Friday Wrap-Up: Spring into sales

Noteworthy Sales in the Midwest:

• Chicago: Haberdash has their sale starting. 20-70% off Gant, Steven Alan and all things worthy to add to your menswear line-up of classic yet modern pieces. Stock up, son.
• Chicago: Bloomingdales has their spring sale with an additional 40% clearance. Seth and I stocked up on some Gant shirting, along with crew necks that are going for around $20 when all is said and done.
• Chicago: Also, while you're at the 900 Shops, stop by the Second Floor and hop into J.Crew. They're having an additional 30% already marked down clearance items. Great basics and shirting for around $10 to $20 a pop. Say hi to Austin, Drew or Raymond. They'll hook you up and find your size.
• Kansas City: Standard Style Boutique is having their Memorial Day Sale with around 30% off and an additional 10% sale items. Stop by if you're around Leawood in the 'burbs or if you're trouncing around the Plaza. Say "hi" to Daniel and Angela when you stop by if you're down in Leawood. Tell them Jeff sent you. And send our love to Aaron and Josh once you've finished your lattes at Latteland around the corner on the Plaza.
• Kansas City: While you're down in Leawood, don't forget to stop by Habitat Shoes across the street by the Apple Store. Please. Someone needs to buy those Rachel Comeys before I have them life-flight those babies to me. Size 11 if you want to do me a favor.
• St. Louis: I'm not sure if there is a sale, but you'd be silly not to stop by the Cherokee Antique Row after our latest finds. Bow ties, top hats and wingtips for you dapper gents over at "Retro 101."
• Everywhere: Our hometown hero, Anna (who goes to Mizzou), just launched her Etsy shop. Right now, she's got some sweet bow ties. But you've seen those already since you entered our giveaway. Wait, you haven't? Well get on it. We're picking a winner soon.

We usually don't do this, but one other quick thing for our New York friends (or anyone else). You may have heard about Joplin, Mo., which just got hit by an EF5 tornado that killed more than 120 people and destroyed about 30 percent of the town. Both Seth and our dear friend Cary Randolph Fuller both grew up in Joplin, and Cary's organizing a benefit in NYC next week. (You can read Seth's newspaper column to find out more about the devastation.)

If you feel so inclined, head to the Lounge at Los Feliz on Wednesday for margaritas, charity and beautiful people. Details below. We have it on good authority that Cary herself will be there. Lucky you.

Things Organized Neatly: Winter to Spring

Spring? Oh yeah, it should be here by now.
But it's not.
Welcome to Midwest weather.

How does one make it by, yearning for spring but still in the cold?
These are my digs that I've pleased to be incorporating into my wardrobe. It can be 40s in the morning but then hike up to 60s in the afternoon. So I'm prepared with a great mid-weight, unlined jacket and a mid-weight pant. Throwing in a madras tie beckons spring, so try that, too. And if you're still cold when the sun sets, end your evening with a night cap.

Slim straight leg, front cargo pocket mushroom pants (retail, sale $20, reg. $68) by Levi's, 30x34; short-sleeve button down (Standard Style, sale $50 reg. $140) by Apolis Activism, small; graphed "Balsam Fir" notebook (Renegade Handmade, three for $10) by Field Notes; brown leather belt with brass hardware (sale $4.99) by J.Crew, size 32; unlined brown canvas utility jacket (Michigan Avenue Levi's, sale $32 [$44 - 30% sale] reg. $198) by Levi's, small; plaid tie (thrifted, $1); bottle of Knob Creek (refrigerator) courtesy of my roommate's wallet, size weekend.

Photo by Seth Putnam.

midweSTYLE: Mocha blazer on the rocks

Correction (2:55 p.m.): In the initial version of this post, we forgot to credit our very gracious photographer, Bethany Jones. Thanks so much for helping us, Bethany—when you come to Chi this summer, the vino and/or Guinness is on us.

While my blogging brethren reside in the wonderfully windy city of Chicago, I enjoy the pleasure of calling Columbia, Mo., my temporary home as I pitter-patter my way through four years of the dream-world experience that is modern day higher education. Columbia is a lovely place for a million different reasons, but one thing that's not high on that list is natural scenery. But after being cramped up in your favorite local coffee shop (see: Kaldi's), studying your ass off for the huge exam in that class you never actually attended because you swore to yourself you'd just read the book and get notes from that guy who you did that group project with earlier in the semester, you're gonna need some fresh air, and lots of it. Enter Capen Park/Mulch Site. It has mulch for taking and rocks for climbing—what more could you ask for? You're right, nothing.

Winter's still got her foot in the door here in Missouri, which means I still have an excuse to wear blazers without people on campus thinking I transferred in from the SEC. This thrifted beauty fits well almost everywhere but the arms, which could use a nice visit to the tailor. I'm working on that.

Also, I tend to opt for boots when wearing jackets. Why? I don't really know. Maybe it's because my high school mascot was a lumberjack. Maybe it's because I misplaced my favorite longwings. Or maybe it's because when I'm not blowing out my pocket fades or doing squats to make my honeycombs explode, I'm usually out climbing rock faces in blazers and tie bars. I know you sensed the sarcasm.

"The 77" dry 14-ounce Kurabo fabric, two and a half months (Standard Style, $200) by Baldwin Denim, size 31; mocha blazer (thrifted, $20), size 38; blue and pink polka dot tie (my old man's closet, free); old leather belt (my old man's closet, free); dark tortoise "Preston" eyeglasses (online, $95) by Warby Parker; coral oxford (retail, $50) by American Apparel, medium; thrifted work boots (borrowed from our dear friend Travis Craig, $9), military watch (eBay, $18) by Rothco.

Photos by Bethany Jones.

FAVORITE: Leader 725TR

Editor's note: Here at the Midwestyle, we're fans of practical transportation and staying fit. Bikes accomplish both. This is a post by Cameron N.—student, model(?), thinker, no-longer-part-of-this-blog, and apparently, hipster. Cam, over to you:

The perks of living on East Campus are many. I'm just a five minute jaunt from class. I can be in the heart of downtown in 10 or 15 by foot. That convenience sounds great, I know, but most mornings, I wake up for my nine o'clock classes at about 8:44, throw on a pot of coffee, practice the bare minimum levels of personal hygiene, put said coffee in my thermos, and finally jam out the door at about 8:56. And unless I'm trying to do that painfully awkward walk-run-skip thing I usually do when I'm in a hurry, I hop on my bike. Living in a small-ish town like Columbia allows my bike to be my main mode of transportation.
And I like that.
Because I like my bike.
Yeah, I'm aware it is a fixed gear.
Shut up.

Specs: Leader 725TR frame - 58, Leader Trickstar steel fork, Cane Creek ZS headset, Nitto bullhorn handlebars, Kalin seatpost, Pake PBS saddle, Origin8 Pro Track crankset, Shimano bottom bracket, All-City pedals/toe clips, Velocity B43 wheelset laced to Origin8 hubs, freedom Thickslick tires.

Heather henley (Christmas gift from the lady) by J. Crew, small; "The 77" dry, 14-ounce Kurabo fabric (Standard Style, $200) by Baldwin Denim, size 31; brown leather belt (stolen from dad's closet); Mid Skool 77 LX courtesy of Vans Vault, size 9.5.

Photos by Zach McSpadden. Thanks for helping, guy.