Tan The Man

Tan can be bland, it can be boring. It can be vanilla. But vanilla can be delicious. It can add a lot of character to a dish. Tan can do the same thing to an outfit.



For example, one rendition of tan is camel hair, as in this Golden Fleece® Single-Breasted Polo Coat from Brooks Brothers. I like Brooks Brothers, I really like their style, and this camel hair coat is no exception. Unfortunately, my wallet does not like their price. My wallet weeps when it sees prices in the four digits. For something a little more wallet-friendly, check out Jos. A. Bank's full length camel hair topcoat. I'm pretty sure the quality and construction won't match up to the Brooks Brothers version, but your wallet doesn't need to know that.



Tan can also mean khaki. Or is it the other way around? Khaki is a loan word from Hindustani meaning soil-colored. Khaki can mean adventure. It can represent English military abroad. When your adventures are of the pushed-four-wheel variety, but you still want to keep it khaki, these Vans' V56 Standard Inglewood Pants will definitely do the trick. Get it, do the trick, because you do tricks on a skateboard. Did you see what I did just there? Anyway, these standard fit khakis feature cotton and elastane construction for some give and stretch with your pop and flick.



If gleaming the cube isn't in your bag of tricks, but you still want to keep it cool in tan, you can't go wrong with a fresh pair of Tims. Everyone from construction workers to hip-hop moguls rocks Timberland boots. Alright, maybe just those two demographics. But Timberland boots can be stylish, too. Like the two shades of tan on these Abington Boothbay Chukka Boots. Try saying that three times fast! These chukka boots aren't exactly what you might think of when you think of Tims, but they are quite styley and would look great with a nice brown wool suit, tan sports coat and jeans, or the above mentioned camel hair coat and khaki pants. Any way you rock it, tan is the man!

Back In Black

Black is always versatile. It goes with everything. It looks great sleek and shiny or matte and stealthy. It can be warm or cool, like jazz. Razz-a-matazz. What was I talking about again. Oh, yeah, shiny black goodness.



Like this Limited Ed. Dr. Martens x Alpha Industries MA-1 flight jacket available at Selfridges & Co. If you hadn't noticed, I'm a huge fan of Alpha Industries and their quality outerwear. I have a couple of their jackets, one being a hooded MA-1, which is exceptionally warm and comfortable in the cold winter months. This MA-1 might not get you through the winter, but it will definitely get you through fall in style. Pair it with some shiny black patent leather Doc Martens 1460's or classic Vintage 1460's, spike up your mohawk, and you are ready to do some of that old moon stompin'!



If you aren't into the militaristic punk aesthetic, something a little more subtle, like this stark black Wool Topcoat by Polo, might be more up your alley. This luxuriously expensive topcoat was fashioned in a Northern Italian mill founded in the early 1900s. The blackness is so saturated, no light can escape from this coat.



Of course, if you are not into looking like a total douche, you might want to consider something more Normcore, like this darker-than-dark Interlock Mock-Turtleneck by L.L. Bean. L.L. Bean is the height of Normcore fashion, and what could be more Normcore than reppin' the O.G. Steve Jobs (R.I.P.) in his traditional mock-neck style. Just right for the cooler weather this time of year; not too loose, not too tight. Just Normcore right!

Nature's First Green Is Gold

Her hardest hue to hold. Gold and green is such a nice color combination, especially when it is a gold watch with a green face.



For the ultimate in luxury, nothing really tops a Rolex, and this gold and green GMT Master II is an excellent and beautiful example. Sure Patek Phillipe is the absolute top-of-the-pops when it comes to watches, but Rolex is luxury that, if you can afford it, you would actually be willing to wear around in public. The Rolex GMT Master II features a 31 jewel movement, is 18k gold, has a ceramic rotating bezel, and is water-resistant down to 100 meters. It also features a date bubble and an independently adjustable 12-hour hand for multiple time-zone use. And for only $26,495.00, what a bargain!



For those who may not have as deep pockets, Zumies has you covered with a couple of more affordable, exclusive green and gold watches. First is the Nixon Sentry SS (pictured above). This watch is also water-resistant down to 100 meters, has a day and date window, and a Japanese quartz movement. Pretty spiffy for $250! Not as nice as a Rolex, but who has almost 27 grand to drop on a watch? That's more than my house is worth!* Zumies also has an exclusive Nixon Cannon watch in the gold and green colorway for a hundred bucks less!



If you are looking for something that is fun, cheap, but still looks like a million bucks, Zumies has you covered with this non-exclusive but still attractive Nixon Time Teller in gold and green. It's less than $100, which means most folks won't have a problem with wearing this as their daily go-to watch. Which means you can look snazzy every day of the year!

*Ed. note: I live in a van, down by the river.

Holiday Red

Red is one of the colors of the fast approaching holiday season. It seems to begin earlier and earlier every year, and it is creeping right around the corner. It isn't even Halloween yet and there are Christmas decorations in stores already. Anyway, before I go off on a rant, here are some of my favorite red items for the upcoming holiday season:



They might not keep you especially warm during the winter months, but your engine should when you are drifting in these red hot Puma Ferrari Drift Cats. These Ferrari-branded kicks will keep you looking hot on or off the track with a full grain leather upper, cushioned mid-sole and rounded driver's heel.



Red pants have been big this year, so why not pick up these fiery Moleskin Five-Pocket Pants from Ralph Lauren's Purple Label. Oh, I know why, because they are $450! How many moles had to die to make these pants?! I hope it was worth it! They better be the absolute most comfortable pants ever for that price!



If neither of these items are up your alley, maybe you would just prefer a simple red hooded sweatshirt. Perfect for keeping warm while looking cool, this fleece zip-up red hooded sweatshirt from Hanes is my idea of perfection. Simple, warm, fleece, Hanes, cheap, it's got a lot going for it. Or if you prefer to blow some real dough on a hoodie, you could always get this one from Ralph Lauren!

Dress Blues

Like I said in my last post, it's starting to get cold out there. And one of my favorite pieces of fall/winter wear is the Navy pea coat. The pea coats origins date back to at least the 1720's, and my favorite pea coat comes from one of the originators of all things military fashion, Alpha Industries.



Their Navy peacoat comes in several styles and colors, but I prefer mine in navy blue and in the Ahoy Pea Coat style (pictured above). With a 100% wool shell and polyester satin lining and fill, this coat will keep you nice and toasty and dry in the coming chilly months ahead. Alpha Industries also features the less expensive USN Pea Coat and the very affordable Captain Pea Coat.



You can also get a nice looking, middle-of-the-road pea coat from Uniqlo, that won't be quite as nice as the Alpha Industries varieties, but will still probably do you good for a fall a two. It's a wool-poly-nylon blend, to make it lighter, but that reduction in weight will probably also result in a reduction in warmth, so this coat might not make it as winter wear.



If you are looking for an even less expensive (and probably not nearly as well constructed) pea coat, Old Navy has you covered. It is Old Navy, so the quality and details can't be compared to that of Alpha Industries, and it probably isn't even as sturdy as the Uniqlo coat, but it looks decent for the price!

Winter Whites

Winter is just around the corner, so here are some dope kicks to keep you looking right in white all throughout the cold rainy season that is on its way.



First off, Converse has these fly white-out rubber All Star highs. Waterproof rubber with a gusseted tongue to keep the rain out and French terry lining to keep your toes warm.



Next up are these fine all-white Vans Xtuff Sk8-Hi Reissues. With a weatherproof Xtuff upper and a contrasting tan leather lining, these kicks would bring some class to any winter get-up.



And lastly, a little more on the fancy-dancer tip, are these practically all-white Nike Barkley Posite Max bombs. Somehow (probably the hefty price tag), these are still in stock in quite a few sizes. The Barkley Posite Max's are not the most popular sneaker, but I think they look fly and they are definitely comfy. I like the all white with Carolina blue accents and the cut-out stars are a nice touch. These would definitely keep you looking right on the court or anywhere else this winter.