LITTLE ROCK — Q. I cannot understand why people are paying hundreds and thousands of dollars for shirts and suits when I have shirts and ties I have bought on sale in the $20 range and suits that cost as little as $80. No, these are not used clothes. Your readers should know they can wear a jacket and tie on entry-level money.
A. I do agree that it is most important to look good within your financial ability, but bargain-basement thinking can be false economy. Men who spend too little for their clothes often end up paying more in the end. If you think buying quality clothing is an unnecessary extravagance, there are three concerns to think about - the cost (dollars and time) of replacing lower quality clothes, the risk of looking inferior in an economy with people lined up to take your job, and today’s emphasis on image in business and in our social lives as well.
Indeed, popular TV shows such as Project Runway and Fashion Star feature fine clothes and quality design. And everywhere we see that the retro/elegant way men dress on Mad Men has influenced what today’s men are actually wearing.
Recently, a young man I know, after receiving his master of business administration degree, was hired by a highly respected management-consulting firm. They gave him $4,000 upfront to outfit himself in a business wardrobe. They stipulated that he should spend at least $500 on each suit, and that the suits should be dark blue or gray. The shirts he bought should be white or light blue. He was to wear no jewelry except a wedding ring, a watch and perhaps a tie clasp.Companies want their employees to look good. It’s a matter of choosing the right clothes. In the long run, spending a little more on clothes will help your career.
Most established business people recognize quality clothes and think of the men who wear them as winners. To step out of the business context for a moment, suppose you were an actor looking for a job. I’ll bet you wouldn’t drive to your audition in a beat-up old car. You’d rent or borrow a car if necessary to make sure you arrived in a sleek model that suggested you were successful. Your clothes, in a business setting, should also emphasize your successfulness.
Another way to justify investing in quality clothes is the concept of “CPW” or “cost per wearing.” If you were to buya classic navy blue blazer or a gray suit for, say, $425, you could conceivably wear such a basic, traditional item once a week for eight years. Figuring once a week for eight years, the cost per wearing would come to $1. And each time you wore it you would feel like a million dollars.
On the other hand, if you were to walk past a store, see a polyester $80 blazer in the window, and buy it, here is what might happen. The first three or four times you wear the blazer, no one compliments you; in fact, no one says a word. The fifth time, your wife says she never did like that jacket.The sixth time, you see yourself in the mirror and wonder what ever made you buy it. The seventh time, you decide you’ll wear it even if you don’t like it anymore since you already own it, and find that you feel low all day. The eighth time, the waiter at lunch seats you next to the kitchen and you - wisely - decide to give it to Goodwill. Eighty dollars divided by eight wearings is $10 per wearing. That’s expensive!
“Polyester dressing” is a prime example of bargain basement thinking. Since most synthetic clothes have a way of looking cheap, the man who insists on wearing them does himself a great disservice. The natural fibers - wool for suits, cotton for shirts, silk for ties, and linen for summer wear - are more impressive, more comfortable, longer wearing, and carry with them an aura of success. (If you do buy a blend, the more wool or cotton, the better.)
But don’t overlook buying fine clothes “on sale.” What is wrong with getting a $400 blazer for $200? Sometimes, the more expensive the store, the better their sale prices. Keep in mind that “classic” clothes will still be in style next year, and the year after that. Also, buying from a topnotch store, their “store-brand” merchandise (that boasts the store’s own label rather than a designer’s name) is likely to be a best buy.
Just be certain before you go shopping that you know what you need in your wardrobe. Don’t ever buy on a whim something you would not even have considered without a sale price. The old adage is still true: “A bargain is not a bargain if you don’t wear it.” Send questions for Male Call to:
High Profile, Pages 43 on 05/27/2012