Just about every clothing store on the planet tends to go on sale after Christmas, but only the really bold wait till the 7th of January to announce their sale (technically, many items did go on sale on December 26th, we just didn't announce it). Without much further adieu, our SALE is on!

There are a number of returning favorites to the sale: Bills Khakis Limited Edition pants, sportshirts, and outerwear, Agave Denimsmith knits, a few Martin Dingman shoes & belts, and some Ike Behar casual shirts.

Some newcomers include our entire assortment of Fairway & Greene golf apparel, Peter Millar outerwear and some sweaters & vests, some random cigar accessories and leather goods, and select Jan Leslie cufflinks.

If you've participated in our sale before, you know that the discounts will increase over time -- we're starting at 30% off -- but our inventory is very shallow so the availability of items disappears quickly. Wait at your own risk. 

For those in the Bay Area, the San Francisco store does have a number of items that just didn't make it to the website in time, including a dozen styles of Ike Behar shirts, a few Peter Millar sweaters & vests, and some other miscellaneous items worth contemplating. Stop on by. 

Happy Hunting!

One of the primary tenets of our "Shop by Lifestyle" feature is that no gentleman is 100% any single lifestyle; we all have tendencies influenced by the other lifestyles. While I am pre-dominantly "Old School" with a "Wall Street" streak and a vicarious "Sportsman" disposition, it is safe to say that I have 0% "Rock Star" in me (a lifestyle soon to be added to our list). So it is rare that a product like this would not only catch my eye, but compel me to spend money on bringing it into the store. 

Last Fall, when previewing Martin Dingman's line for Spring 2009, they pulled out a shoe unlike any I've seen from them in the 5 years we've carried their products: the Arlo Inlay shoe and matching Bala Belt. The Arlo model has been around for years in various incarnations of leather, deerskin, and of course, Alligator. It is a popular model because it is sufficiently comfortable: plenty wide to fit those that don't like their shoes tight with a healthy rubber bottom to provide support.

The Arlo Inlay and Bala Belt feature a cracked black leather over a deep burgundy lizard inlay in a very cool damask-like pattern. For the gentleman that wants to show his "edgy" side without having to shell out for a Harley, I can assure you that this shoe & belt combo is more stunning in person than the photo can ever do justice.

How cool is it? The shoes were delayed about 2 weeks, but we had an in-store customer buy the shoes sight unseen based solely on seeing the belt.

At Quality Logo Products, you can buy a leather business card wallet for $4.83. On our site, you can buy the Hlaska version for $75. Are we insane? What can you possibly be paying for?

The all-too-common answer to a question like this is, "You're paying for the name." And sure, a brand name can add a premium to any product, but it usually represents a small fraction of the price. Even strong brands recognize that most customers, especially affluent consumers, also look for value. That is to say, they'll buy nice, expensive things, but only if they are confident that they are also high-quality things.

The real answer to the question "What are you paying for?" is "Everything". Design, materials, construction, techniques, labor costs; and lastly, if the brand believes a slight premium can be added without scaring off consumers, a brand "tax" might be added [think of the premium Apple charges for the iPod even though there are arguably more functional MP3 players on the market].

We hope to make the "Makings Of..." articles a recurring series that will focus on the details - the excruciating details - of what makes the products we sell special. The first category to get covered is something near and dear to every gentleman's pants: his wallet. The Makings of a Quality Wallet explores many of the little details that explain why one "leather wallet" might sell in the single digits, and another in the triple digits. I suspect a few of the findings will surprise you, and will hopefully stick with you when you're in the market for a new way to carry your cash.

In honor of the nation's 44th President, we have picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off, and increased the savings on seasonal Fall merchandise from 35% to 44%. That's a savings of almost 45%!

Save 44% on selected Fall items from Bills Khakis, Ike Behar, Martin Dingman, Agave Denimsmith, and much more. Great outerwear pieces, matte alligator small leathergoods, Supima cotton henleys, casual sportshirts, belts for denim, shoes, and lots of casual pants are all ready to ship.

Quantities are very limited, but in times like these, it's safe to say that if you find something in your size, the President would approve of your contribution to the engine of commerce.

 

Today's gift for "the guy who has everything" doesn't recommend any single, specific gift but rather a "platform" for future gifts. If a journey of 1,000 miles starts with a single step, then the path to matching luggage starts with a small duffel.

While most men do bare-minimum accessorization (watch, belt, cell phone), 30% of men take the time to make sure their belt is in the same color family as their shoes, and only 3.5% of all men insist that their belt match their shoes match their briefcase*. I'll be the first to say I'm not typical of most men, but I have, on more than one occasion left the house in frigid temperatures with no gloves because I was wearing brown shoes, but only have black gloves (ed. note: I had some, but left them in a NYC cab last winter).

There are a number of categories and brands that promise platform potential:

• Leather goods are a no-brainer place to start. Martin Dingman's new Lexington Collection is a good example. Gifts include wallets, a portfolio, shaving kit, eyeglass case, pen case, and matching belts in a luxurious equestrian saddle leather in three colors. Mulholland Brothers has a number of lines (Boardroom, Deerskin, Alligator, M-Series) that promise similar results.
  
• Desk Accessories from a brand like El Casco. Just the price-point of their desk accessories make outfitting a desk in a single purchase as difficult as it used to be to buy a home. All the more reason to take it one piece at a time. Consider starting with one of their signature pieces like the Pencil Sharpener or Staplers, and then add your Tape Dispenser, Paper Clip Pot, Business Card Holder, and more.
  
• Cigar Accessories from a brand like Atoll. They make 18 different products in over a dozen different leathers. Maybe you start with a much-needed cigar cutter, then the lighter, a case, the flask, and then end it with the ultra-impractical-but-awesome-gift-idea known as the Desktop Lighter.
• And of course, there's always matching luggage. A core, safe piece to start with might be a duffel bag, a carry-on trolley, or a professional case. From there, you can gift matching pieces like other complementary bags (if you do a rolling piece first, go wheel-less on #2 and vice-versa), a passport wallet.
  

The key to pulling off a platform gift is to make sure you will be able to get the matching pieces in the future. For many "fashion" brands, a new style or color may only be around for a season or a year and then it's gone. Because most of the brands we carry feature timeless classics, the core pieces have already been around for a decade or more, and will likely be continued for decades to come. Start a platform for him today, and you'll have gift ideas all set for Valentine's Day, his birthday, anniversary, Father's Day, Summer Solstice, and any other days of giving...

* There is no factual basis for these statistics, but they do sound about right, no? [see Truthiness]

Buying a gentleman a wallet is one of the riskiest undertakings a gift-giver can attempt. They (we) tend to be extremely particular about how they carry around their money, and that is one of the reasons we offer so many different types of billfolds, breast pocket wallets, ID wallets, money clips, and credit card cases on our site. And it's still not enough. For every wallet we sell in the store, there is at least one customer we disappoint because we don't have some specific wallet configuration that hasn't been made since the Eisenhower administration.

There is a superstition associated with giving a wallet to someone that should make this an even more interesting gift. Tradition says you should never give someone an empty wallet. Superstitious people that we are, we offer to include a crisp $20 bill in any wallet that is being gifted. That extra level of service costs you only the value of the bill.  

A basic rule for gifting a wallet is: Replace what he already has. If he carries a billfold, get him a billfold. Don't listen to a sales person selling you a cool tri-fold with an ID window and a built-in USB drive if that's not what he's using today. Change is scary. For most men, this is especially true of wallets. 

There are a number of reasons why wallets make a great gift:

1.  100% of gentlemen use a wallet, money clip, or both. Those that roll their bills with a rubber band are not gentlemen.
   
2. Chances are he is in need of a new wallet. If you think about it, wallets get more use than just about anything else in or on his dresser. It's with him everyday (hopefully, the same pair of underwear or socks are not). It takes abuse: sat on, dropped, opened, closed, opened & closed some more, thrown in a drawer, tossed on a counter, overstuffed with receipts. The life is hard for a wallet.
   
3. A well-made leather wallet like those available on our site should last years. More than 2 or 3 assuming reasonable use (we're looking at you, George Costanza). An alligator wallet can be expected to last 8-10 (my own just turned 5 and looks as sexy as the day I met her).
   
4. You can personalize it. We offer free engraving on every M-Clip money clip, and free debossing on any leather wallet.
   

To reiterate: gifting a wallet involves high risks and high rewards.  Nail it, and you'll be a superstar. Fail, and the wallet will likely end up in the top drawer of his dresser until he has a buddy he can re-gift it to. Choose wisely.