midweSTYLE: West Bottoms, two.

Cam made several great points about thrifting: If you're an avid thrifter, you often time buy something because it's so cheap and it may fit a little sloppy. You know, you slip it on and think of all the ways you could make it perfect but never end up doing it. Even though that $2 blazer almost fit correctly, you still needed to let out the sleeve and take in the waist, but it just sits in your closet. The whole tailoring thing for me, well....I would rather save the time and money when I can and just spend a little more. 

Plus, does anybody have a great tailor? Let us know if you do (anywhere in the Midwest, but especially in KC or Chicagoland.) We'd love to publish a list on the site. We've been receiving a handful of inquiries lately, and we've been slacking on that front.

Furthermore, my two recent purchases were a little impromptu but definitely filled a void in my closet, especially my winter essentials. I needed a tweed blazer and a pair of thick pants for the Chicago winter.

So, while picking up some last minute gifts for my sisters and mother down on the Plaza in Kansas City, I strolled into Standard Style wearing my J.Brand cargo pants and walked out wearing the duck canvas "Reed" pant by Baldwin Denim. Yeah, it happened. I was that guy that wore the clothing out of the store because I loved it so much. So warm and substantial for this not-so-nauseatingly cold Chicago winter we're having that I don't even need to throw on my retired running tights on underneath.

 

And then if the stars align and your step has that pep, you walk into Barney's on day when a sale is happening. My guy at Barney's helped me find exactly what I was looking for that day. "I need a tweed blazer, and I'm don't want to get it it tailored."

Shout out to Riley at Barney's on Rush Street in Chicago for being a boss and knowing what I needed: Harris tweed, two-button, dope fabrication and phenomenal fit. And it was on sale.

Whammy.
Sold.

Extra credit: It was A.P.C., one of my favorite labels. Size small, any season, any pant or shirt, fits like a glove. Gotta love that consistency between seasons with the label. You're a genius and fascinating, Jean Touitou. (See also: WSJ interview, Jean's Rules of Style from Details, Interview Magazine.)

On Jeff: Two-button "Harris Tweed" blazer (Barney's, sale $260 reg. $580) by A.P.C.,; denim shirt (thrifted, $2); Timex weekender watch (Amazon, $20) with colored strap ($10) from J.Crew; the duck canvas "Reed" pant ($158) by Baldwin Denim; chocolate suede "8878" boots by Red Wing; skinny Giles & Brother railroad spike cuff ($50); sterling silver southwest inspired bracelet; deadstock copper bracelet that looks like a Cartier that girls keep on trying to steal from me but I say, "Hell nah, shawty;" black-framed glasses by Gant Rugger.

Shout out to our homeboy, Grant Heinlein, for goofing off with us for a day in Kansas City, photographing us jerks and enjoying some badass BBQ later in the day.

midweSTYLE: West Bottoms

Every now and again, I'll do a round of thrifting in my home neighborhood in Kansas City. If I've recently gotten a paycheck, I get a little chance-y and pick up pieces that I know I'll probably never wear. Some of them are ill-fitting, others are just ridiculous, and more than not, they end up in my closet unworn. If you thrift with any regularity, you've been there. You know that feeling. You don't need it, and you don't really even want it that badly, but you grab it just in case. After all, it only costs ¢50 or a few bucks. If worse comes to worst, it would make for a good Halloween costume at some point in the future. 

Anyway, that was the story behind this blazer, initially. I didn't have a go-to blue blazer at the time, so I bought it, even though it didn't really fit. The shoulders framed me well enough and the chest wasn't bad, but it had a huge waist measurement. The gentleman that owned it before definitely had a belly. Seriously, Santa Claus status. Regardless, I bought it for a staggering $4.50. A navy blue, American-made, hopsack blazer for under $5? Sure.

After a few lonely months in the closet, I finally took it to get tailored. Tailoring thrifted clothing sounds and feels a little unnatural. Taking something that you bought dirt cheap and investing another $25 to $75 seems wrong at first. But, if the piece is of high enough quality, the investment is well worth the fit and wearability that comes with tailored clothing. I've gotten a jacket or two fitted, some legs of old trousers tapered, waists taken in. It can turn a forgotten thrift store purchase into one of your wardrobe favorites. In this case, the arms ride up a bit, making them appear a little shorter, but hey, it's perfect everywhere else.

Clarks, beat to death.

On Cameron: hopsack blazer, thrifted ($4.50), tailored for $45; patchwork button-down (eBay) by Gitman Vintage; cream sweatshirt (sale, $80 at the Baldwin Men's Shop) by Todd Snyder; the Henley in California wash, (sale at the Baldwin Men's Shop $116, reg. $232), by Baldwin Denim; beeswax desert boots (gift) by Clarks; WWII-era Russian watch (Etsy, $30) by Vostok; leather wrap (gift) by Tanner Goods; recycled cotton socks (Christmas gift purchased from Hickoree's), by Solmate Socks.

Photography by the one and only Grant Heinlein, check him out!

Details Magazine: Look for Less

For our second guest post for Details Magazine, we decided to look back on a few great films of 2011. It's the look for less: the idea of taking something that styling crews shelled out hundreds for and recreating it for pennies on the dollar. This isn't necessarily dress-up; it's just a little inspiration.

A common thread amongst the films was one man. Ryan Gosling. Enter the Gos.
Okay, he couldn't make it for the shoot. So, I rolled out of bed and stepped in.

With the deadline approaching, we phoned our main man, Anthony Barlich, to make shit happen.
And he did. See for yourself:

Drive: Badass leather jacket, driving gloves and a ratty, old henley. You've got those, now make it happen.

(Special thanks to Wicker Park for being a dirty dive.)

On Jeff: Dark wash slim-straight, mid-rise "Max" jean (sale) by Acne; grey henley from Seth's closet; thrifted grey moto-style jacket with padding ($40) from Rad Vintage; silver-framed aviators from Mallory's purse; off-white "James" wingtip (end-of-season sale $100) by Frye; last-minute fingerless leather driving gloves ($10) from Urban Outfitters; vintage sterling silver "Southwest" inspired cuff ($10); skinny railroad spike cuff ($50) from Giles & Brothers.

Crazy, Stupid Love: Sharp suits, coy attitude, mixed drinks, beautiful women and The Bedford.

(Special thanks to The Bedford Chicago for letting us shoot in your amazing space.)

On Jeff: two-button, notch-collar midnight smart suit (on sale $300) by A.P.C.; slim-fit, mini-check button-down shirting (sale $50) by Scotch & Soda; thrifted woven leather belt ($2); laceless brown "Lexington" wingtips (Nordstrom Rack, $50) by Florsheim.

Ides of March: Politics, schmolitics. Dirty scandals, clean looks. Keep it secret, keep it safe. I also don't own a grey suit, so you gotta make do with what you have.

(Special thanks to Chicago for being beautiful at sunset)

On Jeff: Grey trench courtesy of Banana Republic's Mad Men Collection; thrifted wool scarf ($10) by Pendleton; shrunken charcoal sportcoat (sale at Halls for $260) by Bill Tornade; high-waisted charcoal trousers ($60) by American Apparel; short-sleeved white button shirt (end of the season sale $40) by rag & bone; gifted silk tie by rag & bone; thrifted patent leather penny loafers ($5) by Allen Edmonds; tortoise shell sunglasses from Mallory's trunk. 

Once again, Major eProps to Anthony for the photography for this project with Details. Also, a big bear hug to Mallory for being the lighting queen. She can hold a light longer than one of those schmucks on Survivor standing on a totem pole for a piece of chocolate.

Seriously, y'all. Anthony makes it happen.

Street Style: Tuesday in Wicker Park

A quick little street style update courtesy of Amy Creyer of Chicago Street Style. 

There isn't anything particularly exciting about my outfit, especially for my general thrust for anything obnoxious or questionable. However, take a closer look at the jacket.

A recent find at Barney's, the Harris Tweed A.P.C. (although Context carries this) blazer has quickly became my favorite fall/winter wardrobe piece. The different colors woven in this badboy are beautiful. It's easy to pair with denim for a casual look. Or I pair it with another color trouser or button down that is woven throughout the jacket, like the rich burnt orange/brown, purple and blue. A definite investment piece, sure. Worth it though.

On Jeff: Grey Harris Tweed blazer by A.P.C.; grey crewneck sweatshirt by Jack Spade, thrifted purple madras shirt by GANT; blue cotton scraggly scarf by rag & bone; thrifted two-tone knapsack; beloved dark wash 11.5 oz slim "Henley" with stretch no wash for 2 years by Baldwin Denim; chocolate suede boots by Red Wing; black framed glasses by Gant Rugger.

Thanks again, Amy. You're a sweet and talented friend who's also got some wacky style. 

Also, Can we pause and talk about this bookshelf print top? I want that in a button down.

The Good Guys: Grant Heinlein

Meet Grant.

A born-and-bred Midwest boy ripening out on the East Coast, Grant is the guy to keep your eyes on in the coming years. Rather than getting snared in the talons of the Kansas Jayhawks, he opted out and fled the state for art school.

He's mad talented—far more than we ever were in undergrad—and earned his spot at RISD. It's no surprise that he's at one of the top schools for design studying graphic design and photography.

When I asked Grant about his style, he reflected on stories of high school habits we can relate to. You know: the standard slouchy basketball shorts, Jordans and hooded sweatshirts. Like us, he was that guy.

"Between my freshman year uniform of basketball shorts and hoodies and the over-saturated preppy, country club wannabes, I had to break out and develop my own sense of style."

But he didn't quite feel the jam of having reptiles, wild game or flying critters plastered over his heart...

"My whole thing is simplicity. I think that also stems from my artwork, but it's definitely what I would describe my style as if I had to choose a word. It's this relatively small mix of simple items that are going to last, like my denim, boots, Barbour, etc. I definitely don't wear many bright colors. I'm a neutral guy, keeping it simple with browns, greys, and mostly navy blue."

Someday, Grant would love to be an art director. His passion and creativity for seeing the bigger picture of how each art form is used and displayed stimulates him like nothing else. If the opportunity arises one of these summers, he'd love to intern for Kinfolk or Inventory. He recently accomplished quite a feat that many photographers attempt but never complete: the 365-day photography blog.

"The whole point is to get better, push yourself and your creativity. Once I got into it, I got addicted to it. The feeling of capturing a photo a day that portray emotions on what I was feeling that day, or hell, even a cool thing to look back on, was enough to keep me going. I was tested in my patience to take the time to do it each day and try new concepts that I developed."

I don't even have the dedication to shower once a day for a year. Let alone dream a concept, put it in action and publish the results every single day as a tool to grow, learn and push myself.

You can find Grant and view his stunning flickr account over at flickr.com/grantheins, on the Tumblrs at formelle.tumblr.com and on the Twitterwebz at @grantheinlein.

On Grant: quilted navy vest by J.Crew; wool crew neck pullover by Gant Rugger; button-down by J.Crew; navy wool trousers by Pendleton; Iron Ranger boots by Red Wing.

Photos by Jarred Donalson.

DETAILS Magazine: A Guide for Dreary Winter

Winter is depressing enough.

Don't be like those babes over there all dressed in black and gloomy. 

The great folks over at Details Magazine asked us to do a series of "Daily Details" posts this month. We gladly tightened our belts, wiped our eggnog-mustaches away, and accepted the invitation.

Seth kicked things off on a how to stand out in a sea of black North Face parkas and Moncler puffy coats with "How to dress for freezing-cold days." Keep an eye out for the next three.

On Jeff: "K.C." wool fitted baseball hat by Baldwin Denim; grey wool scarf by Pendleton; red puffer jacket by Patagonia; obnoxious plaid button-down by Gant Rugger; white denim by A.P.C.; neon-laced desert boots by Clark's. Above: "Bedale" waxed jacket by Barbour.

On Seth: thrifted black pea coat by Sterlingwear of Boston; striped shoulder-button sweater by ASOS; chambray trousers by Levi's; shearling-lined boots by L.L. Bean; yellow knit cap; plaid scarf; and his grandfather's custom-tailored chamois and leather driving gloves.

Photos by Carolina Mariana Rodriguez.

midweSTYLE: Aztec RL

Cam flew off to London today, but he managed to squeeze in a photoshoot in the Kansas City River Market with our main man, Jarred. Layer up, friends. It's finally getting colder in the Midwest.

Styling suggestions:

• If you've got a rather bold, loud or obnoxious sweater, tame it with a (mostly) solid vest.
• If you're considering buying a bold, loud or obnoxious sweater, try it. It'll probably turn into one of favorites.
• See also: Jeff's recent sweater purchases of zebra, tribal and roommate's poncho.

On Cam: Vintage Ralph Lauren aztec sweater from eBay; blue button-down oxford from J.Crew; thrifted down vest (simliar to Patagonia's sling shot vest); leather hoofpick belt (similar via Valet); slim-straight selvedge denim by Wings + Horns; leather Red Wing boots.

Photos by Jarred Donalson.