Is there any way to cut out the middle man when buying ideal brands of clothing?

[stylemeup]

The other week I was in Harry Rosen and I checked out their Armani section. It had hands-down the coolest-looking shirt I've ever seen. It was an Armani dress shirt that was very frizzy and IIRC had amazing orangish/reddish colors to it, I believe it was made of something like 95% Viscose and 5% silk. The price on that shirt was $425 CAD.

I would like to buy that shirt for around $100 - 125 CAD. Is this possible to do? Is there any way to cut out the middle man like Harry Rosen or Holt Renfrew in order to do things like this?

Another question: if I go into Harry Rosen or Holt Renfrew and see something I would like to buy from an ideal brand, is there any way for me to identify the exact item from a marking on the price tag or in the clothing on the manufacturer's tags etc. so that I can then leave the store and search online for a cheaper price on the exact same item that I saw in the store and want to buy, just not at the store's price?

By the way, would a Viscose shirt start pilling like crazy like polyester does, or is Viscose a high quality material that doesn't pill?

 

[stilmacher]

If you don't work in the industry or have a close friend who does it will be difficult.

 

[rach2jlc]

^I agree.

Obviously, after the season is over, you can get the items on sale or you can find similar, older models on Yoox or on ebay. Nevertheless, from a business perspective, it wouldn't make much sense for Armani to have current-season items available to the general customer for 1/4 or less the retail price; he's not running a discount/outlet brand, after all.

As for exact items, every brand is different, but they should all have a model/style number on the tag.

 

[SoCal2NYC]

Hi Guys,

I saw a Hermes crocodile peacoat for $150,000.
Where do you think I can get that SAME EXACT coat for like...$15?

 

[epa]

Originally Posted by stylemeup

The other week I was in Harry Rosen and I checked out their Armani section. It had hands-down the coolest-looking shirt I've ever seen. It was an Armani dress shirt that was very frizzy and IIRC had amazing orangish/reddish colors to it, I believe it was made of something like 95% Viscose and 5% silk. The price on that shirt was $425 CAD.

I would like to buy that shirt for around $100 - 125 CAD. Is this possible to do? Is there any way to cut out the middle man like Harry Rosen or Holt Renfrew in order to do things like this?

Another question: if I go into Harry Rosen or Holt Renfrew and see something I would like to buy from an ideal brand, is there any way for me to identify the exact item from a marking on the price tag or in the clothing on the manufacturer's tags etc. so that I can then leave the store and search online for a cheaper price on the exact same item that I saw in the store and want to buy, just not at the store's price?

By the way, would a Viscose shirt start pilling like crazy like polyester does, or is Viscose a high quality material that doesn't pill?

Once looking at shirts the salesman tried to convince me that the perfect one for me would be a Brioni shirt about the price you mention. I said that I found it a wee bit expensive. He said to me that in the end it might work out cheaper to pay a lot for one shirt you really like than for a bunch of shirts that you do not really fancy.
He is a good salesperson and he has actually sold some nice stuff to me, but this time he didn't succeed.
I guess that what we all want is the things we like at the price of the rubbish that we do not like. Too bad.

 

[Shraka]

Originally Posted by SoCal2NYC

Hi Guys,

I saw a Hermes crocodile peacoat for $150,000.
Where do you think I can get that SAME EXACT coat for like...$15?

In my pants.

 

[rach2jlc]

Originally Posted by SoCal2NYC

Hi Guys, I saw a Hermes crocodile peacoat for $150,000. Where do you think I can get that SAME EXACT coat for like...$15?
Ooh, I want one too. I'd even be willing to go up to $18... hell, $18.50 for one! btw, where in the HELL are your Jil Sander handmades? We want to see pics!! Anyway, to the OP... if you REALLY like the shirt... just buy it! As epa notes, it's smarter to buy one shirt you absolutely love than 5 shirts @ $80 that you really don't care much about, but that were "better deals." Approaching fashion/luxury goods like an 80 y.o. grandma carrying her calculator around the grocery store and figuring out the per-ounce cost of generic vs. name brand Raisin Bran in order to save 11 cents per box isn't really the way to go.

 

[SoCal2NYC]

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

Anyway, to the OP... if you REALLY like the shirt... just buy it! As epa notes, it's smarter to buy one shirt you absolutely love than 5 shirts @ $80 that you really don't care much about, but that were "better deals."



Wait a second! Is this still StyleForum??

 

[Fuuma]

I suggest opening a store...Otherwise WTF is that question!!??

 

[rach2jlc]

Originally Posted by SoCal2NYC

Wait a second! Is this still StyleForum??
I know... sacrilege... but unfortunately absolutely true. If people 'fessed up, I think there'd be plenty of us who admitted to buying one of the "respected" sartorial brands around here for a "good bargain" and being less than in love with the results. I did it only once, that I can recall... some years back I bought a Lorenzini shirt because some guys on AAAC thought they were just WONDERFUL and it was the dumpiest, frumpiest, most poorly fitting shirt I've ever purchased in my life. The necksize and arm length were correct, but the chest and waist could have fit me and two of my closet friends and the fabric was nothing to get thrilled about. But, hey, it was a good deal and it had MOP buttons!!! Yippee!!!

 

[mack11211]

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

I know... sacrilege... but unfortunately absolutely true. If people 'fessed up, I think there'd be any us of them who admitted to buying one of the "respected" sartorial brands around here for a "good bargain" and being less than in love with the results. I did it only once, that I can recall... some years back I bought a Lorenzini shirt because some guys on AAAC thought they were just WONDERFUL and it was the dumpiest, frumpiest, most poorly fitting shirt I've ever purchased in my life. The necksize and arm length were correct, but the chest and waist could have fit me and two of my closet friends and the fabric was nothing to get thrilled about. But, hey, it was a good deal and it had MOP buttons!!! Yippee!!!
To better fit into that Lorenzini, I suggest the Pasta Tour of Italy, two-month package. Yeah, the ones made for the US are like mainline BB: tents. The grandma-with-a-calculator is how custom clothing people justify your outlay -- durable, classic clothing to your measurements will have a lower cost-per-wear. One final note about getting the something in the same fabric for cheaper is that here, in NYC, there is a store called Daffy's that gets closeout lots from, among other places, Italian shirtmaking plants. Often on the racks you can see the same fabric differently styled for different labels. Very rarely are the labels internationally known, however.

 

[sfo423]

Originally Posted by stylemeup

I would like to buy that shirt for around $100 - 125 CAD. Is this possible to do? Is there any way to cut out the middle man like Harry Rosen or Holt Renfrew in order to do things like this?



Go start your own retail business you cheap ****.

 

[rach2jlc]

Originally Posted by sfo423

Go start your own retail business you cheap ****.
Snark is one thing, being outright derogatory is another. Feel free to disagree or poke a little fun, but really... this was unnecessary.

 

[RJman]

Originally Posted by SoCal2NYC

Hi Guys,

I saw a Hermes crocodile peacoat for $150,000.
Where do you think I can get that SAME EXACT coat for like...$15?
There's at least one member with a jealously guarded in with Seraphin, the maker of Hermes leather jackets, who could probably get it for under $10,000.

 

[rach2jlc]

Originally Posted by RJman

There's at least one member with a jealously guarded in with Seraphin, the maker of Hermes leather jackets, who could probably get it for under $10,000.

Yes, but I don't think Mt. Spiffy is going to share...