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Proper Cloth just put up a page for their trending summer items. Something to note is the dominance of light blue shirts in lightweight, airy materials such as chambray and linen (plain weaves like these are more breathable than their twill counterparts). For an easy summer look, pair these with white pants—denim, cotton-linen blends, or vacation-styled drawstring varieties. Throw on a sport coat and some suede shoes, and you have a smart look.
Proper Cloth also has madras shirts, tonal seersucker suits, and wool-linen sport coats (which have a subtle texture, making these something like a warm-weather version of your favorite winter tweeds). If you want something more casual, check out the linen-blend polos. They have a dry, slightly crunchy hand and will wick sweat from your skin, keeping you cool on hot days. The bit of Tencel in the blend makes these supremely soft next to the skin—order swatches so you can feel them in hand before putting in a full order.
Dapper Classics is offering 40% off their dog-themed socks until August 11th (the discount is automatically applied at checkout). They come in a range of colors, including basics such as navy, charcoal, and brown (get these in a color that matches your pants, so you elongate your leg line), as well as distinctly casual varieties such as light blue, pink, and burgundy (good for tan chinos). They’re also running their “sock of the month” promotion, where you can get a free pair of socks if you purchase three or more at full price. This promotion is usually for a pre-chosen pair of socks, but at the moment, you can pick your own. That means getting a 25% discount on something like a set of four navy cotton or wool over-the-calf socks—a staple in any tailored wardrobe.
All Dapper Classics socks are made in the USA at a small, third-generation family-owned mill. They’re finely knitted using fine merino wool or mercerized cotton yarns and then hand-linked at the toes for a smooth finish. By purchasing your socks from Dapper Classics, you’re not only supporting American jobs and ensuring you’re getting a fair labor product but also getting better value for your money. Comparable socks from European companies such as Bresciani and Marcolini cost about 50% more but with no improvement in quality. The price difference comes from the fact that Dapper Classics doesn’t have to pay for international shipping and import duties—a saving passed on to the consumer.
If you’re looking for affordable tailored clothing, check out Spier & Mackay. Their suits and sport coats are made with a half-canvassed construction—full canvas available at an upcharge—and are cut from European fabrics woven at reputable mills such as VBC and Fox. The main difference between them and other affordable clothiers is that the styling has been honed by enthusiasts, rather than consumers chasing trends. That means that suit jackets and sport coats are made with more flattering, moderate proportions. Their lapels end about halfway from the collar to the shoulder joint, rather than the skimpy lapels you see from high-street brands. The jacket ends about halfway from the collar to the floor, rather than the short jackets popular elsewhere. By lengthening the jacket towards more classic proportions, the buttoning point (the top button on a two-button coat, or the middle button on a three-button coat) can sit at your natural waist, the slimmest section of your torso. This looks much more flattering because you can more easily taper the jacket inward. Coats with high buttoning points aren’t as easily able to achieve that V-shaped figure.
Spier & Mackay is also a great source for affordable dress shirts (made with a fuller Ivy Style collar roll) and tailored trousers (again, cut in more flattering classic proportions). Prices are a fraction of what you’ll pay elsewhere: about $300 starting for sport coats, $400 for suits, $100 for trousers, and $60 for dress shirts. The trade-off? Spier & Mackay’s garments lack the hand finishing and sewing you may get from higher-priced garments—the pick stitching is done by machine, not hand—but that may not matter to you if you’re simply after a certain look. For guys who want to build a classic, tailored wardrobe on a budget, this should be the first port of call.
Over the last thirty years, suspenders have gone much in the way of hats. Once common in men’s wardrobes, they’ve become something of a relic of the past. But why might you want to wear suspenders? For one, they’re more comfortable than organ-squeezing tourniquets. Since your waist expands when you sit, and returns to its smaller circumference when you stand, belts are only comfortable in one of these positions. Suspenders, on the other hand, allow you to have a little extra room at the waistband to accommodate these changes. Plus, they’re better at holding up your pants. Belted trousers tend to slip down throughout the day, which requires you to adjust them continually. You can set the desired length with suspenders, put them on, and never bother with them again.
Chipp Neckwear has the most affordable ones around, at least if you’re looking for something well-made and produced in the USA. The price is $45.50, which is lower than their competitors — much like the price of their grenadine ties. They offer 20 solid colors and three stripes, the choice of black or brown leather kips, as well as gold or silver-colored adjusters.
Everyone has things in their wardrobe that haven’t seen the light of day in years—a jacket you thought looked great but turned out doesn’t fit you, or a pair of shoes that simply never worked with your wardrobe. Instead of letting these items languish in the back of your closet (let’s be real, you will never get around to selling them yourself), you can pack everything into a box and send them to our friends at LuxeSwap. They’re an online consigner of high-end menswear. Matthew, the company’s founder, has built a sterling reputation among menswear enthusiasts for selling high-end clothing. As such, you get access to his audience by selling your clothes through him.
The process is simple: you first email LuxeSwap a list of things you want to sell. They want reasonably high-end things in good condition, so your suits from Ring Jacket and shoes from Carmina, not mustard-stained Gap chinos and freebie T-shirts. Once you get approval, you can send everything to LuxeSwap in one big box (for people located in the US, LuxeSwap will pay for shipping). Once the items arrive at their headquarters, they take professional photographs and measurements, create the eBay listing, field questions from buyers, and fulfill the orders. In return, LuxeSwap takes 40% of the profits. However, if you’re willing to take your share in the form of store credit at No Man Walks Alone or Epaulet, they’ll lower that fee to 30%, and those stores will top off your credit with an additional 10%. Sending your items now means you’ll have store credit in the bank just as fall arrivals hit stores.
