Tag / weekly style pick

by Beau H.

Style Pick of the Week: Zady Men’s Navy Organic Buttondown

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.

A simple shirt made in a not-so-simple way, via the new Zady Man collection.

A simple shirt made in a not-so-simple way, via the new Zady Man collection.

First of all, folks: Happy Halloween! What costume do you have picked out? Let me know via Twitter! And with that out of the way, we’ll roll through our regularly scheduled Style Pick of the Week. More below…

If you hadn’t heard of Zady before the start of this week, there’s a good chance you have now. The ethical E-commerce company has slowly turned heads in recent years for its hyper-sustainable approach to the fashion industry. In short, the brand has set about stocking and selling only ethically produced, high-quality clothing — think buttondowns from Apolis and canvas coats from United By Blue. It’s a more sustainable, yet no less premium, version of East Dane. And now, Zady itself is making a small line of essential items for men — hence the resultant mini-media frenzy. If that didn’t catch your eye, the line of intensively-produced basics is sure to grab you away from Twitter for a few seconds (caught ya, yeah?). Of the well-curated colection, which includes a lightweight alpaca sweater and a crisp white Oxford, the simple navy buttondown is certainly one piece that has the potential be both on-trend and highly versatile.

Mother-of-pearl buttons made ethically team up nicely with a slim fit & other typical shirting details.

Mother-of-pearl buttons made ethically team up nicely with a slim fit & other typical shirting details.

It’s crafted from long staple organic cotton sourced from Turkey for a premium feel — and admittedly, a higher price tag than you’d find at a place like J. Crew ($130). But even the mother-of-pearl buttons are made sustainably using waste from the shellfish industry. And the product page itself does more than just toss up a few photos of the shirt. There’s an entire primer on what makes the shirt’s organic cotton — and other components — so special. It’s rather unexpected, but dovetails off nicely from what brands like Everlane are doing in terms of transparency to consumers. Oh yeah, and the styling potential of the shirt is pretty on-point. Toss it on with slim tan chinos and white leather sneakers for a fail-safe everyday look this fall, and wear it with some slate-grey linen shorts (as seen here) as it gets warmer out. It would also look right at home under a brown wool blazer and grey trousers this fall, and if you’re feeling daring, you could pair it with a more faded pair of dark denim and an elbow-patch cardigan for a stab at the monochrome trend that’s picked up so much steam.  The point is this: Zady appears to have hit it out of the park with its first stab at a private collection, and although the initial price tag could sting for those of us a bit strapped for cash, it could  very well be a splurge worth saving for — or putting on your list for Santa?

Have you bought any third-party merchandise from Zady? What do you think of its own collection?

Ernest Alexander

by Beau H.

Style Pick of the Week: GREATS Brand Royale Court

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.

An updated take on the classic high-top.

An updated take on the classic high-top.

If the brand name above looks a little familiar, that’s understandable. GREATS is a brand that has been featured numerous times here on The Style Guide, and with great reason, as it were. The Brooklyn-based brand is doing things the right way, making high-quality sneakers in a variety of silhouettes at affordable prices. The fact that premium materials and construction to rival that of dress shoes are incorporated into each pair is a definite bonus, too. And the product offering seems to grow each week, as the relatively new GREATS Royale Court release can attest. It joins a lineup that includes the lux Leather Wooster Slip-on and low-profile offerings like the Wilson and the Rosen. Thankfully, there’s really no better time to rock a high-top sneaker than the fall — the cooler temperatures and crisp breezes necessitate footwear that’s functional and stylish, but not as rugged as winter boots.

The Royale Court is also available in a crisp Honey Wheat color, also ideal for fall.

The Royale Court is also available in a crisp Honey Wheat color, also ideal for fall.

And the Royale Court gets a lot of the details you should look for in a high-top sneaker. That means shying away from athletic sneakers and other kicks you might rock at the gym, and instead looking for something exactly like this GREATS pair. They’re retro without going too over the top, and the matte Graphite color (one of four shades, including a nice red Plum)) helps keep things toned down, although the Honey Wheat offering plays off one of the bigger fall color trends, camel. This pair is pricier than a pair of classic Vans or any of a number of essential sneakers you should own, but you definitely get great quality based on my past experiences with the brand. This particular pair is fully lined in veg tan calf skin and features a premium leather upper, too. In the right color, they’re a set of kicks you could rock with some streamlined dark denim and a herringbone blazer for a high-low Casual Friday — and yet, they’d work just as well with some cargo trousers and a rugged henley. And in that neutral color above and with those quality materials, they’re a pair you should feel free to try out anytime, anywhere.

Would you purchase these high-top sneakers? How would you style them?
Ernest Alexander

Ben Sherman US

by Beau H.

Style Pick of the Week: Thursday Boots Roughout Captain Boot

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.

Fit for trekking through all terrains, the Roughout Captain Boot is this week's Style Pick. Photo courtesy of Thursday Boots.

Fit for trekking through all terrains, the Roughout Captain Boot is this week’s Style Pick. Photo courtesy of Thursday Boots.

If you’re just joining us for the weekly Style Pick series here on The Style Guide, welcome! And welcome back if you’ve been around these parts before. Last week, we (and by we, I mean myself) covered a nice transitional cardigan to carry you into the chillier temps of fall. And this week, we’re tackling the boots you’ll need to pair with said cardigan (or sweater, or blazer, or henley). As that weather starts to change, more and more of us will find ourselves reaching for something more substantial, so now’s as good a time as any to hook up a pair. And when it comes to brands to look for, Thursday Boots has done some serious damage in the closets of stylish guys across the past year or so, ever since the brand launched on Kickstarter last fall. (Editor’s note: Stay tuned for more on these guys next week!). And that praise isn’t without reason. The brand is making some nice moves in the mid-to-high-priced boot market, and the Roughout Captain Boot  nails that category right on the head. Of course, their new releases — like the Duke Chelsea Boot — are worth a look, too.

But one way to style your Thursday Boots. Full review coming next week. Black slim jeans by American Apparel. Patterned socks by Richer Poorer.

But one way to style your Thursday Boots. Full review coming next week. Black slim jeans by American Apparel. Patterned socks by Richer Poorer.

But onto the Captain Boot. A pairr like this can work as in the photo at the top — alongside standard yet classic dark denim — or anchoring some slim grey wool trousers.The great thing about them is that if you have already have a pair of highly durable leather boots and are looking to add some textural variety to your footwear closet, these would be the way to go. Conversely, if you’re looking to test the waters but can’t afford to pony up for something pricier (like Huckberry’s new collaboration boot with Rancourt), this is a boot that offers slightly similar looks for a substantial amount less. And with a grippy rubber outsole and some solid additional touches like flat wax laces, Thursday Boots has crafted a pair that manages to stay sleek and functional at the same time. They’re worth a second look — and if you swing back by this blog next Wednesday, you’ll get just that!
Ernest Alexander
Are you familiar with Thursday Boots? How do you think they compare to their competitors?

Ben Sherman US