Q. I’m a college senior,
thinking about my job search, and realizing I'm going to need some appropriate
clothes. All I have beyond polos and good pants is one dress outfit -- a blue
jacket and gray pants and a few shirts and ties. I imagine I can come up with
(beg for) about $1200 to make the needed purchases before I have a paying job
(beyond the campus minimum wage). Can you suggest something or some plan beyond
the looks in GQ, which cost more than that for one piece of clothing?
A. I am glad you have the good
sense to know that there are answers beyond the fashion magazine ads; they are
aimed at the top one percent of “the one percent” of the population. They do
not represent the rest of the world. Besides, I have found that some ads in
newspapers and magazines feature expensive items that are in such questionable
taste that no well-dressed man would wear them. Lesson #1. Just because an item
is expensive (even wildly expensive) does not make it in good taste.
There definitely are strategies
for dressing well on a logical, limited budget. But be prepared to spend extra
time, and it certainly helps to have good taste. When money is not an object, a
man can just walk into the finest store in town, find a knowledgeable
salesperson, and choose whatever he wants. Without such deep pockets, not only
will he need to invest more time (in learning about which items work well, and
where to find them), but he also must choose carefully. Lesson #2. The three
categories where you should invest more: Dark clothes, winter clothes, and
classic styles.
To get more for your money, you
need to shop strategically at one or more of the following:
- January sales in better stores (Key, right now!)
- Discount stores, catalogs, online
- Tag sales, garage sales, gently-used thrift shops
- In your own, or your Dad’s/brother’s/etc’s, closet
January sales in better
stores: The retailers’ calendar is different from reality, so the stores
begin to receive their merchandise very early: Late August for fall/winter
clothing. The selection is fullest at that time, and so are the prices. By
January, the store owner knows he is going to be left with unsold merchandise;
he’d rather mark it down heavily to move it out of the store (before next
August) and do what he can for his cash flow. So, you will find significant
savings now, from 20 to 75 percent off. Selection of colors and styles may be
limited and there is a too-sparse representation in the most popular size
range, 40 to 42, but if you still have a college build, that may not be an
issue. Do remember, what one first-class store doesn’t have, another may. And
shopping in better stores includes an important perk, knowledgeable advice.
Getting a very discounted suit for $300-$400 or 6+ shirts for $150-$300 and
perhaps an accessory (good shoes for $100 or good belts at $25/each) would be
good choices.
Discount stores, catalogs,
online shopping: All these offer great prices, but little in the way of
helpful input. You’re pretty much on your own. Still, it’s a misconception to
believe there must be something wrong with an item that is sold for half price.
When people say, “You only get what you pay for,” I say, “That’s not always
true.” If you have reliable taste and spend some extra time selecting wisely,
your savings could well justify the effort. This may be where you can find two
or even three suits (or two suits and two sport jackets) for under $700, and/or
high-end shoes for $70-$80/pair. You can also add shirts and a couple of ties
here.
Tag sales, garage sales, gently-used thrift shops: Keep in mind
that a) Everything is “used” after its first wearing, and b) Only suits,
shirts, and shoes need to be your exact size. You could get lucky and find your
size among the many “great deals” on their racks. You’ll also find accessories
that are not sized (such as ties, scarves, cuff links) and other items that are
marked small, medium, large, and X-large (such as sweaters and outer jackets).
These make finding bargains easier. I’ve discovered a Burberry raincoat for
$30, Paul Stuart blazers for $15, Brooks Brothers’ shirts for $3, Gap sweaters
for $5, Hermès and Ferragamo ties
for $1. Of course, you do need to have “an eye,” be able to recognize
top-quality brand names on the labels, and be willing to spend time digging.
Even so, hunting (and finding) treasures can be fun. Basically, spend money
here on any need you have that they have in good condition, that is close to
your size (tailoring is affordable), and that’s not way out of style (wide
lapels or wide ties).
In your own (or others’) closet:
Often, something you already own is the perfect item to mix, or layer, with
some new garment. Our preferences don’t change much; styles and colors you’ve
liked in the past are likely to work well with many of the new items you find.
This can be a short-term or long-term solution when you have emptied your
coffers on the above items or have just enough to tailor clothing to your size
or to alter ties to current widths.
Just as I always recommend
having necessary alterations made when you shop at retail prices, the same is
even truer when shopping for bargains. If you find a beautiful Gucci tie for $5
that would sell for $200 in a fine men’s shop, but it’s only problem is that it
is too wide for this year’s style, it pays to have TieCrafters make it narrower
for $26. The total cost of $31 is still a good investment.
Happy hunting.
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