• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Am I a Schmuck to Pay Retail

jaijeffcom

Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2012
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Yesterday I bought a Ralph Lauren Black Label suit at Barney's in New York.

Am I a schmuck to pay retail?

I never bought a suit of this quality before. I wanted it. I never paid this much before because I was never confident about my choices. I usually have remorse much later when I realize I just didn't get the right fit. Lately, I've been studying; reading Alan Flusser, watching videos on YouTube. I've shopped around. I saw choices that were in the ballpark, but now I'm perceiving the differences in quality. When I put that Ralph Lauren suit on, the search was over. I thought, why look further?

My wife disapproves. I fear every time I wear this suit, no matter how great I look in it, I'll see that disdain in her eyes. Yes, I could go to Century 21 and maybe find something. Maybe, if I wait long enough. But then again, maybe never. I'm a hard-to-find size, 38 or 40 short.

If I know I want this RL suit, is there some other way to get it than going to a place like Barney's? I don't see how. And besides, I felt as if I were really getting some good help from the salesman. I talked to a lot of people at different places that either didn't know anything or didn't care about me as a customer, or both; they just wanted to turn me over fast and sell as many add-ons as possible. The man at Barney's talked to me like a person who needed help. Is it such a crime to pay retail if the people help you and you walk out of there with something that pleases you? What's wrong with paying for that?

Or am I a newb? Don't pull your punches. What should I have done?

Jai
 

albeindc

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2012
Messages
143
Reaction score
4
I think your purchase is completely worth it if it's worth it to you and can afford it. Sure, you might be able to find the same suit at a lower price online or at some discounter, but at a retailer like Barney's, you're paying for convenience, assurance, and service. You know that the piece you bought is authentic and that if you have any issues with the purchase, you will most likely be getting very good service from the retailer. I'm pretty sure discounters and online traders do not offer the same. This is one reason why my philosophy is that I am willing to pay for quality products when exceptional service that goes along with it is also provided. Also, the fact that you could go in and see/touch the product before you bought it is another justification. If anything, the suit is an investment in yourself, so your wife may be unhappy with you about it temporarily, but if you rock the **** out of the suit and look good in it, I'm sure she will warm over.
 

HansderHund

Distinguished Member
Staff member
Spamminator Moderator
Joined
Mar 8, 2011
Messages
4,465
Reaction score
18,339

I think your purchase is completely worth it if it's worth it to you and can afford it. Sure, you might be able to find the same suit at a lower price online or at some discounter, but at a retailer like Barney's, you're paying for convenience, assurance, and service. You know that the piece you bought is authentic and that if you have any issues with the purchase, you will most likely be getting very good service from the retailer. I'm pretty sure discounters and online traders do not offer the same. This is one reason why my philosophy is that I am willing to pay for quality products when exceptional service that goes along with it is also provided. Also, the fact that you could go in and see/touch the product before you bought it is another justification. If anything, the suit is an investment in yourself, so your wife may be unhappy with you about it temporarily, but if you rock the **** out of the suit and look good in it, I'm sure she will warm over.


+1. The first rule of economics is that an item is worth what you are willing to pay at the time. Do you need batteries in front of the Louvre? You can expect to pay 3x or 4x a normal price. In the end, no matter how bad you feel later, at the time it was worth it. If it was not worth it, you wouldn't have gotten it.

Good salespeople have their place. They can inform you of proper fits and styles. A knowledgeable sales associate will be able to tell you what to wear to which event. In return for this advice, you pay a bit more. You can't get some of those things (feel the fabric, get personal advice, check the fit) online. Keep the suit and let your wife know that it wasn't an impulse. Enjoy wearing it.
 

MikeDT

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2010
Messages
4,272
Reaction score
282
Are you happy with it, can you still afford to eat? Have you still got enough money left to pay the rent, utility bills, credit card bills, car payments, loans, school fees, divorce attorneys, alimony etc.?
 
Last edited:

yls2012

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2012
Messages
54
Reaction score
5
What color / pattern is the suit? Rest assured that if you bought a staple like solid navy or charcoal, it's very unlikely that you would find that suit on heavy discount. If the suit is louder or has an odd pattern, or even is a pinstripe, you could find something similar for cheaper.
 

Shirtmaven

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Dec 26, 2003
Messages
3,791
Reaction score
1,005
Did you pay more for buying at Barneys?
sure
but as said before, you paid for the service as much as the product.
sounds like you had an experienced salesman. and you will remember him the next time
you need a suit, even if the next one is on sale. let him know that you would like to know when
there is a sale on these suits.

if you wife complains again.
let her know that you will have this suit for years.
ask her to show you how many articles of clothing she has bought that she has
kept and still wear regularly for 5 years.
 

unbelragazzo

Jewfro
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Jun 1, 2011
Messages
8,762
Reaction score
5,597
There's nothing at all wrong with paying full retail. You got a suit that you love at a price that you could afford. Sure maybe you could have spent lots of your value time hunting around for something that's kind of close to the suit you got for less money, but you also might never have found something you like as much, and then every time you put that other suit on you'd be regretting that it wasn't the RLBL suit. The money is spent, now don't look back and enjoy the suit as much as you can.
 

DocHolliday

Stylish Dinosaur
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Apr 21, 2005
Messages
16,090
Reaction score
1,158

if you wife complains again.
let her know that you will have this suit for years.
ask her to show you how many articles of clothing she has bought that she has
kept and still wear regularly for 5 years.


Then ask her if she's gained weight and tell her you don't like her mom.
 

jaijeffcom

Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2012
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Then ask her if she's gained weight and tell her you don't like her mom.

Hysterical, and a good point. No, I don't think I will prepare any retorts for my wife. Winning isn't necessarily about prevailing!

What I'll probably do is something more along the lines of asking her to help me find the perfect shirt at a bargain. She'll like that. And then she's looking at me in the suit there might a whiff of approval for the shirt!
 

tacobender

Senior Member
Joined
May 22, 2010
Messages
248
Reaction score
40
Well, Since you didn't buy it from me, than yes you are a schmuck!

anyway, as mentioned before, we rarely discount black/navy/charcol black label. Only the seasonal colors tan, pin stripes etc, get marked down, and even the traditional 40% mark down is going to 30 to 35% nowadays.

You are never a schmuck to pay retail for a good product that will last a life time and isn't readily available at a discounted price.
 

add911_11

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2010
Messages
2,993
Reaction score
276
Full retail is fine, especially with high quality items, it is like no one with laugh that you brought a luxury watch for official price, only if you paid the hugh mark up....
 

F. Corbera

Timed Out
Timed Out
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Messages
4,906
Reaction score
1,169
Based on my research, it is entirely possible to be a schmuck even if you only buy your RTW at steep discount.

My wife disapproves. I fear every time I wear this suit, no matter how great I look in it, I'll see that disdain in her eyes.


Based on my research, I suggest that you observe your wife closely to see if "that disdain in her eyes" shows up even if you don't wear your new full-retail-price suit. A good way to do this is to pretend to be asleep, and when you feel her looking at you (I presume you have this ability), suddenly open your eyes. You just might be pleasantly surprised to learn that it's not the new Ralph Lauren suit at all, but you for whom she has disdain.

I'm glad to have helped.
 
Last edited:

F. Corbera

Timed Out
Timed Out
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Messages
4,906
Reaction score
1,169

You are never a schmuck to pay retail for a good product that will last a life time and isn't readily available at a discounted price.


You are a cruel man to envision the OP spending a lifetime in a Black Label suit.

It might be more merciful to be hanged.
 
Last edited:

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 36.7%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 59 39.3%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 15 10.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 26 17.3%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 26 17.3%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,124
Messages
10,578,693
Members
223,880
Latest member
EdvardHelene
Top