Getting dressed has never been so difficult. It’s not a 6-year-old’s dilemma about which shoe is right or left, or an older person’s struggle with bending over to tie shoelaces. No, I’m thin now. Are you worried about having the right clothes in your wardrobe for different clothing situations?
Work clothes and casual wear are blurring, and when you factor in your age, you have to make difficult choices. If you’re looking for the best value, throwing money at a situation won’t prevent you from looking like you’re wearing dark clothes or trying to play an inappropriate younger version of yourself. . But can you save money when buying clothes? If, like me, you have a specific look in mind, are sales the best place to find those savings?
According to 2022 data from the Office for National Statistics, the average person in the UK spends £915.20 a year on clothing. And in December 2023, UK clothing inflation was 6.4%. When it comes to averages and this column, we all know that such numbers are meaningless. After all, a decent coat and a few pairs of high-quality shoes can shed more than that.
Years ago, it was simple. Work clothes were for work, weddings, and funerals. easy. To buy a suit, stop by Hackett if you’re thin or Marks and Spencer if you’re fat. Shirts had to be double-cuffed with no pockets, and it was always better to buy them on sale. And Harvey & Hudson also has everything on sale twice a year (I love their collars).
The tie was also simple. When I traveled abroad, I would stop by Hermès and buy duty-free ties to add to my collection. For shoes, he’ll probably buy his black Penny loafers from Fratelli Rossetti or Tod’s. That should be enough.
Casual wear included jeans, chinos, and Chelsea boots. Ralph Lauren pullovers and oxford cotton shirts in the winter, polo shirts in the summer. But when workwear became smart casual and I became a freelancer, things got complicated. Suits, ties and smart shirts were superfluous.
I have nothing against shopping. In fact, I love it! I actively enjoy looking for new clothes and buying unwanted shoes to add to my wardrobe. I’m also happy to try on pants if I feel like it. After all, you should never buy new pants without checking the leg length, cut and waist.
Because aside from the weight issue of yo-yos, sizes can vary widely. I think 34 inch pants will always fit. Sometimes this is not the case, and it is never a good idea to tighten the top button so tightly that it can ring at any time. Multiple cutting styles are useless. “Tailored,” which is quite cumbersome, and “slim fit,” which uses rude language, are no good. It’s always “regular” or “custom”. Or as I like to call it, fat fit.
I also love trading. But does that necessarily mean it’s worth buying something on sale? No, it’s usually people who are very thin, very tall, or very fat who are on sale. . And someone who doesn’t care about how they are seen in public.
If you want a pair of Ralph Lauren chinos, they’ll cost you £180, or £80 on sale. However, if you are a “normal” size, you will almost always find that your foot length, size, and color are out of stock. You should go to the new M&S and buy him for £25.
Did I just say that? But despite M&S’s resurgence, their own brand shirts are still terrible. If you buy the brands they sell, be prepared to buy full-priced items, as they are unlikely to be discounted. Pay £55 for a crew shirt on sale for between £17 and £25 on web-based discount site Brand Alley. It’s like a designer outlet center, so you don’t have to travel all the way or suffer the inevitable disappointment if you can’t find something to buy. But you have to be hawk-eyed. XL ones are usually posted the moment they are posted.
I also found it difficult to find brands that I use on a daily basis. Ralph Lauren, a staple for many people, has simply become too expensive. An Oxford cotton shirt costs £140 and a Bog Standard striped number is nearly £180. If that’s what you want, hop on a plane to New York and buy something on sale instead. Lacoste is my new . And they really sell everything. However, you can’t fill your wardrobe with just one brand. And Crocs are not suitable for work-related casual wear.
The internet has revolutionized some shopping, but unless you know what you want and the exact size, it’s a minefield. Stop talking about the shipping company and whether your package will reach its destination. As for sending things back, life is too short to be inconvenienced like that. I’m an old-school person and prefer physical experiences. Trying it on. See the color and feel the quality.
That’s especially true for high-end brands. Would you be justified in spending £660 on a Burberry pullover, £550 on a Gucci sweatshirt or £400 on a logoed Moncler sweatshirt? Of course you deserve it and feel good about it. Because it will get better.
Recently, I stopped by each store to see if the retailer’s woes had spilled over into amazing sales. Unfortunately I was disappointed. I ended up buying a pair of trainers from the new season collection for £550. It is best to buy at the beginning of the season, pay full price and enjoy. Anyway, trying to get discounts at big brand stores is like teaching McDonald’s how to make hamburgers. It’s meaningless. Also, many fashion brands simply get rid of excess stock to increase their brand value, so you’re unlikely to find those items on Bargain Sale websites.
If you’re looking for a deal, find small independent retailers with affordable, small-batch products. If you become a regular customer, they will often do business with you. Sirplus (which has a variety of stores in London) is a nice addition for a gentleman in his 50s, and the last time I was there they offered some delicious discounts. But there’s another sales problem. Even if it’s your brand, you don’t want to be in a store that feels like you’ve been robbed, searching through racks and piles of clothes to find the right size. There will always be compromises.
My advice? If you like what you see, please buy it. Buying clothes to wear, whether full price or not, saves you money. And it’s not just about saving money on purchases, it’s also about reducing the amount of clothes sitting in your wardrobe that you don’t wear.
James Max is a television and radio host and real estate expert. The views expressed are personal. X, Instagram, Thread @maaaaaaaaaaaaaa
