Review: Dapper Box Subscription for Men

Clothes make the man, but it’s the fine touches that make the clothes work. Any man can wear a suit, but to look truly put-together, pay attention to the details.

Dapper Box is for men who want to dress well. It is a monthly subscription box that brings you ties, socks, cologne and other detail items to upscale your suit or dress casual wear. The items are worth up to $96, according to the company. 

For this review, Dapper Box sent me the Frozen Tundra box, their current one at the time. It included a pair of socks, a tie, Frozen Tundra aftershave, metal collar stays and a pocket circle.

In summary, I can say that the quality of all of the items was good.

However, whether Dapper Box is right for you depends on two things: Your style aesthetic, and your size.

Size? It’s true that accessories such as boutonnieres, pocket circles and cologne are not size-dependent. Socks and ties, however, are. If you are big or tall (I am both) you might not be able to wear them.

For me, the socks were too small for my size 13 feet, and the tie was too short for my six-foot height. (My wife, however, can and will use both. Hubba.)

It took her about two seconds to claim these socks for her own.

Sense of style is another consideration. The socks in the Frozen Tundra box are colorful and dotted. They are cute, maybe, but they are not what I would call “dapper.” Even if they had fit, they are not socks I could wear in any kind of a business setting. Other past boxes as shown on their website featured argyle and more dots. The argyles I would wear, but I would also like to see some more conservative patterns — greys, blacks and navy blues.

This is, however, purely a matter of personal taste. The socks are well-made and durable, so if you have smaller feet and like the colorful patterns, you’ll enjoy getting a new pair every month.

The tie is also very nice, and in this case, quite attractive. It is pure silk and would probably cost more than the entire box if purchased in a men’s wear department or store. 

However, it is not a tall size and is too short on me. Someone three or four inches shorter would look very nice with it.

Also, the tie was folded up in the box, creating some visible rumples. Ideally, ties packed for travel or shipping should be rolled.  This is a small adjustment I hope they make, to ensure that their subscribers receive everything in good shape.

The Dapper Box website has no options for alternate sizes, so again, men with big feet and/or above-average height may find the monthly collections only partly useful at this time.

Even at that, I will be happily using the remaining items in the box I received.

The pocket circle puzzled me at first, as I had never seen one and the box does not include any kind of explanatory material (most boxes I’ve received have a card that at least identifies the makers of the products collected). However, I was able to figure it out and found a couple of different methods of folding it online. Here is a simple one, while this one is more elaborate.

Once figured out, the accessory added a nice touch to the overall look, with a fringe of blue that matches the tie. It’s these details that can bring an outfit together. I like having a simple way to upscale my suit without it being fussy.

The aftershave is made by Stirling, which describes the scent as a “blend of nine essential oils and menthol meant to recreate the scent and feel of earth in winter.” The menthol is very noticeable, and it has a nice mild sting of witch hazel on freshly shaved skin.

The collar stays are a functional accessory rather than a visual one, used to keep a shirt collar’s shape in place. Most dress shirts come with plastic stays; these metal ones are less flexible, keep the shape more rigidly secure.  Any man that wears collared shirts needs to keep a few of these on hand.

For men who like the aesthetics of the Dapper Box selections and are of the right size to wear them, it is a great deal. You can subscribe month by month for $29 per month; for three months at $27 per month; six months for $25 per month; or a full year for $23 per month.

Dapper Box also offers custom ties and accessories in large quantities for companies, fraternities or other organizations.

If you'd like to try Dapper Box for yourself, they are generously offering $10 off your first month's box - use the code "RCH" to take advantage of this great bargain! 
Good until Dec. 31st - wouldn't these make a great holiday gift?

https://www.mydapperbox.com/

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