Time To Put Away The Leather... Soles

 We talk about leather sole shoes, or hard-bottoms, as a sign of quality.  But what about their soft soled brothers?  Nine out of ten times, rubber soles on dress shoes just look cheap.  A nice lug soled dress shoe in the F/W, however, can be a great shoe for a number of reasons.  More on why after the jump.

To Catch A Moc Toe Boot

 

Autumn means the temperature is cooling off, leaves are falling, and it's time to put the boat shoes away and break out the boots.  There are lots of different types of boots, but I like mine high and with moc toes. Why?  Hit the jump and find out.

Just Touched Down

To say that college football season is in full swing would be a gross understatement.  With BCS rankings come out soon and most teams 5 games in, the regular season is almost halfway done... But I am a glass half full kinda guy, so lets just say that we have 2 more months of awesomeness and leave it at that.  This fit was inspired by the idea that most guys that have transitioned to "grown up" wardrobes from college probably don't have much of your typical fall Saturday garb (unless you went to a school like mine where blazers and ties were standard issue in the stands).  This is something that is put together, casual, and most importantly comfortable.  It would look good at the alumni function, the tailgate, and the game.  More after the jump.

Po' Pimpin': Eastland Boot Edition

Are you looking for some awesome rugged boots for this F/W?  Do you like the prices of L.L. Bean's gear?  Are you broke like the Tumblr queue feature?  If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, then this post is for you.  L.L. Bean isn't the only company that's making hot s**t out of Maine.  Eastland is an O.G. in the game, producing classic American footwear since 1955.  I went to a private school with a uniform, and us scholarship kids that couldn't afford Dr. Martin's were rocking Eastlands and I can say first hand that they are tough (played football and basketball in them EVERY DAMN DAY and they made it through the school year without falling apart).  All of the shoes in this post are $90... NINETY BUCKS, YO!  More styles after the jump.

Here Comes A New Challenger!

all photo credits: Nautica

Do you remember playing Street Fighter II and getting this message when one of your boys would hit start on the other controller to play you?  Well in the street fight that is the world of affordable but stylish menswear, Nautica may have hit the start button on brands like Land's End and L.L. Bean.  Though they are not newcomers to the world of men's style, they haven't really been in the discussion like Gap, J. Crew, or the aforementioned brands. Rather than following the hunter-gatherer trend that most brands are trending towards, they are staying true to their aquatic roots and offering pieces that would look ill in the city or at the docks.  More after the jump.

A Day In My Life

Shirt-Rugby|Bow Tie-The Cordial Churchman|Pants-Banana Republic|Shoes-Calvin Klein|Belt-Bobby Jones|Watch-Timex|NATO Strap-J. Crew|Socks-Pantherella 

As some of you may know, I work in college admissions.  My office decided that they wanted to do a "Day in the Life" feature on the website to give prospective students and families a taste of what we do.  While I had heard that we might be doing something like this, I was not informed that I would be featured in it (much less be the first to be featured).  As I approached the office, I noticed that the university photographer and my coworker Jenny were in front of me snapping photos.  This is what I wear on a normal summer day to work. Another shot of me (and my messy ass office) after the jump.