worth every penny

when was the last time you spent 10 bucks for 6 pairs of socks, let alone 1 pair. $10 socks? what the hell am i thinking! you know i would never suggest you pay more just to pay more. but sometimes paying more gets you something extra worth paying for. and that, my friends, is the 10 dollar socks.

a long time ago wigwam started a brand of high end athletic socks called ultimax. the entire sock was different from anything you’ve slipped on before. there was no seam on the toe to give you blisters. there was a stretchy bit under the arch of your foot that kept the sock from bunching, and instead of cotton, the socks were made of light wool and spandex.  those socks were CRAZY expensive.

but now you can get the same sock from wigwam for 10 bucks. and it’s dark grey. and unless you’re wearing black pants and black shoes, grey is a good color for socks. (ok there’s a few other exceptions, but gimme a break!) these will keep your feet warm and comfortable inside whatever shoes or boots you decide on for the winter.

buy from fresh pair 

cadence

some things require no explanation or debate among men, they are universal truths – a ducati 916 is simply beautiful. kate beckinsale looks good in PVC. and army boots are a totally acceptable choice of footwear. especially newer high tech ones with the leather bottoms, cordura tops and high tech soles. thank you oakley. we owe you one!

and  we all owe kenneth cole too. he’s taken the classic army boot fit and style and dressed it up enough that you can wear it out. he’s kept all the classic touches like a stiff lower, and broken in top, speed laces and of course the shiny black leather. but he’s also dressed it up a bit and made it a bit easier to deal with. check out the full length side zipper, for instance. now it won’t take you 10 minutes just to get your boots off. and the brown is a nice altenative to the oh so predictable classic black.

buy from village shoes

buy from macy’s

big john

fall is a great time for layers. you get to throw on 3 or 4 of your favorite shirts / sweaters / jackets at once! i realize fall is nearly over, but it looks like this winter is going to rock the layers too, especially with a few jackets that take me back to my hardcore youth.

i flew the flannel, and this winter, you better too. all the hipper designers are dressin up dudes in classic lumberjack / fargo style flannel. but we’re not suckers like that. go buy the real shit and it’ll cost less and be warmer too! you gotta go for the lined flannel in winter time and throw it over like 3 shirts and a hoodie. top it off with a down vest and you’ll be toasty warm and the envy of every hipster who thought he was so original when he bought that $120 flannel shirt some little shop the other day.

the moose creek edmonton is just about the perfect lined flannel. the pattern is huge, the pockets are diagonal, and it’s got a quilted lining. it’s the truckers’ special and the inspiration for this post’s title. big john’s was a trucker store where i used to buy these.

buy from cabela’s 

if you want more of a jacket and less of a shirt, look no further than the moose creek ponderosa. it has a flocked lining to keep you warm like those corduroy jackets everyone is wearing, only the plaid flannel says you know what’s rockin this year.

buy from overstock.com 

bonus! combine it all together, including the hoodie you’d throw on underneath with one jacket from dickies.

buy from overstock.com

change your stripes

i don’t want to start a sneaker war, i know there are people who are loyal to just one brand. but other than airheads (as in nike air), i don’t think anyone will deny the classic good looks of the adidas samba. they’re the right thing for almost any season and any occasion, especially the black ones. but these days, all the cool kids are rockin kicks in crazy bright colors.

these are the perfect comprise – the black shoe is still versatile and a little dressy, but the stripes are dayglo green instead of the usual white, lending these a little more street cred than your usual sambas. i don’t know who at adidas or zappos (they’re exclusive to the online shoe seller) is responsible for this combo. but i would like to give him or her a big sloppy kiss

buy from zappos

better use protection

 

i have never met a guy who isn’t into bags. not necessarily murses, but every guy loves to find new backpacks, messenger bags, and cases of all kinds. we can’t help ourselves any more than a woman can help herself around shoes or purses.

no matter what bag you have, you’re going to take your laptop along with you at some point, and you’re going to want to protect it. which is why finding the right form-fitting padded case is just as important as finding the right bag. and josh spear has found us that case.

tom bihn is a dude, well he’s actually alot of dudes in seattle who make some crazy good bags, but they’re not really my style. however the archetype case for mac laptops is just my thing. a form fitting padded case with a handle that is covered in fabric made from cork. how cool is that? these will totally go with the medium arborists if you bought a pair. and, you know, feel a need to match your bag and shoes. they make one to fit every recent mac laptop.

buy from tom bihn 

y, because we like you

gents, when you wear a good fitting pair of jeans or trousers boxer shorts simply will not do. you need something that fits you a little closer, leaving room to tuck a shirt in if you’re dressing up, or to show off the results of all those squats if you’re dressing down. and so, i’m sorry to tell you but you’re going to need some y-front underwear.

you may be tempted the big promises and bigger prices of the “package enhancing” pouch-style underwear. but it’s all hype. a good fitting pair of pants will do a better job of helping you out down there, and the seams on those pouch briefs are uncomfortable as hell as your little guy rubs against them.

instead, get yourself some low cut y-fronts. the best price for the best pair that i’ve found so far are the paul frank butt huggers (formerly the banana hammocks). so not only do you get underwear that make you look, you get underwear that looks good. they come in assorted colors and each has different little graphic printed on them. and at $26 for a 3 pack, they cost even less than american apparel.

buy from urban outfitters; alternate colors

astronaut smile

a good diet and exercise will only get you so far. granted they will get you pretty damn far, but sometimes we all need a little help reversing the damage done by bad habits. improving your health will help make your skin look better, but it can’t do squat for those yellow teeth. and no matter what clap your hands say yeah said last year, there’s nothing attractive about stained teeth.

you could go to a clinic and have your teeth laser whitened for about $250. which is pretty cheap, and damn it makes your teeth so white that it makes even the palest guy looks like he has a tan. it’s great if you have the cash or if you have really bad teeth. but what most of us really need is just a boost. i’ve tried alot of the solutions out there and generally been disappointed. they’re all a pain in the ass and the results were mediocre. uncrate found what seems to be a good middle ground. individual doses with brush tips should  make this stuff easy to paint on your teeth. and it only has to stay there for 20 minutes – so you can brush it off before your date.

buy from sephora

starving artists need to eat

summer has finally started here in san francisco. it has been 80 degrees for about the last week and i can’t stop thinking about t-shirts. but the problem is everywhere i go, everyone has the same tshirts. giant robot, threadless, and go ape seem to have a lock on the hip guys’ t-shirt market. so i have a solution. not only a solution for you guys, but one for the poor guy who poured his heart and soul into trying to make small batches of really cool shirts.

zero boutique is auctioning off the last 400 t-shirts they will ever print. bidding starts at $16 per shirt, many of which are still at the minimum bid. there’s no more than 4 of any shirt in any size, so you may wind up getting outbid, but if you’re not, you’ll score some awesome shirts at fair prices. plus you’ll be able to walk down the street and know that pretty much no one else has them.

i dig the suicide girl inspired prints, especially the one of amina munster, the chick who had carey hart paint a tattoo on her prosthetic leg. whether you want a cute girl, a cool robot or just a good design, it’s worth giving ZBQ a try. you have until halloween to bid.

buy from zero boutique

The Modern Mister Rogers

cardigans aren’t just those old wool v neck sweaters mr. rogers and your granddad used to but up – they’re pretty much any old sweater that you don’t have to pull over your head. so you might say the track jacket is the modern cardigan. thus modern cardigans look and feel more like track jackets just with some design reference to the old styles.

patagonia does you up right with their quilt again jacket. it looks good in navy pinstripe, which is so hot for track jackets and cardigans you’ll start smokin when you put this on. and it feels good because even though it’s a wool sweater, it’s lined with soft, delicious fleece. which doesn’t just make it comfortable, it make the quilty doubly warm. this is sure to be a winter hit. if you’re feeling extra bold, you could ditch the blue and try the green.

buy from patagonia

burton offers an alternative for those who want a little more old school charm and don’t need two layers of weatherproof protection. the club cardigan has that cable knit look and elbow patches for when you need to pretend like you’re in the eiger sanction. it comes in blue too, but you’re best off with red or brown if you want to rock the old school off piste look.

buy from sierra trading post

nice pants

even when you want to look nice, you have the right to do it with a little flair. granted, you can do worse things than look nice, but geez dudes you don’t have to look bland while doing it. now you would think the gap is the last place you’d find anything other than bland clothing, and normally you’d be right. but for once the gap has created something a little bit sporty and a little bit dressy for the winter. here’s a pair of grey wool pants with cargo pockets. these aren’t really cargo pants – they fit like a good pair of trousers and even have normal trouser pockets. but down on your thighs, there are simple cargo pockets. nothin fancy and better yet nothing too much but just enough to take these trousers from boring to stylish. you know the gig here kids, nothin too formal. you aren’t gonna wear these and impress your most expensive client, but everyone you know will think you look pretty good – as long as you get them in a size that fits. and with a nice slim cut and about 100 sizes, that shouldn’t be tough.

buy from the gap

and, we’re back

i could tell you that i took a little break to travel round and find the hot trends and clothes for you guys but that would be a total lie. i took a friggin vacation, or a man-cation as they’re called these days as me and me bros got together to discuss babes, bikes, beer and a million other subjects that don’t start with the letter B.

You know what else starts with the letter B? backside! dudes, you’re gonna have to deal with the fact that if you are in a semblance of shape at all, your ass is your second greatest asset. (your first is probably your shoulders, ok?) so you have to, absolutely must buy jeans that fit. because seriously, when you buy jeans that are too big and then cinch ‘em in with a belt to hold em up, you look like you’re wearing a diaper under your pants. that is the epitome of not sexy, dudes. it’s not even ok if you have a big ass.

so here’s the deal. you do not have to buy skin tight jeans – buy em with a little room in your thighs, that’s cool. in fact, that’s good. but do not buy jeans that hang loose around your ass. you may have to look at different brands, or different sizes. but dear god. let your jeans skim your ass and fit your waist well enough that when you put a belt on, the material of the jeans is not bunching up or folded over. this is not a good look for anyone.

so your mission, you have no choice but to accept it, is if you have ill fitting pants, replace them. now. with something that fits. if you’re single i guarantee you will get more dates (or more second dates) and if you’re attached, your wife / girlfriend / boyfriend will thank you. then tell them to thank me.

and now we return to our regularly scheduled shopping.

pickup in pink

you know what a pink dress shirt says about a man? he has confidence and style. seriously. a man has to be confident in his masculinity and in his looks to wear a pink shirt and look like he was born to do it.

this shirt from ben sherman makes pink a little easier since it has an awful lot of grey in it. it also has more panache than just about any other collared shirt around since it has a hand sewn element to it. the small bars of horizontal stripes are actually a second fabric sewn on to the shirt, that’s not a print or in the weave of the fabric.

little things like that show the world (or just that girl / guy across the bar) that you pay attention to detail. and you know how they love that. if you have any game at all, i’m pretty sure this shirt will get you laid.

buy from sierra trading post