{"id":743,"date":"2012-05-30T22:47:00","date_gmt":"2012-05-30T22:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.novonon.com\/blog\/2012\/05\/30\/affordable-basicsmost-people-want-to-dress-well-but-they-dont\/"},"modified":"2012-05-30T22:47:00","modified_gmt":"2012-05-30T22:47:00","slug":"affordable-basicsmost-people-want-to-dress-well-but-they-dont","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.novonon.com\/blog\/2012\/05\/30\/affordable-basicsmost-people-want-to-dress-well-but-they-dont\/","title":{"rendered":"Affordable BasicsMost people want to dress well, but they don\u2019t&#8230;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[Some nice advice on buying dressy clothes at tolerable prices (if you don&#8217;t have time to comb the thrift stores). -egg]<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/putthison.com\/post\/23933253573\">Affordable Basics<br \/>Most people want to dress well, but they don\u2019t&#8230;<\/a>: <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/25.media.tumblr.com\/tumblr_m4qd5kUH7Q1qa2j8co1_500.jpg?w=625\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>Affordable Basics<\/strong><br \/>Most people want to dress well, but they don\u2019t care to spend a small fortune or an inordinate amount of time searching for deals. That means no fancy boutiques or thrift stores, just readily available things that can be quickly purchased for not too much money.<br \/>Obviously, if you want the best things, you have to spend either time or money. If you just want to look decent without too much fuss, however, here are my recommendations for where you can get affordable basics.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<strong>Suits and sport coats:<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.landsend.com\/ix\/Men\/suits-blazers\/UserSearch=tailored+fit\/index.html?seq=2~3~1&#038;catNumbers=1~28&#038;visible=1~1~1&#038;store=le&#038;sort=Recommended&#038;pageSize=72\">Land\u2019s End Tailored Fits<\/a> are workable. If you can swing it, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.suitsupply.com\/\">Suit Supply<\/a> is very good for the price. You can read my review of them <a href=\"http:\/\/putthison.com\/post\/14122203816\/we-got-it-for-free-suitsupply-suit-in-my-short\">here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Shirts:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.tmlewin.com\/\">TM Lewin<\/a> sells decent dress shirts for $32 in their\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.tmlewin.com\/%2432-Mens-Shirts\/TM-Lewin-Promotion-B-Mens-Shirts,en_US,sc.html\">clearance section<\/a>\u00a0or $160 for four in non-clearance. Their \u201cslim fit\u201d fits reasonably well (neither too blousy nor skin tight), and their collar is big enough to hold a necktie well.\u00a0For oxford cloth button downs,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/canvas.landsend.com\/pp\/the-heritage-oxford-shirt~203146_-1.html?bcc=y&#038;action=order_more&#038;sku_0=::BLU&#038;CM_MERCH=IDX_men-_-shirts-&#038;origin=index\">Lands End Canvas\u2019 Heritage line<\/a> is passable, though the collars are short and skimpy. If you can afford to, get <a href=\"http:\/\/www.brooksbrothers.com\/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&#038;Section_Id=1331&#038;Parent_id=1031&#038;Product_Id=1637475&#038;default_color=Blue\">Brooks Brothers<\/a>\u00a0instead. They\u2019re better made and designed. Both Land\u2019s End and Brooks will discount things by about 40% at the end of each season.<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Trousers:<\/strong>\u00a0I\u2019ve yet to come across readily available, highly-recommendable, affordable, high-quality trousers. The best I can offer in this area are <a href=\"http:\/\/www.landsend.com\/ix\/Men\/Mens-Pants\/UserSearch=tailored+fit\/index.html?seq=2~3~1&#038;catNumbers=1~23&#038;visible=1~1~1&#038;store=le&#038;sort=Recommended&#038;pageSize=72\">Land\u2019s End Tailored Fit trousers<\/a>, but those will need some tailoring, depending on your build. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.brooksbrothers.com\/\/search.process?i=1&#038;noh=1&#038;q=milano&#038;t1=Men&#038;u1=q&#038;u2=t1\">Brooks Brothers Milano trousers<\/a> are also workable once they go on sale.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Jeans:<\/strong>\u00a0Decent pairs can be bought at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/us.levi.com\/home\/index.jsp\">Levis<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.gap.com\/browse\/search.do?searchText=selvage&#038;submit.x=0&#038;submit.y=0\">Gap (selvedge denim line only)<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.uniqlo.com\/us\/product\/men\/bottoms\/jeans\">Uniqlo<\/a>\u00a0(\u201cMade in Japan\u201d line is especially nice). All three are holding sales right now. Note that if you want to shop at Uniqlo, you either have to visit their stores in NYC or go through\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.suddenlee.com\/default.asp?ref=1824\">Suddenlee<\/a>\u00a0(which you can learn how to do <a href=\"http:\/\/putthison.com\/post\/20065508253\/how-does-suddenlee-work-after-my-post-on-monday\">here<\/a>).\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Rain coats:<\/strong> If you\u2019re on a budget, rain coats are perhaps best bought second hand, but if you don\u2019t want to deal with the hassle, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tmlewin.com\/Stone-Rain-Mac---40685\/40685,en_US,pd.html?start=3&#038;cgid=Mens-Coats\">TM Lewin\u2019s mac<\/a> is fairly nice.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Shoes:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.loake.co.uk\/loake-1880.html\">Loake\u2019s 1880 line<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.meermin.es\/\">Meermin<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ctshirts.com\/mens-shoes?q=usddefault%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C\">Charles Tyrwhitt<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.markowski-chausseur.fr\/\">Markowski<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/edetal.sg\/\">Ed Et Al<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.florsheim.com\/shop\/index.html\">Florsheim<\/a>\u2019s Goodyear welted line, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.allenedmonds.com\/\">Allen Edmonds<\/a> are all worth checking out. Slightly imperfect \u201cfactory seconds\u201d from Allen Edmonds can be had for a discount at their Shoe Bank store. You can see what models they have in your size by calling them at (262) 785-6666. Nordstrom also discounts Allen Edmonds to $200 or so during\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/shop.nordstrom.com\/c\/frequently-asked-questions#salesevent\">their semi-annual sale<\/a>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Ties:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/putthison.com\/post\/18498460645\/the-more-affordable-grenadine-this-past-monday-i\">Chipp2<\/a>\u00a0sells very respectable grenadine ties for $47.50. You can get whatever else you need at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.landsend.com\/ix\/mens-clothing\/Men\/dress-shirts-ties\/Mens-Ties-Pocket-Squares\/index.html?tab=1&#038;store=le&#038;catNumbers=1~9~106&#038;visible=1~2~1~1\">Land\u2019s End<\/a>. They hold sales fairly often.<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Socks:<\/strong> Gold Toes can be had at Costco or <a href=\"http:\/\/putthison.com\/post\/6041221998\/we-got-it-for-free-gold-toe-socks-im-somewhat\">Belt Outlet<\/a> for about $6 a pair.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Cufflinks:<\/strong> Get these <a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/711-53200-19255-0\/1?icep_ff3=2&#038;pub=5574968505&#038;toolid=10001&#038;campid=5336852872&#038;customid=&#038;icep_item=280887376027&#038;ipn=psmain&#038;icep_vectorid=229466&#038;kwid=902099&#038;mtid=824&#038;kw=lg\">monkey\u2019s fists cufflinks<\/a> if you don\u2019t need something more formal. Get something from\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.kentwang.com\/cuff-links\">Kent Wang<\/a>\u00a0if you do.<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Pocket squares:<\/strong>\u00a0If you can only buy one, pick up a white linen. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kentwang.com\/white.html\">Kent Wang<\/a> sells one for $20,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.howardyount.com\/collections\/pocket-squares\/products\/white-linen-pocket-square\">Howard Yount<\/a> for $25, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.samhober.com\/belgian-linen-pocket-squares\/\">Sam Hober<\/a> for $30.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Belts:<\/strong>\u00a0You can get a decent belt from\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.narragansettleathers.com\/\">Narrangasettet Leather<\/a>\u00a0or <a href=\"http:\/\/elizab.com\/mm5\/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&#038;Store_Code=EB&#038;Category_Code=aj-belts\">Austin Jeffers<\/a>\u00a0for between $40 and $50.<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Wallets:<\/strong> I prefer the slim profile of a card case over a thick bi-fold. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.chestermox.com\/\">Chester Mox<\/a> makes some nice ones starting at $39 and they\u2019re offering <a href=\"http:\/\/putthison.com\/post\/23612675355\/its-on-sale-chester-mox-wallets-one-of-my\">free monogramming<\/a>\u00a0right now as part of a Father\u2019s Day promotion. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.saddlebackleather.com\/Classic-Wallet-Business-Credit-Card\">Saddleback<\/a> also has a very simple and affordable option at $15.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Watches:<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.google.com\/search?client=safari&#038;rls=en&#038;q=timex+easy+reader&#038;ie=UTF-8&#038;oe=UTF-8#q=timex+easy+reader&#038;hl=en&#038;client=safari&#038;rls=en&#038;prmd=imvnsfd&#038;source=univ&#038;tbm=shop&#038;tbo=u&#038;sa=X&#038;ei=2KDDT5XADIzS4QSY7uXOCQ&#038;ved=0CHYQrQQ&#038;bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&#038;fp=730f0cc3492bde69&#038;biw=1085&#038;bih=664\">Timex<\/a> on a NATO strap. The watch itself is $25-35 and you can pick up a strap for about <a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/711-53200-19255-0\/1?ff3=4&#038;pub=5574968505&#038;toolid=10001&#038;campid=5336852872&#038;customid=&#038;mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3Dnato%2Bstrap%26_pgn%3D2%26_skc%3D48%26rt%3Dnc\">$10 on eBay<\/a>. Or, if you prefer an automatic, try a Seiko &#8211; the Seiko 5\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B002SSUQFG\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=thesoundofyou-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=B002SSUQFG\">can typically be had for about $60<\/a>, and several other models are under $100.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Finally, don\u2019t forget to set aside a portion of your budget to have things tailored. Things such as suits, sport coats, shirts, and trousers rarely fit perfectly off-the-rack, but if you bring them to a good alterations tailor, you can make them look twice as good and three times as expensive.<br \/><em>(Photo from <a href=\"http:\/\/images.google.com\/hosted\/life\/2381cd403e5e86f6.html\">Life<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[Some nice advice on buying dressy clothes at tolerable prices (if you don&#8217;t have time to comb the thrift stores). -egg] Affordable BasicsMost people want to dress well, but they don\u2019t&#8230;: Affordable BasicsMost people want to dress well, but they don\u2019t care to spend a small fortune or an inordinate amount of time searching for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3pfIY-bZ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.novonon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.novonon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.novonon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.novonon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.novonon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=743"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.novonon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/743\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.novonon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.novonon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.novonon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}