3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires: Men's Outerwear

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Get the Look for Less: Affordable Holiday Gift Ideas for Your Preppy Guy! #ThisIsStyle #shop #cbias

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This fall fashion shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. #ThisisStyle #cbias. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have always thought that men are far more difficult to shop for than women. This is especially true for someone like my preppy husband, who is extremely particular. If you ever think about buying him a polo shirt, make sure it has more than 3 buttons on the placket, no banded sleeves, and no tipping on the collar. When I was presented with the chance to do some Holiday shopping for my husband, I was happy to do it. You know how much I love shopping, but I also love a challenge! Let's face it. Finding the perfect gift for everyone on your list is a sport. My challenge was to shop for fall fashion items to gift to my picky preppy husband.

The key to finding the perfect gift for someone is knowing their tastes. Even if you have never chatted about fashion with that person, you can still get to know their style by simply paying attention to, not only what they wear, but to what they are paying attention to on TV, in magazines, in stores, and so forth.

Some of the biggest 2013 fashion trends are plaid and moto jackets. Unfortunately, my husband is not a fan of either, but he just loves colorblock sweaters, pullovers, and outerwear. Luckily for me, colorblock is still big for men this season!

Because my husband dresses for work during the week, he likes to be casual on the weekends. This is the perfect weekend look for 'The Prep' in your life.

Get the look for less at Sears . . .

Complete the look with his favorite pair of classic jeans. Not only does the outfit look stylish, but both the NordicTrack pieces feature the NT Dri moisture wicking, so they are perfect for my husband, who tends to get warm easily. The knit long-sleeve shirt also has built-in SPF 30 protection, which makes it perfect for transitioning into springtime.

My husband is not only preppy, he is also very tech-oriented. Any free minutes he has is used to consume media, so for the colder months, the knit touchscreen gloves are a must! These particular gloves retail for only $10, so you can afford to buy a pair for every man in your life.

For special occasions, my husband likes to avoid wearing a shirt and tie. The casual Holiday look below would be perfect for him. It's preppy, stylish, and comfortable!

Get the look for less at Sears . . .

Complete the look with your preppy guy's favorite pair of flat-front or pleated khakis. What I love about this cheststripe knit is that it has a faux crew neck layering tee built-in. As I had mentioned before, my husband tends to warm easily, so he prefers not to wear layers while indoors. This top gives the smart look of a layering tee under the v-neck without the extra layer! I might just have to go back and buy this top in a few more colors for him.

To learn more about my Holiday picks for 'The Prep' in your life, checkout my Preppy Guy Gift Guide! For more great gift ideas, browse the #ThisIsStyle Pinterest board.

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The Men's Granite Softshell Jacket by Free Country is Perfect for the Transition From Winter to Spring

Jackets are a necessary evil for me. I really don't like to wear a coat. I get too warm and I hate to carry it around when I go back indoors. When I dress for the outdoors, I try to layer as best as I can, mostly to have some flexibility, but also because I don't want to deal with a bulky coat.

I own several jackets, some are basic shells, as well as a jacket “system” for the coldest of days, but I was lacking a decent coat that was more than a shell, but far shy of a parka. The Free Country Granite Softshell Jacket was the perfect choice to fill that hole in my wardrobe.

The Granite Softshell is a sporty fleece lined jacket with a soft fabric exterior. The coat is heavy enough to layer for the very cold days, but also light enough to wear without layers for the warmer days. Simply put, it was the perfect all around coat for a guy who does not like coats. Wearing the Granite Softshell feels more like wearing a thick fleece than it does a jacket, and that is very important to me.

The jacket does a very good job of keeping the wind out. Although I did not have a chance to wear it in wet weather yet, the manufacturer states it is water resistant. I can see it will keep me dry enough to get inside, but it certainly is not built like a rain coat.

The Granite Softshell is filled with all the pockets, zippers, vents, and Velcro for your storage and custom fitting needs. The quality is decent and I have no problem comparing it to my more expensive name brand outerwear.

The Granite Softshell Jacket became my favorite coat right away. It is definitely the best choice for a guy who does not like to wear a coat. It looks great, feels great, and at $60 (Regularly $100), it is not very expensive. The Granite Softshell gets this coat hater's seal of approval!

Visit FreeCountry.com to shop for cold-weather jackets while the prices are reduced, whether it's still chilly right now where you live or you want to be ready for the next fall and winter seasons. Standard Ground Shipping is free on all orders from Free Country.

Thank you to Free Country for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.

Review: Lands' End Men's SnowSystem Jacket

My husband is a strange breed. He thinks 45 degrees is shorts weather. Unfortunately, we live in New England where the temperature often drops below 45 degrees in the winter and sometimes even in the fall. Still, he despises wearing anything bulky as far as outerwear goes.

The Men's SnowSystem Jacket from Lands' End suits my husband perfectly. It can be worn three different ways . . . with the waterproof outer shell alone, the sporty quilted "PolarThin" inner liner alone, or both pieces together. Even with both pieces together, my husband admits that this men's winter jacket is not cumbersome like most others he's owned.

What my husband and I thought about this Lands' End jacket:

1) I find this jacket to be very attractively designed. The outer shell is stylish and sporty, but more classical, which makes it suitable for men of all ages. The inner layer is more sleek and modern and is not quite my husband's taste. If he were to wear one of the layers alone, he would most likely opt for the outer layer.

2) Although this jacket is lighter than a parka, it is still built for cold weather protection. The air between the outer and inner layers offers extra warmth, similar to the air within down filling.

3) It is very convenient that the neck area is protected so that there is no need for a scarf.

4) Some outerwear manufacturers skimp on the quality of interior hardware, such as the zippers and snaps. This is not the case with this Lands' End jacket. The attention paid to quality of the interior is equal to that of the exterior.

5) The Velcro around the wrists are designed to catch easily, so that someone wearing ski gloves could adjust these straps without removing their gloves.

6) Because my husband gets overheated easily, he was very pleased with the ample length of the pit zips.

7) Two great features that keep the wind, cold air, and ski powder out are the toggle drawstring on the inside hem of the outer shell and the elasticized removable hidden skirt.

8) Other perks about this jacket are the MP3 pocket, which includes a cord port, amply sized pockets inside and out, and this jacket is machine washable, which is an extremely important feature.

My husband is extremely happy with his Lands' End SnowSystem Jacket. He even said that he would not need to take this jacket off when he got in his car as he normally does with all of his other winter coats.

I see that this jacket is currently reduced in price. Even at regular price, this Lands' End jacket is a great value compared to other name brands. A comparable jacket by High Sierra or North Face would cost twice the price of this one. If you or someone you know is in the market for a new men's winter coat, I would definitely put this one on your list of considerations.

To learn more about the SnowSystem Jacket for men, visit LandsEnd.com .

Thank you to Lands' End for providing us with a review product free of charge.