The Last Five Things I Bought

I think it’s important to ask yourself why you are buying the things you are buying and what you’re using them for? What can you really squeeze out of your purchases? Style, like a lot of things, has to do with utility as much as it does aesthetics.

I mean, surely we’ve all been there, staring at a pair of hot pink Moods of Norway wingtips and thought how fucking brilliant they are! But hopefully the next thought in your mind isn’t “Shut up and Take My Money!” but instead, what would I actually do with pink wingtips?

The answer is nothing. You’d wear them maybe once a quarter at best and thus having made the worst business decision of your life.

(Or you know, maybe the second worst. Whatever, it’s just one dead board member. It’s not like that’s a crime in New Detroit)

The point that needs to be considered when you are buying something is what will you do with it and how much use can you get out of it. That’s why I was recently examining the last five style related items I bought just to see exactly what I was able to do with them, why I bought them and if I was happy with the purchase.

1)

What ?– Banana Republic’s Heritage Premium Slim Fit Selvedge Jean

How Much ?– Normally 98$ but Banana Republic hates selling things at full price. I got them during one of their weekly 40% off deals

When ?– Bought them back in January

Why ?– Because I didn’t have any Selvedge. The term get’s tossed around a lot, and I think I covered it before but it’s basically a style of edging on the pant cuff that keeps them from fraying. I just wanted to know exactly what they were. It was an experiment. Also, it’s dark denim and it goes with everything. There is no circumstance that isn’t improved by dark denim.

So Far ?– Great decision. These jeans are incredibly comfortable, the fit is perfect and the look gets a lot of compliments. There is zero fraying on the cuff and they’ve held up perfectly. The indigo color is really great too. Would I never buy anything at Banana Republic full price, only if fate of time and space depended on it. Even then, I’d wait a day to see if it was a 40% off sale.

2)

What ?– Joseph Abboud Nail Head Suit Jacket and Pants from JC Penny

How Much ?– about 70$ on each so 140$

When ?– December 24th this year

Why ?– Necessity. Came home for the holidays and didn’t want to pack too much luggage so I bought a suit while I was in and just wore it home, packing up the more easily folded clothes into my messenger bag.

So Far ?- Eh, okish. Problem was I was in a rush and I don’t do well when I’m rushing. The jacket length is a bit off. It could be longer. But the look of it is smart and very subtle on the pattern. For under 150$ you can’t do much better. Especially now that Penny’s is back to their funky coupons rather than just declaring all prices are the best prices. As far as uses, it’s black. It matches well with every dress shirt and tie I own. It pays to have at least one black suit but black is extremely formal so you tend not to get that much use out of it unless you get something like this. A little of a patterning goes  along way to adding some casual appeal to a formal piece.

And as a side note, I predict that the day is not too far off when Penny’s will go the way of the dinosaur. Their financials and their business model are not doing all that great. So I’d say if you have plans to buy anything from them, try and do it within the next one or two years. I like Nick Wooster a lot but I don’t think he’ll be saving this sinking ship.

The next few are all from a really great company out of Delaware called Four Corners. http://www.fourcornerstore.com/collections/fou641-vintage

3)

What ?- Vintage French Police Jacket

How Much ?– 149$ plus shipping. Added bonus, no sales tax in Delaware

When ?– January

Why ?– I seen this piece on either Dappered or Primer Magazine I believe and it was really unbelievable. The cost for this was spectacularly low considering its all leather and the cut speaks for itself. This is pretty much my favorite piece and we’re still in our honeymoon phase. Also, what Four Corners does is get in bulk a lot of vintage pieces from very unique sources. These were retired French Policemen Jackets. When I opened it up, my roommate, a fellow straight from Britain immediately said “It smells like England”. So take that how you want. When you look at it out of the box it has wear, it has unique worn in feel with a recent clean up. It’s great.

So Far ?– I couldn’t be more happy with this coat. It’s truly my favorite thing I own right now. It’s sharp enough to make the cut for date night outer wear and casual enough to wander around the neighborhood in. This piece get’s asked about and complimented on a lot.The only issue I have is the button construction is a bit odd and because of that I’ve had to have the buttons put back on and with a stronger connection to the coat.

4)

What ?- Olive Zip Turtleneck

How Much ?– 19.50$

When ?– Today

Why ?– Complete impulse buy. I was shopping for something else on Four Corners and this was there and priced really perfectly. I jumped on it because, for 20 bucks, whats the worst that could happen?

So Far ?– I’ve been in it a few hours now. And you know what, it’s nice. The interior construction is a bit rough so maybe with a bit of fabric softener it will get better. So it wasn’t wearable for me without a long sleeve shirt underneath but that’s not too big of an issue. It’s warm without overcooking me and it’s easy to adjust the sleeves and collar to suit the weather. It’s replacing a jacket for me today and Chicago is pretty brisk right now.

5)

What ?- Austrian Military Coat

How Much ?- 49.95$ on sale, normally 89.95$

When ?– Today

Why ?– Lighter weather is coming up and I wanted a new lighter casual coat with a bit of character. I saw this on Four Corners site, which I had turned to because of the success I had with the French Police Coat.

So Far ?– I was expecting something fairly thin and with a construction not unlike Target’s Field Jackets because of the price they were listing for it and just my own perception of the construction. What I took out of the box was far better made than I expected. It’s heavier, not the sort of thing you’ll easily get cold in and certainly not something that will quickly soak through in the rain. I haven’t worn it outside yet, i’ll be honest. But in hand this coat feels good and visually it has all the detail and character I want in a casual spring coat. This, like the turtle neck has a color that won’t pair well with anything but the most neutral of other colors, which is fine by me. My wardrobe is about half bright color and half neutrals. So no issues there.

So at the end of the day pay attention to what you buy and when you’re considering something ask yourself what you can do with it before you pull the trigger. But that’s just my approach to the last five things I bought. I’d love to hear yours.

(Below are just a few of my recent purchases all put together)

*

*Jacket- Four Corner’s Vintage French Police Coat

*Pants- Banana Republic’s Selvedge Jeans

*Shirt- Slim Fit Dress Shirt from JC Penny’s J. Ferrar Line

* Tie- JC Penny’s Stafford Line

* Socks- Target

*Shoes- Target’s Odin Brand