Thrifty Thursday: Stolen motorcycle jacket

So, I bought a leather jacket a couple of weeks ago on my day off up in Andersonville...

Alarmingly broken-in and well-loved, this motorcycle jacket ended up in my hands right once I walked in. I mean, if this jacket could talk, I can imagine raucous stories of women holding on to it for dear life as the owner careened around the curves of mountain roads somewhere.

Alongside my brown leather "Member's Only" jacket and a padded grey leather one, black completes the series. So I strolled up to my favorite nook in Andersonville...

Rad Vintage is the place to go, people. It's stocked full of reasonably priced and well-curated options. You'll spend a handful of minutes sifting through their selection from the bossman, RJ. He's got a great eye and know's what he's doing. Check them out on the interwebz or head up their to the store one of these days.

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While doing some vintage shopping on the Sabbath in Wicker Park, I bumped into the lovely Ms. Trés Awesome. She kindly asked to take my photograph for her street style website and I was flattered. She kindly sent over some extra photos to make this post happen. Tada. You're the boss, Emma.

Unfortunately, the jacket has already been snatched by Katie. I'll get it back tomorrow, hopefully...if she doesn't pass it off to Shani.

Black leather motorcycle jacket from Rad Vintage ($60); Fair Isle reindeer sweater courtesy of Topman; blue chambray button down by Gant Rugger; slim white denim from spring 2011 by A.P.C.; classic white sneakers courtesy of Vans; purple laces from the 'Crewcuts' section of J.Crew; black frame eyeglasses by Gant Rugger; slouchy dirty grey beanie from my floor; vintage 1950s monogram shopper by Louis Vuitton from eDrop-Off.

Photos courtesy of Trés Awesome.

THRIFTY THURSDAY: Louis

When it comes to bags and the necessities that go into your everyday carry, you have to decide what works for your lifestyle.

You've got a big-boy office job: Try a briefcase.

You're one of those guys that carry a messenger bag: Fine.

You're a snot-nosed liberal arts undergrad rat (like I was): Give a backpack a go.

You're not a fan of carrying any of those: Tote along, friends.

Carry what fits with your setting and lifestyle. Bags with top handles are particularly my game. I love a good Filson tote, as well as a Jack Spade dipped-canvas coal tote. Durable, beat up and broken in.

My preference comes from not wanting to carry something across my body. It cramps my style, usually dishevels my blazer, and I don't want scoliosis. Enter the tote.

Photography by Jarred Donalson

Hold up, what is this guy doing with a Louis Vuitton? Hear me out. I got it for a killer deal and it's a freaking Louis?! Do you know how many middle-aged, Gold Coast housewives armed with LVs, hauling strollers and pumped with Botox have stopped me on the streets of Chicago complimenting this bag? Well, three this week and I don't know if that's a really good indicator of "cool" either, but who's keeping track....Not me. Nope.

Plus, tell us you'd turn down this Louis Vuitton luggage from Darjheeling Limited if you had the chance. No? Neither would we.

I thought you guys were about thrift. It's in the title. Thrift can be relative. Sure, we generally mean it in the Salvation Army sense, but occasionally a thousand-dollar piece comes along for a couple hundo, and we call that a deal. I snagged this sucker off of eBay from the wonderful ladies over at eDrop-Off. I was Googling leather handbags one day and stumbled across this one on their eBay page. It was very clear in the description as it being "well-loved and worn" which I read as, "generally beat up and perfect."

With my interest peaked and time ending soon on the auction, I called the store and asked to speak with an associate. They promptly answered my questions, and I went for it.

Bidding ensued, and I had a price point where I was going to stop bidding (It goes without saying, but always have a figure in mind where you're going to stop. It's too easy to get sucked in to simply wanting to win. And boom: Immediate and brutal buyer's remorse.)

I also happened to thrift this oatmeal-flecked wool cardigan by Pendleton a few years ago when I was in undergrad. If you want to burn up, look for anything wool and itchy. You'll be nice and toasty.

On Jeff: Vintage "Monogram" collection tote (eDrop-Off, $222) made in America by Louis Vuitton; oatmeal-flecked wool cardigan (thrifted, $3) by Pendleton; blue cotton oxford (Legends Shopping Center, $60) by rag & bone; selvedge "Henley" denim ($220) by Baldwin Denim.

THRIFTY THURSDAY: Duck hunt

I love novelty sweaters.
And by novelty, I mean obnoxious.

This "Duck Hunt" sweater triggers memories. Memories of my brother and I sitting in front of our large, practically furniture-sized television in our basement, non-stop clicking the Nintendo gun for pegging ducks off the screen. We spent hours mastering this game, totally cheating when the other got suckered into to running upstairs to grab the pizza rolls that Mom so kindly prepared for us.

I snagged this sweater at Arizona Trading Company in Kansas City when I flew back to see my baby niece. (Yeah, this guy is an Uncle! Congrats, Brother and Sister-In-Law.) Per usual, I did the rounds in Kansas City in hopes of scoring glorious plunder. I'd call this sweater alone a win in itself. If you wanna shell out the big bucks, Mr. Porter and Need Supply have a few options for the animal at heart.

On Jeff: Thrifted "Duck Hunt" sweater ($6) by Montgomery Ward from Arizona Trading Company; thrifted denim shirt ($1) from Salvation Army; thrifted bomber jacket with faux shearling trim ($12) from Salvation Army; grey slim-fit "Davis" chinos ($70) by Club Monaco.

Photography by Jarred Donalson

THRIFTY THURSDAY: Retro Crewneck

Dismayed by the fact that we haven't published anything particularly thrifty recently, Jeff did us a solid and shouldered the responsibility of finding something sweet. On short notice, he smartly chose to focus his efforts at Seek Vintage.

Though a bit pricier (and obviously a better caliber) than Goodwill, the D.A.V., Salvation Army, Village Discount Outlet, etc., Seek almost always yields something affordable and worthwhile. This visit was no exception. He came away with a wool-blend crew neck sweater that's the perfect palette to catapult us into fall.

He came over, we shot some photos in the harsh light of a nearby parking garage. And that's that, mattress man.

On Jeff: Wool-blend retro crewneck sweater ($20, Seek Vintage); indigo button-up courtesy of Topman; rust-colored trousers (sale $20, reg. $70) by Zara; desert boots (sale $50 at Nordstrom Rack) by Clark's.

Thrifty Thursday: Broped

The sign in this photo summarizes many things:

• The chances of dating Cameron. Sorry ladies, he's already got a lady.
• The journey to find the dress shirt that fits perfectly off the rack.
• Seth's chance of finding shoes in his size.
• My hopes of finding a Starbucks that will put whatever I want in a Trenta.

While Seth was playing bridesmaid groomsman this weekend in Glen's wedding, Cam and I took our high school senior pictures drove around the streets of East Campus on his roommate's moped.

This shoot embodies our formula for menswear, blogging and style:
A lot of laughing, some Blue Steel and/or Magnum, and a little spooning for dear life on the back of a two-wheeled murdercycle.

Cameron: Jeff and I were trying to play off the classically American motorcycle feel in this shoot. Unfortunately, we didn't have, say, a Triumph Bonneville on hand. We did, however, have a moped (read: scooter). It tops out at a little over 35 mph... downhill. Masculinity? Stripped. Dignity? Somehow, still intact. Needless to say, Jeff and I underwent a bonding experience unlike any other.

You know what I love about mopeds? You can wear whatever you want because you already look a little out of place riding the damn thing. Riding a moped is a lot like going to Vegas; you can wear whatever you want and everybody nobody judges you for it. Right? Probably not.
You get the point though? Probably not.

Rudd approves of riding doubles. I love you, Cam Man.

Photography by the moped owner himself and roommate, Zach McSpadden.

On Jeff: Confetti white button down ($70 sale in NYC) by rag & bone; indigo striped "Mickey" shorts (sale $30) by Club Monaco; tan circular sunglasses courtesy of Topman; tassel loafers (thrifted, $4) by Allen Edmonds.

On Cam: Plaid button-down (retail, $65) by J. Crew; army-green "Enlisted" chinos (UO, sale $20) by Penny Stock; military "Weekender" watch (online, $40) by Timex; eBay'd black Florsheim PTBs (eBay, $25); copper cuff (eBay, $4).

Thrifty Thursday: Coated

Whenever I make a purchase, I think about whether the item is an addition to my wardrobe as a basic (button downs, denim, tees and other layering pieces) or if it's going to be a specialty piece.

What do I mean by that?
You can buy button down shirts, trousers and denim year round, generally in the same fit, fabric or wash. You can walk into a men's store at any time and find those pieces. Great, those are your basics in your wardrobe. But each season a brand releases a new jacket or a familiar one but in a different wash or fabric.

Those are your speciality pieces. They are typically higher in price and are trend-driven or not something you'd find everyday. A jacket would be one of those pieces.

Let's talk jackets. You can never have enough jackets. But seriously.

Wait, what?
Most great outfits have three pieces to them. A top, a bottom and a jacket.

Why buy more jackets or blazers? Do my shirt and pants not do the job?
If you look at a majority of our shoots and daily outfits, you'll likely find a third piece. And that third piece is typically a jacket. A jacket pulls an outfit together with the top or bottom. It cleans it up and finishes it off. Throw a blazer in the back of your car or carry a cardigan in your bag.

And that third piece is usually more expensive because it's special and thats where the dollars start to add up. However, those dollars were not on this piece.

Nope. About four-Chipotle-burritos' worth of dolla-dolla-bills-y'all were spent on this jacket.

"The Braydon" Jacket by Comune.

It's a nice, structured-but-soft, slim-fitting jacket with high-cut arm holes, which is tough to find when it comes to getting a jacket off the rack. I sized down and got a small, but the medium fit well also. Quite a deal for a great alternative to a blazer and a different take on a denim jacket, thus making it "special."

STYLING TIP: Throw this jacket on with a pair of dark wash denim, tailored pair of khakis or do the monochromatic look. My style is generally pretty preppy, but this was too sharp and filed under "specialty" pieces that will instantly pull my look together.

It's available at:

• Need Supply in "Stone"


• Urban Outfitters in "Stone" and "Charcoal"


• Amazon.com in "Black," "Stone" and "Charcoal."


• Dogfunk in "Black," "Stone" and "Charcoal"


• ....and just Google Shopping search the damn thing, too.

File this one under: a monochromatic look, too.

On Jeff: Coated black denim jacket (sale $32, Nordstrom) by COMUNE; handmade yellow striped bow tie ($20) by Annaruna; grey pin-stripe straight leg pant ($175) by Nonnie Threads; refurbished white leather topsiders ($30, Nordstorm Rack) by Sperry; cotton grey button-down by J.Crew.

Photograpy by Bradley Siefert

THRIFTY THURSDAY: Made In Italy

It's boots like these that will forever have me preaching the eBay gospel, ladies and gentlemen. Is it too early for boots? Perhaps. But when I saw these bad boys on eBay while doing some pre-fall bargain hunting, I had to pull the proverbial trigger (get it?). After all, for the price of about four Chipotle burritos (and I'm talking steak burritos here, or barbacoa, depending on my mood) plus shipping, how could I go wrong? You're right, I couldn't. Now, I'm sure all of you calculus teachers out there have done the mental math, but for those that haven't, the purchase came out to a little over $30, shipped. That's, like, ¥2400 for all ya'll in Japan!

Not bad for some vintage cap toe Cable and Co. work boots, handcrafted in Italy. They're used, weathered, and scuffed, which only adds to their appeal. Those contrasting brown suede panels on the uppers are pretty out of the ordinary. Plus, those who are weary of workwear are shifting toward the Italian influence, right? BUT WAIT! You forgot about - *dun dun dun!* - Italian workwear.

#menswearsatire

On Cameron: thrifted s/s madras shirt (Wild Man Vintage, $7) by Royal Knight, size medium; grey chinos (J. Crew, $65) by J. Crew, size 31; "Preston" eyeglasses (online, $95) by Warby Parker; cap toe work boots (eBay, $30 shipped) by Cable and Company, size 10

Photos by Jarred Donalson

THRIFTY THURSDAY: A. P. (pre) C. (iate)

Guess who finally bought his first suit? This guy.

Your first suit should be one that fits you. That's first and foremost.

Your first suit should be altered to your body with the help of a tailor.

Your first suit should be probably be grey because you can dress it up and dress it down with separates. Black is always formal—think: weddings and funerals—and navy may be a little too casual for a black-tie event, because we all know I'm invited to black-tie events so often...

Well, I bought a midnight navy one, and it fits me perfectly off the rack. Hat's off to you, A.P.C., for making such a finely tailored suit that fits a 6'2" man with a 36" chest, girlishly small arms and a terribly long inseam.

Seth's note: Uh, Jeff, where are the photos of the suit?

Jeff: Wait, you thought after all that talk I was actually going to show you photos of the whole thing?

Thrifty Thursday: Fryes with that

I found my summer shoe.

I've been looking to get my feet into a pair of wingtips that are a little unusual. Something bright and something classic at the same time. I had found a couple that intrigued me over the past few months but I passed up two pairs of shoes...and regretted it. You know that feeling and you think, "Crap, I should have just bought them." Both pairs were Florsheim by Duckie Brown. One was a white oxford...

Florsheim by Duckie Brown

And another was a laceless version:

Florsheim by Duckie Brown

I missed my chance and have continued to hunt for a pair of the perfect white oxfords. Damn you, Florsheim, for making such amazing shoes but not in my size that I can try on.

Alas, the search continued for another summer fun pair.

And the search ended at Nordstrom.

Meet the off-white Frye "James" wingtip.

So comfortable and so slick. I thought I was going to walk away with a pair of Cole Haan's because of the added Nike Air technology, but these Fryes are going to hold up very nicely. More than half-off the full price? Great. By the way, there is a huge summer clearance sale going on at Nordstrom. Didn't summer just started though? Exactly.

On my feet: Off-white "James" wingtip (sale $98, reg $198 at Nordstrom) by The Frye Company.

Thrifty Thursday: Levi's lately

Chicago is a land of wondrous things. Two of them happen to be the Levi's Stores on Michigan Avenue and Wicker Park. Earlier this week in stores they were taking taking an additional 50 percent already reduced prices on sale items. They might as well have said, "Please come in and find these clothes a good home for a fraction of the cost."

I've got my go-to people at each location that I work with each time I come in. Love the service and the prices. Also, it's Levi's. It just works.

Oh, you don't live near a Levi's store? That's okay. Their customer service is great and will happily track down your items, even the sale items, because Lord knows that's where and what I shop when I walk into Levi's.

Oh, Timex Camper watch for a mere $18, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways that you look sharp and timeless everywhere I take you.

Straight-leg cargo pants that I'm not swimming in? Please. I've gotten more compliments on these lately than I have the bow ties I've been rocking. I saw these on a gentlemen who worked for the styling department of Oprah and asked him where he got these, thinking they were Shipley and Halmos or Engineered Garments. But they were Levi's! He told me he didn't remember the style number but got them from a store in California for like 20 bucks. Eager to find these, I went to the Levi's store with a mission and that mission was completed.

On Jeff: Cotton hunting jacket ($30) by Levi's; cotton front-pocket cargo pants ($20) by Levi's; grey button down ($20) by J.Crew; "The Lexington" leather wingtips (Nordstrom Rack, $50) by Florsheim; "Camper" watch ($18) by Timex; leather belt with brass hardware ($5) by J.Crew.

Photos of Jeff by Jeff for Jeff by Seth.

Seth slipped the Levi's hunting jacket and never looked back.

That's Seth's beloved Saddleback Leather briefcase—which, as he points out for the budget-minded among you, was result of a giveaway from the generous folks over at the Art of Manliness.

The jacket won him over, so we ordered it for him a couple of days later and he took it down to ol' farm in southwest Missouri to bust out the over-under 20-gauge shotty and break in the reinforced shoulder patch.

Of Seth: Field photos by Jeff Kieslich. Farm photos by Oliver Drambour.

Thrifty Thursday: Rackin' it

Editor's Public Service Announcement: Just in case you didn't see Twitter or Facebook earlier this week, we did (finally) pick winners for the bow-tie challenge. Thanks for the reminders, questions and general cleverness about our tardiness. It would appear the interns really dropped the ball on this one. (We gave them one job—one job...). In any event, the lucky two were:

• Drew Jones Art
• mah5160

Congrats to the winners, and to the rest of you: Be sure and enter next time. We think the interns have learned their lesson. If pulling outhouse duty doesn't teach them, I don't know what will.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming:

There are a few places you're sure to find things cheap. Wal-Mart. McDonald's. On the apparel side of things, you'll get anything you find in a dumpster for free, garage sales almost always guarantee low prices, and thrift stores are nice for weakening the blow to your finances. But then there are times you're itching for something new, something that hasn't been washed and loved on by somebody else, something with price tags still attached—but price tags with small numbers on them. Enter Nordstrom Rack.

You see, there is no Nordstrom Rack in Kansas City (yet), so I had not encountered one until our recent wedding field trip to St. Louis. I'm not much of a planner, and I'm even less of a packer, so when time came to put together a bag to take to the Lou, I threw some underwear and toiletries in my Wanderer and grabbed some hanging shirts out of my closet in an effort to use as little energy as possible. And then I set off, without too many wedding appropriate items in tow. "I'll buy some in St. Louis," I thought. As you may have guessed, I'm also a procrastinator, so at about seven in the evening on the eve of the wedding day, I set out to find some shoes and some neckwear. Nordstrom Rack would have a moderately priced selection of both, I was told.

Granted, Nordstrom stocks a lot of things that I consider unwearable, for whatever reason. But, at the same time, the Rack had a nice array of Clarks, Top-Siders, and Florsheims, all at about half off. The tie collection was just as appealing and twice as cheap. I walked away with a pair of black suede Clarks desert boots for $50 and a $15 Rooster polka dot bow tie. Two items that will get a lot of wear. Two items that I avoided paying full price for. I think this is called winning.

Bow tie (Nordstrom Rack, $15) by Rooster; cotton oxford (thrifted, $3) by Arrow, medium; slim cotton chinos (Urban Outfitters, sale $10) by Dockers, size 31; leather belt (stolen from my father—thanks, dad); suede desert boots (Nordstrom Rack, $50) by Clarks, size 10.

Photography by Jarred Donalson.

Thrifty Thursday: Camel suede chukka boots

If you're from Missouri, you're aware that there's this quasi-rivalry between St. Louis and Kansas City. It's natural, after all, seeing as they're the two biggest cities in the state and they're both furnished with competing major league sports teams. When you go to Mizzou, though, you're kind of forced become frenemies friends with residents of the other city. While it's unfortunate, it is necessary.

At any rate, some of my own St. Louis friends tricked me into actually going there under the guise of watching them run half of the St. Louis Marathon. I eventually took the bait, and in an attempt to make me think more of their hometown, they took me to The Loop. It was here that they fed me the delicacies of Pam's Chicago-Style Dogs, walked me past one of the Midwest's best music venues, The Pageant, and finally took me to some of the city's finest boutiques and vintage resale shops. It was inside of one of these shops—Avalon Exchange, to be exact—that I stumbled upon these mid top boat shoes for $15, in almost new condition.

$15? Sold. Plus, nothing quite says spring/summer like a light-weight, light-colored pair of shoes. Canvas sneakers, white suede bucks, or in this case, tan mid top deck shoes.

St. Louis, you're alright in my book.

(Seth's note: The "Loop"? Chicago-style dogs? Sounds like St. Louis is just a Chi-wannabe. The thing is, I bet they like ketchup on their hot dogs, and that right there says it all.)

Also, while the Corter 'For Japan' bracelet is no longer available for purchase, you can definitely still support the one-man, Boston based leather goods operation. The single wrap leather bracelet is a favorite. Also, where else can you find a handmade in the USA, natural leather utility belt for under $50? Nowhere. Definitely check it out here.

Camel suede chukka boots (thrifted from Avalon Exchange, $15) by Anchor, size 10; red and blue plaid button-front (thrifted, $3) by L.L. Bean, medium; "The 77" straight leg dry selvedge denim (Standard Style, $198) by Baldwin Denim, size 31; natural leather "Corter for Japan" bracelet (retail, $20) by Corter.

Photography by Jarred Donalson.

midweSTYLE: Safety pins and butterscotch brogues

Yeezy likes safety pins, I like safety pins.
Yeezy is from Chicago, I live in Chicago now.
Yeezy wears Celine tops, I sell Celine tops.
We're practically the same person.

Eat your heart out, Wooster.
I, too, can rock a safety pin tie clasp.

(Thrift #1.)

Oh hey, green grass on this beautiful day.

New butterscotch brogues, ya say?

(Thrift #2.)

Well, not new. But new to my feet. I picked these up at Nordstrom Rack for $60. Not too bad for a pair of leather Florsheims, too bad I've been breaking these in for the past couple days sans sock. After dual bleeding achilles and scratched ankle bones, I'm nearing the home stretch of these being supreme comfort.

Butterscotch brogues (Nordstrom Rack, sale $60, reg $100+) by Florsheim, size 11; wine colored silk tie by rag & bone; "Made in USA" leather belt with brass detailing (Country Club Plaza, sale $4.99) by J.Crew, size 32; "The Henley" Kurabo 14-ounce dry selvedge denim (Standard Style, $198) by Baldwin Denim.