Stubbs & Wootton Madras Pocket Squares

If you're like me then you can't afford 99.9% of Stubbs & Wootton's stock.  Well, maybe we can afford it, but there are probably way better things to spend our money on (like some apology flowers for your girl after she finds out you just spent 4 hundo on a pair of slippers) .  So today is all about the .1% and in the form of S&W's slick madras pocket squares no less.  At $30 a pop ($75 for three) they are easily the most affordable item S&W makes and, quite possibly, the most handsome.  You can snag madras pocket squares all over the place at this point, but I have have yet to find patterns as good as the ones seen below. Seriously, these are better than top notch.  Calling them pocket squares might even be an understatement.  According to S&W's website these "pocket squares" are big enough to wrap around your neck, illustrating that they can potentially double as a bandanna if you were so inclined to rock one as such.  Regardless of how you use it, you get a lot of good looking fabric for a reasonable cost.  When you factor in other brands, such as RRL, selling similar high quality bandannas (the best fabrics, non-run dye, etc.) for twice as much, that don't even look half as good as these, the idea of a Stubbs & Wootton "pocket square" can make a lot of sense.  Hell, if you buy 3 of them you could probably make these at home for less than half price.

-L.A.S

An Espadrille For Every Occasion

After walking around NYC for the past four days it has occurred to me that sometimes you need to ditch your hardbottoms for something a little more jaunt friendly.  There's nothing wrong with a good pair of sneakers either, but after seeing some dudes killing it in espadrilles I figured I'd take a stab and pick up a pair.  If anyone else is looking for a new pair of espadrilles your options are pretty deep to say the least.  For those of you who happen to be straight up ballers you can head over to Stubbs & Wootton to pick up a pair of their $200 joints that come in camo, madras, linen, etc.  The price tag is astronomical on a shoe you can get on any NYC street corner, but the fabric, construction and vamp styling (like that of a formal slipper) may just be the thing you are looking to pair with your Finamore seersucker shirts.  Some other options, in varying price ranges and styles, are available here and here.  Since this is a relatively new style move by yours truly (I've never messed with TOMS or anything like that) I went with the $14 navy joints at Urban Outfitters as a test run.  For other first timers I recommend sticking with solid, wearable colors because once you start veering into Glenn O'Brien territory all bets are off - no kit is sacred.  It's difficult to figure out where some of these are made and an "imported" tag is most likely all you're going to turn up.  That could mean south of the border or Asia, so cross your fingers that they're made by the same folks who wear 'em to work.  I can see these looking real crispy with a freshly creased pair of chinos with no break and a Hanes white tee.  So who's buying those cruise tickets?

-L.A.S

For Those With Monies, I Salute You

And your ability to buy equal parts ridiculously awesome and ridiculously "impractical" shoes for summer.  For a cool 600 bones you can grab those infamous Michael Bastian x Stubbs & Wootton seagull blue linen slippers from S/S 2010 or maybe you'd be more comfortable in a pair of Tod's colored suede drivers on sale for an easy $255 over at Yoox.  Either way you're probably gonna need some flexibility when it comes to that whole cost per wear thing if you plan on sleeping easy at night.  For me these joints tread mostly in the "well, if I had unlimited funds..." zone, but then again I don't think it would be to much of a stretch to assume you are richer than myself.  Anyhow, it's summer and the moral of the story here is to enjoy yourself - sartorially and otherwise.  I can actually see those last pair of Tod's working out quite well.  Let me get back to you...

-L.A.S