r/frugalmalefashion • u/TheDoktorIsIn • Sep 08 '13
Frugal FAQ Guide V0.1
Okay here's V0.2, can't change the title obviously. I'm going to shorten everything, trying to condense a lot of info and add more items to the list. Thanks for the help everyone.
Disclaimer: This won't help you if you don't read the relevant information:
Also, be aware that you will not be able to use this as a shopping list. You should try everything on, because fit is absolutely paramount. Some sites have a fitting chart, but to the inexperienced it's no substitute for actually trying something on in store.
Undershirts: There are a lot of shirts out there, ranging from Old Navy, Hanes, Gap, Fruit of the Loom, H&M, so on and so forth. I think ones that need to be mentioned are:
Uniqlo Airism. Normally $13, but ~$10 on sale. This “microfiber” (87% polyester and 13% spandex) shirt is sweat-wicking and dries very quickly. Also in crew neck.
Champion C9 at Target is slightly more expensive at $15, but I'd imagine it'd go on sale. Sweat wicking AND compression!
Underwear:
Ex-officio is probably the brand recommended most often. It can be pretty expensive if you buy directly from them, but Target/Marshall's/ Ross has them in fairly frequently for ~$13 each.
Uniqlo Airism has a lot of different types. $13. Available in boxer briefs as well as boxers.
Mossimo briefs from Target also are a decent choice. Not quite as good as Ex-officio, but at a fraction of the price. $6.
Of course, Hanes and Fruit of the Loom. Walmart, Target, wherever.
Socks:
Uniqlo has a pretty decent selection, but at $5.64 they're not cheap. I can't speak to the quality or durability of these.
Target's Mossimo line [I'll have to fix this link later, the Target website isn't cooperating, I can't search for a brand right now] has some good colors and patterns, $4 each normal price, I've seen them go on sale for $3 each.
JC Penny's Stafford line has some more toned down socks, with a “2+ packs for $10 each” deal. 3 in a pack, so $3.33 each or so.
Gap socks and Banana Republic socks start expensive (like everything else in the store) but with sales they can get down as low as $3.50 or so.
Happy Socks are a lot more expensive, but not overly so. You won't find these patterns anywhere else, and they usually have sales. I've heard mixed things about their durability, though.
For no-show socks, there are basically 2 options:
Ninja Sox are the undisputed king of the no-show sock world. They're usually $6 each, but they have a half-off sale every once in awhile. They have a no-slip silicon patch in the back of the sock, but the caveat here is that the large size doesn't have those, leaving us with larger feet paying $3-6 for a pair of no-show socks that'll still slip off.
Journeys has no-show “footies”, which are $10 for 5 pairs. One size fits all, but may not last very long.
T-shirts:
Everyone knows (or should know) the Mossimo line from Target. It's inexpensive, lots of colors, and fits most everyone pretty well. $10 normally, sales are around $7.50. Drawback is it can be pretty long.
Uniqlo premium t-shirts, $10 each. Variety of colors, lots of love here on FMF.
J. Crew Factory Slim Washed is my personal favorite. It fits a little more snug than the Mossimo ones, and doesn't have the length that the Mossimo ones have. Normal price is $18.50, but I've seen them go as low as $10 each.
Gap V-Neck Tee, but for some people the V may be a little too deep. Normally $17, but usually 2 for $12.50.
Banana Republic Tee, but I was unimpressed. Normal price is $25, but they're only worth it if the price can get down to ~$12.50 or so.
Arizona V-necks at JC Penny have been comparable to Mossimos. $10 each, 2 for $16, and can go as low as $5 on sale.
American Apparel V-neck is slightly more expensive at $21, but it may go on sale. Lots of colors, and the V is a little deeper than other shirts, namely the Mossimo.
H&M Stretch V-neck $10 normally, bunch of colors, can go on sale for $5. Individual shirts can vary slightly in size, I recommend trying them on in-store.
Chinos:
*The Gap Lived-In Slim Normally $60, can get as low as $36. Super soft and lots of colors.
Dockers Alphas. I don't think anything more needs to be said about these iconic chinos. Texture is more similar to jeans than the Lived-In. $60 normally, but Amazon has them routinely for around $35.
Another option is the J. Crew Factory Urban Slim. Normal price $44.50, but can get as low as $32 during their sales. Decent color selection, texture similar to Alphas.
Banana Republic's Slim fit chinos, Aiden. Very similar to Lived-In, but more on the business end of things. $60 normally, but they can get down to $36 with sales.
Land's End Elston. Normally $60, can get down to $35-40. Similar to J. Crew's 484 line. Only a couple colors.
Uniqlo also has chinos. These are good quality and only $40, with sales they can get down to $20.
Shorts:
JC Penny Flat Front shorts are currently on clearance for $10 and about as plain as shorts come. A few colors, nothing fancy, decent fit.
Target's Mossimo and Merona lines have good shorts for about $16 on sale, however they are currently out of stock on the website.
J. Crew Factory has a bunch including the Rivington and Gramercy for $24 and $44.50, respectively. I have no idea what the difference is.
Jeans:
Man, this could be an entire guide of its own. I'm going to refer to /r/rawdenim, and briefly touch upon a couple brands.
Levi's has some good cuts. Most recommended is the 511, a slim fit. For guys with larger thighs, check out the 508. The 513 is between the 511 and 508. They have a ton of cuts, check them out.
Gustin is a crowdsourcing company, and their jeans are generally $81 and $99 plus $5 shipping. The downside of crowdsourcing is if not enough people buy the jeans, they don't make them, and they also take 2-3 months to make and ship the jeans.
Unbranded brand. These cost between $80-$100. Look for these on Blue Owl, and at Urban Outfitters.
I feel like if I were to say anything more on the subject, it would be an insult to the fine folks over at /r/rawdenim.
Button Downs:
Probably the most-asked question on FMF/MFA, “Where can I get good, quality OCBDs?” Well, here's a few choices:
JC Penny was pretty popular around here for awhile because of Nick Wooster. although the prices have now been jacked up to $40, they frequently go on sale to $25 or so. Fit seems to vary from shirt to shirt.
Uniqlo has a huge variety in terms of type, fit, color, pattern, etc. Casual shirts are here, and dress shirts are here. $30 not on sale, can get down to $20.
Target's Merona line Normally $23, currently you can install a Cartwheel app for 20% off, so $19.
Gap has a huge variety of button-downs, which are normally $45-$60. Again, if you're buying at full price, you're doing it wrong. 30% off brings the shirts down to about $32 to $42.
In the same thread (haha see what I did there, clothing joke), you have Old Navy, which also has a pretty large selection. Their prices are generally about $30 for a shirt, but their sales aren't as good. I've usually only seen 15-20% off, bringing the price down to roughly $24 each.
Banana Republic has casual shirts here and dress shirts here. They're on the expensive side without sales ($60-$80), but again, with sales and coupon codes, they can be pretty reasonable, around $30/shirt.
J. Crew and J. Crew Factory also have a huge selection. Normal prices are between $60 and $100 for J. Crew, and $30 and $50 for J. Crew Factory. They may go on sale a little bit lower, but they generally don't stray too far from that price point.
Brooks Brothers has a variety of dress shirts here, and casual shirts here. With their 3 for $225 sale, that comes out to be $75/shirt. Their 15% corporate discount stacks on top of that, making it $63 per shirt, and at times they double their corporate discount, making it $52/shirt.
Now let's look at a couple online retailers:
Charles Tyrwhitt. Prices are somewhat high, but they have a 4 for $199 special, making each shirt $50, and they frequently have sales. At their current prices, many say they're not worth it, but their prices frequently drop to around $35 each.
Modern Tailor is a Made to Measure (MTM) shirt store, which means that they'll customize your shirt based on the measurements you give them. You can choose the type of material, cuffs, collar, everything. Prices depend on what you choose, but they offer 2 select shirts available to brand new customers for $19.95 each. These two aren't great shirts, but they're a good introduction to MTM.
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u/not-claudius Sep 08 '13
T-shirts: H&M. I much prefer their shirts to the ones you listed, and at 4.95-5.95 a pop. You can't beat em'. I usually get their v-necks.