Use these tips to get the most value out of your clothing

There are many things I wish someone had given me some pointers on sooner, specifically in the work place. Being the first one in my immediate family to graduate from a 4 year university, left me with many unanswered questions; many of which took me years to answer on my own. Clothing style, cost, and value were many of those questions. Usually it was about how little could I spend and still look, not only presentable, but good. These are some business casual clothing items I’ve personally found value in.

You're going to need to earn money

If you think you’re just going to cut and save yourself to FI, you’re kidding yourself. Sure compound interest over time bleh bleh bleh. In 100 years you’ll have 1mm, great. You need to increase your income. I chose to do this by getting a career in finance. I knew it offered a high income potential, that could get me to FI sooner.

Most of us aren’t FI yet, and if we are, some can’t bring themselves to let go of their work. For many our work is our identity, it shouldn’t be, but it is. I get it. So that means we’re still working. Even if you don’t work in an office, you may find this info useful for business meetings.

Dress to impress business casual

This post was inspired by a younger friend at work that was asking about tips on work attire. After all, my nick name at work has been Mr. GQ at times. Growing up we initially take our parents lead on how to dress. That could be good thing or leave you representing the 80’s. I think if I found this at the beginning of my career I’d find it helpful, so here we go.

Strategically frugal

If you’ve been following along so far with my previous posts, you’ll realize I may take some frugal extremes in some cases, like here –> How to save 1k; yet I appear to spend recklessly in others. (I spent $500 on shoes for work…In my defense it was a moment of insanity, but I did get them for $425. And no I won’t be doing that again.) You don’t know until you try; hence why I want to share what I’ve found here.

Buy value

My motto in life is that I “buy value”. That doesn’t mean I’m always going to buy the cheapest thing, or wait for a discount if I need it immediately. I try to plan ahead so that I don’t run into situations where I need to spend urgently. I find I’m able to find better deals when I’m able to wait for the deals to come to me.

Now that doesn’t mean I’ll go so cheap that I risk sacrificing the quality of something I’m producing with that item. Similarly, if it’s going to take spending $300 to complete something a week sooner, I’ll likely spend the money.

As I earn more, the more valuable my time becomes. Spending an hour or two to take an online surveys to earn $5 is fine when I was a broke college student, but as I progress, I put greater weight on my decisions of where to spend both my time and money.

There’s a saying: You can have it fast, cheap, or accurate – pick two. I think you’ll find that holds up in most aspects of life.

Thrift stores

Yes I work for a Wall st. firm, and I’ve shown up in clothes I’ve purchased from a thrift store. I’ve even received compliments on them. You’d be amazed what people give or throw away. I’d rather buy a quality blazer at a thrift store than a cheap suit from an outlet. Blazers and sport coats are the only things I’d still be willing to buy used at this point.

My first suit was a buy one, get one free, from the Men’s warehouse. No one mentioned I’d have to spend $120 getting those cheap suits tailored. Even then I was swimming in them. I cringe just thinking about how I looked in those suits. I probably only wore them a handful of times, yet it took me years to realize what a waste of money they were. I never felt comfortable in either one and eventually donated them.

You should feel confident in the clothes you wear. Don’t wear what society says you should; wear what you feel confident in. My mistake was letting the tailor tell me how it should fit, instead of me telling them what I wanted.

Suits

My favorite suits are hands down Bar III. I can buy them right off the shelf without tailoring them and they fit me perfect. They run slimmer, and have the modern European look; meaning less extra material and shorter jackets. I buy them usually in person at Macy’s.

They’re a great value. If you use a coupon and open a store credit card you can save a ton. Just be sure to pay the credit card off in full, or all those savings are lost to interest. Once you know your size, and stay with a consistent brand then you can order online. It’s still a bit dicey with suits though.

Shirts

There’s so many different brands of shirts out there. While these are not the cheapest, they are definitely the best value. I want quality items, that look good, last, at a great price. Charles Tyrwhitt has deals usually a few times a year. The best deal they offer is 3 shirts for $99. Wait for it. It will come. If you buy in NYC there’s no sales tax on clothing, so it’s literally $99 out the door.

I found Charles Tyrwhitt because I like wearing French cuff shirts, but had a hard time finding affordable ones. They offer both French and standard cuff in case you aren’t into cufflinks. The key is to get the non-iron shirts. You’ll spend a ton, and waste time on dry cleaning shirts and slacks. If you know what to buy, you can bypass the dry cleaners all together.

Under shirts

If you live in a cold climate or just sweat a ton then you need undershirts. Get the V-neck ones so they don’t show if you have your top button undone on your dress shirt. Once the cold season is over use them as rags to clean your apartment. Get a fresh set the following year. Yes, you can afford this.

Pants

Most offices have move to a more relaxed business casual dress code. I would still recommend wearing a suit on your first day. If someone tells you you’re overdressed, or you can see that your peers are dressed more casual, then I think this is one case where you’ll want to fit in. There is such thing as being overdressed. I know because I’ve been that guy…

My go to, are these machine washable slacks that I’ve bought on Amazon. I have at least 6 pairs. You can see my review here if you don’t believe me. These pants come in plenty of colors to keep your rotation fresh. The material is a little stretchy and light so they breath. And again, NO DRY CLEANERS!

Belts

I should just say belt, because that’s all you’ll need. If you haven’t heard of Mission Belts then you obviously don’t watch Shark tank. Proud fan here! Mission belts has a ratcheting system that acts like a zip-tie for your belly. It’s easy to adjust, so when you sit you can let out a little slack, and tighten up when you go for a walk. I’ve gifted this product. That’s how much I love it.

Shoes

I was going back and forth on this one. I don’t have the best value info here for you; partially due to the fact that I don’t buy shoes that often. I wear running shoes as I walk to work and leave my dress shoes in the office. 1. This extends their life, and 2. I believe in using the right tool for the job. NYC just tears up shoes in general.

I’ve bought the cheap Marshall’s shoes for $30. The better quality Marshall’s shoes for $60. The $90 Amazon shoes that look good in the picture, but are still not good quality. Then I’ve gone to the extreme with my Bruno Magli $500 Italian imports that I purchased at Macy’s. They look beautiful, and I hope to have for 4-5 years, but they slide like a bowling shoe. I would not buy again.

Look, you don’t know your limits until you push them. And you don’t know your style until you try it out. What I can tell you is that a good shoe is worth it once you start making some money, and are debt free. My next pair will likely be these, or a similar Cole Haan shoe.

You saw the price tag and said ouch, and you thought I learned my lesson. I did. I originally told you how important it was to feel confident with what you’re wearing. I feel super confident with my entire look when I walk into work. That brings value to me. So while I don’t think $500 is the right number, I do think $200-$300 is a range I’d be willing to spend.

I have 1.5 years on my current shoes and they still look new. My colleague just tossed his after 6 years. Nothing last forever. NOTHING! I’d rather spend an annualized $50 a year on a high quality shoe, than $50 a year on a junk shoe, that likely won’t even last a year.

Hair products

I jumped from gel to pomade to hairspray trying to find the best value and product for many years. During college I rode a motorcycle to class, so I needed a product that could be restyled if it got messy, but I wasn’t willing to spend much money on it. I’ve been using Murray’s Pomade ever since. It’s an age old formula that works. You can usually find in your local grocery store for around $2. It’s super wax that is tough to get out and your barber will hate, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Socks

Here’s where I begin to lose you. I’m starting a bit of a movement at my work. As I write this we’ve had temperatures in the 80s and 90s with enough humidity to have you looking like you were in a windy rain storm by the time you get into the office. Damp clothes; mop like hair; gross.

I like comfort and function, so I started wearing these no show socks with my dress shoes. I originally bought them as weekend attire, but I just couldn’t bring myself to put on the, thick, shin high socks, when Alexa was telling me it was going to be 90 outside. They’re a bit pricey, but so worth it. Some things are worth it, and these are one of them. Try a pair. I bet you’ll be switching out all your socks like I have.

The unmentionables

If I didn’t lose you at the crazy sock idea, then I’ll surely lose you here. I clearly have no right to suggest what underwear you wear, but I’m going to anyway. Just because I’d be happy if someone turned me on to these sooner.

I was a tighty-whities wearing kid (Had to give you a reference. Hope it made you giggle), thanks to my parents clearly amazing sense of style and comfort. Then I got cool in jr. high and wore boxer shorts, which bunched up and were too warm. Then in college it was the boxer briefs, which I was still pulling down constantly.

Do you get a sense now of my trial and errors, and why I want to write this for you? Maybe some guys don’t ever switch routines, but I keep changing until I find what works for me.

I at one point went too extreme. No more on that due to the PG rating we’ve agreed to. I finally ratcheted it back a notch and settled on bikini briefs. Yes you read that right. Don’t knock it until you try it. It’s about as close to freedom as one can come to, while still being a dignified adult. They allow me to practice ninja kicks in the mirror and have no extra material to ride up when sitting.

Thaaat was personal. I think we just bonded there a little. Or you’re laughing at my expense. That’s cool, just be sure to leave me a tip. My comedy routines don’t pay well.

I think I’ll leave it at that. I realize we all have our own style, but I hope some of my suggestions will help you find the confidence and value that I get out of my clothing.

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