Tag Archives: style

Photography, Style, Video

Review: Hamilton Khaki Aviation Swiss Automatic Watch H76565835

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Looking for an entry into the world of Swiss watches? There’s the Tissot I reviewed a while back. There’s also Hamilton, a brand with proud American origins, having provided timekeeping devices for the American railroads during the rail expansion of the late 1800s, as well as for U.S. troops during World War II.

EDIT: Added new video review below!

Hamilton was eventually acquired by Swatch Group, and moved their manufacturing to Switzerland. Like Tissot, Hamilton is a reputable and well-known name in Swiss watches, yet won’t kill your wallet (too much). The brand is notably a favorite among filmmakers and can be seen during critical plot points in several movies, from MEN IN BLACK to BURIED to INTERSTELLAR, making it a popular household name in watchmaking.

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Deals, Style

Beckett Simonon Premium Dress Shoes on Kickstarter

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Image courtesy of Beckett Simonon.

UPDATE: These shoes are in! Check out my review here!

EDIT: Now, take 20% off your order with our exclusive promo code PRAKTICALA20!

Beckett Simonon must be doing something right because their business is really starting to take off: recently, they announced yet another line of “premium” shoes that are being funded initially through Kickstarter. So what about the shoes that I already have? What are they, chopped liver??

Though I’m not 100% sure about what makes the upcoming line more “premium” than the Beckett Simonon shoes I’ve reviewed in the past, I do know that they’ve added a ton of new styles and colors, most notably burgundy (which you need to wear more often) and pebbled brown. The assortment of styles include monk straps (cool), loafers WITH TASSELS (FAHncy), brogues (can’t beat ‘em), and chukkas.

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Photography, Style

Review: Cohen Loafers by Beckett Simonon

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Last year I reviewed Beckett Simonon’s Caine Oxford cap-toes and determined that they provided a decent value for the price, offering many high-end features (full-grain leather and goodyear welting) normally found on much more expensive shoes.

Beckett Simonon’s shoe lineup has since been updated. I was able to get my hands on a pair of their Cohen loafers to see some of the changes in person.

EDIT: Now, take 20% off your order with our exclusive promo code PRAKTICALA20!

EDIT: Beckett Simonon is launching a somewhat new, pre-order based business model, so the Cohen loafers are no longer available. You can read about the relaunched business here, or visit here to see Beckett Simonon’s current lineup of products.

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Photography, Style, Women

Shoe Review: TOMS Black Canvas Cork Strappy Wedges

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After some positive feedback from my recent post on the Clarks Ashland Alpine shoes, I learned that, shockingly, women are more interested in reading about shoes than men. So I figured that there could be a substantial niche at PRAKTICALA for content targeted at women.

It just so happens I have these Black Canvas Cork Strappy Wedges from TOMS that I think you people might be interested in. Hey I won’t fight against the basic laws of economics. Supply and demand!

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Photography, Style, Video

Review: Carter Wingtip Boots by Jack Erwin

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I got these Carter wingtip combat boots from Jack Erwin a while ago and gave them a good test run. I wear them to work or school when I have to ride the motorcycle.

UPDATE: Added a new video review below!

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Photography, Style, Video

Beater Review: Seiko 5 Sports SNZG13 Automatic Field Watch

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The best watch ever. EVER.

The Seiko 5 is maybe the best watch ever made. I mean it. THE BEST.

In fact, there are countless varieties of the Seiko 5. Mine is the SNZG13 sports watch, and it is the best out of all of them. I’ve had it for several years, as you can see from the beating it has taken in the photo. I own a few other watches, and although I might not be wearing it to the wedding, this is the one I otherwise wear every day.

EDIT: Added a new video review below!

There isn’t a better timepiece out there. If you can only get one watch, you shouldn’t have to look anywhere else. Here’s why.

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Photography, Style

Review: Polo Ralph Lauren Lander P Sneaker – Wear Those Boat Shoes!

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PRAKTICALA has a bunch of other things to do besides talk about shoes all day, but I was able to snag an incredible deal on these Polo Ralph Lauren Lander P boat shoes and figured somebody ought to hear about it.

Boat shoes are one of those items that are super old school and always considered to be in style, but at the same time seem to weave back and forth between enjoying widespread popularity (I hesitate to use the “F” word because I dislike FADS) and being on the backburner. Lately, boat shoes have been leaning towards the former, although I think they are beginning to slow down again as a trend (which is good).

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Photography, Style

Review: Clarence Toe Cap Brogue Dress Shoes by Charles Tyrwhitt

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EDIT: The Clarence brogues are now being phased out and appear to have been replaced by the Parker brogues. As far as I can tell they are the same shoe, just with a different name. The links in this review will now direct you to the Parkers.

If you are a shoe n00b like I am, you probably wear the same pair of black dress shoes all the time – to work, church, interviews, weddings, and ship christenings. Well, stop! You shouldn’t be wearing black shoes very often at all. Black shoes go best with black pants, and why in the world would you wear those, unless there’s a dead guy in a casket somewhere in the room or you’re at a wedding (specifically, your own)? Take it down a notch and relax for once in your life with some gray, blue, or brown pants.

Now that you’ve ditched the funeral pants, there’s no need to dampen the party again with those black kicks. You should be busting out the brown!

Brown shoes go really well with gray, blue, or brown pants – way better than black shoes do. I somehow got my hands on these Clarence Parker semi-brogue oxfords from Charles Tyrwhitt. Keep reading to find out whether they are worth a hoot or not!

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How-To, Photography, Style

How to Choose Good Dress Shoes

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Hideous, no? Tragically, this kind of junk was my “dressy” footwear for the better part of three decades.

For most of my life I have been buying the wrong dress shoes. As I noted in an earlier post, I have been on a quest to find dress shoes that aren’t total garbage (see the above image). This search has turned out to be quite educational for me.

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