Excellent Joe

Next time you meet up for a few sunset rounds, shock and amaze your plaid-wearing friends with an unexpected blue-and-yellow bold stripe button-down, cool textural khaki shorts, and a pair of classic bucks (scuff marks preferred). And after your third glass of the “bartender’s special,” you’ll be able to expound freely on the concept of being both dressy and casual at the same time.

• Gitman Brothers Vintage Cabana Stripe at Need Supply $155.00
• Steven Alan Reverse Seam Short at Bows + Arrows $115.00 (on sale)
• 1901 Carson Oxford Shoe at Nordstrom $99.95
• Classic Snap On Leather Belt at Need Supply $35.00

Suede bucks are back, although some would argue that they never went away.  Their classic brick red rubber sole plays well with all summer surfaces (lawns, decks, patios) without the clodhopper sound effects of a dress shoe. The more scuffed, the better. No socks.

1901 Carson Oxford Shoe at Nordstrom $99.95

Poor Popeye. Life at sea was rough back then, and yoga classes were few and far between. Forget his desperate cat-and-mouse relationship with Olive Oyle. Forget his pipe smoking addiction. Forget his canned spinach delusions.  Forget his grotesque, disproportionately muscled physique. What creeps us out the most about this childhood hero is the fact that one of his eyes is missing!  We can only guess it was gouged out in the worst possible way… like with a giant fish hook.  At least now his name makes sense, and we know why he’s always winking.

Our nautical theme is whistling a happier tune:

Penfield Pacjac 35th Anniversary $128.00

Loomstate Organic School’s Pocket Tee $62.00

Epaulet Modified Walt Shorts $125.00

SeaVees Desert Boots $145.00

J.Crew Military Web Belt $34.50

Hoist the mainsail!  Or just a latte.  It doesn’t matter if you’re on a boat deck or not; these seaworthy boots look great anywhere.  Step into a some California heritage.

SeaVees Desert Boots $145.00

Stay cool both literally and figuratively by reinventing a old school pair of poly cotton walking shorts with a sporty chest striped polo and a pair of frayed-edge canvas slip-on sandals.

• Bonobos Navy Color Block Polo $65.00
• J.Press Charcoal Walking Shorts $59.25 (on sale)
• Sanuk Standard Sandals $48.00

On a scale of one to “Light and Comfortable”…these are “Light and Comfortable”.  They’re also vegan and vegetarian which will help ease the guilt when you go for your second cheeseburger.

Sanuk Standard Sandals $48.00

If you never went camping in the 80′s, now is your chance to simulate the experience.  Bold plaid work shirts in unexpected colors, vintage crew tees, corduroy hiking shorts, and classic leather mocs all refer back to the Great Outdoors in the not-too-distant past. Today, you could throw this on and look perfectly fine curled up on the couch with a bowl of cereal and your favorite app.  It’s the thought that counts, right?

• Steven Alan Vintage Work Shirt $138.00
• Loomstate Organic Blank Crew Tee $40
• L.L.Bean Signature Corduroy Short $49.00
• James Perse Aged Leather Belt $150
• L.L.Bean Signature Eastport Handsewn Leather Ranger Moc $79
• Simple Shoes Hemp and Organic Cotton Flip Flops $50

Don’t be afraid to wear these preppy classics with shorts.  These boots are the rage right now even in summer.  In a perfect world, we’d recommend that you wander off into the wilderness for a few months and come back only when they have enough wear and distress to look as if they might have been your father’s from yesteryear.
L.L.Bean Signature Eastport Handsewn Leather Ranger Moc $79