I recently got a Todd Snyder catalog in the mail and I admit I haven’t really looked at Todd Snyder outside of their baseball caps and watches, which because of my men’s-style-focused browsing habits I get ads for all the time. The catalog was, to my surprise, great–interesting pieces, well-styled and photographed. To paraphrase Insane Clown Posse: “Marketing! How does it work?”
I couldn’t help but compare it to the newest J. Crew catalog I received, which was interesting, but didn’t show me much I wanted to buy. So is Todd Snyder (literally the old J. Crew designer) the new J. Crew? TS is definitely a little pricier than J. Crew, but otherwise it seems a reasonable conclusion: easy, American sportswear-influenced basics, collaborations with interesting if not cutting edge brands and makers, and, most importantly, a decent sale section. Some things I immediately dug:
- Camo desert jacket ($199 from $398)–field jacket in an unusual cotton ripstopcamouflage pattern, fabric made in Italy, jacket made in USA. Appears to be fall/spring weight.
- Birdwell Beach Britches with stripe and contrast pocket ($69 from $139)–I love my Birdwells, which are now more broadly available than when you had to order them custom through a web 1.0 site. Word of warning: Birdwells have a rep for being tight/not vanity sized; haven’t been able to confirm whether TS’s Birdwells are the same.
- John Smedley turtleneck ($159 from $255)–I like turtlenecks and Smedley is a go-to for slim, under-sportcoat style tnecks.
- Lock and Co. linen baseball cap ($64 from $95)–they also have some other summer Lock hats. I love my Lock hats and generally jump at the chance to get them on discount.
- Pleated cotton twill pants ($99 from $228)–Advertised as made in NY (Hertling?).
- Champion reverse weave in gray ($99 from $148)–I like the TS Champion gear I have, it’s a definite step up from modern Champion stuff. This one’s available only in XS right now, but there are less “essential” Champion pieces in the sale section.
- Rocky Mountain Featherbed down parka ($499 from $998)–A Cabourn-y heavy parka from the resurrected mountaineering brand; available in several colors.
- Brown plaid patch pocket sportcoat–($199 from $598)–Made by Southwick.
- Indigo terry cloth polo ($89 from $128)–I wear my old RL terry polos all the time in the summer. TS’s version looks a little lusher.
- Cone denim Phillies cap ($39 from $78)–show your love for defunct denim factories and nearly defunct baseball teams with this cap.
- Private White VC glen plaid topcoat ($750 from $998)–A serious looking, long topcoat from a reputable UK outerwear brand for winter. Reminds me of old Invertere coats.
- Drake’s striped oxford ($99 from $238)–Drake’s shirts are great and not often available under $100 for relatively basic fabrics.
- Also check out Todd Snyder’s interview with Jeremy Kirkland on Blamo!
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- BG
