Who pays retail ???

[seanandnik]

I was in the mecca of men's clothing a few weeks ago (Louis, Boston)and wondered, who is out there buying this stuff ? What guy thinks, "Hmm, I need a new cashmere sportscoat" and goes out to a high end store and spends $3200 on one ? or wants a suit and plops down $12k for a bespoke ? they must be out there, Who goes into Gucci and buys the $475 stocking hat for the winter ? If you were to try to acquire a completely high end wardrobe it would run in the 10's or even 100's of thousands. I feel I have a nice wardrobe, mostly bought on Ebay and on sale items. Lots of RLPL and cashmere, and reg. Polo.No need for suits in my line of work, but if I did I would be in trouble, my tastes run toward Kiton, Belvest and Attolini. What is the most you have ever spent on one item ? in one outing ?

 

[Roy]

300 euro on a shirt (Sea Island Borrelli). But I am planning on buying either a MTM Partenopea or Brioni suit soon. Which are both around 2000 euros.

I also regularly buy MTM Barba di Napoli shirts. Just love 'em. Just take it one step at a time. I'm not there yet that I can purchase a whole wardrobe like it. But shirts aren't to expensive. And I don't wear a lot of suits. I'd rather have a couple of MTM High Quality stuff than lots of average fitting articles.

 

[LA Guy]

Jeans, glasses, and belts are the only things I ever pay retail for. Eyeglass frames are just not an option; and I am *very* particular about my belts, to the point of getting them the equivalent of custom or MTM at times. Jeans I can usually get at discount, but if I really need a pair and have something in mind, I'd rather pay retail for them then end up buying a few pairs I sort of like, and buying that pair anyway, in the end. I guess that I've also paid retail for some pieces I've really been excited about, and am pretty sure will never make it to discount (like my Wrangler 47 sportsjacket.) That rarely happens though, and only if the piece is not exorbitantly priced (and thus more likely to sell out before sale time.)

 

[gorgekko]

I pay retail sometimes (and not $12K) if I doubt I can find what I am looking for online. A lot of the online outlets available to you Yanks don't sell to us Canadians. If I want something bad enough, I will pay retail.

I've done most of my clothes shopping on eBay the last year or so. It's addicting when you pick up a new Lorenzini shirt, for example, for far less than half of retail. I do not, however, buy shoes online. I did it once and it turned out alright but I'm always concerned about fit.

As for most spent in one shot? I honestly don't remember. I doubt it was that much because I can never find a lot of things I like in one trip.

 

[arvi]

i tend to agree with roy..i will spend a lot on a tie or shirt..i do wear suit or sport jacket everyday..jacket comes off as soon as i sit down at desk and in winter no one even sees me in the street since i wear a coat..therefore i place a lot more importance on accessories..much as i would like to spend $2000++ for a suit, it would not be practical (even though i could afford it)..much more pleasurable to buy a kiton,borrelli,etc tie or shirt..they a long way to dressing up a $1000 suit

 

[STYLESTUDENT]

I buy mostly from EBay including suits, pants and jackets and tend toward manufacturers (Barbera, Oxxford, RLPL) priced somewhat below the top-level Kiton and Attolini. I don't like to pay retail and don't particularly enjoy shopping in stores (except when I visit Bergdorf in New York). Maybe I don't understand the real need any more for "bricks and mortar" and the accompanying overhead or really have the time or the patience. I've never had a bad experience on EBay. I generally stick to brands and sizing that I already have.

I buy shoes retail by telephone order (mostly Alden) because my size isn't easy to find on EBay. I also buy Hermes ties retail (at a real live store) because of all the fakes on EBay and because the price difference is minor. I buy shirts made-to-measure from Bergdorf-they're not that expensive and fit well, without surprises.

 

[imageWIS]

I have paid retail for items, simply because it is either what I want, when I want it or what I am willing to pay for a certain item at that particular time. For instance, I bought my Cartier belt, my Oakley prescription sunglasses, a few RL Polo (blue label items), and a few MTM T&A shirts at full retail.

Of which I learned:

The Cartier belt was worth it, only for the fact that it has lasted for over 5 years and it utilizes the best belt buckle design I have ever seen in my life.

The Oakley's are cool, but I have change my prescription too often and the lenses cost 3 times the price of the frames. So, next time I am getting sunglasses with regular lenses, i.e. not curved that can be easily replaced and will cost at least half the price of the Oakley's.

RL constantly has sales, both online and at the stores, so unless I am completely enamored with an item, I will wait till sale time.

Whilst the T&A's are truly amazing, I'll just wait for H&K to have a sale and take the shirts for alterations at my tailor. Will cost less and the H&K's have a much better looking cutaway (IMO).

Jon.

 

[kitonbrioni]

I usually buy at NM and have sales people who call me when they know that something I like is in. Most often I can wait until there's a markdown but recently I asked for a Schneiders overcoat as a present from my wife and by the time she got it, it was marked down. I did buy a Loro Piana Storm System cashmere overcoat at full retail because I couldn't wait. I coveted a Brioni reversible cashmere/leather overcoat (at $5500) but it sold before I made my mind up. With the shoes/boots I've already got I just wait for the price I want.

As for ebay, I found that for things I might be interested in seemed to often have come from NM--i.e., the "new-with-tags", etc--and that the sellers want more than I paid/could have paided at NM. It seems that for the ebay sellers often must be buying at about what I could have bought it at. Or may be the ebay prices are Needlessly Markedup. Anytime I make an ebay bid at a maximum price of what I would expect to pay at NM, I'm always overbid. Though I do understand that mileage varies by user.

 

[A Harris]

was in the mecca of men's clothing a few weeks ago (Louis, Boston)and wondered, who is out there buying this stuff ? What guy thinks, "Hmm, I need a new cashmere sportscoat" and goes out to a high end store and spends $3200 on one ? or wants a suit and plops down $12k for a bespoke ? they must be out there, Who goes into Gucci and buys the $475 stocking hat for the winter ? If you were to try to acquire a completely high end wardrobe it would run in the 10's or even 100's of thousands. I feel I have a nice wardrobe, mostly bought on Ebay and on sale items. Lots of RLPL and cashmere, and reg. Polo.No need for suits in my line of work, but if I did I would be in trouble, my tastes run toward Kiton, Belvest and Attolini. What is the most you have ever spent on one item ? in one outing ?

Who? Men who are wealthy enough that spending time trying to find deals on clothing is counterproductive - there are lots of men like that. Or men who just appreciate the particular aesthetic of a store - with some stores this is understandable. And a few I suppose who just don't like to buy at a discount. Of course I'm none of the above. The last clothing item I bought at full retail was a black grosgrain bow tie at Neiman Marcus in Chicago, for $49. Found an identical tie at the Polo outlet one week later for $2 Â

I won't do that again...

 

[slimjohnson]

As a kinda-sorta newbie here, what store is H & K?

Thanks.

 

[matcha]

As a kinda-sorta newbie here, what store is H & K?

Hilditch & Key, a Jermyn St. store. Here's the link.

 

[matcha]

Horsey (horsie?) jacket by Loro Piana bought retail, but it's gone up 30% in $ in two or three years since purchased.

Infrequently a fedora or cap, when bought in season.

Can't think of many other retail price purchases. Oh yes, I buy food at retail if necessary, and pay full price at Chinese restaurants.

 

[Phil]

This topic is along the same lines as a discussion that was brought up a few weeks ago about finding brand name goods at outlets.

Its simple really- you have to let go of the notion that a $3500 suit is the same cost for everyone. To someone who has 3 million dollars in the bank, that $3500 suit is the equivalent to a college kids A&F tee shirt. Proportionally, in terms of their means, they both represent a certain percentage of their net worth. If someone has $500 in their bank account, and they spend $300 on a suit, one can argue that its a much worse deal and more of a strain on his checkbook than a man who buys a $15,000 vicuna overcoat when he has 1 million in the bank.

I think for some of the younger guys on the forum who may not have the money as someone older, this is a hard concept to really understand.

 

[AlanC]

As has been alluded to, it's a time vs. money comparison. If someone has more money than time, then they will be far more likely to pay retail. Me, I don't have much of either

, but if I want to acquire the items I want I have to spend the time digging them out. Regarding what Phil was saying, I suspect that most millionaires actually are much more price sensitive than the figures you're referencing, but the point stands, certainly. Not a lot of people got to be a millionaire by dropping $15k on a vicuna overcoat. I will also say this regarding retail. Be very glad people do pay retail because they are subsidizing our discount buying, whether it's sales or thrift.

 

[johnw86]

The most I've ever paid at retail is about $300 for a suit, and even that was on sale (dept. store). Since joining the forum, I've been able to seriously upgrade my wardrobe and spend far less money on individual items. Thank you StyleForum.