Q. My son just graduated, and I'm pleased to say he already has a job. Unfortunately, it doesn't pay well and he's living at home for now. He's working at a very small advertising firm (with a handful of big-name directors). He needs to look good and professional in a somewhat cool -- and inexpensive -- way.
A. Congratulations both on his graduation and on landing a job!
Now that you have clothes buying ahead of you, be upbeat about it. It can actually be fun. The plan is to build a quality wardrobe that gives a total look.
Instead of a random assortment of individual, fairly good components, you want an integrated collection of the best looks for your son and for his position.
Yes, there are strategies to follow when building a young executive's wardrobe. It is important to know which items to spend your money on, where to buy them, and when to shop.
THE WHICH
In a man's wardrobe, certain items must be fine quality. They are not the places to stint. Unfortunately, they are big ticket items, the most expensive ones you will be buying. These items are suits (including sport jackets) and shoes. Because they make up the major part of your budget, you must devote more time, thought, and planning to their purchases.
THE WHERE
If you had an unlimited budget, you could just go to any top-of-the-line store, such as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, or Paul Stuart, at any time of the year and shop to your heart's content. But since this is not the case, you must make choices. Either you will buy very few quality garments at full price, or you will buy garments from a store of mediocre quality, or -- and this is the plan I recommend -- you will buy quality items at a discounted price from a fine store.
THE WHEN
Bargain prices are available in two ways: Even the most upscale shops have frequent end-of-the-season sales, and several large stores and outlets regularly sell clothing from a variety of quality manufacturers at greatly discounted prices. Because men's clothing differs from women's in that almost nothing goes out of style from one year to the next, buying "on sale" or from discount outlets makes great sense. In fact, I can hardly think of a reason to buy fine men's clothes from prestigious stores at full retail price.
In the category of suits and sport coats, what the industry refers to as "tailored clothing," you will want to build a basic minimum wardrobe. This should begin with a solid dark blue suit, a dark- or medium-gray suit, a navy blazer, and a tweed sport coat. Add to these a pair of medium-gray dress pants and a well-cut pair of khakis; you will be ready for most situations.
Such fine stores as Brooks Brothers, Paul Stuart, and better department stores often have attractive tailored clothing in their seasonal sales at very attractive prices. And even though Jos. A. Bank is about to be taken over by Men's Wearhouse, they are both still good places to get some amazing bargain deals (such as buy one big-name brand garment and get one free).
Beyond the tailored clothing category are shirts and ties. A careful shopper can easily find fine-quality shirts at huge savings. The upscale London shirt maker, Charles Tyrwhitt and Brooks Brothers offer special bargain prices on their entire line of all-cotton shirts several times a year. For example, instead of $160 per shirt, some are as little as $40. A basic collection of four shirts might include one white, one solid blue, one blue-and-white fine stripe, and one blue-and-white broader stripe. These would all inter-work with each of the tailored clothing items and could be recombined in multiple ways for varied looks.
In addition, here are some recent data on the specific best days to shop in certain discount stores. Clothing markdowns typically occur on Wednesdays at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, and on Tuesday and Wednesday at Target. Online, the best discounts on new clothing and accessories seem to be on Thursdays.
If you are a knowledgeable shopper, you can find spectacular bargains when shopping for gently-used, fine silk neckties at tag sales, garage sales, and thrift shops. Having a discerning eye and knowing which designer names to look for are helpful skills. It even pays to buy a beautiful $1 or $2 tie that is too wide for today's styles. Rather than buy a new silk tie for $70 to $100, you can send your bargain discovery off to TieCrafters to be professionally narrowed and made like new for a mere $24.50.
After your son has built a wardrobe of basic styles, he'll be ready to incorporate some sophisticated special touches to give that extra edge of personal style.
You have my hearty good wishes that he will soon look so good, and be doing so well, that the reticent admission "he's living at home for now" becomes a proud "he has his own apartment."
Send men's fashion queries to
Lois.Fenton@prodigy.net
High Profile on 06/22/2014