Posts Tagged ‘ essential ’

essential: swiss army pocket knife

i’ve had my swiss army pocket knife since i was a sophomore in high school.  i had the classic red one before this one, but was forced to throw it away upon entering a lynyrd skynyrd concert (i’m sure security confiscated much worse that night).  my dad never leaves home without his.  he’s always the hero when someone has a loose string on their jacket or shirt or needs help cutting ribbon on christmas.  i’m not saying you need to carry one at all times, but it’s essential to have one close by during the holidays when you need a little extra to open that well-taped package.  they also make great stocking stuffers.

holiday gift idea: flannel robe

every man needs a flannel robe and this black watch tartan flannel robe from j. crew is the one to get.  they had some in stock yesterday, but are sold out today.  keep checking back and grab one for yourself or someone on your list.

the breakdown: dopp kits

summer is almost here and as we begin to prepare for our vacations, it’s important to point out one thing every man needs: a good dopp kit.  in my opinion, the best ones are made of nylon or canvas and have some sort of waterproof liner that will prevent spills from touching the rest of your suitcase.  remember that no matter how careful you are, something will inevitably spill in your dopp kit.  here are five of my favorites to get you through this summer and next:

l.l. bean

filson

jack spade

j. crew

matt singer

essential: l.l. bean blucher mocs

consider me late to the party.  i’ve always wanted a pair of these, but just haven’t pulled the trigger for whatever reason.  a couple of weeks ago i had breakfast with a good friend and he told me i needed some essential kicks before i started blowing money on more expensive ventures like whites boots.  the l.l. bean blucher mocs were the first shoes he mentioned.  advice taken.  i know some blucher moc traditionalists are upset that bean squared off the toe recently, but i still think they look great.  i’m looking forward to breaking these in.

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essential: the gray sweatshirt

whether you have a gray, navy or faded black one, a good sweatshirt is something you should own.  growing up, my favorite sweatshirts were the gray ones that spelled out the name of a college on the front.  the more you washed those, the better they looked.  now designers are making throwbacks to the original sweatshirts you’d see on style icons steve mcqueen and paul newman (below).  check out two affordable options at j. crew and unionmade.  be sure to order two in case your wife of girlfriend steals one of them.