Today is Boxing Day for people in the Commonwealth, as well as the start of end-of-season promotions. I’m rounding up the best seasonal sales at Put This On, but I wanted to pull out my ten favorites here. There are some tremendous deals right now. Mr. Porter, notably, launched their winter sale yesterday, where you can find things such as discounted Edward Green shoes and Schott leather jackes. End has waxed cotton Barbours starting at $175; J. Crew has their anorak discounted to $100, as well as hemp work shirts for a mere $14 (I think tax costs more for most purchases at this point). Brooks Brothers’ oxford button-downs are seeing a rare promotion. And there are some terrific deals on outerwear, from Marni overcoats to Blackmeans double riders.
END: Up to 60% Off Select Items
If you’re one of the few people left on this planet that reads about menswear online, but doesn’t own a Barbour jacket, END has some of the best prices around. Their end-of-season promotion includes a wide range of Barbour styles, including the Bedale for $199 and Beaufort for $259. I wear the Bedale over heavy sweaters, but use the longer Beaufort on the rare occasions I layer a Barbour over a sport coat. END also has Barbour’s Ashby, which is a slimmed-up Bedale, for $175. See this Barbour buying guide I wrote years ago for sizing advice.
The reason why END’s prices are so good is because they discount for VAT. When you couple that with their end-of-season promotions, that means you get lower prices than what you’ll generally see stateside. The shop has a ton of other great brands, with discounted goods on a range of stellar items. The Engineered Garments x Barbour collab this season is available for under $500; Nigel Cabourn army smocks for $295; Spalwart retro-runners for $195 (I love those); textured SNS Herning sweaters starting at $169 (size up); and Visvim shoes starting at $400. The inventory here is huge, so it’s worth browsing through their brand list.
J. Crew: Extra 50% Off Sale Items, Code BIGGERSALE
Like a rare comet shooting through the night sky, J. Crew’s canoeist smock is one of the best affordable pieces of outerwear I’ve seen in a while. It’s part of their Wallace & Barnes sub-line, which is made from better materials than J. Crew’s mainline offerings and has a more boutique brand feel. The anorak is modeled after an archival jacket worn by British Special Boat Service officers during the Second World War.
The smock isn’t for the timid, and it has a bold styling that you’d normally only see in lines such as Engineered Garments and Nigel Cabourn, but that’s also what makes is so great. More than just your basic parka, this has a designer sensibility that feels both unique and classic. It goes well with raw denim jeans or rugged chinos, work boots or Chuck Taylors. Since it’s a pullover style, you don’t have to coordinate with knitwear or button-ups. Just throw this on with a pair of pants and that’s your outfit for the day.
With the current 50% off promotion, the olive ripstop version is just a hair over $100 (less than what many brands today charge for just a button-up), while the navy Ventile model is available for $160. If your size is sold out, check back, as J. Crew often restocks. There are some other stupidly good deals: slim-straight selvedge jeans for $49, Fair Isle sweaters for $53, thermal pullovers for $30, and ripstop cargos for $28. These cotton-hemp work shirts are even available for just $14 (seriously).
Brooks Brothers: Up to 40% Off with 15% Kicker Until 12/27
A couple of years ago, Brooks Brothers updated their iconic oxford button-downs, but not without some controversy. Enthusiasts have been calling for an unlined collar for years. Prior to the 1990s, Brooks made their button-down collar without an interlining, but for some reason, they randomly decided to stick one in, killing the style’s soft, angelic roll. Well, a couple of years ago, they returned to their original style, but then also took out the chest pocket (a pre-60s detail) and raised prices. Whereas their oxford shirts used retail for $95, now they’re around $140.
For the next couple of days, however, you can take 40% off their oxford button-downs if you order four or more shirts. And for the next two days, they’ll even throw in a 15% kicker. That brings the shirts down to $71, about half of retail. The promotion applies to their oxfords in solid colors, bengal stripes, candy stripes, and checks. They also have an alpha sized model, although I’m not sure why anyone would prefer that over separate collar and sleeve sizing.
The discounts aren’t as deep in the footwear section, although the 15% kicker still applies. There are some suede tassel loafers, full strap penny loafers, cap toe field boots, Norwegian split toes, and pebble grained chukkas. I bought a pair of the black tassel loafers I’ve been wanting for a while. Those are made by Alden, but differ from Alden-brand tassel loafers in that they have a bit of stitching at the back (which I think makes the shoes look better).
Need Supply: 20% Off Sitewide, Code GETALITTLE
The most beautiful coat of the year is gone, but Need Supply still has some wonderful outerwear. And for the time being, you can stack their 20% off promotion – which applies sitewide – to their sale section. Included are this season’s Engineered Garments x Barbour collaboration, an Officine Generale houndstooth coat, an oversized Marni heavy twill coat, a Séfr Séfr topcoat, a paa puffer, and a black Lemaire Kaftan (Neighbour in Vancouver has better photos of the Lemaire piece). John Elliott this season also has a collaboration with Blackmeans, a Japanese brand that specializes in punk-inspired leathers. The company often has some really great distressing techniques, but most of their jackets fit impossibly short. This Elliott collaboration, however, looks a bit more wearable, with a length that terminates around your belt line.
Additionally, Need has some handsome ochre-colored knitwear, such as these from A Kind of Guise, Margaret Howell, and Levi’s Made & Crafted. Yellow can be a hard color to incorporate into an outfit, but when it’s subdued and used for knits, it can serve as a nice accent color under a coat.
East Dane: Up to 70% Off Select Items
East Dane’s selection has withered a bit in the last year. The company used to be Amazon’s attempt at capturing the style conscious consumer, so along with Calvin Klein basics, they stocked things such as Ten C parkas, Inis Meain fisherman sweaters, and Drake’s ties. Those things didn’t move as well as they hoped, I imagine partly because their presentation never caught the imagination of online shoppers, so over the last year or so, their buys have gotten safer.
There are still some good things here, though. And since East Dane often gets overlooked, many of those things make it to their seasonal promotions. See this Master Piece backpack for $278; De Bonne Facture coat for $662; brushed Howlin Shetland for $218; and Zespa minimalist sneakers starting at $147. East Dane’s free three-day shipping and returns make it easy to try something out if you’re on the fence.
Drake’s: Up to 30% Off Select Items
Drake’s started their end-of-season promotion yesterday. Sadly, their balmacaan, which I think is one of the better versions I’ve seen of the style thus far, is sold out (let us weep for those who weren’t able to get it, which includes me). But there are still some great items – brushed cabled lambswool sweaters (size up), chunky turtlenecks (again size up), linen D-43 field jackets (I’ve heard you should size up), handwoven Indian cashmere scarves, and textured wool-silk navy ties. I bought this kelim print scarf earlier this season, partly inspired by a photo I once saw of Bruce Boyer. It’s a bit lightweight, so it’s better suited to fall and spring, rather than the dead of winter, but it’s a good way to add a touch of cheery color to an outfit. I find it goes well with Barbour jackets, casual topcoats, and the sort of contemporary-classic attire Drake’s is known for.
Stag Provisions: Winter Sale Starts
Stag Provisions specializes in the sort of workwear I find myself wearing a lot these days. Although they sometimes carry avant garde brands, such as Kapital, their bread-and-butter is in the sort of Western workwear style basics that I think many men could use on weekends. Sturdy flannel shirts, raw denim jeans, and an occasional bit of vintage for personality. Not groundbreaking stuff, but genuinely useful.
Among their sale selection, you’ll find things such as flannel shirts from Japanese brand Kato, shaped leather card cases from Italy’s Il Bussetto, and the star of the show, an asymmetrical zipped jacket from Monitaly. The last one is loosely modeled after a tanker jacket that Canadian troops used to wear into combat. The slightly cropped, rounded silhouette would look great with slim jeans and heavy boots. I have a similar jacket from Nigel Cabourn that I often wear over heavy knitwear.
Unionmade: Up to 40% Off
Unionmade is a great shop for workwear, heritage brands, and hard-to-find Japanese imports. They carry everything from the sort of slim-straight jeans a guy can wear with sport coats, to more experimental lines such as Kapital. And in the last year, they’ve branched out to more contemporary labels such as Studio Nicholson and Deveaux.
In their sale selection, I like this ribbed sweater from De Bonne Facture, which is made from a beautiful undyed yarn. Most wool is grown white, so that manufacturers can dye the hairs into different colors, but when a company uses a natural, undyed brown hair like this, you get a handsome, slightly uneven earthy color that’s hard to replicate through dyes alone. Unionmade also has De Bonne Facture’s white ribbed cotton sweater and Japanese striped bathrobe; Arpenteur x Paraboot boots; Harley of Scotland brushed Shetlands; and an oversized Studio Nicholson raincoat.
Todd Snyder: 40% Off Select Items
If you miss the heydays of J. Crew, check out Todd Snyder. The man behind the company, after all, served as the Senior Vice President at J. Crew up until 2011, when he left to start his own brand. He was also responsible for many of J. Crew’s third-party collaborations, including those with Alden, Timex, and Red Wings.
As a brand, Todd Snyder is a little more upmarket (and better quality) than J. Crew’s offerings, but compared to the rest of the menswear market today, it’s a pretty solid value. The clothes are contemporary-classic with the sort of slightly trimmed down topcoats and button-downs that have always been solid entry points for men. And there’s still a bit of adventurous design to keep the fashion-engaged customer interested.
Check out this yak-haired officer’s coat, for example, or the Italian boucle topcoat. The silhouettes are slim and straightforward, but the unique materials add a nice touch. I also like the shearling trucker jackets in black and tan, the collegiate Champion sweats, and sueded Sanders Chelseas. There’s also a bunch of stuff here from Drake’s, including ties, gloves, and pocket squares.
Kiehl’s: $20 Off on Orders $65+, Plus Your Choice of Limited Edition Item on Orders $90+, Code: JINGLE
I use Kiehl’s for all sorts of things. Their exfoliating scrub soaps are a little more expensive than your usual Dove bars, but they also last much longer (and the grains help slough off dead skin). Their Facial Fuel line is a nice collection of skin care products aimed at men. I use their Anti-Shine Moisturizer in the summer and protective Ultra Cream in the winter. I also like their shampoos, which are formulated for different hair types, and the Midnight Recovery Oil, which is a nighttime treatment that allows you to cut back on moisturizer the following morning.
For their after-Christmas sale, they’re offering $20 off orders over $65, or your choice of a limited edition item on orders over $90. Use the code JINGLE. If you set up for their Rewards Program, you can also earn points towards discounts on future purchases.
