Hey gents,

I don’t spend much time pointing out bargains to be found online (my buddy Joe at Dappered already has that covered and does a great job), but this is one I definitely had to tell you guys about.

Bonobos is having a massive Cyber Monday sale, and if I were you, I’d save all the pennies in your piggy bank for this. You can pick up a bunch of great items at prices way below what you’d pay on a normal day.

I gotz some inside info, and lucky for you, I’m able to share it with you here. Bonobos is marking down some of their most luxurious selections. Things like cashmere at 30% off, and suiting (and more suiting, and more) at 50% off.

Admittedly I’m a bit of a Bonobos fan boy, but c’mon, you have to love what they offer, plus they have awe-inspiring customer service and a great fitting product.

This Monday is your chance to snag a couple things at a great savings. Consider it an early Christmas gift to yourself, and to everyone who has to look at you during the day.

You won’t see the deals just yet, but come Monday morning at 9am, they’ll all be posted on bonobos.com. And there will be WAY more than I’ve mentioned here; you have to see for yourself on Monday.

I wouldn’t miss it if I were you. Set an alarm on your phone, throw up a couple Post-It notes around the house, anything to get you to remember.

BOOM. Thank me later.

All this talk about a man’s essential wardrobe and what real, down-to-earth guys need in their closets can be a little overwhelming for most dudes. You know why? Most of us don’t like shopping. Sure, there are a small subset of us who do, but in general, dudes don’t want to do it.

So, let’s just say you only make one single purchase all year. Just ONE singular item. What should that thing be?

Roy Denim, Oakland, CA

A pair of dark denim. Straight leg, well fitting, un-whiskered, non-faded, dark wash denim.

If you STILL don’t have a pair of dark, inky blue denim with no pre-fabricated creasing or faded wash, shame on you! If you’re curious, this is one of the pairs I have (and the kind I’m suggesting you pick up).

Why is it so important for every guy to have at least one pair?

1.) It’s the ultimate in versatility

You can wear it in almost any social situation. Going grocery shopping? throw on a polo and some desert boots, and BAM, perfect casual grocery-shopping outfit. Heading to a nice bar with the lady friend? Add a pressed button up, a sport coat, and some brogues, and you’re good!

2.) You look like a grown-up

Faded washes, whiskering, and that whole pre-worn style is really young looking. It’s very American Eagle. Dark denim just takes your whole outfit up ten notches, especially when you pick the right fit.

3.) You avoid the dad jeans look

Sure, this has a lot to do with fit as well, but that light wash color just screams Dad Jeans. Or it screams high school, if you go the other extreme, fit wise (tight and super skinny). With dark denim, you don’t have to worry about that (to the right).

4.) They look great dressed up

Touched upon this in #1, but dark denim is a great substitute for trousers. You can look really sharp in a well-fitting pair. In fact, it’s become sort of my default if I need to get dressed quickly and nicely. I throw on a Fifth&Brannan button-up, sport coat, sometimes a tie, a great pair of shoes, and I’m out the door in like 12 minutes.

5.) They’re available at a variety of price points

So really, you have no excuse. If you go the selvedge route, you will be shopping at a higher price point, but you don’t have to buy selvedge to score a great pair in the same wash. Check out Levi’s, J.Crew, or Lands’ End Canvas (resin rinse) for some options at various price points.

How to pick and take care of your dark wash denim (and other things to remember)

Basic rule, aka The best rule to follow

Wear it a lot, and barely wash it. The denim stays dark and conforms nicely to your body. Wash it only when you absolutely must (rolling through mud, getting stuck in a port-a-potty that was thrown down a hill, after eating a lot of beans, etc).

Mind the rise

This is a fit issue, and you should pay attention to this no matter what kind of bottoms you’re buying. I touched upon rise in this article (Fit > pants). If you have other questions about this, feel free to ask in the comments.

Consider leg and seat room

You want to make sure you pick a slim (not skinny) pair. For a lot of you bootcut-wearers, you’re gonna think a straight leg pair feels like spandex around your calves, but trust me, straight leg looks better. Wear em for a while and eventually you’ll get used to them (and good Lord, get rid of your bootcuts).

You want the seat of your pants to hug your ass gently and lovingly, but not squeeze it to where it looks like your butt’s suffocating. Check out the Bonobos image in the left sidebar, that’ll give you a good idea of how your pants should fit in the seat.

You’re gonna crock

Crocking refers to the dye rubbing off on lighter-colored fabric. It happens, and it happens a lot. So before you hop into your Ferrari with the cream-colored seats, make sure you lay down a towel so you don’t stain the hand-stitched leather.

Or, more realistically, if you’re wearing light-colored canvas shoes or desert boots, better cuff em up once or twice, so the dye doesn’t transfer.

Bottom line

This weekend, pick up a pair of dark denim. It will change your life and grow up your style by at LEAST 6700%.

I know there are a bunch of you denim connoisseurs out there. What can you teach the class about picking the right fit / type of dark denim? Let’s hear your opinions in the comments below.

Hey gents,

I received the Summer Essentials Kit from our friends at The Motley last week, and it’s definitely something you should pick up.

L-R: Beyond Coastal SPF30+ sunscreen (1 oz); Raw Materials Skin Grit facial scrub (6.5 oz); Urth Face Balm (2 oz); Raw Materials Extreme Shave Cream (6 oz); Urth Face Wash (8 oz); Townsend Bay Sandalwood-Scented Bar Soap (4 oz)

This ain’t your typical cheapo product you pick up from Target; this stuff is first class, and you really shouldn’t use anything less on your skin. The products are all-natural and fragrance-free. I’m pretty excited about the face balm, as I can’t seem to find a facial moisturizer I’m completely happy with. So far, this stuff is great.

Pick up your own Summer Essentials Kit at The Motley.

Coming Up

I’m working on another installment of Back to Basics that will be coming later this week, so stay tuned.

You also may have noticed some navigation changes here at EG. I broke out some of our more popular features into tabs up top, so hopefully that will give you guys easier access to that information. If you have other suggestions about which content should be featured (or anything else, really), feel free to contact me.

EG + 5&B elsewhere on the web

Antonio (from RealMenRealStyle.com and ATailoredSuit.com) talked with me the other day about EG, how it all started, my involvement with 5&B and the formation of our company, and even a little bit about how K and I met (which I personally think is a pretty awesome story, but maybe that’s only because I was there).

We did it up podcast style, and you can check that out along with the EG review over at Real Men Real Style.

Also, in case you missed it, Caleb Bushner wrote a great piece on Fifth&Brannan for Well Spent last week. Caleb tells our story quite eloquently and hopefully the article gives you more insight into 5&B and what we’re trying to do with the brand and company. Check it out at Well Spent.

Fifth&Brannan updates

Quality inspection, by yours truly

K and I visited the factory the other day, and things are moving along quite nicely. It feels great seeing something you’ve been working on for so long finally materialize. Hopefully you guys are as excited as we are about our premiere shirting.

If you’re in San Francisco (or are willing to come up for a weekend), make sure you attend our launch event on June 18. We’ll be at Cellar360 in Ghirardelli Square, featuring tastings from Sledgehammer Wine and other great brands.

We’ll also have wine available by the glass, a raffle giveaway, a snazzy photo setup by Smilebooth and a chance to purchase some shirting directly from the designer, Kate! Pretty cool, right?

More RSVP info here: http://fifthandbrannan.com/launch

Tell everyone you know! It’s gonna be a great party and we’d love for you to join us.

Till next time.

I’m sure you have heard of LA-based The Motley by now. If not, then you should get to know them. Matt (the owner) has several features on EG and more recently they’ve been featured over at Will’s site, Momentum of Failure. I’ve watched their business grow over the past year or so, and I’m glad to say we’ve become good friends online recently. I’m looking forward to a super secret project Fifth&Brannan will be participating in with them at the end of the year in LA, so if any EG / 5&B / The Motley fans are in the area, you’ll have to stop by. More details to come!

What I love most about The Motley is their dedication to superior grooming products. This isn’t your sub-par quality Dep that you find at WalMart, kids. (Do you even know what kind of chemicals you’re putting on your skin and hair when you use that stuff? Eesh.) Only the best ingredients go into these products, and I honestly wouldn’t have heard of some of these brands if I didn’t discover them on The Motley.

Curious about what I picked up?

I got Lock Stock and Barrel’s 85 Karats grooming clay, which has a strong hold and a matte finish. I don’t like my hair ultra shiny, and I also want to be able to mold and reshape it throughout the day. I’m not a fan of the crunchy gelled look, either, so this stuff is perfect. They have different products depending on the amount of shine and hold you are looking for.

Matt was also gracious enough to send me some samples of Billy Jealousy Hydroplane, Deitanseki facial soap, and a Townsend Bay Soap Co. sandalwood-scented bar of soap. I also bought a Sydney Hale candle. It has this great scent of Tobacco and Sandalwood, which essentially “smells like leather and books”, according to Matt. Pretty accurate. An even more succinct description would be “smells like man”, because that’s the aroma invading my nostrils at this very moment.

My last post was about items I suggest splurging on to get great quality, as well as items you can afford to skip. Grooming products definitely go in the “splurge” section. You want top-quality product if it’s coating your skin, scrubbing your face, or styling your hair (or even invading your nostrils).

Not only are you getting great quality when you purchase products from The Motley, you’re also getting great customer service while supporting a small business. I wholeheartedly endorse what they’re doing and I suggest you give them a try the next time you’re in the market for some personal grooming products.

PS – Happy 1st Birthday!

When I was younger, my school had these themed holidays where we had to wear certain colors (think red for Valentine’s Day). I guess that was the level of creativity my small suburban Catholic school possessed. For reasons I can’t remember, I wasn’t big on solid red back then, but I did have a bunch of burgundy stuff, so I wore that.

My mom and I would get into some passionate, heated discussions about my choice of hue. She contested that burgundy is NOT red, therefore I can’t wear it. Fine, mother, I realize that it’s not red, but Jesus does it really matter? Close enough, right? I never understood why she cared so much about my preference of burgundy over red for that particular themed free dress day. (By the way, for you public school folk, “free dress days” are the days we didn’t have to wear our uniforms, which basically consisted of navy Dockers and a white polo.)

As St. Paddy’s Day approaches and my peers don their true hue greens in preparation for a night of Guinness guzzling, I pay homage to my mom’s angst by whipping out my pair of Congos from Bonobos, a dusty gray green. They’re not GREEN green, mom, but they’re close enough.

If you’re not like me, in that you celebrate holidays and themed parties by wearing the correct shade of a color, you should check out Bonobos’ St. Patrick’s Day Collection. There are a bunch of green items including belts, shirts, and even a pair of shamrock-emblazoned pants (something mom would’ve totally approved). Those who have tried Bonobos pants can attest to their fit and quality, and in the off-chance you don’t get the correct size, Bonobos provides free shipping both ways.

If bright green pants aren’t your thing, try their bull denim. It’s the comfort of a twill pant with a wash that looks like denim. Pretty great, right? Well done, Ninjas.

St Patrick’s Day is only a few days away, so make sure you have enough green on your body!

Oh, and, if you take any epic photos at the bar that night, make sure to share em with us here at EG. You know, for fun.

A few weeks ago, the folks at Sledgehammer Wine invited me and Katie to an Adam Carolla show at the Uptown Theatre in Napa. We hung out, drank delicious reds, and laughed at Adam’s expense.

It’s been a while since Mr. Carolla’s been on my radar, but I’m glad I rediscovered him. He was hilarious. He has a newly-released book listed on Amazon, and his opening bit was all about the fact that there are ALREADY used copies making their rounds. Oh, and not to mention one “collectible” copy, which he had nothing to do with whatsoever.

No Sipping. No Swirling.

Have you heard of Sledgehammer Wine? They’re a relatively new brand that also happens to be the official wine of the Adam Carolla Show. Sledgehammer focuses on two reds: Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel.

I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know much about wine. I know that I can’t tell the difference between a $10 bottle and a $95 bottle. I know that I like my wine red, bold, and dry. I know I enjoy Cab because to me, it’s the most intense. Other than that, I’m still experimenting and “developing my palette”, so to speak. Most of all, I know I like drinking the stuff.

If you’re like me, in that you barely know anything about wine but want to (or are curious enough to) learn more, you’d be in good company with Sledgehammer. Even if you don’t care to learn and you just want to drink, you’re still in good company. Their motto is simple: No Sipping. No Swirling. They’re not your typical foofy, wine-swirling, tannin-breathing bunch, which I love. You pour and you drink. BOOM. Makes me feel all manly inside, which is the opposite feeling I get when Katie makes me sip her rosé, aptly named “Pink Truck”.

An Exciting Announcement

You might be wondering why all this talk about Sledgehammer Wine. To be honest, I feel like their brand and approach to wine really resonates with me, and I feel like it will also resonate strongly with you guys, my readers.

Enjoying wine has always been kinda highbrow to me, like I’m trying to edge my way into this exclusive club of glass sniffers without really knowing what I’m getting myself into. Sometimes I just want to enjoy a damn glass of wine without having to sniff anything or let any tannins breathe, whatever the hell that means. Sledgehammer feels my pain, and they want to dispel the notion that enjoying wine has to be all… fancy. I dig that.

Katie and I have hooked up with the good folks at Sledgehammer, and we’re working on some really cool projects coming up for Fifth&Brannan, Katie’s premiere mens line launching this summer. I can’t give away too much detail yet, but it’s gonna be awesome, and we’re really excited to be working with these peeps. More news on this later.

Check out Sledgehammer’s site and take a look around… you might learn a thing or two: sledgehammerwine.com

Also, do yourself a favor and pick up a bottle, or see if there’s a place nearby that carries it in stock. You won’t be spending $60 for some fancy shit, but you’re also not drinking Two Buck Chuck from Trader Joe’s. A bottle of Sledgehammer is around $15, so you can’t go wrong.

What’s your take on wine?

Do you have a favorite brand? Variety? Are you like me, still learning and figuring out what you enjoy? Let’s hear it in the comments below.

Do you like getting mail?

I’m not talking about email, nor am I talking about crappy ad circulars or bills. I’m talking about a nice note from a person you know.

Not sure what I’m talking about? Well back in the day, before email and the Tweeter and the Facebook, people used to send each other handwritten notes. They were written with pens, on note cards or paper, and then placed in envelopes and adorned with stamps. These envelopes were stuffed into things called mailboxes. Kinda like that little icon on your desktop!

Archaic, I know.

The thing is, sending notes has become a symbol of true feelings and time spent. It’s a cinch to send an email; it takes a little more time and care to send a handwritten note through snail mail.

The Letterpress Correspondence System

Enter Forgetful Gentleman. Started by Nate Tan and Brett Nicol, their flagship product is a set of manly note cards appropriately dubbed the Letterpress Correspondence System. What sets this apart from typical cards you can pick up at Target is its luxuriousness, quality, and simplicity (read: unadorned with pastel swashes and cutesy teddy bears hugging rainbows). Fun fact: the 100% cotton paper used comes from the same 15th century Italian paper mill that produced paper for some notable characters in history, such as Picasso and Napoleon.

When would you use these?

Say you had a recent interview and you’re looking for a way to stand out, or perhaps you’ve received a nice gift over the holidays that deserves a thoughtful response in return, these cards will be the perfect thing to use.

Our friends at Forgetful Gentleman have offered EG readers a nice deal.

If you order the Letterpress Correspondence System, they will take 15% off your total order. You just have to use coupon code “EFFORTLESSGENT” at checkout. Make sure you punch in that coupon code, or else you won’t be able to get 15% off. Check out the details here.

Here’s the thing, this special deal will only last 5 days.

This Sunday, December 19, the deal will be off. So if you’re considering this for yourself or perhaps as a gift, I’d get on it now. Head on over to Forgetful Gentleman and check out the Letterpress Correspondence System, and while you’re there, peep their other cool items as well. You might find a nice Christmas gift to give to someone (or yourself.)

Happy shopping!

Hi Gents,

Just wanted to share this video the folks at RL sent me. It’s a promotion for their new Big Pony Fragrances, but I especially love the makeover the guys received. I’ve always loved Polo and the prep aesthetic because it manages to maintain that casual feel yet somehow still looks more dressed up than what typically passes for casual dress nowadays.

I think some of the pieces look amazing; pay attention to the shawl collar sweater (jacket?) with contrasting knit ribbing along the neck with what looks like leather elbow patches. Eddie Fisher (far left) is wearing it.

In the past, I’ve owned Polo shirts that were more traditional in their fit (read: American cut, aka, boxy and huge), but in recent years the slimmer varieties seem to be more widely available, which is great for those not into wearing blousy shirts… like me. You too, probably, if you read this site.

Now if only the folks at Ralph Lauren will do a makeover piece for a select group of us men’s style writers. What say you, @BigPonyTeam?

Do you have a favorite piece that you spotted in the video? How about in general, as a brand? Do you wear Polo and what are some of your favorite pieces you own? Let me know in the comments below.

Hey Gents,

My good friend Joe of dappered.com is running quite a nice promotion in partnership with Indochino right now. If you need a suit and have been waiting to pull the trigger, I believe this will give you enough reason to fire.

Basically, you can get $100 off any suit priced at $349 or higher, by using coupon code Dappered.com at checkout. For full details, just visit the site here.

The best part? You’re getting a custom-made suit, fit to your specifications, for about the price of a suit you’d find at Macy’s. And even then, you’d have to take that to the tailor. Obviously if you’re buying a custom-tailored piece, you can skip that step.

You only have one week, as this promotion ends October 23rd.

So mull it over for like, two minutes, and then start the order process. It’s totally worth it for something that will fit you perfectly. This site stresses the importance of the perfect fit for your body type, and at this price, it’s practically a no-brainer.

Head on over to Dappered to get the full details.

Happy suiting!

Most of you know how to shop for a suit, choose a tailor, and add the necessary details to your outfit. If not, all you have to do is go through the archives of this site.

So, we got the dressy attire covered. What about the days when a suit isn’t necessary? Like on the weekend when you’re out running errands, at brunch with the gf, or wrestling bears?

In these cases, I suggest you cover that torso with a casual button-up in 100% cotton. It’s the perfect weight and looks great pressed or rumpled, straight from the dryer (assuming you take it out right when the dryer is finished so the wrinkles don’t set in.) Not to mention, they’re available at a variety of price points.

Personally, I prefer J.Crew’s button-up oxford. They fit perfectly and seem to mold to my body the more I wear and wash them. In fact, I love them so much I own five in various colors. Find a brand and fit that suits you, and if you find that perfect combination, buy five.

As always, stick with a slimmer cut in an appropriate size. If your shoulder seam droops down five inches past your shoulder, or if it’s creeping too close to your collarbone, you’re wearing the wrong size. Your cuff should hit where your thumb bone and wrist meet, and there shouldn’t be inches of extra material bunching together.

It may take a few trips to the dressing room to figure all of this out, but patience is definitely a virtue in this case.

Also, remember: most men think they’re bigger in size than they actually are. Even if you think you’re, say, a medium, try on a small. You might not be used to that snug feeling, but that’s probably because all your other shirts are too loose.

Another tip: stick with the brands that focus on more modern cuts. They will often have the slimmer style of shirt you need. Slimmer fits mean a more tailored look, and less bulk in the arms and midsection.

If you’re a skinny guy and think a larger size adds bulk to your frame, it actually makes you look smaller, as if you’re drowning in daddy’s oxfords. Buy clothes in your actual size and you will look better.

If you’re trying to step up your casual clothes game, pick up some oxford button-ups the next time you’re out. I’m sure you’ll soon find them to be a staple in your everyday wardrobe.

In case you’re not sure where to start, leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to help you out!