"Budget Haberdashery"

[FrankBama]

In the thread on summer suits Rich accurately pointed out how some of the suggestions I (and others) make on this forum are too expensive for a lot of people. Even as someone guilty of making outrageous priced suggestions I don't like to spend a lot of money on my clothes but I still want to look good.

I came across this site yesterday and they have some suggestions for Affordable Basics for people who want to look good:

http://putthison.com/post/23933253573/affordable-basics-most-people-want-to-dress-well

What are some of your tips to look nice without breaking the bank? Do you use coupons? Watch for sales? Or know of quality stores that are less expensive than high end retail and department stores?

 

[my19]

I favor the traditional look, the old "Ivy League" style, which is never really "in," but never really goes out of style, either. So I buy good stuff (on sale), take care of it, and try to take care of myself, too, so the stuff will fit for years and years. Take a look at the Trad forum at askandyaboutclothes. Well-crafted suits can be found very cheaply at upscale thrift shops, and with decent alterations, look like they were made for you.

If you want to be more fashion-forward, the latest and greatest is always changing, so it's tough to save if you want to dress on the cutting edge. I'm too old for that anyway, so I stick with what I know, and save money in the process.

As for whether that approach "looks good," well, style is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Coda_]

I have a "budget wardrobe". Most of my clothes are either gifts, or I buy them at thrift shops (a small percentage are new, off the rack stuff I find on sale). Most Thrift Stores are hit and miss. You have to go frequently though. If you dont find something the first one of two trips, dont give up. Another good thrift store tip is to never go in looking for something specifically. Just look around and see if there is anything that catches your fancy. Teaching myself to hem pants also greatly reduced the cost of my wardrobe...

 

[Doc4]

A nice hat can really add some panache to a suit or casual look.

(One of the posts that no doubt sparked this good-idea-thread commented on the fact that suggesting $500 panama hats isn't realistic for some guys ... or words to that effect.)

I find that wearing hats nowadays ... and by 'hats' I mean brimmed 'dress' hats like fedoras and so forth, not baseball caps, floppy Tilley Endurable sun hats and so forth ... is so uncommon that simply wearing any hat bumps you up into the stratosphere, style-wise. It needn't be an expensive hat, a custom-made hat, a "quality" hat ... fifty bucks and you are golden. Heck, I saw some summer-dress hats for sale the other day ... some I could have picked up for under $10 ... the fit was a bit off, so no-deal, but I was thaaaat close.

 

[Patman27]

For suits and jackets I really like the selection at Steinmart. Other than that, I look for sales at Macy's or someplace similar. If you live in a big city, Nordstrom rack has good deals as well

 

[scottish steve]

It can be tough, depending on where you work and how much money you make etc. If you're pulling in 100K p.a. I don't think you'd get away with a ten year old suit from a charity shop unless you're very lucky. Hairdresser? As long as it's garish or making a statement you can wear pretty much what you want. Student? What kind of student? In the world of office casual it can vary from department to department. I was surprised to find many of my colleagues on the emergency service line were Bohemian graduates, while the billing dept of the same company were as conventional as they come and the girls at least, seemed to change their entire wardrobe every 3 months. TBH, they didn't even notice what the guys wore. But in general, "clean, not worn-looking and fits well" covers most bases.

 

[Mike'sWorld]

I'm glad someone else mentioned thrift stores. I buy most of my work wardrobe from a local thrift store. Here's what I look for: It must be new or as new with no wear. It must fit perfectly. It must be of good or very good quality. No junk. And it must be give-away cheap. Nobody's saying but I think this is all last season's department store dead stock. Top quality, top brand designer names. I try to choose neutral colors, but my wife wants me to add more colorful clothing.

 

[scottish steve]

I agree you're much better off spending time and waiting for something good from a vintage or charity shop than going to a very low end clothing store. But you can pick up decent jacket in Debenhams or Slaters for 100 pounds. This is within the reach of most working people.

 

[cb91710]

In my case, if this new job pans out, I'll be working a traffic management center for a large city in the LA area.
My potential boss is "supposed to" wear a tie... I think I've seen him in a tie maybe 6 times in the last 2 years.

Also, due to environmental concerns, they are not heavily cooling the building in the summer (it's comfortable, but 76 or above), so they have a split dress code... things will fly from June to September that won't fly September to June (IMHO, should be bumped to October because September is often one of our hotter months.

Of course, I would have some leeway in "overdressing" which is my intent. I'm totally comfortable in anything from Levis and a 1984 Ozzy concert t-shirt to a 3-piece.
Of course, I don't want to outdress the boss... I think a bowtie is out

 

[Krona Kruiser]

Accessories are the way to go. Go for nice hats or caps (not baseball) as mentioned. Different belts, watch bands, shoelaces, oxford cloth shirts. These little things add a lot to your outfit. Also, pressed or dry-cleaned clothes never go out of style and make you look put together. The only things that really looks stylish wrinkled are seersucker, linen, and silk (not ties).

 

[cb91710]

I'm glad someone else mentioned thrift stores. I buy most of my work wardrobe from a local thrift store. Here's what I look for: It must be new or as new with no wear. It must fit perfectly. It must be of good or very good quality. No junk.

That's a big problem out here where people that are nicely dressed are as rare as Iridium. Especially at 6'3", 200 lbs, pants 34x36, "fit perfectly" is pretty hard even buying new OTC... thrift stores are LOADED with ladies' clothing, but anything for men is rarely more than suitable for a homeless shelter.

Some of the discount stores can have buried treasure. We've found a couple of Marshalls that typically (not always) have Trump shirts.
Nice, comfortable cotton, they are available in slim or fitted, and they have good, smooth collars with stays, and the cuffs are made for links... a very pleasant surprise!

I wore that with my $60 suit to my interview yesterday and got quite a few compliments. My current boss said that I was overdressed... and the guy that interviewed before me was wearing Dockers with a tie. Neither of the interviewers were wearing a tie.

 

[Krona Kruiser]

Rich, hit up the Goodwills in N. Hollywood area. There are some great things there that get dropped off by a lot of personal assistants from the entertainment industry.

 

[Patman27]

Always good to be 'overdressed' for an interview

 

[Doc4]

Those wanting to spruce up their dress wardrobe "on the cheap" can consider cufflinks ... but instead of getting metal ones, go for silk knots. You can easily get them for well under $10/pair ... might be much less, depending on where you shop and what the shipping is ... and you can pair them with an inexpensive "french cuff" shirt ... voila ... instant cache' to your dress.

 

[mattnick]

Costco sells pretty nice dress shirts at less than $20 bucks a pop. Between Costco and Nordstrom rack I've gotten a pretty nice wardrobe without breaking the bank.

 

[Doc4]

Costco sells pretty nice dress shirts at less than $20 bucks a pop. Between Costco and Nordstrom rack I've gotten a pretty nice wardrobe without breaking the bank.

With dress shirts, if you keep your suit jacket on most of the time (and hey, that makes you look better, too) you can save money on shirts. Because most of the shirt is basically hidden, what you really need are a good collar and good cuffs (for cuffs, the key thing is actually sleeve length, so you can "show" the right amount of cuff.) If you keep this in mind as your main goal when comparing inexpensive shirts, you can do yourself many favours.

 

[professorchaos]

A suitable wardrobe can be built on a modest budget. Building one as cheaply as possible is, I am afraid, basically throwing your money away.

 

[mark the shoeshine boy]

I have a "budget wardrobe". Most of my clothes are either gifts, or I buy them at thrift shops (a small percentage are new, off the rack stuff I find on sale). Most Thrift Stores are hit and miss. You have to go frequently though. If you dont find something the first one of two trips, dont give up. Another good thrift store tip is to never go in looking for something specifically. Just look around and see if there is anything that catches your fancy. Teaching myself to hem pants also greatly reduced the cost of my wardrobe...

I wear one everyday at the dealership...and it even makes me look better....(i would like to think smarter)

 

[cb91710]

Those wanting to spruce up their dress wardrobe "on the cheap" can consider cufflinks ... but instead of getting metal ones, go for silk knots. You can easily get them for well under $10/pair ... might be much less, depending on where you shop and what the shipping is ... and you can pair them with an inexpensive "french cuff" shirt ... voila ... instant cache' to your dress.

Yup.

Putting together what we thought was an emergency set for the step-daughter's wedding (that is now in July), I picked up a 3-piece set of tie, links, and hanky (pocket square, not pre-folded).
The brand is Adolpho, the tie is a bit thicker than my Jerry Garcia ties (tell you when the last time I bought a tie was), but tied up nicely in a Double Windsor.
I think I paid $20 or $25 from the JC Penny outlet store.
The links are gold(tone) with matching cloth "buttons"... just a thin bezel of gold.

 

[cb91710]

I wear one everyday at the dealership...and it even makes me look better....(i would like to think smarter)

You have shoeshine dealerships in Missouri?