Thankful for Warmer Days Ahead

Thankful for warmer days ahead as it appears Spring is more or less here for good in Buffalo. Sadly, this means wearing less of the heavier-weight kimonos I’ve grown so fond of during the winter months. Thankfully H&M came out with this lightweight organic option as part of their Coachella Collection which I snagged during a recent trip to NYC.

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Dandy Endorsed: Fashionably Late at the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls

With the holidays quickly approaching here in Buffalo, it’s time to start planning for one our favorite times of the year: Black Friday. While many wouldn’t dream of heading out into the madness on this often dreaded day after Thanksgiving, I revel in it. It’s a tradition in the Dandy household that we pack into the car and head out usually around 10 am because, while our newborn already has us up at 5:30, we’re not about that “get to the mall at dawn” life. So we head to the mall to brave the crowds, hopefully snag some deals and enjoy our first Peppermint Mocha of the season.

With all the renovations and new stores at the Fashion Outlets at Niagara Falls, it’s easily become one of my favorite shopping destinations in Buffalo. Imagine my surprise/delight when I was asked to participate in a photoshoot at the Outlets to showcase pieces from some of my favorite stores and put together a “What to Wear on Black Friday” outfit.

The temperatures in Buffalo are dropping steadily, which means Winter will be rearing it’s ugly head soon enough. Which I’m kind of OK with because they means it will be time to start busting out some more rugged wardrobe staples. Thankfully, the recently opened Timberland store has pretty much everything you’ll need to handle those tough Buffalo Winters. The Mount Davis Waxed Jacket is heavy duty enough to protect you from the elements but is also lightweight enough for wearing indoors. So you don’t have to worry about overheating while walking around the mall in a bulky winter jacket. I’m also in love with their Earthkeeper Boots, which are made from recycled materials and are perfect for being on your feet all day while shopping til you drop. The boots tend to run big which means they’ll fit perfectly with a pair thick woolen socks which are also available in the store.

Next we stopped by the Levi’s store and spoke with their extremely knowledgable staff about the best way to finish putting our look together. I’m a big fan our of their 511 style, which is slim but not too slim with just the right amount of stretch and the perfect low rise.  With plenty of washes to choose from, I went with a more worn-in look to match the jacket. I also eyed an olive corduroy western shirt which is just holiday-looking enough amidst the sea of red you tend see everywhere this time of year. With all the affordable pricing on some truly stellar pieces, the Levi’s store quickly became a new favorite of mine.

I finished this casual look off with a nice heavy-knit Hugo Boss scarf from Saks Off Fifth. Now, don’t get me wrong, one could easily pick an entire outfit from any of these stores (more on that later), but I often find this store to be more of a scavenger hunt unless you know exactly what you’re looking for. However, if you’re looking for some simple, well made accessories for some easy stocking stuffer wins, Saks should definitely be one of your first stops.

Once all of these pieces were put together, you have a comfortable yet fashionable look which is perfect for the unpredictable Buffalo weather and makes spending all day at the mall a breeze.

If you are interested in purchasing any of the items mentioned above, The Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls will be hosting a Fashionably Late Black Friday Event on November 24th-25th. The Mall will open at 8PM-2AM on Thanksgiving Day and reopening at 6AM on Black Friday until 9PM with several stores (Levi’s and Timberland included) staying open for 24 hours straight. This late night shopping event is a great option for those looking to beat some of the holiday crowds without having to get up a the crack of dawn.

Many thanks to the Fashion Outlets at Niagara Falls for letting me spend the day shopping with them and be sure to stay tuned for next month’s post about what to wear to those upcoming Holiday Parties.

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Turtleneck & Tweed Weather

It’s been a rough couple of days…

In an attempt to try and offset the sense of impending doom facing our country, I took the day off yesterday for some retail therapy and walked around the mall for about 6 hours. One of my final stops was Old Navy and I found yet another stellar jacket at a truly remarkable price. This heavyweight tweed topcoat is currently on sale in the store for only $45 ($63 online).

Every year it seems we are told that the camel topcoat is a must have for Fall/Winter and we heartily agree. Well, guess what? Old Navy has this style in a camel color way as well. But for those in the market for a Dandier looking option, I highly recommend the tweed version. I decided to buy a size down and got a small so I could wear the coat as is, instead of over a blazer. Since the turtleneck and blazer look has been everywhere this Fall (psssh, way to catch up), pairing my trusty L.L.Bean turtleneck with this look was a no brainer. Even Dandy Jr. seemed to appreciate it because before I left this morning he said: “Oh Daddy, you look really handsome today.” So at least I have that going for me.

Tweed Overcoat: Old Navy | Beanie: J.Crew | Turtleneck: L.L.Bean | Denim: J.Crew | Boots: Sperry

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Today’s Outfit: Blanket Scarf Weather

With the recent dip in temperature and the more flowing garments I acquire/make, today seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally try out this ASOS Blanket Scarf I purchased last year but never actually wore. Fall is the perfect time to start wearing something as daring as this because it provides just the right amount of warmth and looks freaking amazing blowing in the wind as you walk down the street striking a sweet #menswear pose.

Sadly this style is no longer available, but you can check out some of the latest versions on ASOS’s website here.

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DIY Noragi

As I’m sure you’ve noticed from some of the recent outfit posts on the blog and BD Instagram,  these past few seasons I’ve been more and more obsessed with longer sweaters and jackets, particularly ones of the Japanese kimono variety. One of the most revered brands which specializes in this style of jacket is Visvim and their Sanjuro jackets. While these garments are beautiful to look at and undoubtedly exceptionally made, the price range for the majority of these coats is astronomical. Like $1,000 astronomical. Not gonna happen.

While I’ve been salivating over one of these for a while and playing with the idea of scouring sites like Grailed.com for a used one, I wasn’t even sure if I would like how it looked on me once I got it. Then I remembered, oh wait, I can totally just sew one of these myself for like $20. So that’s what I did. After doing some research on kimono and noragi jackets (which I found out was the correct term for what I was trying to make) I acquired the right kind of mid-weight denim I was looking for and got to work. Naturally this took a little longer than usual to make because my sewing time had to revolve around waiting the wife and I put the kids to bed, but once I got back into the swing of staying up late and flexing the old sewing muscles I realized just how much I had missed making my own clothes.

I chose to keep the edges of the eri (collar) raw, for both a contrast and distressed look and I kept the sleeves longer than the standard workwear shortened length so I could roll the sleeves if I wanted. While the final result is far from perfect, that was a great way to give this style of outerwear a test drive without breaking the bank. Plus the fact that I can say “yeah I made this” never gets old.

If you are digging this style of jacket and are curious of where to get one, I’ve picked out some of my favorite options below. Like I said, been obsessing over these for a while.

Visvim | Etsy | ASOS | Grailed | Betabrand

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Old Navy Mac

Fall is finally here in Buffalo and while we’re chomping at the bit to start wearing tweed and chunky sweaters, the weather is not quite there yet, which is when having a lightweight jacket this time of year is clutch. If you remember our previous post last Spring about the Return of the Mackintosh Jacket, you’ve hopefully picked one up and should already be good to go. In the off chance that you haven’t, be thou not afraid, for I recently picked one up at Old Navy of all places. I feel like Old Navy gets a bad rap, even though we’ve mentioned them several times on this blog. They do a decent  job of creating good wardrobe essentials that are just the right amount of trendy at very affordable prices. The jacket was only $70, is cut nicely (I’m wearing a small) and has just the right amount of detailing in it to let you know some actual thought went into making it. It sold out rather quickly online last week when they were having a 40% off sale, but it looks like it’s back up here. You can also stop into the store at the Galleria and pick one up yourself.

$70

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2016 Johnny Onion Ride

Summer is making way for Autumn. That means it’s once again time for the darling of BLRC runs. The Buffalo Lazy Randonneur Club hosts our sixth annual and the world’s only Johnny Onion Ride. On this day we pay homage to AR JOHNNIGED BRO ROSKO, the pedaling peddlers of Breton’s famous Roscoff onions. Under their adopted moniker of Onion Johnny, these intrepid farmers have peddled their onions throughout Great Britain on bicycles. After crossing the channel by ferry, the Onion Johnny strings his bicycle with a hundred pounds of prized onions to sell to homes and restaurants. We will not ask so much of you.

We do ask that you outfit yourself in [stereo]typical french maritime or farmer style. Stripes, Berets, Neckerchiefs, etc. Also string a few onions to your own bike and we will add them to a cauldron of french onion soup made at the end of the ride. We gather at noon on the first Sunday of autumn at our waterfront park, a port of Buffalo’s own ferry. From there we lazily ride along bike paths to the rose garden pergola at Delaware Park, our nod to the English rose. Feel free to bring any other refreshments or picnic fare you like.

As always we request that you remain responsible for your own safety and equipment. Whenever you ride, follow all laws and safety precautions.

This is a RAIN OR SHINE event. Sailors and farmers dress like they do for a reason.

Johnny Onion Ride
Canalside Buffalo
Sunday, September 25th at Noon (Ride usually starts at 1-ish)

Manready Merc Knickerbocker MFG Chore Coat | J.Crew St. James T-shirt | Pedrito Beret | Dr. Collectors Rolling Scarf | Gant Slim Cargo Pants | Vintage Vixa Type 2 Chrono | New England Outerwear Co Lazy Mocs | Kronebourg Beer

 

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Buffalo Dandy 5th Year Anniversary

In other cool news, BuffaloDandy.com celebrated it’s 5th Anniversary this month as Buffalo’s original menswear and lifestyle blog. Initially started as a way to learn WordPress and noticing a severe lack of a mens fashion voice in Buffalo, the blog grew from not only a chronicling of my personal style evolution, but also as a instructional site for aspiring gentleman, product and store reviews and recapping the dapper goings ons around the city of Buffalo. It has been an incredible experience running this site, albeit a bit sparse as of late due to numerous factors most of which involve chasing our Dandy 3 year old around and expecting our second bundle of joy at the end of the Summer. Since blogs aren’t really a thing much anymore and the landscape of mens fashion is ever evolving, it’s hard to say what the future holds for Buffalo Dandy. Many local favorite blogs have come and gone and for whatever reason, we’re still here. The site has provided the wife and I some amazing opportunities which we will be forever grateful for and I wish to offer my most heartfelt thanks to everyone who has kept reading throughout the years. For now, all I can say is keep reading and as always, stay Dandy.

-Chris Bissonette, The Buffalo Dandy

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What to Wear: Kentucky Derby 2016

Looks like the Kentucky Derby is going green with envy this year with a sharp looking new logo and their always coveted $1,000 mint julep cup which arrives this year in limited edition package complete with a custom silk shirt lining designed by Hamilton Shirts. 

A well-documented favorite day of the year here at Buffalo Dandy, we’ve compiled some of our favorite new items of the season to serve as inspiration for what to wear while attending or watching this year’s Kentucky Derby. Fingers crossed that I continue my winning streak on who wins. Good luck and stay Dandy everyone!

Brooks Brothers Garment Washed Blazer | Brooks Brothers Seersucker Pants | Hamilton Classic Gingham | Rolex Oyster Submariner | Gents Mode Pocket Square | Brooks Brothers Knit Tie | Allen Edmond Suede Strandmonk

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Street Style: Spot Coffee

It has been a long, long time since we posted a proper street style shot on BuffaloDandy.com, but this dude’s look is too perfect not to share. The cut of his suit is Spot on (haha) and the colors he chose are a stellar combo for Spring. Paired with his double monks, matching belt and the perfect knot for this width tie, this is how today’s young professionals should be dressing. All that was missing was the pocket square, but his suit fit so well I didn’t even notice.

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