What makes nice clothing?

[wagthesam]

Can someone enlighten me on the benefits of buying a 250$ BOO shirt over a 40$ Gap shirt or 60$ Jcrew shirt?

Denim its obvious as the benefits of raw and selvage is clearly worth the premium.

What about shirts? These BOO and APC shirts look exactly or sometimes worse than typical mall shirts. What makes them worth it?

What about jackets? Are we paying a premium for these brands on designs, or are we paying a premium on quality? Is a Wings and Horns hoodie worth 160$+ when you can buy 4 hoodies for the same price at a mall outlet that will look similar?

I am a college student, and as I am rebuilding my wardrobe, I am faced with a decision. Go with less clothes but some SF brands that I like, or go with inexpensive staples that I buy in a mall.

 

[Jekyll]

..

 

[EdenResident]

Originally Posted by Jekyll

..

It's that time of the year again. Looks like the college kids are back.

 

[Big Pun]

Originally Posted by wagthesam

Denim its obvious as the benefits of raw and selvage is clearly worth the premium.

O really?

 

[wagthesam]

I'm not trying to troll. Before SF I thought nice clothes meant a premium on name, such as Hugo Boss and Armani. I'm clueless.

 

[Jekyll]

If you can't tell the difference, then buy the cheaper stuff. Or better yet, buy expensive stuff and then sell it in B&S when you decide you don't really like it...

 

[wagthesam]

I actually havent seen any of these shirts other than online. Perhaps I should visit the local boutique tomorrow.

I guess the consensus is that I'm a marsupial for even considering this question....

 

[Biscotti]

Depending on your local boutique, they may not have them.

It is about fit, details, fabric. Good fabric is expensive; shirting from a gap shirt isn't going to feel as nice as a BoO or say, a Fred Perry Laurel range shirt. I just spent $85 on fabric to make two shirts! Most BoO shirts have buttons made out of Mother Of Pearl; these can get to be quite expensive. A brand like BoO offers a cut that can not be found at the mall: slim and short.

BTW, I wouldn't call it a marsupialed question!

 

[wagthesam]

Whats the consensus on brands like hugo boss and armani? Just out of curiousity. Should I stay away from someplace like harry rosen?

I live in Toronto so I definately know theres these types of boutiques.

I was at this store to try out APC NSes, but they also had stuff like Wings and Horns.

I guess I will collect the good stuff, start out slow, and post lots of posts in the newb forum for advice.

 

[Chip]

Check out TNTblu when the sales hit, I also liked Lileo and Jonathan+Olivia

 

[Lachy]

Originally Posted by wagthesam

Whats the consensus on brands like hugo boss and armani? Just out of curiousity. Should I stay away from someplace like harry rosen?

I live in Toronto so I definately know theres these types of boutiques.

I was at this store to try out APC NSes, but they also had stuff like Wings and Horns.

I guess I will collect the good stuff, start out slow, and post lots of posts in the newb forum for advice.

This is always a good tactic.

Hugo Boss and Armani aren't favored in these parts. Though you can find exceptions to the rule, generally the quality and fit isn't on par with the price point. W+H gets a fair amount of love, but don't let your biases sway you to great extent, check the pieces out and evaluate them for yourself.

Above all, keep the fit of the garment in mind. You can look just as bad in W+H as you can in Hugo. SF favors a slimer fit, without excess cloth billowing about the body, but not skin tight (except for Eason).

Spend time in WAYWT, and lurking in general, and you'll soon get an understanding of what different users like in their clothes and the reasons behind it, and from there you can find your own style.

 

[APK]

A slow and steady approach is probably best. Trying to revamp overnight is silly and a waste of money. If this is all fairly new to you, it's smart to just do a lot of observing around here, research about brands, and some experimentation vis-a-vis retail therapy.

 

[Doctor]

Original question: What makes nice clothing?

Answer:
(1) Quality: of fabric and construction
(2) Good Fit
(3) The appearance of the item itself - colour, pattern etc.

Everything else falls in somewhere from (4) - infinity.

 

[riraito]

I'm the same way as you OP. The learning curve isn't steep but it's a gradual climb. You must immerse yourself in all things style in order to fully grasp it. Eventually pieces will start to fall in the jigsaw puzzle of style.

I slowly revamped my wardrobe over time. Your style will develop slowly and will change as you continuously add pieces.. Start with the basics before you buy more wild items is my advice. You'll need things you can wear everyday and not once a week or less.

 

[wagthesam]

Thanks all.

Is there a guide anywhere on how to tell nice quality fabric and construction?

What is the difference between the various shirt fabrics and styles? I see chambrays, what are their qualities? This must be in a thread somewhere.