Over the course of that year, I’ve had the opportunity to try out a goodly pile of apparel items running from shoes to caps. Of course, as a reviewer must, I liked some more than others — especially those offerings that manage to keep their products within reach of the fashion conscious working man’s grasp.
To that end, I put together a review of the year’s best or simply most intriguing apparel items for perusal. I have everything covered from suits to nuts — including footwear, shirts, pants, accessories and jackets.
Related; Automotive Holiday Gift Guide 2014
Of course, everything listed here is available online in case something catches your eye en route to a gift for someone else or a prize for your own collection.
Dressing through the Year: 2014 Apparel Review
As 2014 winds down, I look back at some of the apparel brands covered during the past year.
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SuitSupply
PRICE: Varies
BUY IT NOW: SuitSupply.com
You can buy off the virtual rack with SuitSupply, and the site certainly boasts an endless supply of suits, shirts, pants, shoes and accessories. But, the real attractions here are the handmade, bespoke suits made to the specifications you send to them via their special online ordering system.
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Beau Ties
PRICE: Varies
BUY IT NOW: Beau Ties Ltd.
Offering bow ties, neck ties, pocket squares, scarves and every other accessory a man could want — right down to his shoelaces, Beau Ties is simply a fun site to peruse. Serving up a stunning variety of styles and patterns, a man could transform the details of his wardrobe without breaking the bank.
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Allen Edmonds
PRICE: Varies
BUY IT NOW: AllenEdmonds.com
Buying a pair of Allen Edmonds shoes means owning a pair of Allen Edmonds shoes for life. Not only are they handmade to exacting standards with top of the line materials, the company stands by their shoes with a lifetime rebuild policy.
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Antigua Sports Wear
PRICE: Varies
BUY IT NOW: Antigua
Easily my personal favorite sportswear maker, Antigua combines high-tech materials with clean designs to create everything from hoodies to golf shirts to college wear. And, it's one of the few apparel makers offering stylish clothes in larger sizes for big men.
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Luchiano Visconti
PRICE: Varies
BUY IT NOW: Luchiano Visconti
This accessible designer focuses above the waistline, sunshine. Promising to offer "a shirt for every occasion," Visconti sells a wide collection of dress shirts, casual shirts, vests, etc. While you need to be a little more in tune with European sizes, Visconti keeps its prices under control for the online buyer.
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Craghoppers Outerwear
PRICE: Varies
BUY IT NOW: Craghoppers
A British apparel maker, Craghoppers is a quick, affordable ticket to a rugged look for winter. Everything they make for men is earthy and functional, especially the Bear Grylls collection for men in survival mode.
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Dije Footwear
PRICE: Varies
BUY IT NOW: Dije California
Priding itself on being a purely California brand, everything about Dije is fun, sun and lighthearted style. Any of its shoes would make a great and affordable holiday gift — especially to those folks settling in for a long, hard winter. A pair from Dije reminds us of warmer days.
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Mott & Bow Jeans
PRICE: Varies
BUY IT NOW: Mott & Bow
Mott & Bow had the bright idea of selling a variety of jean styles by guaranteeing a fit. Buyers order two waste sizes in the style they like, and keep only the one that fits best. The buyer of gift recipient returns the other pair for free.
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Ogio Sportswear
PRICE: Varies
BUY IT NOW: Ogio
This was a big year for Ogio as they broke away from making just premiere luggage and backpacks to add shoes and apparel. For the sporty tennis player or golfer in your life, this new Ogio gear is light and well made for when warmth returns to the nation.
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Moshi Gloves
PRICE: $29.95
BUY IT NOW: Apple Store
It's a simple gift concept for that guy who can't put his damn smartphone or tablet down for five minutes. These knit gloves have contact points in the fingertips so he can keep his manual digits warm while he looks up digital digits on the phone.
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Twillory
PRICE: Varies
BUY IT NOW: Twillory
Yes, the shirts and other apparel items at Twillory are high quality, handmade and bespoke, if you wish. But, the big story here is that Twillory invites you to send back old items from your closet that you'll never wear. Twillory cleans those items and send them to those in need.
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Meta Smart Watch
PRICE: $249
BUY IT NOW: Meta Smart Watch
While it doesn't pack the entire suite of features we're seeing from the Samsung Gear or the new Apple Watch, the Meta Smart Watch is still the best looking of its breed on your wrist, and this is a not a techie guide. It's better to look good than to make calls from your wrist.
