I need to buy some slacks, shirts, ties, etc. for a new job.

For now I'm more interested in getting the best bang for my buck vs. great quality. To put this in perspective, right now I have like 2 pairs of dress pants, 2 shirts, 2 ties, etc. (mostly interchangeable in regards to matching, but different enough to see that they're different). So essentially I need to go out and get a business attire starter-kit.

I don't need full suits. Although one in addition from what I already have wouldn't be bad.

Store recommendations, suggestions has to how many of what to get, as well as anything else that may be helpful are welcome and appreciated.

1/22/2008 8:16:09 PM

Salvation Army

1/22/2008 8:21:54 PM

my recommendation would be to bite the bullet and spend good money on good, comfortable clothes

there's nothing worse than being trapped inside shitty, uncomfortable clothing for 40 hours a week

1/22/2008 8:23:50 PM

i always just get everything on sale at kohl's

1/22/2008 8:24:32 PM

I was at Belk last night and they had some kind of sale going on. I got a decent (I guess "Chaps" is decent) button-down shirt and a pair of khakis for about $35. Of course this was in Rocky Mount where there aren't a whole lot of 'professional' people to sell to... but I was in Raleigh recently and Eddie Bauer had nice shirts going for $20 apiece.

1/22/2008 8:27:18 PM

i second Kohl's

1/22/2008 8:32:21 PM

belk and josesh bank have good sales, but they're pretty expensive any other time--you might wanna try the men's warehouse or s&k or something like that

1/22/2008 8:32:53 PM

Kohls and Marshalls

1/22/2008 8:38:22 PM

spend the money on jos a bank traveler shirts... yeah, $75/shirt, but there's nothing worse than ironing a dress shirt, driving to work, and getting out like you crawled off the street.

1/22/2008 8:54:45 PM

Can we get the women's take on this, too? I think I need a suit for a conference I'm going to in a month or so.

1/22/2008 11:38:29 PM

Go to Belk. Buy things that are on sale; there should be some. Next, go to Kohl's and buy whatever you couldn't or didn't get at Belk. You should do well by this method. If you can only go to one place, Kohl's FTW. They have decent/good stuff for cheap; I've had good luck with their house brand (Croft & Barrow) plus you can get Chaps, Dockers, Arrow, Haggar, Axcess, etc.

If this job will keep you on your feet a lot, make sure you get a good pair of dress shoes with some padding. Not laying out cash for good shoes will become one of your biggest regrets, and fast. If it's primarily a desk job, then you don't need really expensive kicks, though still don't go bargain basement.

1/23/2008 12:02:10 AM

js bank shirts are for fat people.

best tips: buy the right size, buy quality materials </fag>


[Edited on January 23, 2008 at 12:13 AM. Reason : reading]

1/23/2008 12:08:45 AM

Kohls. hands down, can't beat that price

1/23/2008 12:27:44 AM

I'd suggest banana republic, but I'm biased.

it can be sort of pricey, but its pretty decent stuff, and sometimes they have ridiculous sales. I bought a bunch of dress shirts for like 16-20 bucks a piece. Got some pants for 30-35.

1/23/2008 1:46:55 AM

for women i would recommend the limited. they sell nice mid-range suits that won't break the bank but still look good (you're going to likely spend around $200 on the suit)

i would avoid places like new york & company for work clothes. sure they're cute and pretty affordable but they don't wear well over time and you end up spending as much as you would replacing stuff as you would if you would have just bought quality clothes to begin with

also circa joan & david are the most comfortable work shoes i have found. you can find them on zappos.com and at dsw. they can run about $150 a pair but they are totally worth it. ALL the styles aren't my taste but i have at least 3 pairs that i love and have worn out enough that i need new pairs (i have replaced the soles on one pair 3 times and had new tips put on them 3-4 times as well)

1/23/2008 2:17:22 AM

talbots. i dont know if its gay or not but theres my secret to success.

1/23/2008 2:25:21 AM

burlington coat factory + van heusen outlet?

1/23/2008 4:03:09 AM

When I was starting out after grad, Ross Dress for Less worked for me for shirts. The selection is hit or miss but the prices are good. Might try Burlington Coat Factory as well. Don't get 100% cotton or you'll be a wrinkly mess before you get to work.

After trying Old Navy khakis, Dockers, and the Target ones, I usually go with Target. Somehow I ended up putting holes in all of the Old Navy and Dockers khakis so I stopped wasting money on them. Lately I'm buying Haggar Q slacks at Kohl's and pick up dress shirts when I see something that I like.

And spend the money for some decent looking comfortable shoes. Nothing says "i'm green" like beat up dress shoes (or super trendy dress shoes).

If you like the high dollar names you might hit up the Smithfield outlets.

As far as numbers, I usually shoot for 6 pairs of slacks, 12 shirts, 12 ties so you can do laundry just once a week and still mix it up a bit.

- Dave

1/23/2008 7:16:53 AM

kohls, steinmart, sales at dept stores. sometimes even target

1/23/2008 7:16:54 AM

burlington coat factory
Target
Marshals
Rugged Warehouse
Kohls

1/23/2008 8:44:56 AM

check out some of the dep't stores... i get dress shirts and pants from nordstroms, macys, etc. they always have a decent selection of nice ties also. they're also always having crazy sales. you can always check out stores like banana republic, but I find that the nicer shirts at the department stores are of better quality than the ones at banana republic.

it's worth it to buy the good stuff at first, even though it's more expensive initially. it will look better, fit better, and last longer.

1/23/2008 9:57:43 AM

JC Penny has some good deals if you stick to the sale stuff.

1/23/2008 10:04:54 AM

http://www.morrisvilleoutletmall.com/html/directory.html

1/23/2008 10:08:45 AM

Quote :

"js bank shirts are for fat people. "

They sell tailored shirts there that are ftw.

1/23/2008 10:12:15 AM

Quote :

"I'd suggest banana republic, but I'm biased. "

Hit up the outlet. I bought 2 suits there for abotu 150 - 200 a piece. And it's pretty nice stuff as well.

1/23/2008 10:13:08 AM

Quote :

"spend the money on jos a bank traveler shirts... yeah, $75/shirt, but there's nothing worse than ironing a dress shirt, driving to work, and getting out like you crawled off the street"

Seconded!

As for you naysayers complaining about them not fitting, get some class and have them tailored. Your clothes should fit your frame, looking great is worth the extra $.

1/23/2008 10:17:32 AM

if you're trying to save $, stay away from tailored suits. Yea they look the best, but will cost a lot more.

1/23/2008 10:28:50 AM

I get my pants at Brooks Brothers. They cost about $75 a pair and have an unlimited return policy.

1/23/2008 10:33:49 AM

i can't believe no one has said TJ Maxx yet

they always keep a great stock of dress shirts, including slim fits, and a decent stock of dress pants or "slacks" as you call them

worth a shot i think

1/23/2008 10:53:29 AM

Quote :

"I bought 2 suits there for abotu 150 - 200 a piece. And it's pretty nice stuff as well."

yeah they had tons of suits for sale for that price at the crabtree store recently. Normally they're about 400-500.

Brooks brothers is generally the same price range as banana, but for me their fabrics are little limited. Everything I saw online was cotton. At least with banana you can get some nice silk/cashmere or other wool blends.

But I do have a 15% corporate discount at brooks, might have to check it out.

1/23/2008 10:54:56 AM

Nice, how did you get that?

1/23/2008 11:08:36 AM

FYI, I got a call from Jos A Bank Monday and they are having a huge sale for members on Thursday. If you have a corporate membership card go and save money!

1/23/2008 11:26:50 AM

^^ I work for Duke

1/23/2008 11:33:01 AM

jos a banks is pretty much perpetually having a sale...

if you go in there and pay what's on the pricetag for something, you got scammed

their clothes are on the upside of starter stuff, you could definitely buy cheaper, but you'll look decent for what you're trying to spend

whoever said their shirts are for fat people, well, as pointed out they do have more tailored shirts, but my whole problem with them is 90% of their stock is not tailored and ive never seen a pair of plain front pants @ jos a banks before...which, i mean i dont really enjoy looking like I have a giant FUPA


summary: jos a banks will get you through your first job, or first year on the job.

after that step it up some and buy something that fits

1/23/2008 11:37:52 AM

Stein Mart has decent suits and ties. They often run good sales. The suits are well-made and last a few years. They would be great for starter suits.

1/23/2008 12:01:15 PM

tj maxx has some pretty good deals.

1/23/2008 12:03:48 PM

off saks 5th outlet

1/23/2008 12:29:03 PM

I second Wolfy on Express or The Limited - I always hit up their sale sections and buy very cute work-appropriate stuff.

If I'm in need of a specific item I may go to Target to buy something "in between" until I can find a better-quality replacement, but the staples to my wardrobe come pretty much from those 2 stores.

Hell - one of my fav pair of pants I bought when I was 16 from Express, and they still look amazing today... well, yesterday, when I wore them.

It's worth waiting for sales and buying cheap stuff until the nice stuff goes on sale - otherwise you'll spend FAR more money on cheap stuff.

I second (or third, or whatever) the tailoring comment, ESPECIALLY for females.

1/23/2008 1:04:16 PM

in a big thrift store you can always find a few good quality clothes, and if you're an easy size they may even fit! It just takes some effort to find the good stuff, but I think it's worth it for the $Texas I save. I recently got a couple GREAT silk shirts that would've cost $60 each in the real world.

1/23/2008 1:10:57 PM

in order:

burlington coat factory - make this one of your first stops
belks
Smithfield Outlets
Marshals
TJ Maxx
Kohls

1/23/2008 1:16:11 PM

Quote :

"^^ I work for Duke"

Dude, me too. Do you get the card at brooks brothers just by showing your badge?

Quote :

"FYI, I got a call from Jos A Bank Monday and they are having a huge sale for members on Thursday. If you have a corporate membership card go and save money!"

seconded. If you see the $75 on the price tag, wait and go back a week later. It'll be down to $50 or $55.

1/23/2008 3:50:09 PM

steinmart, regardless of gender, usually has some good deals on work clothes.

quality clothing does not come from target, old navy, etc. it may look okay at first, but after you wash and wear it a couple of times it looks like shit.

for women's workwear, i've had really really good luck with work pants from express. no luck on shirts (of the button down variety) at express, but i've gotten several from eddie bauer and steinmart. i have one shirt from talbots that my mom gave me that i like, but i won't shop there by myself so i don't know about the rest of their stuff (it does usually run expensive).

1/23/2008 4:04:58 PM

Quote :

"talbots. i dont know if its gay or not but theres my secret to success."

You may be losing your secret soon; I think I've heard Talbots is getting out of menswear and kids' clothing to focus solely on their ladies' lines.

Talbots is damn expensive anyway, unless you only shopped sales there...does it last long enough to justify the cost? (moot point I guess...)

1/23/2008 4:58:32 PM

Every time I've ever been in Talbot's it looked like a place only people who live on a golf course or 80-year-old ladies would shop. But good for you if you can find stuff there.

1/23/2008 8:45:16 PM

thanks for the suggestions.

Burlington Coat factory was pretty solid, I would definitely recommend it to others. Good selection and prices on just about everything.

The Marshal's in crossroads sucked. I've been to one in charleston, sc which had a great selection. But the one here didn't seem to have a lot of men's clothes.

I'll check out the morrisville outlets sometime this week.

Kohl's had real good deals on slacks last week (more than half-off).

1/28/2008 6:04:32 AM

http://www.ralphlauren.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=2928185&cp=1760788&SMR=1&ab=int_011708_SaleLP_Men

1/28/2008 9:18:42 AM

Quote :

"They sell tailored shirts there that are ftw."

in regard to jos a bank. the only problem ive found with their shirts is that the buttons are kind of shitty and can snap. other than that theyre good shirts for the price.

1/28/2008 9:08:59 PM

Sucks being tall.

1/29/2008 2:11:22 AM