Reviews, Chews & How-Tos: Review: Harrison Blake Apparel Subscription

Everybody has heard the saying “clothes make the man.” It’s certainly true — any man looks nicer in a tailored suit than in worn out jeans and a t-shirt — but there’s more to it than that. Clothes make the man, but accessories make the clothes. Take that tailored suit and add a colorful tie, a coordinated pocket square and an eye-catching tie clip to it and the effect increases even more.

For the professional man especially, looking well put together is important every day. But even those of us who have less frequent occasions to dress up have the occasional business meeting, semi-formal dinner or other special occasion that calls for a suit.

However, accessorizing doesn’t come naturally for everyone. Coordinating the necessary of elements takes a certain understanding of complementary colors and the willingness to take some time selecting the items.

Harrison Blake Apparel’s monthly subscription box can help. For $25 a month you get one necktie and four other accessories. The two collections I received (November and December) each contained a tie, pocket square and socks, along with two other items.

Unlike many subscription services, my Harrison Blake items arrived well packed in padded envelopes, but without a box; the presentation is therefore nothing noteworthy, which detracts a little from the overall experience.

Should you purchase a subscription as a gift, just be aware it does not come in the typical subscription box packaging.

The said, each month's collection is made up of good quality, well-coordinated accessories.

I used the items from the first collection, which Harrison Blake subscribers received in November, to take my wife out for a Christmas Eve dinner.

I dressed in my navy blue suit and a white button-down shirt. The Harrison Blake items I wore were burgundy-striped socks, a knit tie, a microfiber pocket square and a tie clip shaped like a car.

(I will be reviewing the December collection separately in about a week.)

I haven’t had a knit tie in a long time, and had to retie it a few times to get it to the proper length and to lay flat. It looked nice with the suit, though, once I got it right. (Very tall men might want to think twice, however: for now, Harrison Blake offers only standard length ties.)

The pocket square is reversible, with a similar color palette but a different pattern on each side. It set off the jacket with a splash of color nicely.

The socks fit comfortably on my size 12 feet, which is not always a given.

The tie clip wasn’t one I would have picked (I have no special fondness for or interest in cars), but it held the tie in place securely while providing another eye-drawing bit of flash.

The fifth item in the November collection was a shoe bag for travel. I haven't actually used it yet, but it is sturdy, and I will use it to keep my dress shoes safe when I next travel.

According to the card included with the collection, the 'average retail cost' of the items bought separately would be $84. However, I checked the prices of each item on the Harrison Blake website, and the total cost of the five items if ordered directly from HB would only be $48, or you can currently purchase the November collection for $40.

This means the $25 subscription price is still a bargain, but not as much of a difference as the prices listed on the card would suggest.

I liked that each month provides a coordinated look, and would recommend Harrison Blake Apparel as a cost and time effective way to pull together a well groomed appearance, whether you dress up often, or only now and then.

Harrison Blake is offering $10 off the first two months of a subscription for RCH readers. Use code RCH when ordering.

Also, check out their social media to get lots of other special deals: