For me, a 39mm, two-register, mid-60′s model with a “panda” dial (black with white chronograph registers) exactly like the one pictured above, keeps me up at night (usually trolling the classifieds section of watch sites trying to find one).  With the wide variety of colours, case shapes, sizes and materials, the above may not be your first choice.  Which is ok, because  there’s something for everyone in the Top Time line (and in the vintage watch market in general).  Click on the pictures below to make them larger.

To me, this is what loving watches is all about: the thrill of the chase.  I’m sure other watch-loving readers can relate, and have their own “grail” watch in mind right now.  Most importantly, if anyone knows the whereabouts of a watch like the one pictured above, please send me an email at: oneguysstyle@gmail.com.  To sweeten the pot, if anyone can find such a watch (and I end up purchasing it), than I’ll hook you up with a $25 gift certificate to eBay, a Ralph Lauren Purple Label tie from my personal collection, and my eternal gratitude.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to add comments below, email me at oneguysstyle@gmail.com, or follow me on Twitter, @oneguysstyle.   For my earlier comprehensive post on watches, click here.   For my recent post about NATO watch straps, click here.

Whereas, in my initial ‘What One Guy’s Buying on eBay’ post, I talked about Martin Dingman (a cursory search of eBay will turn up over 100 listings), this post focuses on a much rarer beast.  eBay can often go for a month with only one Carmina shoe listing in one size; yet, when your number is called (i.e. your size becomes available at a good price), I can’t recommend more that you pounce on them.  For example, there’s a pair of Carmina shoes on eBay at this very moment, in size 7.5US that are amongst the most elegant shoes I’ve encountered (the listing can be found here).  Judge for yourself, they’re the same shoes as are pictured above, except in brown.  At the time of this post, the current bid is $102 (no reserve), with a Buy It Now price of $250.  While $250 may seem like a bit of an investment, keep in mind that ‘The Armoury’ men’s store in Hong Kong, one of the only places online to purchase Carmina shoes, has these precise shoes for sale at a cost of HK$4,500 (or, nearly $600 Canadian), and these shoes will last a lifetime with proper care.  Sometimes Carmina shoes are listed at higher prices – but quite regularly a diamond in the rough will appear.

Shoes, like watches, are one of society’s (and, more importantly, women’s) clearest identifiers of social status and taste.  So, when the opportunity to thrust your shoe wardrobe into the upper reaches of the social strata for $200 appears, DON’T HESITATE – JUMP ON THE CHANCE!

Also, I’d be remiss not to point you to The Armoury’s online store and website at thearmoury.com.  If you can’t quite track down the pair of Carminas you’re looking for on eBay, than this Hong Kong store is likely your best bet.  Beyond that, their website is well worth a perusal as they sell some of the finest men’s clothing and accessories in the world (Drakes ties, Fox Umbrellas, John Smedley knitwear, to go along with stunning tailored clothes) and their Tumblr site may just be my favourite place online right now for men’s style photography: thearmoury.tumblr.com. 

Thanks for reading and please feel free to add comments below, email me at oneguysstyle@gmail.com, or follow me on Twitter, @oneguysstyle.   For the first installment of the ‘What One Guy’s Buying on eBay’ series, please check out my post on Martin Dingman belts here.

Martin Dingman makes accessories.  Made-in-America, high-quality leather goods, with a particular focus on belts and shoes.  My experience with his shoes is limited – however, his belts now make up a major portion of my closet.  For whatever reason, the idea of purchasing an expensive belt never quite sat well with me.  It seemed like an item that was seldom focused on and even covered up, if one is wearing an untucked shirt.  Worse still are belts with logos the size of car trunk badges (the ‘H’ belts from Hermes are offenders in this regard) that we really could use as a society to uncover the ‘D-bags’ amongst us.  Then I discovered Martin Dingman – whose belts range from stunning alligator and crocodile, to high-quality calf leather.  They feature exquisite buckles, no visible branding and really might be the perfect belt for the office.  In particular, the crocodile print belts from his calf leather and suede collections look fantastic.  Best yet, few people have heard of Martin Dingman, which means that you can uncover some amazing bargains.  To whit, my first Martin Dingman purchase: a brand new, polished black leather, crocodile print formal belt with gunmetal buckle, which set me back a whole $20 on eBay.  As soon as I picked it up, I was a convert to the quality belt (although, only where I can purchase it for less than a mediocre belt).  This has been followed by a number of further Martin Dingman acquisitions, capped off by a stunning suede belt for $35.

So, set your eBay search to ‘Martin Dingman’ in ‘Clothing, Shoes and Accessories’, and make sure to find a belt that’s approximately 1-2 sizes above your actual waist size (so, if you wear pants in size ’34’, look for belts in ‘35’ or ‘36’).   Happy hunting.  You can also check out Martin Dingman on their website, and read more about a proud Ozark Mountains-based company who make consistently high-quality products: www.MartinDingman.com.

The nylon strap rose to popularity thanks to British Ministry of Defence (MOD).  The standard issue strap (called the “G10″ thanks to its requisition number) has come to be known as the “NATO” strap because its stock number falls within those associated with “NATO”.  Traditionally, it came in only one colour (dubbed “Admiralty Grey”) and only in the 22mm size.  There are now two colours in the NATO stock catalogue, with both stil using the traditional chrome plated brass hardware.  It is now available in a wide range of colours and patterns, from a variety of aftermarket suppliers, most traditionally featuring vertical stripes running down the middle of the band.   Another popular variation is the “Zulu” strap, which is thicker and is worn slightly differently.

For me, the addition of a nylon watch strap stemmed not out of a particularly strong desire to wear one, but rather out of a problem: I don’t really love the standard bracelet that came with my Omega Seamaster Professional.  It’s not the clasp: I think Omega’s are some of the most functional.  Rather it was the style of the links which didn’t sit well with me (which goes to show you how personal one’s taste in watches are, as many people herald the Omega bracelets as some of the prettiest around).  The Omega has become my day-to-day, beat-around work watch, but the bracelet is a scratch and scuff magnet, it’s hot and heavy to lug around a steel bracelet all summer, and, most importantly, I just didn’t love it.  In fact, I was on the verge of selling the watch; that is until I figured I’d take a $17 flyer on a navy and steel grey NATO-style strap from Gnomon Watches.   Once it arrived (nicely packaged I might add) from Singapore, and I had taken it, along with my watch, to my Authorized Omega Dealer (or “AD” as it tends to be abbreviated on watch sites), suddenly my Seamaster was transformed.  Frankly, it looked cool as hell – just as importantly, it felt cool as hell given the light, breathable nature of the nylon.   Hopefully you’ll agree with my assessment, as I’ve provided two, rather poor quality pictures of my watch and its new strap below.

In my opinion, it’s acceptable to be worn in the summer to work (although, if you work in a particularly conservative environment, I might save it for Friday).  Really, it’s the best $17s I’ve ever spent, transforming a watch that was in my doghouse into a wrist fixture.  I highly recommend throwing one on your watch, even as summer winds down (and, what with the endless choices in colours, you can really customize your watch).  Being a Bond fan, I went with a classic NATO myself (and I’d encourage anyone to go down this road: it’s never going out of style).  Another option is to buy the watch with the strap already on.  The best affordable watch I’ve seen is this watch from J. Crew, which I’ll be discussing more in a future post.  More information on Gnomon straps can be found here: http://www.gnomonwatches.com/index.asp

Thanks for reading and I look forward to being much more active with this blog.

Relatively recently, I changed jobs.  A major part of my new position is travel.  Over the last few months, I’ve been living out of a suitcase roughly 60-70% of the time.  Luckily I enjoy travelling, and, by sheer luck, I’ve happened to be near friends and family for the vast majority of this time.  Nonetheless, it can be a tiring process.  The more someone travels, the more it is understood that your luggage and the rest of your travel kit need to help and not hinder. 

Given my impending travel needs, I realized early on that it was time for a new suitcase.   You’ll recall that I actually featured one in my inaugural Christmas List post.  I thought hard about purchasing a beautiful piece of luggage (given how much I would be using it) from the likes of Globetrotter or something from a well known manufacturer like Tumi - but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how ridiculous that would be.  Images of my bag being stuffed by an overworked flight attendant into a tiny overhead bin on my flight from Saskatoon to Des Moines made me shudder.  Therefore, despite my love for Tumi, I believe I’ve found a more realistic and equally efficient alternative: Muji.

Muji is a Japanese company whose only North American store can be found in SoHo (on Broadway) in New York City.  They make a wide variety of different things, from pens to clothes to personal organizers to aromatherapy items to luggage and just about everything else in between.  It’s the luggage (and the pens) that I’ve been most impressed with.  I settled on their black carry-on case.  Made from ballistic nylon, it’s built to stand up to quite a beating (and, lets face it, travel nowadays is a beating, both for the passengers and their luggage).  It’s incredibly light (I can lift my empty bag with purely my pinkie finger – despite it being able to hold at least a week’s worth of clothing).  It’s incredibly well priced ($135US – that Tumi I referenced earlier costs $600US).  The designs are elegantly simple (I like the minimalist, brandname-free lines).  Most importantly, it features four 360 degree wheels.  Having never owned a four-wheel suitcase, I never quite realized what I was missing.  All of a sudden, I’m striding through airports with my arms naturally at my sides, neither pushing nor pulling my bag.  Rather, my luggage effortlessly rolls beside me, more an afterthought than something I need to “lug”.  

To summarize, I’ve found a product that, for the measly sum of $135US, has revolutionized my travel experience.  I would highly recommend these suitcases to anyone that can find one, either in New York, London, Japan or via some other avenue (I managed to track one down at a small store in my city – but this, apparently, isn’t the norm).   They’re available in a number of colours, sizes and now, in hardcase form (think Rimowa).  Hell, the next time you’re in NYC and you’ve done a bit more shopping than you’d expected, stop in at Muji on your way to the airport and pick up a carry-on to haul your stuff home with.  You might just be more excited about the luggage than its contents by the time you get through your front door…

Muji can be found online here: http://www.muji.us/store/travel/luggage

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of creating a WordPress account (or you’re a bit shy) and Twitter’s character limit doesn’t give you the space you need, than you can now email the blog at oneguysstyle@gmail.com.  Questions, comments and suggestions are more than welcome.

How do we, as men, buy things?  Well, when it comes to clothes, the answer is usually “as quickly as possible”.  However, at the root of nearly all purchases are one or both of these considerations: 1) I need this; and 2) I want this.  Something you need could be a winter coat if you live an a cold climate, or a tuxedo if you’re invited to a black tie event.  Things that aren’t really optional and therefore take precedence over other purchases.  They may be required for the long-term (the winter coat) or for a single use (the tuxedo).

On the other hand, there are things we want.  They can be anything and this is where we can get in some trouble (but also are what can make buying clothes interesting and fun).  We may want an expensive cashmere scarf that we’ll wear every day during the winter.  Or, we may want a pair of baby blue driving loafers from a place like Zara that don’t cost too much but that we’ll wear a grand total of twice.  Given that the vast majority of us have limited resources with which to buy clothes, like Steven Segal in Under Siege, it’s about making our bullets count.

Actual Cost

I majored in Economics during my undergrad years and so I have a habit of reducing things into economics-based ideas.  This may sound like something you don’t really want to read, but hear me out for just a minute.  I think it’s important for all of us to figure out the actual cost of what we buy.  What I mean by the term “actual cost” is the “cost per wear” for a particular item – the amount you paid for the item divided by the number of times you’ve worn it. Say I buy a sweater for $200.  An relatively expensive sweater to be sure, but one that fits me perfectly and looks great.  I really like this sweater, so over the span of 3 years I wear it 50 times.  Imagine, as well, that right around the time I bought the first sweater, I come across a second sweater, marked down to $30 from $120.  It’s lime green, but it’s a great deal and I kind of like the colour.  Three years later, I still do like the colour, but I just haven’t found as many occasions to wear it as I might have liked.  In fact, I’ve only worn the second sweater 5 times over that same 3 year period.  On the one hand, we have a sweater that cost $200, and on the other, one that cost $30.  I wore the first sweater 50 times, making the actual cost of that sweater $4.  The cheaper sweater I only wore 5 times, making its actual cost $6.  In other words, the first sweater cost me less on a “per wear” basis than the second one, even though it was $170 more expensive in the first place.

When you think about it, we all have to get dressed every day.  We need pants (or shorts) of some kind, a shirt, a sweater and/or jacket if it’s cold or rainy, undergarments, some sort of footwear and whatever other assorted things we wear on a daily basis depending on the weather, time of year, the occasion, etc.  Each day has clothing slots that need to be filled and we’re paying everyday to fill these slots – albeit, we paid upfront.  If you think about it, this partially explains why certain things cost more than others.  Well constructed items such as Alden shoes (above, on the left) or Barbour jackets (above, on the right) will last you years, which allows you to amortize the hefty up-front cost over many wearings (and, this also means that these business don’t expect you to be coming back for a replacement for a long time, meaning they need to charge more for each item they sell).

H&M, on the other hand, operates from the exact opposite notion.  Their clothes (some examples of which are pictured above) are disposable; they’re not of particularly high quality and they’re built to be stylish for a brief window of time.  H&M expects you to be replacing them regularly and therefore they’re available at a very low price.  Neither of these approaches, economically speaking, is really better or worse than the other.   On the one hand, with a Barbour coat, you wear it many times (good for “actual cost”) but it’s got a high upfront cost (bad for “actual cost”).  H&M clothes are cheap (good for “actual cost”) but disposable (bad for “actual cost”), so you’re really not particularly better off, economically speaking, buying one over the other.  Both have their function and fill a particular role.  What you generally want to avoid are items that are relatively expensive and that you won’t wear very often (either because they won’t last very long, or because you don’t really have the need or desire to wear them).  I say that you “generally” want to avoid these things because there are certain instances where you have no choice.  Things fall into the “need” category rather than the “want” category all the time.  For example, if you live in Hawaii and decide to go on a ski holiday in the Alps, you’ll need a good ski jacket to keep you warm.  Good ski jackets tend to be costly and you’re not likely to be wearing this jacket very many times living in Hawaii – but if you want to go skiing and stay warm, you need one.  The same goes for things like tuxedos and many other things that are required for one reason or another.  You simply have to bite the proverbial bullet and take the hit with a high actual cost.  What you want to avoid are things that you’re buying because of “want” for a lot of money that, when you actually try and think clearly through your cloud of lust, you’re really never going to use.  Even cheaper things, as shown by my earlier example, may not make economical sense if you don’t wear them very often.  However, given that you purchased them for a lesser cost, you need to wear them less than a more expensive garment for them to make financial sense.

Factors that tend to give you the best (i.e. lowest) actual cost, are items that:

a) you like and will be wearing regularly (this is the most important factor – if you really like something, you’ll find reasons and occasions to wear it);
b) serve more than one function (for example, a navy blue suit jacket, which can also be worn as a blue blazer, thereby increasing the times you can wear it);
c) cost less (although, as my first example shows, this shouldn’t necessarily be your focus, as it is for many people);
d) are well-made and likely to last a long time (thereby increasing the opportunity for you to wear them); and
e) are staples, things that are acceptable to wear in as many social situations as possible and match as many items in your closet as possible (for example, a grey sweater is generally more useful than a lime green one, just because it can be paired with more things in your wardrobe and is a more classic colour).

There are undoubtedly other factors that influence actual cost, but I think these are the core ones.  It’s not as simple as buying low and wearing things a lot, because often you get what you pay for.  It’s about “using your bullets” like a sniper rather than a machine-gunner.  Target certain things that will check the major boxes (navy suit, black shoes, gray sweater, etc) and fill in the space around them with things that are more interesting, one-dimensional and infuse your personality into your wardrobe, but always with at least an eye on the actual cost of what you’re buying.

Substitute Goods

The second consideration when it comes to maximizing the economics of buying clothes is how substitutable the item is.  In other words, can you get something that is reasonably close to the same thing for less, and, if you can, why are you paying more?  This second consideration becomes useful where an item seems to be carry a reasonable actual cost.  Here’s an example: imagine that I’ve purchased a pair of black Salvatore Ferragamo captoe lace-up shoes.  These shoes are from Ferragamo’s Studio line, which is their lowest priced line of three. (Studio, Lavorazione Orginale and Tramezza).  I purchased them from Saks (here), for $473 Canadian.  The first thing I will say about these shoes is that they look great.  Modern, classic and yet very elegant and tasteful in appearance.  They’re black and captoe making them an absolute wardrobe staple.  Plus, I can wear them to the office, but also out on the town.  Frankly, I can wear them just about anywhere.  They’re not going to go out of style, and their construction is certainly equal to many commonly sold shoes on the market.  They cost a fair amount, but I’d say that I might wear them as many as 150 times in 3 years, making their actual cost around $3.  In other words, they seem like a winner on an actual cost basis. However, they’re a bit of a disaster when it comes to a substitute goods analysis.  You see, they may look great, and their construction may be equal to many shoes on the market, but they’re still $500.   They’re entirely glued together, as most shoes are, meaning that you’re only likely to get 3 years out of them.  This is especially so if you wear them as regularly as you’d need to to make them economical – plus, while many shoes are constructed similarly, this is actually more than I’d like to spend on glued shoes.  For less than $500, I can find you many shoes that are better made here, here or here .  These alternatives would last you longer, look just as good (or nearly as good) and therefore be more economical for you.  A lot of what you’re paying for the Ferragamo shoes is due to the Ferragamo brand name on the sole and the cachet that goes with it.  This means that items can pass the “actual cost” test, but still not be a great buy.  Therefore, it is important to determine whether there are cheaper substitute goods available.

Now, this isn’t to say that buying a $500 navy suit is superior to buying a $1,500 navy suit, because these goods may not be as substitutable as you think.  The construction of the cheaper suit is likely to be such that it will limit the life of the suit; perhaps it’s more trendy and therefore will go out of style faster; perhaps, when you buy a few more expensive suits, you’ll shy away from the cheaper suit because you’ve seen the way that nicer suits look on you and you’re almost embarrassed to where that one; perhaps the cheaper suit really doesn’t fit you particularly well.  In other words, perhaps you’re really not getting the same thing for less money at all.  At the same time, I feel that dress shirts are inherently disposable.  They get stained, shrunk, sweated in, rolled up in laundry baskets, their collars get damaged, etc.  The life of a dress shirt is hard and often relatively short.  Moreover it’s often predominantly covered up by your suit jacket and tie, so only your collar is visible.  Which, to me means that I don’t want to pay $300 for a dress shirt even if it becomes my favourite dress shirt and I wear it all the time making its actual cost not particularly high.  This is because I feel confident that I can find a dress shirt nearly as good for under $70 at places like T.M. Lewin.  If you look at the pictures above, there really isn’t much perceptible difference at all, despite the fact that the Brioni shirt on the right costs $475 at Niemen Marcus, while the T.M. Lewin shirt on the left can be had for $50. Undoubtedly, if you inspected the shirts up close, you would notice a difference in materials and quality, but enough to justify a $425 price difference?  In my opinion, no.  With suits, the gap between expensive suits and cheap suits can often be massive, for a variety of reasons.  Suits are far more technical and difficult to make than a shirt and require more expertise to properly fit.  Shirts do not; neither do socks and even pants.  So, your second question when you’re buying an article clothing (after estimating your actual cost) should be asking yourself whether there are any substitutable goods.  If there are, you may be better served buying the cheaper item and pocketing the difference.  On the other hand, if there’s not, you might be better off ponying up the extra cash.

Conclusion

So, the next time you’re shopping, don’t necessarily jump at sale prices and turn up your nose at high prices.  Weigh each of them on their merits and use the tools of actual cost and substitute goods to decide what your best decision, economically speaking, would be.  Don’t be afraid in making an investment in something you’re going to wear the hell out of, even if the initial cost is high.  If you always try to cut cost corners and end up with things you don’t quite like, you may actually be costing yourself money on an actual cost basis.  And don’t worry too much about not wearing something very often if you really did get it for a song.  Soon there won’t be as many “ghosts” kicking around the back of your closet, hardly worn that you purchased on a whim.  That’ll put money into your pocket, and who doesn’t want that?

That is, until I came across Warby Parker, an exclusively online retailer of fashionable glasses.  Unbelievably, Warby Parker will send you a pair of glasses, including prescription scratch resistant and anti-reflective polycarbonate lenses for $95.  That’s right, I just said that you can get a cool pair of glasses, including prescription lenses and frames, for $95.  With free shipping.  And, you can even have them send you 5 pairs of glasses (without prescription lenses installed) to you to try-on at home and make your decision – once again, for free (although this is depending on how much stock they have, and availability has been hit-or-miss).  You can also upload a picture and do a “virtual try-on” directly on their website.  They also have a fantastic, no-hassle, no-questions return policy if you get your glasses and aren’t entirely satisfied – you guessed it, returns, even postage for them, are entirely free.  But wait, there’s more…  When you buy a pair of their glasses, they’ve agreed to give a pair away to someone who needs it in the poorer areas of the world. Amazingly, your $95 makes you charitable too!

All this would be for naught if the glasses looked like they cost $95, but they definitely do not.  In fact, for the first time in my life, I actually enjoy wearing my pairs out and about, and semi-regularly I’m making a conscious decision to leave my contacts in their case.  For anyone that’s seen me squinting my way through life for years, this will come as a complete shock.   Warby Parker’s line runs towards a cool take on old-school glasses.  I particularly like their tortoise-shell finishes, but their black models also look great.  With roughly 35 to choose from, pretty much everyone that isn’t hell-bent on wire frames will find something they like.

Warby Parker was started by four friends that met at the famed Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, the website has been live only about a year.  Like me, these guys grew fed up with paying $300+ for a pair of glasses, so they used their business backgrounds to figure out if there was another way while maintaining a high standard of quality.  The good news for us is that they’ve most certainly figured out a way to make this happen. Their glasses are produced on the same production line as high-end, pricey frames sold by famous labels.  Their lenses are installed in the same shop used by high-end manufacturers on Madison Avenue in New York City.  In other words, you’re getting a top notch product with everything but the gaudy brand name on the side.  Warby places their name very discreetly on the inside arm (as you can make out in the pictures), giving the glasses a sleek appearance unmarred by giant brand names or logos.

The only drawback used to be that they didn’t ship to Canada.  I had two pairs  shipped to me when I was on vacation in the U.S. and ended up keeping both pairs (at that price, how can you not?).   Good news: now they do!  I went with their ‘Japhy’ and ‘Sibley’ models, both in dark tortoise finish and I’m so thrilled with my experience with Warby Parker that I feel like this is becoming almost an infomercial.  I cannot recommend enough that you head over to warbyparker.com.  They also carry womens’ glasses, so pass along the word to your wife, girlfriend or anyone else in the market for a new pair of glasses.

We’re getting closer and closer to my favourite time of the year.  In the spirit of the season, here’s what I’m hoping to find under the tree this year:

1.  Tumi Alpha Frequent Traveler Zippered Expandable Carry-On Bag

I’ve been doing a fair amount of traveling this year, which is something I very much want to continue into the future.  While I make do with a myriad of beat-up and abused luggage, this rolling carry-on is what I really want.  Made of Tumi’s signature ballistic nylon, it’s damn near un-damageable.  I also love the removable garment sleeve, which holds up to three suits and would allow me to not have lug around a separate garment bag.  Airports are places to survive, not enjoy, and so the more your rolling suitcase allows you not to carry, the better.  I’ll have mine in black, with the complimentary monogramming (so I can tell it apart from the herd of Tumi’s seen at every airport), please.  Check out this particular suitcase here; it’s available for $595.  They also regularly find their way to eBay.

2. Alexander McQueen Silk Skull Print Scarf

Because why not quietly feel like a bit of a badass this year?  In a muted navy (and with a small pattern that looks quite conservative unless you get quite close to it), it’s a fantastic way to be daringly conservative, if there is such a concept.  Alexander McQueen produces items that are kind of a cross between James Bond and Keith Richards and really, are there two cooler male characters than them?  I’ll have mine in navy with white, as conservative as possible to off-set the pattern.  Alexander McQueen’s website is alexandermcqueen.com but I would recommend trolling eBay for better prices.

3.  Gant by Michael Bastian Oxford Shirt

My vote for the coolest collaboration of the year.  Michael Bastian makes some of the finest “american style” menswear in the world.  Think of a modern interpretation of what the Kennedy brothers wore in the ’60′s.  He prides himself on making the finest examples of classic American items like khaki pants and shorts and oxford shirts with modern fits.  The downside is that the “finest” carry a price to match.  Which makes his contribution to Gant absolutely perfect.  Gant has long been something of a poor man’s Polo Ralph Lauren.  Their collaboration with Bastian has bumped up their price a bit (but not really very much at all considering) while delivering some of the best items you’ll find on the racks this year.  I would recommend going with what Bastian does best – the oxfords, the khakis and the corduroy pants.  Given that I wear the hell out of white oxford button-down I already own, a pale blue oxford button collar shirt tops my list.  Check out the Michael Bastian collection at Gant’s U.S. website here, the oxford shirt I’m talking about here, or in stores in Canada at Harry Rosen for a little over $150.

4.  Playful socks from Paul Smith, Richard James, Smart Turnout or Happy Socks

I’m a bit sick of the drab socks in my closet, particularly as drabness of winter has set in.  Which means that I’m looking for some interesting and colourful options in my sock drawer.  Any of the above makers will do (I’ve arranged them from highest to lowest in price), preferably with a some red in there somewhere.  More info can be had at paulsmith.co.uk, richardjames.co.uk, smartturnout.com or happysocks.com.

5. Slim fit Sea Island Cotton Shirt from Charles Tyrwhitt

We’ve covered the fine Sea Island cotton shirts made by Charles Tyrwhitt before (see here).  I’m going to be heading somewhere warm after Christmas, so I’d like a shirt that’ll keep me comfortable and cool when I go out for dinner.  Anything with a pattern in blue or pink will do quite nicely.  Also, skip the french cuffs and opt for standard barrel cuffs – I’m inevitably going to forget to  pack cufflinks and the less you need to bring  on vacation, the better.  Check out ctshirts.com for more details.  Shirts from around £59.95

6.  Belstaff Roadmaster jacket

From the black waxed cotton exterior and traditional tartan interior, to the slim fit and belt, there is no cooler jacket than this one.  Made for motorcyclists by Belstaff, a company founded in England in 1924, it not only keeps you warm, but it’s rugged waxed cotton feature keeps you dry.  You may remember seeing Will Smith in one of these throughout the film I am Legend.  Instead of following the herd and buying a leather jacket, buy one of these classics and instantly look about as cool as a man can look.  Mine would be in black, but the olive and brown also look great.  Available via jcrew.com, belstaff.com and a variety of other places, for around $595.

7.  H&M Tweed Blazer

Winter = tweed.  It keeps you warm and stylish through the months of cold we experience in Canada and in the northern U.S.  Plus, it’s timeless and will never go out of style (even if it does, at H&M prices that isn’t too big a fear).  Add on some elbow patches and you’ve really got a winner.  H&M offers a modern fit, which makes sure you don’t look like your Grandpa or your first year English professor.  Grey is the way to go, at least in my opinion.  Check it out in H&M stores for around $130.

8.  The Art of Shaving Sandalwood Shaving Cream

Shaving is the cross that every man bears, so why not make it tolerable (or perhaps even enjoyable) with some quality shaving cream.  Once you lather this up with a badger brush (feel free to skip the one from Art of Shaving and pick one up from the drug store), you’ll realize you’ve been missing out with the thin crap you get out of a can.  Plus, the sandalwood smells great, so you can skip the aftershave.  There are other scents available, but I would skip the lemon as I’ve heard it can adversely effect certain people’s skin.  The $22 price may seem expensive for shaving cream, but my tub has lasted me more than a year (you’ll plow through a few cans of Edge or Gillette in that time period), so it’s actually not as expensive as it seems.  Time for a replacement tub for me.  More info available at theartofshaving.com.

9.  James Perse Brush Stroke Crewneck

James Perse very well may make the world’s most comfortable casual clothes.  I’ve already got a long-sleeve graphic t-shirt that I wear all the time from JP, but I think it’s time to add to my collection.  This example is made from heavier “slub pique” cotton, which combines a bit of extra thickness for winter with Perse’s famed softness to equal the most stylish way to laze around on a Sunday.  Available in black, grey and white, I think I’m partial to the grey.  James Perse is available at jamesperse.com or in Holt Renfrew, Niemen Marcus and other such retailers.  This particular shirt is available for $135.

10. J. Press for Urban Outfitters Drill Pant

J. Press sells preppy like nobody else.  Urban Outfitters does the same for trendy urbanwear.  Mix the two together and you’ve got classic items with a modern look.  J. Press was founded in 1902 in New Haven, Conn., which many may know is also the location of Yale University.  J. Press’ other stores are in Cambridge, Mass. (home of Harvard), Washington, D.C. (home of Capitol Hill and Georgetown University) and the inevitable store in New York City.  J. Press’ ties to the Ivy League schools and their distinctive preppy dress code is long-standing tradition.  The one issue has been that they’re frankly a bit stuffy and out-dated in terms of fit.  Enter Urban Outfitters, which fills the exact opposite end of the spectrum, while still catering to the same audience.  A match made in heaven, and these heavy duty khakis are the pick of the litter in my mind (see my earlier post on slim fit khakis: ).  The slim fit and cool details such as the buckle cinch at the back make them instant classics.  Check out the whole J. Press x Urban Outfitters collection at www.urbanoutfitters.com or in stores.  These pants are $78.

Luckily, these features do not come at the expense of style.  The wallet is constructed from beautiful and ultra-lightweight carbon fibre, so you won’t feel like you’re lugging around a computer in your back pocket.  It features places for your credit cards inside, along with a money clip to keep your banknotes safely organized.  And really, this combination of style and ingenuity should be expected from Alfred Dunhill, a British company that many North Americans may not be familiar with.  Originally started in the late 19th century by its namesake founder, it supplied luxury goods meant to accessorize one’s automobile under the slogan “Everything but the Motor”.  Dunhill also became famous as a high-end producer of tobacciana (including their famed pipes with trademark white dot, their rollagas lighters and even custom tobacco blends that they made on request).  Dunhill has long provided accessories for the James Bond movies (including the cigarette lighter used by Bond in Dr. No) and was also featured in the remake of the movie Alfie with Jude Law given how quintessentially British the company is in terms of quality and style.  The company has, over time, branched out into luxury clothing, watches, leather goods, ties and a host of other products, always with a nod to the company’s British heritage, and sometimes with a nod to their automotive roots.  Quite surprisingly for North Americans, Dunhill is the third most popular luxury brand in China, following only Louis Vuitton (and beating out Gucci, Dior, Armani and Hermès).

The only drawback with the Biometric Wallet is its staggering price tag ($825 or £525) – then again, items at the forefront of technology always cost an arm and a leg.  I’m not suggesting that we should all run out and pay retail, as cool as this particular item is (and, I actually just purchased a new wallet anyway).  However, this won’t stop me from trolling eBay, hoping that one of these slips through the cracks for a reasonable sum.  For more info, check out out Dunhill’s website (www.dunhill.com), or the page specific to this wallet, (www.dunhill.com/en-us/…/wallets/biometric-wallet-qgk0169).

NOTE:  Speak of the devil, there’s one up on eBay right now: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320629718008&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT.  Opening bid is £99 (approx $155US), or a £425 reduction from the retail price.  Buy it now is £250 ($395), or more than 50% off retail if anyone is interested.  I’m watching the auction and am very interested how it’ll shake out.