Your Clothes: Summer Style at the Surplus Store
I was picking up a pair of shoes I was having re-soled the other day and it’s right next to the
Ranger Surplus Store. So I took a walk inside to peruse just because I hadn’t been in a surplus store in a year or more.
Let me just say that a lot of guys overlook the Army/Navy surplus store because you don’t want to appear that they’ve gone all Columbine on anyone and step out in black fatigues or a duck hunting suit with international orange boots. Yes – you can look like the crazy guys we all knew back in high school who had their own little odd clique that spoke to no-one and listened to Iron Maiden while hugging a propane tank.
But you’re shorting yourself. Here’s why: military style gets ripped off by fashion designers year after year. Those cargo shorts you’ve been wearing for the last decade? Yep. That’s military style. So Be Better Guys is gonna take you through the best of surplus style while staying cheap and light for summer.
Logo T-Shirts: too many people wear doofy “ironic” t-shirts these days that have logos on them like Tony the Tiger or the Atari logo. Weak. Oh and not the least bit ironic because when Atari was out there
were no t-shirts to promote Atari! Instead if you’re gonna wear a logo wear a cool one – and surplus stores got ‘em. Check out their
designs with the Royal Air Force logo or vintage Vietnam ribbon logos . The store I was in had a great t-shirt that simpley said “FUBAR”…a term I use frequently in everyday discussion! Or this
Israeli paratrooper logo in burgundy here. For $8.50. Not ironic. Cheaper than food is what that is.
Canvas Web Belt – the military inv
ented those great canvas belts that have the slide buckle that John Varvatos would charge you $95 to wear. The surplus store has
them for like $5. Wear ‘em with shorts or jeans or khakis. I picked up a navy one with a polished stainless steel slide buckle.$5.48 with tax. My lunch was $8.25. Like I said – cheaper than food.
BDU Cargo Shorts: The key with shorts is not to have too many buckles/straps/clasps/whistles/lights/horns – you want simple and classic.
Otherwise shorts can look really dorky. Go classic with
cargo shorts from your neighborhood surplus store and keep it simple stoopid! Pair these with a logo tee or oxford button-down shirt and some canvas tennis shoes and you’re done. For $27. Last you for 10 years.
USAF Original Aviators
USAF Sunglasses : I’m a Ray Ban aviator wearer. But I may start switching my allegiance because these USAF frames are cheaper and somehow cooler than Ray Bans. Yes – Ray Bans had a contract with US Government decades ago and designed the original aviators. But these are done by American Optics (for $55 – half the price of bottome-of-the-line Ray Bans!!) and they have the current government contract. Lucky bastahds!
Canvas Messenger Bag
Vintage Cotton Messenger Bag – this is a lay-up. This
cotton canvas bag is great for carrying your gear to work and if you wear it out over the summer who cares? It set you back $20! Throw your laptop (or iPad if you’re a dipstick!…hey I work at Microsoft so back at’cha!) and lunch in this baby and toss it over your khaki blazer. Note the water-bottle holder – you’ll need it if it hits 98 degrees in downtown Chicago and I guarantee you your Hermes bag won’t keep you cool when you’re sweatin’ bullets.
So a quick comment on the shades – I did buy a pair and they’re not that comfortable. They do look cool and if you don’t mind the “bayonette” style arms (as opposed to Ray Ban’s wrap-around your ear arms) then these are great sunglasses. For me, I do still wear them but they pinch my head. I get enough head-pinching as it is from my kids.
DB
Another option: Field watches.
http://www.specopstactical.com/shop/catalog/olive-drab-field-watch-p-4984.html