Reviews Archives - Page 2 of 8 - From Squalor to Baller

Product Review – Novesta “Star Master” Sneakers

October 26, 2021 No Comments

Although I am fortunate to have a robust stable of nice welted footwear, the shoes that I reach for most often tend to be cheap canvas sneakers. They’re comfortable, inexpensive, and rarely require any maintenance – great for everyday activities that don’t really need to get shoe trees involved. For years I have been making an annual purchase of a pair of white Superga 2750s – this year I decided to branch out and try something just a little bit different. […]

Reviews

Good Tee Hunting: the Quest for the Perfect Modern T-Shirt

August 23, 2021 No Comments

t-shirt tee review asket buck mason sunspel uniqlo

In my mind, t-shirts fall into two general categories. The first is the “vintage tee” – hefty material, boxy fit, historically accurate details, and so forth. Brands like Velva Sheen, Lady White Co., and many others have made a name in this space. But there is another kind of t-shirt, one that I have been gravitating towards lately. This is the “modern tee” – cut slimmer, with lighter, finer fabrics that have a smooth touch rather than a distinct “beefiness.” […]

Reviews

A Shirt So Nice I Bought It Twice – Proper Cloth Washed Denim

July 15, 2021 No Comments

A few years back I confessed my growing interest in Western-inspired clothing, and it’s safe to say that my affinity toward the style hasn’t decreased since then. My first foray into this aesthetic was with a denim shirt from Proper Cloth – I ended up wearing this shirt so much that I thought that it might make sense to get another one as a backup. […]

Reviews

Product Review: Levi’s “Premium” 501 Jeans

June 14, 2021 No Comments

I feel like there have been two types of menswear guys in quarantine – the sartorial guys who have downgraded from sportcoats and trousers to denim and sweaters, and everybody else who has been wearing nothing but sweatpants for the past year (the folks who are still wearing tailored clothing “just because”….well, I don’t know what to say about that). While my loungewear consumption has definitely gone up, I still find myself wearing a lot of denim – even moreso as my lifestyle slowly creeps back to a bit of normalcy. […]

Reviews

One Year Later: Paraboot ‘Avoriaz’ Hiking Boots

May 5, 2021 No Comments

Like many of you, I haven’t made many menswear purchases over the past year. And though many pieces of my wardrobe have collected a literal layer of dust, some have become even dearer to me over these strange months. One such piece is my pair of boots from the aptly named Paraboot, which have become go-tos for anything that requires more performance than a simple sneaker can provide. Anyway, I figured it was high time to revisit my “One Year Later” series and show how these have fared over the past 18 months. […]

Reviews

Product Review: Sweyd 055 Sneaker

October 21, 2020 No Comments

The market for “miNiMaLisT LuXUrY” sneakers is totally saturated, to say the least. There are probably over a hundred options these days, and many of them are perfectly good at doing what they set out to do. Given the somewhat sterile aesthetics that this style tends to lend itself to, I was on the lookout for something that was in this vein but had a bit of character. That search is what led me to Sweyd. […]

Packing & Travel, Reviews

Product Review: Away “Aluminum Edition” Carry-On

September 14, 2020 No Comments

Is this a terrible time for a suitcase review? Well, yes, but also no – hear me out. I wrote this review months ago – right before COVID hit – and have been sitting on it ever since, waiting for an opportune moment. […]

Reviews

Meermin Wholecut Chelsea Boot Review

February 19, 2020 No Comments

It’s been about eight years since Meermin entered the menswear scene and was almost immediately hailed as the best value footwear out there. The market for high quality shoes has evolved since then and there are many more places to buy entry-level footwear, but Meermin is still a popular choice for many menswear noobs and pros alike. […]

Reviews

Two Years Later: Away Luggage Review

May 14, 2019 No Comments

away luggage carryon review one year later

One of the most popular articles on this site for several years now has been my review of Away luggage and its comparison to the offerings from MUJI. Now that I’ve had two years to travel with their suitcases I figured it would be a good time to bring back my One Year Later series, in which I re-review items after significant wear. […]

Reviews

Oliver Peoples “Gregory Peck” Sunglasses Review

March 27, 2019 No Comments

Readers of this blog will know I’m not that into luxury brands – to me, they generally don’t provide a very good value for the money spent, and quite often they don’t even provide the best product when compared to other options on the market. With these big-name brands, so much of the price of the goods goes into marketing rather than the product itself so it’s a difficult purchase to justify from a rational perspective. […]