Help - Where to buy office attire? (Toronto)

[14jibbs14]

Hello,
I start my first "˜real' job in May at a bank and I need to buy some office-appropriate clothing. By that I mean - dress shirts, ties and pants.

Does anybody know of any store outlets or warehouses where I can get good deals? I have never real bought any formal clothing before so I don't know what kind of prices to expect. All I know is that the prices at stores like Sears, The Bay and all the stores in the Eaton Centre and Fairview Mall are ridiculously high.

I have been told Winners and stores in Dixie Mall have some really good deals. Are there any other stores you recommend I should check out? I have had mixed reviews about Mark's work warehouse.
I was hoping to spend $20-35 per shirt and maybe up to $40 for every pair of pants. Is that even reasonable or am I going to get some really poor quality stuff within that budget?

Any feedback is appreciated.

 

[Recoil]

You'll get nothing but junk in that price range. You won't even get trendy let alone fashionable junk for those prices. If you want discount trendy or fashionable clothing for slightly more than those prices you need to start at Banana Republic, Zara and H&M; you're not even close to Club Monaco territory. The quality will be poor and they will ruin quicker but at least they will look decent. You can probably get stuff that will last longer at Sears, the Bay and Mark's but it won't look that great.

Reliable
Fashionable
Cheap

Pick 2 of those.

 

[Dr Huh?]

By all means, try Winners. They're usually hit or miss but you may get lucky, and at least it's in your price range (depending on the brand). But you get what you pay for. Actually, I think Banana Republic will probably be too expensive for you. Even on sale, it will be hard to find items in the $20 - $40 price range. H&M is probably your best bet, but even then, the best dress shirts there will cost $40. Also try Club Monaco's sales rack. At this point I'd just stock up on what you can afford, then save up for better items later.

 

[Canadian]

I'm in the same boat. I live 2.5 hours south of Calgary, so a few times a year, I make the pilgrimage to Calgary for business wear.

I work with chemicals which can often ruin a good shirt or expensive suit.

Shirts: Go to Sears and buy Van Heusen or the house brand. Good selections and with the house brand, you can buy 2 for 1 packs for about 25 bucks. They obviously won't last forever, but they're pretty decent for somebody starting out.
Ties: Again Sears or Winners. Winners gives you the low end designer names, Sears gives you low end ties at a cut rate price.
Pants: GAP, BR, Old Navy. Take your choice. None of them will last once a week, all year, but they're placeholders for more valuable pants.
Shoes: Go to the Bay and get 1 pair of Clarks loafers, 1 pair of boat shoes by Rockport and a pair of really nice pair of Florsheims. After you've made enough that you can justify a few hundred on shoes, get your CC (which you should be paying off every month, right?) and buy a pair of nice oxfords. If you are totally McBroke, go to the army surplus shop and buy a few pair of basic dress shoes.
Jackets: Go to the Bay. I have 2 Hudson North safari coats, about 3 blazers and a few sportscoats from the Bay. On clearance, expect to pay very, very little.
Also buy: Shoe trees, a good toque, a topcoat at BR or H&M
Suits: Once you've got some suiting ideas, go to H&M and pick out a basic level suit. I've seen some monstrosities there with people actually wearing them. But I've also seen some really nice suits. Have a suit or a sportscoat that matches with a good pair of pants on hand at home for days where management is scheduled to do performance reviews or secret shoppers.


Sorry if I don't just say "Run to Harry and blow fifty grand" but I'm generally a pretty savvy shopper.

Thomas

 

[MyOtherLife]

14jibbs14 , welcome to Styleforum. McGregor Socks Factory Outlet store in Dixie mall for socks and underwear. Heartland Centre in Mississauga is a clearance mall that you will be able to find pretty much everything else you could ever want. The other suggestions posted previously are all good suggestions. For suits, you can also try Moore's. They are entry level but will do the job. Make sure of proper fit and observe lightweight or medium weight materials. Your first suits should be navy blue or charcoal grey. Do not buy a black suit. You didn't specify your overall budget so please do so and we can help you fine tune the suggestions.