What to buy on a budget: “Riviera Club and Highland are new men's lines that are well-priced.”
Beyond the boutiquesNot everyone (ourselves included!) wants to throw down hundred-dollar bills on every item. Here are our recommendations on some springtime alternatives that won't break the bank.
Chinos: Look to Dockers, where the once-billowy pants that fill your dad's closet have slimmed down and have a price point to match. Our favorite menswear blogs are going nuts for the brand's new SF Tapered line — you can get them in khaki, but something tells us Refuge Green will turn a few more heads. www.dockers.com
Shirts: With pants like these, you'll need shirts to match. After ogling Band of Outsiders' latest option, pick up one from J. Crew's madras line, which comes in five eye-popping colorways. In stores and online at www.jcrew.com
Shoes: There are dozens of white sneakers on the market, but it's impossible to go wrong with and tough to go cheaper than Converse's Jack Purcells, a summer staple that only gets better with age. For a more dressed-up look, Urban Outfitters has a $58 take on suede bucks, an option that'll impress at the office or on the street (and save you about $300 compared to the rightfully gushed-over Mark McNairy versions that brought the style back in the first place). In stores and online at www.urbanoutfitters.com
Suiting: While you'll have to forgive us for not spilling all our thrift-store secrets, here are a few of our regular haunts: Los Feliz Goodwill, a seemingly endless source of jackets and blazers; It's a Wrap, perhaps L.A.'s best bet for half-off or better suits from Hugo Boss and other name brands; and Everything's Jake, a “Mad Men” watcher's dream with vintage pieces from the '40s through '60s.
