Recent Purchases

[bj]

@SDot - Thanks. Definitely give them a shot. Dockers runs sales all the time so just check their website occasionally or sign up for their email list. Got mine in a 40% off three items of over $100 total. Got those, a pair of Sig. Khakis and a belt for $68.

[Vicious49]

I feel kind of guilty. In the last 2 weeks, Ive just bought all the AE shoes I've had on my wish list for a while now. Got the black Park Aves and black McTavish for $179 each and then just ordered the walnut Strands today for $216. I'll take a group pic once the Strands come in.

[Acousticfoodie]

@Vicious: Obviously the solution there is to add more to the wish list!


Recently added a brown leather watch:

[chicubs1908]

I have been on a spending frenzy lately...


J.Crew Bayswater Pea Coat (Navy)

Lands' End Canvas French Terry Rugby Shirt

Lands' End Canvas 628 Straight Fit Denim

[alan]

Ok, I've got to brag a bit...


I've been on the lookout for an interview suit for 6 months. I've been biding my time and looking for a good one. I always figured it would just be a Hickey Freeman from Last Call, but when I ordered it and it came in, I found out it's from their silver series (second tier) as opposed to their considerably nicer mahogany series (first tier). I was looking for either charcoal or navy.


So when that didn't pan out, I took them back to Last Call, which just so happens to carry a ton of designer suits in-store. When I was flipping their clearance section, I found that nothing was going to work for me. Either it didn't fit or it was too busy for an interview suit.


So I went back to the regular-priced designer section. There, I found a 42S (I'm regularly a 40R) charcoal Oxxford Clothes suit that still had it's original Neiman Marcus tags ($2400). Clearly, this one had come straight from a full-sized NM store. So I asked the sales lady what the price was. She couldn't tell since it didn't have a Last Call tag so she walked off and found a manager.


This is where it gets interesting. She came back and said that it should have been marked down to $1077 once it reached the store. From there, it qualified for 50% clearance. And beyond that, it also qualified for a 30% store-wide sale. So that $2400 suit was on clearance for $377! In the words of the immortal NBA Jam, BOOM SKOCKALOCKA!


Now, I'm not normally a 42S, but it seemed trim so I tried it on. It'll still take a bit of tailoring at the waist, but the length is perfect and the shoulders aren't bad. Here's the result:







As you would expect from Oxxford (or anything at this price point), the jacket is fully canvassed. The cuffs come blank so that they can be fitted for functional buttons (thus the white threads) and the inner stitching is awesome. The pants have the rear pockets attached to the inner waist lining, etc. The cut is more modern with a generally slimmer fit, softer shoulders, and a lower rise on the pants.


It appears that the button holes were machine-stitched (a surprise) and the pants are pleated (not such a problem for me since I never leave my jacket unbuttoned unless I"m sitting and I have massive thighs that appreciate the space). All in all, though, I think I've finally found my interview suit! I'll be posting the pics up in the "fit" thread to get second opinions before I keep it, though.

[dapperazn]

Picked up a new Marc New York peacoat off of last call for $140 when they offered 40% off with free shipping coupon and $10 off order few days ago. Link below, coat is actually darker in person.


http://goo.gl/7teV9

[Eyerman]

@Alan...bravo good sir. Also bravo on the NBA Jam reference...*starts to slow clap*

[Shift and Void]

My Chippewa boots arrived yesterday. I placed the order over the phone on Saturday from my local J Crew store so that I could get my student discount and free shipping. I definitely have some extra room up by the toes (I wear a 7 in almost everything and the J Crew version only goes down to 7.5), so I have to decide if I want to keep them or not. The color is great, the vamp and top leather are made of nice thick cordovan.


Link to product: http://www.jcrew.com/mens_category/shoes/ruggedboots/PRDOVR~54388/54388.jsp

[LesserBlackDog]

Those are some seriously nice-looking boots. Identical to the ones I'm wearing now, but mine have a cheaper, rough-out style leather while yours look more comparable to the leather on a pair of Iron Rangers.


If the shoes are just slightly too big, a thin insole might add enough snugness for a perfect fit. Shoes that leave a bit of extra length in the toe area, but fit otherwise, have never seemed like much of a problem to me.

[Shift and Void]

Thanks BenR. The difference in leather was really the deciding factor in choosing to get these over the GQs. I spent a lot of time looking at posts of peoples' standard Chippewas trying to see how they aged. In the end, the premium charge was something I was willing to pay for. Also, thanks for the suggestion regarding the insole. I'll definitely look into picking up a pair because the rest of the fit is pretty much spot on with some nice SmartWool socks on.

[jessy_diamond]

There's some kind on stain on my new trench coat. It's kinda shiny. Not sure if it's a stain of some kind of damage. Anything I should could try to remove it ? Or do I just return it ? The fabric is a cotton/poly blend if it helps.

[alan]

@Jessy: Have you tried wiping it with a damp rag? It looks like a surface mark.

[LesserBlackDog]

I agree with Alan - the best way to tell if something is a stain or damage is to try to clean it off. Try blotting the spot with a solution of cold water and distilled vinegar. It should come off, or at least begin to fade, if it's just a stain of some kind.

[alan]

Also, FWIW, most trench coats are made to handle getting stuff on them. That's their function. Most often, this is handled by the garment either having a special coating or a partuclar weave. In any case, I expect you'll have success in getting whatever it is off of there.

[jessy_diamond]

I tried the damp rag, but it didn't do a thing. I could try the vinegar tip from BenR tonight.