Strathlachlan

Style on a Budget

You talk a lot about what clothes to buy and what not to buy. But how can a young guy possibly afford all of this stuff? How can you have good clothing on a budget?

This is one of the biggest questions I've received over the years. Now, I will start off by saying that if you feel as though you always have to be wearing the latest greatest fad clothing or label, then I can't help you. That is a lot harder to do on a budget. Besides, women like a guy to be stylish, but probably not too stylish. But if you want to have a stylish and generally up-to-date wardrobe, then my advice should still work for you.

The first rule of buying clothes on a budget is to buy at the end of a season. At the end of winter all the stores have a fire sale on their winter line. Cashmere sweater prices drop like dotcom stock prices in the late 90s. Likewise, at the end of summer all the prices on shorts, t-shirts, and warm weather clothing plummet. And if you actually bought any of this stuff at the beginning of the season you feel like you've just poured money down the drain. And you should because that's exactly what you did. Most basic items are not going to go out of style, although you probably want to avoid items that have dates on them.

The same goes for some more upscale clothing lines. They have to move inventory just like any other retailer. For example, Charles Tyrwhitt makes some of the best Jermyn Street shirts and ties that you can buy, but I'm still not going to pay full-retail. So I just wait until the end of the season and can buy the same items for between 25% and 50% off their original selling price. If you're careful about what you purchase, then most of these items are not going to go out of style any time soon.

The second rule of buying clothes on a budget is to ask yourself how important certain brands are to you. If you could care less about the label, then you can really find a lot of ways to save money. Go to an upscale store and find a style of shirt or suit or whatever that looks good on you. Try it on. Get someone in the store who's been fitting men's clothing for years to give you some feedback. Then just go to one of the better discount retailers like Men's Warehouse and find something similar. Bottom line is that if it feels good on you and looks good, then whoever makes it probably doesn't matter that much.

If you do care about particular brands, then there is still hope for you. You just have to be willing to put a little more effort into it. Now I love Hugo Boss. The shirts and the suits are really great, but I'm still not going to pay full-retail. So I start off by doing a search on Ebay to see what might be available. Caveat emptor is the rule to live by though. Know your sizes and ask the seller a lot of questions. Another good place to look is outlet stores. Off 5th, Saks Fifth Avenue's outlet store, carries some upscale brands at discount prices. Keep in mind though that the selection is always going to be pretty limited.

The third rule of buying clothes on a budget is not to buy on impulse. Whatever you see in the store is going to be there tomorrow and more than likely it's going to go on sale. Ah yes, that strange phenomenon known as a sale. Woman flock to them in droves and most guys could care less. Time to start paying attention or you'll be paying way too much for your clothing. The goal of every retail business is to move old inventory to make way for new inventory. Almost everything is eventually going to go on sale if you are patient. Now, from time to time it's ok to buy something that's not on sale if you really want it. But make it the special exception and not the rule.

The fourth rule of buying clothes on a budget is that quality trumps quantity. Sure, you can buy a whole lot of cheaply priced and cheaply made clothes, but you will have to replace them a lot faster than discounted quality threads. If you follow rules one through three, then you should be able to buy higher quality clothing at comparable prices to poorly made stuff. If price wasn't an issue wouldn't you try and buy the best quality stuff? Follow my advice to remove price as an issue, and then get some quality clothing.

For example, do not under any circumstances buy a suit from Banana Republic. They make some great casual clothing but they are the last place on Earth I would ever buy a suit. Go to a department store, discount men's store, or tailor where they are in the business of selling suits. I see guys in there all the time with their SOs looking at these suits thinking they're really great. They will shell out a couple hundred bucks, the suit will fit terribly, it will look worse, it will last a very short period of time, and they will be back looking for a new one within a year. You might spend a little bit more for a quality suit, but it will last longer and save you even more money in the long run. Pay now or pay later.

Getting Collared

"I have a ton of dress shirts but they all look awful on me. Thought you can't botch something that simple? I guess I was wrong. What's the deal?"

A lot of guys buy a shirt because they like the color, but they still end up looking bad on them. The biggest mistake is collar selection. In general, if you have a round face, then you should wear a collar that‘s longer in shape. If you have a long face, then you should wear a wider collar. If you have a short neck, then get a low sitting collar. If you have a long neck, then you should consider getting a higher sitting collar. These little differences can make a huge difference.

Assuming you get the collar right you can still screw things up. Never wear a button down collar with a suit and tie, and use all the short sleeve dress shirts in your possession to wax the car. Also, avoid dry cleaning and heavy starch like the plague. It destroys cheap shirts quickly and even your expensive shirts will wear out faster. Next, ditch the plastic collar stiffeners for a set of silver or brass ones.

Another piece of advice is to get measured, and write your collar/sleeve sizes down on a piece of paper that's in your wallet. Lost some weight or maybe gained some? Get your measurements checked out again. No sense in wasting time and money on shirts that might look good in the store but don't fit you. Of course it goes without saying that you should actually try the shirt on in the store. Go ahead and take out all the pins and inserts, and then get in front of a mirror. And bring someone along to get a second opinion.

Getting Better Suited

"Thanks for the wardrobe tips. I have a job interview next week and started shopping for my first suit. It's all greek to me and I have no idea what to buy. Any suggestions?"

When it comes to suits the first decision to make is color. If it's your first suit I recommend navy blue or charcoal grey. You will get more out of these colors and you can wear a greater combination of shirts and ties with these suits. These are also less formal than a black suit which in many situations might be over the top.

Unless you're working for the mob or are a banker go light on the pinstripes or none at all. A solid colored suit with give you more versatility with shirt and tie combinations. And if you want to get very technical, pinstripes are considered strictly for business wear and solids are for evening wear. By going with a solid suit you can use it for an interview, work, and an evening out with a lady in a little black dress.

If you can only afford one suit at the moment go with the navy blue as you will get more mileage out of it. From there you can add charcoal grey and then worry about black, tan, or other variations. Stick to single breasted suits with either two or three buttons. A three button suit is less formal but is more in style these days.

Finally, if you really want to show them you know how to dress, then don't fall into the black shoe abyss. Believe it or not, wearing brown shoes with a navy blue suit is not only proper but looks much better. Just make sure you go with an oxblood or cordovan brown that is not too dark. Again, if you're on a budget then black shoes aren't wrong, but brown will look a whole lot better. (Just make sure you have a matching belt.)

The Basic Wardrobe

"I caught your blog on the end of business casual. I changed jobs and will probably have to dress up more often. What are the basics that I need in my closet?"

A man's basic wardrobe should consist of at least one suit and some shirts, ties, belts, shoes, and socks. You probably already figured that much out, but the real decision you have to make is what to buy first. You don't have to go over the top or run up a huge credit card bill to do this either. The key is to go for versatility and flexibility so that you can get more out of less.

Suits: Navy blue or charcoal grey, single breasted, and two or three button.
Shirts: White, blue, and stripes. Avoid button down collars and short sleeves like the plague.
Ties: Solids, stripes, and simple patterns. No cartoon characters, fictional characters, or logos.
Shoes/Belts: Brown with brown. Black with black. No exceptions.
Socks: Match the sock color with the suit color. Hard to screw up but pull them up.

These are the basics you need to have before you start getting into the nuances of cuff links, suspenders, and pocket squares. If you play your cards right this should not be too expensive, and you will still be able to pay the rent. Hope this helps.