Who am I kidding? - Page 2

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

There are many ways to dress well without wearing coat and tie.

All the things that you might have recently learned or taught yourself about quality of materials and make, fit, and coaxing out combinations that look swell are equally applicable to casual clothes.

Originally Posted by gladhands

For the most part, I agree, but I'm not sure I would encourage nicer materials for one who might be handling garbage.

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

There are many ways to dress well without wearing coat and tie.

All the things that you might have recently learned or taught yourself about quality of materials and make, fit, and coaxing out combinations that look swell are equally applicable to casual clothes. Nicer shirts, nicer pants, nicer shoes, nicer accesories, nicer outerwear: those are projects in and of themselves if you have not spent any of your earlier life attending to how you look.

- B

Originally Posted by Mr. Mystery

That really sucks. I also had garbage juice ruin a pair of light swede converse all stars when I was young and had forgot to throw the trash after I changed from work garb, brand new out the box!

I've found over time I learned by mistake a lot of the pitfalls you need to be aware of when wearing nicer clothes. Even things like forgetting to ash out a smoke and the wind blowing it into you, or wine drips, cooking spatters etc. You will eventually start observing your surroundings, like chairs or benches before sitting. I've found in time it becomes more of an instinct and you will learn from your mistakes. You will be more hesitant and careful next time, I wouldn't give up the clothes.

Originally Posted by Digmenow

I mean, really.

Yesterday, I wore a Brooks Brothers shirt and tie, nice Italian odd slacks which had been pretty heavily altered for a better fit and a pair of brown Allen Edmonds Park Avenues to work (retail store manager). There was no one to take out the trash so the task fell to me and of course, one of the bags had sprung a leak and unbeknownst to me, deposited some form of liquid stain on everything I was wearing. Shirt, tie, pants and shoes.

I immediately went to the restroom and attempted to soak the soiled parts of the shirt but failed abjectly. The tie? Toast. The jury is out on the pants until I get them to the dry cleaner and the spotted shoe might just survive to be worn another day. I was forced to walk through the store in my white tee shirt since the dress shirt was now thoroughly soaked. I reached the office and upon entering, discovered that my boss had arrived for a visit and was occupying a chair, regarding my attire with mild amusement/amazement.

I was forced to put on the company issued manager shirt, which is a solid black cotton tee with the company logo emblazoned across the chest. No lie. CBD, for me used to consist of a pair of khaki pants and a BD denim chambray LS shirt with the company logo above the breast pocket. That degenerated into a series of polyester 3 button placket polos in various colors and has now bottomed out with this ridiculous black tee shirt.

We are, of course, allowed to wear a dress shirt with or without a tie.

So why am I here on styleforum? The original cost of ANY one item I was wearing (admittedly thrifted but more on that below) would have paid for my boss' entire outfit. I don't meet important clients who wear suits. I'm not going into court to try a case. I might meet the owner/CEO once a year. The addition of a necktie probably makes me one of the top ten best dressed in the company. What's the point of going to a job every day in clothes where there is a good likelihood that they will be ruined in an instant?

In actual dollars/probable retail, the ruined clothing cost was as follows:
Tie: $2 / $65 to $75
Shirt: $5 / $65 to $95
Pants: $6 + $15 alterations / $100?
Shoes: $10 / $200 at Nordstrom rack or $300ish full retail

So in reality, I've lost just over twenty bucks and probably less depending on final cleanup but that doesn't matter. The time spent finding these items counts for something and there's an intrinsic value to me. Dammit. I was wearing nearly $400 to $600 worth of clothing (not including the BB SC that I was not wearing at the time).

I ask again. Why?