A new phone usually means a new case. Over the past few years I have tried some different styles, including top-opening sleeve and book style. But although I've been working again for several months, I'm still trying to be careful with money, and spending another $40 or $50 for a new iPhone case may not be the most prudent move, at least not yet.
I decided to take an economical approach this time. I happened to follow a link to an eBay seller offering silicone slip-on sleeves for $1.50 (that's not a typo) with free shipping. They even offer a choice of five or six colors. I was going to get clear but since my phone is black and gray I decided to get a gray-tinted sleeve. It isn't super-snug but it offers at least a minimum of protection, and makes the phone easier to grip (the aluminum body of the iPhone can be somewhat slippery).
I may decide to upgrade the case at some point in the future, possibly to something in a similar style but done in leather. But for now this one will do.
Showing posts with label Accessorizing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Accessorizing. Show all posts
05 November 2015
13 June 2014
Pop of Color
White bucks are a traditional summer shoe that have had a resurgence in popularity thanks to menswear's general tendency to look backward for inspiration in the present. I don't think I could see myself wearing them (I have gray bucks with red soles, which are more suited to the way I dress), but they do have an undeniable old-school panache that works well with warmer-weather clothing.
Yesterday I was doing some errands at a strip mall near home. There is a shoe store there that I don't generally pay any attention to, but I happened to be walking past it to get from one store to another and decided to go in and have a quick look around. I spotted a pair of Bass white bucks with red shoelaces instead of the usual white ones. I had no interest in buying them, but I thought this was a clever way to make a fairly plain-looking shoe more interesting, particularly since the red laces were intended to play off the shoes' red rubber soles.
It occurs to me that for someone who already owns white bucks, this would be a very easy and inexpensive way to give one's shoes a more distinctive look, and you wouldn't necessarily have to go with red for the laces. Colored laces are now available in a rainbow of colors for as little as $3 a pair if you do a little searching online, but don't pay more than $5 or so; that's just a ripoff and not worth it. (I think Allen Edmonds has them on their website and possibly in their stores as well.)
If you really wanted to get carried away, you could swap the laces the way some people swap out their nylon watch straps depending on what else they are wearing on a given day. At the very least, it would add a small touch of coordination to a summer wedding outfit.
Yesterday I was doing some errands at a strip mall near home. There is a shoe store there that I don't generally pay any attention to, but I happened to be walking past it to get from one store to another and decided to go in and have a quick look around. I spotted a pair of Bass white bucks with red shoelaces instead of the usual white ones. I had no interest in buying them, but I thought this was a clever way to make a fairly plain-looking shoe more interesting, particularly since the red laces were intended to play off the shoes' red rubber soles.
It occurs to me that for someone who already owns white bucks, this would be a very easy and inexpensive way to give one's shoes a more distinctive look, and you wouldn't necessarily have to go with red for the laces. Colored laces are now available in a rainbow of colors for as little as $3 a pair if you do a little searching online, but don't pay more than $5 or so; that's just a ripoff and not worth it. (I think Allen Edmonds has them on their website and possibly in their stores as well.)
If you really wanted to get carried away, you could swap the laces the way some people swap out their nylon watch straps depending on what else they are wearing on a given day. At the very least, it would add a small touch of coordination to a summer wedding outfit.
04 April 2012
Wrist Assist
I came across this picture in Esquire:
Can someone please talk to the senator about that horrible piece of plastic on his wrist? If you're going to wear a watch, at least be dignified about it. That thing is great for your morning jogs, not so great for business on the Senate floor in a suit.
15 September 2011
Back Pocket
I don't tend to think about my wallet much, until I need a new one. Then I go nuts for a while looking for something different, because I don't like the standard horizontal-opening style. A long time ago I used to use a trifold, until I realized that it was just too bulky from those extra layers of leather.
I don't carry as much in my wallet as some people I've seen, but I need a certain minimum amount of space. For the past decade or maybe longer, I've had two or three examples of what I guess you could call an L-fold or flip-fold style wallet: it opens vertically, like a book, and there's another section on the left that flips up. I kept my less frequently used cards under the flip and the everyday-access stuff on the right.
When I noticed recently that my wallet was looking worn, I started to think about what I might want to replace it with. I've seen some very nice wallets that are meant to be kept in the inside pocket of one's suit jacket. I sometimes wear a sportcoat, but not regularly, and what would I do with the wallet when I was just wearing jeans or shorts? I needed to stick to a wallet that would go in my back pants pocket.
The Mrs. offered to buy me a new wallet as a birthday present, so I gave her some basic guidelines. We were in a Marshalls a couple of weeks ago and she found what I had described, but it turned out to be the exact same wallet I've had for the past six years, even made by the same company. I realized that I didn't want to simply get another of the same thing.
I tend to get wrapped up in searches for things that are very difficult to find, and I was off on another one. I looked just about everywhere I could think of for something suitable yet different enough to be interesting. I've seen some very nice products from companies like Makr, Tanner Goods, and Chester Mox that make leather goods in the USA from quality leather. But I was disappointed that I couldn't find a wallet from any of them that would work for me.
Eventually I found a Fossil wallet from Zappos. (It also came in black, which is what I got, but it has since sold out.) It opens like a book, but instead of the flip-up flap, there is a dual-sided ID window that is attached to center of the wallet so that it flips from side to side like a page in a book. It turned out to be a little bigger than what I really needed, but I still liked it and decided that it was a good enough choice that I could stop searching.
I don't carry as much in my wallet as some people I've seen, but I need a certain minimum amount of space. For the past decade or maybe longer, I've had two or three examples of what I guess you could call an L-fold or flip-fold style wallet: it opens vertically, like a book, and there's another section on the left that flips up. I kept my less frequently used cards under the flip and the everyday-access stuff on the right.
When I noticed recently that my wallet was looking worn, I started to think about what I might want to replace it with. I've seen some very nice wallets that are meant to be kept in the inside pocket of one's suit jacket. I sometimes wear a sportcoat, but not regularly, and what would I do with the wallet when I was just wearing jeans or shorts? I needed to stick to a wallet that would go in my back pants pocket.
The Mrs. offered to buy me a new wallet as a birthday present, so I gave her some basic guidelines. We were in a Marshalls a couple of weeks ago and she found what I had described, but it turned out to be the exact same wallet I've had for the past six years, even made by the same company. I realized that I didn't want to simply get another of the same thing.
I tend to get wrapped up in searches for things that are very difficult to find, and I was off on another one. I looked just about everywhere I could think of for something suitable yet different enough to be interesting. I've seen some very nice products from companies like Makr, Tanner Goods, and Chester Mox that make leather goods in the USA from quality leather. But I was disappointed that I couldn't find a wallet from any of them that would work for me.
Eventually I found a Fossil wallet from Zappos. (It also came in black, which is what I got, but it has since sold out.) It opens like a book, but instead of the flip-up flap, there is a dual-sided ID window that is attached to center of the wallet so that it flips from side to side like a page in a book. It turned out to be a little bigger than what I really needed, but I still liked it and decided that it was a good enough choice that I could stop searching.
13 September 2011
Watch Bargains
J. Crew has been offering exclusive-to-them Timex watches for a while. There are now four styles, ranging in price from $150 to $195. I don't know if you've priced Timex watches lately, but that's a hefty premium over "ordinary" Timexes.
They're nice watches, especially the diver-style with the dark blue face and bezel, but frankly they just aren't worth the asking price. Also, the military-style watches are on the small side, and don't quite have the appropriate presence on a larger wrist.
There are other watches around that come close to the look of the military watch, like the one I picked up a few months ago. But even that one retails for $95, though I paid much less. But what if you just want a decent-looking facsimile of a military watch and don't want to spend more than $50?
Now there are options, direct from Timex. They launched this line of "Weekender" watches about a month ago, starting at $40. Some of them come on striped nylon straps, just like the ones J. Crew sells for $20. You don't get to choose which strap you get, but if you want to switch it up, you can find straps like this online for much less. (Some of the other styles have very cheesy, plasticky-looking straps, so you may need to plan on getting something different anyway.)
There's also a variation on the basic military style that comes with a slightly larger case that sports a tachymeter bezel (you can use it to measure the speed of things, if you're so inclined; if not, it just looks good on your wrist). I also like this variation (also available in a somewhat smaller ladies' style), which doesn't have the military look but does have a nice color-fade effect (called a degrade), particularly on this black-to-gray version.
These are good-looking watches, and if you happen to live near a Target, you may find them stocked in the watch department. I saw almost all of these at my local Target last week, and they look just as good in person. Even better, Target's prices are about $5 lower than the prices shown on the Timex site. Or you could use that code on the Timex site and get 20% off; order two (at these prices, you might as well) and you'll probably spend enough for free shipping. Any of these watches is going to be a solid, dependable, stylish choice at a great price.
UPDATE, 9/14: Overstock appears to have many of the Weekender styles available, priced between $27 and $36 (one metal bracelet style is $40). Well, what are you waiting for?
They're nice watches, especially the diver-style with the dark blue face and bezel, but frankly they just aren't worth the asking price. Also, the military-style watches are on the small side, and don't quite have the appropriate presence on a larger wrist.
There are other watches around that come close to the look of the military watch, like the one I picked up a few months ago. But even that one retails for $95, though I paid much less. But what if you just want a decent-looking facsimile of a military watch and don't want to spend more than $50?
Now there are options, direct from Timex. They launched this line of "Weekender" watches about a month ago, starting at $40. Some of them come on striped nylon straps, just like the ones J. Crew sells for $20. You don't get to choose which strap you get, but if you want to switch it up, you can find straps like this online for much less. (Some of the other styles have very cheesy, plasticky-looking straps, so you may need to plan on getting something different anyway.)
There's also a variation on the basic military style that comes with a slightly larger case that sports a tachymeter bezel (you can use it to measure the speed of things, if you're so inclined; if not, it just looks good on your wrist). I also like this variation (also available in a somewhat smaller ladies' style), which doesn't have the military look but does have a nice color-fade effect (called a degrade), particularly on this black-to-gray version.
These are good-looking watches, and if you happen to live near a Target, you may find them stocked in the watch department. I saw almost all of these at my local Target last week, and they look just as good in person. Even better, Target's prices are about $5 lower than the prices shown on the Timex site. Or you could use that code on the Timex site and get 20% off; order two (at these prices, you might as well) and you'll probably spend enough for free shipping. Any of these watches is going to be a solid, dependable, stylish choice at a great price.
UPDATE, 9/14: Overstock appears to have many of the Weekender styles available, priced between $27 and $36 (one metal bracelet style is $40). Well, what are you waiting for?
07 July 2011
About Time
Hey, guess what? Watches are cool again, now that the New York Times Style section says so. What a relief to be told that my interest in them wasn't a waste of time...
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