going to put the order through tonight… we’re up to 23 pairs now between us… should be good for a first try of this merchant.
jackthreads and gilt usually have good deals online,
aff. links:
jackthreads is a lot less casual,
http://www.jackthreads.com/invite/billymelenhorst
gilt is a lot more casual/ expensive brands
http://www.gilt.com/invite/mylink167987
$30 socks.
Edit: these are the worst socks I’ve ever seen!
i would wear every single one of them 
we got up to 26 pairs and then i had two inquiries for more after i closed the order… i’ve got more than $500 out for socks right now. Of course it’s for 6 other people, not just myself. I expect that if all goes well i’ll run another one
package arrived from the UK today:
Seeing I’m just starting to get into this “better dress” part of my career…
Looking for suggestions for good shoes in the $200-$300 range; black dress; or would go with a business suit type style. Brands/styles to look at; ones to avoid?
avoid anything at the mall… steve madden, aldo, ecco, cole haan, etc. etc.
you can end up paying $100 - $250 and it’s all glued together in China. Cole Haan is Nike… how people spend $200+ on a pair of Nike dress shoes is incredible.
in your price range Allen Edmonds is the reference. hand made in the USA by skilled tradespersons. They offer complete rebuilds on their shoes as well. i think we discussed this in recent pages in this thread.
any fine independent men’s clothing store will have some AE in stock and can order anything else… or you can try them on in the store, get your size and then find them online cheaper
They are shoes worth keeping and having redone every couple years. all the mall shoes are throw aways.
Obviously there are tons of brands above $400… fashion houses like Canali, Prada, Gucci etc. that don’t make their own stuff… or VASS, Sutor Mantalassi, John Lobb etc. etc. that start over $1,000 and go to like $5,000… i’ll probably never be cool enough for any of that
Thanks Bing! Appreciate it.
My grandfather recently picked up a pair of Prada shoes and let me tell you those things are awesome. Can’t imagine what they cost.
LV’s have been my favorite dress and casual shoe. Very comfortable and very well made. I have a couple pairs that have lasted about 6 years now with no work.
Definitely Allen Edmunds in that price range, which will be around the higher end of your range, but well worth it. My father in law has had a pair of Allen Edmunds 5th Avenues since the mid 80’s and they still look almost new. They have been recrafted a couple times, but that is to be expected once every 5 years or so. The only problem is, if you’re like me, you want to see them on and hold them before you lay down $300 for shoes. Most shops that carry AE’s only have a handful in stock, so you have to get your size and hope they look as good in person as they do in the catalog. There is also Johnston and Murphy, which I think are better than Cole Haans, but not as nice of quality as AE’s. I have a coworker who has them and although he likes them, I wouldn’t buy them. It seems their quality has gone down over the last few years by doing some research online.
I own a pair of Crockett and Jones Edgware’s as my daily shoe and I am about to order another pair of CJ’s since I don’t have a nice black dress shoe.
I get so much shit for spending $450 on a pair of shoes, from short sighted friends, but what they fail to realize, is they are spending that in 5 years while I have well made, well fitting, nice looking shoes that should last me 20 years +.
We had Jon Montgomery (2010 Canadian gold medal winner for Skeleton) doing a couple talks for us yesterday at a charity event and a luncheon.
By coincidence… this happened:
me, Jon, Frank (owns 4 CARSTARs)
Question:
Can you wear a tie with the top button of a shirt unbuttoned?
I feel to restricted by the top button, maybe I need a bigger neck size?
I do it all the time. Make sure you cover the button though or you’ll look like a clown.
get a bigger neck size
Can be done, but you should get the proper neck size.
A Full-Windsor knot instead of a Half-Windsor will hide this a little better (And IMO looks better)
In a casual environment you might get away with it. But get a bigger neck size like others have said. It’s not something you’d want to do at a job interview, etc.
Nope I wouldn’t do it for interviews or formal events. This is for around the office(Campus). In theory we should be in jeans and a polo since we’re crawling around server racks and on the floor to hook up computers. I’m in a button up shirt and dress pants everyday though.
I’m 21, I shouldn’t feel the need to ball as hard as you old timers right??? LOL
I’m in theatre/entertainment, so I talk to a lot of different clients and artsy fartsy guys and would like to look more professional.
You can also get a top button extender which expands the neck but still keeps it buttoned. Also, a new shirt would work as well.