Dappered | The 2018 Valentine’s Day Gift Guide – nothing over $50 edition

[Dappered | The 2018 Valentine’s Day Gift Guide – nothing over $50 edition]() --------------------------------------------------------------- - [The 2018 Valentine’s Day Gift Guide – nothing over $50 edition](#1) - [Rumor: Is Allen Edmonds about to Raise Prices?](#2) - [The Playlist – January 2018](#3) [The 2018 Valentine’s Day Gift Guide – nothing over $50 edition](r/Dappered/~3/X2tlZXJBEp8/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email) Posted: 31 Jan 2018 03:00 AM PST [Love is in the air… everywhere I look around.]( Amiright? With divided politics, the division between genders, divided… well, it feels like everything right now, that sentiment might be hard to believe. But guaranteed you at least have ONE other person on this planet that you truly love. And even though Valentine’s Day is a holiday created specifically to sell commercial stuff, it can be a good reminder that love, is in fact, in the air every single day. We need it, we crave it, and it helps us thrive as humans. So this Valentine’s Day, take a deep breath, let go of all the biases for a second or two, and let love step forward to have some time in the sun. Because, after all, [love just feels good](. Now, onto the commercial stuff to show that special someone just how much you love them! We’re trying to keep it on the affordable side this year, so all picks will land at fifty bucks or under. (featured [photo credit]() [Estella Bartlett Happy Thought Rainbow Necklace – $12.80]( ($32) [Estella Bartlett Happy Thought Rainbow Necklace]( A sweet little keepsake for a Valentine. On major markdown from Nordstrom, so shipping will be free, even with that low, low price. Price may be cheap, but reviews are all 5 stars, so if the object of your affections likes smaller jewelry, she should be pleased. [Capturing Couture Harmony Strap for DSLR – $34.99]( [Capturing Couture Harmony Strap for DSLR]( For the V-Day gift recipient that is an amateur, or professional photographer, and has an appreciation for style and design in even utilitarian things. Comes in three different colors. [Personalized Beer Glasses – $25.99]( [Personalized Beer Glasses]( Celebrate your love with your favorite brew. Of course these glasses can be used for liquid other than beer, but the shape mimics a beer can, thus is typically used for drinking beer. Dinner at Home and a [Movie]( Keep the dinner budget under $50, and watch [The Big Sick on Amazon Prime for free](. (Assuming you are an Amazon Prime member. [If you’re not…]( The Big Sick is definitely a romantic “comedy” for someone that prefers the Independent Film channel over the Hallmark channel. Very raw and real, and at times uncomfortable to watch, but the end is so satisfying that you really don’t care. [Sexy Truth or Dare Game – $14.95]( [Sexy Truth or Dare Game]( DARE: Try to take off one piece of my clothing, your choice, without using your hands. That actually could get pretty funny. But also could definitely bring a couple bodies closer together. If you’re looking for a playful Valentine’s evening, I’d say this could help you achieve your goal. [Travel Jewelry Roll Organizer – $27.51]( [Travel Jewelry Roll Organizer] Handmade in Florida, this jewelry roll can keep all her shiny, sparkly stuff organized while traveling. Also from the same company, if you know someone that loves tea so much that they travel with it, [here you go](. [Tombo Pottery Sea Urchin Candle Holder – $40]( [Tombo Pottery Sea Urchin Candle Holder]( A piece of unique art. The ceramic this candle holder is thrown from is imported from England, due to its translucent nature, which allows light to emanate from the thinner layers. [State String Art – $40 – $48]( [State String Art]( Kind of a cool way to commemorate the state and city in which you and your partner met. If you want to spend more than $50, you can even [have two states combined](. [Handmade Leather Pen Pouch – $35]( (starting price) [Handmade Leather Pen Pouch]( Does your love interest have a thing for pens? Like, no one else is allowed to use it? Like, the pen has a very special place it lives in, and if said pen goes missing, there will be hell to pay? Give that pen, or pens, a good home with a high quality pen pouch. Or a [single pen case](, if there is only one pen that will do. [Renee’s Garden Endless Bouquets Cut Flower Garden – $13.95]( [Renee's Garden Endless Bouquets Cut Flower Garden]( For the flower and gardening lover, certainly do gift a bouquet of flowers. But consider also gifting some seeds for a cut flower garden. For those of us that enjoy gardening, we really start getting the itch around this time of year. The first day of spring is in sight, and planning a garden gets us through the doldrums of late winter. [Hershel Supply Co. Chapter Studio Travel Kit – $29.98]( ($50) [Hershel Supply Co. Chapter Studio Travel Kit]( This can very much be a unisex gift. It’s branded as men’s, but plenty of women would also like the neutral looks of this travel kit. So gift it to either a boy or girl, and consider placing something extra inside it, like some of their favorite sweet treats, or some movie tickets. [Compartes Jonathan’s Signature Truffles – $49.95]( [Compartes Jonathan's Signature Truffles]( How ridiculous are these truffles? For anyone that loves both design and chocolate. [Bp. Plaid Cape – $19.50]( ($39) [Bp. Plaid Cape]( This is very much a look that would be seen in coastal Southern California. If you’re gifting to a Fashionista, and you typically see her in this color palate, this may be an appreciated gift come cooler spring evenings. [FootMate System – $45]( [FootMate Systems]( Add a little pamper time to your paramour’s shower routine. This nifty little spa tool both massages feet, and sloughs off dead skin. [Mark & Graham Accordion Wallet – $48.99]( ($99) [Mark & Graham Accordion Wallet]( This wallet can double as a clutch, allowing her to grab it out of her purse and take it as is, if she’s looking to carry less bulk. Add a monogram for $10 more. Sold through Mark & Graham. [Geometric Deer Necklace – $49.50]( [Geometric Deer Necklace]( Geometrics are really in right now. The shop that sells this particular necklace, [By Yaeli]( has lots of different geometric necklace designs to choose from. [Couples Map Pillows – $50]( [Couples Map Pillows]( A sweet sentiment, and perhaps a good way to acknowledge how far you each have come to end up together. [Amazon Echo Dot – $49.99]( [Amazon Echo Dot]( Make your love’s life just a little bit more, I was going to say simple.. maybe entertaining? Not to say that the Echo can’t make your life more simple, once you go through the process of setting up said simplifying features on it. It certainly does make streaming music simple, or finding out the temperature outside, or finding out a sports score, or even placing an Amazon order (as long as it’s something you’ve ordered in the past). [Alexa, can you rap?]( Sarah is a long time member of the Dappered team, typically working behind the scenes editing posts, taking some photos, and keeping the books in good standing. Occasionally she’ll come out from behind the curtain to offer her two cents. ff/Dappered?a=X2tlZXJBEp8:RDzYiUC1ee0:yIl2AUoC8zA ff/Dappered?a=X2tlZXJBEp8:RDzYiUC1ee0:qj6IDK7rITs ff/Dappered?a=X2tlZXJBEp8:RDzYiUC1ee0:gIN9vFwOqvQ [Rumor: Is Allen Edmonds about to Raise Prices?](r/Dappered/~3/8lPULVryS8U/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email) Posted: 30 Jan 2018 02:00 PM PST [Allen Edmonds to raise prices soon?]( If you were thinking about investing in a pair of Allen Edmonds, now might not be the worst time to dive in. Allen Edmonds first quality pricing has been pretty steady for the last few years. [Wheelhouse dress shoe models retail for $395](. Boots like [the Liverpool]( and [Dalton]( go for $445. Play your cards right, and you can get 1st quality shoes during a sale for around $300 or under. Sometimes, you can get a pair for closer to $250. But that might be changing. Here’s an email I just got from reader Tony G., whose local AE Store Manager spilled some interesting beans to him during a recent visit: I was at my local Allen Edmonds last week getting fitted for some loafers, and the store manager mentioned AE is going to be increasing prices in the very near future. I headed over to Reddit’s Goodyear Welt sub, and dug up [this thread]( on the rumor mill. Have you heard anything on this? If so, sad day for many of us… -Tony G. If the rumors on Reddit of a $50-$75 price hike are true, that means [Strands]( [Park Aves.]( and the like would jump to almost $450 a pair. Boots would be sneaking up on half a grand. I’m guessing the days of big sales dropping 1sts to the mid $200s would be long gone (unless they’re simply raising prices to only increase the size of discounts), and sale pricing would be much closer to $300 if not more. [Ouch](. [Allen Edmond Strands]( Will their flagship Strand soon go for $400+ retail, and rarely if ever dip below $300 or $350? I have no idea if this is just normal business, with materials and costs of labor constantly climbing, or this has something to do with the somewhat [recent company sale]( & [CEO change](. But what I am pretty sure of, is that with [Meermin slowly getting into the US Market]( and companies like [Jack Erwin]( making awfully nice shoes for around $200 – $250, then even us hard and fast Allen Edmonds fans might start looking elsewhere. If the rumors are true. ff/Dappered?a=8lPULVryS8U:PbQ00wCSkg0:yIl2AUoC8zA ff/Dappered?a=8lPULVryS8U:PbQ00wCSkg0:qj6IDK7rITs ff/Dappered?a=8lPULVryS8U:PbQ00wCSkg0:gIN9vFwOqvQ [The Playlist – January 2018](r/Dappered/~3/LEodmt99V44/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email) Posted: 30 Jan 2018 08:00 AM PST Music is a little like [food]( and clothes. These are areas where it’s probably worthwhile for one to explore & expand their tastes. The Playlist is assembled each month by [Dappered’s very own music correspondent]( Tim Johnstone. Tim is a former Virgin Records Label Rep & current award winning Program Director at [KRVB](, which was awarded the FMQB AAA station of the year markets 50+. You can also catch his work on Fridays when he assembles [the Weekend Dossier](. Got a Spotify account? You’ll find a link to this month’s playlist at the end of the post. [The Decemberists – “Severed”]( This is not your, uh, well, not YOUR Decemberists. I mean, obviously it is and all that. But, this is a different Decemberists all the same. The band decided to work with a new producer/collaborator. More importantly, they wanted to acknowledge some of their influences that haven’t been apparent in their previous releases. Those influences? Kraftwerk. New Order. Roxy Music. And from the get go, those influences are front and center. But by the time Colin Meloy arrives, weaving his dark tale, it once again feels very much like the band many of us have come to love. [Jack White – “Connected By Love”]( True story. When we received the digital download of this track at the station, I played it for my staff and they thought it was pretty cool. They liked the grittiness and the backing choir. I appreciated the way the song builds. Across the bullpen, my good pal who works at the hard rock station was bemoaning the death of Jack’s guitar rock all over social media. He was chuffed. I imagine this reaction is not unusual. [Lo Moon – “Real Love”]( Over the course of three singles, this LA band has brought us lush, Talk Talk inspired modern rock that invites headphones and hoodies. It is so easy to get caught up in this stuff. Their debut disc drops on February 23rd and I am really looking forward to this. [Catch their NPR Tiny Desk Concert for more](. [Superchunk – “What A Time To Be Alive”]( One of the most beloved of the 90’s indie rock bands is still going strong. And this is just what fans want. There is so much about this that makes me smile. It’s enough to make feel, uh, not so old. The energy. The fuzz. The harmonies. The guitars. All good. [Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats  – “You Worry Me”]( There is nothing not to like about our first taste of Nathaniel Rateliff’s upcoming 2nd LP with the Night Sweats. The sound is faithful to their superbly entertaining debut. It might be a bit restrained from their barnstorming hit “S.O.B.” but it is very much cut from the same cloth. [Stone Temple Pilots – “Meadow”]( I was not expecting much here. The band has done what they can to continue on despite losing their charismatic lead singer, and, sadly, their second charismatic lead singer. So when this came out before the holidays, I listened out of curiosity. And I was pleasantly surprised. If you want STP to sound like classic STP, this seems to fit the bill. Their new frontman certainly seems to be able to replicate Scott Weiland’s howl. Mark this down as a pleasant surprise. [Brandi Carlile – “The Joke”]( I’m going to let this one speak for itself. ❤️ [Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – “Be Careful What You Wish For”]( Cozmic Pop with a “Come Together” groove and so, so, so much more. You can get lost in here. [Mt. Joy – “Silver Lining”]( Oh I think we are going to be hearing a lot from this band. This feels raw and honest and the sincerity of vocalist Matt Quinn brings a unique feel to their music. [Of Mice And Men – “Defy”]( RAWK. [Asking Alexandria – “When The Lights Come On”]( As my editor says: “Straight. Ahead. 21st century rock.” [Masionaire – Astronaut (Something About Your Love)]( Light and airy production provide a bubbling base for chill wave grooves and falsetto vocals. Again, headphones seem appropriate. Appropriate to the title, this is just weightless. Borderline mesmerizing. [Andrew WK – “Music Is Worth Living For”]( The first new music we get from Andrew W.K. in nine years is a gloriously unhinged sonic assault that lines up with W.K.’s motivational speaker side-gig. Just about everything you’ve ever heard in every hard rock song ever is squished all up inside this and it is silly and genuine and I couldn’t help but grin at the sheer earnestness of the whole thing. Having spent a good portion of an afternoon with him at a music festival some years back, I can attest this is pretty much his general demeanor. So there’s that. [Sunflower Bean – “Crisis Fest”]( Three twenty somethings from NYC whip up a whole lot of fun here. All sorts of fun. I’m always a sucker for big hooks dressed in harmonies and power chords. [Mimicking Birds – “Belongings”]( While not nearly as well known as The Decemberists, Nate Lacy’s Mimicking Birds has also updated their sound for their third album. The band has introduced modular synthesizers to their Modest Mouse influenced sound and it provides a wonderfully expressive background to Lacy’s layered, reverb heavy vocals. “Belongings” is dreamy and fluid, occasionally surprising, and I’m looking forward to more. [Jade Bird – “Lottery”]( Anytime someone’s music reminds me of early Patty Griffin, I’m instantly engaged. Jade Bird is a young singer songwriter who has a big voice and wields it as a force in this new song. There is a confidence here and I enjoy how she brings a fresh take on the loud quiet thing that was such a big part of 90’s indie rock. And where I mention Patty Griffin as a comparison, I would add Maria McKee as well. [THE CLASSIC: The Cranberries – “Dreams”]( Absolutely gutted. For previous editions of The Playlist, see the growing archive [here](. View the Spotify playlist [here](. Editor’s Note: This Playlist was assembled before the Grammys, and I was slow getting it published on the site. So if you want to lob any “but what about XYZ that I saw the other night” critiques, you can send those in to joe@dappered.com. Because it was my fault. But, in case you need a Grammys fix, [this](. Also a personal favorite, Bruno Mars. But he has set the bar so damn high. I mean, it’s hard to top [this]( and [especially this](. That’s all. Carry on. ff/Dappered?a=LEodmt99V44:qaqzfdL0Tpk:yIl2AUoC8zA ff/Dappered?a=LEodmt99V44:qaqzfdL0Tpk:qj6IDK7rITs ff/Dappered?a=LEodmt99V44:qaqzfdL0Tpk:gIN9vFwOqvQ You are subscribed to email updates from [Dappered Style Mail](). To stop receiving these emails, you may [unsubscribe now](. Email delivery powered by Google Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States