The Official Affordable Swag Thread

[bosatlbwi]

I win

I'm in a good mood, so I'll help you (and then probably just repost this the next time someone comes knockin'). In the future, use the search function and the stickied threads. Do this instead of replying to any of these posts.



i'm going to assume that the real goal here is to look good for the ladies, so...


College wear for fun and profit:


Your **** is going to get messy. Beer is going to get spilled all over everything you own. More than likely, you will sleep in the mud/bushes while wearing most of this stuff. Girls will rub themselves on your pants, which is great, but unhygienic.


First, get rid of your graphic tees. If you want to wear t shirts, and who doesn't, just get some blanks from hanes/american apparel that fit well in the shoulders.


Next, buy a pair of jeans. Everyone here will tell you to buy raws, and they are right. Don't ask what kind. You're getting away with this much, so you can do some forum research next. I will tell you that if you wait, jeans are cheap. Buy jeans that fit you.


Buy a pair of boots that are not desert boots. desert boots are boring and girls don't give a **** that they're based on imperialist ******-wear. Buy something with a slight heel. Do some research/read up on what you like.


Do not wear adidas all-stars with gelly stripes. Do not wear cargo shorts. Do not wear cargo shorts with your adidas all-stars. Chucks are whatever, but be warned that they will not get you any female attention. do not ******* EVER wear your running shoes unless you're working out, I don't care what you think you know.


Buy slim button downs on the cheap. take j crew button downs to the tailor, whatever. not everything has to be skin tight, but if you want to look like you take care of yourself, a good start is to buy clothes that fit you.


don't save up and buy **** that you'll regret buying. take advantage of fast fashion. Look at WAYWT. Most people are not spending a lot of money on anything. Emulate them.


finally, clothes are not going to make you look better/more classy/ more cultured. If you are a slob, cookie-cutter clothing is not going to fix anything. If you are interested in looking like a mature human, or even an immature but stylish one, don't go throwing your money around. Especially not during college. spend that **** on drugs and alcohol and parties. and some boots.


mostly, go do some ******* research

 

[Elysium]

I like the black waxed Zara denim, can usually get them for $50 (in asia) on discount

 

[pickpackpockpuck]

I like the boots from Barney's Co-op. They generally have a pretty good shape (some of them are decent Paul Smith knockoffs, if you don't want to shell out $600+ for PS boots), and the construction is good for the price (I think most are made in Italy, if that matters to you). You can also frequently find your size once sales hit at Barney's, so that usually means sub-$300 for boots. I have two pairs, both are lace-up captoes, one in brown and one in black, and they've held up really well for several years. In fact, the Co-op clothing line seems fairly nice as well for the price. If you need basics, especially for work, it's a good spot to check, particularly during sale season since nobody seems to want to buy it.

 

[KingJulien]

^ I got a co-op sportcoat for $35 from Filene's Basement. Fit's a little weird (big sleeves) but the quality is fantastic and it got me my current job

.

Also, for beater shoes I wear my Docs all the time and they're like $80 on sale...

 

[limbo]

Really good tips. B&S is a treasure trove if you have patience.

Uniqlo as mentioned before for Heattech, basics.

ASOS is also great for cheap tees with the wide neck lots of people are looking for:


http://www.asos.com/ASOS/ASOS-T-Shi...ck&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Greymarl



http://www.asos.com/ASOS/ASOS-2-Pack-Scoop-Neck-T-Shirt-Black/Grey-SAVE-2/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1795278&SearchQuery=asos%20scoop%20neck&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Blackgrey

 

[ceoceo]

Subscribed

 

[steviecakes]

I thrift boys sportcoats and tell myself they're Thom Browne

 

[pickpackpockpuck]

^I had a friend who was fairly small and would shop in the boys section of Brooks Brothers. He had a great tiny wardrobe.

 

[caseyfud]

Should I even bother trying to buy an "affordable" leather jacket, or is that one of those things I should save for and get the best?

 

[Frislid]

Should I even bother trying to buy an "affordable" leather jacket, or is that one of those things I should save for and get the best?

Get the best. There's no reason to save any expense when buying leather goods in general. High-end leather jackets and footwear is just such a pleasure to handle, and buying anything lesser would be such a shame.

 

[ceoceo]

Don't try to make huge jump from the start. Get the cheap otr pleather jacket or just as chep (under 100) ones to figure out what kind of style you want. And then there are good stuffs from ToJ and Aero and Malik the Pakistani leather guy

 

[the shah]



Malik the Pakistani leather guy

who is this enigmatic fellow

 

[notwithit]

Not sure how helpful this is, but I thought I'd give an example of budget v. non-budget fits. I encourage others to do the same.

I bought some of this stuff a while ago, but adding it up in my head, I think it totals about $110 for everything but socks and underwear (so maybe $120 all-inclusive ).

J. Crew shirt: thrifted for $5, tailored for probably $15 = $20
AA tri-blend cardigan: retail is over $40, but I think I paid closer to $25
Levi's 501 STF, sized down 1: either ebay or Shepler's, I'm not sure which, but around $35
leather Chucks: bought off ebay for around $30

This second one is a bit more in line with today's SF standards:

I'm not gonna list prices for this one, but I paid less than retail for everything but the jeans.

BoO shirt
SNS Stark cardigan
SExDBxSxS12 jeans
MMM boots

I wear - and enjoy wearing - the items in both fits. I'd say I value the items in the second fit more. They're of noticeably higher quality, more interesting, less readily available, more universally accepted on the forum, and certainly more expensive. On the other hand, there's also a nice feeling about having some cheap items that fit well and look good, punching above their weight class, so to speak, in terms of the value I get from them relative to the price I paid.

So...thoughts? Is the second fit definitively "better" than the first?

 

[AJPA]



I wear - and enjoy wearing - the items in both fits. I'd say I value the items in the second fit more. They're of noticeably higher quality, more interesting, less readily available, more universally accepted on the forum, and certainly more expensive. On the other hand, there's also a nice feeling about having some cheap items that fit well and look good, punching above their weight class, so to speak, in terms of the value I get from them relative to the price I paid.
So...thoughts? Is the second fit definitively "better" than the first?

I think there are some factors that make the second fit a bit better than the first (shoes being a big contributor to this), There was some kid that posted the other day in WAYWT that looked like hot garbage and was wearing all mall brands, but this looks great for the relative cost of the items.

I really don't like the color of those chucks though =P looks too much like skin for me

 

[Noctone]



So...thoughts? Is the second fit definitively "better" than the first?

Definitely. In the first picture you look like a decently dressed dude, in the second one you damn near look like a model.