Should I or shouldn't I buy... (clothing item)?

Originally Posted by chopp

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AE Park Avenue

or

AE Fifth Avenue

i need a new shoe for the office (with charcoal, grey, navy trousers, maybe even some raw denim), but that i can also dress up with a grey suit or something along those lines

Either of those shoes would work with the grey suit, but they are too formal to wear with raw denim. They'll be 'okay' with the odd trousers you mention, although technically you want an open-laced shoe for the odd trousers.

If you're most often going to be dressing below the level of a suit, I'd recommend buying a brown open laced shoe that's classic and nice enough to pair with the suit. That way you can wear it with raw denim and the trousers--and still pull it off with a suit. AE has some models that fit the bill, but I'd check the B&S boards and Ebay before buying AE at retail. AE is ubiquitous and can typically be found for at least half MSRP if you look around a bit.

Originally Posted by Trapp

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Either of those shoes would work with the grey suit, but they are too formal to wear with raw denim. They'll be 'okay' with the odd trousers you mention, although technically you want an open-laced shoe for the odd trousers.

If you're most often going to be dressing below the level of a suit, I'd recommend buying a brown open laced shoe that's classic and nice enough to pair with the suit. That way you can wear it with raw denim and the trousers--and still pull it off with a suit. AE has some models that fit the bill, but I'd check the B&S boards and Ebay before buying AE at retail. AE is ubiquitous and can typically be found for at least half MSRP if you look around a bit.

thanks! any suggestions? its hard to find a shoe amid the square toed wearing public

paul smith thunder boots - in black though.

yay or nay

Yes on the PS Thunder Boots.

Blue +J Patch pocket shirt jacket: http://www.uniqlo.co.uk/catalogue/me...t-shirt-jacket It's 100% cotton and I've heard Uniqlo's quality is good - however at £70 I'd like to know if I'll still want to wear it next year, or if its just a passing trend.

I don't normally buy graphic T's but for some odd reason this caught my eye. I am assuming this will be shot down but would like to hear thoughts. Oui ou Non?

yesssssssss

Originally Posted by Jokerman

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I don't normally buy graphic T's but for some odd reason this caught my eye. I am assuming this will be shot down but would like to hear thoughts. Oui ou Non?

YES ! I love Passarella Death Squad tees ! I own 3 myself. They're, besides a KVA tee, not only the only graphic tees I own, but also the highest quality tees in my wardrobe. The fabric ( 50% Cotton + 50% Rayon | imported from Japan ) is absolutely top-notch. They're so resistant that it's basically impossible that they'll stretch out someday and lose their shape. Mine are more than a year old, have been through quite a lot and are still like new. Too bad their tees come only in black and white... My favorite one is the "Japanese Flag" tee:

Yea I really want to get one but I read on Oki-Ni that I would have to pay custom fee's and I am afraid that I'm going to be raped by the fee's.

Originally Posted by chopp

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thanks! any suggestions? its hard to find a shoe amid the square toed wearing public

If you want AE, go to their website at allenedmonds dot com and look through the selection of open laced shoes, such as the Berkshire or the Sutter, and choose something in dark brown calf with open lacing and a leather sole. Some people love longwings for the uses you describe (basically versatile enough for casual, business, formal). If you want to step up a notch in quality then look at Alden shoes. Just remember to try a pair on somewhere and pay attention to the last used for each shoe as their sizing is a bit trickier.

AE is kind of the gateway to better shoes. They're a decent place to start and quite easy to find at reasonable prices. There is a ton of threads and info about Alden, AE, longwings, etc on the forum (as well as threads discussing how to build a versatile shoe collection from the ground up) so read up a bit and you'll be able to make a smart first purchase. Good luck.

Originally Posted by Jokerman

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Yea I really want to get one but I read on Oki-Ni that I would have to pay custom fee's and I am afraid that I'm going to be raped by the fee's.
Oki-Ni ships DHL. I've ordered from them a few times, and never had to pay any fees up front. (I'm in the US, fwiw.) Only once did I get a bill, like two months later, but I just ignored it and never heard from them again.

How much was the bill for? Just curious

okini ships ups now

Originally Posted by Jokerman

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How much was the bill for? Just curious
Can't remember exactly, was around $50, I think. Don't even know which shipment(s) it was for, but all my orders were in the hundreds.

Originally Posted by jet

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okini ships ups now
If so, then all bets are off, haha.

Thinking about it..