Online or In Person?

[ROT]

I have been buried in work lately. To clear my head the other day, I dropped into a local men's store and browsed the suits, ties and pocket squares and wound up picking up a pair of shoes.

It had been quite some time since I actually hit a brick-and-mortar shop instead of ordering something on-line. I'd forgotten how much I like talking with the salespeople and checking out the fabrics, etc.

I like the convenience of on-line -- it's easier to make time to browse a site than it is to go out these days. And I get notified of on-line sales at Polo, etc. through e-mail and the boards. But there was something to be said for the stately pace and tactile pleasures (and instant gratification) of dropping by the store.

Which made me wonder, how do you prefer to shop and why? Just curious.

ROT

 

[alchimiste]

At tailors. I cannot afford ready-to-wear.

 

[Kent Wang]

I presume eBay counts as a "discount site".

 

[ROT]

Alchemiste: I envy you. I wish I had a tailor I could count on here. I'd love to go custom. I always think the cost would sink me.

Kent: Yes, I'd count eBay as a "Discount site." wasn't sure how to word the catchall phrase. I have yet to try their clothing vendors, but I've seen some good looking stuff.

Thanks for the responses.

ROT

 

[Roy]

At an Independent Men's Store, simply because I know a few excellent stores with a good selection and good service.

 

[DandySF]

There's just no substitute for seeing something up close and touching it, trying it on, understanding how it fits, and deciding whether it's a good wardrobe addition. Clothing appeals to the senses of touch and sight. It's impossible to accurately determine what something is like, in all its details, from a catalog or a website. For these reasons I always prefer to visit stores in person.

 

[Kent Wang]

The best of both worlds is to try garments in store and then buy them online. Maybe a tad bit unethical.

 

[Roy]

The best of both worlds is to try garments in store and then buy them online. Maybe a tad bit unethical.

It depends, if the service at that store was very rude etc. I would buy it online.

But if the service was outstanding i'd buy it at the store and pay the extra.

 

[ROT]

I have to admit that I'm a sucker for "outstanding service." But I rarely find it these days. Or maybe participating on these boards has opened my eyes to how little the average salesman knows about his goods

And maybe that's why I can feel relatively confident shopping on-line. I envy Roy his choice of shops.

 

[Roy]

I have to admit that I'm a sucker for "outstanding service." But I rarely find it these days. Or maybe participating on these boards has opened my eyes to how little the average salesman knows about his goods

And maybe that's why I can feel relatively confident shopping on-line. I envy Roy his choice of shops.

It is a rare thing nowadays. But i'm lucky enough to be on the road quite often for my work. So I have the opportunity to go to the some of the best (imo) shops in the country. Where they have a lot of knowledge about the product and are even friendly as well. But it makes me realize I only ever go to 4 or 5 shops nowadays anyway since I think the rest is below par.

 

[johnapril]

I have to admit that I'm a sucker

and that I am Satan.

 

[cpac]

I'd prefer to always shop in person.

However, time being less than infinite, I tend to research largely online, then confirm selection & purchase in person.

Also, online is fabulous for gathering info about possible places to visit.

 

[Horace]

At an Independent Men's Store, simply because I know a few excellent stores with a good selection and good service.

Same here.

 

[rootless]

Quote:

(Roy @ June 23 2005,08:23) At an Independent Men's Store, simply because I know a few excellent stores with a good selection and good service.
Same here.
I love shopping in person, and I will pay more to do so- sometimes a lot more. Where I am now, though, there are not any decent clothing stores. Online is the only real option, and then to my tailor, who is the best around here, but not like my tailor in NYC. I guess I'm saving some money, but I do miss the city for a lot of reasons- not least good stores, good sales, and people who care about clothing. I'd always rather touch the fabric, and look at how the jacket works with my back. (Restaurants are an entirely different thing, but one I'm not really happy about right now).

 

[GQgeek]

I'm a sucker for good service. It's nice having a salesman that knows your tastes and will be brutally honest about how you look in things. It's been a couple of years since i've had that level of service but I just found a new guy that i'm very happy with. He actually called me up today to let me know about some sales i'd be interested in. When the service is at that level, I tend to do a lot of buying from the same guy.

On the other hand, I find it difficult to justify some of the prices I pay when i compare them to Lance's prices for the same thing (anywhere from 50-75% off). As much as I love going to a store and being treated like i'm one of their most valuable customers, the fact remains that I would generally prefer to spend 1k with someone like Lance and get 4-5 cashmere sweaters than get 1.5-2 sweaters at retail price (at least for the high end cashmere stuff i'm interested in).