Wednesday Rant–Mandals

It’s Wednesday, time for a rant. You’ve all seen this guy.  He walks around in sandals and socks on.  The sandals are the ones with a ridiculous amount of straps or a leather/rubber hybrid.  Some are considered sports sandals, but the guy wearing them doesn’t look like he has played a sport in a couple decades.  This is also the same guy you will see in the “dad shoes.”  You will hear the same reasons as the “dad shoe;” they are really comfortable or why should I care about fashion.  You should care about fashion because you have dignity, or you should care because you look ridiculous. Your wife may act like she doesn’t care, but every woman loves a man who takes care of himself or even just acts like it sometimes. I am not talking about garnering a pair of expensive loafers or putting on a pair of fresh Jordan’s. 

You just need to think of a better solution. If comfort is what you are worried about than you should try on a bunch of shoes.  Some stores are even letting people test drive shoes for a certain period of time.  Cost?  I have already gone over the cost of shoes and that excuse will not fly anymore.  Is it laziness?  I have found plenty of loafers that slip on and off very easy.  They aren’t too flashy or young looking, they are super comfortable and affordable.  I recently picked up a pair of herringbone style Globe Castro loafers for around $40.  Believe me when I say these are great for any occasion; the beach, supermarket or even out on the town. 

Another great option: boat shoes.  I know these have a bad stigma right now, but they look great when you wear them with no socks. Many different companies are making these and adding extra padding, but the classic one still looks the best.  Plus, you can just slide these on and off with ease. You can still have great style, be comfortable and not spend a fortune on clothes. And your kids won’t make fun of you for wearing mandals with socks anymore.  That’s worth a lot more than money.

What to Wear–My Engagement Photos

Today my Fiancé and I took our engagement photos.  I decided to post my outfits here because I think it’s a great look for any special occasions.  We decided to each wear a Christmas color, I wore green and she wore red.  We won’t have the pictures for a few weeks, so stay tuned to the Thread and I will happily post them with permission of course.  I’ll start with the top down. Some of the apparel have been posted before, so you can see what I have recently purchased.

Top: WeSC Miles Flannel – Green

This flannel fits so much better than the flannels released last year. Last year, the flannels were boxy and ran pretty short.  It’s a double green plaid pattern, and the arms aren’t as tight as the regular plaid WeSC shirts.  I would recommend sizing up because the arms can fit a little slim, especially if you have been hitting the gym.

Denim: Levi’s 591 Greased Indigo

                 

If you haven’t tried on this series of Levi’s skinnies, then you should run to your nearest high end Levi’s retailer and do so.  The fit is the 591 low rise skinny.  They are pretty low rise and also very skinny, almost the same fit as a 510.  The jeans are pretty good amount of stretch which really helps with the super tight fit.  The greased indigo is a super dark fit with a brown, almost dirt like finish on the thighs.  The back pockets have zippers across the top, but unlike other zipper pocket they don’t effect the use of the pocket.  There is also leather accents on the belt loops and the top of the back pockets. I chose to do a small roll at the bottom because the inside has great color contrast.  You should size down one with these particular jeans.

Shoes: Nike Pepper Low – Rustic

Pepper – I posted a link to the old blog.  I did get these shoes for my birthday and they are more amazing in person.  The fit is great compared to some shoes in this same category. They worked really well with the jeans, because the shoe color is almost the same as the clay or dirt stains on the jeans.

I wore two outfits for different photos.  The second outfit was the same except for the top.  I chose to go with a herringbone grey blazer and a light green Hurley Norman Pocket Tee underneath. I wasn’t sure how it would look together, but it turned out really well.  Either outfit would work well in a dressy setting.  The herringbone blazer is definitely very popular right now and I recommend you buy a jacket or blazer for special occasions.

As always email me at threadandsole@gmail.com, like my Facebook page Thread and Sole and follow me on twitter @threadandsole. Comments are welcome on the blog and make sure you follow to get updates on posts. If you want to donate any amount is gladly accepted and remember if you are shopping at Karmaloop.com, use “jcam1981” and receive 20% off.