If you had to start over tomorrow...

[voxsartoria]

Originally Posted by edmorel

I'm actually "doing" number 2 now. I think the progression for a lot of people when they first get on starts with learning about these brands, participating in sales of stuff that you may not need only because it is a good product at a good price and then getting to a point where you are only interested in what you "need" and price becomes less an issue.

Well, you have a good point there. There are only two ways to learn about clothes: watching people around you and wearing things yourself.

Unfortunately, the former is difficult or unhelpful these days. There simply are not enough well dressed men anymore, and few boys can look to their fathers as examples.

This only leaves personal experimentation...and, dare I say it...the interwebs.

So, Eddie: keep those bargains coming.


- B

 

[R-H]

I started building my business wardrobe a year ago.

What I would change:

1) Quality of quantity
2) Never buy something because of a sale/low price
3) More conservative classic clothing, less flashy items

 

[voxsartoria]

I am sure many, or even most of you, have read the classic 1960 George Frazier article in Esquire called, "The Art of Wearing Clothes." (If not, you can click the link). Among other things, one of the postcripts to the article has Astaire's great quotation about throwing his new suits against a wall.

Here's the section that discusses Tony Biddle's wardrobe that provides some food for thought:

=== quoted section begins ===

On the elegant face of things, one would probably imagine that "Tony" Biddle has closet upon closet of clothes. Actually, this Main Line Philadelphian, whose father was the epic figure about whom the play The Happiest Millionaire was written and whom himself was one of the most extraordinary participants in the Second World War, has so sparse a wardrobe that Lord Byron, for one, and Lieutenant General Rafael Trujillo, Jr., for another, would feel that it amounted to not having a stitch to their names.

[section deleted]

Even in its entirety, Biddle's wardrobe seems, by contrast, almost monastic. It includes seven so-called business suits"”two double- and one single-breasted navy-blue serge; one double- and one single-breasted dark-blue pin-stripe flannel; one single-breasted charcoal-grey flannel. (They were made by either H. Harris of New York, who charges $225 and up for a two-piece suit, or E. Tautz of London who charges, as to do most topnotch British tailors, almost a quarter less. All have skeleton alpaca linings and the sleeves have three buttons and open buttonholes. The single-breasteds have three-button, notched-lapel jackets.) For formal daytime wear, Biddle has a charcoal-grey cheviot cutaway, a single-breasted white waistcoat, and black trousers with broad white stripes. (With these, he wears a black silk ascot and a wide wing collar.) For semiformal daytime occasions, he has a charcoal-grey single-breasted cheviot sack coat and trousers, in either black or Cambridge grey, with broad white stripes. Besides a ready-made Aquascutum raincoat, Biddle owns three outer coats"”a double-breasted blue chinchilla ($175 from Tautz), a single-breasted light drab covert cloth ($225, H. Harris), and a double-breasted polo coat with white bone buttons ($325, Harris). He has, in addition to a tweed cap, four hats, all of them purchased at Lock's in London too many years ago for him to recall exactly what they cost. One is a high-silk, one an opera hat, and the other two homburgs"”one black and one green. For formal evening wear, Biddle has tails ($175, Tautz), a double-breasted dinner coat with satin shawl lapels ($150, Tautz), and, for warm weather, two single-breasted, shawl-collared white gabardine dinner coats ($98 each, Tautz). His evening shirts, with which he wears a conventionally-shaped bow tie, have pleats, roll collars, and are made for him by Dudley G. Eldridge of New York at $28 each.

Biddle's sports clothes include three tweed jackets ($160 each, Harris), three pairs of charcoal-grey flannel slacks, and a half-dozen button-down shirts made by Eldridge out of silk that he, Biddle, bought in Spain. His shoes, of which he has three pairs of black for daytime wear and one patent leather and one calfskin for evening wear, were made by Paulsen & Stone of London, who also made for him, for sports wear, a pair of black moccasins, a pair of black loafers, and two pairs of white canvas shoes with brown leather toes and rubber soles (which he wears with either prewar white flannels or an ancient double-breasted light-grey sharkskin suit). Biddle's neck-band shirts, which are either starched dickey bosoms (elongated so that the bosoms extend below the middle button of his jacket) or semi-starched pleated bosoms, have white cuffs and bodies of either grey or light blue. They cost $26 each and are made by Eldridge, who also makes his stiff white collars ($3 each) and his ties ($7.50 each), which run to solid black silks and discreet shepherd checks and are shaped so as to make a knot small enough to fit neatly into a hard collar. His underwear is ready-made and comes from Jacob Reed's.

[section deleted]

Like all men with innate clothes sense, Biddle eschews such abominations as ankle-length socks, matching tie-and-handkerchief sets, huge cuff links, conspicuous tie clasps, and, most hideous of all, cellophane hat covers. Indeed, well-dressed men, almost without exception, are interested in something novel in clothing, only when it is both as attractive and functional as, say the duffer coat, which proved its value to the Royal Navy in the Second World War.

Naturally, Biddle's coat sleeves are not only uncreased, but also of such length as to permit a fraction-of-an-inch of his shirt cuff to show"”as, similarly, the neck of his jacket is cut so that the back of his shirt collar is exposed. As for the width of his trousers and coat lapels, it is determined, not by the extreme narrowness that is something of a rage these days, but by, respectively, the length of his foot and the breadth of his shoulders. He selects, in short, clothes that become him. For anyone who is not as "clean favored and imperially slim . . . and admirably schooled in every grace" as Biddle is, the Biddle style of dress would be preposterous. Few things are more precarious than the indiscriminate aping of another man's wardrobe.

== quoted section ends===

- B

 

[Doc4]

My closet is filled (as are many of yours, no doubt) with many "learnign curve" purchases which, in hindsight, I would not have purchased. But almost all of them are not so attrocious that I would throw them out before their time.

Basicaly, the mistakes I wish I could correct amount to changes in the "fewer and better" category. I think that could fit across the board. Of course, I can't wind back time, so I'm stuck with my closet of regrets ... but hopefully now I can move forward with a better understanding and a better overall plan for my wardrobe, so things improve.

Fewer!

Better!

Good, better, best!
Never let it rest!
'till your good is your better,
and your better is your best!

 

[voxsartoria]

Originally Posted by Doc4

My closet is filled (as are many of yours, no doubt) with many "learnign curve" purchases which, in hindsight, I would not have purchased. But almost all of them are not so attrocious that I would throw them out before their time.

I think variety can be the enemy of looking your best...at least, that is what I find for myself when it comes to tailored clothing.


- B

 

[Tarmac]

I don't think I've made any huge mistakes, at least since joining SF. Most stuff I don't like I can sell off for the same price. Sometimes more. A few of my earliest SF steals are still some of my best buys: Alden 911, Trickers Stow, Paul Smith Sundance, etc.

One thing that has helped is that I have held off on suits. Luckily I don't need them in my daily wardrobe. I plan to get 1-2 good ones in the next six months, and not that often after that.

 

[vitaminc]

If I knew what I know now, I would ...

1. Lose weight at a younger age
2. private education instead of public for finding/marrying trust fund heiress
3. bespoke all the way

 

[voxsartoria]

Originally Posted by vitaminc

If I knew what I know now, I would ...

1. Lose weight at a younger age
2. private education instead of public for finding/marrying trust fund heiress
3. bespoke all the way

+ 1, 2, 3


- B

 

[yfyf]

Do over? Nothing. I had a great time along the way.

 

[acidboy]

... I'd buy more quality, less quantity.

 

[bdeuce22]

Pretty much that same sentiment.

1. Less pieces, Greater Quality.

2. Not being so impulsive on my buying

 

[bbaquiran]

Originally Posted by edmorel

I'm actually "doing" number 2 now.

WiFi in the toilet, gotta love it.

I think the progression for a lot of people when they first get on starts with learning about these brands, participating in sales of stuff that you may not need only because it is a good product at a good price and then getting to a point where you are only interested in what you "need" and price becomes less an issue.

+1! This is a good summary of the SF member lifecycle, IMO. Going from "dressed by the internets" to dressing for yourself.

 

[binge]

 

[DocHolliday]

There's little I regret. I've cultivated a pretty decent wardrobe, and mostly without paying retail. Oddly, some of the few items I do regret are those I paid retail for, thinking they were worth the premium. Rarely have they turned out to be as special as I thought. At least the cheap mistakes were cheap.

Stuff I would do differently, if I knew then what I know now:

Skip 90 percent of the tie purchases. At this point, I'd be happy sticking to knits and grenadines. I have boxes upon boxes of unloved ties, and each year they cross their fingers and hope Sartorial Santa will take them to a better home. But he never does. Sometimes, at night, I think I can hear them sobbing.

Skip most of the patterned shirts, in favor of white and blue solids, mostly buttondowns.

Of those non-buttondown solids, buy more shirts with interesting texture.

Realize earlier how much I prefer boots to shoes.

Buy more sweaters, and of better quality.

Buy good leather sooner.

Even with hindsight, I'm not sure how I could have avoided some of my mistakes. All part of the learning curve, and I'm OK with that. As yf said, it's been fun.

 

[A Harris]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

2. Try to look away from bargains and sales. Yes, bargains are great. But they are not as great as you think. A discerning eye and brand education can help, but so can restraint and the knowledge that paying full price for exactly what you want can save you from discounts that will leave you wanting. So much of the buying behavior discussed in these forums revolves around bargain hunting. I feel, though, this doesn't necessarily lead to good results. - B

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

Well, you have a good point there. There are only two ways to learn about clothes: watching people around you and wearing things yourself. Unfortunately, the former is difficult or unhelpful these days. There simply are not enough well dressed men anymore, and few boys can look to their fathers as examples. This only leaves personal experimentation...and, dare I say it...the interwebs. So, Eddie: keep those bargains coming. - B
I have to echo both points here. At this time I definitely buy less quantity/more quality, occasionally even paying retail, and think it is the best overall approach. Thing is, it was the buying/wearing/selling of an extraordinary amount of bargains that taught me exactly what it is I really ought to be buying. If I had paid full price for exactly what I wanted from the beginning I'd have a closet (not that) full of very expensive mistakes. So I think the bargain hunting was a great education, something which I frequently remind myself when I see guys on the board doing the same thing. They'll get there.