inexpensive button downs for daily wear?

[sero-sed-serio]

hey everyone, i haven't posted in a while,
I am just a lowly college student (read: little cash) and I am tired of wearing t shirts and polos to class. Does anyone know where i can get button downs in good colors and cut without dropping a quarter's worth of book money?
thanks,
sam

 

[OldSchoolYoungin]

My favorite "reasonable" button-downs are Polo Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers. BB has a little sale going on now and their sport shirts run $50-70.

As for Polo, hell, you can visit your local TJ Maxx or other discount store for those. I just picked up a couple and my favorites were a bit more expensive than the rest, but there were several others in the $30-40 range.

 

[LuckyR]

hey everyone, i haven't posted in a while,
I am just a lowly college student (read: little cash) and I am tired of wearing t shirts and polos to class. Does anyone know where i can get button downs in good colors and cut without dropping a quarter's worth of book money?
thanks,
sam

If you are looking to seperate yourself from the t shirt and polo shirt crowd, you will suceed with a button down shirt. I would get an oxford style (collar buttons) as it is the least formal and the best without a tie. As far as brands, whatever is on sale. You don't need a brand to stand apart from the group you are in.

 

[sero-sed-serio]

i'm not worried about the brand, just looking for the best value. brooks brothers and polo ain't half bad though haha

 

[Tedzy]

I enjoy my Arrow brand button downs. They're definitely on the cheaper side, but the 'wrinkle-free if you hang them out of the drier' option is great for the busy scholar. They're not ritzy by any means, but they work. They offer different styles and colors/finishes. They run around $25 a pop.

 

[W_B_K]

If you are short on cash, try a thrift store. You can often find shirts that are new or at least nearly new for a couple of dollars. I even found a few new Brooks Bros. shirts once for a whopping $3.99 each!

 

[Obiwan]

You can usually get Stafford @ JCP. For around $20 they make a nice shirt. TJ & Mar is also always worth checking. If you can spend a little bit more, Brooks Brothers usually has a nice after Christmas sale (I think 3 for $120).

 

[David in Boston]

You can usually get Stafford @ JCP. For around $20 they make a nice shirt. TJ & Mar is also always worth checking. If you can spend a little bit more, Brooks Brothers usually has a nice after Christmas sale (I think 3 for $120).

Got that right!

Keep an eye out for BB after Christmas.

Great deals to be had.

 

[mark the shoeshine boy]

jos banks have a 50% off sale today...

 

[r_w]

Costco (if you have one near you) have AWESOME oxfords--$17 and actually come in true sizes (not just SML) including LONG sleeves. They are no-iron and they super cheap when you consider they last 10 times longer than a polo.

 

[my19]

Costco is a fine idea. They usually have a couple of brands available, including their own.

Another option is Lands End. Check out their clearance stuff -- I think they call it "Overstock." They were selling their regular Oxford cloth button downs for less than $20 last time I checked. They also have a Hyde Park version with heavier cloth. And they have no-iron and must-iron (which I prefer for the feel of the cloth).

And if you can wait, hit the after-Christmas sales, when you'll get considerably more for your money ...

 

[MrMurphy]

Old Navy sales.

I have a button-down semicasual shirt i've worn around the world for nearly 8 years i bought for $12 on sale ($35 shirt normally).

You can find end-of-summer or winter sales and make out like a bandit for $30-40 and get quite a few things, just make sure it's "actually" on sale (not all items are).

 

[linty]

you can also try Gap and Banana Republic, when they have their sales/markdowns they're pretty affordable.

 

[Bill Smith]

Another vote for Brooks Brothers and I'm planning to check out the Toronto location on Boxing Day.

How about Lands End and LL Bean if you are after cheap and cheerful but a couple notches above Old Navy/Gap.

 

[Doc4]

As a college student, you will probably find that Brooks Bros. will be too rich for your blood, and too "old man" for your sense of style. FWIW, 'old man' = 'roomy enough to hide the fat belly of middle age'.

You probably want something slimmer ... I know that the BB "extra-slim" shirt probably sounds like the real deal, but ... ... that's a flattering way of describing a shirt that will fit a middle-aged businessman who isn't toooo fat.

 

[SeattleSparky]

http://www.josbank.com/menswear/shop/SubCategory_11001_10050_1001502

 

[njpaddy]

The last button-down shirts I bought were Arrows from Kohls. Nice shirts. I don't remember the price, but if I bought them they couldn't be too expensive. And Kohls is always having sales.

Edit: Went to Costco this morning. They had several brands and styles under $20.

 

[Deltaboy]

I enjoy my Arrow brand button downs. They're definitely on the cheaper side, but the 'wrinkle-free if you hang them out of the drier' option is great for the busy scholar. They're not ritzy by any means, but they work. They offer different styles and colors/finishes. They run around $25 a pop.

I buy these or Staffords from JC Penny.

You can get Chaps and Arrow at Kohls Dept Stores for under 30 bucks and they retail about 70.00 dollars.

 

[The Don]

I've found that the Paul Fredrick site has decent sales from time to time. Decent selection and quality; lots of different collar/cuff combos; good customer service. Looking forward to days when you have a bit more cash on hand, you can also custom-build shirts. Good luck!

TD