I was thinking today about how I’ve been very pleased with my most recent set of work boots today and thought it could be interesting if anyone else had any particular favorite clothing items that they have really been enjoying.
Clothes are a very personal choice, as we’re all built differently and do different things, but I’m curious to see if any trends show up in what we like.
I got the Keen Braddock Low Tops almost a year ago. I had a previous pair of Keen’s imported boots a while back, and my new job makes us go through their provider instead of me getting reimbursed for buying my own boot of choice, and I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of buying safety toes without getting to try them on first, as some can be pretty uncomfortable. I saw they had the US made Braddock though, which I had been wanting to try to see if it was an upgrade from the now discontinued boots I had from them.
I like Keen’s because my old ones held up tremendously well. The thick rubber toe may look a little odd, but it doesn’t scuff up like a leather cap boot, and it’s asymmetrical so it fits my big foot better than many safety toes where both caps are the same shape. They feel very sneaker like, which is nice since my feet don’t need serious protection from a super stiff and tall boot. I like the design is enough to be interesting, but nothing too wild.
These have been holding up very well, though I have 3 pairs in my rotation now, I also have a pair of leather CAT steel toe low tops and a pair of Carhartt composite toe fabric low tops. They each have their ups and downs, but the Keen is my all-arounder. It’s not as light as the comp toe, it’s a little bulkier than the leather boot, but it’s the most comfy and feels to be the best built of the 3.
Edit: Just noticed the rules say the post needs to end with a question mark…
What is your favorite clothing item and why?
It’s hard to pick just one! I have a pair of Todd Snyder x LL Bean “utility cargo” sweat shorts that are a nice soft texture and a pleasant heavy weight. They are one of my go-to pairs for wearing around the house or when doing errands. The quality of the fabric and construction really stands out to me and I enjoy them every time I wear them!
The other one that came to mind is a lightweight linen long sleeve button down shirt in dark blue plaid that I also got from Todd Snyder. It was my first linen shirt and as soon as I wore it I realized that linen is my favorite fabric for warm weather because it breathes so nicely and feels great on the skin.
I bought a proper country jacket last year for far more than I’d normally spend. It’s very heavy, very waterproof, very full of pockets, very farmerish, very good.
My Welcome To Night Vale leggings!
Somewhat boring, but I just love my merino wool t shirts. They don’t have any logos or swag, but they are incredibly comfortable, don’t smell and you just air them out every evening instead of constant washing. They are also expensive as he’ll for those considering them
My Brooks Ghost 15 shoes saved me from double heel spurs, double flat feet and a bad knee.
I am on my third pair in two years, I wear them all year round, from 30C to -20C, and they are fantastic.
I need extra wide shoes, inlays and a soft sole.
Sure, they don’t last long, but the earlier shoes I had put me in a bad way where I for months cried out of pain when dragging myself back home from the bus after work.
Bought an old navy denim jacket when I was 8, I desperately wanted one but they only had men’s large and I decided I’d grow into it. I did, 6 years later. Now is 22 years later and it still my favorite jacket. I’ve dyed it every 10 years to a match my current style and it still fits me like a glove. Doesn’t even look a year old, I guess old navy used to be a lot better quality.
You know, I came into this thinking I didn’t particularly like clothes, but now I think it’s just clothes shopping I don’t enjoy.
I got a Starter windbreaker type jacket around 98-00 and I still wear it every spring and fall. I got a new and upgraded zipper on it a few years back and I just rewaterproofed it last year and it’s still awesome. That is probably the oldest clothing item I have and it’s something I enjoy at least as much, if not more, than when I bought it since it’s been through so much of my life with me.
ItemLabel Big Shirt.
Simple. Roomy. Big. Comfy. Has fantastic embroidered fish on the pocket.
10/10.
I found the nerdfighter!
Oh, I have seen this somewhere before! I remember the fish very clearly! It is indeed fantastic.
My cashmere sweater from Nadaam. I have several and they’re comfy, stylish, and super warm. Their OG sweater (of which I own 3) are under $100, but the one I’m talking about is a recycled cashmere (made from leftovers of other products) which is thick and soft and fuckin amazing
Those look nice! I’m surprised the OG one is in the somewhat reasonable splurge price range. I was expecting closer to the price of the recycled one.
When I saw you say it was made of the leftovers, I was picturing something like the Cotopaxi Del Dia stuff, but it probably makes more sense what it actually is where it’s normal colors. 🤪
Your mom.
Wait, that doesn’t make any sense.
Wait, it not masking any sense has never deterred anyone from making a your mom joke, so it’s fine after all.
Wait, that’s actually a pretty grim appraisal of the state of what is considered to be humorous.
In that case, I’ll go with my sweatpants instead, if I may.
Wait, that doesn’t make any sense.
You’ve never worn a hat?
My frill strap tiered aquamarine dress. I’ve had it for years. It’s very comfortable and fits great for larger cup sizes!
I bought a massively oversized NASA t-shirt the last time I had to go to JCPenney’s and it’s so fucking comfortable that I’ve literally worn holes into it.
My ex-girlfriend complained that so many of the pictures that we had taken together had me in this shirt. It was just a comfy shirt and I still have it but it’s probably time for me to find a new one.
My ex-girlfriend complained that so many of the pictures that we had taken together had me in this shirt.
I always got told by my ex it looked like we did everything in one huge vacation since all our travel photos had me in the same few comfy shirts! 😁
Thick wool socks are pretty great, very comfy when it gets cold out (so like a month or two from now for me)
I want to pick up more pairs than just the Walmart cheapies I’ve had. I’ve really started loving wool the last few years. I have a thin wool blanket on my bed all year now on top of the top sheet, and it keeps me the perfect temp all year. I toss a second one on top in the winter. I’m typically very hot all the time, and the wool keeps me at that just right point.
Carhartt makes really good wool socks if you want recommendations
Always appreciate a recommendation!
I made the mistake of taking on a DIY construction project when the outside air temperature was 105℉ (40 C) and the UV index was incredibly high (no cloud cover, very direct sunlight, and an elevation of 4200 ft (1.2 km)). This meant that I was sweating like fucking crazy, which is bad for sunscreen. I got this moisture wicking UV blocking hoodie and it fucking saved my ass. I didn’t wear sunscreen once but never got sunburned, even though I was doing 12 hours days of digging 36" (91 cm) deep foundation footings, mixing and pouring concrete, digging out a shitload of turf and dirt for a gravel foundation, or moving 3 tons (2.7 metric tons) of gravel into that foundation. UPF 50 fabric is dope.
I fucking love that shirt. I bought two more of them since I was washing the one I had multiple times a week.
Honorable mentions go to my work pants and Red Wing boots. I don’t know the brand of the pants rn, but they were so good. They’re really thin but didn’t get damaged when I scraped the shit out of them on rocks, and they had lots of useful pockets. They were much cooler than denim and also gave me much more mobility. I got them while shopping for work pants with my partner who was very dissatisfied with the options available in women’s sizes. She saw them and was so happy with them that I felt the need to get some as well.
The boots were also fucking great. They’re expensive and are made from leather, but I got some that can be resoled so I should be able to wear them for decades. As a bonus, the soles are oil resistant so they won’t get all weird and fucked up out in my machine shop.
Oh wow, the hoodie is much less expensive than I was expecting. My brother is a concrete precaster, so this might be something nice to get him. I think I have a couple REI bucks to spend anyway.
I really love mine. It’s probably not the hardest wearing material out there, but my shirt held up well. My only gripe is that you’re not supposed to use any form of bleach (even non-chlorine) which can make stains a bit hard to remove. Stains on a work shirt don’t really matter, but I try to keep my shit looking clean if possible. No oxiclean makes that tough sometimes.
EDIT: and yeah, the price really isn’t too bad. There are also frequent sales. Lemme look up what I paid for mine.
EDIT: Looks like I paid $35 for the two shirts I got later on. I paid the full $50 for the first shirt I bought.
I have an old light green neck Buff made from bamboo fiber. It’s like three times the normal size so you have to wrap it multiple times around your neck which is great in cold weather.
And it’s so soft! I love wearing it the moment autumn turns cooler.
It’s getting a few holes so I hope it’ll still last a couple more years. They don’t sell this design anymore 😞Are you able to darn it to fix up the holes? I learned to darn my socks, and I just do it while I watch tv since it doesn’t need to be pretty since no one will see it. I do it in random colors for some fancy wabi-sabi and it reminds me of how long the items have been with me. I’m a person of simple pleasure… 😜
I don’t know if this can be darned, the threads are very very thin. I might give it a try if one of those holes becomes too big.
When I do, I’ll definitely use different colors. I like your idea :)The distinct colors make anything look intentional, so it’s a good way to pass off imperfect repairs and uneven stitches as intentional if anyone asks. 😅
Compression leggings for my ashtanga practice. I have had them for years and the texture, grip and colors are still great.
I like how they don’t roll down at the waist and how their length is a tad above the heel of my foot while still covering the ankles.
They have a Wide range of sizes and designs. luleåmindulf is the brand.
You really nailed what kind of description I was hoping to hear: that specificity. A lot of things that make something great can be hard to put into words, but in your case it’s very clear what these leggings do that you love about them.
