, a fitting style move for easy-and-breezy days at home. They’re part of the Taylor Stitch Apres Collection, which toes the line between polished fits and super-soft fabrics with ease.

Best men's lounge shorts to wear now.

100 percent organic cotton waffle fabric keeps the Taylor Stitch Apres Shorts feeling light and comfortable — they’re more casual than chino shorts but more polished than athletic shorts, and that’s the right move on most days when working for home or hanging out by the bonfire. Slash front pockets provide a clean look and some storage space for small EDC selections, a helpful touch alongside back button pockets.

Colors like Charcoal, Granite and Indigo deliver options to suit every style, and you can even get away with wearing the Taylor Stitch Apres Shorts alongside one of the brand’s easygoing (but still cool and stylish) Taylor Stitch T-shirts or polos. There are even versions of the Taylor Stitch Apres Shorts that are water-repellent, all the better to wear on spring and summer adventures, but the organic cotton waffle fabric might be best-suited for your spring and summer loungewear needs.

Style Pick of the Week: Todd Snyder Waxed Dylan Jacket – Spring’s Perfect Jacket for Breezy Days

Best men's waxed jacket

Some brands tend to hang their hat on certain styles, finding a magic formula that just keeps working — and working, and working. In the case of designer Todd Snyder — and specifically in the race to craft one of the best jackets for spring — the famed Iowa-born creative seems to have nailed that formula precisely with the Todd Snyder Dylan Jacket.

Perhaps you’re familiar with the ultra-cool Todd Snyder Dylan Suede Jacket, which offers a luxe spring style upgrade, but when the weather turns breezy and perhaps a touch rainy, there’s another take on the Todd Snyder Dylan Jacket you need in your life, and that’s the Todd Snyder English Waxed Dylan Jacket.

It’s like I said: When a designer lands on a formula that works, it’s a wise bet to stick with that formula, and perhaps even improve upon it a bit in the race to find one of the best men’s jackets for spring. There are, of course, plenty of editions of one of Todd Snyder’s best-selling jackets out there, but the difference is in the details, and indeed, the Todd Snyder English Waxed Dylan Jacket rises to the occasion when you need hard-wearing yet premium spring outerwear.

Best waxed jacket for men this spring.

Naturally, the fabric puts the Todd Snyder English Waxed Dylan Jacket a cut above the rest, quite literally. It’s crafted with 100 percent cotton from British Millerain, a trusted company for decades on end, and it’s updated with a moleskin collar for a luxe finish (and you can also turn that collar up against the wind and rain this spring). The Todd Snyder English Waxed Dylan Jacket also boasts a handsome navy color, plus design inspiration drawn from vintage trucker jackets.

The end result is a style that’s a touch vintage and just a bit modern, and it’s complemented nicely by Todd Snyder logo shank buttons in contrasting hardware, with a fit that’s true to size. So, if you’ve worn a Todd Snyder jacket before and love the look of the Todd Snyder English Waxed Dylan Jacket (or if you’re a fan of the designer’s stylish Oxford shirts), you might have found the perfect (and perfect-fitting) spring jacket to really nail the perfect balance of form and function this season.

The Todd Snyder English Waxed Dylan Jacket might seem like a stylish splurge, but it’s one your wardrobe will be all the better for this season.

Style Pick of the Week: Todd Snyder Summerweight Favorite Shirt – A Must-Buy Shirt for Warm Weather

Best men's shirt for spring and summer.

There are times when you want to hit it right down the middle of the fairway, so to speak, in terms of your spring style essentials. Times when you want to look polished and crisp without overdoing it, without looking sloppy and without veering too far away from pieces that you know and love.

Take one of the best Oxford shirts, for instance. So named for the iconic fabric that makes up its design, the classic shirt is one that’s tough to improve upon — unless, of course, you’re Todd Snyder. And that’s where the Todd Snyder Favorite Shirt does its job so handily.

The all-American designer already specializes in modern updates to rugged classics, like one of the best field jackets, and something as timeless as the Oxford shirt is a ready target for the New York company to take on — and improve, for that matter. As the brand itself says, it just might be time to “say hello to your new favorite shirt,” and the Todd Snyder Summerweight Favorite Shirt steps right up to the tee and knocks it down the middle of the fairway.

Best summer shirt for men.

It’s so named because the Todd Snyder Favorite Shirt features the kind of details the designer himself appreciates, from small touches like the perfectly rolled collar and the front-button chest pocket to larger details, like soft and breezy cotton construction. Plus, the Todd Snyder Favorite Shirt features cool details like a locker loop — you could easily see this shirt hanging on a wooden peg in a cool menswear shop, right? That’s all the better, because the Todd Snyder Favorite Shirt is exactly the kind of effortlessly cool piece the namesake brand has perfected over time.

Plus, it’s available in nine color and pattern options, from a simple sky blue number to some distinctive stripes. Best of all is the fact that you can wear the Todd Snyder Favorite Shirt untucked with expertly faded blue jeans, or else tucked in underneath your favorite blazer alongside crisp navy chinos this spring and summer.

And yes, the Todd Snyder Favorite Shirt is an investment at nearly $150, but if you’ve tried Todd Snyder menswear, you know that it’s very much worth the price. Go on then — your new favorite shirt awaits.

Style Pick of the Week: Faherty Brand All-Time Shirt – Your New Everyday Spring Shirt

Best men's casual shirt.

Perhaps you, like your Brooklyn style writer, tend to gravitate consistently towards the same (or very similar) pieces in your closet, be it your favorite chambray shirt, your essential pair of blue jeans, or something as consistent and versatile as the recently launched Faherty All Time Shirt.

HELM Boots

The brand already makes a range of tailored-meets-laidback picks for the modern man, from one of the best topcoats for men to a casually rugged cardigan, and they’ve always had quite the lineup of dependable shirting. That brings us back to the Faherty All Time Shirt, possibly a contender for your new favorite everyday shirt.

Lofty praise though that might be, it would seem this shirt has the goods to go the distance, if the good folks at Faherty Brand have anything to say about it (and of course, they do!). Here’s the scoop with the Faherty All Time Shirt: It’s made with a blend of Supima cotton, Ecovero Viscose and elastane for stretch and plenty of comfort (this falls in line with my past experiences with Faherty shirts, which are durable and yet remarkably soft to the touch).

Best casual buttondown shirt for men.

The fit is also comfortable enough to wear on its own, with a slight taper through the sleeves and at the waist, and a more relaxed fit through the chest. What does all that mean for you? I’d take your normal size in the Faherty All Time Shirt, then wear it either on its own untucked with an essential pair of blue jeans, or else layered over a Faherty henley or worn more as a shirt jacket.

HELM Boots

It’s got the dependability to do either, and it comes in a range of breezy, colorful, spring and summer-friendly plaid patterns and colors. Crucially, the company designed the Faherty All Time Shirt to work just about every single day, be it at a casual office alongside those dark blue jeans, at a post-work watering hole or as a more casual weekend shirt jacket. It’s a shirt that just looks darn good, season after season, year after year — at least, if Faherty has its way, the Faherty All Time Shirt will become one of your favorites, too. Try it out this spring and let me know in the comments if it works out for you.

Style Pick of the Week: HELM Boots Zind Burgundy Boots – Your New Go-To Leather Boots

Best lace-up leather boots for men.

There comes a time in every season, like right now, in the depths of winter and with spring on the horizon, where something is so eye-catching and unique, so different, as to stop you in your tracks. Take a pair of the best men’s boots, for instance. A pair like the stunning HELM Zind Burgundy Boots, a pair of stylish leather lace-up boots entirely different from the hard-working pairs you’ve been wearing all winter. A word to the wise: The Burgundy Boots are selling quickly, but other styles of HELM boots are just as wish list-worthy.

Yes indeed, after a long winter of stomping your way through snow and slush, a pair of stylish leather lace-up boots — especially a pair that stands out from the pack — could be just the way to go, don’t you agree? Now, I don’t doubt that you recognize the perfectly rugged-meets-refined Austin-based bootmaker from the pages of this blog, where I’ve sung the praises of the brand for making some of the best Chelsea boots for men, but these sleek, sharp leather boots are just as worthy of your consideration and your hard-earned cash.

HELM boots review for men.

Naturally, you can find the HELM Zind Burgundy Boots — and other stylish HELM boots — at a discount if you’ve never shopped the brand before. In fact, you can save 15 percent on your first purchase by signing up for the brand’s E-mails — but even at full price, these durable lace-up boots are worth the squeeze, so to speak. They’re made from a full-grain brush-off leather with a classic, dressy shine, one that’s different from plenty of other pairs of men’s boots on the market (and the difference, my friends, is in the details).

That design approach makes the HELM Zind Burgundy Boots the kind of stylish men’s boots you can “pair with jeans on the weekend or a suit at the office during the week,” as the Texas bootmakers so wisely note. Of course, it helps that these leather boots are built on the brand’s more streamlined 415 last, giving them a dressy look and feel (know your size and shop carefully, folks).

Faherty

Antique brass eyelets play handsomely off the rich leather of the HELM Zind Burgundy Boots, while the Fineline sole is low-profile (compared to a traditional lug sole) and yet should offer solid traction. It’s worth noting that while this style is flying off shelves, it seems that HELM Boots always has plenty of other styles available to suit the modern man such as yourself, so shop with a careful eye — you’ll be rewarded in kind.