Even when it's online, and you can shop from the comfort of your home, Black Friday still feels like a mad dash to get the best deals. Every year around this time, I round up a list of Black Friday promotions at Put This On. Those lists are huge - the number of sales included typically ends up being in the hundreds. To make things more manageable, I pull together lists of some notable sales here, and include suggestions for what I think are special products. Here are seven Black Friday sales right now that I think are noteworthy.
MR. PORTER: UP TO 30% OFF; NO CODE NEEDEDThe first is Mr. Porter, where you can find select items discounted by as much as 30% off. Since Mr. Porter's inventory is ginormous, I recommend using the site's filters for brands and sizing. Some of my favorite labels here include Chimala, De Bonne Facture, Drake's, Engineered Garments, Filson, Howlin, Inis Meain, Lemaire, Margaret Howell, Monitaly, Orslow, Our Legacy, Private White VC, RRL, Stoffa, Valstar, and Yuketen. Remember that things tend to move quickly at Mr. Porter, but returns are free. Historically, their Black Friday sales are also often better than what they include in their first round of discounts during end-of-season promotions.
I have a soft spot for Japanese workwear. Chimala makes the kind of clothes worn by the coolest people you know - the kind of people who like gardening and know all the best vintage shops. I love their denim ranch jackets and slightly wider jeans. Similarly, Monitaly's funky chore coat constructed from salvaged Swiss Army blankets would look great with olive fatigues and a chunky fisherman sweater. Their sister line Yuketen has scruffy Maine Guide boots made from some kind of ragged leather - available in tan and black suede. An absolutely ridiculous-looking boot, and lovable for that reason. Engineered Garments has a padded, hooded parka that can be worn with black cargo pants and Blundstone boots. Orslow is also great for basics - a cozy fleece that looks just different enough from everyone's Patagonia and a denim Western shirt that can be paired with denim truckers or tweeds.
I'm surprised to see Stoffa included in the sale, as they're usually not discounted anywhere (and, indeed, mainly bought through a custom MTO process). Along with Valstar's suede flight jackets, Stoffa's bombers are an excellent supplement for anyone who normally wears sport coats. They're casual and classic, but have a distinct point of view (unlike, say, most of the casualwear you'll find at nearly every other classic label, which borders on the generic). The camp collar shirts from both Stoffa and De Bonne Facture would be great for summer. Pair them with cotton trousers and slip-on shoes.
If you want to dip your toes into a more contemporary silhouette, these wide-legged Lemaire trousers would look great with any chunky sweater and oversized topcoat. Margaret Howell has some great options, such as this mock neck sweater and waxed cotton mac. The pullover can also be worn in a more classic way by pairing it with slim-straight jeans or flannel trousers, then some classic outerwear such as Private White VC's navy wool flight jacket .
No Man Walks Alone is a sponsor on this site, but also genuinely one of my favorite online stores. This Black Friday, they're offering 25% off most of their fall/winter inventory. Additionally, if you spend over $595, they'll include a holiday bonus - a $100 gift card emailed to you before December 15th, which you can spend on anything. Discounts are automatically applied at checkout, so there's no code needed.
One of the reasons why NMWA is great is that they carry everything from classic tailoring to contemporary casualwear, often with pieces that straddle these two worlds. Their Inis Meain Arans and turtlenecks can be worn with something as classic as a waxed cotton Barbour jacket or paired with something as casual as an oversized bomber. This De Bonne Facture grandad coat is the Platonic ideal of an overcoat that straddles classic and contemporary. It was inspired by an overcoat that someone inherited from their grandfather and then donated to DBF's showroom. The slightly roomier silhouette, classic styling, and slightly reworked details make it the centerpiece of any outfit, which means you can throw it over anything - jeans and a sweatshirt, or flannel trousers and a chunky sweater. I'm convinced that everyone looks great in it.
I also recently had lunch with a friend who was wearing one of NMWA's Sartoria Carrara sport coats and thought he looked terrific. The fit and styling were developed by NMWA founder Greg Lellouche and the tailoring is done at the same factory that produces for P. Johnson. It has a soft shoulder line, a slightly wider lapel, and a roomier chest. I think of it as "classic, but with verve." NMWA carries it in a range of materials this season, including this Abraham Moon tweed. It would look great with a pair of these grey whipcords, my favorite alternative to grey flannel. (On NMWA's site, those are mislabeled as cavalry twill, but they're whipcord. Cavalry twill has a double line of ribbing, such as you see here). If you have tan or cream sport coats, you should also pick up one of these Draper's four-ply trousers. That grey-brown color is hard to find, and it looks tremendous next to lighter-colored sport coats. Wear it with tan or cream-colored sport coats, white or light blue dress shirts, and then brown derbies or black tassel loafers. The combination looks very sophisticated.
Finally, I was a bit surprised to see the discount apply to the Aurland penny loafers and raffia Moroccan slip-ons. The Aurland loafers are supposedly the progenitor of the American penny loafer, and their slightly more casual styling makes them a great choice with jeans. The raffia slip-ons, made in collaboration with El Karti, are a great summer shoe if you like outfits with vacation vibes (think shorts and camp collar shirts).
Among the footwear options here, I'm most intrigued by Yuketen's Ischia horsebit loafers ($338). MyTheresa has the brown suede version for a little cheaper ($193), but the black version here looks even cooler than the Gucci originals. Note that Yuketens tend to run wide, so if you normally wear a size 9D, you'll want an 8.5D here. For the world's smallest, most affordable shoe, here's a miniature Bean Boot for $7.
I mean, $22 for a chamois shirt? I think lunch plus a drink costs more nowadays.
Finally, if you want a budget version of this Beams patchwork topcoat, J. Crew has a version that's on sale right now for $317. I just wish it fit a bit longer and fuller (although, I also feel that way about the Beams version). Perhaps size up?
MyTheresa has a bizarrely good sale right now that's on par with last round, end-of-season discounts. If you go into their sale section, you can find items marked down by as much as 70%. If you add things to your cart and click checkout, MyTheresa will knock an additional 30% to 40% off already marked down prices.
Like with Mr. Porter, the inventory here is enormous, so you'll want to filter by size or brand to home-in on what you want. While browsing around, I spotted Cucinelli knitwear ($268+), Orlebar Brown long-sleeved polos ($100), Our Legacy sweatshirts ($79), RRL buffalo plaid flannels ($94), Mackintosh raincoats ($424+), Officine Generale turtlenecks ($136), RRL Donegal Arans ($277), and Yuketen horsebit loafers ($193). I have the grey version of these patchwork RRL five-pocket cords ($314) and love wearing them with plaid flannel shirts, chore coats, and Blundstone boots. I went up a size to get more room through the leg, but you can also go true-to-size for a normal slim fit. I also have a few versions of these wide-legged Lemaire trousers ($185) that I wear with chunky sweaters, loose topcoats, and side zip boots.
Budd Shirtmakers, one of the leading bespoke shirtmakers in London, is closing their American outpost in Washington, DC. As a result, the store is liquidating all its merchandise. Much of what you'll find here falls into the category of "gentlemen clothier." Budd carries ancient madder ties and Macclesfield silk foulards, fringed tuxedo scarves, enameled dress sets, stiff wing collars, and nightshirts so old-fashioned, most people have only seen them in films.
There's something charming about these haberdashers locked in time. The products are beautifully made, classically styled, and rarely get discounted to this degree. Some notables include Budd's grenadine ties ($56), Santa Maria Novella grooming products ($8+), and Scottish knitwear ($124+). I suspect the knitwear is made by William Lockie. Before purchasing, I recommend calling the shop to get measurements, as knitwear from William Lockie can sometimes come with peculiar sizing.
Every year around this time, I stock up on Kiehl's products. They're a bit expensive at full retail, but you can count on them holding sitewide sales twice a year. I love their exfoliating body scrub soaps - ridiculously named "Ultimate Man Body Scrub Soap," like a WWF wrestler shaking the ropes. They're a bit more expensive than your basic bar of Dove, but they last forever and come with bits of bran and oatmeal to help you achieve a buffed (read: scrubbed) body. I also like their line of specialized hair care products, which are formulated for different hair types. Since I have dry, coarse hair, I use their "nourishing olive fruit oil" shampoos and conditioners. I'm not sure what they put into them, but they make my hair softer and easier to style in the morning.
If you find yourself getting chapped lips and dry skin in the wintertime, try Kiehl's Facial Fuel moisturizer, anti-shine moisturizer, or Ultra Facial Cream. The third is one of Kiehl's best-selling products - and their #1 moisturizing cream - but it lays on a bit thick. I find that it's the most protective. However, if you have oily skin, like me, you may prefer the Facial Fuel and anti-shine alternatives, which are a little thinner. Ultra Facial Cream is nongreasy, but the other two leave a true matte finish. Use those for your face, and then keep a tube of Lucas' Papaw Ointment for chapped lips. Papaw is admittedly just glorified Vaseline, but the stuff has a cult following for a good reason - it's an instant relief on cracked lips.
