Value Shopping

When I decided I wanted to minimize the amount of clothes in my closet, I put a greater emphasis on the quality of the clothes I bought (By the end of this post, I can tell you, you are going to HATE the word 'quality,' as there are only so many ways to say it, so I don't even bother trying variety). Instead of owning a large amount of clothes that I thought felt and looked okay, I wanted clothing that looked good on me, but also felt good wearing. Thus, I began searching for better quality items, and I encountered a problem.

Yes, it's true that higher price does not mean better. But all the same, quality clothes are expensive.

Perhaps it's just me and this is an unfair assessment, but I often get frustrated with the prices attached to a variety of well-made clothing. Names stereotypically associated with quality clothing often charge prices for their on-sale goods that easily exceed full prices at lower-end department stores. Some examples are how dress shirts from Brooks Brothers can cost $40 on clearance, and full price easily exceed $90, sometimes even breaking into the hundreds, and yes, I mean that as a plural. One of the most famous brands for amazing shoes is Allen Edmonds, but their flagship models, like the Strand or Park Avenue, often exceed $300 at full retail, with re-crafting services available at $50 a pop (minimum) when they wear down. And these aren't even the TOP TIER, but the POPULAR options, and are considered more affordable! And yes, the truth is that the quality of the items, to some degree, does warrant a more expensive price tag, as these items will last quite a while, but that's the thing. To buy quality, you need to be willing to spend a little more at retail.

The typical argument is as follows, and it's accurate... to a degree. In buying these kinds of goods, in the long run, they are actually less expensive, as they will not need to be repaired or replaced as often. A pair of Aldens dress shoes, properly cared for, will last you half your life or longer. A pair of A.P.C. jeans will last you a decade of constant use before they break down. Leather goods from companies like Saddleback can practically become heirlooms. And all of these will cost you.

That said, I've found some ways to get around this, and I will share below a few of the different means I have for doing so. But I also want to recommend beforehand, which is to identify what you want to have that's of good quality, and what you're okay with being of regular or sub-par. Examples for me would be something like a polo shirt or a pair of chinos. So long as they fit well and are comfortable, I'm fine with them and don't care as much about their construction, and very slightly about the fabric (I have a thing against polyester, in most cases). However, when it comes to dress shirts, I'm incredibly picky about what I look for.

The first tip is to take the time to learn what makes a well-made item. One example would be looking for top-grain leather instead of a patent leather, or a Goodyear welt for shoes, as many soles of shoes are glued. Another would perhaps be a merino wool sweater in comparison to acrylic.

Please note, from this point forward, this list goes from most expensive options to least expensive. I only list them as options, depending on what you'd be looking for. Also, I list these brands as examples of what I mean, not advertisements, and what works for me might not work for you, so just take them with a grain of salt.

The second tip is to keep an eye out for sales, and browse clearance racks, for these kinds of brands instead of paying full retail. The advantage to this is that many brands, including some of the brands even mentioned above, actually do offer items on sale and clearance, and so you can get them for significantly less than you would have initially. In waiting for something to be discounted or a sale, you may come to realize that you don't want to spent the money to get that item, which, in my opinion, is a good thing. The downside to this, however, is that it also means you're still going to be spending quite a bit, and to be honest, for this reason I don't think I've ever used this myself, but if you're okay with spending that kind of money, it's an option.

The third tip is to look for alternative brands. Many items are expensive because of the name attached to them, but you can find items that suit the purpose just as easily elsewhere. For example, Brooks Brothers is revered for its shirts, but companies like Charles Tyrwhitt make a comparable product, and often much offer better deals with the occasional coupon to boot. Wolverine is known for making an incredible boot called the 1000 Mile, whereas CAT (yes, them) makes a decent boot called the Orson for nearly a third the price, and often lower than that, with the discounts it gets on Amazon. Look around at companies to see who has the best value for the goods. Now, it still will not likely be cheap, but this range is quite a bit more reasonable, in my opinion, though only for the items that it makes sense to do so.

The fourth option is my personal most-used method. There are a number of stores that markets more towards those that are typically on a budget. Depending on the quality of the item you're looking for, Gap's three stores (Old Navy, Gap, and Banana Republic) are constantly running discounts of one sort or another, and I wait for the good ones and stack these on top of existing clearance items for as low as I can get them. Uniqlo can also be pretty good for basic items like polos and t-shirts, and I don't think I need to convince anyone reading this about the wonder that is Target. Most of the time, you can find what you're looking for here without having to saw off a part of your anatomy to present to the cashier. Simply look for the brands in this range that fit you best, both physically and for your wallet, and watch for sales on the items you're looking for.

The fifth option, my personal favorite (though not most-used) is to check out places like Goodwill, visit resale shops in the city (Scout's is an example), or head online to stores like eBay. You can find really good items in these stores, and a number of my friends practically swear by them. Though, I do warn you, if you want the item to fit well, in this arena, finding a tailor is a good idea.

I wish to make a side note about eBay, though, as it's my personal choice. Something I learned is that eBay can be tricky, when it comes to getting what you're looking for, in terms of fit. While a tailor can adjust an article of clothing, there's only so much they can do without having to charge almost what it'd cost for the full retail, so you need to get as close a fit as possible. To do this, find a garment of the type you're looking for and measure it according to the dimensions you're looking for on the garment. On eBay, a lot of the more knowledgeable vendors will actually post the dimensions of their goods in the description, and you compare with these to try and get a rough estimate of what you'd be buying.

Well, those above are means both I've heard of and that I've personally used when shopping. Do you have any tips or tricks you personally use? Anything you think I should change? Comment below!