Tag / v-neck sweaters

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.

Shopping on a Budget: An Updated Men’s Style Starter Kit, Part 2

This week on Siblings with Style, we’ll tackle Part 2 in the somewhat extensive process of building a starter wardrobe on a tight budget. Last year’s post tackled how to revamp a wardrobe for under $250, while Part 1 of the new series last week took a look at the basics you need on your legs — affordable, stylish jeans, chinos and shoes. But, style isn’t just one portion of the ensemble — looking your best is about tying in many separate parts across different seasons, different trends and different situations. Consider these picks as a starting point (or a restocking point) for both casual knits and shirts, as well as sweaters. In the next post, we’ll tackle dressier essentials on a budget. For now, let’s keep it casual — look below for (almost) everything you need up top.

Casual Knits/Shirts: Old Navy

In a wide spectrum of colors and styles, Old Navy's your go-to for casual shirting.

In a wide spectrum of colors and styles, Old Navy’s your go-to for casual shirting.

The world of casual T-shirts and other items can actually get pretty extensive, between the different  variations on laidback stylings (V-neck? Crewneck? Pocket tee? Henley?). And it’s no use spending hundreds of dollars on a simple T-shirt. But, no need to skimp on style, either. One location is a tremendous starting point for all of these various essentials — that’s right, Old Navy. As covered on this blog in a Starter Style Review earlier this year, the store is a veritable outpost of affordable knits in all of the variations listed above. Need some basic v-necks that you can wear on their own or underneath other items?  Want a slim henley in a fall-appropriate color? Fancy a casual polo for the warmer months? Old Navy’s the spot. And with several variations on colors for polos, shirts and henleys alike, the store could (and should) become a one-stop shop for various layering needs. The best part is undoubtedly the price — it seems many of these styles retail for, at the most, roughly $20. Assuming you pick up three to start (say, a long-sleeve henley for cold weather-layering, a V-neck T-shirt and a crewneck T-shirt for casual wear), those purchases wouldn’t set you back more than $45 when bought on sale.

TOTAL: $45 (For three shirts)

Casual Buttondown Shirts: Uniqlo

For about $50, you can get the above two shirts right now. Not a bad deal at all.

For about $50, you can get the above two shirts right now. Not a bad deal at all.

There’s a plethora of options out there when it comes to shirting — in this particular roundup, we’re looking at shirts that aren’t designed to be worn with a suit (while that’s broad, think Oxford cloth button-downs and other styles). Many brands are now making terrific-looking casual shirts, but in this case, one brand offers a great mix of pricing and slim, modern styles — Uniqlo. They offer a wide selection of slim-fit Oxford shirts (as seen above) in a wide variety of colors, and frequently run deals on 2 shirts, for example. In fact, 2 Oxford shirts will set you back roughly $50 — a pretty neat discount when you consider the wearability of a classic white OCBD. If you had to start with two picks, you could absolutely find them at the mainstay Japanese brand. A pretty thorough selection of denim and flannel shirts in a diverse color spectrum rounds out their casual shirting selection quite nicely. The one area they appear to be lacking in would be colorful, playful patterns — in that case, searching J. Crew Factory can offer some deviation from the typical solids or checks offered by Uniqlo, at about the same price point.

TOTAL: $50 (For two shirts)

Sweaters: Uniqlo

From extra fine merino to lambswool and cashmere, Uniqlo delivers.

From extra fine merino to lambswool and cashmere, Uniqlo delivers.

Moving up to sweaters (another versatile outer layer as it gets chilly), sticking with Uniqlo is actually a wise choice here. While sweaters from comparable budget brands like J. Crew Factory definitely stack up favorably when it comes to quality, saving money wherever possible is definitely recommended when going through a wardrobe revamp. Although, if you can afford to shell out a few extra bucks per sweater, go for it. Just like their selection of casual shirts, Uniqlo offers excellent variety when it comes to sweaters. From extra fine merino crewnecks in bright shades to striped cardigans that mix things up just enough, the selection is on-point. Plus, a sweater can act as a neutral base to richer color combinations, particularly in fall and winter. More importantly, Uniqlo’s offerings even include cashmere (likely not the best, but worth a mention) and thicker lambswool knits. The cashmere sweaters do creep up towards the triple-digit mark in terms of price, but the extra fine merino wool seems to strike a nice balance in terms of fabric and price. As to those with quality concerns, while it’s clearly not the highest-quality sweater on the market, personal purchases from Uniqlo have held up more than fine with regular wear and proper care. Pick up two extra fine merino sweaters in versatile colors to start, and you’ll be well on your way for about $80.

TOTAL: About $80

So, for today’s entry, the total is roughly $175 — again, substantially larger when compared proportionally to the casual shirts portion of last year’s budget recap, but when considering that this round-up accounts for multiple styles from multiple sites, it’s really not that bad of a deal. Additionally, items from these categories can be mixed and matched — wear a V-neck T-shirt under a cardigan, or a casual buttondown shirt with a V-neck sweater. On the bottom, reach for any of the essentials in last week’s post, and you have a sharp and stellar combination.

Any recommendations for brands you would include? Favorite stops for casual shirts and sweaters? 

by Beau H.

Starter Style Review: Old Navy

Editor’s note: Building great style on a budget can be difficult and expensive. This is the second part in an occasional series chronicling great locations to start a wardrobe and buy affordable, good-looking style staples. Catch the first part here. Look for more in the coming weeks!

There's more than meets the eye with this brand.

There’s more than meets the eye with this brand.

Old Navy is one store that often seems overlooked when it comes to style and fashion. Maybe it’s because they fall under the large, large banner of Gap (which also includes Banana Republic) or perhaps it’s because the brand’s looks lean decidedly casual and tend to cater to a younger crowd (note the expansive kids section and back-to-school deals). However, there really are some terrific finds in terms of style essentials — in fact, a decent amount of Siblings With Style’s budget picks  for a menswear starter kit were gleaned from Old Navy. A good look through the store reveals just as many essentials in-person as online, all at very reasonable prices.

When browsing through the store, there certainly are some fantastic finds. In the local brick-and-mortar location, there was a massive clearance sale that marked large quantities of items down to as low as $5 (in this case, a selection of pique polos).

One of the store's standout selections.

A style staple at a low price.

Perhaps one of the better bargains around is the store’s selection of v-neck sweaters (for $10 in some instances). The sweaters are mostly offered in darker hues fitting winter and fall, but navy and grey v-necks as seen above are two items that can pull duty regardless of season.

Shirting also is a surprising strong point at Old Navy. As seen below, Old Navy featured a nice selection of light chambray and denim shirts, in addition to classic Oxford cloth button-downs (a tremendous polo alternative) and shirts with some interesting, subtle patterns, like pin dots and various symbols. The selection of strong plaid and striped shirts also was on-point with other brands — shirts with patterns like that are a steal at a bargain price and can even make do with little tailoring if layered under a sweater.

Winter-appropriate textures and fabrics

Winter-appropriate textures and fabrics.

Old Navy denim and trousers also earn the store significant style points. In offerings ranging from relaxed and straight to slim, the store had a variety of washes, including an inky black and some dark denim with slight distressing. At the particular store in question, slim-fit jeans were going for $35 — less than a pair of Levi’s for quality that can’t be beat for the price and fit. Corduroys also were on-sale for low, low prices, going for as little as $10. The fact that the pants were offered in a variety of darker shades (like navy and grey) helps them fall perfectly in line with the hues of the season while remaining a style essential.

Corduroys on sale at Old Navy.

Corduroys on sale at Old Navy.

The store’s selection of basic essentials is something Old Navy’s always done well, and it appears they continue to emphasize nice-fitting, basic T-shirts, henleys and thermal long-sleeve shirts (some of which can be seen next to those corduroys above). Buying these shirts in bundles can yield some nice, low prices. Old Navy’s jackets and outerwear are tremendous for the price, too — don’t forget about that essential navy peacoat.

Dark denim. Low price.

Dark denim. Low price.

Additionally, Old Nav offers some slightly trendier items, including puffer vests (now being layered above suits), a camo thermal long-sleeve shirt, and a shirt-jacket cut trim through the body and arms, in addition to a selection of jean jackets. The sale racks are absolutely worth looking over as well, as selection is actually quite extensive for most every size. And Old Navy does the basics, like boxers, boxer briefs and undershirts, at low prices, too — maybe not a bad idea to stock up there.

With Old Navy, like any store, there are sure to be magnificent finds at low prices as well as ‘duds’ at high prices. However, it’s definitely a store worth browsing to pick up style essentials and start a wardrobe at low prices.