Bonobos Blog
Well, not REALLY. That’s still a few months off, but close enough! Our Director of Design Brett brought his new Yellow Lab puppy, King, for a very brief visit today and he was too cute for words (and a little bit terrified… As Brett pointed out, he’s only been out of the barn for five days!!!)
See Chief of Staff Dave and Ninja/Blogger Marshall being extremely productive and proud papa Brett showing off below. Thought you’d enjoy!
Seth from D.C. recently picked up a pleothora of Bonobos (including our hyper-swanky Pluperfects) and sported his new Capertons to a Nationals game (the seventh in a losing streak). “These are the best pants in history,” he wrote to me a few weeks ago. “The other day five women complimented me on them, all independent of one another. I think I’m going to have to get some Party Starters ASAP.” Rock on, Seth!
Mailbag – we’re so inspired and in awe of The Sports Guy that we thought we would try to come up with something analogous to his legendary mailbag. Believe it or not, our designer gets a ton of questions from the field and will handpick some of the best to be addressed here on our blog…
Q: I bought the clean slates, they are my new favorite pair of pants. What should I get next?–Dan G, Manhattan
A: A familiar refrain… You know when I designed the Clean Slates I was pretty sure they would do well, but at the time the Midnight Blues were far and away our best seller. A rare piece of Bonobos Trivia here: in April of 2008 (right after I came back to the company full time and moved into the stockroom where Andy had been sleeping for the first 6 months of Bonobos in New York) we hit a point where we were down to something like 400 pairs of pants in inventory and I think almost half of them were Midnight Blues in size 35. Ooops! That’s when I came up with the Clean Slate idea and I figured if they did half as well as the MBs we would be pleased. Well it turns out they are now our bestselling trousers, right up there with the Khakis. To answer your question Dan, I usually tell people that they should pick up a pair of the Congos – they are like the Clean Slates in many ways but give you another non-khaki option in that same awesome fabric. Alternatively, if I want to encourage them to try another one of our signature fabrics, I recommend the Shoguns/Samurai in navy cord – this is probably the pair of Bonobos that I wear the most, all year round. They are just so damn versatile, and are probably the closest thing to jeans in terms of matching what’s left in my wardrobe that I used to wear with denim. Last suggestion – get a pair of our wool trousers, something in the G-series or Fundamentals. These are also highly versatile trousers like the Clean Slates. 
Q. My wallet is starting to look like George Costanza’s – and doesn’t fit well into my Bonobos pockets… what should I do? –John M., Chicago, IL
A: We highly encourage all of our customers to throw out the enormous wallet and move to a slim system. Just carry what you really need – license, credit card, cash. With a money clip (we recommend the binder clip, straight out of your desk drawer) or in one of those small credit card holders. We like $50 bills for this purpose and curse the fact that so few ATMs have them. Too bad Citiwide Change (of SNL fame) doesn’t have more ATMs – they were so great at offering combinations that met our particular change needs. But seriously, the slim system is much more flattering as it will alleviate that distant but pernicious cousin of Khaki Diaper Butt - CBFB – Chunky Bill-Fold Bulge, which can be caused by any number of culprits in your front or back pockets such as large key rings, fatty Costanza wallets, blackberries, etc. and makes you a chimmel. Carrying big stuff in your pockets sullies the drape and overall look of your trousers/shorts and should be avoided whenever possible. Do you really need your frequent sandwich card from Flingers? Or your Starwood Preferred Guest Gold Card? And by the way, we are nervous about Starwood’s loyalty programs as they have a chequered history of devaluing the Starpoint.
Q. I know you guys are famous for your pants, but I’m starting to get a bit thin on my noggin, can you recommend any prudent course of action – I’ve always been a fan of big hair but it’s getting tougher to pull off.–Mark W., Santa Monica
A: Funny you should happen upon a favorite topic of mine… the strategic use of the wig. I know what you’re thinking…. WIG? WHIG? Not a toupee but a ridiculously awesome Bon Jovi style rockstar wig. Seriously. There is no better way to cover up a receding hairline. Your other options include propecia, which we hear kills your sex drive. Clearly not an option. Or wearing a ball cap – once you hit your 20s-30s a baseball hat is a dead giveaway for hair loss and sportsbaritis (a disease where you still love sports bars and domestic macro brews more than anything else). The 80s hair-band rocker wig reeks of confidence, exuberance, and creativity. When was the last time someone wore a hat that you actually noticed or thought was cool? Here is a pic of my best buddy John and me sporting some salad at a bar in British Columbia… 
and here is the pic of me trying to pretend I was mad at the hottest girl in the bar for stealing my wig and revealing my slightly receding hairline. 
Q: I dig the shoes in your product photography – where do you shop for them?–Michael C., Chicago, IL
A: We tend to pick up our shoes all over the place - don’t have a fave place mostly because the prices are usually so outrageous everywhere. We get more questions about the tan leather shoes in the Greewich Lean Times and Superfreakonomics than anything else.
For the record, those are last season’s Gucci, purchased at Nieman Marcus. What’s just as important as WHERE you shop for shoes is WHEN you shop for shoes. January and July are usually your best bets, when there are semi-annual sales at places like Nieman’s (located in most big cities except Manhattan, where they have Bergdorf Goodman) and smaller boutiques. One thing I’ve noticed about shoes is that setting aside how they look, some brands are significantly more comfortable than others. Taryn Rose, Tod’s and Prada tend to be head and shoulders above the others with respect to wear-ability. Which is REALLY important. I’d love to make Bonobos shoes sometime soon – we’ll bring you all the panache and pukka of our fave brands named above, at about half the price. Last word on shoes – push the limits – a great pair of white leather shoes looks amazing with just about everything but white.
And if you like to wear khakis or white pants, go with some brightly colored loafers or boat shoes – exquisite footwear can make the outfit (these are Paul Smith). 
Q: I have 9 weddings to attend this summer and a lot of rehearsal dinners – what am I supposed to wear to the rehearsal dinner? Any good ideas to spice up my wardrobe for these affairs?–Bryce W. Las Vegas, NV
A: Welcome to Wedding Season Bryce. Team Bonobos attends a ton of weddings and we discuss this topic in our office a lot. Here is the party line: Rehearsal Dinners – email your friend the groom and ask him what you should wear. This is frequently the only decision the groom gets to make after he pops the question; it’s good to recognize this and ask him a) what he is wearing (take this page out of the girls’ playbook, people love it when you ask them what they are wearing because they have probably thought a lot about it and are invariably proud of the ensemble), and b) what he wants you to wear. If you aren’t in contact with the groom, plan to wear a blazer, a tie, and nice pair of trousers. Starting with a tie makes sense as it’s always easy enough to remove it, and I always like to say “be overdressed, not underdressed, if it must be guessed!”
As for what type of look you should target – I always encourage people to wear festive attire to rehearsal dinners AND weddings. It’s a celebration and nothing says you are happy to be there, ready to dance the night away, toast the nuptials, and foment merriment like a colorful bow tie, a seersucker suit, a handsome boater, a bright silk kerchief, a cane, or any other clever accoutrement or dash of style. If you, like me, end up seeing the same people at many of the weddings you attend, then challenge yourself to come up with variants of these colorful looks or you’ll end up like my buddy Alpha who owns one seersucker suit and one shirt/shoes/tie/belt that he wears to every single wedding without fail. At some point this look wears out (women have known this for years – you gotta mix it up). Seersucker will always be in, but the real ninjas will move into even more appropriate summer suiting like a solid beige in tropic wool or linen, a light grey suit with faint purple pinstripes, or a pair of white trousers and a stunning navy linen blazer (if you are this good, you need not worry about rules and you probably should be giving me advice, not reading this mailbag).
We’ve been thinking about Africa a lot these days, with our ongoing initiative to help save our namesakes at the Lola ya Bonobos Orphanage in the Congo. So how timely to receive this photo from one of our growing army of female Bonobos wearers, taken at the most famous Kabob shop in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Barbara writes: “The heat and humidity was oppressive, but I loved the Super Soakers (SO lightweight)! Plus they coordinated well with my Obama shirt, which opened many doors for me as I was frequently the only westerner around. I was on personal commitment when in Africa, taught three courses of 5.5 days each to a total of 105 physicians and nurses from all over Tanzania, and then some from Kenya and other East African countries! What a gift!”
Very cool. And the icing on the cake? Yeah, that’s totally my mom. Way to rock the Soakers, Moms!!!
Troy of Minnesota is one of our best and most enthusiastic customers. He recently asked for some advice on which pants to buy for a trip to Vegas. I asked him what the occasion was, and his answer became a kind of manifesto of fraternal mischief. Troy and his buds were headed to Vegas for their Manniversary. Read on!
Manniversary [MAN-uh-vur-suh-ree], noun
2008: The Beginning My bachelor party in Las Vegas drew to an end. Our penthouse suite at the Bellagio was wrecked from the four-night stay.
Memories were foggy. As we woke, my best man Corey turned to our friend Lucas. Corey noticed that Lucas was wearing a ring.
“Dude, you’re wearing a ring? Did we get married last night?” Corey asked, afraid of knowing the answer—more afraid of what he’d tell his wife.
“Maybe. I don’t know what happened,” Lucas replied. Nobody in the room could retrace the steps of the prior evening. How we all got back, and if we all got back—to this day unknown.My friend Steve picked up the phone. “Hi, front desk? Yeah, I have a question. Can two guys marry each other in Las Vegas? Because one of my buddies up here woke up with a ring on, and we think that two of them might have gotten hitched. They don’t remember a lot from last night,” Steve said with a sense of urgency. The front desk attendant assured Steve that, “umm, no, that’s not legal here.”
In any event, Corey and Lucas had their “wedding picture” taken that day. Soon thereafter came the idea of a lifetime. An idea more mantastic than any other idea that had come before it: a Manniversary. A yearly trip with the crew of my bachelor party to celebrate the “union” of Corey and Lucas. A reason to leave the wives and girlfriends behind and party like we were still in college. A reason to burn through that hard earned vacation time that Corporate America rewards us with on each paycheck. We all parted ways that day, vowing that we would return to Las Vegas in 2009 to celebrate the Manniversary.
Manniversary 2009:Return to Las Vegas A brocation back to the desert to spend four days drinking, partying, and recovering at Adult Disney World. This year, we had a fresh face. A first timer. When it’s your first night out with us on the Manniversary, we call it your Bro-mitzvah. It’s the time where you cease being a man, transcend manhood all together, and step into Bro-hood. We had it all planned out months ahead of time. We had the Spearmint Rhino the first night, Christian Audigier the next, followed up by VIP at Tao on Friday night. And just as sure as I had good intentions and bad ideas, I had a pair of Bonobos for each major leg of the trip. I was with nine of my best friends in the world for half a week of fun, and I wanted to look sharp. I had the Bonobos slotted ahead of time for each night—Wednesday: Mint Juleps, Thursday: Midnight Blues, Friday: G5. The moment I pulled on those lightweight green cords, it was game time. This Manniversary was going to be just as great as 2008. No, this Manniversary was going to exceed 2008. This Manniversary would be the Manniversary that brings Manniversary trips everywhere into a new dimension. I was 45 pounds lighter than the year before, and I was armed (or legged) with the greatest pair of trousers I ever owned: my Bonobos.
Bonobos and I successfully conquered that city, lived to tell the tale, and lived to plan Manniversary 2010. The plan is to head south, down to the great state of Louisiana. New Orleans! “Manniversary 2010: bromance in the Bayou.” See you there, Bonobos….
Back in the dead of winter, we went to the drawing board to craft our new line of shorts. We goofed around with a pair of short Bonobos cut-offs. It did not go well. Returns ninja Chris Forsythe tried them on (on a dare) and they made him look like a post-op Daisy Duke. He has yet to live that down.
(In the interest of full disclosure: Bonobos cut-offs may reappear as the exclusive uniform of the ninjas when we start our dodgeball league next week. Stay posted for updates; suffice it to say, when you match up against customer service ninjas, you get served in more ways than one.)
Our new shorts are cut exactly like our pants through the seat and crotch, but are slightly wider at the thigh for greater mobility and ventilation as the days grow warmer. Last year we let our imaginations take flight, and brought you shorts like the Aquemini, Jungle Kings, and Sunscreens.
This year we’re taking a bit more classic approach, bringing you a hearty inventory of core colors for maximum versatility. We launch a perfect pair of simple khaki shorts today in both 7″ and 9″ inseams; as the official start of summer draws nearer we’ll add slate gray and navy blue to the roster, and eventually a few funkier styles too.
Pair them just about any t-shirt or polo for a smart, comfortable summer look. Wear ‘em with sneakers, sandals, or go sans socks in loafers for a preppier look.
Our friend Joe (filmmaker and expletive enthusiast) ordered himself some cords last summer and, incredulous as to how they’d fare as a summertime trouser, decided to give them a try in the South Pacific. How’d it go? Read on!
We’ve recently gotten a ton of questions about which Bonobos are best for spring and summertime. Here is the current lineup and our best recommendations! Fireworks, skinny dipping, Weber grills, and Hobie Cat thrills. Here we go!
Easy Winners - Super Soakers and Leblons. We wear white pants all year, but especially love them in the summer! Our Leblons provide a brilliant white, soft brushed, 6-ounce cotton that works with everything from a sweater on a cool evening to a colorful clubby tank top when things get steamy. We also wear the Leblons for lawn athletics such as grass court tennis, badminton, and croquet. The Super Soakers are our top-selling summer pant and it’s probably because they are not only a Bonobos exclusive but so silky smooth and comfortable that they offer a dry wit and panache even in the most oppressive climates and country clubs. We wear them with solid tops, generally pink, lavender, or white polos and dress shirts (tucked in or not), and white shoes, creamy nubucs and driving loafers, or sandals.
Summerweight cords - Turqs, Mint Juleps, Party Starters, and Orange Crush. These are perfect for wear with sandals and a soft cotton t-shirt. Don’t be fooled by the term corduroy, the truth is that these are light and buttery and will not weigh you down or heat you up. Perfect for yachting, chilling, long walks on the beach, and so forth.
Lightweight organic stretch cotton. We make this awesome fabric into the No Scrubs, the Los Bonobos and the Touchstones. All you need is a navy blue polo shirt or light cotton sportshirt and you have three incredible outfits. We like to wear these while traveling and out to dinners al fresco. They are comfortable, versatile, have enough stretch to let the air flow through them, and to accommodate belly bursting barbecue and beer binges, or clambakes and crawfish boils.
Lightweight wools. The Dorian Grays are probably the best option here; not only are they lightweight pants, but the light grey hue is perfect for sunny days, looks awesome with white shoes and light colored dress shirts. The Dorian Grays provide our most direct route to Miami-Vice-style warm weather evening elegance, romance, and intrigue. Next in line would be the Savage Verde, which also come in a lightweight and heat friendly fabric. You can take these up market with a pressed dress shirt, but they also work really well with t-shirts, especially high quality, slim-fitting v-necks. Last, but not least, are the Haymakers. The sleek white pinstripes on the beige background say Havana have no fear and they look magestic with a brown leather shoe and a white linen shirt, white 60s/80s polo, and a white or pink sweater thrown over the shoulders to defend the cool breeze. Aruba, Havana, have no fear… your strong but subtle Haymakers are here.
Dear Bonobos,
I am happily employed as a high school language arts teacher in rural southern Ohio. I love where I live, and I am very pleased to be teaching at my alma mater. My main goal as a teacher has never been to make money. I work each day to try to provide the students of this small farming community with more opportunities than I had at their age, whether that be through the literature we read in class or the elective classes I teach. I am proud to be a teacher. I am always disappointed when people who don’t know that I teach ask me to tell them my occupation. When they hear that I spend the majority of my day with sophomores trying to encourage them to read and write, I usually get asked if I’m crazy or a glutton for punishment.
I work each day to try to provide the students of this small farming community with more opportunities than I had at their age, whether that be through the literature we read in class or the elective classes I teach.
Imagine my delight when I opened up my RSS reader today. Ever since I discovered your company, I have been drawn to your product and your business philosophy. I began following your blog months ago and have enjoyed reading the many testimonials from satisfied customers. I was very excited as I read the post about John Johnson of Nevada, and the Band of Brothers program for customers who dedicate their lives to public service.
I view education as my calling. I recognize that the education profession is not for everyone. It is nice to know there are people beyond the communities we serve who appreciate what we do.
Thank you,
Justin Drummond
The Bonobos Ninjas are known to be men-about-town, and one of our favorite haunts is Brother Jimmy’s BBQ, serving up some of the tastiest eats and raciest raconteurs in New York City.
Apparently, we are not alone in our fandom. Read what Adam E. had to say about the inaguration of his Mint Juleps:
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