Post: #1

I know we all want to dress well in quality clothes, but the price of things is a major restricting factor especially for poor college kids like me.

I'm pretty good at finding deals on quality clothes at thrift stores or timing my purchases for big sales, but I think I could save even more money if I moved operations to the internet.

I know you can buy stuff cheaply on ebay I've heard of places that auction off designer clothes for cheap (don't know the address)

Would you guys, or do you guys buy things online and if so where?

If you do buy things on line is there certain articles of clothing you wont buy, what would you buy, how do you determine if you're getting scammed or not. Break it down.

Other budget clothing tips are also welcome.

Post: #2

1) invest in a good pair of quality jeans. Raw denim. This should be the most expensive thing in your wardrobe. A good pair of quality raw denim will literally last you years, thus don't be afraid to pay a lot more for a pair of jeans over any other item in your wardrobe. A pair of raw selvedge denim will go with anything... Tees, button ups, flannels, jackets, etc. for a college kid without funds I'd recommend a pair of APC jeans... Should be about $140, but trust me, its worth it. make sure you get a cut that's flattering to your body type. You want fitted, not skinny jeans as those are for trendhoppers, and not relaxed cause that'll make you look like every other joe schmuck.

2) get American apparel tees from a wholesaler on eBay. Tees should run you fr $5-10. If you pay more you're getting jipped. A well fitting tee that compliments your body type is necessary for the day to day, and if your lean and muscular (as you should be) AA is the best bang for your buck. Nice cotton and a slim/slightly long fit. You can't go wrong with a crispy white or black American apparel tee.

3) you need some oxfords to switch it up a bit. If you're on a budget I prefer the brand "uniqlo." it's a Japanese clothing brand that mimics h&m but the quality is years better. They don't have an online store, but they do phone orders via their store in new York. They offer a ton of different color ways and oxfords usually run about $20 a pop. They also make quality flannels and button ups for cheap during fall and winter seasons.

4) get a pair of shoes that will go with anything, I prefer Clark's desert treks but this ones up to you. Timeless and classic. Will work well with anything in your wardrobe listed above. Another shoe Id recommend is thr vans old skool... It might be too juvenile for the older heads on here, but if you're in college it's perfectly fine.

Always remember that the way your clothes fit on you is much more important than the individual pieces. It also helps drastically of you're in good shape... That way when you have enough money to be buying the exclusive Japanese denim, fitted suits, and gucci loafers you'll already be miles ahead of other simps.

Post: #3

I am sure there is a thread about this already....

Post: #4

There are good deals on Gilt but Canadians will have to pay a fortune for shipping.

Post: #5

I get half of my clothes at vintage stores, and the other half at sales in brand stores.

Post: #6

(03-17-2012 05:50 PM)the chef Wrote:  Always remember that the way your clothes fit on you is much more important than the individual pieces.

Great points and ill reiterate this one. Learn how to tell when clothes fit your body style. Once you understand that concept, you can walk into goodwill and pick out a decent jean and t-shirt wardrobe if needed. Not to mention you may find some other good deals in there, goodwill can be a goldmine.

Wait for sales and go try on all the stuff that looks good. January-Feb and Septemberish are awesome casual clothes shopping times as everyone is clearing out the Xmas and back to school inventories. 90% off sales are not unheard of.

Get an email account just for spam. Give that one out when you buy new clothes, and sign it up on the websites of clothes you like. Check it once in a while to see if they are sending out any special offers.

Post: #7

Buy expensive shoes and accessories. If you know the right time of year to shop you can get great deals, this time of year alot of stores (outlet) have huge discounts.

Post: #8

Yeah. Anything I've purchased from Brooks Brothers has been solid quality, though I have inadvertently shrunk a few fly wool knits in the dryer.

I don't have experience with it, but I just did a google search after reading the OP and it seems like Overstock.com has hella cheap stuff for men. Can't vouch for it though.

Anyone have experience with that? Also, bust out some dope websites for online shopping. I've heard good things about gilt.com.

Post: #9

Wal Mart has some funny, cheap t shirts. I'm sure some people around here are to good to foot in there, but they're only like $6.

Post: #10

Some good sites that have daily and weekly deals on a variety of mens clothing are.

Hautelook
Gilt group
Ruelala
Modnique

I'm not sure about whether the stuff on last site (Modnique) is real. It seems to have a huge following so I would assume it is. But do your research on it.

I noticed Modnique especially often has good deals on timepieces, you can pick up a Tonino Lamborghini watch in the 2-300 dollar range. Gilt group is the place to be for suits. Just last week they were selling Versace suits for 399. Ruelala seems to be more high-end clothing female geared but perhaps you can find stuff on there. I like Hautelook for the occasional deals that pop up. I got some pretty sweet Ermenegildo Zegna sunglasses off of there and Jared Lang dress shirts. They also frequently have Lucien Piccard watch sales. I'm not sure as to the quality of the brand or the time movement but the prices are good.

I've recently been spending a lot of time on ebay. One thing you can do if you like gold and silver chains/bracelets is to buy gold filled. You can get it for a fraction of the price of real gold. Example, I own a 4 mm Figaro Gold Chain 20" / Bracelet 8" set with a 35 x 22mm cross pendant. (all 14k gold) those combined cost me 750 US before duties and taxes.

I bought a gold filled chain 12mm wide and 24" for 17 dollars and it looks legit.

If your looking to buy blazers Ebay often has a good deal on used blazers and used suits.

Post: #11

6pm.com is Zappos outlet store and has good deals.

Post: #12

OP check out dappered.com they are on point when it comes to announcing sales like % 40 off at Banana Republic and whatnot. just a quick check can save you some dough, also thetiebar.com is THE place to check out if you want stylish but affordable accessories

http://dappered.com/2012/02/best-bet-sty...under-35k/

Post: #13

Check out consignment shops. While there's usually very little selection for men, I've seen like new genuine Diesel jeans for $30.
I've bought clothes on ebay in the past, a very high percentage of name brands are fake, so I don't do that any more.

Post: #14

I'm a huge fan of thrift stores. You have to wade through a lot of shit to find something decent, but when you do you can usually pick up a shirt for $5-10.

But you must, must, must have a good tailor on hand. Have the shirt tailored in the body and (most of the time) have the sleeves made thinner. This usually costs between 15-30 dollars depending on how much tailoring needs to be done. This is very important because clothes made for the American market are very billowy and have lots of extra fabric for all the fat asses.

So, your average cost per shirt ends up being about 25 dollars. I have an entire closet full of Nordstrom, Calvin Klein, Brioni, Christian Dior, etc. shirts that have been tailored to fit me perfectly - all from thrift stores. Mind you, these are 200-500 dollar shirts retail. I regularly get compliments from women and men who tell me my clothes fit well or that I look nice.

This is a brand new express shirt before tailoring. Notice how large the body is and how much extra material there is? 99% of American guys just wear there shirts exactly as they bought them.
   

Even the arms are way too big:
   

This is a Nordstrom shirt that I had tailored. Notice how the arms are now the perfect length, there is no extra material and the body is snug next to mine. The difference before and after tailoring is night and day. The shirt needs to be pressed and ironed but I think you get the point.

   

Having a tailor on lock down is a simple and inexpensive tip that I think adds true value to your style and life.

Post: #15

Quote:Having a tailor on lock down is a simple and inexpensive tip that I think adds true value to your style and life.

Yes. Custom tailored clothes are essential. You'll never look as good as you will in fitted clothes.

As for cheap stores to shop at... When I was in high school with no cash, I did almost all of my shopping at H&M and YesStyle (http://www.yesstyle.com/). Both of them offer cheap clothes that look really good and nicely emulate the more expensive stuff.

Also: remember that dropping some $$$ on a custom suit, designer shoes or tailored shirts is never a bad idea. It's an investment and in fashion, you generally get what you pay for. If you drop a few Gs on a custom-tailored suit and take care of it, it's going to last you several years. So, just think of it in terms of yearly payments. It's really not that expensive considering the use you'll get out of it.

Post: #16

(03-19-2012 03:29 PM)Farmageddon Wrote:  I'm a huge fan of thrift stores. You have to wade through a lot of shit to find something decent, but when you do you can usually pick up a shirt for $5-10.

But you must, must, must have a good tailor on hand.

Great stuff. I totally agree. When I was younger and short on cash I'd always hit the consignment stores, especially in gay neighborhoods. These dudes usually got the highest quality stuff kept in the best condition. Amazing what you can find in there.

Post: #17

yes getting a tailor is a must too... make sure you're getting your shit done at a reputable tailor or else they could do a lot more harm than good. i've been going to the same tailor for years and i know the dude and his family personally, having a tailor in your rolodex is like having a good barber. these people ultimately shape how you look, so you want to be tight with them.

on another note, since it's about to get warmer, invest in some good chino's.

Post: #18

A Pro-Tip for those on a budget: Buy a decent suit from Nordstrom's (stores like these) ON SALE. Get the fuck tailored out of it. Use the $ you saved on getting a suit on sale and buy a NICE dress shirt (double cuffed), pocket square, Cufflinks, etc. For the love of God INVEST in nice dress shoes. Do not wear a tailored suit with Steve Madden's. Seriously.

For those in Hollywood, try Men's Suit Warehouse on Hollywood Blvd. A friend of mine is strapped for cash but wanted to get suited up. I took him there and he got 3 suits for $300. I then took him straight to the tailor and they did what they do. We rolled out that night and he got opened at the bar by a solid 7, who stated: "Nice suit! Let me guess...you're a stockbroker".

People will guess your suit at a couple grand. I used to do this back in the day and it works. Keep hustling until you can get custom made suits. Key here is though: Wearing and Rocking a suit can take time, so get used to it now with a less expensive but tailored suit.

I was dressed in suits since I was 4yo (My mother was a fashion lover) so I feel very comfortable in one.

Post: #19

Damn, this is a quality thread, everyone who posted gets props from me. I like the resourcefulness of you all. I do frequent thrift stores, but usually for books, my city is hipster central so I could probably even run some game shopping there. I'm good with finding sales + deals (once got a $200 windbreaker i wear all the time for $25 brand new)

Still a few questions though, directed mostly at the cats recommending internet sites like lavidaloca.

1. Many of you suggest buying blazers/suits online, obviously you would have to tailor these would you just buy in your regular suit size and hope they have a good cut?

2. How do you spot fakes from the real ones, I've seen "brand new" Brioni suits going for 200-300 and am kind of skeptical as to buying them, I can understand buying pocket squares/ties from dudes from those brands for cheap because they're used but how do you tell if you're being scammed.

3. I want to get a bit more cut up before I start dropping cash on tailored shirts and blazers. Is this a good move or should I just get them tailored now and again when I get to the more cut version of me now (I'm not getting any bigger).

Post: #20

I've repped this site before, though I haven't bought from it: http://www.suitsupply.com/ The suits look sweet, with more character and quality than anything within its price range ($400-800, $469 for the main suits). Here's a review.

Bonobos is another option, good for pants.

Yoox has a ton of selection of European designer stuff at a wide range of quality and prices. You won't see this stuff elsewhere, though it can be hard to figure out the quality. I got some nice Ciro Lendini shoes from there.

Target's Mossimo is okay for tees and informal button-downs - fabric is a little flimsy, but nice fit.

Indochino provides custom shirts and suits. I've heard mixed reviews on it, that people often get clothes made for them that don't actually fit well. But I'm mentioning them because I found a shirt of theirs in a thrift store and it fit me *perfectly*, it's my favorite shirt by far. It's a gingham number, with the right colors and dimensions. Somewhere there's a dude walking around with exactly my build, and I'm wearing his shirt .

Chef, is the raw selvedge denim sturdier than the normal J. Crew/ Gap/Levi's stuff? Do you know any brands offhand that are good for guys with big asses and thighs (and small calves, though I can get that tailored), without looking baggy?

Post: #21

Thrift stores will get you a huge selection of semi-random stuff. I've furnished my closet with dozens of pieces for 100 bucks.

This is not G Manifesto stuff, but I have found very nice, name brand suits on the rack for almost nothing. a few alterations should have you lookin fresh and clean.

hit up good will and salvation army once a week and just go nuts. you will occasionally find real home runs there.

Post: #22

basil: yes, there is a big difference in quality. if you're bigger in the thigh/ass area (pause) get some straight leg jeans, no taper. also, the quality is definitely correlated to the price. depends how much you wanna drop.

Post: #23

I would prefer buying from eBay. Indochino provides custom shirts and suits. You'll never look as good as you will in fitted clothes.

Post: #24

Just found this website:

http://www.aliexpress.com/

Seriously, I have no affiliation with it. There was a couple shirts that caught my eye, and everything seems slim fit. Check out the site and let me know what you think, before I spend a bunch of money ordering shit that makes me look fat.

Post: #25

Going to have to second every thrift store recommendation, the local one here has $5 suits and $3 button-up shirts. Perfect to keep you fly if you're on a budget until you start making serious money.