Is anyone on here on an average wage but buys expensive suits?

[iloveshirts]

How do you do it? Do you just save up? I'm on a very average wage and I like the look of TOM FORD suits and it would take me about 2 years to save to get 2 suits. Would two suits be enough for me to get by on considering I have to wear a suit everyday. I will have 4 shirts 5 ties and 3 pairs of shoes. Will people notice that I keep wearing the same two suits and if they do will they care?

Thanks!

 

[Raxxman]

Honestly, I do not. I go for a good fit (shoulders, neck) and get sleeves and waist taken in. Rotate out every 2-3 years.

Even though good suits ware better, accidents can happen, snagged/torn suits or trousers can be a bear to repair.

Buy within your means and accessorize is what I do.


And I'd love a nice bespoke wool suit.

 

[jdp234]

There is a booming secondhand market in high quality menswear. I suggest trawling through ebay in your spare time, I think you might be surprised at some of the deals on offer. I haven't looked at tom ford but one can regularly find top tier brands (zegna/belvest/whatever) for $100-200 for a suit.

The Buy & Sell board on this site would also be a good place to look.

 

[mr monty]

Educate yourself on what to look for in a quality suit. Then search for the sales. It's not hard to find new high end suits for less than $500 or used suits for less that $300. Find a good person for alterations and remember FIT is everything. Stay away for trendy styles, then you won't have to replace your suits every 3 or 4 years,

 

[breakaway01]

IMO don't spend more on an item of clothing than you can easily afford to lose if it is damaged/destroyed. And this is after you've put away money for retirement or savings.

 

[Caustic Man]

Expensive suits are for suckers, regardless of your income level. Mind you, I define "expensive" as something that costs more that it's worth ("worth" being an admittedly sticky term in itself). Tom Ford suits are included in the "expensive" definition if you ask me. Don't fall into the middle class trap of buying prestige items (also known as "luxury" brands). Kent Wang makes a suit the likes of which will stand up in quality to most and cost half as much as TF. Vintage thrift store items can often be of the highest quality (if you're willing to sift through the chaff) and posses features not often found on new RTW items. Local tailors can often make exceptional garments at a low price. Buyer beware in those cases, though. There are plenty of bad tailors in the world.

Anyway, point being that if people who live on very good incomes can find reasons to be frugal, so can you.

 

[purpleporing]

It's a combination of saving money and finding deals on good stuff.

For example, I don't drink except when it's free booze at social events. This alone probably saves me hundreds of dollars a year in beer/wine/cocktail money.

As others have said, look for sales here and elsewhere and you get the same "expensive suit" for a fraction of the retail cost. Or look for quality, not brands. The only thing you really lose out on is the in-house tailoring/alterations they can do at a store, but then again, as other have said as well, find a good alterations person and you're good to go.