Put This On

I have to admit I’m jealous of Will from A Suitable Wardrobe’s new overcoat. It’s absolutely stunning.

I live in Los Angeles, with no need for an overcoat unless I’m traveling. I do have two coats - a Chesterfield I bought at Bobby From Boston while attending a winter, black-tie wedding and a gorgeous navy polo coat from Capper & Capper, a celebrated but long-departed Detroit clothier. They spend most of their time, though, in a zipped-up covered clothes rack in my shed, along with my evening clothes and some out-of-season suits and sportcoats.

Will has all his clothes made for him, and this beautiful jacket likely cost him a pretty penny. If you have the budget, I would never begrudge such a thing, but overcoats are the one item of clothing I’d most suggest buying second-hand.

They really hit all the sweet spots for thrift or eBay shopping. They’re prohibitively expensive new - a good overcoat usually has a four-digit price tag. A number of classic styles will always be fashionable - Will’s coat above, for example, could have been made in 1945, 1965 or 1995 as well as today. Most of all, they’re durable, so it’s entirely possible to find an older coat in good condition.

If you’re a regular thrifter, you’ve probably run across a coat you love already. If you’re not, take a look at eBay. As long as you’re careful of edge wear - ask about it, it’s tough to see in pictures - and moth holes, there’s plenty of good stuff available. Shipping will likely cost you $30 or $40, but there are plenty of deals to be had for as little as $30 or $40. My own coats, both of exceptional quality, and both in exceptional condition, each cost less than $100, all-in.

Oh, what’s this in the mail? A small packet from England came. And inside?

Two Holland and Holland pocket squares, neatly wrapped in tissue paper and then sealed with a little metallic sticker. I’ve been hunting for these for a year and a half, first after seeing Jesse write about them, and then after losing the auction he posted about eight months later. Luckily for me, the same seller finally posted another pair of them last month, and I won the auction. Now I finally, finally have the pocket square that this guy wore in a video.

I’m actually wearing one of the squares now, and when I put it on this morning, I sang this song. Not at all joking. 

Getting a Good Comb

Most men these days buy their combs at drug stores, usually for about a dollar. The problem with cheap combs is that they’re made from injection molded plastic, and as such often have tiny ridges - also known as mold marks - either between or at the tips of the teeth. These will scratch and snag your hair, causing breakage and ultimately split ends.

It’s better instead to use handmade, seamless combs, which are most commonly made from cellulose acetate or animal horn. These materials can be handbuffed and smoothed out, which ensures that the comb will be snag free. They also look a lot nicer on your counter, and if you appreciate such things, can add a bit of enjoyment to your morning routine.

The most popular block cut acetate combs are made by Kent, which sell for pretty cheap (about $7-9). You can pick them up at high-end haberdasheries or through eBay. I also like Taylor of Old Bond Street’s combs, one of which is made with a more unique looking shell finish.

Animal horn is a bit more expensive, but the upside is that it’s much better looking and won’t carry static, which can otherwise cause your hair to stand on end if you brush it dry. If you can afford to splurge, check out Garret Wade. There are also these horn combs at A Suitable Wardrobe and slightly cheaper ones at Geo F. Trumper. For something even cheaper, try looking on eBay. I suspect those won’t be as nice as the other three, but some of them are under $10. Note that since horn is fibrous, it absorbs moisture and is sensitive to heat. Stephen at The Simply Refined advised that you stick to acetate if you don’t have a well ventilated bathroom and are prone to taking hot showers. Otherwise, it will generally hold up fine.

I’ve written before about why black suits are generally unsuitable during the day. They’re severe, they make you look like a clergyman or undertaker, they’re not particularly appropriate for business and they make most men look at least a little sickly.

At night, though, it’s a different story. That’s where a black suit like this one I spotted on eBay can really come into its own. Some of the details of this suit suggest evening wear - it has a single button-front and is single-breasted with peak lapels. Those say “formal” and “evening.” They’re features of the formal suit, or of the tuxedo.

This guy doesn’t have satin or grosgrain lapels, though, and its slanted, flapped pockets make clear it’s a suit. It’s made of mohair, which is lightweight and has a slight sheen. That sheen could be a liability during the day, but at night it’s welcome.

What you get, then, is an elegant suit for evening occasions that don’t call for black tie. An important dinner, a play, an opening. Events that require a dressed-up outfit, a little panache, but not a tuxedo and not business garb.

Of course, one can move further down the road to casual as the event requires, from a minimalist notch-lapel black suit all the way to, say, black boots, dark jeans and a black cashmere sweater. Or even a black leather jacket. Black, while unsuitable during the day, is the color of evening elegance - no matter how formal the occasion.

If you’re looking to buy suits or shoes on eBay, here’s a great tool. This Fits created custom eBay searches for high-quality brands, which he pulled from our site and StyleForum.

Just click through these links, adjust the search parameters for your size, and you’ll get an edited collection of quality suits and shoes. You’ll still have to do some sifting, of course, but the heavy lifting is done for you.

What a great tool!

Super-Mega Excellent Suits

Extremely Excellent Suits

Quality Shoes

Please Welcome: The Inside Track

We get tons of fan mail for our weekly eBay roundups. Often, though, that fan mail comes with an edge: “why are you blowing up my spot?!” people wail. People want our picks, but they don’t want them to be public.

That’s why we’ve created The Put This On Inside Track. It’s an exclusive email list, with a weekly set of eBay picks that nobody else gets to see. It’s not quite a private curation just for you, but it’s as close as you’re likely to get. Every week, we send you picks that you won’t find anywhere else. Plus we throw in some cool sales and so forth when we hear about them.

The Inside Track is the first of two projects we’ll be pursuing using a cool new platform called Member.ly. It’s where our webmaster, the brilliant David Cole, works, and it’s an easy way to build subscriptions, virtual or material. (Hint: this one’s virtual, but the other one ain’t.)

It should be mentioned, by the way, that The Inside Track will be offered in addition to our regular twice-weekly roundup here on the website. Nothing’s going away.

So: if you want the inside track, sign up today. The whole thing only costs five bucks a month, and we’re sending out the first list at the start of October. It’s a bargain, even if you only bid once every couple months. And hey, you can always just look at it as payment for all that money you saved bidding on our Roundup picks ;).

Join The Put This On Inside Track now.

Q and Answer: Should I Worry About Fakes on eBay?

Pat asks: I know that in many departments such as athletic footwear and electronics, there is a huge problem with counterfeit goods coming onto the market from people all over the world trying to bring in a high price on low quality fakes. Is this ever an issue in the realm of fine men’s wear? If I am going to spend $75 on a Drake’s tie or drop $300 on a pair of Vintage Ralph Lauren Double Monk Straps (if I was so lucky to find a pair) how am I to know that these are the real deal and not some cheap goods that were retagged and sold for a higher premium? – as a victim of poor quality fake Nike’s, I thank you for your insight!

My short answer is simple: don’t worry about it.

Here’s a longer answer:

Some luxury goods have extraordinary markups - purses are often marked up by a factor of ten or twelve. In these cases, what you’re buying is essentially a brand. When what you’re buying is a brand, you have to worry about fakes - because the temptation for the unscrupulous will be strong to add the brand to an inexpensive-to-make product so they can mark it up, say… five times. Same product, same brand, cheaper price = good business for an intellectual property pirate.

The explosion of mass-market luxury in the past twenty years has meant that this is a popular business model, especially in East Asia, where there’s lots of manufacturing and not much IP protection. But does that mean trouble for buying on eBay?

First of all, very few menswear items offer the kind of markup that a purse does. Sunglasses are one, though the market for men’s accessories is so much smaller and less brand-conscious than womenswear, it doesn’t crop up too much. Low-quality neckties with big-name brands are another, though that’s easy enough to distinguish once the item is handled.

There are some “faux” products on eBay - suits by Giorgio Brioni or Salvatore Ferragamite. These aren’t strictly fakes - just meant to give a completely uneducated customer a vague feeling of familiarity. Of course, this isn’t limited to eBay - you’ll find weird Italian names that sound sort of like big brands at the Men’s Wearhouse. Avoiding these is easy.

I almost never see out-and-out menswear fakes on eBay. If you see a fake, it will be of a HUGE fashion brand, it will usually be an accessory or small leather good (not a tailored piece), and it will usually be heavily branded. Hermes ties are sometimes faked. Ray Ban sunglasses. Collectible sneakers. Derek tells me he’s seen fake Tiffany’s money clips. If you buy something, and suspect it may be fake, you can take it to a retail outlet for that brand and have it verified.

Buy from reputable sellers in first-world countries and you really won’t have to worry about that stuff. Besides: if you get something, and it’s not right, eBay’s buyer protections now border on the absurd, so you will be fine.

I just bought this tie on eBay for $20. Remind me why people buy $50 ties at Macy’s again?

A Complete Guide to Getting Chinos This Summer

Chinos have a bit of a circutous history. They began as part of the British Army’s standard uniform starting around the 1840s. By the end of the 19th century, American troops stationed in the Philippines began wearing them. They remained associated with the military for another hundred years, until 1942, when the US Navy approved that they could be worn off-duty. Since then, they’ve been incredibly popular with the public. I think the civilian trend largely took off when James Dean began wearing them. That was during a time when much of the public looked towards Hollywood for sartorial direction, and ever since then, the popularity of chinos has been buoyed by big marketing campaigns from companies such as The Gap. 

The great thing about chinos is that, like jeans, they look better with age. In fact, one of the best looks, in my opinion, is a pair of really worn down chinos with a sports coat, oxford cloth button down shirt, and pair of brown loafers. The more worn down and beat up the chinos, the more stylish this look becomes. When the pants are too new, the look can be a bit stiff. As such, I recommend that you wear your chinos with a bit of a rumple and avoid creasing the front of the legs. Creases on chinos add fifteen years to your age and can make you look like the type that irons your underwear. Wear them as casually as you can and invite the fraying that comes. If you want, you can also roll up the the legs a bit, which Gilt Manual recently gave some really good tips for. 

So if you’re on the market for chinos, where can you turn? Here are some options. Note that in the interest of sizing information, I’ve included what I wear for most of these. I’m a size 32 in most pants, but sometimes have to size down depending on the cut. It’s probably also worth mentioning that I have an Asian booty that’s flatter than a flapjack, so take that into account when gauging whether my reviews will be helpful for you.

• Uniqlo Vintage chino ($50): Uniqlo’s Vintage fit chino is a nice slim cut model with mid-century details - watch pocket, decent hardware, and a slight herringbonish finish. Unfortunately, they also have a low rise, which makes them not as good for tucking in shirts. Still, for $50, they’re not bad, and if you’re in New York City, you can pick one up at any of their stores. Uniqlo should also have a website up at some point, but details on the drop date are fuzzy. I wear a 32 in these. 
• Brooks Brothers Milano Fit chinos ($95): Brooks has a popular slim fit chino. They’re a bit tapered, which make them good for slim men, but not much so for heavier guys (tapered pants can emphasize your waistline). The material is a smooth plain-weave, which gives them an “office” feel. I prefer slightly rougher twill models, personally, but it’s a matter of taste. Unfortunately, Brooks only has a terrible peach colored version left, but they’ll restock their other colors soon, so just keep an eye out. If you catch them at the beginning of their sales, you can nab one for as little as $60, but otherwise they’re about $100. I find these fit pretty true-to-size. I wear a 32 in these, but can also size down to 30 for a slightly slimmer fit. 
• Rugby university chinos ($70): Rugby’s University model fits very well if you size down. Whereas I’m normally a 32 in most pants, I wear a 31 in Rugby’s. They’re slim and have a rise that just hits the waist. They have a slightly worn finish, which means the colors are a bit faded and the edges are very, very slightly distressed. Nothing really noticeable, but it’s there. 
• Bill’s Khakis M3 chinos ($67): Bill’s Khakis has three models, but only the M3 is anything that’s remotely close to wearable. Even then, you’ll have to get these slightly tapered. That job shouldn’t run you more than $20, however. So why buy something that doesn’t immediately fit well off the rack? Because these are some of the best chinos you can have after some alterations, and when Sierra Trading Post has them for $65, they’re a steal. They’re superbly constructed and made from a traditional soft twill fabric that’s free of any pre-distressing. They also feature deep pockets (a detail many brands are cutting back on) and have a rise that actually sits on my waist (not “just hits it”). The slightly higher rise will allow you to tuck in your shirt without making your torso look unnaturally big. I recommend sizing down a bit, but not too much. I wear a 31 in Bill’s Khakis. 
• Ralph Lauren Preston chinos ($75): These are a lot like Bill’s Khakis - great construction, but not terribly slim (these are “grown up” chinos in a very real sense). However, like Bill’s, they hold a lot of potential. They have a slightly higher rise than Bill’s, which I like, but the pockets aren’t as deep. You’ll need to size down quite a bit to get these to fit right. I go down as far as 30 personally. 

• J Crew chinos ($60-70): I’m not crazy about most of J Crew’s stuff, but I think they’re worth talking about since almost everyone has a J Crew store near them. J Crew has a few different models, but I’ll only speak of the Urban Slim Fit and Bowery. The Urban Slim Fit doesn’t work at all on me, but I could see them fitting well on someone with a lot of junk in the trunk. The Bowery is much better - pretty decent slim fit, even though the construction is clearly more mass market. The price isn’t bad, however, especially given how often J Crew holds sales. You could probably snag these for $40 if you waited for the right opportunity. If you do, I recommend sizing down. I wear a 30 in the Bowery. 
• RRL Officer Chino ($185): RRL, a Ralph Lauren brand, has has a pair of selvedge twill chinos that wears like selvedge dehim jeans. They’re meant to be worn as such, too - wear them hard and don’t wash them often. Soon you’ll see fades like you would with selvedge jeans (though obviously more subtle because of the fabric). They also have nice details, such as double canvas waistband (which makes them sturdier) and a button fly (which won’t give you a weenie tent like zipper flys do). The fit is a lot slimmer, however, than other models you’ll read about here. Part of this is just the style, but part of it is also to get the fading you want. The cut is definitely not for everyone, but if you’re used to wearing slim selvedge denim jeans, then you might want to consider these. Size down and expect a little stretching (I wear a 31). You can buy them in most Ralph Lauren stores, but if you’re not close to one, you can phone an order in. RRL is also going to get a website up sometime next month, I hear. 
• Left Field ($198): The nice folks at Left Field sent me a free pair of these to try on. They’re a slightly more workwear version of traditional chinos. The belt loops are big enough to accommodate belts meant for jeans; the stitching is slightly more rugged; and the pants have a slight “work pant” feel. Like with most workwear/ heritage brands, the quality here is heavily in the details. There is a chain-stitched waistband, Corozo button fly, and Japanese chambray pocket bags. The fabric for the pants themselves are a ringspun cotton Japanese twill. I could see these working well for someone who has a Americana/ heritage sensibility. I recommend going true-to-size on these, but note that they fit slightly big in the seat, so you should probably have something more than my non-existent Asian booty if you want to wear these well. 
• Unis ($228): I know what you’re already thinking. $228 for chinos!? Part of the reason why these are so expensive is because they’re made in the USA (as Eunice Lee explained to someone in the comments section of Well-Spent). As a political economist, I’ll admit, I don’t care for these kind of “Made in the USA” appeals. For me, I just care about fit, styling, and quality, and all these counts, Unis’ Gio chinos are pretty nice. They’re slim without being overly so, have the perfect rise, and feature nice details such as a button fly and Corozo buttons. They have an unwashed version if you need something dressy, as well as a garment dyed rumpled version if you want something casual. I wear a 32 in these, but could also easily do a 30. If money is less of an object for you, I would definitely recommend these. 

• Others: There are other highly celebrated chinos. Howard Yount and Albam come to mind, but I don’t have any experience with either of them. Incotex and Mabitex are also a favorite for many people, including me, but the fit, styling, and finish on them vary so much that it’s not possible to write a generalizable review. You can find them in the Buying and Selling section of Styleforum, eBay, Yoox, and Gilt. A word of warning on those, however - buying them can sometimes be a gamble since they vary so much. Caveat emptor. 

Lastly, for those who might be wondering: what’s the difference between chinos and khakis? For pedants, chino is the Spanish word for Chinese. The original material for these pants was a Chinese twill cotton, so they were colloquially called chinos. Khaki is the Hinidi word for “dust.” The original chinos, worn by the British Army, were dyed in a mulberry juice that gave it a yellowish drab shade, now known as “khaki.” Thus, the correct term for these pants is chinos, and khaki the sandy tan color they most often come in. But that’s pedantry; for the most part, the two words are interchangeable.

(photos by pocketsquareguy, The Sartorialist, and J Crew)

I listed a couple of Dunhill pipes I recently purchased on eBay for any of you interested in tobacciana. They’re up now, along with some new Oliver Peoples sunglasses that didn’t fit my wife.