The Affordability of Dressing Well
Recently, I had a brief conversation with a fellow waiting at a bus stop who was wearing a pair of sneakers I had never seen before. I am not a sneaker aficionado but found the styling of his sneakers unusual and eye-catching. The man was perhaps in his mid 40’s, wearing a branded sweatsuit along with these attention-grabbing sneakers. He eagerly volunteered the name of his sneaker brand (I have since forgotten it). What I did remember was his proudly revealing the price he paid for them. $280.00.
Dressing well is no longer an issue of affordability, but of choice…
Wow! $280.00 for a pair of rubber-soled gym shoes. For that amount, I thought, I can find four or five top quality suits, along with all the accessories by thrift shopping. I also thought of how much more impressive this gentleman’s appearance would be if he made a similar choice.
Dressing well nowadays is no longer the sole province of the ‘well-heeled.’ It is a choice that is available to nearly all modern consumers. In an age when a pair of Nike Air Jordans can cost $200 per pair (while costing Nike about $16 to manufacture), classic forms of tailored clothing such as suits and sportcoats no longer seem so expensive.
A ubiquitous, ghoulish, Affliction t-shirt (Google it, I don’t want to show one here) sells for $40.00-$50.00. So does a classic L. L. Bean 100% Cotton Oxford Dress Shirt. Now, popular styles of casual clothing compete ‘toe-to-toe’with more traditional tailored clothing when it comes to price. Dressing well is no longer an issue of affordability, but of choice.
Thrift Shopping to Dress Well
Thrift shopping makes that choice easier than ever. There is a glut of low-cost high-quality second-hand tailored clothing that awaits the value-minded shopper. My post on how to buy used suits shows you how to choose the highest quality menswear when thrift shopping. I dare say that you can make a better impression with a few well-chosen thrift-shopped items of clothing than you will ever make with a single pair of $280.00 sneakers!
Every outfit seen on this page cost no more than $40.00 total. The silk and cashmere blue windowpane pattern sport coat I am wearing at the top of this post was purchased for only $8.00. That’s the beauty of thrift-shopping! It makes dressing well a very affordable option. In urban centers where we live in such close company, dressing in a tasteful and appropriate way is a form of good manners. It shows respect for ourselves and those around us. I hope my posts on this topic inspires more to consider the choice of dressing well, affordably. -SplurgeFrugal!