T: Based on title alone, I know that I might get kicked out of the men’s blog-o-sphere clubhouse for writing this article.  Although I love the original Bean Boot (I own a pair), the L.L. Bean duck boot isn’t the only winter time option out there.  Just to prove to everyone that I do indeed love L.L. Bean boots, our write up on them can be found here.  

A friend of mine sent me an e-mail saying that the L.L. Bean boot that he wanted was out of stock until February.  So, he began to shop around to find something else (and maybe a little cheaper) to wear this winter.  Because I’m a good friend (and because I write this little blog), I decided to help him look around.  

It turns out that L.L. Bean isn’t the only company who makes classic looking duck boots.  Apparently Lands’ End does the same thing for 15 dollars less.  Check them here (and see them to the right). 

Sorel also makes some duck-style boots (with rubber bottom and leather uppers).  From what I hear, they are good for places that get tons of snow and the look it.  They run about 100 dollars.  You can find them on Zappos here.  (see below).

In the end, my friend ended up picking up a pair of boots from Utah-based Baffin.  The boots are easy slip on and off and they cost only 60 dollars.  The boots have a steel shank in the foot and seem like they will get the job done.  Aside from the classic Bean boots, I think that they are a lot better looking than the other challengers out there.   See them below and buy them here. 

P.S. L.L. Bean Signature now makes a plethera of duck boot options as well.  Check them out here. 

T: It’s no secret that the men’s clothing blogo-sphere loves Bean Boots.  This article has been bouncing around the internet for a few days so I thought that I would include it on our blog.  Click the link below to go to Commerce with a Conscience’s article about his decade long love affair with his first bean boots:

If you don’t have a pair yet, it really is time for you to get the ultimate rain/snow/mud boot.  My dad has owned the same pair for longer than I have been alive and my 20-year old sister (what up Julia!) now wears the  Bean Boots I wore when I was in middle school.

Click here to read our Bean Boots post which for all the T&A long time readers (all 6 of you) was written in only the second week of this grand experiment. 

T: Last week, we talked about the 3 essential t-shirts that every man should own.  (We stole this idea from the good folks at style hunting by the way). 

The ideas of this post is that if your entire wardrobe was stolen and you could only have 3 shirts, these would be the ones. 

1. White semi-spread collar shirt:

Every man has big occasions in his life.  For big occasions (and smaller occasions), a man needs a white shirt.  For your suiting needs, nothing is better than a white, spread collar broadcloth shirt.  I think that the best value for your money is the extra-slim Brooks Brothers option.  Note: you many not look as good as Don Draper in your shirt.

2. Oxford Cloth Button Down (some folks on blogs call this an OCBD):

I have said this several times, but I still think that the best option to take you from the office to out for the night is a durable, comfortable oxford shirt.  Oxford shirts are not as formal as broadcloth shirts because they tend to have a button down collar and because of their heavy weave, they never get as crisp as broadcloth shirts.  If you are interested in my opinion (I would think you are because you read this blog), I think that the Brooks Brothers extra-slim joint is the best on the market.

For those of you who don’t know, oxford shirts are made of a heavier cotton made from two interwoven threads that make a kind of basket-weave type look.  To see our post on these workhorse shirts, check here.  As for colors, I would suggest either pink, white, blue, or blue/white stripes.  Run of the Mill also makes a tasty option (look right).   

3. For my third choice, I kind of cheated (don’t tell the blog police) by picking 4 shirts. I think that every man needs a seasonal shirt because when the weather changes, a man changes his clothes—you wouldn’t wear a snow-jacket year round would you? Here are the winners with pictures that are also links (I know magic).  Obviously, madras and gingham are patterns that are usually found on light cotton and are thus more suited to warmer months and flannel and chambray are heavier and best for cooler months.

Summer: Madras (From Gitman Vintage)

Spring: Gingham (From JCrew)

Fall: Chambray (From Epaulet)

Winter: Flannel (From L.L. Bean)

T: Yesterday was father’s day.  I know that it’s a little late coming but since I started this blog, I have always wanted to write a few words about my dad and how he has influenced my life and style (pictured, my father calms down his son who has just re-broken his nose and been red carded).

First off, without my dad, I would not be writing this blog.  My dad taught about how to be a man and how to dress like one.  Obviously my dad taught me more important stuff than how to tie a tie, but because this is a blog about clothes, I’ll try to stick to sartorial lessons. 

Like many young men, I have vivid memories of my dad teaching me about specific things like which buttons to button on a suit jacket, what color pants to wear with a blue blazer, and the importance of a good oxford shirt (as far as I can tell, he only wears Land’s End light blue oxfords).  But, the most important lesson my dad taught me is how dress like myself. 

I have never seen my father wear anything that made him look like he was trying too hard and I have never seen him look uncomfortable in his clothes.  My father knows who he is and what he likes—something that we can all aspire to.  Because of his example, I try to find clothes that fit with how I think of myself, not what impresses others.  And although he has always taken pride in his appearance, my father always knew that your clothes were never as important than the way you acted while you wore them.

While I have been alive, my father has dressed in a timeless, effortless way and I have tried to follow that example.  Check out the big guy below in a rugby shirt, straight leg blue jeans, and L.L. Bean moccasins—these clothes would be stylish in 1990 when this photo was taken or in 2010 when his 25 year old son wears the exact same outfit. 

The way that my dad dresses has also shaped my memories of him.  From my childhood, there are only two versions of dad:

1. Dad coming home from work in a suit (which later became meeting my suit-clad dad for lunch when we both worked downtown).

2. Dad wearing his enormous L.L. Bean winter coat.  I can remember trying on his coat when I was a kid and the sheer size of it only added to my idea that he was a giant, awe-inspiring man.  I hope that my kid some day feels that way about me. 

During my senior year of college, my winter coat ripped during Christmas break and my dad lent me his extra L.L. Bean coat for the semester.  I remember wearing it one snowy evening at Vassar and feeling like I had become a man because I could finally fit into the coat that had seem so impossibly big many years ago. 

I hope that I become half the man that my father is and that I will always fit into his coat.

Happy Father’s day dad.