We organized the sales and only bought men’s apparel and warm weather gear that we would spend our money on. Here’s what it’s really worth.
Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer and brings the first real sales of the year, and that took some digging. What is marked below is general filler, the same items that are discounted throughout the year. But organize it long enough and some actual purchases surface: warm weather shorts and swimming trunks worth keeping in stock, some shoes that don’t come in as often, and some backyard gear at the lowest end of the year that will set you up for a great season.
The likes of J.Crew, Abercrombie, Nordstrom Rack, and Amazon: Everything below is here because we’d spend our money on it, not because it had a red tag attached.
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J.Crew 6″ Swim Trunk in Cotton-Nylon Blend Oxford$44.50 $89.50
Save $45.00 (50% off)
A classic handsome 6-inch trunk cut from cotton-nylon oxford, giving it more texture and a little more structure than the sleek fabric used in most swim shorts, so it looks almost like a regular short when you get out of the water.
J.Crew 5.5″ Short Pear in Cotton-Linen Blend$47.50 $79.50
Save $32.00 (40% off)
The Pear J.Crew short is lightweight at a 5.5-inch inseam, and the cotton-linen blend gives it a dry, breathable hand that makes sense when the weather warms up properly.
Levi’s Men’s 555 Relaxed Straight Fit Jean$47.38 $69.50
Save $22.12 (32% off)
The 555 gives you a roomy thigh and a straight leg, an easy, no-fuss cut for summer, and it’s the white pair I recently styled into a dress if you want to see it worn.
→ Outfit: Warm colors for spring with a linen coat and two shades of denim Primer
Red Wing 8836 Mock Toe Boot$192.00 $320.00
Save $128.00 (40% off)
Red Wing’s mock toes rarely see markdowns around this size, so if you want them, $192 for an American-made boot that you resole rather than replace is about as good as it goes.
Treasure Grills Pro Electric Pellet Smoker Grill Combo$389.00 $549.95
Save $160.95 (29% off)
lowest price of the year
A pellet grill eliminates much of the guesswork from low-and-slow cooking, and is a direct path to the Pro Traeger, now at its best price of the year.
Igloo Hard Cooler with Removable Wheels$208.99 $279.99
Save $71.00 (25% off)
lowest price of the year
A hard cooler is a one-time-buy piece of backyard gear, and with this Igloo sitting at its lowest price of the year, it’s a wise time to get a handle on it. Unlike most coolers, it looks less like a tailgate and more like deck decoration.
Amazon
Levi’s Men’s 505 Regular Fit Jeans$31.27 $74.95
Save $43.68 (58% off)
lowest price of the year
The 505 is a plain regular-fit straight leg with nothing fancy, and at just over $30 it’s hard to argue against as a spare pair or a first attempt at a straight cut.
Dockers Men’s Classic Fit Workday Khaki Smart 360 Flex Pant (Standard & Large & Tall)$39.99 $80
lowest price of the year
I recently picked these up when looking for a budget-friendly classic fit pant to wear like a modern J.Crew or Buck Mason. so far so good.
levi’s 501$47.70 $79.50
Save $31.80 (40% off)
The 501 is original, with a button fly and a straight, comfortable foot, and if you’ve somehow gone this long without a pair, this is the perfect moment to fix that.
eddie bauer men’s rainier pants$31.52 $70.00
Save $38.48 (55% off)
lowest price of the year
The Rainier is EB’s most versatile outdoor pant, lightweight and quick-drying for days of hiking and traveling, and at $31 it’s cheap insurance to have in the wardrobe.
Columbia Men’s Glencor Lake II Rain Jacket$31.76 $70.00
Save $38.24 (55% off)
lowest price of the year
A basic packable rain shell, not the most breathable layer you’ll find, but at $32 it’s the kind of jacket you stash in the car and stop thinking about it.
Nordstrom Rack
Brooks Brothers Cotton Blend Shirt Jacket$51.17 $228.00
Save $176.83 (78% off)
A heritage brand at the price of a J.Crew factory.
vince marine boat shoe$59.98 $275.00
Save $215.02 (78% off)
A classic boat shoe in night blue suede, and since boat shoes are a love them or leave them thing, if you’re curious or curious to get a pair in something other than Sperry-Brown, $60 is low enough to test the waters.
Allen Edmonds Grady Chukka Boot$112.48 $550.00
Save $437.52 (80% off)
Allen Edmonds makes these in the US on recraftable soles, so one of their Chukkas at $112 is a rare rack find that’s actually a lot of shoe for the money.
vince rafael loafer$62.98 $350.00
Save $287.02 (82% Off)
An easy slip-on loafer in warm Vicuna brown for $63 Although, as always with the rack, the problem is whether your shape and color are still there.
j crew
Short-Sleeve Cotton Waffle-Knit Johnny-Collar Sweater-Polo$58.50 $98.00
Save $39.50 (40% off)
A loose, thick knit fabric in vintage off-white color that can be dressed up or down casually.
Abercrombie
Linen-Blend Casual Straight Trouser$68.00 $85.00
Save $17.00 (20% off)
Breathable and a little loose as summer demands, although at 20% off it’s more of a push than an actual price cut.
A&F Resort Shirt$36.00 $60.00
Save $24.00 (40% off)
The Resort Shirt is Abercrombie’s camp-collar short-sleeve, an easy thing to wear for warm evenings, and this light orange color has a vintage feel that doesn’t feel like a dress.
Cotton Space-Dye Button-Through Sweater Polo$60.00 $75.00
Save $15.00 (20% off)
The space-dye yarn gives it some interesting depth and texture up close, and it came in our most recent summer outfit feature if you want to see it in style.
→ High/Low Style: Easy Summer Weekend Dress
