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)

Brooks Brothers is offering any 2 shirts for $99 from May 27-May 28.  For all of you who aren’t math teachers like me, this deal is essentially buy one-get one free.  Brooks Brothers makes some fine  quality shirts and now that they have Extra Slim Fit, they actually fit people under the age of 35 and 250 pounds.  This sale is a good excuse to stock up on staples or to treat yourself to a new work shirt for summer.   You really don’t have an excuse—for the price, the quality of these shirts can’t be matched. 

T: Land’s End started in 1963 as a brand that outfitted sailors.  Since then, it has become a company that has provided durable, well-made clothes that were cut about as shapely as a potato sack.  Land’s End clothes were so cutting edge that the company was eventually snapped up by the world renown design house of Sears where you can currently buy all Land’s End products.

This isn’t to say that Lands’ End made terrible clothes (I really like their down vests, knit ties, and cheap dress pants).  Like L.L. Bean, Land’s End makes clothes that mainly appeal to a more mature (i.e. old), suburban demographic that could order their durable and downright preppy clothes from mail order catalogs. 

Lately, traditional American clothing staples that Land’s End has been producing for years like workboots, cardigans, and oxford shirts have become very popular.  Like L.L. Bean (who started the L.L. Bean Signature Line), Land’s End decided to start a new offshoot that would appeal to a younger, more fashionable demographic.  And so, Land’s End Canvas was born!

Although this collection might not be the most cutting edge collection in the world, Land’s End Canvas delivers on its promise of “casual, lived-in style.”  When you receive your Land’s End Canvas order (after you order from the website, silly), it arrives in a package with no tags and very little packaging.  These clothes are simple, comfortable, and come in standard sizes so it is easy to order on-line. 

My personal favorites from the super-cheap collection are their oxford shirts (which I am wearing right now and Andrew owns in multiple colors), shawl collar sweater, madras shorts, colorful pocket squares, waxed cotton jackets, and the chambray shirt that were featured in the most recent issue of GQ.  What makes Land’s End Canvas so great is that it offers decent-quality casual staples at the same price points as a store like Old Navy (which is not highly recommended by T&A). 

p.s. if you are planning on buying from Land’s End Canvas, I suggest that you join the Land’s End e-mail updates list because they offer sales every week or two. 

T: There are times when one does not want to wear a jacket but it would be too cold to wear just a shirt.  These times normally occur between seasons as winter turns into spring or as summer turns into fall.  (Cue the Circle of Life music from the Lion King) 

During these times, I humbly (is that the right word?) suggest picking up a down vest that will keep you warm but will not make you sweat like Andrew who starts to perspire every time the temperature rises above 60 degrees.

I think that the best bang for your buck can be found at Land’s End.  Land’s End sells a down vest that costs 30 dollars and comes in a variety of colors.  The only advice I would give is that you should order a size smaller than you normally wear.  I wear a size “medium” from Land’s End (although I am 6’5”) normally with an oxford or plaid shirt, which is highly recommended with this vest.

T: This is one of the new slogans from L.L. Bean’s new line, L.L. Bean Signature that became available for purchase on Monday.  The collection is meant draw it’s inspiration from what made L.L. Bean famous while appealing to people who do things like live in cities and read fashion blogs. 

A little while ago, L.L, Bean hired Alex Carleton (who used to work there and went on to found Rouge’s Gallery) to start a new line of L.L Bean clothes aimed at a younger, more fashionable demographic.  There is a great Wall Street Journal article on this that can be found here

Personally, I think that there is some great stuff in the collection, including this Harrington-style jacket on this Fabioesque fellow to the right.  Also, if you love L.L. Bean Boots (see our first post), make sure that you check out the new version of this classic shoe on the left.  

Both L.L. Bean Signature and Land’s End Canvas (which will be written about soon) are capturing on the Americana trend that has picked up so much steam recently.  (Truthfully, they are a little late to the party).  Both brands have been making oxford shirts, cardigans, workshirts, and boots for decades and now these items are getting popular with young people.  But, because the brands aren’t exactly popular with the “kids,” the brands decided to trim down the items and to inject a little (but not too much) fashion into their collections. They also decided to do a little old-fashioned re-branding to get young people interested—this ain’t your dad’s L.L. Bean (there will be no dog beds and 25 pound coats in this collection). 

I love almost everything in the collection (I’m still not sold on the suits) and it’s all pretty reasonably priced. The collection also comes with the L.L. Bean guarantee that if your purchase isn’t up to your standards, they will replace it at any time.  Basically, what I’m trying to say is that you have no excuse for ignoring this.