Hierarchy of "What Is Worth It?"

[Get Smart]

stemming off the "are high end shirts worth it" thread....

What items are worth the money you spend on it?

for me in order of worth:

1. Shoes...I will pay full price for shoes I really want with no hesitation as I feel shoes are worth the price you pay and getting something "similar" for less never ends up good.

2. Jeans/trousers.....much harder to get a good fitting pair of bottoms and worth the price to get something I really like that fits how I want

3. Knitwear...again, oftentimes hard to find sweaters that fit just right. And materials used can be a big factor since a lot of wool knitwear is prone to pilling if it's cheaper stuffs

4. Outerwear...I can get by with cheaper outerwear, it doesnt have to be high end but higher end outerwear usually has cooler detailing and cleaner construction

5. Shirts.....many of my fave shirts are $50 (Jantzen) to $100 (fred perry & ben sherman) so high end shirts, while nice and I do indulge, arent essential. One of my best fitting and fave shirts is from H&M for $25

6. Accessories...some guys love to splurge in this end. I don't really wear any so it's not something I'd ever spend a lot on. I have expensive wallets but a cheap one is just as good. I'm not into watches so high end watches don't interest me. I'd rather have good design, and sometimes that will cost $$$ and I will pay for it, but good design can also be cheap and that's just as good to me. Oh and socks....I have no problem with cheap socks. I like my $5 Gap socks as much as my $35 Paul Smith ones.

 

[ineffable]

I agree with your list, except I'd maybe move sweaters ahead of Jeans/trousers, just because in most cases a tailor can make jeans/trousers look good, while sweaters have to be perfect right off the rack. And there's a huge difference between cheaper sweaters and more expensive ones (if chosen correctly) quality-wise ime. I have some sweaters that have lasted me 6-7 years and still look almost new.

 

[bsyde82]

my personal hierarchy:

1. denim: just can never have enough...the prob is, im into washed denim (not necessarily distressed, but different shades, i.e. black, grey, lighter shades) as much as i am into raw denim...which kills my wallet cuz i only think a few pairs of raw are necessary at one time

2. shoes: has gained much more importance since i stopped wearing sneakers exclusively....now looking to cop a quality demi boot and brogue as well as a higher end dress shoe along the lines of ferragamo when it becomes more necessary (currently entering last year of law school)

3. shirts: i used to go quantity over quality...get a bunch of shirts from mainstream brands, have em altered...but i realize altering too much is just not right...and now im becoming more comfortable with shelling out for that near perfect fit/style shirt, hence my thread...i still like j.crew tailored fit shirts though

4. accessories: never spend money on this, although thats about to change as i decided its time to cop a good timepiece...im eyein a basic tag as a starter watch...i also am looking to get a corded necklace w/ some simple pendant...but this has been impossible to find, which is hard to believe

5. outerwear: coats are extremely hard to find for someone of my size, IMO (5'8, 150)...they're just usually too long or too wide or too something, especially when im wearing skinnier jeans...im still looking for that one perfect coat to become a staple of my wardrobe. i guess this could be higher in the hierarchy, but at least for the time being, its not what im spendin my money on.

 

[bsyde82]

oh, i forgot sweaters....

i'd probably put them after shirts...i like wearing sweaters but i feel like they are so vulnerable to stretching and other forms of damage...which is why im hesitant to spend big money on em

plus basic v-necks, crewnecks are very adequate, IMO, at j.crew

 

[ken]

1. Boots. Quality of material and craftsmanship count. I expect my boots to last until I'm 50, so I don't mind spending the bucks on them.

2. Jeans. I only have 2 or 3 pair at a time, and I make sure they're exactly what I want in the way of materials. Fit can be fixed w/a sewing machine.

3. Most everything else, I buy used or on sale. Old, quality leather jackets cost less than new, crappy leather jackets. I already have the belts I expect to have for the rest of my life, which were stolen from my old man. And who cares about shirts?

Oh, and I should probably buy a second suit one of these days.

 

[asobu]

Do you really think you'll wear them until you're 50, though? I don't mind spending money - paying retail - on a good pair of shoes/boots to wear them for a good 4 or 5 years. But I really hope my style and taste changes at least a bit over the years, so I won't wear the same stuff in 25 years.

 

[Get Smart]

Originally Posted by asobu

But I really hope my style and taste changes at least a bit over the years, so I won't wear the same stuff in 25 years.

I've gone thru a few taste shifts over the years and in the end I am still wearing a LOT of the same **** today I wore 20 years ago.

*starts singing 7 Seconds' "young til I die" in my head*

 

[NoVaguy]

None of them.

It really depends on how particular you are. I'm not very particular at all, and have a fairly neutral and athletic body that allows me to get away with almost anything. I'm not also into the superslim (i.e., shirts that have 4 inches or less of clearance) and short aesthetic, so that makes things easier for me.

As for the categories people have brought up:

Shoes: My preference is for an American style shoe with a round toe - I have EG's and C&J's, and still prefer my American shoes. So my favorite look is an AE on the 1, 4, or 7 last, and those are just too easy to get on sale. I have number of chiseled toe/narrow square toe shoes, and they just don't get much wear. So in this case, what the market tends to discount and what I prefer line up very well.

Denim/trousers: I've done pretty well on sale, but I might break my sale rule for the 5ep denim. Probably not, though. I pretty much stick to straight cuts and bootcuts, and if you wait for sales, you can pretty much get something.

Shirts: I'm pretty much match up well with an American slim fit (from BB, LE, Paul Fredrick) - perfect in the chest, an inch or two bigger than I prefer but still acceptable in the waist - so I just get those on sale, and do the occasional LE custom order or splurge for something that's not available from those sources.

Accessories: Not a fan of accessories - I just get cheap cufflinks from ebay, and don't wear watches or hats or such. Ties are just too easy to get on sale, and quite frankly, given that I only wear them 20 ro 30 times a year, I've got more than enough.

Outerwear: Pretty much whatever's on sale. I have a few things I really want - such as a double breasted (sized like a peacoat, maybe a little longer) in grey herringbone, and I might just get that at retail, but mostly I just buy things on sale in an opportunistic manner.

 

[Superb0bo]

denim - pretty much the only hi-end thing i pay retail for. Can´t find it second hand, and cheaper denim is never how I want it.
shoes/boots - can pay pretty much, but usually not retail.
hats - I can and have pay around 50 $ for a nice cap, but that was on sale aswell.

All around, Im pretty much a sales and thrift guy. I have quite a bunch of casual shirts, but 90% is thrift, the rest H&M and the likes.

Im conteplating getting some nicer heavy knits for autum though, so we´ll see.

 

[ken]

Originally Posted by asobu

Do you really think you'll wear them until you're 50, though? I don't mind spending money - paying retail - on a good pair of shoes/boots to wear them for a good 4 or 5 years. But I really hope my style and taste changes at least a bit over the years, so I won't wear the same stuff in 25 years.

I already dress like an old man: relaxed jeans, work shirts, tooled belts, and leather boots.

So, barring my mid-life crisis when I'll be wearing Cheap Mondays, I'd like to dress pretty much the same when I'm 50.

 

[cmrocks]

I spend the most on sweaters for sure. I love cashmere and won't buy sweaters made out of anything else. I really wish I could find somewhere that made custom knitwear. I can never find a sweater off the rack that fits me perfectly, in a color I like, with the correct neck type and a thickness I like. It's always a trade off it seems. I wear sweaters probably 6 days a week so I'm picky about them.

I've never spent more than $100 on a pair of shoes but I'm looking to change that. Right now, I'm shopping around for a pair of brown leather boots. So far I haven't found the right pair yet.

I usually just buy whatever premium denim I like the looks of. I have one pair of raw nudies that I like and a few pairs of diesel jeans that I wear a lot. I want to pick up another pair of raw selvege denim and a pair of earnest sewns sometime this fall as well.

I don't really own much for button up shirts. I have a few that go with my suit and that's about it. That is something else I want to change. I'm moving to Bogota this fall and I'm waiting until I get there then I'm going to have a bunch of custom shirts made. It's really cheap to have them made there. I buy most of my tshirts from American Apparel just because it's easy.

I don't spend much at all on outerwear. I don't like wearing jackets and try to get by without one as often as possible.

The only other major thing on my list is a watch. I've always wanted a nice one and I finally have enough money to afford something decent. I'm waiting until I arrive in Bogota to make that purchase as well since jewelry is much cheaper there too.

 

[keykoo]

The only things I will ever purchase for regular price are outerwear and jeans. You get a lot of wear out of them and I think its well worth it...

 

[Go Surface]

Shoes.

A good leather bag.

Coats.

 

[Tarmac]

20 yrs ago? arent you like... 30?

I presume you mean items which are expensive, since i buy plenty of cheap stuff at retail.

I would pay full retail for:

the perfect pair of untrendy dress shoes
anything MTM

 

[Get Smart]

Originally Posted by Tarmac

20 yrs ago? arent you like... 30?

assuming you're referring to me.....I'm in my 30s, not 30.

thankfully ***** don't crink so I can pass for much younger