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For $ 50 You Can Buy …
I love madras shirts, and every spring and summer, J Crew offers the most affordable madras-inspired shirts around. They’re not technically madras in that they don’t have the same faded look, but that also means they don’t bleed in the wash.
J Crew’s madras-inspired shirts are on sale at the moment for about $ 65 in their sale section, but you can take an additional 30% off with the checkout code SUNSHINE. That knocks these down to about $ 45.
Keeping Summer Simple
I don’t love shorts, but I wear them. Why? The truth is that I’m a San Francisco guy living in Los Angeles. My internal thermostat can handle temperatures from about 55 to 80, so when the weatherman says “high of 91” and I don’t have a meeting or a reason to wear something fancy, I reach for a pair of shorts. It’s tough to admit, but it’s true.
When it’s genuinely hot outside, I work hard to keep things simple and lightweight. Above is the kind of outfit I’m talking about. The shirt’s from J. Crew – right now they’re full retail, $ 89.50 (!), but I didn’t pay more than $ 30 for any of the linen in my closet. I usually buy them in-store late in the summer, when they’ve been marked down a couple times. When I see some plain white linen that works well for me, and it’s $ 23 a pop, I buy a few. I’ve got a couple with something going on, and a couple more in white and light blue solid. Perfect for every occasion.
The shorts are by Uniqlo, and they’re $ 30. These aren’t world beaters, quality-wise, but they’ll get you through a summer or two. Focus on basics – khaki is of course number one, but white’s surprisingly easy to wear when it’s genuinely summer out. Navy blue’s pretty useful, too.
The shoes are plain plimsolls – traditional canvas sneakers. I actually bought this pair a few weeks ago right after posting about them here, they’re Keds. Thirty five bucks out the door (though there are only a couple sizes left now). Plain white and navy are workhorses for summer sneakers. If they get dirty, don’t sweat it. If they get gross and ratty, replace them. Besides Keds, we like to recommend Converse and Superga. Keep those feet fresh with no-show socks like these.
There are other options, of course. I love the madras shorts and shirts from Lands’ End, for example. I’m a big ghurka shorts man, and if it’s really summery and I’m not walking too far, I wear espadrilles. But frankly, with a simple, coordinated outfit like this, you’ll have 99% of the other chumps beat. Heck, just by covering your toes you’ll have 90% beat. And trust me: no one wants to see your toes.
Yes, you can still find our rounded collar in six colors here.
We’re always looking for great talent. Even if you don’t see the right position for you, you can Name Your Job here. You never know—blow us away with your submission and you may soon be part of the team.
I love people’s PTO unboxing photos. This one’s from Trent. One of a couple colorways for this round of squares. We might have a few leftover to go into the store, we’ll see how it pans out.
“I love how men in the ’80s wore those big suits with huge shoulders, like Gordon Gekko, William “Refrigerator” Perry, and RoboCop.”
– Dave Shumka
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Start With a Good Cloth
I love this photo by Ethan Desu. It reminds me that at their foundation, all nice garments begin with a good cloth. The man pictured here is Taka from Liverano & Liverano, a bespoke tailoring house in Florence, Italy. His clothes are fairly simple – a navy sport coat, blue shirt, and a burgundy silk tie with medallions printed on it – but what makes them beautiful is how rich and handsome the fabrics look. The slightly fuzzy nap and barely discernible twill lines on the jacket, which is made from a vintage Harris Tweed, are especially appealing.
If you take the time to sample enough cloth, and pay attention to what you feel, you’ll soon be able to discern the quality of a fabric the moment you touch it. Good wools, for example, will feel lively and rich in the hand. If you pinch them between your index finger and thumb, they’ll easily roll and sometimes even feel a bit springy. Bad wool, on the other hand, will feel flat, lifeless, and might even be a bit crushable. Bad cottons will also feel a bit “paper-y.” More than these “tests” though, you should always go with your gut, emotive reaction. A good cloth will always look and feel beautiful, while a bad cloth will be dull and uninteresting. In some ways, it’s as simple as that.
The online community of men’s style enthusiasts loves to obsess over details that most people won’t notice. I’m not saying a garment’s design isn’t important, but at their core, a beautiful garment starts with a good cloth and a nice cut. Considerations such as patch vs. welted pockets come after.
(Photo from ethandesu)
From Fast Company’s Sex, Love and Whether Either Can Survive A Startup:
“Stereotypes notwithstanding, plenty of evidence suggests the young, Type-A, tech-savvy self-promoter who regularly sleeps alone on the office couch isn’t your typical founder. Indeed, 70% were married when they became entrepreneurs and 65% were over 30 when they founded their first company. “
But according to capitalists and authors of Startup Life: Surviving and Thriving in a Relationship with an Entrepreneur, Brad Feld and his wife Amy Batchelor, successful relationships while at a startup require making time: “You do not need to do just one more email right before bedtime. Its repeated over and over that entrepreneurship is an ‘all-in’ experience and the partner of an entrepreneur has to accept that he is playing second fiddle to the entrepreneur’s startup,” they write. “We completely reject this notion. We reject the idea that the more you work, the better the outcome. We reject that time spent on work matters more than having a fulfilling life.” Instead, they contend, “both you and your startup will be more successful if you have a full experience on this planet.”
Fun facts:
Percentage of Everlane employees that are married: 17%
In serious relationships: 43%
Percentage who turn off devices to make time with their significant other: 14%
(The rest are working on it.)
Photo of Charles and Ray Eames.
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