No Man Walks Alone is an advertiser on this site, but also one of my favorite stores. In the last ten years, the average menswear shopper has become a lot more sophisticated – they know just as much about Neapolitan tailoring as they do about directional casualwear. No Man Walks Alone serves that kind of customer. They have classic suits and sport coats, but also interesting clothes for the weekend. It’s one of the few shops where a guy can pick up a wardrobe for almost any part of his life.
This weekend marks their fifth year of doing business, and to celebrate, they’re holding a sale. For the next five days, you can take 20% off any order with the checkout code 5YEAR. The code even works on already-discounted sale items. Here are ten things I think are particularly worth a look:
Valstar Shearling Trucker Jacket: I’ve been looking forward to this Valstar shearling drop since the beginning of this year. The cream and tobacco color combination looks like it’ll pair well with either blue or black jeans. And while the body is sueded (which means it’ll show its age more easily than smoother leathers), the jacket comes in a rugged style that will look better with wear. Shearlings from brands such as Ralph Lauren Purple Label often look too precious to me. This one seems like the sort of thing you can wear without fussing over dirt marks (and there will be dirt marks). I just bought one in my size.
Valstar Suede Western Jacket: I tried to pick things from different brands for this post, but this Western jacket is too good. It has oversized pockets and a generously sized collar (the second of which will look great if you pop it from the back). And there some nice details, such as the hand stitching around the pocket snaps. The Western style seems neither too country nor too dainty – a nice match for denim or heavy wool trousers, sneakers or pebble grained chukkas.
Kaptain Sunshine Traveler Coat: I bought a navy Kaptain Sunshine Traveler coat last year and it’s been one of my favorite pieces of outerwear. No Man Walks Alone has the same model this season in charcoal and camel. The thing that makes this so wonderful is how easy it is to wear with slim-straight jeans and a chunky, textured sweater. It’s the sort of unfussy, easy-to-grab combo that makes getting dressed in the morning a simple task. It doesn’t take any coordination; it always looks good. It sits between dressy and casual, so it works for almost any environment.
This Kaptain Sunshine coat is made from a heavier, stiffer wool, which gives it some shape when worn. It falls into a comfortably cut, A-line silhouette. There are also some fun details, such as the internal equestrian riding straps and patched ticket pocket (neither of which I use, but they make the coat feel extra special). There’s nothing wrong with softer, unstructured overcoats, but this one has some shape to it that I think will flatter more builds.
Monitaly Tankers Jacket: For the last fifteen years, men’s style has been dominated by a single silhouette – slim fit, often columnar, which combines both a skinny top and bottom. Men are more imaginative with how they think clothes should fit nowadays, but I think the easiest step out is to combine a looser, almost circular cut jacket with slim jeans. Monitaly’s tanker jacket has that sort of build. It has a slightly cropped, rounded body with an asymmetrical zip. I have a similar jacket from Nigel Cabourn that I often wear. If you’re used to wearing slim-fit jackets all the time, it can take a while to get used to all the room in the body, but trust your eye. The silhouette looks good with slim jeans and boots, which almost everyone has in their closet nowadays.
Sartoria Formosa Blue Tweed Sport Coat: Formosa offers one of the best values in ready-to-wear tailoring. Everything is made in Naples to the same standards as the company’s bespoke offerings, and the fit and silhouette are both flattering and forgiving. The chest is a touch full; the shoulder line a bit wider. I like how this blue herringbone tweed can be a wintery alternative to your basic navy blazer. The color goes well with gray or tan trousers in cloudy flannel, mottled whipcord, or cotton twill.
Eidos’ Sal Trousers: If you thought it was hard to find good trousers five years ago, the market isn’t getting any better. It looks like the brands that buy from NYC’s Hertling trouser factory will be raising their prices soon to $300-400 – a significant jump from the $200-ish price range that was available just last year. That makes these Eidos’ Sal trousers seem a little more reasonable. They’re one of the few models on the market with a slightly higher rise and slim-leg line. With the coupon code, these come down to $316. I like how the cut looks on Scott from Dallas.
Scott & Charter’s Shawl Collar Cardigan: Scott & Charter’s cardigans aren’t inexpensive, but they’re a considerable step up from more affordable models. Cheaper cardigans are typically made with less wool, which means the shawl collar can be a little skimpy and flat. Scott & Charters’ version is a chunky, multi-ply lambswool knit with a collar that hangs like a thick roll of dough. I mostly wear mine around the house with jeans and a flannel shirt, but they’re also good for hanging out in the neighborhood. And during the holidays, they’re a great substitute for a tailored jacket when you’re entertaining guests. They’re slouchy, cozy, and unpretentious. Just consider sizing down, as these run a touch big.
Il Micio’s Origami Portfolio: Most of us live very digital lives. What may have been a stack of books and papers you’d schlep around twenty years ago has been condensed to just a few PDF files. The daily newspaper is online; music is in our cell phones. My daily carry nowadays is typically just my laptop and its accompanying charger, both of which fit neatly inside a leather folio. Il Micio’s version seems nice without breaking the bank. It has a one-piece, seamless construction and leather-covered, snap-button closure. The vachetta vegetable-tanned leather will acquire a patina over time, which is what you want with these things. Heavily processed leathers will look the same year after year, but I find they have less charm.
Vor’s 2b Mid-Top Sneakers: The 20% off coupon code also applies to sale items. That includes these Vor 2b mid-top basketball-style sneakers, which I think are easier to wear Nike’s Air Force 1s (a classic, but too chunky for some outfits). I have similar pair from Common Projects, which I wear with everything from chore coats to tailored topcoats. They’re basically a sportier alternative to the ubiquitous all-white minimalist sneaker.
Drake’s Ikat Pocket Square: Among the other sale items is this cheerful, Ikat print pocket square from Drake’s. I love how it looks in navy hopsack sport coats, tobacco linen jackets, and the summer tweed I ran last year. No Man Walks Alone has a good photo on Instagram showing how it can give a sport coat a nice, summer-y touch. The fabric, which is a cotton-modal blend, will have less body to it, however. It’s more of a spring/ summer item. If you want something you can use year-round, try one of Drake’s wool-silk squares.