Traveling, especially for business, is one of the more egregious love/hate relationships in our lives. It’s great to get out of the office, especially if maybe you’re flying overseas to some place you’ve never been to before but read about in “Eat, Pray, Live” (I kid, I kid). That is until you land and the food is strange, you’re lost without knowing a lick of the local language, you go straight to endless meetings, never seeing the light of day, all while thinking you could just use a clean hotel room, a hamburger and an eccedrine (which is probably banned in that country). Or maybe you’ve just landed in Kansas City and maybe only the clean hotel part applies. Either way traveling can be rough, especially when you don’t have a warm sandy beach to look forward to. We travel quite a bit at the magazine and want to take this opportunity to try and alleviate some of that pain by introducing you to a host of products we see as indispensable when we’re away from home.

A cardigan for instance, is great for a cold plane or unexpected temperatures when you land, but also can be bunched up and used as a pillow. Driving shoes are also a good choice, they’re unbelievably comfortable for longer walks to and from the hotel but can also be slipped on and off pretty easily at security. See, told you we travel a lot.

Oh and don’t worry, we’ve complied things for any budget that way you may actually be able to afford that trip to the warm sandy beach instead of the Wichita Best Western next to the airport (which we’ve heard is great). Take a second and check out our travel essentials.

Bose Quiet Comfort 15 Headphones ($300)

Apple Macbook Air ($1500)

Apple iPod Nano ($150)

Leica X1 ($TBD)

Lanvin Cashmere Cardigan ($500)

Kiehls Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash ($20)

Acqua di Parma Colonia Hair Shampoo ($35)

Dunhill Sidecar Navy Coat Wallet ($320)

Mulberry Small Clipper Holdall ($1,250)

Tod’s Gommino Driving Shoe ($450)

Asus Eee PC 1005HA ($400)

Muji Portable Cardboard Speakers ($40)

Ray-Ban Folding Wayfarer ($100)

C.O. Bigelow for Men Barber Hair and Body Wash ($10)

Design Go “The Tube” ($7)

J.Crew Cotton-cashmere Cardigan ($70)

Incase Dop Kit ($35)

Cole Haan Howland Penny Driving Shoe ($150)

Filson Medium Duffle Bag ($280)

Believe it or not there are few things that will layer better this fall than a plaid shirt. Strange right? Why would such an intense pattern be easy to match? Think about it – with a plaid shirt, you have a loud canvas to lay on some solid outerwear, as well as the fact that nothing looks better with a good pair of jeans (see: APC New Standards we featured in our fall essentials). Dress these up with a pair of khaki’s, dress ‘em down with a pair of APC’s, put a light layer over it and embrace the fact that it’s fall. Check out our picks for the best plaid’s this season, then see how to pull it all together.

Engineered Garments Plaid Work Shirt

Fred Perry Authentic Stuart Shirt

Ralph Lauren Plaid Shirt

Gitman Bros. Vintage

Steven Alan Single Needle Red/Grey Plaid

APC Squares Shirt

Ralph Lauren Plaid Shirt

Crew Wool-Cashmere Shawl Collar Cardigan

APC New Standard Jeans

Persol 2869s Sunglasses

Cole Haan Braided Leather Belt

Alden Indy Boots

For the Gym

Usually while talking about looking good and the gym its about what happens after months of working out and serious training. While looking good when you’re actually there may not be important to some, all we have to say is: what about that girl two treadmills over that you’ve been making casual eye contact with for months?

Thankfully, your Debonair editors have come up with a few things that won’t make you look like either the Lou Ferrigno gym-rat type or the guy with hyperhydrosis (see: excessive sweating) in the old college t-shirt (which may have fit ‘perfectly’ in his days of beer and pizza but maybe not so much now).

New Balance Burnout Tee $40

Nike Therma-Fit Hoodie $50

Asics Core Microfiber Short $30

Nike Zoom Sparq S9 $100

Sigg Heritage Bottle $24

Clif Bar Builders Bar $2

Philosophy 3 in 1 Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash $20

Nike Ultimatum Duffel Bag $60

For the Run

Fall running can be a strange thing, some days it could be 65 F when you first get out and then suddenly turn colder than a Siberian Winter. That’s why as a runner you have to dress intelligently, layering so you can take off/put on when the temperature fluctuates as well as wearing things that keep you dry, so in the event of a siberian frost your sweat doesn’t turn your skin into a popcicle. Here are a few things that will keep you running this fall.

Brooks HVAC Long Sleeve $60

New Balance NBx Wind Blocker Tights $65

Puma Wind Jacket $55

Adidas ForMotion Training Socks $15 (2pk)

Nike AirMax+ 2009 $140

Brooks Vapor-Dry Glove $30

Classically there have been two main roads to acquiring a suit: an off the rack, department store jacket and pants that may fit well enough with a few alterations, but certainly nothing special. There is then the ultimate luxury in men’s clothing, the fully custom bespoke suit from one of Savile Row’s ancient establishments. Made to exacting standards and more often than not by a man older than your grandfather, it’s a suit that will last a lifetime, never mind may take that long to pay off.

There’s a new way however, one that doesn’t mean settling for less for the discerning man. A new wave of American suit makers are offering fully custom, made to measure suits that have the custom fit and fabric of a Savile Row number but for a fraction of the price. This doesn’t mean they’re cheap, these are still made from Scabal cashmere, the same fabric used by Brioni in it’s own suits and have many of the same features such as functioning button-holes (a now lost detail in all but high end suits).

One of the most promising of this new wave of suit makers however is Astor and Black, the brainchild of 25-year-old David Schottenstein. While studying abroad in Italy, Schottenstein became fascinated by the craftsmanship of fine Italian suits and noticed the lack of similar offerings in the United States. Soon after returning he opened the first Astor and Black office in his native Columbus, Ohio and since then the company has grown steadily.

They have outposts in almost every major American city and have started expanding internationally this year. What this means is that someone will be at your office or home for the first consultation and measurements and then for every subsequent fitting. Your Astor and Black representative will walk you through the multitude of options for your suit and even help you pick out matching shirts and ties to take the guesswork out of the morning rush. After every aspect of your suit is decided and fittings are completed, the finished product will arrive in about a month, not too bad for something a bit less offensive to your bottom line than a $10,000 trip to London.

http://www.astorandblack.com/

This fall is all about refined basics recalling the cool American style of Paul Newman, Steve McQueen and James Dean. While many of the pieces this fall will have been constructed using the same methods and materials as the clothing they are inspired by, the fit is certainly updated for the modern man.

These 7 essentials your debonair editors have picked highlight the best of the season and can be worn all together or with just about anything else in your wardrobe. This season encourages you to use your clothing, to break it in and wear it out, to make it your own and wear it for a lifetime. Each of these pieces are made to last and even more, to channel that effortless style of the classic American man.

This burgundy check button-down shirt from Steven Alan is an integral part of any fall wardrobe and a must have for layering under sweaters, jackets and yes, Patagonia down vests. Roll up the sleeves on those odd Indian Summer days and be comforted that the Steven Alan craftsmanship will ensure years of use. ($180.00)

A good pair of denim is essential no matter what season, but perhaps none more important than in the fall when nights get chilly and you’re forced to trade in the shorts. These APC New Standards are incredibly popular for a reason: they’re made with heavy raw denim straight off the loom, so it’s you doing the breaking in and not some guy wielding a sandblaster at the factory in Taiwan. Get ‘em and you’ll thank us next Spring when you have a pair of perfectly broken in jeans. ($150.00)

Yvon Chouinard started Patagonia in 1970 after realizing he could make outdoor equipment lighter, warmer and more durable than the other guys. Since the day it began, Patagonia has been doing just that and this classic down vest is testament to the years of research and development (mostly in places you and I have never even heard of, nor would ever want to visit, think: the top of Anna Purna). The vest is a perfect layering piece to throw over a long sleeve shirt, ensuring your innards stay warm all day. What if the temperature suddenly climbs above 60F? Well this little guy packs into it’s on pocket, small enough to stash in your girlfriend’s purse. ($150.00)

Randolph Engineering has been the official sunglass supplier to the military for decades, meaning every Navy flyboy before and after Maverick have worn a pair. We figure, if these are good enough for the guys the government trusts with $30 million planes, they’re probably good enough for us. ($100.00)

“The G Series comes full circle” is what Canon says about its brand new G11. All we think is this could be the best camera since, well, the G10. Canon has installed its new DIGIC 4 image processor, the same they use in their much larger (and more expensive) DSLR models, which for everyone but the professional photographer means a must buy for taking on those fall weekend excursions upstate. Foliage anyone? ($500.00)

When Victorinox wanted to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Swiss Army knife, they decided to go back to the original designs made way back in 1870 by Karl Elsener. The knife isn’t quite the multi-tool wonder like it’s sibling the SwissChamp, but has everything you would need for everyday life, be it at the office or on a day hike. We often wonder however about things like the SwissChamp, since when did you need a bag to carry your pocketknife? ($450.00)

Alden boots are about as classic American as you can get, they’re sturdy, comfortable and durable enough for every day use in the city (because lets face it, the city can take a much greater toll on your shoes than any trail in the woods). They’re made with welted leather soles and an all natural leather upper that over time will conform to your feet, plus you can take comfort in the fact that despite the economy, these boots are still made in the same factory in Massachusetts. ($395.00)