Suggested brands for staple items, and a question about web resale prices.

[diglett]

First off, I want to say hi. I'm a fairly new member, and lurking around here has taught me a lot, even since before I made my account. Over the past ~8 months, I've transitioned from hardcore graphic-tee-mode to dressing fairly well, and I want to maintain my improvement. With that in mind, I'm looking to start regularly wearing real shirts, pants, and shoes, but I'm not sure where to start. I have a decent amount of money to commit, but nothing too wild (~$3000 cap), and I'm looking to get the best bang for my buck. To which brands should I go for which items? I'm a young, slim guy, standing at just under 6'1", so that's definitely something to consider.

Here are the brands I was thinking could make up a foundation of clothing for my wardrobe:
Shirts - RLBL, Brioni, Borrelli, hopefully with some Kiton in the future
Pants - I have no idea where to start with these. I'm looking for a slim cut, and I presume that RLBL would be able to provide that.
Shoes - I started with AE, just picked up a pair of Carminas, and now have my eyes on EGs and Lobbs
Sweaters (v neck/crewneck/cardigan) - Polo RL, maybe some RLPL or Loro Piana if one sale
Socks - Right now I mostly have Hugo Boss, but I'm hoping to pick up some Pantherella on sale soon
Ties - Drake's, not really sure what else to look out for

As for more "regular wear" items (which will be bought later, as they can't really fit into my initial spending)
Watch: 50s or 60s Omega Seamaster or Constellation. Not because I want to be "cool" with a vintage watch, but because I much prefer the looks of vintage Omegas to current ones, and they tend to be far cheaper than new watches.
Prescription glasses: Not sure; I've seen some decent Polo RL and Oliver Peoples pairs
Belts - No clue

Am I on the right track? Which brands should I seek out, and which others should I avoid? Keep in mind that this isn't my endgame by any means; I just want to have a fair amount of respectable clothes so that I can dress well on a daily basis, even if not in the absolute highest quality of clothing.


The second part of my post: How/why can people afford to sell high end clothing on ebay/Styleforum for ~75% off, especially when it's NWT? I've been checking ebay for the likes of RLBL and Brioni shirts, and most that I've found are around $130, down from $400+. The same goes for cashmere Polo RL sweaters, and the occasional Loro Piana item. Is this stuff fake? For someone looking to restart his wardrobe, paying $110 for a $375 RLBL shirt sounds like a great deal, but it's almost too good to be true. Verdict, please?

 

[justinkapur]



First off, I want to say hi. I'm a fairly new member, and lurking around here has taught me a lot, even since before I made my account. Over the past ~8 months, I've transitioned from hardcore graphic-tee-mode to dressing fairly well, and I want to maintain my improvement. With that in mind, I'm looking to start regularly wearing real shirts, pants, and shoes, but I'm not sure where to start. I have a decent amount of money to commit, but nothing too wild (~$3000 cap), and I'm looking to get the best bang for my buck. To which brands should I go for which items? I'm a young, slim guy, standing at just under 6'1", so that's definitely something to consider.

Here are the brands I was thinking could make up a foundation of clothing for my wardrobe:
Shirts - RLBL, Brioni, Borrelli, hopefully with some Kiton in the future
Pants - I have no idea where to start with these. I'm looking for a slim cut, and I presume that RLBL would be able to provide that.
Shoes - I started with AE, just picked up a pair of Carminas, and now have my eyes on EGs and Lobbs
Sweaters (v neck/crewneck/cardigan) - Polo RL, maybe some RLPL or Loro Piana if one sale
Socks - Right now I mostly have Hugo Boss, but I'm hoping to pick up some Pantherella on sale soon
Ties - Drake's, not really sure what else to look out for

As for more "regular wear" items (which will be bought later, as they can't really fit into my initial spending)

Watch: 50s or 60s Omega Seamaster or Constellation. Not because I want to be "cool" with a vintage watch, but because I much prefer the looks of vintage Omegas to current ones, and they tend to be far cheaper than new watches.
Prescription glasses: Not sure; I've seen some decent Polo RL and Oliver Peoples pairs
Belts - No clue

Am I on the right track? Which brands should I seek out, and which others should I avoid? Keep in mind that this isn't my endgame by any means; I just want to have a fair amount of respectable clothes so that I can dress well on a daily basis, even if not in the absolute highest quality of clothing.


The second part of my post: How/why can people afford to sell high end clothing on ebay/Styleforum for ~75% off, especially when it's NWT? I've been checking ebay for the likes of RLBL and Brioni shirts, and most that I've found are around $130, down from $400+. The same goes for cashmere Polo RL sweaters, and the occasional Loro Piana item. Is this stuff fake? For someone looking to restart his wardrobe, paying $110 for a $375 RLBL shirt sounds like a great deal, but it's almost too good to be true. Verdict, please?

I think you have some good concepts but I think the most important thing is to find pieces that fit well first and slowly build up a collection of nice things rather than spend $3K on a bunch of things. Go try brands on in stores, feel materials, and see fits then start to make educated purchases.

Everyone has their sources for selling for such a big discount, mostly its finding steals at discount stores that are even further reduced.

Best of luck and welcome

 

[Liquidus]

Out of the brands that I'm familiar with:

Shirts: MTM or Brooks Brothers
Pants: Howard Yount
Shoes: Stick with Carmina, you can't afford EG on a $3000 budget.
Sweaters: BB or John Smedley
Socks: Pantherella and Marcoliani are popular
Ties: Sam Hober

You didn't mention sport coats. I suggest BB or Howard Yount.

Don't plan on acquiring all your staple clothes on the cheap through B&S, especially if you're in a smaller size.

 

[diglett]

I think you have some good concepts but I think the most important thing is to find pieces that fit well first and slowly build up a collection of nice things rather than spend $3K on a bunch of things. Go try brands on in stores, feel materials, and see fits then start to make educated purchases.
Everyone has their sources for selling for such a big discount, mostly its finding steals at discount stores that are even further reduced.
Best of luck and welcome

I agree on the comment regarding fit--I've spent the last 7-8 months figuring out where I want to go with my clothes and how I want them to fit, and now it's just a matter of making sure I'm investing in the correct brands. I've, to a fair extent, already educated myself on clothing, various styles, and what kind of stuff to look out for when shopping, so I definitely feel confident that I'll spend my money wisely.

Out of the brands that I'm familiar with:
Shirts: MTM or Brooks Brothers
Pants: Howard Yount
Shoes: Stick with Carmina, you can't afford EG on a $3000 budget.
Sweaters: BB or John Smedley
Socks: Pantherella and Marcoliani are popular
Ties: Sam Hober
You didn't mention sport coats. I suggest BB or Howard Yount.
Don't plan on acquiring all your staple clothes on the cheap through B&S, especially if you're in a smaller size.

I'm not a huge fan of BB (the shoulders on their shirts are too wide for my correct neck measurement), but I'll definitely look into the other brands mentioned.

As for getting my staple items at a steep discount, could I not just use ebay? There seems to be an abundance of the shirts that I'm looking to buy, almost always NWT.


Thanks for the help so far, guys; I appreciate it.

 

[stevent]

Black Label shirts can be had in store for ~$120 regularly during sales and sometimes down to $90 or so. $110 is not a bad price but the seller is most likely making a decent profit. As for shirting I think the most important part is how well a shirt fits.

B&S / eBay are usually pretty good if you know what you are looking for.