February 6, 2012
Strategic Frugality If you’re just starting to build a better wardrobe, funds can be limited, so it’s good to know where you should focus your money. Not all clothes are created equal. Skimp on some things, and you’ll look terrible; skimp on others, and few will notice. The key here is to be strategically frugal.  Where You Can Skimp Knit ties: Supposedly, there are only a few knit tie producers in the world and they all make ties around the same quality. I haven’t confirmed if this is true, but all the knit ties I’ve owned - from Lands End to Charvet - have been only differed in material and design. If you stick to a reputable brand, you can get a good knit tie for about $20. Socks: Over-the-calf Gold Toe socks can be had for about $3 a pair. Sierra Trading Post also sometimes sells Pantherella socks for $6, and those are a bit more comfortable. Belts: The starting price for a decent belt is about $50 (e.g. Equus Leather and Narragansett Leather). However, if you go to some place like Kohls, you can get a serviceable belt for about $20. Just make sure they’re full grained leather on both sides. Pants: If you happen to live on the East Coast, check Daffy’s for Mabitex. They cost about $25 for chinos and $40 for wool. Unfortunately, over the last couple of years, the rise has been getting shorter, and since they’re often factory seconds, they sometimes have loose stitches or poorly made seams. Just pay close attention when you buy.  Casual shirts: Lands End Canvas’ Heritage shirts can work in a pinch. I hesitate to fully recommend them because the collars are so skimpy and the stitching, though durable, isn’t particularly well done. However, if you don’t plan to wear these with sport coats or ties, they’re passable and can be had for as little as $12.  Where You Can Splurge Suits, sport coats, and outerwear: This is where I think you should concentrate your money. An excellent sport coat or jacket can really make an ensemble, and even the most untrained eye can spot a cheap suit. Put a really nice jacket over a mediocre button-up shirt and pair of chinos, and you’ll look great.  Shoes: Cheap shoes are false bargains. A well-made pair of shoes can last you thirty years while cheap shoes last for three. Get full-grain leather shoes that are made with Goodyear or Blake/ Rapid construction, and learn how to properly take care of them. Doing so will mean they’ll look better with age, not worse.  Briefcases and bags: If you work in a traditional business environment, it’s worth the money to spring for a nice briefcase. Like the nice suit and shoes, it reflects a certain level of professionalism and competence.  Sweaters: Poorly made sweaters will lose their shape quickly and pill more easily. Own fewer sweaters, and buy the best you can afford.  That Said … That said, there are smart ways to work with a limited budget for the things above.  Bags: Avoid materials that try to be what they’re not. If you only have a limited budget, a well made canvas bag will be better than a cheap leather one. A $50 leather briefcase will always look like what it is.  Sweaters: Similarly for sweaters, stick to merino wool, lambswool, or cotton. Many companies sell cashmere sweaters at basement-level prices, but they don’t last very long.  Shoes: If you’re buying from a lower-tier brand, aim for suede. The differences in quality from the low- to high-end suede are much smaller than it is for smooth calf. The soles and grommets might still give out, but at least you won’t get those really ugly creases you see on corrected grain leathers. 

Strategic Frugality

If you’re just starting to build a better wardrobe, funds can be limited, so it’s good to know where you should focus your money. Not all clothes are created equal. Skimp on some things, and you’ll look terrible; skimp on others, and few will notice. The key here is to be strategically frugal. 

Where You Can Skimp

  • Knit ties: Supposedly, there are only a few knit tie producers in the world and they all make ties around the same quality. I haven’t confirmed if this is true, but all the knit ties I’ve owned - from Lands End to Charvet - have been only differed in material and design. If you stick to a reputable brand, you can get a good knit tie for about $20.
  • Socks: Over-the-calf Gold Toe socks can be had for about $3 a pair. Sierra Trading Post also sometimes sells Pantherella socks for $6, and those are a bit more comfortable.
  • Belts: The starting price for a decent belt is about $50 (e.g. Equus Leather and Narragansett Leather). However, if you go to some place like Kohls, you can get a serviceable belt for about $20. Just make sure they’re full grained leather on both sides.
  • Pants: If you happen to live on the East Coast, check Daffy’s for Mabitex. They cost about $25 for chinos and $40 for wool. Unfortunately, over the last couple of years, the rise has been getting shorter, and since they’re often factory seconds, they sometimes have loose stitches or poorly made seams. Just pay close attention when you buy. 
  • Casual shirts: Lands End Canvas’ Heritage shirts can work in a pinch. I hesitate to fully recommend them because the collars are so skimpy and the stitching, though durable, isn’t particularly well done. However, if you don’t plan to wear these with sport coats or ties, they’re passable and can be had for as little as $12. 

Where You Can Splurge

  • Suits, sport coats, and outerwear: This is where I think you should concentrate your money. An excellent sport coat or jacket can really make an ensemble, and even the most untrained eye can spot a cheap suit. Put a really nice jacket over a mediocre button-up shirt and pair of chinos, and you’ll look great. 
  • Shoes: Cheap shoes are false bargains. A well-made pair of shoes can last you thirty years while cheap shoes last for three. Get full-grain leather shoes that are made with Goodyear or Blake/ Rapid construction, and learn how to properly take care of them. Doing so will mean they’ll look better with age, not worse. 
  • Briefcases and bags: If you work in a traditional business environment, it’s worth the money to spring for a nice briefcase. Like the nice suit and shoes, it reflects a certain level of professionalism and competence. 
  • Sweaters: Poorly made sweaters will lose their shape quickly and pill more easily. Own fewer sweaters, and buy the best you can afford. 

That Said …

That said, there are smart ways to work with a limited budget for the things above. 

  • Bags: Avoid materials that try to be what they’re not. If you only have a limited budget, a well made canvas bag will be better than a cheap leather one. A $50 leather briefcase will always look like what it is. 
  • Sweaters: Similarly for sweaters, stick to merino wool, lambswool, or cotton. Many companies sell cashmere sweaters at basement-level prices, but they don’t last very long. 
  • Shoes: If you’re buying from a lower-tier brand, aim for suede. The differences in quality from the low- to high-end suede are much smaller than it is for smooth calf. The soles and grommets might still give out, but at least you won’t get those really ugly creases you see on corrected grain leathers. 
Posted in Shopping Lands End Gold Toe Sierra Trading post Equus Leathers Narragansett Leathers Kohls Daffy's Lands End Canvas
February 1, 2012
Avoiding Buyer’s Regret When you’re shopping for clothes, there are probably a dozen or more variables to consider before you make a purchase. Unfortunately, most of these considerations can get muddled, and if you don’t parse them out carefully, you can buy something for the wrong reasons. So I thought I’d rank some of the principle considerations: fit, style, construction, and branding, in that order. When deciding whether or not to buy something, go through these considerations in order of importance and you’ll minimize your likelihood of ending up with buyer’s regret.  Fit As they say, fit is king. The first thing anyone notices, even before style, is whether your clothes fit well. A man would look better in a well-fitting pair of jeans and a t-shirt before he would in a sloppy suit.  What fits is what flatters. This point may seem basic, but it’s amazing how rarely you see it practiced. Men who aren’t style conscious tend to wear clothes too big, while men who pay a lot of attention often wear things too small. Proper fitting clothes hit in the right places and give you clean lines, no matter what your movement or position. Shoulder seams should end around the shoulder bone, and clothes shouldn’t be so baggy that they fold, nor be so tight that they pull.  Style Always remember that fit comes before style. There’s no quicker way to catch buyer’s regret than to buy something that’s stylish, but doesn’t fit perfectly. Once you find something that fits, however, consider whether the garment has all the design details you’re looking for. If you want something that will last, avoid things that veer too strongly towards one design trend. As a very general rule of thumb, I find simple, classic designs to be best.  You may also want to consider how versatile the garment is. Basic blues, greys, and browns will help you build in that versatility, as all those colors are easy to incorporate. To be sure, there’s a lot of room for dark greens, burgundies, and other livelier colors. However, make sure you’re not buying something that you can only wear with one pair of trousers or one jacket. You should seek to build a wardrobe, not a collection of outfits. Construction Some may be surprised that I rank construction so low on the list of considerations. However, a garment’s design will always be the bigger determinant of its lifespan. Most clothes are made to last at least a couple of years now. If a jacket is made with skinny lapels, for example, its style will give out much sooner than its cloth. Thus, while I strongly believe people should invest in higher quality purchases, I also think that they should prioritize fit and style above quality. If it doesn’t look good on you or work with the rest of your wardrobe, the quality of its construction will mean very little. Branding Finally, there is branding. Everyone succumbs to this to some extent. We buy clothes partly to express the person we are, and partly the person we wish to be. We may also buy something because of the lifestyle it represents. It may not be the most “rational” of considerations, but it’s no less real or enjoyable. Clothes in this sense are romantic; they make life less dull. It would be crotchety to deny or condemn it. At the same time, you should be aware of what you’re doing, and only do so if it meets the other criteria above.  Conclusion Of course, ideally, you should make purchases that fulfill every one of these categories (with the exception of maybe branding). However, people have limited means, time, and patience for such things, and not everyone is going to spend the next few months searching for the perfect shirt. Thus, for the non-neurotic, you now have neatly parsed considerations that you can prioritize in order to make better buying decisions. Purchase things for the right reasons. Buy something because it’s well-made before you buy into a brand; buy something well designed before you buy into its quality; most importantly, buy something because it fits well before you consider anything else.

Avoiding Buyer’s Regret

When you’re shopping for clothes, there are probably a dozen or more variables to consider before you make a purchase. Unfortunately, most of these considerations can get muddled, and if you don’t parse them out carefully, you can buy something for the wrong reasons. So I thought I’d rank some of the principle considerations: fit, style, construction, and branding, in that order. When deciding whether or not to buy something, go through these considerations in order of importance and you’ll minimize your likelihood of ending up with buyer’s regret. 

Fit

As they say, fit is king. The first thing anyone notices, even before style, is whether your clothes fit well. A man would look better in a well-fitting pair of jeans and a t-shirt before he would in a sloppy suit. 

What fits is what flatters. This point may seem basic, but it’s amazing how rarely you see it practiced. Men who aren’t style conscious tend to wear clothes too big, while men who pay a lot of attention often wear things too small. Proper fitting clothes hit in the right places and give you clean lines, no matter what your movement or position. Shoulder seams should end around the shoulder bone, and clothes shouldn’t be so baggy that they fold, nor be so tight that they pull. 

Style

Always remember that fit comes before style. There’s no quicker way to catch buyer’s regret than to buy something that’s stylish, but doesn’t fit perfectly. Once you find something that fits, however, consider whether the garment has all the design details you’re looking for. If you want something that will last, avoid things that veer too strongly towards one design trend. As a very general rule of thumb, I find simple, classic designs to be best. 

You may also want to consider how versatile the garment is. Basic blues, greys, and browns will help you build in that versatility, as all those colors are easy to incorporate. To be sure, there’s a lot of room for dark greens, burgundies, and other livelier colors. However, make sure you’re not buying something that you can only wear with one pair of trousers or one jacket. You should seek to build a wardrobe, not a collection of outfits.

Construction

Some may be surprised that I rank construction so low on the list of considerations. However, a garment’s design will always be the bigger determinant of its lifespan. Most clothes are made to last at least a couple of years now. If a jacket is made with skinny lapels, for example, its style will give out much sooner than its cloth. Thus, while I strongly believe people should invest in higher quality purchases, I also think that they should prioritize fit and style above quality. If it doesn’t look good on you or work with the rest of your wardrobe, the quality of its construction will mean very little.

Branding

Finally, there is branding. Everyone succumbs to this to some extent. We buy clothes partly to express the person we are, and partly the person we wish to be. We may also buy something because of the lifestyle it represents. It may not be the most “rational” of considerations, but it’s no less real or enjoyable. Clothes in this sense are romantic; they make life less dull. It would be crotchety to deny or condemn it. At the same time, you should be aware of what you’re doing, and only do so if it meets the other criteria above. 

Conclusion

Of course, ideally, you should make purchases that fulfill every one of these categories (with the exception of maybe branding). However, people have limited means, time, and patience for such things, and not everyone is going to spend the next few months searching for the perfect shirt. Thus, for the non-neurotic, you now have neatly parsed considerations that you can prioritize in order to make better buying decisions.

Purchase things for the right reasons. Buy something because it’s well-made before you buy into a brand; buy something well designed before you buy into its quality; most importantly, buy something because it fits well before you consider anything else.

Posted in Branding Buyer's Regret Construction Fit Shopping Style Best Of
October 18, 2011
Here’s a tip: Try doing your shoe shopping after 3pm. Feet swell after a bit of walking, so by trying on shoes in the late afternoon, you’ll ensure that you’ll get the most comfortable fit. This is of course only true if you wake up in the morning and have done a bit of walking. If you don’t wake up until the afternoon, then you should just finish grad school.

Here’s a tip: Try doing your shoe shopping after 3pm. Feet swell after a bit of walking, so by trying on shoes in the late afternoon, you’ll ensure that you’ll get the most comfortable fit.

This is of course only true if you wake up in the morning and have done a bit of walking. If you don’t wake up until the afternoon, then you should just finish grad school.

Posted in Shoes Shopping
August 3, 2011
How to Detect Bullshit I’m almost always disappointed by the salespeople I meet when I go shopping. Most of them have been poorly trained, and since clothes aren’t their passion, they typically have no idea what they’re talking about. Whether they do it with good or bad intentions, I find that most of them give terrible information, and I worry for the poor schmuck who drops a pretty penny on a product that neither he or the salesperson know much about.  It’s a little better when you move up-market. For example, the suiting department at a Ralph Lauren flagship store will be better than, say, Macy’s. At the same time, it’s still a mixed bag even at the high-end stores.  ”Nerdier” boutiques such as Self Edge and The Armoury have really knowledgable staffs, but there are plenty of boutiques with ill-informed salespeople. As well, the stand alone shops for Crockett & Jones and Alden will often have salespeople who can meaningfully talk about their products, but if you go into Barneys or Neiman Marcus, you can easily come across someone who will try to sell you $700 shoes and not know a single thing about it.  Thus, I think it’s important to know when you’re being bullshitted. If you’re asking about the fit or quality of a product, you need to make sure you’re getting good advice. Unfortunately, to know this, you kind of have to already know a lot about menswear. This creates a kind of catch-22: you’re either the person who doesn’t know much about clothes and have to rely on sales staffs for information, or you’re the person who knows quite a bit and can tell when someone is bullshitting you.  To get out of this conundrum, I thought I’d create a simple set of questions a neophyte can arm himself with. When someone is selling you a product, try to innocently ask them these questions. If they answer correctly, you can somewhat rely on their advice. If they can’t, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re looking at junk, but it does mean that you should be incredibly skeptical of any information the salesperson tells you, especially regarding the fit or quality of their wares.  Suits: If you’re buying a suit, ask the salesperson if the jacket is canvassed or fused. Without going into too much detail, you should just know that jackets are made like sandwiches - there is the wool fabric shell on the outside and then either a layer of horsehair canvas or a fusible interlining sandwiched in between. This inner layer is what gives the suit jacket its shape. Canvas will allow a jacket to drape better, but it’s more expensive to make; fusible interlinings will be stiff and degrade over time, but they’re cheaper. A knowledgeable salesperson should be able to tell you if a jacket is fully canvassed, half canvassed, or fused, and be able to explain the benefits and drawbacks of each.  As well, they should be able to tell you what type of wool the suit is made out of, the kind of weave the fabric has been woven in, and what country the fabric is from. Likewise, they should be able to tell you the benefits and drawbacks to each of these dimensions. To learn a little about this, read my article on super wools.  Shoes: For shoes with leather soles (“hardbottoms”), ask the salesperson if the sole has been glued on or made with either a Goodyear welt or some other type of construction. Roughly speaking, well-made English shoes will be Goodyear constructed and well-made Italian shoes will be Blake/ Rapid constructed. You should always avoid leather bottom shoes with glued on soles.  It’s too much for now to explain the differences between Goodyear and Blake/ Rapid, as well as the many other types of construction aside from these. The point here is simply that a good salesperson should be able to tell you about the construction method and what the benefits and drawbacks are to that approach.  Ties: For ties, ask the seller about the silk and interlining’s composition and weight. Note that only luxury-end tie representatives will know such answers, and there are perfectly good ties lower down the market. Brooks Brothers ties, for example, are pretty good, but I doubt many salespeople at Brooks will be able to tell you much about their ties’ constructions. To read more about ties and how they’re constructed, you can read my earlier posts here and here.  In short, you want to make sure the person giving you advice knows the very basics about their products. Anyone who tells you that such and such item is of “great quality” and “made of really nice materials,” but can’t discuss the basic qualities above is, frankly, talking out of their ass. 

How to Detect Bullshit

I’m almost always disappointed by the salespeople I meet when I go shopping. Most of them have been poorly trained, and since clothes aren’t their passion, they typically have no idea what they’re talking about. Whether they do it with good or bad intentions, I find that most of them give terrible information, and I worry for the poor schmuck who drops a pretty penny on a product that neither he or the salesperson know much about. 

It’s a little better when you move up-market. For example, the suiting department at a Ralph Lauren flagship store will be better than, say, Macy’s. At the same time, it’s still a mixed bag even at the high-end stores.  ”Nerdier” boutiques such as Self Edge and The Armoury have really knowledgable staffs, but there are plenty of boutiques with ill-informed salespeople. As well, the stand alone shops for Crockett & Jones and Alden will often have salespeople who can meaningfully talk about their products, but if you go into Barneys or Neiman Marcus, you can easily come across someone who will try to sell you $700 shoes and not know a single thing about it. 

Thus, I think it’s important to know when you’re being bullshitted. If you’re asking about the fit or quality of a product, you need to make sure you’re getting good advice. Unfortunately, to know this, you kind of have to already know a lot about menswear. This creates a kind of catch-22: you’re either the person who doesn’t know much about clothes and have to rely on sales staffs for information, or you’re the person who knows quite a bit and can tell when someone is bullshitting you. 

To get out of this conundrum, I thought I’d create a simple set of questions a neophyte can arm himself with. When someone is selling you a product, try to innocently ask them these questions. If they answer correctly, you can somewhat rely on their advice. If they can’t, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re looking at junk, but it does mean that you should be incredibly skeptical of any information the salesperson tells you, especially regarding the fit or quality of their wares. 

Suits: If you’re buying a suit, ask the salesperson if the jacket is canvassed or fused. Without going into too much detail, you should just know that jackets are made like sandwiches - there is the wool fabric shell on the outside and then either a layer of horsehair canvas or a fusible interlining sandwiched in between. This inner layer is what gives the suit jacket its shape. Canvas will allow a jacket to drape better, but it’s more expensive to make; fusible interlinings will be stiff and degrade over time, but they’re cheaper. A knowledgeable salesperson should be able to tell you if a jacket is fully canvassed, half canvassed, or fused, and be able to explain the benefits and drawbacks of each. 

As well, they should be able to tell you what type of wool the suit is made out of, the kind of weave the fabric has been woven in, and what country the fabric is from. Likewise, they should be able to tell you the benefits and drawbacks to each of these dimensions. To learn a little about this, read my article on super wools. 

Shoes: For shoes with leather soles (“hardbottoms”), ask the salesperson if the sole has been glued on or made with either a Goodyear welt or some other type of construction. Roughly speaking, well-made English shoes will be Goodyear constructed and well-made Italian shoes will be Blake/ Rapid constructed. You should always avoid leather bottom shoes with glued on soles. 

It’s too much for now to explain the differences between Goodyear and Blake/ Rapid, as well as the many other types of construction aside from these. The point here is simply that a good salesperson should be able to tell you about the construction method and what the benefits and drawbacks are to that approach. 

Ties: For ties, ask the seller about the silk and interlining’s composition and weight. Note that only luxury-end tie representatives will know such answers, and there are perfectly good ties lower down the market. Brooks Brothers ties, for example, are pretty good, but I doubt many salespeople at Brooks will be able to tell you much about their ties’ constructions. To read more about ties and how they’re constructed, you can read my earlier posts here and here. 

In short, you want to make sure the person giving you advice knows the very basics about their products. Anyone who tells you that such and such item is of “great quality” and “made of really nice materials,” but can’t discuss the basic qualities above is, frankly, talking out of their ass. 

Posted in Salespeople Shopping Best Of
June 15, 2011
Plan Ahead Almost every week, I get an email that goes something like this: “I’ve got a (job interview / wedding / new job / funeral / black-tie event) coming up next week. My budget is ($300 / $500). Where should I go to buy my suit?” And I am forced to say… “uhm… H&M?” I’ve never spent more than a couple hundred dollars for a suit. I’ve got a couple J. Crew summer suits that I bought for about $200 each. I’ve got a lovely Chester Barrie that was about $80 (on eBay). Two store-branded suits from a local menswear shop that I thrifted for $35 each. A Savile Row number that I thrifted - a bit more expensive at about $60. A tweed number from Abercrombie & Fitch, circa 1950 that I bought at Goodwill - $20. A pinstripe Paul Stuart that was $25. A Polo suit I bought on eBay for $300. My black tie options - a tuxedo from the 30s and a tropical dinner jacket from the early 50s were both bought for less than $100. And that’s about it. I have a pretty full suit wardrobe, at least for a guy who doesn’t wear suits every day. Two in solid navy, two in solid gray, two striped, two for summer and the tweed. Not one of these suits could I have gone out and bought at a store with a week’s notice and paid less than $600 for. Most of them would have cost more like $1200. I don’t wear suits all that often. I do, however, wear suits from time to time. I generally wear a suit on stage when I do live shows. I wear a suit if I’m headed to an important business meeting. I wear a suit to weddings and funerals. That sort of thing. These are events that I know will happen. I know people will marry and that I will have shows and that I will have important meetings. So I planned ahead. Remember the adage: fast, cheap, good: pick two. By definition, there are no bargains at retail. If you have the money to buy at retail, and only want to buy one suit, just head into Brooks Brothers and buy something conservative in solid gray. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and get yourself something decent. If you’ve got $1500 to spend, get yourself something made by WW Chan or another traveling tailor. If you’ve got $3000 to spend, head to Savile Row or another, similar artisan. Done. If you don’t, you will have to be patient, invest some time, and get some knowledge. And you’ll have to buy when the opportunity strikes, not when you have an event tomorrow.

Plan Ahead

Almost every week, I get an email that goes something like this:

“I’ve got a (job interview / wedding / new job / funeral / black-tie event) coming up next week. My budget is ($300 / $500). Where should I go to buy my suit?”

And I am forced to say… “uhm… H&M?”

I’ve never spent more than a couple hundred dollars for a suit. I’ve got a couple J. Crew summer suits that I bought for about $200 each. I’ve got a lovely Chester Barrie that was about $80 (on eBay). Two store-branded suits from a local menswear shop that I thrifted for $35 each. A Savile Row number that I thrifted - a bit more expensive at about $60. A tweed number from Abercrombie & Fitch, circa 1950 that I bought at Goodwill - $20. A pinstripe Paul Stuart that was $25. A Polo suit I bought on eBay for $300. My black tie options - a tuxedo from the 30s and a tropical dinner jacket from the early 50s were both bought for less than $100. And that’s about it.

I have a pretty full suit wardrobe, at least for a guy who doesn’t wear suits every day. Two in solid navy, two in solid gray, two striped, two for summer and the tweed. Not one of these suits could I have gone out and bought at a store with a week’s notice and paid less than $600 for. Most of them would have cost more like $1200.

I don’t wear suits all that often. I do, however, wear suits from time to time. I generally wear a suit on stage when I do live shows. I wear a suit if I’m headed to an important business meeting. I wear a suit to weddings and funerals. That sort of thing. These are events that I know will happen. I know people will marry and that I will have shows and that I will have important meetings. So I planned ahead.

Remember the adage: fast, cheap, good: pick two.

By definition, there are no bargains at retail. If you have the money to buy at retail, and only want to buy one suit, just head into Brooks Brothers and buy something conservative in solid gray. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and get yourself something decent. If you’ve got $1500 to spend, get yourself something made by WW Chan or another traveling tailor. If you’ve got $3000 to spend, head to Savile Row or another, similar artisan. Done.

If you don’t, you will have to be patient, invest some time, and get some knowledge. And you’ll have to buy when the opportunity strikes, not when you have an event tomorrow.

Posted in Shopping Suits Best Of
March 19, 2011
Here’s a thrifting tip - that works at regular stores, too. One sign of a high-quality dress shirt is natural buttons. Plastic buttons are cheaper and more durable than mother of pearl, but they lack the natural pearlescent sheen of the Real Deal. The difference is marginal, but it’s one way a fine shirtmaker distinguishes his product. If you’re not experienced at spotting natural buttons, there’s an easy way to test. Grab a sleeve, and touch the cuff button to the top of your upper lip. at the bottom of your philtrum. (I use this spot because putting it on the part of my lip I use to eat is kind of gross.) Natural buttons are more conductive to heat than plastic ones, and will feel cold against your lip. The difference is marked, and easy to feel. The real trick, of course: explaining to store clerks why you keep eating sleeve buttons.

Here’s a thrifting tip - that works at regular stores, too.

One sign of a high-quality dress shirt is natural buttons. Plastic buttons are cheaper and more durable than mother of pearl, but they lack the natural pearlescent sheen of the Real Deal. The difference is marginal, but it’s one way a fine shirtmaker distinguishes his product.

If you’re not experienced at spotting natural buttons, there’s an easy way to test. Grab a sleeve, and touch the cuff button to the top of your upper lip. at the bottom of your philtrum. (I use this spot because putting it on the part of my lip I use to eat is kind of gross.)

Natural buttons are more conductive to heat than plastic ones, and will feel cold against your lip. The difference is marked, and easy to feel.

The real trick, of course: explaining to store clerks why you keep eating sleeve buttons.

Posted in Thrifting Tips and Tricks Shopping Shirts Buttons
March 15, 2011
If you’re in the New York area, the blog Yellow Baggers offers regular reports on what’s for sale at local discount chain Daffy’s. The store is generally dire, but some relationships with some European manufacturers and local boutiques mean that from time to time there are boatloads of great stuff at remarkable prices. My last visit netted me three pairs of Mabitex trousers for $29 a pair.

If you’re in the New York area, the blog Yellow Baggers offers regular reports on what’s for sale at local discount chain Daffy’s. The store is generally dire, but some relationships with some European manufacturers and local boutiques mean that from time to time there are boatloads of great stuff at remarkable prices. My last visit netted me three pairs of Mabitex trousers for $29 a pair.

Posted in Daffy's Yellow Baggers New York Shopping Mabitex
November 4, 2010
Q and Answer: Should You Get It At Ross? Dieter asks: How do you feel about off-price stores like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Ross?  Is it worth the effort? Once in a while, someone over on StyleForum will post in the Thrift & Discount Store Finds thread (which is a great read, by the way) that they found something amazing at Marshall’s.  Then someone else will inevitably post: “all my Marshall’s ever has is discounted JNCO raver pants!”  The funny thing is, they’re both right. The hit ratio of these stores is typically very, very low.  Once in a while, they do have something worth buying.  If your local store carries some tailored clothes, sometimes some Polo suits and sport coats can be found, though the Polo shirts and Polo polo shirts are, I think, made specially for these chains.  There was a huge run last year on Robert Talbott cuff links.  Again, though: few and far between. Generally speaking, I find that they’re not as enjoyable to browse as a thrift, since they lack the “anything can happen” possibilities of second-hand.  I also have an unpleasant reaction to the chemicals used to finish the clothes on display and keep them looking fresh.  I really only buy two things at these stores with any consistency: underwear and workout clothes.  If I’m running low on the former, I hit up my local Ross and buy whatever they’ve got that’s my size, a cotton-lycra blend, and not white.  If I need some of the latter, I buy some of the blessedly branding-free Champion wicking blends that tend to be six or eight dollars there. There are exceptions to this rule.  If you’re in New York, Century 21 is a pretty fantastic discount store, which carries a lot of great brands’ older styles at deep discounts.  Some Loehmann’s stores have good menswear.  Daffy’s, an East Coast chain, is generally awful, but for some reason will sometimes have a huge rack of $300 Incotex trousers for $19 or $29.  Certainly the department store discounters (Saks Off Fifth, Nordstrom’s Rack, Neiman Marcus Last Call) sometimes have things worth buying at prices worth paying.  Ross, Marshall’s and TJ Maxx are always a longshot, though. Of course, if you don’t mind the smell, and one of these stores is convenient to you, there are worse things to do on your lunch break.  There could be a diamond among the quartz.

Q and Answer: Should You Get It At Ross?

Dieter asks: How do you feel about off-price stores like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Ross?  Is it worth the effort?

Once in a while, someone over on StyleForum will post in the Thrift & Discount Store Finds thread (which is a great read, by the way) that they found something amazing at Marshall’s.  Then someone else will inevitably post: “all my Marshall’s ever has is discounted JNCO raver pants!”  The funny thing is, they’re both right.

The hit ratio of these stores is typically very, very low.  Once in a while, they do have something worth buying.  If your local store carries some tailored clothes, sometimes some Polo suits and sport coats can be found, though the Polo shirts and Polo polo shirts are, I think, made specially for these chains.  There was a huge run last year on Robert Talbott cuff links.  Again, though: few and far between.

Generally speaking, I find that they’re not as enjoyable to browse as a thrift, since they lack the “anything can happen” possibilities of second-hand.  I also have an unpleasant reaction to the chemicals used to finish the clothes on display and keep them looking fresh. 

I really only buy two things at these stores with any consistency: underwear and workout clothes.  If I’m running low on the former, I hit up my local Ross and buy whatever they’ve got that’s my size, a cotton-lycra blend, and not white.  If I need some of the latter, I buy some of the blessedly branding-free Champion wicking blends that tend to be six or eight dollars there.

There are exceptions to this rule.  If you’re in New York, Century 21 is a pretty fantastic discount store, which carries a lot of great brands’ older styles at deep discounts.  Some Loehmann’s stores have good menswear.  Daffy’s, an East Coast chain, is generally awful, but for some reason will sometimes have a huge rack of $300 Incotex trousers for $19 or $29.  Certainly the department store discounters (Saks Off Fifth, Nordstrom’s Rack, Neiman Marcus Last Call) sometimes have things worth buying at prices worth paying.  Ross, Marshall’s and TJ Maxx are always a longshot, though.

Of course, if you don’t mind the smell, and one of these stores is convenient to you, there are worse things to do on your lunch break.  There could be a diamond among the quartz.

Posted in Q and Answer Ross Marshall's TJ Maxx Shopping
September 6, 2010
Q & A: Where to Shop For Men’s Clothes in San Francisco? Chris writes from Germany: Next month, I’ll be in California for vacation and would like to get some recommendations for stores and boutiques in San Francisco that sell unique and classy clothes like the ones you cover in your blog.  I would be thrilled if you guys could offer some suggestions. It just so happens that I’m a native of the ‘Sco, and I’d be happy to help you out.  San Francisco’s one of the best shopping cities in the world, and there are a wealth of choices. Let’s start with new casual clothes.  The denim-only store Self Edge opened its first outlet in San Francisco some years ago.  If you’re interested in jeans, it’s probably the best store in the world.  Be aware, though, that you’ll be spending a few hundred bucks. MAC, which stands for Modern Appealing Clothing, is probably the best store in the city for contemporary designer casual clothes.  If you’re the kind of guy who buys Maison Martin Margiela or Rick Owens, it’s a must-visit - you can find in Hayes Valley, a couple of blocks from City Hall.  Even if you’re not the designer type, it’s worth browsing.  Prices are, as you might expect, quite high.  Saks Fifth Avenue and Barney’s, both of which are off Union Square, are also great sources for that sort of thing.  Also worth checking out is Unionmade, which opened quite recently and offers authentic and “authentic” clothing for people who are really into, you know, craft and heritage and that kind of stuff. If you’re looking for something a bit classier, there are options there, as well.  The classic is the men’s clothier Wilkes Bashford.  The owner, Wilkes, was forced to sell a year or two ago, but it was to sympathetic buyers, and he remains at the head of the operation.  It’s as luxurious a menswear store as exists in the world.  Wilkes is good friends with the former mayor (and famous dandy) Willie Brown Jr., and has outfitted him for many years.  Wilkes is, again, downtown near Union Square. A little further downtown, you can find Cable Car Clothiers, one of the last true traditional menswear stores on the West Coast.  If you’re looking for a Sherlock Holmes hat, sold without irony, this is the place to visit.  They also sell British-made umbrellas and American-made suits and everything else that was as classic in 1945 as it was in 1965 as it was in 1985 as it is today.  Again, you won’t save money shopping here, but it’s a truly magical place.  It’s also not too far from the Alden Store, on Sutter, where they can show you the full line of Alden shoes for men. If you’re interested in spending a little less, there are a lot of options there, as well.  I’m fond of many thrift stores in San Francisco, but I’m a little hesitant to blow up my spots.  I’ll say that the Town School Clothes Closet is full of wonderful things which are a bit overpriced, but prices come down during regular sales.  I’ve always enjoyed thrifting in the Mission, where I grew up, but if you head to the Fillmore, you’ll find more treasures.  That’s where rich people live, you see.  If you really want to get crazy, check out the Goodwill As-Is Store, South of Market, where you can literally fight people as you go through piles of clothes on long, narrow tables in what amounts to a dungeon of savings. There’s plenty of vintage in San Francisco, as well.  I’ve been a customer at Clothes Contact, on Valencia at 16th, since they opened… 20 years ago, maybe?  I remember buying a bandleader jacket there because I thought it made me look like Michael Jackson.  (While you’re in the Mission, say hi to my friends Lan and Lino at the amazing vintage furniture and housewares store The Apartment).  La Rosa is the best of the vintage stores on Haight Street, and it’s also right nearby Amoeba Records. It’s tough to find good men’s consignment, but Goodbyes does it better than any other store I’ve run across.  Quality goods, reasonable prices, and sometimes even helpful sales staff.  (One lady is super-mean, but mostly they’re very nice.)  You can also check out Jeremy’s, which has a stock that’s split between store liquidations and consignments.  A little pricier and often a little lower-quality, but also a little less fussy. Hopefully that’s enough to fill your time.  If I might offer some unsolicited tourist advice: many San Francisco tourist traps are great.  Cable cars, for example, are still cool to me.  Riding a bike in Golden Gate Park is wonderful.  Alcatraz is pretty neat, too.  Fisherman’s Wharf, though, is fucking awful.  Don’t go there.  If you do, skip everything except The Musee Mechanique, at Pier 45.

Q & A: Where to Shop For Men’s Clothes in San Francisco?

Chris writes from Germany: Next month, I’ll be in California for vacation and would like to get some recommendations for stores and boutiques in San Francisco that sell unique and classy clothes like the ones you cover in your blog.  I would be thrilled if you guys could offer some suggestions.

It just so happens that I’m a native of the ‘Sco, and I’d be happy to help you out.  San Francisco’s one of the best shopping cities in the world, and there are a wealth of choices.

Let’s start with new casual clothes.  The denim-only store Self Edge opened its first outlet in San Francisco some years ago.  If you’re interested in jeans, it’s probably the best store in the world.  Be aware, though, that you’ll be spending a few hundred bucks.

MAC, which stands for Modern Appealing Clothing, is probably the best store in the city for contemporary designer casual clothes.  If you’re the kind of guy who buys Maison Martin Margiela or Rick Owens, it’s a must-visit - you can find in Hayes Valley, a couple of blocks from City Hall.  Even if you’re not the designer type, it’s worth browsing.  Prices are, as you might expect, quite high.  Saks Fifth Avenue and Barney’s, both of which are off Union Square, are also great sources for that sort of thing.  Also worth checking out is Unionmade, which opened quite recently and offers authentic and “authentic” clothing for people who are really into, you know, craft and heritage and that kind of stuff.

If you’re looking for something a bit classier, there are options there, as well.  The classic is the men’s clothier Wilkes Bashford.  The owner, Wilkes, was forced to sell a year or two ago, but it was to sympathetic buyers, and he remains at the head of the operation.  It’s as luxurious a menswear store as exists in the world.  Wilkes is good friends with the former mayor (and famous dandy) Willie Brown Jr., and has outfitted him for many years.  Wilkes is, again, downtown near Union Square.

A little further downtown, you can find Cable Car Clothiers, one of the last true traditional menswear stores on the West Coast.  If you’re looking for a Sherlock Holmes hat, sold without irony, this is the place to visit.  They also sell British-made umbrellas and American-made suits and everything else that was as classic in 1945 as it was in 1965 as it was in 1985 as it is today.  Again, you won’t save money shopping here, but it’s a truly magical place.  It’s also not too far from the Alden Store, on Sutter, where they can show you the full line of Alden shoes for men.

If you’re interested in spending a little less, there are a lot of options there, as well.  I’m fond of many thrift stores in San Francisco, but I’m a little hesitant to blow up my spots.  I’ll say that the Town School Clothes Closet is full of wonderful things which are a bit overpriced, but prices come down during regular sales.  I’ve always enjoyed thrifting in the Mission, where I grew up, but if you head to the Fillmore, you’ll find more treasures.  That’s where rich people live, you see.  If you really want to get crazy, check out the Goodwill As-Is Store, South of Market, where you can literally fight people as you go through piles of clothes on long, narrow tables in what amounts to a dungeon of savings.

There’s plenty of vintage in San Francisco, as well.  I’ve been a customer at Clothes Contact, on Valencia at 16th, since they opened… 20 years ago, maybe?  I remember buying a bandleader jacket there because I thought it made me look like Michael Jackson.  (While you’re in the Mission, say hi to my friends Lan and Lino at the amazing vintage furniture and housewares store The Apartment).  La Rosa is the best of the vintage stores on Haight Street, and it’s also right nearby Amoeba Records.

It’s tough to find good men’s consignment, but Goodbyes does it better than any other store I’ve run across.  Quality goods, reasonable prices, and sometimes even helpful sales staff.  (One lady is super-mean, but mostly they’re very nice.)  You can also check out Jeremy’s, which has a stock that’s split between store liquidations and consignments.  A little pricier and often a little lower-quality, but also a little less fussy.

Hopefully that’s enough to fill your time. 

If I might offer some unsolicited tourist advice: many San Francisco tourist traps are great.  Cable cars, for example, are still cool to me.  Riding a bike in Golden Gate Park is wonderful.  Alcatraz is pretty neat, too.  Fisherman’s Wharf, though, is fucking awful.  Don’t go there.  If you do, skip everything except The Musee Mechanique, at Pier 45.

Posted in Q and Answer Shopping Stores San Francisco Cable Car Clothiers Wilkes Bashford Saks Fifth Avenue Barney's New York Self Edge MAC Unionmade Alden Thrifting Goodwill Consignment

Shopping Effectively Means Shopping Like My Mom

November 30, 2009

(me and my mom, 1981)

My mom’s current (modest) salary, as a Junior College professor, is the most she’s made in her life, and living alone in San Francisco it still barely qualifies her for the middle class.  Despite that, her home is filled to the gills with beautiful things, and her wardrobe is, too.  Our home was always full of beautiful things, even when I was eight or nine, and she was working her way through graduate school as a single mother in her 40s.

Partly, it’s because she’s got taste, which she’s developed over many years.  In large part, though, it’s because she’s a truly great shopper.  She’s taught me a lot about how to get a lot for a little, and how never to want, even when you’re broke.

What I’ve learned from her can help you build a wardrobe, no matter what your income level is.

Here’s how you can shop like my mom:

Know what you need. My dad can only shop for one thing at a time.  He can shop for a new Accord and find a good deal, but if he was on his way to buy lettuce and saw a mint ‘56 Chevy for sale for $1200, he wouldn’t be able to wrap his head around buying it.  My mom always knows what she needs, and what she’s going to need… and, for that matter, what everyone close to her needs.  I can tell her that my wife and I need some napkins, and two months later, a bag appears at my doorstep full of linen napkins from the 50s that my mom bought for a dollar.  My mom keeps a running tally in her head of what she’s low on, what might need replacing, what holes have sprung up in her material world… and when the opportunity presents itself, she strikes.

Accept that you might not get it now. If you look at your purchasing decisions as a problem that needs an immediate solution, you’ll always end up at Target or Ikea.  When you actually give some consideration to what really is a “must have it now” item (roof repairs) and what’s a “when it comes along item” (new sweater), you can buy from a position of strength.

Plan ahead. A reader emailed today asking about where he could get a good, affordable winter hat.  It’s November right now,  and winter hat prices are at their peak.  If the reader had bought a hat in February, he could have shopped at Saks instead of H&M.  It’s even OK to have a little surplus of things that won’t go bad — you can buy the big box of Bisquick, or and you can buy two classic cashmere toques when they’re marked down to $19.

Used is your friend.  Remember that the biggest drop in value comes when you drive that new car off the lot.  The time investment may be slightly greater, but the savings is huge when you buy used, and if you know how to buy things that aren’t “used up,” (either functionally, as in pilling sweaters, or aesthetically, as in out-of-style clothes), you will benefit.  You want things that are worn in, not worn out.

Buy things for less than they’re worth. My mom is a hustler.  When she sees a chance to buy low, she does - when you’ve got things of value you can always trade or sell them.  Don’t confuse this with buying cheap things, or even things that are marked down.  A high-school friend’s dad used to buy marked-down VHS movies at the Wherehouse.  He had a house full of videos, and they were all cheap, but none of them were good enough to watch, to say nothing of being good enough to sell.  I know when I buy an Oxxford suit at the thrift store that if I decide I don’t like it, I can always sell it for more than I bought it for.

Buy things that hold their value.  Generally I’d say buy things that increase in value, as good art or furniture does, but with clothes, that’s tough.  Fashions change, and clothes are easy to damage.  Remember, though, that when you tear the tags off of that shirt from H&M, its value goes from $20 to $1 in an instant.  The naval peacoat I bought at a garage sale in high school is still worth two or three times the $20 I paid for it.

Buy things that are repairable. Good shirts can have their collars and cuffs replaced.  Good shoes can get new soles.  Good luggage can have straps replaced.  Whenever possible, buy things that can be fixed, rather than discarded.

Don’t confuse price and value. Quality correlates to price, but it certainly doesn’t correlate to price directly.  There’s plenty of expensive crap out there, and there are plenty of big markdowns that aren’t very useful to you.  It can be tough to resist that orange cashmere sweater marked from $490 to $49 - that’s 90% off.  But how valuable is an orange cashmere sweater to you?  Unless you’re in a community theater production of It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, it may be less than $49, no matter what the original price sticker says.  Similarly, brand has gone from a shorthand for quality to a shorthand for, well, brand.  A tag that says “Coach” used to mean the best in leather goods.  Now it means you can afford to buy Coach branded leather goods.  Or knockoffs thereof.

Put yourself in a position to win. My mom’s a creative shopper.  She gets up early to go to estate sales.  She has tons of saved searches on Ebay.  She stops at garage sales.  She puts herself in a position to find something amazing, and when it comes up, she’s ready to buy.  Serendipity is the child of persistence.

Know what’s good. This one’s about skill.  Skill’s about talent, in part.  My mom has a great natural aesthetic sense.  But it’s also about knowledge.  She can evaluate whether the piece of pottery in front of her really is pre-Columbian, and she knows the names of the best leather goods makers in England.  What’s great is that her knowledge and experience don’t just make her a walking reference book, they also make her guesses much better.  Memorizing the best makers can help you spot pieces by those makers, but learning to spot quality means that you can be confident in your own assessments.

Don’t confuse quantity and quality.  When you get an $1800 sportcoat for $300, you have not bought the right to buy five $300 sportcoats.  You’re living within your budget, or you’re saving money for another day.  You don’t want to end up with a house full of VHS copies of Prayer of the Rollerboys.

Move up the ladder. If you have something decent, don’t buy another piece of comparable quality.  It’s redundant.  Buy one that’s better.  You don’t want more: you want better.

Buy amazing things.  My mom looks at a lot of things in a given month.  When she sees something - once or twice a year - that she truly loves, she buys it.  Even if it’s expensive.  Then she figures out how to pay for it.  If something really speaks to you, it’s worth the money.

So… think about what your ideal wardrobe is.  Learn about quality.  Put yourself in a position to catch lightning in a bottle.  Be patient.  And make it happen.

Posted in Shopping Thrifting Value Judith Thorn