Personally, if my shirt is tucked in, then I need to be wearing a belt. Anything else feels off, and even when I am not tucking in my shirt, I often will reach for a belt as well. Belts are a tricky area, as they are partly about looks and finishing an outfit, and partly about the function of helping to keep your pants held up (they are never about holding items unless you are working or in a war).

The problem with belts is that there are effectively three types: heritage leather style belts, the classics if you will; hiking performance belts; and tactical belts for holding all the guns. It is extremely hard to figure out what a good belt is for normal life — or as normal as life might be right now. Something that looks good, is comfortable, and has good adjustment.

I’ve already looked at a few on this site, the Grip6 and we’ve talked about the Slidebelt in some guides, but today I want to walk you through the spectrum and how I am approaching belts these days. But first, a baseline: all my belts need to work well on a pair of Futureworks in the office, in the car on the way to the office, and they need to be able to be used on 5-pocket style pants as well. That’s the range I am going for: casual to smart casual.

Let’s go from classic to high-performance.

Filson 1-1/4″ Bridle Leather Belt

First up is an offering from Filson coming in at $80 the 1-1/4” Bridle Leather Belt is one of many offerings in their full leather lineup of belts. It’s width makes it perfect for smart casual to casual wear and the leather itself is among the best you can get. Filson’s bridle leather is next level if you have never handled it before. This is among the most classic designs: single strap of leather with a brass buckle to secure it.

This is easily one of my favorite belts I’ve ever owed and something which feels like it will last a lifetime. There’s plenty of reviews talking about how people used them daily for 10 years and only got a new one because their pants size changed. The sizing is a little odd, but read the measurements and measure your waist — if you buy based on that you should get a belt where the buckle lands in the center of the holes. In the time I have had this belt is shows no stretch and no wear marks at all.

It’s a little bulky at the front, but otherwise is as simple and classic as you can get. For a long time I avoided belts like this because I thought they would not be worth the money, but this one is. The issue: it’s about as low tech as you can get. If that’s your speed, stop here, if not, keep reading.

British Belt Company / Generic Box Store Belts

I have had a few offerings from British Belt Company, and I mean no disrespect when I saw this, but they mostly feel no different than any “genuine leather” belt you grab from a big box store, though likely with better pricing. They look nice! Even the belts you buy from Macy’s or Nordstrom look nice, but they feel nothing like the Filson Bridle Leather. They are $35 belts and paying any more is wasting money.

These are simply about looks, and they last a couple years at most. The leather is cheap and stiff. Oddly turning them into belts that show wear quickly and stretch even more quickly. There’s nothing bad about owning some of these, especially for things like “suit belt” but there is also nothing good about them either.

SlideBelts

SlideBelts was one of the first ‘performance’ belts I got. Taking a classic leather belt look, and applying a unique ratcheting style buckle/clasp to the belt. What you end up with is a couple really cool things: easy to adjust discretely, micro adjustments, and a cut-to-fit ordering system so you are never getting the wrong size.

Vegan leather.

I have two of these, one in the vegan leather option, and one in the top grain leather option. The vegan leather is not good. It’s plasticky and very stiff, so much so that any advantage from the micro adjustments is lost in the uncomfortable nature of the belt band itself not forming well to your body — and I put over a year of wear on mine. The top grain leather is fantastic, it shows wear, but it molds very nicely to your body, forming a very comfortable belt.

Top grain leather.

There’s a wide variety of colors and styles, so there will always be something for you and the buckles are interchangeable as well (though you need a tool to pry them free I find). The part that finally got me to move away from these though: bulk and weight.

The buckle is a serious chunk of metal and it weighs a lot, and more than that it sits out from your pants a fair amount. It feels and looks bulky. With some styles, this is fine, but for me it was too much. (For travelers do note that these buckles often don’t make it through metal detectors.)

Good belts, comfortable, but for the price they weigh a lot and are bulky.

Filson Togiak Belt / Hiking Strap Belts

Now we are moving straight into the hiking performance belts. I have a few in this category, I’ll talk mostly about the Togiak belt from Filson as I like it the best. But generally these are some sort of nylon webbing / elastic webbing / canvas strap type of belt with a pull-to-adjust system of some sort and a basic to fancy clasp. The Togiak is canvas with a g-hook style clasp. Bison Belts are popular, as is the Arc’Teryx belt.

These are all very comfortable while looking not great. Depending on the nylon webbing choice they range from stiff to soft on the canvas side. I prefer the smoother webbing options or canvas as they form well to your waist and offer supreme comfort. They are true micro-adjustment belts too, as they offer near infinite adjustment options.

The downside is completely on the looks end. While you can get the precise strap you want and a wide variety of color options — none of these will look “nice”. They don’t all look bad, but they are going to stand out if you try to rock them in the office with a pair of chinos and a button down. Firmly casual, but among the most comfortable out there since they are the easiest to find exactly what you need/want for your use.

I wear the Togiak all weekend long. Great stuff.

Arcade Adventure Belt

Arcade made a good marketing splash when they launched the Adventure belt. I picked one up and fell in love. This is a belt for people who don’t like wearing belts, but want their pants to fit a little more snug. These are a decently thick bit of elastic webbing with a very thin plastic buckle.

They sit very low profile, and move very nicely with your body. They come in a wide array of color options as well. The color I picked isn’t conducive to the office and I think you might be able to get away with one with chinos, but it would be pushing the limits. So while the looks aren’t a huge downside, I don’t find them to look overly dressy as they are quite wide. Some newer options from Arcade attempt to solve for this, but the logos and buckles will always skew these casual.

There’s only two downsides to these belts: they flex a lot so they won’t work well for you wanting to hang anything from the belt (which don’t); and they are difficult to adjust when wearing them as they are very tight to move through the adjuster on the buckle.

If you like elastic waist pants, but sometimes have to wear non-elastic waist pants, these are a great solution for you.

Grip6 Belt Narrow

I’ve already written about this here, and my opinion on it hasn’t changed. Grip6 belts are fantastic low-tech, high-impact belts. They sit very flat, offer a webbing that is strong enough to have some structure, but eventually will form to your waist shape. They are comfortable, secure, and look ok. They won’t work for business casual, but I wear mine often into the office.

They hold really well after you sort out the correct way to secure them. They come in a wide array of colors and widths, and the buckle is the lowest profile of all the belts on this list. The only downside with these that I have found is that they are a little tricky on the width. There are three widths: 1.1”, 1.5”, and 1.75”. Anything in the 1.5” and up realm will often look far too casual for office wear with chinos/button down. But 1.1” is slightly too narrow to site well in the loops of my Futureworks. I really like the 1.25” width for universal belt use, and that isn’t available in Grip6.

For me, I wear these belts a ton, but they do have some downsides the width being one, but the second being that they need to be worn snug in order for the clasping mechanism to secure properly. So this isn’t a belt you can wear loosely at all.

Good stuff, great price, versatile — tricky widths.

Outlier Polyamour Precision Belt

The last belt is the most technical of them all, the Outlier Polyamour Precision Belt. This is a crazy belt, as it is 100% polyester webbing that has all sorts of tech into it making it feel like cotton canvas, but perform like “not cotton”. And then there’s touches of suede to aid the looks. Lastly the belt secures with a hidden Fidlock clasp.

The belt only comes in black and in a 1.5” width which normally I don’t love for smart casual, but the looks of this belt pull it off well. I’ll go ahead and say this right now: I wish there was charcoal, because I would only wear this belt if given the option. There’s no other belt on this list as good as this belt. It’s comfortable, the webbing forms well, and the clasp is fantastic. Both fast to secure, easy to undo, and secure throughout the day. With a nice balance of sitting low on your waist, while not looking out of place.

There’s two main downsides to this belt:

1. The clasping mechanism has limited range of adjustment about 1.5” total. And while it does step nicely through them so you can find a good fit, that does mean that if your waist size fluctuates this won’t be a great option for you.
2. It only comes in black.

The upside is that the sizing is easy on this one, as Outlier tells you to buy your pants size which is contrary to all other belt sizing, but 100% how belt sizing should work. I wear a 34 in Outlier pants and bought a 34 belt — perfect fit.

Again, if this came in charcoal (brown likely wouldn’t look great) I would only wear this belt and forgo all others — it’s that good. This is what all the other belts want to be and so much of that is because of the webbing magic.

---

What I Mostly Wear

All of those belts above are ones I bought, own, and wear with some regularity. The Outlier belt is newest to me, but easily my favorite. That said I find that I wear the Filson Bridle Leather belt the most, it’s essentially everything I want in a belt, and I never have to think about whether it works for that situation.

Belts are funny, they are the one area where the tried and true classics work almost as well as the highest of high-performance models, so much so that there’s very little upside to getting anything other than the classic options.

Then again, Outlier, make me a charcoal variant of that Polyamour Precision belt and I am all in. Until then, the Filson Bridle Leather is fantastic.

NOTE: where possible all product links on this site may earn the site money when you buy using those links.

Note: some of the items in this guide were provided for review.

A lot of people are going to be finding themselves working from home in the coming days. And while most people are focused on telling you to bother getting dressed, and to be video call ready, let my 4 years of work from home experience, and clothing review experience tell you how to get dressed and be video call ready, while feeling like you are are in sweatpants all day. Here’s my guide.

The Pants

Yes, you could wear sweatpants all day, and yes the point of this is to stay indoors, but there is no need to actually wear sweatpants when you can buy pants which are just as comfortable, but wearable anywhere. My top picks:

• Western Rise Diversion Pant (our review): made to be your everything pant, these are super comfortable. They offer a ton of stretch and fuzziness. They are my top pick.
• OLIVERS Passage Pant (our review): a close second, the Passage Pant doesn’t quite look as good, but offers a stretchier waist band, which only adds to the comfort.

Pick the Western Rise if you find your pants never get uncomfortable in the waist throughout the day, or you want to wash pants fewer times. Pick the OLIVERS for the ultimate in at home comfort, but know that the waist will stretch out and you need to wash them to get the waist to shrink back up.

The Shirt

Let’s face it, the collar of your shirt is all most people are going to be seeing on a video chat. My top pick for this is the Outlier S140 One Pocket. Sadly it is not currently available and there is nothing else on the market even close to this shirt. It is supremely soft and comfortable, while having a look which easily passes for video chat business calls. Since that is out, here are some other considerations:

• Western Rise Limitless Merino (our review): I recently wrote about this shirt. It is super comfortable, and looks really sharp. The stretch alone will have you lounging in style. The merino will keep you from needing to wash it. It will wear a little cool though.
• Western Rise AirLight (our review): I only have the short sleeve, but that or the long sleeve would be great for anyone who wants a shirt that requires no special thought or care. Wear, wash, dry, wear. And it is super light while looking sharp.
• Unbound Merino Classic Button Down (our review): nice and heavy, crisp look, still comfortable. It could use more stretch, but if you find yourself running cool in your home, then this is a great option.
• Wool&Prince Polo (our review): for a little more casual look, nothing can beat a 100% merino polo from W&P. So soft.

Lastly, for my friends who live in cooler climates, consider a shirt-jacket to throw over the top of a long sleeve t-shirt. I love my Triple Aught Design Catalyst Field Shirt (our review), but there are plenty of others which will be more business friendly.

And for everyone who just wants a nice looking t-shirt to be comfortable in all week without needing to wash it. Outlier’s Ultrafine Merino T-Shirt (our review) is the pinnacle of luxury t-shirting.

Feet and Underwear

You are at home, wear your comfy underwear. As for socks, I recommend these for around the house.

---

Stay comfortable, stay home.

NOTE: where possible all product links on this site may earn the site money when you buy using those links.

Note: some of these shirts were provided at a discount or for free, please see the original reviews for more information.

Finding a performance polo that blends in and has a sharp looking collar can be quite the task. This guide walks you through each of the polos we have tested, and how we think they perform. For this guide, we assume you are looking for polos for the warmer seasons and are looking for them to be versatile, from casual to business casual.

Bluffworks Piton Polo

Our review.

The Good: The fabric is pique knit, giving it nice visual interest and a nice matte finish so it blends in. Great collar that doesn’t require any fussiness out of the wash. Very breathable and light. Packs well with no wrinkles.

The Not Good: After one day of wear, the armpits smell a bit. With a quick rinse in the sink I can get a second day.

Overall: The lightweight textured fabric and great collar give this polo a classic look with the performance of 100% synthetic. The wrinkle resistance is excellent.

Mack Weldon SILVERKNIT Polo

Our review.

The Good: The fabric looks and drapes just like a standard cotton pique polo. The length works well for wearing tucked or untucked. The collar stays sharp as long as you pay attention how it dries. The odor resistant content of the fabric lives up to expectations, giving me 3 wears.

The Not Good: There is Mack Weldon branding along the side seam on the back of the shirt.

Overall: This is a great polo, soft, odor resistant, sharp collar, and versatile with no indication that it is technical.

Ministry of Supply Apollo 3 Polo

Our review.

The Good: Extremely breathable fabric and stiff collar that always stands up and looks sharp no matter what you throw at it.

The Not Good: The thickness of the fabric can keep it from drying as fast as other synthetic polos (although it does manage sweat very well). The collar can look a bit unnatural at times and the heavy drape gives it away as something different. There is no odor resistance here.

Overall: This is a polo you can depend on pulling right out of your bag and having it look perfect. The breathability overcomes the thickness of the fabric from a comfort perspective. Can be worn tucked or untucked.

Ministry of Supply Composite Slim Fit Polo

Our review.

The Good: The fabric is extremely soft and looks and drapes like a light cotton polo. I can depend on two wears (the merino content is only 15%). The length is perfect for wearing untucked. The collar performs well and never looks floppy. Slim fit.

The Not Good: Only 2 wears, better than average but not standout. The shorter length makes it harder to keep tucked in. The slim fit will not be for everyone. The two button (short) placket keeps this more in the casual realm.

Overall: As you can see, this polo is full of trade-offs. If you are looking for a polo geared to casual wear only and you are looking for a slim fit, this might be the polo for you.

Wool&Prince 100% Merino Wool Polo

Our review.

The Good: Feels and drapes like a soft, well worn cotton t-shirt. The collar stays put and looks sharp as long as you pay attention to how it dries. Has that magic merino odor resistance.

The Not Good: The 205 gsm fabric makes it too warm much above 80 °F, even in low humidity.

Overall: A great polo except for the weight of the fabric. If you want 100% merino, this is the way to go. Otherwise, you probably want to look to one of the other options.

Wool&Prince Polo

Our review.

The Good: The drape and hand-feel of the fabric are spot on. Being a merino blend, there is great odor resistance. The collar stays put and looks sharp as long as you pay attention to how it dries.

The Not Good: Picks up wrinkles fairly easily.

Overall: This is a great polo with the caveat of wrinkles since is it a light merino fabric. If you want the odor resistance of merino with the durability of a blend and the versatility of a lighter fabric, this is the way to go.

My Pick

Not taking odor resistance into account, my top choice is the Bluffworks Piton Polo, with the Mack Weldon SILVERKNIT not far behind.

The Piton polo for me is the most versatile all around with its lighter fabric, excellent wrinkle resistance (the Apollo 3 is the only shirt that is more wrinkle resistant), and ease of wear from casual to business casual.

The SILVERKNIT polo gives you some extra odor resistance along with some seasonal colors to break up the typical blues, greys, and blacks of performance wear.

If you place odor resistance at the top of your list, the two Wool&Prince polos would be my pick. Which one would depend on the climate you plan to wear them in.

Some other options not reviewed

• Lululemon (various polos): These often come up on Reddit, but many had less-than-stellar reviews on the Lululemon website.
• Mission Workshop Vector Polo: Seems similar to Wool&Prince polo at a much higher price.
• Mizzen+Main Phil Mickelson Golf Polo: I don’t love the branding on the back.
• Rhone Delta Pique and Commuter Tech Polos: Again, an issue with the branding (the red crosshatch stitching on the shoulder seam).

I even purchased and returned some without giving them a test

• Ably Ranger Polo: I’ve been interested in Ably Apparel’s Filium technology, and this looked just like a normal cotton pique polo. The dealbreaker was that the collar looked mis-proportioned to me.
• Arcteryx A2B Short Sleeve Polo: The collar and button placket were shiny and nylon-y and stood out too much from the rest of the shirt.
• RYU Tech Polo: The collar and button placket were weirdly stiff and nylon-y, the collar also didn’t lay right — it was stiff and floppy at the same time.
• Triple Aught Design Caliber Polo: The fabric and webbing to attach the buttons made this one too casual.

Getting Started: What to Buy

I would recommend getting started with two (or three) shirts, this will give you a base to wear to the office during the warmer months and give some versatility for travel. Here’s what I would buy:

1. Bluffworks Piton Polo Shirt in Spun Grey: This is my most worn polo. I tend to stick to dark pants, so I favor light shirts. Light grey looks better with dark grey than blue or navy with navy, so I tend to go with light grey shirts to get the most versatility.
2. Mack Weldon SILVERKNIT in True Navy: This is your classic navy pique polo for work and play with great performance in the heat. The mid-level odor resistance makes it nice for shorter trips.
3. Wool&Prince Polo in Grey End-on-End: This makes for a nice dressier polo. It also works well for longer trips where you want a shirt that can be worn many times between washes.

NOTE: where possible all product links on this site may earn the site money when you buy using those links.

Note: some of these shirts were provided at a discount or for free, please see the original reviews for more information.

Finding the right shirt, a good performance shirt, for wearing into a business casual office environment can be quite the task. This guide walks you through each of the shirts we have tested, and how we think they fit into office environments. For this guide, we assume you are washing shirts after each wear, therefore odor resistance is less of a factor.

Outlier NYCO Oxford

Our review.

The Good: The pivot sleeve on this shirt is fantastic, the material is very durable, the collar is solid, and it has a flattering cut.

The Not Good: The look trends more casual, the short body length makes it hard to tuck in, and the heavy material can make it a non-starter in warmer climates.

Overall: While this is no longer made, it is worth mentioning as it is the perfect smart casual shirt, but doesn’t blend well with business casual. The body is cut shorter making it hard to tuck in, but the pivot sleeve is worth noting alone. The best way to think about this, is that if you can get away with wearing your shirt untucked, this shirt should be near the top of your list.

Proof Performance Oxford

Our Review.

The Good: The collar stands up nicely, the stretch is very impressive, and the price is worth noting.

The Not Good: The colors are less than ideal, the buttons don’t quite contrast correctly, and the material is slightly too stiff to pass for a standard oxford.

Overall: Take a standard cotton oxford, add some DWR to resist light water and stains, and then add a ton of stretch. That’s what you get with this, and it is impressive. It doesn’t perform as well as the others in general, but it does have that cotton look to it that many do want if you can be OK with a stiffer (like starched cotton) drape. If you want to stay as stealth as you can, this is perhaps the best option, but I do wish they had a larger selection of colors as I find the offering very limited.

Wool & Prince Button Down

Our Review.

The Good: Comes in a variety of classic styles and sizes, the merino wool is thin and wrinkle resistant, and the performance of the fabric to manage your body temperature is amazing.

The Not Good: While good, the wool is still wool and not as luxurious feeling against your skin as other options, the shirts look great, but don’t quite look standard. Overall the cuts also trend towards a boxier look, which can be tough depending on your body shape. No white option.

Overall: Classic style and a classic cut, this is the most conservative of the options and the most odor resistant. It’s 100% merino, but not obviously something non-standard so it blends in quite well. It is perfect for travel and multi-day wear. It resists wrinkles well, and unlike some of the others I have yet to see it actually look dirty. It is the most performant shirt here.

Ministry of Supply Aero

Our Review.

The Good: The shirt is incredibly light, and the vented armpits really make a difference. The material looks fantastic and blends in well, a wide variety of styles and cuts. The collars are top notch and unmatched on this list. The cuts are very flattering and more modern.

The Not Good: It picks up odors faster than others on this list, and can often start smelling after an active 10 hour day, so if you commute that’s something to note.

Overall: The cuts, collar, and style options are robust and cannot be ignored. The shirt is also extremely comfortable, especially in warmer environments. The only downside with these is that they pick up smells quickly, but if you can, or are OK, with washing a shirt after each wear, these are hard to beat. They never wrinkle and the collars always look crisp as do the bodies of the shirts. Great shirts.

Bluffworks Meridian

Our Review.

The Good: There is no better fabric on this list, it feels amazing against your skin and drapes and looks perfect. There is a large offering of cuts so that you can find something that fits you well.

The Not Good: The collars tend to lay out after prolonged wear and don’t stay as perky as others on this list, and the lack of styles is a big issue.

Overall: If someone can tell by looking that this is not cotton, then they are someone worth talking to. This is a quietly performant shirt. If the collar was button down this shirt would be at or near the top, but as it is it doesn’t hold its place as well as others. The comfort of this shirt is fantastic and it won’t stink too bad after a day, but will require a quick rinse to rid the smell if you want to wear it again.

Mizzen+Main

Our Review.

The Good: Lots of size and style options, with a larger variety of louder styles and brighter colors. The stretch is awesome in these and makes the shirt quite comfortable.

The Not Good: The cuffs and collars are overly thick, and the material has a synthetic look and the shirts pick up odors very quickly — even odors from exterior smells like a BBQ place.

Overall: Looks crisp, but also doesn’t look like cotton. The collars and cuffs are thick and a turn off for many. While the shirt stretches well, there are better options out there.

Outlier S140 One Pocket

Our Review.

The Good: Luxurious feeling merino wool, smart cut, and pivot sleeve.

The Not Good: Expensive, limited color options, and a very causal look.

Overall: The cut and styling is perfect for the office, as are the color options. However the fabric is soft and has a heavy drape which makes it look more like a pajama shirt than a crisp office shirt. While I like the fabric and the fit of the shirt, it is almost athleisure levels of casual.

Outlier Albini Hidden Placket

Our Review.

The Good: The material is amazing, and odor/wrinkle resistant. The cut and fit is fantastic.

The Not Good: The price is very high, and the style of the shirt overall lends itself to a more casual untucked environment.

Overall: The fabric is amazing, but the style pulls it more towards casual and an untucked approach which doesn’t work well in offices. The shirt is very thin, and silky smooth, so it is worth considering if your office is more jeans and t-shirt levels of casual.

Bonobos Tech Stretch

Product.

The Good: It’s cotton, so you can get it in crisp white, and there is also stretch so it is slightly better than a standard cotton shirt.

The Not Good: There is a general lack of wrinkle resistance despite it claiming otherwise, and it can be more difficult to get the shirt to press flat.

Overall: If you are scared by everything else, this is a cotton shirt with stretch and a more comfortable option, but not worth the up charge over a standard cotton oxford.

My Pick

My pick is the Ministry of Supply Aero without a doubt. The cut and wide variety of options while keeping the price in check makes these shirts a good bargain for any office worker. They offer both button down, and poplin styles which increases the versatility of the shirt. While they are designed more to keep you cool than warm, they still layer quite well.

Bluffworks would give the Aero a run for its money if they offered a wider selection of patterns, and perhaps added a button down collar option. Likewise, Wool & Prince would be hard to beat if they offered trimmer cuts to their shirts.

When I want to look sharp in the office, I grab an Aero dress shirt and pair it with my Futureworks.

Some Other Options Not Reviewed

• Ministry of Supply Composite Merino: Not tested, but looks rather casual. If this is the same fabric as the Composite Polo, it is definitely too casual for a business casual environment.
• Ministry of Supply Apollo 3: I previously had one, and found the drape to make the shirt look too casual. However, the fabric is stellar from a performance and comfort perspective.

Getting Started: What to Buy

I would recommend starting with three shirts, with this base you should have no problem handling a full work week and could even get away with only washing a load of laundry once in the week. Here’s what I would buy:

1. Bluffworks Meridian in Highland Gray Check: this is one of my most worn shirts. The coloring will stand out a bit but it goes with everything and hides any potential stains/dirt well. It can be dressed up a touch for business or dressed down easily for evenings.
2. Ministry of Supply Aero in White: The thing about this shirt is that it rocks in the heat and dries insanely fast. You could have just this shirt and wash it every night and hang it to dry and wear it the next day. That’s the bonus of a white shirt, everyone assumes it is a different one because they assume you own a few. I linked to the polyester not the nylon version, as I have yet to try the nylon.
3. Wool&Prince Button Down in Light Gray: versatile color which will work well for the evenings and the day. This shirt can be worn 3+ times in a week without washing and still smell and look fresh. My only complaint is that I bought a patterned color when solid would have been a smarter choice.

Those are the shirts and colors I would start with to build a wardrobe for business casual — they will serve you well.

NOTE: where possible all product links on this site may earn the site money when you buy using those links.

Underwear is an important part of an everyday wardrobe and can make or break the comfort of any activity. I’ve tried out quite a few new pairs of underwear over the past year or so, and I’ve made a change to what my go-to pairs are. While this is nowhere near an exhaustive list, this roundup includes all the technical boxer briefs I’ve tried.

A few commonalities

Across all the boxer briefs I tried, there are a few commonalities across the two main pain points — rolling of the waistband and riding up of the leg.

It seems to me that rolling of the waistband is a thing of the past (at least across all the brands I discuss here). This is something that can be very annoying, and something I haven’t had to deal with since I switched away from my cheap Hanes underwear.

On the other hand, having the leg ride up is not something that has been solved (except for maybe the new Wool & Prince Boxer Briefs 2.0, I haven’t given them a try though). I find that all of my pairs of underwear can ride up under the right conditions. Two features that help mitigate riding up include a proper fit (tightness and length) of the leg.

Lastly, I’ve yet to find any underwear that I can wear more than once (even with an antimicrobial treatment or merino content). That’s fine with me as I don’t find it appealing to wear underwear more than once. This makes drying time important for travel.

The Competition

ExOfficio

The Give-N-Go Boxer Brief was my first foray into the performance underwear market. A few years back, they were the ones everyone talked about, but since seem to have declined in quality.

The fabric is 94% nylon and 6% Lycra with an antimicrobial treatment and a diamond knit. This makes the fabric have a rough handfeel and more likely to get caught on your pants.

These do not have a structured front panel and have a somewhat baggy fit.

The fit and fabric kill the appeal here.

Duluth Trading

The Buck Naked Performance Boxer Briefs were next. They are still popular and are the most heavy/durable of those I’ve tried.

The fabric is 93% nylon and 7% spandex with an odor resistant treatment and a diamond knit. The knit here, while not smooth, doesn’t seem to get caught on my pants.

These also do not have a structured front panel and a similar fit to the ExOfficio pair.

Again, the fit and fabric make these uninteresting, unless you’re going for durability.

UNIQLO

Once I got tired of the heavier fabric of the previous two brands, the AIRism Boxer Briefs seemed the natural way to go. Also very popular in the travel/performance community, these are hands down the lightest pair I own (in both fabric weight and packability).

The fabric is 89% polyester, 11% Spandex with an extremely smooth finish that feels like silk. No matter what fabric you wear on top, these never get caught.

The structured front panel adds to the comfort, and the tighter fit (and shorter leg) makes you forget you are wearing them. These are a good example of how the right fit helps keep the leg from riding up.

These are my favorite overall.

Y Athletics

Along the way here on Everyday Wear, I got the opportunity from Y Athletics to try both their SilverAir Merino (full review) and SilverAir Ultralight Boxer Briefs.

The Merino pair is 90% 17.5 micron merino wool, 5% metallic, and 5% spandex. The fabric is luxuriously soft and is quite thick. There is a custom leg grip system on each leg band that definitely helps keep these from riding up even when the legs aren’t quite as snug.

The Ultralight pair is 50% nylon, 35% Modal, 10% Spandex, and 5% metallic with an open-knit. Just like the name says, the fabric is very lightweight and has an excellent silky feel. While there are no leg grippers here, the legs fit a bit tighter so I didn’t feel like I was missing out.

I find the structured front panel in both of these pairs to be the most comfortable of all on this list.

Overall, can’t beat the luxury of the Merinos and the Ultralights are right up there with the UNIQLOs. The fit is spot on here.

Pistol Lake

Finally, I also recently had the chance from Pistol Lake to check out their Minimalist Boxer Briefs (full review).

The fabric is Pistol Lake’s custom Lightweight Eudae fabric, which is 76% polyester, 19% Tencel, and 5% Lycra. The fabric looks and feels similar to a cotton t-shirt.

While a snug fit, these do not have a structured front panel.

Overall, these are great if you’re looking for cotton-like comfort and are willing to sacrifice performance.

Comparison

Performance

All of the boxer briefs perform well in all conditions with two exceptions.

The SilverAir Merino feels a little heavy with a lot of sweat, just like any merino piece, but dries quickly as the moisture evaporates from the core of the fibers.

The Minimalist Boxer Briefs feel heavy and moist with a lot of sweat. This was a surprise after trying their shirt made from the same fabric, but these are the only pair that I don’t really enjoy wearing for exercise.

Travel

Hands-down I prefer the AIRism Boxer Briefs for travel. Their extremely light and silky fabric and shorter length makes them pack down to nothing and dry quickly after a sink wash. Also, if they do ride up, they are the least noticeable.

Comfort

The most comfortable of the lot are of course the SilverAir Merino, nothing beats the luxurious soft feel of high quality merino. When combined with a great structured front panel, these will be hard to beat in the comfort department.

The Minimalist Boxer Briefs also up there in comfort because they have a cottony feel and the long length helps keep the legs in place.

Conclusion

After wearing most of these boxer briefs for at least six months, if not longer, the UNIQLO AIRisms have become my top pick. Not only are they lightweight and comfortable, they are a great value at just $10 (and often can be had on sale for $5). At that price, there is no reason not to stock up. If the cost wasn’t involved, I would say the Y Athletics SilverAir Ultralights would be my top pick, as they are a bit more comfortable than the AIRisms. Finally, for comfort above all else (while still maintaining excellent performance), I haven’t found anything more comfortable than the Y Athletics SilverAir Merinos.

NOTE: where possible all product links on this site may earn the site money when you buy using those links.

When I mentioned to Steve we should do a post where we outline what we would buy if we had no clothes at all — keeping it minimal and performant for our day to day lives — I had no idea it would be so difficult to write. The challenge here for me is balancing a wardrobe of items that actually fit what I do on a regular basis. Items which fill the need first and foremost, are versatile, and which generally make sense.

There are a lot of things which I actually own, and love, which didn’t make the list simply because upon further reflection they lack versatility. For me, this list isn’t just about starting from scratch, but perhaps is the ideal wardrobe for me to own, but sadly one that I both do not own, and suspect I would find nearly impossible to slim down to.

Undergarments and Base Layers

This section is pretty easy to go through, as the below are all items I own, and basically all I wear for undergarments.

• ExOfficio Give-N-Go Boxers, 4 pairs. These are the only underwear I own and wear (aside from any I may be reviewing). I love how they fit, feel, and perform. These were actually the item which got me started on all of the rest of this clothing, because if underwear could be this good, imagine what possibilities lie for the rest of the clothing. These are expensive and I own about 10 pairs right now, but I know I could easily get away with 4 if I were more diligent about doing laundry.
• Outlier Megafine Socks, 2 pairs. I was really torn about which socks to pick as my day to day socks, but the Megafine socks are too good not to pick. The style and colors are very basic, but they are a good weight, and comfortable. I think they also last the longest of any merino socks I have purchased. The amount was the big one for me, but 2 pairs should be able to last me 3-4 wears each, and that’s plenty.
• Darn Tough Solid Crew Light (#1617), 1 pair. This is actually the type of sock I wear the most, and is a very nice if light weight sock. They wear out fast for me, so I am limiting it to just a single pair, which I would wear when I need something that looks more dressy.
• Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Cushion (#1466), 1 pair. I recently got a pair of these to wear when I am rucking, and they are really nice. I can certainly see why hikers love these, so one pair is necessary for my workouts and if the temperature drops and I want a heavier sock.
• NVSBL Undershirt in nude, 1 shirt. The fabric on this undershirt is very different from anything we typically talk about here, however its also very good. It’s a one and done type of wear, as it does nothing to resist odors. This is my go to when I need to wear an undershirt, but do not want to look like I am wearing one. I own two now, but wear them so infrequently that I know a single shirt would be more than enough.
• Icebreaker Anatomica Short Sleeve V-Neck, 1 shirt. I think I have had my Anatomica for 4 years now, and its still holding up. This is a great layer for putting under another button down, or general undershirt wear. It is passable as your only shirt in darker colors, but I would choose a lighter color to blend better as an undershirt. This would be what I travel with if I plan on wearing button downs on the trip.
• Darn Tough Tactical No Show Light (#T4037), 2. For when I wear shorts.

Shoes

I’ve been on a bit of a rollercoaster ride with my shoes, where I have gone from very minimal to quite a few right now. I need to slim down, and I actually only have worn one pair of these shoes so some alternatives will be listed.

• GORUCK MACV-1, coyote. I currently have the black version and find them pretty ugly looking. The coyote in pictures looks better. These would be dedicated rucking boots for me, as that is my workout I do 4-5 times per week. They would also double for hiking, yard work, and any other wear that is hard use. There’s other options you could go with here, but I think these are a pretty well rounded pair of boots if you are not too worried about looks.
• Red Wing Iron Rangers. I’ve wanted a pair of these for a while now, but I cannot seem to get my Clark’s Desert Boots to die, so I have yet to have reason to buy these. I would get them with the Vibram mini-lug sole, so that I can wear them year round. I think they are classic and would last a long while. As an alternative, the Clarks Desert Boots with the beeswax finish I have been wearing for four years now are beyond solid and versatile. Cheaper too.
• Nike Flyknits. These would be if I need to pack a backup pair of shoes, travel with a workout shoe, or generally for shorts and leisure wear in the summer. I hated the Allbirds when I tried them, and love Nikes. The bonus here is that I rarely hear anyone complain about this shoe, and they weigh nothing.

Bottoms

This is one area I feel like I am doing pretty well in. The choice in pants here reflects my lifestyle, as well as the climate I live in (temperate, but often wet, Seattle area). I am also going to provide some options for slightly different climates.

• Outlier Slim Dungarees, Dark Indigo. I’ve owned pairs of these in Grey Space, Charcoal, and Dark Indigo — I think Dark Indigo is the most versatile of the lot, followed closely by Charcoal. I could easily see these being my only pants for everything, I think I could get by like that. If I could, I would have a closet full of these in every color they make, they’re the best. If you do find yourself in a warmer climate, the Oliver’s Passage pant is likely a better choice as it will wear cooler. A colder climate, and I would go with Strong Dungarees from Outlier, they too are fantastic, but heavier to wear.
• Outlier Futureworks, Charcoal. These are a great stand in for a charcoal chino, which may be the most versatile pant out there. The Futureworks are great, handle heat well, and I actually wore a pair of Futureworks for nearly everyday for about a year. They are fantastic, and priced well too. This would be my business casual wear, as well as something to dress up the look a bit.
• Bluffworks Gramercy Pants, Blue Hour. I really like the Grammercy pants as they offer a dressier look, while performing really well. Having these in blue give you a complete setup, and the variation of the coloring on these make them look less technical than the other options. These would be a great option for when I need to dress it up a bit, or for a second look as they work in almost any scenario where the Futureworks go.
• Outlier New Ways. Everyone needs shorts, and New Ways are the best I have found for all around wear. These would also double as swim trunks — and I speak from experience there having worn mine swimming on many occasions. If you do swim a lot, you would want proper swim trunks, but for the occasional dip these work well. I’d stick with a dark color on these.
• GORUCK Simple Pants. These come in two weights, but for this guide I think the original “light” weight is the best. They look passable, perform well, and pack down to nothing. If you packed a pair of Slim Dungarees and these, you could go and do anything you wanted. These pack so small and weigh nothing, so there’s no penalty for packing them. They typically travel with me anywhere I go as a backup. I’d buy the coyote color in these, as it looks the best. They would also be my workout pants, and yard work/ hiking pants. If you get the Olivers Passage Pants, you could likely forgo these, as they perform almost as well in warmer weather and workout situations.
• Nike DriFit Joggers. Everyone needs a good pair of pants to lounge around the house in. This would be my choice.

Tops

This is a real struggle for me. As a society we are accustomed to seeing people wear the same, or similar pants day in and day out. Rarely do you every hear the comment “are those the same jeans you have been wearing all week”. But with shirts, people tend to notice. Thus this is probably the biggest section with the most variety for that very reason.

• Wool & Prince Merino Blend T-shirt, 2. I wanted to pick Outlier Ultrafine here as I think they are killer. And I thought about the Outdoor Voices, but I think Wool and Prince offers the best color selection, price, comfort, and durability of any brand. I would go with the blend so the shirt lasts longer, and the performance hit is negligible. Pick on in a dark basic color, and another with a pop of color.
• Y Athletics SilverAir Merino, 2. This would be my go to for workouts, or whenever I need a shirt to keep me cool. Love these shirts.
• Wool & Prince Button-Down, 1. You could get away with just this button down, I see people who do. However, variety is the name of the game, so I would select one in a solid color like light gray. It’s a versatile shirt with classic looks and fantastic performance. I’d have more than one on this list if the next shirt didn’t exist.
• Bluffworks Meridian Dress Shirt, 2. I love these shirts, and I think they look fantastic while performing really well. I don’t rely on them for odor resistance, but they dry fast enough that you could travel indefinitely with two, washing them between wears in a sink. They also hold up much better than a wool shirt, and with the GORUCK backpacks I tend to use, that’s important. The fit on them is stellar too — I do wish they would make some solid colors. Either way, everyone should own one of these shirts.
• Wool & Prince Merino Polo, 1. I bought one for the summer and wore it a ton. I would get the next in the blend fabric, and it would cover me in any warm weather I encounter. I’d stick with something light in color.
• Banana Republic Merino Wool V-neck Sweater, 1. Funny enough, my first encounter with merino wool was from Banana Republic’s sweaters, I have a closet full of them. They are great, and Banana Republic still sells them for about $90 each, which is a great deal. This is not only an insulating layer, but it will help to dress up your look if you pull it over a button down/up shirt. Classic, get one in dark gray or brown.
• GORUCK Rucking Hoodie Full Zip (Heavy), 1. Everyone needs a good hoodie for lounging in, this would be my choice. It’s not the warmest, but it would double for actually rucking I do, and is and overall great layer and durable piece.

Outerwear

I have had closets full of jackets in the past, so this section is the hardest for me. And the one I am the most unsure of, this winter I have been working to revamp my closet on this end, so here’s where I think I would go on this, but there’s going to many alternates here.

• Aether Dakota Jacket. Where I live you need a good, warm, and stylish layer. I originally thought Patagonia Nano Puff, but everyone has one. Perhaps a Filson Tin Cloth Down Cruiser, but that’s a PNW style only. Instead I think Aether makes some of the best outerwear on the market, so I would go with the Dakota Jacket. It ticks all the boxes with a great cut, a waxed outer fabric to give a great look, and heavy down filling to take you to the coldest temps.
• Bluffworks Vest. Although I have not tested this, it would make for a fantastic layering piece and I think it looks great and sits at a really good price point. I still might pick one of these up this winter, as I love the looks of it.
• Arc’teryx Zeta SL. I’m in Seattle and rain is a thing here. Also, you need a good layer to block wind. The hard part for me was deciding between something technical looking like this, or something with a little more style. End of the day, I think I would rather stay dry and have a jacket I know could perform out in the woods. This jacket is well made, light, packs down, and would work in almost every situation I would need it in. I actually have a precursor to this jacket which I have been wearing for about 8 years now, a great jacket.
• Bluffworks Grammercy Blazer, Blue Hour. This is a nice sport coat/blazer for dressing up a look, performing well, or traveling with. Pair it with the Grammercy pants and you have a make shift suit, which won’t pass for a nice suit, but would get you buy in most situations if you need it.
• PROOF Nova Jacket: I just got this jacket so no review yet, but it has a lot of promise for travel and as a mid-layer.

Comments

With this setup I could still do my worksouts, travel to almost anywhere, and have the clothing I need for work and life. It’s expensive, more so than I expected, but a robust setup for sure.

NOTE: where possible all product links on this site may earn the site money when you buy using those links.

When Ben mentioned to me that he though we should do posts where we outline what we would buy if we had no clothes at all, all while keeping it minimal, I thought it wouldn’t be too difficult. Once I sat down to actually write it, I realized the challenge, as we didn’t limit it to what we currently own, but what we thought would be the best pieces. This list is intended to be a good base wardrobe, one that could take me though a year of typical wear, excluding one-off stuff (like camping gear, dress shoes that only get worn once or twice per year, etc.).

Living in a cold climate, layers are important for me, so you will see warmer clothes make up a good portion of my list. I tried to balance the list so laundry didn’t have to be an everyday thing, but realistically, I prefer to do my laundry once a week.

Undergarments and Base Layers

• UNIQLO AIRism Boxer Briefs, 14 pairs. I’ve recently moved over to favoring the AIRism boxer briefs as they are lighter than the ExOfficio ones I used to favor. While I still have both, I’d just go with the AIRism. They pack down really small and dry very fast from being so light. And an added bonus, they are less than $10 and can often be found on sale.
• Icebreaker Anatomica Short Sleeve V-Neck, 1. I wear this shirt in the “Snow” (off white) color as an undershirt. I can get a couple days out of it and it dries reasonably quickly if it needs to be hand washed.
• UNIQLO AIRism Short Sleeve V-Neck, 1. I wear this in the “Light Grey” color as an undershirt (the grey does a better job hiding under a light colored shirt than white). Again, packs down very small and dries quickly. Definitely only one wear, but the price can’t be beat (less than $10 and often on sale).
• Darn Tough Solid Crew Light (#1617), 3 pairs, Charcoal & Navy. These are my dress socks for work and dressing up. I can reliably get two days out of a pair (merino blend), so they are great for travel. While they are durable, these seem to wear out the fastest of my socks, hence the need for a backup pair.
• Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Cushion (#1466), 3 pairs. These are my casual cool(er) weather socks. Again, I can reliably get two days out of a pair (merino blend) — I only took three pairs on a two week camping trip.
• Darn Tough Tactical No Show Light (#T4037), 3 pairs. These are my summer and workout socks. The Vertex style used to come in all-black, but doesn’t anymore, so I’d go with these in the future. I’m able to get two days or 3+ workouts out of these socks (merino blend). They are the most durable light socks I’ve had, but they do wear out so I like to have a backup pair.
• Patagonia Capilene Midweight Bottoms & Zip-Neck, 1 each. This is my favorite baselayer. Yes, it is synthetic, but I think it provides an excellent value.

Shoes

• Merrell Trail Glove 4. These are my go-to sneakers, from everyday to workout. I had the Trail Glove 3 and wore them for a few years and replaced them with these when they wore out.
• Allen Edmonds Higgins Mill Boot, Brown. I’ve had these boots for a year now and they are very comfortable. The Danite sole makes them safe on wet floors. They straddle casual and business casual for me. Not sure these are the exact replacement I’d pick (especially not at full price), but I like that they are at home in many situations.

Bottoms

• Outlier Slim Dungarees, 1 pair, Darkindigo. These are my favorite casual pants. They are as comfortable as sweat pants, but look as good or better than jeans. I currently have them in “Gray Shadow” (which is a blue-green color to me), but I think “Darkindigo” is the most versatile color. I find that the main reason I wash these is because they start to bag out. I would, however, have to consider the Strong Dungarees as well, as I’ve heard great things (and briefly owned a pair myself). Although, I wouldn’t need both as they fill the same need.
• Outlier Futureworks, 1 pair, Phantom Grey or Charcoal Grey. As we’ve said many times, you can’t beat these for business casual pants, especially at the price point of $140.
• Bluffworks Gramercy Pants, 1 pair, Blue Hour. When I want to look dressier, these are the pants I go to. They still perform well and are very comfortable, but they look closer to wool slacks.
• Outlier New Way Shorts, 1 pair, Navy. These shorts are great, they perform well but also look good at a restaurant. I currently have the Longs, but think I’d go for the regular length the next time.
• Myles Momentum Short 2.0, 1 pair, grey. While I love my Patagonia Baggies Long, these shorts keep the functionality as a workout short, but can double as a short for everyday wear. They can easily go from a workout to a coffee shop.
• Patagonia Quandary Pant, 1 pair. I currently wear the Outdoor Research Ferrosi Pant for outdoor activities, but would pick these to replace them. I haven’t found the Ferrosi fabric to be as durable as I like (I have a few snags). I’ve tried the GORUCK offerings, but found the pockets to be lacking.
• Synthetic Sweat Pants, 1 pair. Have to have something comfortable and warm to lounge in during the winter. Not super picky on these, but do appreciate my Myles Apparel Momentum Pant, although I’m not sure they are worth the price for lounging.

Tops

• Woo&Prince Crew Neck, 2. My current favorite (nice) merino t-shirt is the Outdoor Voices Merino T-Shirt. I think I’d give the Wool&Prince shirt a shot next as I like that it is nylon core-spun merino, which gives more durability.
• Y Athletics SilverAir Merino Crew Neck, 2. Still my favorite workout shirt that can easily double as a casual t. The nylon face makes it more durable (I still managed to get pilling with a GORUCK bag while hiking though) while keeping the comfort of merino against your skin.
• Wool&Prince Button-Down, 2. My current favorite is the Burgundy Oxford. The thicker fabric is beautiful and does a better job at resisting wrinkles as compared to the lighter fabric. I’d probably pick up that and one in light blue or grey.
• Bluffworks Meridian Dress Shirt, 1, Peak Blue Tattersall. I think this is my favorite dress shirt. It looks normal and is comfortable, all while remaining wrinkle resistant and durable. While it is only good for one wear, it dries quickly.
• Patagonia R1 Pullover, 1. This pulls double duty as a top and an insulating layer for me. It looks nice enough to be a casual sweater when it’s cold and it also is surprisingly warm for its thickness. It has become a key part of my cool weather wardrobe.

Outerwear

• Arc’teryx Proton LT. This would replace my current down insulation layer. While down is great for packability and warmth to weight ratio, it falls short in wet conditions. And by wet conditions, I don’t just mean precipitation, but at times when you are putting out a lot of heat. The Proton LT is very breathable and has continuous synthetic insulation (which is supposed to be the most durable). I also find the cut of Arc’teryx jackets to be fairly stylish (at least for a technical forward jacket).
• Patagonia Torrentshell. While I love the hood on my Outdoor Research Helium II, the lack of pockets drives me crazy sometimes. This jacket remains well priced and packable, while adding pockets and pit zips. This also can double as a windbreaker.
• Wool&Prince Blazer. While the fabric has changed, I have been so impressed with the one I have, I know this would be the one to get. It is still half-lined, so it continues to have a great unstructured look and breaths much better than a fully lined blazer.

NOTE: where possible all product links on this site may earn the site money when you buy using those links.

The other day I grabbed my Outlier S140 shirt, and noticed that the armpits were discolored. The shirt itself is light blue and the armpits had visible sweat stains, and looked yellowed, even over the blue. I also remembered that a blue Outlier Ultrafine T I own has dark discoloration on the arm pits, with almost a stiff texture to that area.

It was enough of a discoloration and general gross out for me that I decided I needed to do whatever it took to clean them, or just donate the shirts and get new ones. I wasn’t going to be wearing them looking like this. So here’s what I tried, and they all failed:

• Spot treated with Kookaburra, then washed. No change.
• Spot treated with white vinegar, then washed. No change.
• Spot treated with dish soap, then washed. No change.
• Spot treated with baking soda paste, then washed. Slightly better by about 4%.

At this point I was pretty frustrated, and annoyed at all the loads of wash I was doing. There was one last thing that the internet seems to universally claim would work on cotton: Oxiclean. Of course we all know this wonder TV product, but I was worried it would destroy the wool. I bit the bullet on these shirts as I knew I wasn’t going to wear the shirts like this anyways.

The Problem

One shirt with slight discoloration, one with discoloration and a stiffened texture, and in addition to those two Outlier shirts, another with next level discoloration. I only took pictures of the latter, but looking at these stains I knew it wouldn’t matter if they were ruined, because they already were.

Here’s what the worst shirt looked like before I started:

Pretty bad, as this had mostly been worn as an undershirt. This is an Icebreaker Anatomica crew neck, in what I believe they call “bone” for the color.

First Go

My first pass at this shirt was to get a mixing bowl and dump some Oxiclean powder into it, fill with water, and mix in the Oxiclean to dissolve it

Then I submerged the entire shirt to soak for 12 hours. After soaking I wrung out the shirt, and washed it with our standard laundry detergent. I did an extra rinse cycle on it as well.

Note on the Outlier shirts: while the pictured shirt is basically a natural color, both Outlier shirts are blue. When I let those shirts soak overnight, they turned the water blue. I was pretty concerned they would be super faded after washing, but to my eye they look no different. I have no doubt this process took some of the color out of them, but I cannot see it.

After all of that, here’s what the shirt looked like:

There’s still light staining you can see, but it’s mostly gone and the shirt is wearable again. Both Outlier shirts came out looking absolutely perfect

And as you can see, the color looks fine on them as well. I stopped there with the Outlier shirts as I was quite happy with the results.

Second Go

Since the Icebreaker shirt was older, and had way more staining, I wanted to see if I could knock out the stain even further. Instead of doing another full soak on the shirt, I made a paste out of Oxiclean and applied it with a toothbrush to the stained areas with a bit of scrubbing. Then I let that sit for about an hour before washing the shirt again.

After which:

It is extremely hard to see in these pictures but the stain is still slightly there. The paste only removed it a little but more. I think if I soaked the shirt again, it would be gone, but its gone enough that this is fine for the undershirt nature of this shirt.

Overall

I am very impressed with the work Oxiclean did on these shirts. Especially with the Outlier shirts which now look brand new again. I was very worried this would make the wool feel nasty, but oddly enough they feel like normal. I guess time will tell on that front, but this process didn’t outright destroy the shirts. I think after washing with Kookaburra again, they will be completely back to normal.

I will not hesitate to use this method in the future on any wool. It really worked well. I think the paste method is a complete waste of time, as it really was not nearly as effective. Do a long soak over night, and I think you will see the best results.

Note: Oxiclean says not to use the product on wool, so while I didn’t see any issues, use at your own risk.

NOTE: where possible all product links on this site may earn the site money when you buy using those links.

We talk about clothing a lot on Everyday Wear, but part of a good daily wardrobe is having a good watch. Here’s a guide for those of you who want something which makes a better statement than an Apple Watch, while also wanting to spend less than an Apple Watch. We’ll skip talking about Rolexes for this guide, and instead offer a practical guide to some quality time pieces for many styles. Good, fashionable, and long lasting watches don’t have to cost thousands of dollars.

Dress Watches

A good dress watch, something you wear with a suit, is simple and understated. It should have a high quality leather band and a plain dial. The go-to for this is Orient’s Bambino line of watches. Not only are these mechanical, and thus take no battery power and are wound with the movement of your arm, but they are classic in style, practical in function, and very inexpensive (while looking fairly expensive).

Most of these can be had for under $200, which is a steal in the world of mechanical watches. The Bambino Small Seconds is my pick for a versatile watch. Get it with a white face and a brown strap and you can likely wear it as your only watch for a decade or more. A black strap or a black face will dress it up, but will limit the versatility.

A couple of other options:

• Tissot has a couple options to consider as well.
• Hamilton’s Intramatic is a fantastic choice, but is more expensive.
• Dan Henry’s 1947 is more unique — something you are not likely to see on many people’s wrists.
• Seiko 5 Automatic at $80 is about as inexpensive as it gets, but you’ll need to get a leather band for it.

Dress watches are about style first, and price second. Buy the one which speaks to you, but don’t waste money on needlessly expensive watches. I wear a Bambino Small Seconds for my dress watch with a brown band and a white face. It’s perfect for that. Look for watches that aren’t flashy, have a leather band, and don’t stand out.

Casual Watches

Most people will get the most value out of a good casual watch, of which the range of offerings are vast. To be clear, you can wear any watch in casual settings, the only requirement is to match your personal style. You can wear the above dress watches in a casual setting (tip: put a light grey suede band on the Bambino to dress it down), but if your casual wardrobe is jeans and a t-shirt, that watch may look more out of place. Here are a few options to consider:

• Diver Watches: These are modeled after the classic Rolex Submariner, and could be dressed up in a pinch, but are best suited to casual wear. Take a look at offerings from: Orient, Casio, Seiko, and Steinhart. I’d start with the Seiko, but can vouch for the Steinhart being worth the price if you want a solid piece.
• Field Watch: These are a more classic and timeless look, and are modeled after a military watch which was issued to infantry or officers. The top one to look at is Hamilton, for next to nothing at $40 you can grab a well known Timex, for in between the two take a look at MWC who makes all sorts of Field Watches with cool things in them (like tritium vials). Another to look at is Lum-Tec who does limited runs and makes beautiful watches which are very durable — but they cost more.
• Aviator Watch: Like with field watches, these are basically what was given to pilots in WWII era. They are marked by having an triangle at the 12 position and don’t have standard hour marks. Seiko has a inexpensive option while the likes of Steinhart has much better looking and quality options. I generally would stay steer clear of these unless you already have other watches and want to branch out.
• Chronographs: These are watches for timing things and generally have multiple push buttons on the case, with the most popular being Omega’s ‘moon watch’, the Speedmaster. You shouldn’t buy that, everyone owns one and there are better options. I’ll skip over the obvious choices and point out two ridiculously affordable options, which also make quite a bit of a style statement: Dan Henry’s 1963 and Undone’s Tropical Vintage line. Personally, I’m torn between which one will be my next watch.

Conclusion

The above run the gambit of prices, starting at just $40 and going up from there. The biggest thing to think about here is to get a watch which is very versatile, where you can buy many straps to swap them out for more variety (look for 20mm or 22mm lugs on watches, those are the easiest and cheapest to find bands for). Buy a few NATO straps, a Perlon, a leather, and maybe even a bracelet for your watch and you’ll likely be set for life. If you are getting one watch to start, I would start with a dressier looking field watch (something like the Khaki Field can be paired and dressed up a touch), or a more statement making dress watch like the Intramatic which can look sharp on a suede strap for more casual settings.

You can typically dress up a watch by adding a leather band with sheen to it, and dress down a watch by putting it on a NATO, or softer looking leather strap.

NOTE: where possible all product links on this site may earn the site money when you buy using those links.