Mr. 1500 hijacking the series from Mrs. 1500 to ask a question. Your responses from last week told me that I’m doing something wrong in life and I need your help. More on that in a moment.
First, I need to get to some of your responses from last week;s question, What is the oldest garment you own?:
Reader Bobby stated this:
The oldest garments I still own are t-shirts and a pair of Doc Martens. Ramones 1979 or 1980, Rolling Stones Sun Devil Stadium 1981 tour…
Wow, your Ramones and Rolling Stones shirts are going to outlive those bands!
Sabbaticalia’s clothes must be made from titanium:
Oldest? Let’s see, I’ve got three that have been with me for over thirty of my almost-fifty years on this planet. They all have great memories attached.
Reader Louise has a 30 year old sweater:
I have a sweater I bought in 1985 from Carroll Reed. I love it and it still looks good!
Lots of you had sentimental attachments to clothes. Lady FruFru:
A neon green sweatshirt from the 80s that my mom gave me for Xmas when I was 19…she died just a few months later. It still fits, it is not outrageously out of style, and I think fondly of my mom whenever I see it.
I got a leather jacket from my dad a few years ago. The jacket was given to him by my grandpa when parents got married. That was like 35 or so years ago.
Finally, Reader Ann has clothes that are almost 50 (!) years old:
I have many garments that are older than many of the commenters. My oldest is from when I was a junior in high school in 1969.
So, today I want to know where you buy your clothes. Before you answer, I’ll tell you why I ask.
I don’t buy low quality clothes. At least I didn’t think so. These days, most of my stuff comes from Costco. The problem is that most of what I buy rarely lasts longer than a couple years. The jeans get holes in them. The zippers break. I’d be surprised if I have much of anything that has lasted 5 years.
I’m not one to reside in a sitting position for any length of time, so I’m harder on my clothes than most. But still; shouldn’t stuff last more than a couple of years?
I’m thinking that I should quit my Costco addiction (and really, the Kirkland jeans are butt ugly anyway) in favor of somewhere else. But where?
I’ve read about people buying Patagonia shorts at REI for $75 that last decades. I don’t mind spend 5x as much on an article of clothing if it lasts 20x as long.
So, readers, what am I doing wrong? Where do you buy your clothes?
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Brian @DebtDiscipline says
We buy at Costco too, but usually the name brands they sell not the Kirkland stuff. Khols is another store we shop at often for clothes.
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Income Surfer says
Haha. Maybe you’re just hard on your clothes?! Dress shirts I buy at JC Penny’s when they have their huge winter sales. They fit me great and I can’t beat $14 apiece for a long sleeve Stafford dress shirt. I already have some that are 10 years old. Jeans, shorts, and slacks I buy at Bealls Outlet. It’s a clothing chain in Florida owned by Stage Stores. It’s hit or miss what they have in stock at a given time, but the brands are great and the prices are usually under $10 for jeans and shorts…..and $15 for Dockers or Hager slacks.
Woot.
-Bryan
Income Surfer recently posted…I’m Outta Here…
Frankies Girl says
Thrift shops mostly for tops/bottoms, dresses, sweaters, jackets. We shop several different ones, but head to the ritzy areas for fancy/high quality duds if needed.
Husband lost so much weight that we had to go find him dress clothes for a wedding last year – found a beautiful sports coat for $15 (can’t remember the label name right at the moment but jacket retailed for over $300 new when I looked it up). Ralph Lauren dress shirt – $6. We didn’t even care what the labels were – they just looked great on him and realized after that we got some great quality goods for cheap.
Just picked up some Levis for him. They looked brand new, fit great, and were under $10 each.
Also, Ebay when I have a specific piece of clothing – I’ve hunted down a few pairs of jeans that were discontinued but fit me like a dream. Added bonus was that they generally were half the cost even though they were practically brand new.
Shoes, socks and underwear are bought new from regular stores (like Target, but usually hit their clearance or wait for the big clothing sales); bras are from an online shop since I have a hard to find size.
Mrs SSC says
Don’t buy them at Kohl’s or Target. I have realized in the last year or so that I think they are only meant as ‘seasonal’ items – last a year or so. Its so disappointing. I just try and not buy many new clothes! So, I am very curious what others comment here. I have heard that there is a huge difference in quality of mens vs. womans clothes in terms of durability, even by the same brand. I’ve noticed this too – I think perhaps manufacturers think that woman need less quality since we change styles more often?
I’ve heard LLBean is good quality…
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Christina says
There is definitely a big quality difference in a lot of fabric and construction choices for men’s clothes vs women’s. I am constantly jealous of the quality of the stuff my boyfriend AJ can get compared to what I have to search for. It’s as if they think I’m going to be okay with wearing something made of tissue paper that disintegrates in the wash!
Also: I demand more pockets in my clothes. Fake out pants pockets are the bane of my existence.
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Beth says
I’m not sure it’s necessarily where you buy so much as what you buy. My mom was a seamstress, so I learned to spot good quality fabrics, good construction, what could be fixed and what can’t. For instance, a good quality cotton t-shirt will lose some colour over time but will last. A poly-cotton blend is going to pill and wear away because the fibres separate. You can pay someone to fix a zipper. You can patch a hole in play clothes.
Clothes that have stretch in them will eventually stretch out, especially if washed and dried with heat. (Breaks down the elasticity). That’s bad news for us ladies, because some styles really need that stretch. (Skinny jeans with no stretch – no thanks!)
Also, knowing how to care for your clothes is important too. I wash things inside out and in cold water, hang to dry/dry flat, hand wash, etc. (Saves money too — ah, the joys of coin laundry…)
Team CF says
This is going to sound crazy, but have your cloths tailor made to fit (preferably with those guys/girls that fly in from Asia to a city near you). This way you assure that you always look good for any occasion and because you have the ability to select your own fabrics, they can last a long time (we both have good experience).
We do have to say, this primarily works for office clothing, leisure stuff we buy at random stores (and most of the time, this stuff wears down far faster than the custom made clothing). Great example of pay a bit more, but get proportionally way more for your money.
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Mattattack says
Most of my clothes comes from Ross. They have most of the same stuff that department stores have but for like half the price.
Most of my t-shirts I get lately have been free. For example, SOFI just sent me a free t-shirt a few months ago when I refinanced my student loans. I also volunteer for the Valero Alamobowl so I usually get a t-shirt from them once a year. My wife and I have made a pledge to not buy anymore t-shirts unless we get rid of some that we already have (she literally has over 20 Metallica t-shirts from high school).
Brian says
When I need to buy some work clothes (ie Button Down Shirts) I typically just buy like 2 at kohls and they last me for years. Normally I get away with Khakis and a polo. I haven’t purchased a polo in years since my dad likes to get me a polo from which ever really nice golf course he has played on his most recent trip he has been on as payment for me feeding his cats and taking out the trash.
Other than that, for the most part I probably buy 1 pair of jeans a year (typically off the clearance rank somewhere). I usually wear t-shirts that I couldn’t tell you how I got them, because I don’t know. Since I give zero f***s about how I look this helps a lot.
Christina says
My strategy when bulking up my adult (not in college anymore) wardrobe has been to look for classic styles paired with more durable fabrics. Clothing that’s meant for more rugged use for hiking seems to really fit the bill for me. For a lot of undershirts/base layers I’ve gone for Icebreaker. Expensive but the wool is the BEST. The wool repels smell and dries out so quick, great for everyday and travel. I like Eddie Bauer for most of my work button downs. Darn Tough has a sock monopoly in my closet (they send you a new replacement pair of socks free every time you wear them out). Most everything else is a mix of brands that you find at outdoor gear stores. Shopping the clearance and sales racks for all of these places really helps with the sticker shock but again, it’s worth it for clothing that doesn’t disintegrate on me.
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Jeff says
Hi Mr 1500 –
Since I feel like you and I have similar thoughts on clothing (nothing too ratty, can serve multiple purposes and look good enough) here’s what I do:
Since I still have an office job, I have some short sleeved polo style shirts from target. I have about 10, and I get about 4 or so every 2 years. I wait until fall or winter to buy them, and I pay like $5 per. They look nice (enough for me) and seem to holdup well. I wear them in the summer/spring/fall when the weather is warm enough.
In the wintertime, I have about 8 sweaters (some from high school, many were gifts and a few from college) that I wear. I wear these to work during the winter as well, and have one that I wear snowboarding/hunting.
Also in the wintertime, I have some long sleeved shirts – about 10. Some I got overseas, some from the outlet stores up the road from you. They cost between 8-10 at the outlet store, and most were a gift.
Then for the weekends/after work, I have a collection of free t-shirts from conferences, races that i’ve participated in and things like that. I’ve probably got about 20+ of these, so I’ll need to pare down here soon.
As for pants, Every 18 months, I order 3 new pair of levi’s from amazon (same size, same style, same color). I wear them every day (even in the summer) and they wear out in about 18 months. At like 30 per pair, these are my most expensive item, but I’m satisfied with them.
1500 says
zerotofi? New blog? New direction?
Kyle says
I very rarely buy clothes. They seem to last pretty long. I guess I usually buy basics from Walmart or Target. Occasionally I pick something up from Kohls – usually nice dress shirts/dress pants or sweaters. I’ve also bought suits and some dress shirts from Goodwill, but their men’s clothing selection outside of that always sucks. My work actually gives me a lot of nice polos and a couple of really nice jackets so I haven’t bought a jacket in a long time now, maybe 8 years.
Amanda S @ Passionately Simple Life says
There is a discount store in the area that has whatever the mall stores can’t sell at discount prices. It’s cheaper than a TJ Maxx and I can usually find a lot of my needs there. But all in all, I try to have a running list and scour the local JCP, Macy’s and Kohl’s for the best prices on top of coupons.
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Alexander @ Cash Flow Diaries says
I havent bought clothes in forever but my fiance buys me my clothes now. Ill just wear whatever she buys for me it doesnt really matter to me. If it makes her happy, it makes me happy! 🙂
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Mom says
I’m not sure that it really matters where you buy your clothes, it’s all about how you wear them (every day for a pair of jeans vs once in a blue moon for a pair of slacks?) and how you take care of them. I buy my jeans from LL Bean because I *love* the fit, but because I put my wallet and cell phone in my back pockets, I end up with holes in them in a few months (moving to an iPhone 6 vs iPhone4 helped this a lot!). I just keep nicer pairs on hand for work, and continue to wear the holey ones at home and on the weekends.
I say buy what you like, and just take care of it the best you can.
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Barb says
Duluth Trading Company for jeans, especially if you liked the old heavy-duty Levi’s that they just don’t make anymore. What’s up with tissue-paper thin jeans anyway?
Ballroom 5-pocket jeans are $50, but my friend tried the Fire Hose 5-pocket jeans for $60 and liked them even better. Heavy, strong and comfortable.
Best of all is the No-Bull Guarantee — 100% refund of purchase price at any time. Period.
Tawcan says
We buy at whereever there’s a sale. Lately we’ve found that there are small tiny holes on the bottom of our shirts. We can’t figure out what’s causing this, perhaps from rubbing against our belts?
I’m all for buying jeans from Costco, it’s so much cheaper than everywhere else.
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Jen@FrugalSteppingStones says
I don’t buy at Kohl’s, Target, Old Navy, or Walmart, unless it’s something like socks. The quality is poor and they tend to get loose seams and holes within a season. Because I am hobbit-sized, I buy jeans from Land’s End. Petite sizes are hard to find at thrift stores. I own two pairs of jeans only, and buy them when I can combine a sale with a coupon code and Ebates. They last forever. I also buy T-shirts from Land’s End and winter flannels from LL Bean. I own enough T-shirts to get through a week, two flannels, a hoodie, one pair of dress pants (I work from home part-time only), 5 yoga pants, and a couple nice blouses/sweaters.
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Hannah says
The first question I have for you is: do you own any clothes that your wife really likes to see you wear? If not, maybe you’re asking the wrong questions. If so, buy clothes from that place again.
Also, I know you’re setting out to get buff, but I think you are not naturally a big guy, so you really need to think about creating an appropriately intimidating wardrobe for 6-7 years from now when you have teenage daughters. You need something that signals to potential suitors, “I’m a pretty cool guy, but if you ever hurt my daughter, I have the means to buy many threatening weapons.” Maybe buy a motorcycle jacket.
Revanche says
Hm, I don’t buy expensive or extremely high quality stuff, and definitely didn’t 20 years ago as a teen but I still have my first pair of jeans ever, and a few tops from 10-15 years ago. They’re very faded, but they’re still intact! I am cycling out some of the tops because they finally don’t fit anymore and just because I COULD still wear them doesn’t mean I should.
I think the trick is a combination of getting the best fabrics and treating them as well as you can: wash in cold water, air-dry if possible.
These days, I avoid places that sell fast fashion: Target, H&M, even Costco. Quality is not their aim, selling clothes for this season is, so you’re less likely to get something that’ll last. Sometimes I find great things at Ross, and still have stuff I bought 15 years ago that look and wear well but that’s a time consuming endeavor. I hear a lot of great things about thrift stores if you have a good one though, you could give that a try. And it’s true, things from REI do tend to hold up well, so that’s a good place to look. I also buy from Nordstrom (mainly on sale) because they, like REI, stand by their products so I can take anything back if it falls apart. I wouldn’t do that if I’d worn it hard for ten years but I do expect things to last more than a year and a half!
Revanche recently posted…Net Worth & Life Report: January 2016
Michelle says
We have a store called Name Brand Clothing that I buy a lot of clothes from. You can get good brands for pretty cheap prices, but it’s a HUGE scavenger hunt! A lot of the clothes will have stains/holes, so you have to weed all those out. But I’ve paid $2 for jeans with decent names, polo shirts can be found for $1… It’s great fun, if you like digging through things for deals. But you have to invest the time. (I go with my mom, and we have a mother/daughter day out.)
Sabbaticalia says
Hahaha — titanium clothes! More like “forgotten except when moving house” other than the daily-wear Birks. That pair got regular repairs until the cork finally gave up.
I buy “in bulk” at the local department store, several identical items at once if possible. Every three years or so I replace the worn-out slacks in my closet; I’m due later this spring to get 4-6, which should last me 3-4 years depending on how much I abuse this batch. Ditto for shirts, socks, undershirts, boxers, shoes, and jackets, each with their own multi-year cycle of buy, wear, wear out.
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Mr. Tako @ Mr. Tako Escapes says
Good question. About half my stuff comes from thrift stores. This is mostly things like t-shirts and the occasional pair of pants.
The other 50% seems to come from Uniqulo (http://www.uniqlo.com/). Or, other Japanese brands (to which I have access). The price/quality/style matrix just seems to tick all the right boxes for me. Most of the clothes from Uniqulo are also some kind of natural/synthetic blend which tends to last longer.
Now as far as jeans go – I haven’t been able to find a brand or pair of jeans that holds up long term. Two to three years is all I can get out of them.
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Chris @ Flipping a Dollar says
Thrift store and garage sales. I rarely buy anything new! I’ve been getting tons of new polos (like tommy hilfiger and the like) that would be in the $40+ range new. Instead I get them for a few bucks.
I do need some new cargo shorts though.
I try to keep one or two junk outfits on hand. The jeans don’t fit perfectly (they’re a little long), but I don’t mind greasing them up or anything.
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giorgio says
a Google t-shirt!
You’ve finally reveiled where you work 🙂
1500 says
Ha ha, I wish.
Mrs. Frugalwoods says
Thrift stores! Although I will say that we do not have great luck with finding men’s pants used. Recently, we discovered Sierra Trading Post, which has marked down “outdoor” wear, which serves most of Mr. FW’s sartorial purposes. In the past, we’ve found men’s pants for about $8-$10 on the Gap clearance rack–they are OK quality-wise and last a few years. Good luck!
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jeff says
I feel awful for not telling you about sierra trading post when I was there. It’s in my town.
Elizabeth says
I still wear Northface and Columbia brand clothes I bought at various places more than a decade ago. Certain brands do hold up well but you can buy them anywhere from REI to a thrift store to Nordstrom to an outlet.
I’ve had Hugo Boss suits that cost a fortune where the lining and hems fell out too easily (of course they’ll repair the stuff for free, but the quality isn’t what it should be always given the price). I buy most of my work clothes there or at Nordstrom. PF Blogger shame, I know! But my suits and nice handbags have lasted as long as my career so far. I finally accumulated one in every basic color and just rotate, changing up accessories and blouses. I might buy a new outfit and give one away every 2 years now just to keep things fresh.
I spend a lot on designer clothes and shoes, but I don’t shop often. I have about 10 pairs of shoes total, most of which I’ve had for 5+ years (I re-sole them every couple of years as needed). Prada pumps (black), Jimmy Choo pumps (nude), and Dolce and Gabbana evening heeled sandals (gold): I’ve owned those three pair for a decade and they still look great and get me through any work or evening event. By contrast my Nine West shoes and other cheaper brands wear out in a year, maybe 15 months tops. So I buy trendier stuff in the cheaper brands, knowing it won’t last. But I also don’t mind splurging for the staple pieces I know will make it 10+ years, like my Marc Jacobs purse.
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Jenni says
I’m a teacher and have been working to improve my wardrobe. By which I mean, flattering, professional clothes- and I’m looking for quality over quantity. I get a decent number of things from Goodwill as well as Target. I get Nike Dri-Fit socks, usually for Christmas. If you have foot odor/sweat issues, I highly recommend them.
I also signed up for a subscription service called Wantable that sends clothes based on my preferences each month. I live 50 miles from the nearest place I could shop for clothes, and maybe 100 miles from a town big enough to really have a good variety. So while not cheap, it helps me be more deliberate about what I add. I only buy items that I think I’ll wear quite a bit and will be in style/current for 5-10 years.
I also pay for Brooks sneakers, bought some boots for $200 as well as orthotic inserts. That is A LOT for me but I stand a lot and when my feet hurt, I am miserable. My days of buying cheap flats at Target are over!
I still have my Far Side “new kids under the block” T-shirt from high school.
1500 says
I think quality should win over quantity in most cases. Going cheap is actually more expensive. The Macbook that I’m typing this on costs 2x as much as a comparable Windows laptop, but will last me more than twice as long and won’t waste my time when it doesn’t cooperate.
Spending money on shoes is also a smart move for you. A couple hundred on shoes now is a lot cheaper than medical issues down the road. Not to mention some painful condition.
I have no idea what that Far Side shirt is (Google didn’t tell me), but is sounds pretty awesome! I loved that comic.
OnlyKetchup says
For jeans I’ve had great luck with Carhartt. They seem to last a lot longer than the Levis I’ve bought at costco\Target\Walmart. I’ve ordered them from Amazon or bought them at Gander Mountain\Cabelas.
Louise says
I buy the highest quality clothes I can find at TJ Maxx (purchased at a reduced price!) and everything else at LL Bean. Their quality is top-notch and their clothes last a long time! Buy quality items and you’ll replace them less frequently.
The Roamer says
You know I was thinking about this and realized maybe you own a small quantity of clothes so it gets a lot more ware and tare
I think most people own so much clothes they could go 5 months without repeating a shirt… Or outfit.
I know I had a bunch of clothes granted there is a bunch that never get any ware.
I mean if you own 35 shirts each one could potentially only get worn 10-11 times….
Now that I am capsule dressing and have gotten rid of a lot of low use items I’m curious to see how long they last.
I personally like Levi jeans … I feel like they last forever. 6 yrs at least
The Roamer recently posted…Trust the system
Nicole says
I’ve started using Thred Up to update my wardrobe. It is an online thrift store and you can search by brand name, so I usually just set my preferences to brands that I trust as high quality. I’ve made 4 or 5 orders and only had to return 1 item.
Unfortunately they only have women’s clothing right now… I’m hoping they add in a section for men too!
You can use my promo link to get $10 off, or you can search “Thred Up” online.
http://www.thredup.com/r/OJNWKF