Every man needs certain items in his wardrobe, a blue blazer, white button down, and grey v-neck sweater to name a few. But one of the most under appreciated has to be the white sneaker. Its been a staple of stylish men for decades (if you need evidence look no further than the king of cool himself Mr. McQueen) when going casual. With that we here at The Oxford are always on the look out for good staple pieces for guys, and we’ve found a great white sneaker from Italian shoemaker Superga. Simple, comfortable, and affordable these sneakers are a great compliment for your favorite denim, khaki, or short for the spring/summer. Just do us a favor and don’t wear them with socks.

I’ve worn my 77s most days over the past 3 and a half months, only a few times have I opted for a khaki instead, and have yet to wash or rinse them. In the past I’ve had a problem with ripping out the crotch of my jeans because I tend to wear them low but so far they’ve been good, no signs of stress yet.  As far as the signs of wear I’m pleased with the way they’re wearing, especially in and behind the knee, a nice rich blue color is beginning to show through, which is also pretty evident on the back right pocket from my wallet, that apparently sits in my pocket crooked (who knew). Because the 77s are a pima cotton they’ve gotten ultra soft, the selvage I’ve worn in the past has mainly been kaihara, so I feel like I’m wearing sweatpants some days. Continue Reading…

I love a good dose of nostalgia and I loves me some internets so when I ran into the blog myparentswereawesome I was excited. The premise is pretty simple, readers submit pictures of their parents when they were young and cool. Because I know when I was 15 and saw a picture of my parents in front of their VW Bug I thought, “My parents used to be cool?”

From Polo alums Steve King and Todd Snyder, who’s last gig was the head of Men’s design for J. Crew, Tailgate is as all American as it gets. King and Snyder are Mid-Westerners transplanted to NYC that drink Schlitz and love dive bars and their mix of guys, guy mentality mixed with Americana style shows through in their line.

Classic patterns (the buffalo check being my favorite), great fits, and an even better price makes these button downs an every guy staple.

Christoph Waltz not only had my favorite performance of the year, as Hans Landa in “Inglorious Basterds”, but looked killer in a nicely tailored shawl collar tux on Oscar night. The beard mixed with the class of a great tux and the perfectly imperfect bow tie made for a great look.

When I was a kid my dad always carried a briefcase, and I loved it. It seemed to have such a sense of importance, like secrets were held behind its locks. This is where my love of bags comes from, a love that has grown in the past few years. So when presented with the opportunity to get a hold of the Apolis Activism + C.C. Filson Philanthropist briefcase Matt and I jumped.
This bag is so much more than just a bag, it’s a story. Constructed in Seattle by 100-year-old manufacturer C.C. Filson Co. (famous for making gear for miners, loggers, and hunters) with cotton from Jinja, Uganda as a part of the charity Invisible Children’s Ugandan cotton initiative (created to provide opportunities for Ugandan industry to grow), it’s the perfect combination of classic construction mixed with modern social awareness. Continue Reading…

I become obsessed with articles of clothing, I think about and wear them almost endlessly. Some people have the self-control to not wear something they love everyday, I am not one of those people. Last fall I finally threw down on a leather jacket I wore it with everything, from tees to a shirt and tie (You can imagine my excitement when Kansas City started to experience an early fall).
The leather jacket so much encompasses American style, from Marlon Brando on a Triumph motorcycle to…come on, Brando pretty much sums it up. Leather jackets are just cool, err the right leather jacket is just cool. Want my opinion? Here is it. Continue Reading…

The rolled up denim jacket layered with a leather motorcycle vest? Distressed buckle back denim (with the buck undone, which I thought was a cool touch)? A lack of oversized jewelry?  Awesome. While you won’t see me in this one anytime soon I thought Jay perfectly embodied modern street wear style. On point and on trend. Thoughts?

One of my favorite parts of Fall, and trust me there are a lot, is getting to pull my sweaters out of hiding. While I have a mix of classics like pull over v-necks and thinner cardigans, there is one that stands above the rest…the shawl collar cardigan. For me, nothing beats an oversized, heavy knit, shawl collar cardigan. And I am not alone, designers have been jumping on the shawl trend in recent years, most significantly this Fall. Continue Reading…

Charlyne Yi doesn’t believe in love, or at least Charlyne Yi playing herself in the new film from the awkward yet endearing comedian called Paper Heart doesn’t believe in love. The premise of the movie is Yi filming a documentary about her lack of belief in love, accompanied by Jake Johnson playing actual director Nicholas Jasenovec, traveling across the US (and world) to interview everyone from biologists to married couples to children about what love is. Continue Reading…

One of my favorite aspects of fall is that I get to wear boots again. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy a good loafer, oxford, or canvas sneaker but I love boots. So you can imagine my excitement when I landed a pair of classic Red Wing’s last year and got an entire winter to break them in.  Unfortunately I had to retire them for the spring and summer but with fall almost here they’ve started to make appearances again. Continue Reading…

The end of AMC’s Mad Men season two left us with a lot to digest. Betty is pregnant, it’s the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Sterling-Cooper has been bought out, and Don may not work at newly merged ad agency anymore. Not to mention Peggy and Pete, and Roger’s recent engagement (You get the idea, a lot is happening).

If you can’t tell I’m excited for the beginning of the third season of the Emmy winning show about advertising execs in 1960s New York simply because it’s flat out the best show on television.  If you’re yet to dive into the world of Don Draper do yourself a favor and go purchase seasons one and two (don’t bother renting, trust me) turn off your phone, call in sick to work, and get caught up because season three promises to be just as excellent as the previous two.

Pour yourself a bourbon and catch Mad Men when it’s new season begins this Sunday. You’ll also see the perfectly constructed wardrobe by award winning costume designer Janie Bryant, who perfectly dresses each character in 60’s era style. And finally just watch it because Don Draper is so damn cool.

I grew up collecting hats (I’m not kidding), there was something about hats that I loved. I didn’t discriminate I had everything from a vintage custom made hat from the ‘60s to a Hershey kiss shaped hat, a birthday gift from my sister, to my crown jewel: a Shriner’s hat I scored at a vintage shop when I was about 12. I love hats but I’ve become much more selective in the past few years, I wish I could say the same for some of my brethren, I’ve seen one to many backward pre-distressed baseball hat. If you’re going to wear a hat here are my tips: Continue Reading…

Its been showing up on hipsters and some very fashionable men for a season or two now, but it seems official that the mustache is back. And just because you’re not Brad Pitt, who mixes a tux and a ‘stache quite well, don’t let that stop you from skipping your upper lip during the morning shave (just make sure it fits the rest of your look-meaning no mustache and spiky hair).  A word to the wise though, if you have trouble growing a full mustache go a head and sit this one out, you don’t want to look like a 16 year old kid from ’87.

Give those sneakers a rest, leave the sandals at home, and even though you may not be on a boat let your footwear suggest otherwise.  The classic American cool of the deck shoe is here to stay, but this staple isn’t just for hedge-fund managers with yachts or frat boys. Before you dive in though, here are a few tips: Continue Reading…

It’s that time of year gentlemen, time for your knees to get some fresh air again., it’s time for shorts. I’ll go on record and say that I’ve never been a big shorts guy, it could be my skinny legs or the fact that good shorts are hard to find (I’m going with the ladder). Recently however more than a few designers have made some great shorts, I’m partial to Shipley & Halmos and Band of Outsiders. Before you pick up a new pair of shorts here are a few thoughts. Continue Reading…

Aviator sunglasses have had a sort of rennessiance in the past 5 years. The classically cool eyewear that was a fixture for those actually aviating is a must for any guy during the summer months, but before you dive bomb into this look here are a few tips: Continue Reading…