Summer vacation is officially over, and around my house you can already hear the creak of backpacks being unpacked. Here’s the thing: once the kids are geared up for school, there’s a rule I’ve started following. I get to gear up for fall work style too. Same season, same energy, but this time the glossary is different, and the price tags have opinions.
Below is the grown-up back-to-school list I’m working through this year, with the actual numbers where I have them. One honest warning: the big sales haven’t hit the new fall arrivals yet, so expect some sticker shock at first.
Briefcase
A backpack is convenient, sure. It will never look as professional in a meeting, though. I want something in leather, canvas, or ballistic nylon, one that doesn’t shout, and with both a top grab handle and a shoulder strap for the longer treks. These are the ones on my list:
- Bosidu “Leather” Briefcase (via Amazon) – $56.99
- Maverick & Co. Manhattan Leather Briefcase – $309
- NEWHEY Waxed Canvas Briefcase – $49.99
- Johnston & Murphy Hunter Leather Briefcase – $123.48 ($295)
Tiny review: the Amazon briefcase is cheap but looks decent enough. Don’t expect it to last a lifetime, though the reviews are surprisingly positive, with some claiming multiple years of use. Do let it air out, it stinks coming out of the box. The waxed canvas one is fine enough. The exterior really is waxed canvas, and the interior is serviceable, but the lining feels like it could rip easily.
Style books (the grown-up textbooks)
If you’re at the point where you want your shelf holding something other than leftovers from a reading list, there are good options. Coffee table books, timeless classics, the works:
- The Style of Time: The Evolution of Wristwatch Design – $53.49
- Dressing the Man – $31.49
- Style and the Man – $14.39
- Plus a free “start here” style guide you can find online (free. No email list required. I don’t know what their business model is.)
New “nice” work clothes
My mom used to drag me to JCPenney for back-to-school shirts that were itchy, ill-fitting, and somehow labeled “nice.” I’m convinced that’s where a lot of people got the wrong idea that dressing up is uncomfortable. It’s the opposite. Dressing well should feel as good as it looks. If I have the means and the time, I’m taking my time on these:
- Bonos Unconstructed Blazer – $400
- Spier & Mackay Mayfair Wool Suit – $478
- Banana Republic LUXE Traveler Jean – $130
- LEDWEAR 365 Pants – $108
- Flint & Tinder 365 Pants – $108
- Gentleman’s Grenadine Ti – $75
Nice notebooks
Rolling your eyes at pen and paper in the digital age? I did too, until I tried. Using a real notebook and pen is a lot like wearing a wristwatch: the benefits over your smartphone add up. Physically writing is the way my brain actually shifts old habits into better ones. Typing just doesn’t seem to work as well for me. On my list:
- Amade FormFunctionForm The Slot Horn Leather Notebook Cover – $128–$172
- Moleskine XL – $21
- Amade Alexa Pulitzer Long Pad – $20
- Amade Appointed Notebook – $24
- Amade Field Notes Reporter Notebook – $16.95 (2-pack)
A nice pen
To go with the notebooks, you’ll need something to write with. No, you don’t have to go stupid expensive. Just something that feels good in the hand and is a real pleasure to use. I’ve tried a bunch of pens, and I keep, KEEP coming back to the Lamy Safari. Been using the same one for years. Takes a refill every so often, but the body and nib have been indestructible. Cheap plastic, writes like a charm. I don’t know how, but it does.
- Retro 1951 Tornado Classic Lacquer Pen – $38
- Lamy Safari Fountain Pen – $28
- Fisher Original Astronaut Space Pen – $75.60
- Kaweco Fountain Pen – $35.45
Workout gear (the new gym clothes)
Remember the heavy cotton tees you had to write your name on with a Sharpie? The tech and athleisure fix means lightweight, breathable, flexible fabric now. Pro tip: these things are usually overpriced at full price, so check the discount racks. Often entire racks of this stuff. If it fits, feels good, and moves well, who cares about the color if you’re gung-ho about a workout. And when laundry time comes, a little white vinegar with your regular detergent helps keep that funk-breeding bacteria off your performance wear.
- Proof Type 2 Training Tee – $46 ($58)
- Dick’s VRST Circuit Seamless 1/4 Zip – $43.99 ($68)
- Target All-in-Motion Performance Tee – $15
- Target All-in-Motion Stretch Woven Shorts – $25
- Adidas Tiro Pants – $40 ($60)
- Lululemon Warm Streamer Joggers – $128
Outerwear (the new jacket)
A favorite jacket is kind of like armor. It’s also the one piece you’ll wear almost daily from fall through spring, so a splurge that you actually love pays off. That said, simple styles can be found at brands that won’t destroy your future financial state. Thrifting can pay off too: smell anything secondhand before you buy, get it cleaned, and then take it to a tailor if needed to truly fit your frame. And remember, outerwear can’t fit too snug. It has to go over layers. Often bulky layers.
- Flint & Tinder Flannel-Lined Wax Trucker – $328
- Barbour x J.Crew Barn Jacket (waxed cotton) – $425
- Cardinal of Canada Raincoat – $199.97 ($495)
- J.Crew Cotton Moleskin Chore Jacket – $198
- BR Factory Classic Trench – $120
- Barbour Quilted Nylon Vest – $99.97 ($165)
- J.Crew Factory Walker Quilted Vest – $94.50
- BR Factory Heritage Nylon Bomber – $75ish
Art for the office wall
Whether it’s an original from a friend or a local artist, a photo of mine I’ve always wanted printed, or a classic print off a site, putting something new on the wall is rarely a bad idea. Get something that means something to you, or something that means nothing but looks good.
Sneakers
We’re living in a golden age of sneakers. Cheap, expensive, retro, or futuristic, clean classics or busy boundary-pushers. No more pull-up bar nightmares required.
- Adidas Training Spezial – $120
- Nike Air Jordan Low – $120
- Nordstrom Mitchell Sneakers – $99.95
- Nike Field General – $62.97 ($105)
- LUCA Court Sneakers – $175
- GUSTIN Made in Italy Low Top – $199 (pre-order)
Leather shoes & boots
So many kinds of boots worth owning, so little time to wear them. So here we are:
- Allen Edmonds Park Avenue – $450
- Allen Edmonds Higgins Mill Weatherproof Boot – $550
- Red Wing 6″ Moc Toe Boot – $329
- LUCA Chelsea Boot – $228
- Spier & Mackay Blake-Stitched Dark Brown Cap Toe – $198
- J.Crew Suede Lake Shoe – $198
- LUCA Terra Desert Sneaker Boot – $183 ($215)
- L.L. Bean Bean Boot – $150
A watch (the alarm clock, upgraded)
More than one of us has the anxiety dream of the alarm not going off and missing the first day of school or a big test. Almost everyone uses their phone as an alarm these days, but there are still reasons to wear a watch. Not least of all, it gets you where you need to be on time once you’re out the door. Fumbling with your phone while in motion is a pain. And who wants to be one of the millions glued to their tiny screens, inattentively strolling down the street?
- Orient Bambino 75th Anniversary – $325
- Caravelle Sea Hunter – $300ish
- Hamilton Khaki Field Quartz 38mm – $445
- Timex 1976 Lexington Reissue Insriled – $149 (out of stock)
Stationery
Loose-leaf was the school supply that was passed to someone else in the end. Same deal with stationery:
- Terrapin Stationers Golden Rooster Stationery – $18
- Appointed Occasion Notecards – $16 (set of 6)
- Alexa Pulitzer Royal Alphabet Greeting Card – $5
- Papier Classic Border Personalized Stationery Set – (prices vary)
- Papier L’Empereur Writing Paper Set – (prices vary)
A catch-all for the catch-alls
A smaller thing for holding the even smaller things that wouldn’t fit, or need to be contained, inside the larger thing you put bigger things in. On my list:
- Quince Italian Leather Two-Compartment Travel Bag – $69.90
- WP Standard Utility Pouch – $62 (was $88 with a code I saw floating around)
- Figson Dryden Travel Pack – $69
- FormFunctionForm Valet Tray – $98
- Unmark Dopp Kit – $60
Will a sub-$60 briefcase actually hold up?
Per the reviews, surprisingly yes. Some claim multiple years of use on the Amazon option I flagged. Just air it out when it arrives, it smells coming out of the box. Don’t expect lifetime durability, but for the price, it punches above its weight.
Why bother with a watch when my phone tells the time?
Two reasons: checking the time without fumbling out your phone on the move, and simply not being one of the millions staring at a tiny screen while walking down the street. Plus the notebook-and-pen habit pairs with it well.
Are these prices current?
They’re what I saw when I put this list together in mid-August. The back-to-school sales haven’t hit the new fall arrivals yet, so expect some of the sale prices to be better later, and the full-price items to drop. Check before you buy.
A note from Ava: I’ve already got the briefcase pre-ordered and a pen on order. The jacket splurge is still on the fence. Tell me below: what’s the one thing on your grown-up back-to-school list that isn’t for the kids?
More stuff I keep coming back to: my capsule wardrobe guide and the fall layering looks I’m building. Both on the cheap side, both worth a look.
