Must-have's and must-not's: Spring/Summer '12

Let's get right down to business. the Summer of ot'12 is going to be one for the record books, and there has never been a better time to step your thread game up. Here are 4 must-not and must-have's for this summer.

Must-not: Hue (aka colored) Jeans.

I know what some of you are thinking, "you know, the guy in the blue pants doesn't look that ridiculous," and while you may be right, you are not him. This is a great way to get yourself noticed...in a bad way. A good pair of brown or light grey chinos is all the color the bottom half of your wardrobe needs (Zara has some great sets) to look fresh.

You want to throw a little color down? Rock a pair of casual oxfords with colored laces

Must-have: An unstructured blazer

John Varvatos | Neiman Marcus, $450

An unstructured blazer is a great way to step up your spring wardrobe without looking overdressed. You can wear it with a graphic T or button-down and still look fresh. Lightweight, dressy but not flashy, comfortable, the unstructured blazer will always be in style and more importantly set you apart from every other bloke in a runners jacket or standard sweatshirt.

Don't buy the Varvatos, you aren't ready for it, but channel it, learn from it, and buy one for sub-$100.

Must-not: Original from Maine Sperry Top-siders

Authentic Made in Maine Top-sider | Sperry, $300

I love top-siders. I really do. But unless I noted these were $300 you would have assumed they were standard top-siders you can acquire for $85 in any color you like. I am sorry Sperry, but this does not get the swag on stamp.

Must-have: Saddle-oxfords

Gold Cup Oxford Saddle | Sperry, $160

Redemption! Sperry you never cease to amaze me. $160 should not be able to buy you this much swag and yet here we are, now let's figure out what we are looking at here. "Saddle" refers to the mid-shoe leather patch and gives the classic dress-oxford silhouette a much more casual feel. You can wear these with just about anything - shy of dress pants, these are not dress shoes - and you can even wear them with shorts. Blasphemy if you ask any standard businessman from the 90's, but then again you aren't an 90's businessman, so swag on and cuff up our jeans or bust out earth-toned shorts with this set of classic lined oxfords.

Until next time, Swag On.

The Summer of Simplicity (and Quality)

First of, it's good to be back. I missed you all. But let's get down to business here, men's fashion wait's for no one.

If you remember back in the Summer of '11 (great summer, by the way) we all got a little out of control. We bought a few too many items, we accessorized just a bit too much, and we wore garments that were just a little too far out of our swag-range.

Now I dig the intensity, but as a good friend of mine puts it, "we have to learn, and do better next time."

That being said I can't tell you how jazzed up I was when I saw the weeks forecast, but my initial reaction of digging into my closet for all the good stuff that you can't wear during the Winter was slowed by a recent gift I received.

On a 9-day stint in NYC I stumbled into Grahame Fowler Originals, a store that prefers hand made and vintage articles for men. I admit it is on the pricey side, but well worth it. In the store I found this from Chapman Bags, a UK based bag maker known for it's quality.

Chapman Bags: The Stanley | $250

The picture does not do the bag justice, you have to feel it and hold it to understand - much like the way you have to touch leather to tell the quality. But when it was purchased something peculiar happened. The shopkeep (who I assumed would be tickled at charging $250 for a canvas bag) wrapped it up with extra care, and when he gave it to me simply said, "I'm sure it will give you many years of good use."

Now that's just not something you hear everyday, but in a short sentence it can really alter what you are looking for in an article of clothing.

Now while I admit this bag was a gift, I have been in the market for a $100+ bag for quite some time now. Some quick maths will tell you this purchase was 150% over budget, it was well worth it. No bells. No whistlers. Simple, understated perfection that will easily compliment anything I choose to throw on that day.

We should make a promise to ourselves buy a little less, spend a little more, and I think we will all find ourselves with a cleaner, higher quality wardrobe that we will be happier with and last years, not months.

Now let's all go ballistic and look absolutely dangerous doing it. 2012 is going to be a great year.


-Swag On

Need a little more inspiration? Check out Boston local Jamison Aweau and The Anchor Division Blog