Decision-making criteria for your purchases

[Demeter]

Hi gents,

for the purpose of personal interest, marketing study and a project, I was wondering if you could take the time to point out what makes you buy the clothes you buy, whether it's shoes, ties or suits.

Poll is anonymous, but if you've got a reason that isn't on the list, post it below, or elucidate on the details of the methods to your madness (honestly, we're all a little crazy on here).

 

[luk-cha]

i would go with a bit of all i could never pin any 1 purchase down to just 1 of the statements so for me it is a case of a bit of them all

 

[norcaltransplant]

You missed an important, category: FIT
Even a good tailor has his limitations, and some of us, or a fair number of posters have idiosyncratic fitting problems. I was even surprised by the number of skinny 36 shorts that populate the forum.

Secondly, due to necessity, I picked price because I'm a broke grad student.

 

[Demeter]

Originally Posted by luk-cha

i would go with a bit of all i could never pin any 1 purchase down to just 1 of the statements so for me it is a case of a bit of them all

Great! That's why you can pick multiple answers.

norcal, good point. Thing is that it doesn't really encompass the range of objects I was thinking of. e.g. a tie can't really be chosen on fit (ok, length, fine), same thing with a wallet.

 

[VMan]

Most important for me, in order:

1) Fit
2) Design and Colors
3) Materials
4) Price
5) Construction

I believe Emotional Satisfaction automatically results if all the above criteria are met in balance.

I am not too concerned about construction, because typically brands that meet 1, 2, and 3 on my list are of decent quality. Also, I own quite a few items, so I rotate clothing frequently to prevent one piece from being worn down. I also like new things and sell off my older items of clothing quite frequently.

Of course, when I buy 'staple' items that I know I'll wear a lot, I make sure to focus on a brand which is known for quality, along with good design and materials. However, if it's something trendy, I'll just buy it on the cheap at H&M knowing I'm only going to wear it for a year anyways.

 

[josepidal]

Interesting you put in forum consensus. Past a certain point, a lot of the above elements are subjective and you might be buying online for the first time, so input from a number of regulars proxies for brand for me in a number of situations.

 

[Huntsman]

I liked the little joke.

 

[A Harris]

If the price is in the ballpark:

1) Silhouette (style I suppose, but it is more about the overall shape)
2) Fit
3) Fabric
4) Construction
5) Price

If the price is out of my range, I would rather wait for the right item, instead of buying something that is lacking in the other areas.