I’ve got a thing for navy shoes in the warmer months — they’re versatile like brown shoes, but bring a more vibrant contrast to already brown-hued khaki pants. My fiancee recently turned me to Bass, a 136-year-old Maine-based company I’d known solely for the loafers of my parent’s generation, as an affordable source for this shoe. After getting these, it’s clear that I didn’t pay enough attention to the company over the years.

Been yearning to do neckwear outside of the usual business, formal, and Halloween situations, and I finally decided to give it an earnest shot this Spring starting with my very first silk knit ties. I bought two from one of my favorite sources for accessory experimentation: stores.com">Century 21 in the Financial District.

Seemingly always overrun by tourists, Century 21 can be overwhelming and is often hit-or-miss. But it’s great for cheap experiments in accessorizing, such as for ties and pocket squares. The one I’m trying here is by a company I’d never heard of before called Burma Bibas, and costed around $10. I also got a black and purple (goth colors, my fiancee notes) horizontal striped Ralph Lauren for around $17.

Since this was during one of the more precipitous days in recent weeks (April flowers brought May showers in NYC), I’m also donning a Uniqlo mac coat and my favorite rain boots from L.L. Bean: