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If you’ve listened to v3 of my new podcast, Club Cool, then you heard Phil and I talking about some of our favorite smaller contemporary labels. We like to follow these brands religiously, waiting on pins and needles for every drop and coveting the expertly styled looks wholesale.
While John Elliott and Aimé Leon Dore (two of the office favorites) aren’t priced like Gucci or Saint Laurent, they are by no means inexpensive. Following along with them is a hobby, and though we consider these brands “approachable,” they certainly don’t make up the entirety of our wardrobes. Even if I had the funds to exclusively shop in that price range, I wouldn’t.
Some days I just don’t feel like putting in the effort to get a fit off, and on those days, I revert to an easy look: a well-fitting t-shirt, tailored shorts, and a pair of sneakers. Once it cools off, I swap out the shorts for jeans. It’s simple, but even when I’m dressed down in this manner, I still feel confident that I look well put together. As long as these low-key items are clean, cared for, and fit properly, they make the perfect building blocks for a casual, cool, and contemporary wardrobe. So yes, I do obsess over the higher-end stuff and I do have wishlists a mile long at SSENSE and Mr. Porter, but on the day-to-day, there’s a solid chance you’ll find me in something pretty normal.
Probably the most common question I get asked goes something like this: “Hey Barrett, I’m (insert age between 22 and 26). I’m ready to graduate from the classic frat-guy look and start improving my wardrobe overall. Where do I start and where should I shop?” Obviously, I’m not going to send you guys straight to Barneys, so here’s a comprehensive look at the most affordable stores I continuously shop and peruse.
Uniqlo is Japan’s answer to fast fashion. Here’s the difference though: rather than chasing trends and pumping out hundreds of styles a week like Zara and H&M, Uniqlo concentrates on extremely affordable basics. Supima cotton tees run ten bucks. Pique polos are twenty. My go-to pair of white jeans come in at just $40! When the brand does venture in to fashion-forward territory, they turn to minimalist master Christophe Lemaire for their Uniqlo U line, and collaborations with J.W. Anderson and Jil Sander have been equally as impressive and easy to wear.
Longtime mall stronghold Gap shouldn’t be overlooked. While they put out their fair share of cringeworthy garments, there are also some gems to be found among the rocks. The Vintage Wash khakis are some of my absolute favorite chino pants and require very little maintenance laundry-wise. (Full disclosure: I have not tried the updated version with GapFlex.) If you pay regular attention, they’ll also occasionally drop super of-the-moment pieces like these track-pant-inspired chino shorts, this bleached-out denim camp shirt, or this collaboration with Ovadia & Sons, one of the other labels we mentioned on v3.
If you listened to Club Cool v1, you heard Ross tell a quick anecdote about a Banana Republic jacket that I suggested for him a couple of years ago. Outerwear is still what BR does best. They typically turn me off of their everyday stuff like polos and casual button-ups by adding one or two unnecessary details, but when it comes to understated coats and jackets, they routinely hit the mark. This quilted olive bomber would pair easily with a wide range of styles and will inevitably be available with a 30% discount code at some point over the next month. I also keep an eye on Banana’s Heritage collection which is where you can usually find their more stylish tees and sweaters.
UO is stylistically all over the place, and that’s what makes it great. You can shop everything from Champion hoodies and Kappa track pants to Ralph Lauren oxfords and Sperry boat shoes. Urban’s arsenal of brands stretch in to every corner of what’s hot right now, and that’s why you can always find something there that you’ll like.
No fewer than eight pairs of J.Crew shorts reside in my closet. Their 9″ short, previously called the Stanton, is an all-time classic, and the 7″ is the perfect length for weekends when you’re looking to show off a little more quad. Recently, the shorts wave seems to have rushed in to sportier realms, but J.Crew has managed an answer for that as well with their elastic-waisted Dock short. On v3, Phil also mentioned his affinity for their garment-dyed slub cotton tees which are routinely available on some type of promo, and to round out the clothing offering, the Ludlow suits offer a great bang for your buck. J.Crew is also home to an awesome collection of footwear, featuring collaborations with New Balance, Vans, Alden, and more.
If J.Crew lives in the Hamptons, Club Monaco is his cousin that works at a creative agency in Manhattan. It offers similar silhouettes but in a more streamlined fashion that features a darker and more neutral color palette. If you’ve mastered the J.Crew look and are now seeking a little extra edge, Club Monaco is the stone you’ll jump to next. Luxe knits and striped tees are the brand’s highlights for me, but they also put together a wonderful group of third party labels like Zespa sneakers, Citizens for Humanity denim, Onia swim trunks, and Golden Bear varsity jackets which you’ll find alongside the house line in their stores.
Bonobos aims to be a one-stop shop for young professional guys that don’t really like to shop, and I think they’ve largely succeeded. It’s one of the brands I recommend to friends most, and yet, I don’t shop there very often. For one, I do like to shop, so the fact that their guideshops don’t carry physical backstock in the various cuts, colors, sizes, and patterns irks me. Secondly, Bonobos begins to push in to a price bracket where I can usually find other contemporary brands that I like better.
Having said all of that, it remains a great option for a multitude of reasons, most importantly that they offer an unprecedented range of sizes and fits. Pants come in FIVE different fits and FIVE different inseam lengths, plus they don’t skip the odd-numbered waist sizes in between 28 and 36. Shirts are offered in SIX sizes, THREE fits, and THREE lengths! That offering is simply unheard of and makes Bonobos the perfect place to shop for guys with all sorts of body shapes or unique fit preferences. Their full collection is also vast, offering everything from sweats to tuxedos. If it weren’t for their higher pricing, they likely would have already supplanted J.Crew as the everyman’s go-to brand. .
Stay tuned for Part 2, coming soon, and be sure to follow along with the new podcast on Grandex Labs and @clubcoolpod on Instagram.
Well-dressed men are total panty droppers, not even sorry. Take note boys.
Flood alert. Turn around, don’t drown.
Oh, so this is where I fuck up.
I always try to dress to the “T” and I know how to, but I feel like no one actually notices, especially the small details that most seem to miss. Seems like most people don’t know enough about fashion or how to dress to be able to tell the difference between someone who knows how to dress and dresses well, or someone who just throws brands on.
One of the biggest ways I can tell if someone knows how to dress is with an unbuttoned bottom button on a tux vest. If it’s unbuttoned, they know how to dress because it’s one of the more minute details of fashion/suiting. If men get that right, I’m sure they know how to dress in most situations.
TL;DR: Keep dressing fly, and if you don’t know how to wear it, look up how to or just avoid it.
Expensive does not equal style. And Just because people don’t comment on it doesn’t mean they don’t notice.
Also most people can’t seem to tell the difference between a $1000+ designer suit or a $200 off the rack Jos. A Bank suit which also sort of sucks.
That’s a cool thing about suits though. A cheaper suit tailored perfectly will look better than a super expensive one worn off the rack. I promise you people notice when a suit or tux fits a guy precisely.
Agree 1000%. It always blows my mind when I hear from guys who never get their suit tailored. Dropping $150 at the tailor is some of the best money you can spend
this wasn’t the manoutfitters ad I thought it would be and i’m pleasantly surprised. opened 5 new shopping tabs while reading
Sup?
Ladies’ version, please? I get sucked into spending more than I should every. single. time.
I feel like I should have moved beyond Old Navy by now, too.
Yessss. I find myself going back to it like, here we go again… Loft is pretty reasonable, especially when things are on sale, but some of their stuff is guilty of looking great in pictures or on the rack and goofy actually on. So… ladies version of this article, please?!
Yes, dress for the job you aspire to get one day, not the job you currently have except both of those jobs will be repacked with AI lol. Our socio-economic existence is a joke
And the saddest thing is, there are people out there who vote and make 6 figure salaries and would read this and think that I’m talking about some random guy named Al
Barrett, what is your take on a minimalist wardrobe?
Thanks.
Do you mean like a capsule wardrobe? 10-15 pieces that you just mix, match, and rotate through?
Yes it looks great in a closet but seems to end up being extremely repetitive and neutral. I really like the idea but it seems a ‘minimal’ bus-cas wardrobe alone would need 8 shirts & 3 pants not even counting casual clothing.
The concept is really cool, but if you enjoy mixing up your look at all, it’s not for you. I think it’s best put in to practice as a uniform, really, so that even with your multiple garments, it’s the exact same every single day right down to the colors. Think Steve Jobs.
One way to spice it up is splurge on shoes, watches and sunglasses. Go a little loud on accessories and it will balance out neutrality of the actual clothing. I’m a big fan of the fall color pallet, so I use brighter color shoes to help bring some life (Light Tan suede, Light Gray suede, White sneakers etc, they really contrast the darker neutral outfit and pop.
Meanwhile I’m sifting through the rack at TJMaxx shamelessly looking for deals on name brand wholesale rejects
The Jcrew 9 inch short has survived way too many destructive college weekends. Really don’t understand how at this point, but they keep going. A definite staple.
Club Monaco, bonobos, and Uniqlo are my go tos, good stuff
Don’t forget Eddie Bauer for the Large and XL talls
And their Ford Broncos/Explorers!
Big fan of the Republic.