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Nothing defines the American fashion experience more than trying to find the perfect pair of blue jeans. They’re the foundation of any wardrobe outside of tailored clothing, the casual equivalent of gray flannel trousers. Jeans are hard-wearing, easy to wash, and look great with everything from tweed sport coats to olive field jackets. The only challenge is finding something that fits.
Proper Cloth recently introduced a custom denim program to order jeans in waist sizes ranging from 26 to 53, with inseams going from 26 to 44. They come in five fits: extra slim, slim, straight, athletic, and classic. The unique thing about this program is that Proper Cloth doesn’t just grade the larger and smaller sizes from one base pattern. Instead, they’ve created new patterns where they need them. This allows them to retain the correct proportions for their intended silhouette and ensures the best fit for people who typically can’t find what they need off the rack.
If you need some new casual shirts with those jeans, Proper Cloth has those, too. The company’s new winter shirt collection includes everything from faded corduroy Western shirts to brushed chambrays to Portuguese flannels in dusty-colored plaids. These shirts can be made in Proper Cloth’s standard patterns or customized through their made-to-measure program. All you have to do is submit measurements of your body or best-fitting shirt. First-time orders are also eligible for a free remake, which allows you to home in on the perfect fit.
One of the upsides of Gustin’s pre-order business model is that they can take more chances on unique fabrics. In the traditional clothing business model, a company designs a product, takes about six months to introduce it to the market, and then tries to sell through as much stock as possible. If they don’t sell enough, they take an economic hit. But in Gustin’s case, everything is run on a pre-order, which means there’s no unsold inventory. This allows them to introduce unique things, such as this week’s Rainbow selvedge denim, which isn’t something you’d likely see in other lines.
Gustin’s Rainbow selvedge denim starts with a traditional inky blue warp and then weaves in an explosion of different colors through the weft. The result is a mostly solid blue denim with subtle streams of color throughout, which will result in a unique look as the denim fades over time. These 12-ounce pure cotton denim jeans are available in Gustin’s classic straight, slim, or skinny fits. They’re going for $129—about half the price they’d usually cost if these were sold through the typical distribution model.
If you’re looking for a deal, Dapper Classics is offering an additional 40% off already discounted prices in their sale section. This brings over-the-calf socks down to just $12, fine cotton dress shirts to $54, and woolen scarves to $39. Something like their striped oxford shirts—available in pink and blue—can be worn with or without a sport coat for semi-dressy environments. Their grey ombre plaid scarf will add a bit of warmth and visual interest to any outfit involving an overcoat. And while the sock selection doesn’t include Dapper Classics’ solid navy over-the-calf options (a genuine staple in any tailored wardrobe), it does have coffee and cream houndstooth socks (good with tan trousers), orange mallard socks (fun with dark brown cords), and sporty designs with golf clubs and basketballs (for sports fans).
Spier & Mackay is running a flash sale on select knitwear. Their Australian Merino shawl collar cardigans have become popular with menswear enthusiasts in the last few years, as they’re an affordable alternative to the $400+ Scottish knits that almost everyone has seen at this point. At $178, they’re a great value, especially since they feature a similarly hefty shawl collar. They also have brushed Shetlands starting at $78 (about a third of what other retailers charge for something similar), cable knits for $108, and Fair Isles for $128.
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.
A huge congrats to our friends at LuxeSwap, who not only recently won an award for the best men’s suit store in Long Island but also got profiled in the area’s main newspaper!
Many readers by now will know that LuxeSwap is an online business that will help you clear unwanted clothes from your closet and sell them on eBay, earning you cash and much-needed space. But they also have two stores in Oyster Bay, New York. There’s LuxeSwap, the namesake, which is a consignment shop for high-end clothing and accessories (men’s and women’s). They also opened a new business called Encore Une Fois, a second-hand shop focused on the younger Gen-Z market (the average price point is around $15 to $20, making it uber affordable). You can check out the feature on the company’s Instagram and TikTok.
For readers outside of New York, you can check out some of LuxeSwap’s inventory on eBay, where they post new ten-day auctions every Thursday. The company only trades in high-end clothing, but if you want to find the best of what they’re offering, do a search for #1 Menswear.
