Style; or, the Quest for Cheap (Yet Fashionable) Duds

Dear all,

It's no secret that I like clothes. Perhaps this is because of my upbringing; my father--and I'm very grateful for this--instructed me in the intricacies of "business dress" from an early age. Whereas other boys would play baseball in the backyard with their dads, I would play baseball in the backyard with my dad and then go tie shopping at the mall. It was great, and it taught me valuable skills/ideas, such as:

1. It's hard to find a really good red tie, since so many end up looking orange against a suit;
2. Brown suits work better with some skin tones than others;
3. A suit's lapel work can make or break it;
4. Do not fear suspenders (or, as the Brits call them, braces);
5. Show cuff;
6. Etc.

However, being a burgeoning college professor (not that I can even be called that yet, since I'm still just a teaching assistant), my budget precludes the purchase of many things I'd like. This is not, necessarily, a bad thing--given a suitable supply of disposable income, I fear my apartment would come to resemble one of Imelda Marcos' walk-in closets.

Thus, I've spent some time on the interwebs, searching out ways to get really nice stuff for really nice prices. It's tough, especially since I'm a hard size to fit (I have very long arms). However, here are a few places that have helped me track down things that 1)fit, and 2)don't cost bazillions. (I mean, sure, I could go to Thomas Mahan and have the ultimate suit made, but I'd be wearing it as I slept in a cardboard box afterward.)

1. Ask Andy About Clothes - I don't know who this guy is, but he's got a great thing going on with this website. Specifically, the forum attached to the website is an amazing resource of information. There are even presidents of clothing houses that are members--the president of Allen Edmonds stops in from time to time, if I'm not mistaken. The other day, I was talking with the head of a London-based custom suit company. It's great.

2. Bookster - One word, dude: tweed. And lots of it. It's a professor's dream come true.

3. A Suitable Wardrobe - This site's run by some rich guy up in San Francisco who seems to be on perpetual vacation. He likes brown shoes a little more than I do, but he usually looks pretty dang good. He also buys really expensive clothes, so I use this site more for style guidelines than actual product recommendations. All in all, he has good advice, based on tried-and-true ideas (he has lots of illustrations from old men's magazines), and he's very approachable--we've emailed, and he's quite cordial.

4. An Affordable Wardrobe - The working-man's solution to the ideas suggested on the previous blog. I also like how the author eschews the New York City fashionista scene. I've always loved shopping at thrift-stores; unfortunately, the resources aren't that great in Hattiesburg. This post, in particular, made me green with envy. Watch out--he's got a bit of a mouth on him, sometimes.

5. Woolovers - I love really thick, heavy, bulky sweaters. The thin ones just don't do squat for me. This site has the real deal, and their prices are much, much better than other sweaters of similar quality. (Consider that, on the AskAndy forum, when I asked about thick sweaters, it was suggested that I buy a $1,200.00 sweater. Granted, it was 12-ply cashmere and looked great, but, as I've said before, remember the cardboard box.) I recently bought their countryman sweater, and I'm very pleased--it'll probably show up in a picture soon.

6. Sierra Trading Post - This site kicks Overstock.com's patoot when it comes to clothes. Don't let the woodsy aesthetic fool you--STP carries some of the nicest clothes on earth at ridiculous discounts. Of course, some of the colors and such may not always be perfect, but that just means that you need to check back to see if new stuff has come in...and check back...and check back...and...

I realize that this list is as much for myself--getting all the links in one place--as for anyone, but it might be interesting to you all. (NOTE: I said "you all," not "y'all.")

-J.