Choosy Beggars

Last week, a heated debate took place over at ACL, which, among other assaults, questioned the motivations behind city slickers wearing outdoorsy gear like Barbour jackets. Are we, as some accused, merely affecting a rugged style? Posing as real men who earn a living outdoors, or on factory floors and construction sites? No doubt, work wear has been established as a serious trend in men’s fashion. And, while every such trend is to some degree frivolous and contrived, we’ve also embraced work-friendly gear for arguably legitimate reasons: It’s reasonably priced, durable, functional, aesthetically clean, and lends itself to “uniforms” -- something we encourage every guy to embrace, whether it’s a suit or a pair of jeans and a button-down. (Once you’ve found the right one for you, uniforms greatly simplify the shopping/dressing process, and save you tons of money over time.)

Speaking of which, we love Greg's winter uniform here. An Upper East Sider, we caught the out-of-work chef making his way across town on Houston Street. He's noticed more guys with Barbour jackets of late, but said he takes particular pride in his -- it being a hand-me-down from his city slicker father and all. 

Choosy Beggars

For our latest "Choosy Beggars" segment, we'd like to commend Clarke here on several fronts: For putting together a respectable look just to catch a weeknight flick not far from his home on the Upper West Side; for incorporating the subtlest bit of color to contrast the gloomy post-holidays winter night; and, most importantly, for having the foresight to pick up a Steven Alan trench in this season's sharpest pattern -- blackwatch -- last season at 70% off.     

Choosy Beggars

For the second installment of our brand new "Choosy Beggars" segment -- which features New Yorkers achieving the perfect balance of personal style and financial savvy -- we give you Steven, who we cornered on the second floor of Strand Bookstore on 12th Street and Broadway. 

The proprietor of elmo restaurant in Chelsea, Steven cuts a dapper yet seemingly effortless figure in a muted plaid overcoat and military-inspired canvas vest, contrasted nicely by his rich blue denim and light brown brogues. And while his favorite store is Gucci, Steven says he "scours" Loehmann's and Century 21 for deals. "I have them put s**t aside for me."

Choosy Beggars

In the waning days of 2008, with few sample sales to report, we thought we’d test out our new man-on-the-street feature, “Choosy Beggars.” Now, between The Sartorialist, NY Mag’s Look Book, and Racked's Street Scenes, one might assume that no stylish New Yorkers are going unnoticed. Our unique aim, however, will be to specifically document those (male) New Yorkers achieving a perfect balance of personal style and financial savvy. 

Take Eddie here -- a longtime West Village resident who makes his living in theater. He swears most of his clothes comes from local thrift shops. The scarf, meanwhile, was a gift… not to mention a perfect color accent to fend off the city's bleak winter months. Every man should possess a few equally versatile and vibrant (without treading into Versace territory) accessories to achieve a similar effect.