Ask the Readers: How Do You Build a Wardrobe on a Budget?
Published on - December 3rd, 2010 (Modified on - December 4th, 2010) (by J.D. Roth) If you were building your wardrobe from scratch, how would you do it? Would you prioritize quality? Would you emphasize cost? Or is there some happy balance between the two? That’s what GRS reader author J.D. wants to know. He writes:
I’m a 40-something guy who’s lost 40-something pounds over the past year. This is a good thing. But now my old clothes don’t fit. As a frugal fellow, this creates something of a dilemma. How do I re-build my wardrobe while keeping an eye on costs?
For most of my adult life, I’ve dressed in what I’d call Modern Slob. Or maybe Geek Casual. My wardrobe comprised jeans, t-shirts, and sweatshirts, most of which were purchased at Costco and local thrift stores.
Now that I’m slimmer, I’m more interested in dressing well. That is, I want to look nice, and not like I don’t give a hoot. I don’t need to buy a suit, but I’d like to learn how to buy affordable clothing in classic fashions. I don’t know where to start.
First, I’ll stop referring to myself in third person. (It’s like a bad Seinfeld episode or something.) Next, I’ll elaborate on my concerns.
I really do have something of a wardrobe crisis. Downstairs in the living room, I have a pile of clothes that no longer fit. I’m gradually giving these away to friends and family (and will donate the rest to charity), but meanwhile there’s little left to wear. I don’t need to rebuild my wardrobe to the size it was before my wardrobe project, but I do want to have some essentials on hand. Right now, I have no dress shirts that fit. And no dress pants. And no turtlenecks. And no jeans.
I could go on a shopping spree at the local mall, I suppose, but that’s so not me (and on so many levels). I’ve tried to buy some new clothes at Costco, but I don’t like the fit and fashions they offer right now. That leaves me with the thrift stores, but these are an imperfect solution. I’m truly puzzled about how to build a wardrobe on a budget.
Affordable fashion?
Lately, out of curiosity, I’ve been reading magazines like GQ and Esquire. I haven’t done this in 20 years. (And once this spell passes, it’ll probably be another 20 years before I pick them up again.) While entertaining, there are a couple of problems with modern fashion mags:
- I have zero interest in buying “fashionable” clothing. I abhor the idea of owning something that’s hip today but which may be unwearable five years from now. I’m drawn to what Alan Flusser calls “permanent fashion“. (And the casual end of that.)
- I’m not willing to pay big bucks for clothes. I cringe when I read things like: “Yes, you could buy a cashmere sweater for $90, but why would you? Top quality costs ten times as much, but it’s worth it.” Not to me, it isn’t. No sweater is worth $900. Remember, I’m accustomed to buying sweaters for $9 at Goodwill.
Surely there’s a balance to be had. There must be fine clothes available at reasonable prices, especially for folks like me who don’t give a whit about labels. I just want quality. (And although it pains my frugal nature, I’m willing to admit that maybe paying a little more for quality is worth it.)
Does quality trump cost?
For example, I recently bought an Icebreaker merino wool t-shirt on sale at REI for $45. I felt guilty about this for days (because it’s three times what I’d usually spend on a t-shirt), but then I wore it during our trip to Europe. I loved it. The shirt felt great, but best of all, it never stank — even after I wore it for a week straight. (No joke.) If that t-shirt holds up to wear, it’ll be worth $45 in my book, and I’ll no longer feel guilty about buying it.
But I’m not willing to spend $45 each on a drawer full of t-shirts. That’s crazy, right? Plus, I’m not ready to rule out thrift stores. I can buy great stuff there for cheap. Just last week, for example, I went thrift-store shopping with Kris and her sister. I was giddy to find one of my favorite shirts — one that I’ve purged because it’s too large — in size medium. For five bucks. (Then I found two more from the same company that I picked up, too.) And just yesterday, I bought a nice-looking pair of name-brand corduroy pants for $6 at another thrift store.
If thrift stores are so great, why don’t I use them exclusively? Well, they’re a great way to supplement the clothes you already have, but it’s tough to use them to build a wardrobe from scratch. Their selection is…random. And there’s no co-ordination between styles.
Help me help myself
So, dear readers, I need your help. Tell me: How do you find affordable clothing? If you were building a wardrobe from scratch, where would you start? Is it feasible to do this just using thrift stores? Are you willing to pay more for quality? How much more?
Finally, can you recommend any websites about dressing well? (I’m especially interesting in learning how to dress well on a budget.) Or maybe I should forget about looking nice and just go back to being a modern slob!
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First, find out what are flattering colors on you. Second, find styles that are both flattering and things you like. It may be worth a trip to a department store like Nordstroms just to get some help in picking out a few items with someone who has an eye for it. That being said, I find a lot of my husband’s classic items at Old Navy or J.C. Penny’s (on sale of course). If you do any shopping online, never make a purchase without searching for an online coupon code.
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Echo the above on staples (target, etc.).
However, on the nice clothes front, i have yet to see someone recommend a good tailor. Whatever the fashion, material, or cost, the biggest factor in whether something looks good on you is the fit. A $30 shirt that fits you exactly will look infinitely better than the $300 designer shirt.
I buy the staples as I need them (pro tip: switch to deodorant without anti-persperant or aluminum in it. No more “pit stains” or deodorant bleed off so clothes last longer) but i have a few bucks stashed away each month to buy 1 or 2 “good” items. These are things that may be more expensive than the costco version, but last. Fortunately men’s fashion isn’t as fickle year to year as women’s and certain things always are in style (we got the long end of the stick on that one!). Look at the above comments for links to sites that can help you decide what your “classics” are.
The key to the method is A) limiting the splurge to one or two things, say putting $150 or $200 on it a month as a line in your budget. Don’t save it. Don’t combine months. Buy one item. A year later you’ll have 12 really decent items. You’re pretty much done for a bit. The one classic item will instantly dress up any of your staples. Mix and match. There’s no need to have all your clothes expensive, and it’ll look like you’re trying too hard anyways. Key B) The tailor. Make sure to mark $20-$50 of that monthly $200 to tailor the item. Again, fit makes it look infinitely more sophisticated and nice.
The only caveat to the above is if the $150-$200 is outside what you want to budget, you can lower it and hunt thrift/consignment stores. It’ll take a little longer, and you may skip months if there’s nothing that jumps out at you. Just do not skimp on the tailor.
Also, like most of us guys, bring your wife to help pick out the items
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@Jason (#95)
Bah bah bah! My typos are getting out of control. And the problem is they’re homonyms, so can’t be spell-checked. It’s not like I don’t know the right words, but something in my brain is short-circuiting. You don’t even see most of the mistakes because I catch them before publication. But too many are slipping through. Bah bah bah!
I’m inclined to sift through all of these comments and make one colossal compilation post with the tips from everyone. There’s a lot of overlap, and some great ideas. I’m very appreciative of all your advice.
Thank you.
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My husband works in a professional environment in which he needs to dress well. I’ve found our best wardrobe deals in J.C. Penney’s, during their (fairly frequent) sales. If you aren’t confident picking out classic styles for yourself, look for the sales clerk whose look comes closest to the one you want to emulate. Then ask his advice in choosing the following basics from sales items:
–2 or 3 pairs of dress slacks in neutral shades (navy, gray, khaki)
–5 pairs of classy dress socks (we buy multiple matching pairs so if one develops a hole, you can still use the remaining sock)
–1 or 2 sports coats that go with chosen slacks (solid navy if only 1, navy and a tweed if 2)
–1 or 2 white dress shirts
–1 or 2 solid color (such as blue) or pin-striped dress shirts
–2 or 3 ties that coordinate with pants, sport coat(s) and dress shirts
–1 good leather belt in black or brown (to match your dress shoes)
–1 good pair of dress shoes in black or brown
–One sweater that coordinates with your slacks and shirts. This can be long-sleeved (to wear in lieu of a sports coat) or a sweater vest (in a pattern that can be layered with your sports coat or worn alone)
–1 classic trench-style raincoat with removable liner (so you can wear it year-round)
With those items, you can go almost anywhere and feel well-dressed. And it will cost a lot less than you think if you buy everything on sale (even if you have to buy things over one or two sales cycles). The main advantage of one big shopping expedition, is it makes it easier to make sure everything you buy mixes and matches (which expands the look of your wardrobe exponentially).
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Starting from scratch, I’d go to Kohls on a sale day, open a store credit card for the extra 15% off and pick up some boring staples: khakis, dress shirts, polos, shoes, sweaters. Go back to the store the next day and pay it off. Get a base going, then you can get back to the thrift store/bargain bin habit to fill in the gaps.
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For a long time, I made the mistake of buying my clothing from cheap, “budget conscious” clothing stores such as Old Navy, F21, H&M, etc only to find that my clothing doesn’t last more than a few months and wore out quickly.
I know its not anything new but most of my clothing comes from thrift and consignment stores (though I found that Portland doesn’t have as large as a selection as the Bay Area), and discount stores such as Ross, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, etc. Clearance racks (not just regular sale racks) at “regular” department stores where the item has been marked down a few times can be a gold mine as well.
When I dropped 40 lbs a few years ago, I was in a similar situation. I had some items tailored (until they got too large) and eventually had to get rid of everything in my closet including several pairs of shoes. Its a good problem to have!
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let me offer two tips
1) don’t buy things from outlet stores unless you only care about the brand. i recently learned that stores such as gap/ eddie bauer/ banana republic make a cheaper/ less well made version of their clothes specifically for their outlet stores.
2) you don’t need to buy turtlenecks. you cannot look like a functioning member of modern society wearing one in public.
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With all the seasonal “creep” in the retail industry, I’ve found you can often catch classic clothes on sale while they are still in season. For instance, I live in the southeast U.S., where Gap has had their fall and winter clothes out since late summer. I bought a 1/4-zip pullover sweater on sale in October for $30 that listed for $44.50. The temps in our area were still in the 70s. Two weeks ago, my wife & I were in another Gap store & saw the same sweater on sale for $14. Merino wool v-neck sweaters (normally $49.50) were $20. The temps that day were in the low 60s. I bought another sweater that day in a different color. By the retailer standards, I bought those items out of season. But in reality, the season was just beginning. I’ll wear that sweater until March or April.
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The best suggestion I have is to find a classic store you trust with their styles and fits. We’re partial to L.L. Bean, which may fit your requirements of outdoorsy but not too expensive (IMHO REI clothing is more expensive because you’re paying for “high-performance” technology for your casual wear). But Lands End, J.C. Penney, Brooks Brothers, Jos. A Banks, Old Navy/Gap could also work as well.
Make sure you go to that store and try a ton of clothes on! Figure out what items fits you the best. Write down the best sizes, colors and item/brand name. For many of these stores, the staples don’t change much year to year, so you can monitor that one store for their sales. When end of season sales pop up, purchase all your needs at once. Since you know your size and color preferences, it should be pretty easy. Then monitor your wardrobe for wear. As an item starts to wear out, put it on the list to replace when a sale pops up again. If you buy quality clothes, then it should be months to years before you need to replace them. Lesser-used items like suits and sweaters can go even longer.
We do this with dress shirts from the Brooks Brothers’ outlets for my suit-wearing husband, khakis, polos, work shirts and fleece from LLB, or everyday bras from Victoria’s Secret for me. It’s so much easier to determine what your need is, then purchase the items online when they’re heavily discounted.
Marshalls, TJ Maxx (and Kohls to a lesser extent) aren’t as good for this method, because the clothing changes too quickly for you to buy year after year, and you can’t order them online.
Finally, as something wears out so much you can’t wear it any more, get rid of it!! We’re currently struggling with this, as my husband appears to have a closet-full of dress shirts, but they’re all worn out in one way or another.
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A lot of people have mentioned my favorite techniques, but have you thought about Black Friday and Dec 26th sales? Most people jump on the big ticket or “sexy” items, which are usually electronics or some kind of toy (kid or adult). Clothing doesn’t quite have the same dogpile (unless it’s INSANELY good) but they still offer decent deals. I picked up some dress pants for $16 (which is higher than I like to pay, but I’ve been feeling lazy about looking for extreme deals) just this past Black Friday.
(Other random side note: if you’re in a department store on BF, look for a cash register in a not-very popular department. JC Penny was awful in its line length and slowness. I scooted over to the Drapery/Window Coverings department – 5 minute wait.)
The other thing, if you’re willing to put in the time, is to keep an eye on a site like Slickdeals or Fat Wallet (I prefer Slickdeals.) Just the other day, they shared a coupon code for $10 off $10 at JC Penny. Used on a sale dress shirt that was $14.99, it came to $5 with tax if you chose free shipping to store. I’ve also gotten notice of sales at other clothing places, as well as the recent 50% off everything at GAP BF sale, etc. (The only downside? Having to wade through sometimes hundreds if not thousands posts a day on an RSS feeder. You can set up Deal Alerts that look for keywords, though.)
Judging from the few pictures I’ve seen of you, plus your own professed liking for wool, you skew a little (?) toward preppy – so looking for sales at GAP and J. Crew and similar stores on Slickdeals might work out well for you. Even REI has 20% off their clearance section from time to time.
Sort of in the same vein, but with a thrifting angle – if you get a sense for your size with a company that you tend to fit & that produces consistent sizing (or you know your measurements and also what can be forgiven if it’s not a perfect fit and what can’t be forgiven), eBay isn’t a bad way to go. It’s exactly the same as thrifting – you won’t always find exactly what you’re looking for, but if you keep an eye out, you can snag good things. I’ve picked up a silk dress for $12, a long formal gown for $7, and pants from Ann Taylor for $10. (I’m guessing you wouldn’t be shopping for dresses, but there is a big array of clothes for men, too.)
There’s a lot of things you can do to acquire clothing cheaply. Most of it requires patience, whether it’s thrifting or looking to stack coupon deals and free shipping on top of clearance items on sale. If you get into the mindset you won’t always find what you’re looking for, but you’re willing to look and acquire slowly, it usually works out in the end. Me personally, half the fun is to get it cheaply by stacking deals or swooping into a thrift store and nabbing an awesome $5 formal dress.
Oh, the other thing about thrifting/clothes shopping – if you can learn to rip out a seam as well as stitch a basic seam to take things in or let them out a little (or take up a hem if you’re shorter, like me) – it’s a VERY handy skill to have and can make an extremely cheap piece of clothing work for you. Whether you’re a dude or a lady.
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After years and wasting thousands on clothes … my advice: BUY BLACK
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Thrift shops are not off your menu. You just have to be pickier. After you’ve figured out what particular items you want, visit them when they have sales and only try on the things that match what you’re looking for. There are still clothes to be found there that are brand name, in good condition, and sometimes classic. I wouldn’t use thrift stores primarily if you’re looking for good quality quickly, but don’t rule them out as a resource. Most of them have sales days or times when they mark down the older clothes. Look at those times with your list firm in hand, and you can get still get some very nice clothes.
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Sorry – I know I left a manifesto already – but also get used to knowing the difference between quality material and cheap, so you know when you’re scoring an amazing deal.
Ex: better dress pants come lined. The ones I picked up for $16 are not lined and they’re polyester, which is why I don’t think they’re a great deal (in fact, the more I write about it, the more I think I might return them). But if they were a machine-washable wool with a lining for $16? That’d be a much better deal.
For sweaters – check the seams. Better sweaters will be knitted in pieces and then seamed together, like you would for a hand-knit. Cheap ones will actually cut the knitted fabric and then seam them together… so if you ever picked apart the seam, you’d just end up with a pile of little short yarn lengths. Yuck.
More expensive clothing pieces usually will have better seam finishes. Generally, cheaper pieces of clothing will just be roughly serged (they run a seam that covers the edge of the fabric, so it doesn’t ravel). Or the edges will be raw for fabrics that don’t ravel. Typically, expensive clothing pieces will have seams that are more neatly done, like french seams (where the fabric is tucked in so no edges show). Better seaming generally means a longer-lasting garment.
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Don’t buy black, it’s depressing.
Buy good quality jeans, darker color is good. Spend a bit more time and money on these because you’ll wear them a lot.
Stop at the Banana Republic outlet at Woodburn every time you pass by and hope they are on sale. I got some nice polo for $13 the last time I went. Calvin Klein store also has nice cloths, but more expensive. Buy cloth that fits well so you don’t waste money. Don’t guy baggy clothes, that’s out. Go to the Outlet after Christmas, they usually have nice sales then.
Good luck and congratulation on losing so much weight!
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Congratulations on the need to replace your wardrobe!
You’re absolutely right, quality is worth the extra money, trend is nor. I know you don’t care about brands, but maybe you should. Certain brands like Lands End, LL Bean, J Crew carry clothes that never really go out of style. They just make it easier.
The best tip I can give you is to set a budget and put some thought in to what you will need. Chad and Ali have great lists of basics.
If I may one thing (and I hope you won’t take offense) but I’d stay away from turtlenecks. While the epitome of comfort, they are generally unflattering (I will concede that there are rare exceptions). Check the catalogs, they don’t even look that good on models. Plus, you get more utility out of v-necks since you can wear them by themselves or combine them with different dress shirts to double the number of outfits.
My last tips in to check your area for outlets. Think of it more as a carefully planned shopping expedition rather than a spree. The fact is you need a lot of pieces right now. You’ll need to drop a chunk of change. If you do it all at once you can make sure that all your pieces work together.
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You should check out Ideeli.com. They are a designer discount website. They have different designers every day with discounts up to 75% or more. I will admit they have more womens clothes than mens, but their discounts are great.
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I shop eBay for used clothes. For some new staples, like polo shirts, button down shirts, etc. I use http://www.blair.com and occasionally military surplus sites like http://www.sportsmansguide.com or closeout sites like http://www.heartlandamerica.com
Other times I shop at Meijer, Walmart, Target, or Kmart to find staples. But I can’t say I’m a slave to fashion.
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Nordstrom Rack.
Loehmans.
Day after Christmas – at a place like Macys will have clothes at Target prices.
Outlets are NOT necessarily cheaper – do not be tricked.
End of season sales – when Gap, J Crew, Banana Republic go on sale they can be very cheap. Often Gap will have a 30% or 40% off coupon. At that point use it on a “basic”. Like folks say basics are less likely to go on sale. But they do. Gap puts almost everything on sale eventually.
I don’t know much about REI, but I would imagine they do sales. I know folks who love certain brands from REI – like Patagonia, and you can often find Patagonia Outlet stores. My husband really didn’t like LL Bean because the cut was very wide on their shirts. He likes the “younger” look of J Crew that has a more form fitting look. So, with LL Bean, we’d buy it, try it, pay to return or exchange it. And in the end it added up to a waste of money on shipping.
Honestly, it takes time to build a nice wardrobe cheaply. You find a good item here or there on sale or with a coupon. You don’t compromise – don’t buy something cheap because it’s cheap. I have articles of clothing from Gap, J Crew, Banana, that I’ve owned and worn for over 10 yrs. I don’t have a single thing that lasted from Target in that same time span. Though I do supplement with Target for short term needs (pregnancy clothes, holiday prints, etc).
Don’t get upset by set backs. A nice shirt can get a hole or a stain just as easily as a cheap one. You can like something in the store and it can shrink on you at home (more likely with cheaper items).
Go slow. Make good decisions. Have fun! Nice clothes that fit well and are comfortable make you more comfortable and confident.
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Honestly, I’d tell you to go to some outlet stores for just the foundation pieces. Most of those stores will have sales racks and you can find some great deals there. You can also go to department stores and shop their sales racks as well if you don’t have any of those large outlet complexes like we do near us.
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I still go thrifting! You really can get good, high-quality basics if you are willing to take a little extra time or go a little farther.
As a young (but broke) professional I’ve been really trying to build a nice “work wardrobe” the last year and a half, so I made a list of wardrobe basics: classic and stylish clothing that would last several seasons (nice black trousers, solid-colored but flattering sweater,etc). Then, I go shopping at thrift stores. I’m not crazy about long shopping trips, but if I go for 30 minutes every couple weeks, I almost always come home with one or two things off my list. This might be stereotyping and please understand it’s not meant to be offensive, but I take the extra time to drive out to the thrift stores in the “rich” suburbs, and I generally find great deals on brands like J. Crew, Banana Republic, and Ann Taylor, and in nicer condition than at my local store. I now have 4 pairs of really great, classic slacks and several skirts and tops that are high-quality and stain/hole free, and I don’t think I’ve paid more than $50 total so far. The other great thing about second-handing is that I know it’s more eco-friendly and I’m not directly supporting companies whose policies I’m not comfortable with.
Once a season I also let myself splurge on a couple fancier, trendy things from my adult allowance, guilt-free! I especially have a penchant for shoes and believe that well-made, comfortable shoes are worth spending a lot more money on. Good luck!
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I have to agree with shopping at Ross; Marshall’s; TJ Maxx and the like. I get great deals for myself there. I’ve also gotten some great things on eBay (I always set my price limit and factor in the shipping costs and look at the sellers ratings first). And ditto about the after Christmas sales coming up. Or go now and head to the back of the department where the sales racks and markdowns are. I’m sure there have also been suggestions to decide ahead of time about exactly what you want; make a list and work off of it.
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Another place I’ve had good luck is actually Ralph Lauren’s sale section, combined with coupon codes. I’ve been able to get some wonderful sweaters for around $30 that retail in the $100-200 range. If you’re looking for quality pieces, it’s worth trolling the site every now and again!
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I recently had to replace a good portion of my family’s wardrobe. Troutdale Factory stores during the back to school sale did a fine job. Woodburn stores are good too, but more trendy in their selection.
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I did the same thing. Lost some weight, got a better job, moved to San Francisco, and decided I was going to dress fashionable.
That lasted maybe six months, or a year. It turned out that I didn’t really care. I didn’t feel like the clothes improved my life in any way. And I realized no one else cared if I was wearing $150 Lucky brand jeans.
I went back to t-shirts and jeans. I buy clothes that fit better now, but I don’t buy fancier clothes.
I’ve also found that “paying more for quality” only sometimes matters. I buy $20+/pair underwear from Calvin Klein because I think it’s more comfortable. But I find that I can get jeans for $49 at the Gap that both last longer than those $150 Lucky brand jeans did, and fit better. So, you can’t necessarily tell where the quality is until you’ve bought something and worn it for a while.
If my house burned down tomorrow and I needed to buy a whole new wardrobe, I’d go to the Gap and buy two pairs of jeans, American Apparel and buy 15 t-shirts in a variety of colors and three hoodies that each coordinated with at least two of the t-shirts. Then go to Macy’s and buy 15 pairs of underwear and (dark colored) socks. I always buy nice socks, too. They don’t last any longer than cheap socks, but they’re so much more comfortable.
That’s pretty much it, and a pair of brown or black shoes.
Anything else I’d wait to purchase until a situation demanded it, because it’s really easy to buy clothes you’ll never wear, just because you think you might (dressy clothes fall into this category for me, I never go anywhere dressy).
Sure, I could look more stylish than this, but I look fine in these clothes, they’re comfortable, and easy to find and reasonable (cost-wise) to replace. besides, who is it I’m trying to impress with stylish clothes?
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Okay, so how can I tell what looks good on me? I know what I like, but that’s different, right? Whose opinion should I trust? My wife’s? A friend’s? An impartial third party?
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For quality at a great price I love to shop at Burlington Coat Factory, Ross, Marshalls and the like. With 5 growning boys and a husband that is 6’4″ we rarley pay over $20 for any particular article of clothing or shoes and usually it is much less than that. The clothes are mostly from previous seasons but if you’re not into what’s hot now then this is a great alternative.
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Trust yourself, your wife, friends, impartial third parties, anonymous internet people…
Sometimes when I’m having trouble judging whether an outfit goes together and flatters, I’ll take a picture of myself, and look at the picture. Somehow that gives me more of a bystander-type perspective. Imagine you see the guy in the picture walking down the street, what would you think?
There is also gotryiton.com, where you can post pictures and get opinions (mostly just votes yes or no, but some people will comment, so bring a thick skin!) on an outfit. It’s mostly women, but men post, too.
Finally, a piece of advice for getting people’s opinions. Instead of asking people (my friend, my sister, etc.) if something looks good–because that’s really vague and also the person might be afraid of hurting my feelings if the answer is no–I ask, “what would you change about this?” That gives the person a starting point to look at the clothes critically and talk about them without making it personal.
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I haven’t read the comments, so I imagine this may have been covered, but if not, here you go:
Stores like Nordstrom Rack, Filene’s Basement, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s and Ross are all good options for finding clothes at dramatically reduced prices. Nordstrom Rack is great for classic pieces and designer jeans, as is Filene’s Basement. The other three are a little more hit or miss, but the hits tend to be CRAZY cheap.
You have to have a lot of patience for digging around to find the needle in the haystack that is a great bargain, but if you can handle that, it’s worth it.
Overstock.com is also a great option if you’re comfortable buying clothes online.
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For your nicer pants (dress pants and such) find a good tailor and have them taken in. I recently lost 30 ponuds. I took 6 pairs of pants that no longer fit. I went to the tailor and had them taken in. For $40 I now have 6 nice fitting pants.
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May be i am not hinting the right way to do. I recently did clearance shopping at express and guess and the clothes were well worth it. I paid 10$ per tshirt and not more than 30$ for jeans. I also agree that most of the retailers have awesome deals on clothes a day after christmas. Want branded items and want a steal – clearance is the way to go
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I think your plan sounds perfect, and is probably what any professional source would recommend. You should purchase whatever basic items you need and will use regularly (and those items are going to vary by person based on their employment, hobbies, and regular activities/events) and then you can fill in the gaps as you go. I saw a few people recommend Kohls, which was what I was going to recommend (I almost constantly have coupons from them for 15-20% off, but that may be because I opened a store credit card for the discount and then pay it off any time I use it). You could also try stores like Ross, Marshalls, or TJ Maxx, but the problem with that would simply be that the selection is going to be unpredictable and they might not have the specific items you need. For those basic, staple items you’d probably be better off going to a mid-range department store of some sort during a sale season (after Christmas!) and just getting it all purchased and taken care of
Congrats and good luck!
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Since you’re in the Pacific NW, Nordstrom Rack can be good.
I second the idea of buying off-season. For those losing weight, but few items and only in the size currently fitting you.
I bought 13 staples for $70 at J.C. Penny’s. I’ve been having a little weight loss/gain of +10 pounds the past few years, so I buy shirts but few pants to help with that.
I have an REI card that I use when I have to pay with VISA, which is good for daycare. Last year this alone gone me some clothing staples during one of their sales. I agree with J.D. that their clothes travel well and can be worth the price. I would also say that you should always consider the cost/wearing like J.D. did with the wool t-shirt, in which case REI becomes more appealing.
Also for travelers, pack very lightly and buy stuff while there if you get the chance. (Otherwise, just wearing the same shirt over again.)
I once ended up buying a gorgeous pair of boots in Switzerland. While they were pricey, I wore them for years so the cost/wearing was very low and I would always remember Salzburg when wearing them. One of the best souvenirs ever.
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Well I think the first question is how soon do you need this new wardrobe? Must you have it for the new holiday season. I can tell you right now that almost immediately after Christmas all of the big department chains (JC Penney, Sears, etc) will start to put all their winter stock on clearance. The month of January (And July) are often big clearance months there and you can pick up good quality clothes up to 80% off their original ticketed price. (And honestly, if you find the right sale much more) I did pricing and ticketing for JC Penneys for years and depending on the stock, things would sometimes get marked down to 1.97 for shirts or 4.97 for pants and jackets. These are not bad prices to pay, if you are willing to wait. I can honestly say that there isn’t much in my wardrobe that I paid $10 on, and I have an amazing career wear and dress wardrobe.
I am not sure how much this helps; you may not want to keep up on these sales or you may need these items before then. But it’s definitely something to keep in mind in the future. I always do the bulk of my clothing shopping in January-February (winter clothing clearance) and July-August (summer clothing).
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I am in a similar situation: I realize that I have a few too many clothes (including ones I wear even though I don’t like them much), and I will purge in order to make room for the quality pieces that I want to shop for. Here’s what I am doing:
1) Try on all of my old clothes (one at a time) and look in a full-length mirror, being BRUTALLY honest with myself, and then getting a second opinion from my husband. When you look in the mirror, you will realize what does/doesn’t look good on you (even if the clothes are a little big, JD, you could still try them on to get a feel for which ones didn’t look good & why). While you are doing this, make mental notes of why things did or didn’t look good. For example, since I am very fair-skinned, I have to be careful not to wear colors that wash out my skin tone. Also, because I am petite, I have realized that wearing sweaters (or anything else) with very large patterns overwhelms my frame. You will notice patterns to what does & does not look good. You may also mentally critique others’ clothing choices. Why does your lunch partner look frumpy today? Maybe it’s because the shirt they chose is too big. Maybe it’s because the Tevas they put with their casual outfit just sent it way over the edge from being casual to being dumpy. (Just examples, but critiquing others in your head may help you be more aware of how you are dressing or how you want to be dressing or are perceived.)
2) ONLY BUY ITEMS YOU LOVE. This is a MUST! If you are in a store & try on an item, your gut reaction should be “I love this shirt/pants/whatever”. If your gut reaction is anything less, do NOT buy it, regardless of the discount!
3) I have found that when I go to discount retailers like Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, etc, I buy things I regret later; because the items are so much cheaper, I am compelled to buy them even if I don’t love them. Then I don’t wear them and have wasted money. ALWAYS FOLLOW #2 ABOVE! That’s why my MO is now to only shop the clearance and sale items at non-discount stores. You can often find quality items at those stores for prices you would end up paying at the discounters anyway (be sure to use any available coupons as others here have suggested).
Good luck!!
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Things to spend more on:
- I’m willing to spend more on anything that fits perfectly. I rarely find perfect fits, so when I do, I’m definitely willing to pay more. I know I’ll get my money’s worth. This is especially true for jeans. One great fitting pair is worth 3 that just fit ok.
- High quality items (not to be confused with pricey labels). I do a lot of browsing online and really appreciate sites that have reviews from those who have bought the items in question. Check things out online whether you intend to buy online or not.
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Your feelings about men’s permanent style are probably similar to your feelings about personal finance ten years ago. You don’t know where to start.
As you would advise your readers: do some reading, be prepared to make some mistakes, have fun.
Good starting points (I’m not affiliated with any of these):
gq.com/how-to/about/fashion
permanentstyle.blogspot.com
valetmag.com/style/index.php
putthison.com
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The best shopping advice I can give, clothes or otherwise, is to completely ignore original listed prices. That price is NOT in indicator of quality or ‘value.’ Ask yourself honestly “Is this product worth [current asking price] to me?”
I personally advise against Kohls or Target for your regularly-worn items. I had to replace tees and button-ups every four months at Kohls, but only every two years at J.Crew. You do the math.
Try the email service called ShopItToMe – it has saved me countless hours shopping online. Input your sizes, preferred brands, and items you are interested in, and you receive daily emails listing sales on those items at a variety of online stores.
Also, for your particular situation, Nordstrom Rack has an enviable collection of men’s dress shirts and nice jeans for great prices. Sign up for their emails for early-access to sales.
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Dressing stylishly and affordably is always a challenge. We sell total wardrobes for folks who hate to pack but there is no reason the wardrobe will not work just as well for at home. Essentially we have taken the leg work out of the effort and put together coordinated pieces. It is cost effective given the number of combinations you can make out of 14 pieces and will last for years. Just tell us your size and the whole shebang is made to order and shipped to your door. Might be a soltuion for you.
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JD, Remember, price is only one variable in the value equation. Look for items with a high cost per wear. Don’t worry so much about finding things “on sale”. If it’s an item that you love and will wear to death, the cost-per-wear will be low and it will be a good value.
My husband is really hard on his clothes, and we have found the items from LL Bean to hold up very well. The jeans are great. He also loves the no-iron dress shirts. Bean will have after-season sales, but often it is on discontinued colors. We have found that it is a good value to buy the items at the regular price because hubby will wear them to death. However, if you sign up for their email notifications, they will sometimes send you discount coupons for shopping. We just recently had one for 20% off and picked up some items that he started wearing immediately.
Good luck with the new wardrobe!
Ann from Maryland
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Clothes, like other things, have to be replaced – they get worn out.
For me (female) picking out clothing is HARD. To be on a tight budget, I’ve learned to limit my wardrobe to bare essentials. Having too much actually makes you spend MORE.
First: Pick ONE color. Either black, blue, brown, tan, or gray. Don’t pick them all. Don’t mix and match. Having to match more colors is adding exponentially to your wardrobe. A few years ago, I picked black. I have a black suit, black slacks, and my standard t-shirt, long-sleeve t-shirt, and sweater.
Then, pick 2 or 3 standard outfits to wear, 2 or 3 days a week. My standard outfit (boring, kind of like Steve Jobs) is a black long sleeved t-shirt and jeans. It looks nice, stays nice, and I have about 6 black shirts in my closet. Knowing that I wear this 2-3 times a week makes my life simpler, easier, and cheaper. Also, then I focus my spending on one or two things: a really great pair of jeans (still go to consignment shop for these, if not, I have to buy talls from a good store), and finding shirts that fit well. I’d rather spend $20 on a shirt I know I’ll wear 100 times than $10 on 10 shirts I might only wear once.
Hope that helps.
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Nordstrom rack and Loehmann’s all the way baby. High end, quality stuff with incredible markdowns for both men and women. I have italian boots from Loehmann’s that have lasted forever, they were marked down from $900 to $200. Guys can find Prada blazers marked way down, among tons of other things.
Also, does Portland have Buffalo Exchange or Crossroads Trading Co? These types of thrift shops, where people can come sell their clothes for cash or store credit, are literally riddled with diamonds in the rough. You can find things once $500, now priced for $30.
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JD, you don’t have to completely abandon REI. I use REI Outlet quite a bit for my clothing. It’s hit and miss with a lot of the items, but you can just have them shipped to your local store for free and can easily return anything that doesn’t suit you.
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I would suggest Kohl’s for decent – both price and quality – men’s clothes. If you catch the sales, you can get really good deals. but even their daily specials are good prices – not thrift stores prices but good prices all the same. Kohl’s stock a lot of men’s basics. We just bought some thermal shirts – there were four different styles available.
You can do a cost benefit analysis on clothes as on any other purchase. I won’t spend as much on a fashion item – meaning more trendy or worn on fewer occasions. But I will spend more money on jeans that fit well since I will wear them a ton until they fall apart. I will also spend money on dress pants for work. If I will wear a pair of pants once every week or two weeks for at least a year, it worth spending a few more dollars (while taking advantage of a coupon) to get a quality pair that fits. Of course in my world, spending big money on clothes is when I shop at Gap or Express instead of Old Navy or Target.
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I didn’t read all of the posts but as someone who’s worked in clothing and is very conscious about what I wear I wanted to make sure this got in.
Look at what the item is made out of!
The biggest assurance of quality (or read flag) is what’s on the content label. I loved the fit of Express jeans but they had so much spandex in them that they wore through in less than a year. I found a pair of Silver jeans at my thrift store that were 100% cotton and with a few modifications they’ve been my go to pair for over a year. not bad for a thrift find.
On the other side, I needed new underwear and went for some high end wool ones from Icebreaker. My job is as a wilderness guide and spending 3 weeks on the trail at a time I valued the non-stinky-ness of wool. yeah they cost more than cotton ones from Hanes but they have a lot of other values and will last longer. You can even score good deals going to outlet malls and getting slightly irregular underwear, did this when I was younger and could never tell the difference.
long and short, things with spandex/lycra/nylon will wear out faster in relation to their amount in total content, a little is good for form fitting, to much will just break down.
No matter where you get your clothes if you want them to fit you’ll need to get them tailored. The mass manufacturing of clothes is almost never for your body type. My friend has gotten me set up with patterns to do my own alterations but I’m sure there’s someone local that will cut you a deal. Then you can buy all the good quality clothes from thrift store, get them tailored to fit perfectly and still come out less than retail.
And as for sweaters, cashmere isn’t a necessity, it’s a luxury. Even Cashmere/ mohair/angora yarns are called luxury yarns. Find a good wool or Alpaca sweater and treat it well. Never buy acrylic.
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You’ve come to the right place JD
First off, congrats on the weight loss.
I’ve always dressed fashionable on the dime. My favorite stores are Ross, TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Discount stores rock because you’re not sacrificing style for a cheaper price. I usually surf online and see what type of clothes I like, and go to those stores and find something similar.
The words “clearance” and “sale” should be your best friend. You can find great deals there. Those are usually the more disorganized racks, but you can really find some gems there.
I know a lot of blogs recommend not getting a store credit card, but in this case, they’re great. You get an additional discount, and as long as you pay off the balance right away, no harm, no foul.
One of my other favorite stores is Kohls, who constantly send me coupons in the mail, and combined with my Kohls card, I always get great deals.
Focus on what I call “staple pieces” first; articles of clothing that you can mix and match with multiple outfits.
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JD: For selecting what looks good … listen to your wife. She has to look at you a lot more than you have to look at you, so her opinion is pretty much the most important. (But remember, being comfortable in your own clothes is equally important).
Perhaps you might think about hiring a personal shopper or stylist. They can help you figure out what looks great on you, and the really good ones will help you find things that last a long time, that are quality, and that are inexpensive. Borrow someone else’s expertise.
I’m willing to bet that someone would be willing to trade personal shopping for a feature on the site and/or images of you before/after.
Otherwise, crowd source – pick out a few things and throw up a few images and let the readers vote. If you’re willing to subject yourself to that … you seem tough-skinned, though!
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Congratulations J.D.! With your t-shirt purchase you learned the importance of a great value. Similar to the $45 t-shirt you love so much, today I’m wearing my favorite black slacks. I paid $50 for them at an outlet store and winced at paying so much. But I wear them once a week three seasons of the year…and have been doing so for about four years now. So that $50 purchase has been worn about 150 times, for an actual cost of about 33 cents a wear. A great value! And I’ll continue to wear them until they start to look old. But because they were good quality to start…I think they’re good for a couple more years. A great value is always better than a great bargain.
For your wardrobe building needs, try the discount stores like Marshall’s, TJ Maxx and Ross Dress for Less. You’ll find good quality name brand items at very low prices.
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Was there a post a while ago about you buying an expensive bike? Pretty sure that was this forum. Similar theme – you sound reluctant to spend more than your barometer is set as, even though your situation has changed dramatically.
You’re not in the same situation, you have some money now, just go buy some stuff and don’t worry about it so much.
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JD –
I’m in the same boat. I lost 50 lbs this past year (and have a few more to go) and am replacing my wardrobe as I go.
Two points that I don’t think have been made yet (but with 134 comments and counting I may have missed something):
1. Value fit, cut and quality over style. Figure out what fits and cuts look good on you and buy and wear that. Because it looks good on you it will look timeless. Ignore “fashion trends” unless they coincide with a fit that works well for you. By following this approach your clothes will fit you well, flatter you, and you’ll look pulled-together always.
2. Ross, Marshall’s and TJMaxx. They carry new clothing at deep discounts, and often times from very good labels. There’s a lot of really cheap stuff in there, too, so that’s something to be aware of, but if you look for quality fabric, materials and construction (finished seams, double-needle stitching, fabric with a supple, substantial hand), you’ll find the good stuff. And these stores are more random than the mall but less random than thrift stores.
3. Think of your wardrobe in “uniform” components. My “uniforms” are: gym clothes, casual clothes (nice jeans, pants, skirts and good tops), business uniform (a well-cut business suit), and a formal uniform (the little black dress and heels, appropriate for weddings, funerals, and big nights out). This limits the clothes in my wardrobe and also limits my choices, leaving me free to spend time on other stuff.
4. Set limits. It helps to understand your needs before you try to fill them. I need two pairs of jeans, two skirts and one pair of nice-ish pants. That’s it. Once I have ones I like that fit well, I stop shopping for them. I don’t need four little black dresses. I need one. So now that I have one I like, I’m done.
5. Because you have a spare wardrobe, you can have room for a couple of indulgences if you want. I’ve decided that mine is going to be a really great pair of black leather boots. I’ve wanted them for years and am finally giving myself permission to buy some!
Good luck!
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I have bought from ruelala.com for high end clothes at great discounts. I’ve also found some Christmas presents there (like a Vera Bradley bag for $20!). Here is a link and if you buy something I do get a credit (full disclosure). But for good quality clothes at a great price it’s s good site. http://www.ruelala.com/invite/mjeffries06
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