Dapper Classics – Small Business Saturday Sale

Feature Friday – Dixie Pickers

Today’s Feature Friday spotlights Dixie Pickers of Collierville, Tennessee. Founded in 2012 by a husband and wife team, Dixie Pickers celebrated its one year anniversary yesterday. The store has been described as Collierville’s only “Man-Tique”. Dixie Pickers is a casual men’s shop with an impressive selection of quality sportswear and specialty items. Additionally, the store carries vintage vinyl records, comics, and sports memorabilia. Dixie Pickers is the perfect place for “Vintage Finds & Fresh Designs for Southern Gentlemen”.

Originally known as Oak Grove, Collierville was founded in 1835. Collierville is a small town located in southwest Tennessee near Memphis. The town is known for its upscale shops, neatly manicured lawns, and southern hospitality. Collierville was recently chosen one of the Top 100 places to live in the United States.

Dapper Classics – Black Friday Sale

Feature Friday – The Vestry

Today’s Feature Friday spotlights one of our retail partners in Michigan: The Vestry. Located in Detroit, The Vestry opened in 2003. The Vestry aims to provide customers with fair prices and an unparalleled shopping experience—emphasis on experience. While visiting The Vestry, shoppers are served water or tea while a personal stylist helps them with their sartorial decisions. The store carries a wide selection of fine men’s clothing and accessories. The Vestry was voted “The Best of Detroit” for men’s clothing in 2011.

Detroit, the most populous city in Michigan, was founded in 1701. The city experienced rapid growth in the mid-twentieth century due to a booming automotive industry that earned Detroit the nicknames “Motor City” and the “Automotive Capital of the World.” Detroit has also been nicknamed “Motown” and “Detroit Rock City” because of its rich music culture.  The city has been home to successful musicians across a variety of genres, ranging from Aretha Franklin to Eminem to Jack White. Detroit is currently experiencing revitalization following a recent influx of young professionals.

Linked-Toe Knitting: A Step Forward For Dapper Classics Socks

The Dapper Classics Linked-Toe Knitting Machine

Since Dapper Classics was founded in 2011, our dress socks have become known as the finest Made in USA option on the market. We’ve been grateful to have our socks featured, reviewed, and recommended in numerous style blogs and magazines. (For a complete list of these publications visit our Pinterest “Features and Reviews” board.) More importantly, we’ve received positive feedback from our customers, gentlemen around the world with acute senses of style. At Dapper Classics, we are always pursuing new ways to improve the quality of our products. Our most recent step forward in this pursuit involved the purchase of a linked-toe knitting machine.

For those unfamiliar with hand-linked, or linked-toe, socks some clarification might be helpful. “Hand-linked” does not mean that our new socks will be hand sewn. Rather, the socks will be knitted on a hand-linking machine (pictured above) that is operated by an expert knitter. Socks that are not linked-toe are knitted with the toe open. The toe is then sewn onto the sock. In contrast, linked-toe machines knit the two parts of the sock with the same thread. A linked-toe sock is more comfortable and there is no noticeable toe seam, which is why these socks are sometimes called “seamless toe” or “stitch by stitch” socks. In addition to the aforementioned advantages, our new linked-toe machine will also allow us to produce a wider variety of styles.

According to our research, Dapper Classics will be the only producer of Made in USA fine men’s linked-toe dress socks. Our customers have come to expect quality from Dapper Classics. We believe this move to linked-toe hosiery will result in our finest products to date.

American Made Matters Day

Don Rongione, President and CEO of The Bollman Hat Company, was devastated when his company had to lay off over 100 employee-owners due to the negative impacts of foreign production. Founded in 1868, The Bollman Hat Company is the oldest hat maker in America. Despite its rich heritage, the company was  not immune to consequences resulting from the shift away from American manufacturing. Determined to do something about this problem, Rongione started American Made Matters.

The mission of American Made Matters is “to educate consumers that buying US-made products strengthens the American dream.” Dapper Classics fully supports this mission. Earlier this year, we became an official member of the American Made Matters community.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013, is the first annual American Made Matters Day. On this day, Dapper Classics and other American companies are encouraging consumers to purchase at least one Made in USA product to support American manufacturing. To celebrate this special day, and to encourage American consumers to participate, Dapper Classics will be offering 25% off all purchases at our website. Support the American economy and shop Dapper Classics and other US brands on American Made Matters Day!

Feature Friday – The Lucky Knot

Today’s Feature Friday spotlights one of our retail partners in Virginia: The Lucky Knot. Andrea Ploutis and her three daughters opened The Lucky Knot in Old Town Alexandria on July 4^th, 2012. Originally, The Lucky Knot was a women’s boutique; however, earlier this year, it expanded to include a men’s store with premium clothing and accessories. The Lucky Knot is committed to promoting American-Made brands such as Vineyard Vines, Southern Proper, and High Cotton.

Alexandria is located along the Potomac River less approximately five miles from Washington D.C. Founded in 1749, Old Town was the first neighborhood in Alexandria. In 1791, Old Town was ceded to the U.S. government to form part of the District of Columbia. The area was later retroceded to Virginia in 1846. Old Town is known for its art galleries, boutiques, and historic homes. The city of Alexandria has been featured in films such as Remember the Titans and National Treasure: Book of Secrets.

Dapper Classics November Promo

Feature Friday – Greenhaw’s Men’s Wear

Today’s Feature Friday spotlights Greenhaw’s Men’s Wear of Little Rock, Arkansas. Steve Greenhaw opened the store in 1975. In 2011, Greg Herr, a Greenhaw’s employee for over 30 years, assumed ownership of the store. Greenhaw’s carries suits and dress clothes as well as designer sportswear and premium denim. The shop offers a variety of “Signature Services”, including custom-made clothing, expert in-house tailoring, closet consultations, and a complimentary delivery service. Last year Greenhaw’s won the “Arkansas A-List” award for Best Men’s Clothing.

Little Rock is the capital and largest city of Arkansas. Founded in 1821, the city gets its name from a small rock formation along the Arkansas River bank called la Petite Roche (French for Little Rock).  Little Rock has been ranked one of the cleanest cities in the US as well as one of the top metropolitan areas to live. Little Rock has been the home to numerous well-known individuals, including President Bill Clinton and General Douglas MacArthur.

Dapper Grooming – Facial Hair

Photo Credit: GQ‘s The Four Best Beard Styles

In recent years, November has become one of the more popular months for men to experiment with facial hair. Some refer to the month as “No Shave November”, while others call it “Movember”—referring to a charity that encourages men to grow mustaches in November to support raising awareness of men’s health issues. The way a man wears his facial hair can tell you a lot about his personality. It can also help or hinder his efforts to achieve a dapper look.

When it comes to growing facial hair, it is important to find a style that complements the rest of your look (e.g. personal style, facial structure). Too many men venture in to growing facial hair haphazardly, and this often produces results that are less than flattering. GQ’s “The Modern Man’s Guide to Beards” provides some general advice on the do’s and don’ts of grooming facial hair. The guide also debunks several myths associated with facial hair, including the belief that shaving more frequently makes facial hair grow back faster and fuller.

There are two common options for facial hair—the beard or the mustache—and each offers a variety of possibilities. Earlier this year, GQ published an article titled “The Four Best Beard Styles.”  In addition to explaining how to achieve these styles and highlighting famous examples of each look, the article discusses the “New Rules of the Beard.” One of these “New Rules” encourages men to wash and condition their beards. Although its popularity has waned over the years, the mustache is now mounting a comeback. GQ’s “The 3 Commandments for Making a Mustache Work” offers some useful advice for men interested in pursuing this facial hair option. For example, one “Commandment” recommends that men keep their mustaches trimmed at the lip.

While facial hair is not a good look on all men, it can help many gentlemen look dapper and distinguished when groomed with care.