How much is enough?

[Nick M]

I got a fortune cookie at a chinese restaurant last week that said "the more you know, the less you need".

I got a fortune cookie at a Chinese restaurant a while back, and it said - no joke: "You are going to get some new clothes." I thought, "You're goddamned right I am."

I'm siding with Modsquad - I'll have enough when I can wake up in the morning in whatever mood, and be able to dress entirely for that mood, be it preppy or urban or hipster or Eurocentric or what have you.

 

[AJL]

Ah yes, familiar themes of obsession, compulsion and full closets. Part of my clothing obsession lies in always wanting just a little bit more, part of it is a desire to continually upgrade individual aspects of my wardrobe in a constant search for the unattainable (but possibly just around the corner...?) holy grail. There is also an aspect of self-exploration, as in 'who am I, and what actually constitutes my "signature look"'? It is that search for the perfect jacket, the perfect shoes, the perfect jeans, etc. that propels me forth down the halls of consumerism. Unfortunately, there is little regard paid to things of a practical nature, such as do I need this, can I afford this, etc. One of the nice things about this community is the awareness of how to get good stuff cheap. One of the downsides is the awareness of how much good stuff there is out there: at the most basic level buying a $4,000 suit for $1,000 is not so much about saving $3,000, as it is spending $1,000. Unless of course its for something you really need

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[mrgoblueguy]

Since joining the forum and working in retail, my wardrobe has expaned way too much. My fellow members have got me hooked on ties, shirts, shoes, suits, and sportcoats. I shouldn'y buy so much becuase I am a student but like the old saying says:The more the merrier.

 

[CharlieZircon]

What a great thread. Like so many others I am ridiculously over-stocked and have a serious aversion to throwing stuff away. And loving it. Â

Like Modsquad and Nick M I like to be able to dress a role and get all the details right. I love the creative process of picking one thing to wear and then finding the bits and pieces that go - I rarely wear excactly the same combination twice, although some stick a bit. Like when you want to look like (quote acole) a goddamn circus clown [insert desired look] then that red & yellow plaid sportsjacket [insert requisite clothing item] really comes into its own. Â The dramatic effect of such a transformation means it is usually best done occaisionally - therefore the bits and pieces have to be kept. Â And thats where the wardrobe squeeze comes - and remembering where things are. Â I have solved some of the problem by doing a seasonal rotation, and boxing things away - trouble is I buy more stuff and so the cycle goes on. Â Thing is I usually bought stuff coz I like it and I still like it when I think about chucking it - going through things usually just inspires me to want to wear them. Â

Since I am a complete bottom feeder Â

and buy virtually everything I wear from charity shops (and then usually on special) I also have to buy what I see when I see it. And I so agree about the completionist impulse - currently I am on vests - just bought a great Italian leather vest - fairly butch. Too hot to wear it now (Sydney summer) but it will keep - I just have to stick it away in the wardrobe - oh no here we go again ...

 

[Alexander Kabbaz]

Truth is about SUITS ... the only question is whether they fit well. Why? In most cases, suits are dark. The patterns are usually subdued. Therefore, in most common indoor lighting conditions, all suits look virtually the same from anything more than 15 feet away. So lets say the average wardrobe should have 3 of those. One dark. One not so dark. A final one a bit less dark than the not so dark one. Now, SHIRTS and TIES are a differrent story. Here, we can PEACOCK all we want. SHIRTS: Bright lavender. Brilliant crimson stripes. Bold royal blue herringbones. Ostentatious orange ovals on a brilliantly brownish base. (OK, the colors suck but the alliteration worked.) Sexually revealing hot pink checks on gossamer grey backgrounds. Losing it ... losing it. TIES: There is no question but that these should be eliminated completely, of course. They hide the center treatment of the shirt. So, there you have it. THE IDEAL WARDROBE: 3 Suits, No Ties, 300-400 shirts. Oh, yes ... a pair of shoes to prevent the trousers from dragging on the ground and 179 pairs of cufflinks to give a bit of variety to your shirt collection.

 

[AJL]

Truth is about SUITS ... the only question is whether they fit well. Why? In most cases, suits are dark. The patterns are usually subdued. Therefore, in most common indoor lighting conditions, all suits look virtually the same from anything more than 15 feet away. Â So lets say the average wardrobe should have 3 of those. One dark. One not so dark. A final one a bit less dark than the not so dark one. Now, SHIRTS and TIES are a differrent story. Here, we can PEACOCK all we want. SHIRTS: Bright lavender. Brilliant crimson stripes. Bold royal blue herringbones. Â Ostentatious orange ovals on a brilliantly brownish base. (OK, the colors suck but the alliteration worked.) Sexually revealing hot pink checks on gossamer grey backgrounds. Losing it ... losing it. TIES: There is no question but that these should be eliminated completely, of course. They hide the center treatment of the shirt. So, there you have it. THE IDEAL WARDROBE: 3 Suits, No Ties, 300-400 shirts. Oh, yes ... a pair of shoes to prevent the trousers from dragging on the ground and 179 pairs of cufflinks to give a bit of variety to your shirt collection.

Mr. Kabbaz, Reading between the lines, it  appears you might have an agenda here ? Â

PS: Forgive me if I have over-insinuated. I mean no disrespect.

 

[Alexander Kabbaz]

No, if I had an agenda I would have said 500-600 shirts.

 

[norcaltransplant]

Now, exactly how long would it take for you to tailor 500-600 shirts?  I'd imagine your delivery time would be worse than Jantzen if someone decided to spend the requisite 300k...

 

[Alexander Kabbaz]

Is that an offer? About 2 years. And thanks to the $/Euro it would be $450K.

 

[AJL]

No, if I had an agenda I would have said 500-600 shirts.

Of course. Your honesty and intellectual rigor are astonishing. Kudos to you, sir.

 

[Alexander Kabbaz]

Thank you.

 

[j]

Um, I'm reading this topic, but I don't understand the question. I.. enough? What .. do you mean?

I checked my closet rod the other day, and though it is holding up fine, the brackets that support it are bending and seem dangerously close to ripping out of the wall. Luckily I don't store my overcoats on the same closet rod.

Oh, and to echo and add to what one poster mentioned: I buy almost everything at charity thrift shops. So really, I am just addicted to giving to charity. That's it, yeah.. charity..

 

[Alexander Kabbaz]

Clothing space. That's the beauty of having four sons. One I sent off to college and got his entire room. The other three are elementary school age or younger. I acquire half of each of their closets with the simple explanation that daddy's clothes will be theirs someday. Tucker will have overcoats but no underclothing; Daniel will have suits and ties, but no shirts. Conrad, the eldest of the younger set and closest in shape to me will have shirts ... but he will have to change his first name to something which begins with an "A".

 

[Alexander Kabbaz]

Speaking of charity thrift shops, the two best areas to find them in the Northeast are Zip Codes 10021 (Upper East Side) and 11937/11930 (East Hampton/Amagansett), with the latter being somewhat of an 'undiscovered' one.

 

[Stu]

And let's face one harsh fact-if you are collecting custom suits instead of,say, silk knot cufflinks, there's less money available to fund your child's education.

Not necessarily In fact I need to spend more on clothes to send my kid to college.