How to Shop within Your Budget

Q. You wrote about the value of purchasing fine quality clothes and amortizing the cost over time, and that made sense to me until I looked at the prices I saw in GQ. There were three different photos of men that looked good and were something I would be comfortable wearing, but they were each in the thousands when I read through to the fine print. These looked so good they would stand out if I wore them a couple of times a week (that much amortizing is unrealistic), and even wearing them twice a month would be over $50 per wearing. Do you really live in a bubble that thinks this can be afforded by those of us early in our careers (or even in coming years)?

A.  I certainly believe that dressing well is important, but I also recognize that top fashion is unaffordable. I could not agree with you more when it comes to getting guidance from men’s clothing magazines. Yes, they do show a lot of handsome clothes, but the prices are unrealistic for the average-income man (and even for most above-average income guys). Time was when these magazines gave helpful advice and were full of useful ideas for how to dress well. These days, the clothes they show teach us very little and are so outrageously costly they may actually frighten guys off from trying to look good.  

A rather simple looking outfit/combination in a magazine may include a sports jacket or blazer for $1,900, pants for $320, a shirt for more than $200, a tie for $120, and a pocket square that costs $80. Now really! Who, besides some magazine “stylist,” would even consider such purchases? Substituting far less expensive versions of all of these items makes a great deal of sense.

I have always believed in the wisdom of studying, or at least browsing through, the better “fashion magazines” for both men and women to help discover looks, color combinations, and styles that we can then translate into our own how-to-dress vocabulary.

Lots of times (and this is especially true when the seasons change) we forget about some item of clothing we already have at home in a drawer or a closet. But, if we see a picture in a newspaper or magazine, it may remind us that we own something similar; it will give us an idea of how to combine it for a great look. That is what I call “shopping in your own closet.”

The world is full of wonderful clothing options. Let’s say you are just starting out to create a wardrobe for yourself; you still have various affordable ways to go about it.

* Buying “On Sale”: Nothing beats finding a real bargain. Men’s classic clothes change very little from year to year (and often from decade to decade), so you need not worry that a good-looking item you buy at a reduced price today will be out of style next season. “On sale” shopping in upscale/high-end stores (such as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, Lord & Taylor) is a wise way to stretch your clothing dollars. A good shopper can find good deals. Also, the stores’ knowledgeable salespeople are great fonts of helpful suggestions and guidance.   

* Buying Brand Names: A man can pay a lot for expensive labels such as Burberry, Gucci, Zegna, Brioni, Hermès, Ralph Lauren, and Armani. But there are many fine-quality (though moderate-priced) brand names you should become familiar with: Lands’ End, L.L. Bean, J. CreBurberry, w, Dockers, Gap, Old Navy, Joe Fresh, American Eagle Outfitters, and Uniqlo to name a few. Seek out comparable looks to the ones you see in the magazines. The price difference is enormous.

* Catalog and Online Shopping: Until you become familiar with the fit, the process may be tedious. But once you know how a specific company’s clothes fit you, future shopping can be a huge time saver. Not only are their photos helpful, but usually so are their telephone operators. 

* Discount Stores: I don’t recommend your trying the discount route until you are fully confident of your knowledge about the clothing world. Also, time is money; for most men, the return on their time doesn’t make sense. But it is a misconception to believe that there must be something wrong with a suit that is sold for half price.

* Thrift Shops: Here is where it really pays to know the better brand names. You might get lucky. I am not suggesting that everyone will be as familiar as I am with high-end and designer names, but in recent months I have unearthed for my sons a pair of Brooks Brothers gray trousers made of Loro Piana fabric (the world’s finest wool), a black Paul Stuart blazer, and three Hermès ties – each for less than $5!

If you are willing to spend the time to shop carefully, to combine colors thoughtfully, to pay for needed alterations, and to be as well groomed as you possibly can be, you, too, can look like you “just stepped out of GQ” for a surprisingly reasonable sum.