You CAN get good menswear at a thrift store. But be careful about the suits. It's not so much that they're shot (well, some are) or out of style (not a good idea to be an '80s flashback while you're looking for work), though those are considerations. The big problem is that good suits are tailored to the shape of the wearer and it's pretty difficult (read: not cheap) or impossible to have them altered again for YOUR shape. Cuff a pair of pants shorter? No issue. Let out the shoulders? Uh-oh.
If you go the thrift-store suit route, be prepared to spend a lot of time looking for the right suit and a bit of money altering it. In fairness, most of us can find something more valuable to do with our time.
Vacation? What is that? I have been a temp at a chair company since Aug. 2008 and I have not yet had a vacation or any sick days. I am still a temp and all I get out of management is lucky you have a job..but they take time off. They might hire me in 2010 but I know they will drag their feet...they'll bring up budget issues...the economy..etc but they make millions each month. And if they do hire me I'll be on a 3 month probation and I'll have to work 1 year (After my 3 month probation ends) to FINALLY take 1 week off. Wow!!! I'll have a week off after working 3 years.
By the way, that's not me with my head cut off in the suit, it's tailored atrociously, the fabric doesn't look on point and the lapel is a bit high for my taste for that cut. Take it in, big guy, take that in LOL:)
I agree with Brian but shoes are another post. The truth of the matter is that a good suit dies without a good shirt and decent shoes, I don't care if it's a suit made of money.
We actually put off our new countertops so long, the local place we were going to get them from went out of business :(
My computer died, and I bought a new one - my first ever. I had previously owned 1 purchased used and 1 hand-me-down from my boyfriend's office - when they upgraded 5 years ago, they just gave the old machines to the employees.
Well, that machine died dead, wouldn't stay booted up for more than a few minutes even after we wiped & reinstalled the OS. So I bought a new desktop - I kind of wanted a laptop but the price difference was too much for me.
I ended up needing some teaching clothes, so I went to Ross and such and managed to get slacks pretty cheaply. But no shirt I needed, so then I went to the resale shop that supports rehabilitating female addicts, and managed to score a lovely, new-looking shirt for $1.08 w/ tax. I'll be going there from now on instead of Ross. New (ish), and still frugal.
The posts in this area refect the heaviness Americans are carrying today. Keep on frugaling and we'll all wake up one day with a smile because of it. We will see we have saved enough for that wonderful 'whatever' we've always wanted.
Job seekers would be wise to follow your advice about networking. It can literally move mountains if done correctly. Plus getting to know people can be alot of fun. It is much better to have had 1 informational interview than to waste time applying to 10 jobs that you find online (which is typically a blackhole).
A free resource that may useful to some job seekers, is the website www.emails4corporations.com
This website shows you how the large US corporations set-up their email addresses (it lists the email address patterns and the email domain name). This site comes in handy, particularly, when one uses a business networking website like www.Linkedin.com to search for inside company contacts at target companies. If you have a full name, know where they work, and know their email address pattern, then you can reach out to them directly!
I know it sounds a little looney, and I've never actually tried it myself, but I've always heard that you can hang your dry cleaning out on the line during a dry snowfall -- the action of snow falling against the fibers rubs the dirt away. I've also heard that you can lay your carpets out on freshly fallen snow to gently clean them. Maybe I'll give it a try this winter (although it seems like we never get a good snow where I live anymore). I have hung dry clean items out on a windy day to freshen them, and that seems to work pretty well.
When you fall further and further behind on your payments, creditors would much rather settle your debts than have you file for bankruptcy. The current economy has only accelerated that fact." Doug Van Arsdale, CEO of Credit Solutions, the settlement industry innovator, said, “Of $29.5 million in unsecured client debt, our Settlement Advisors obtained $15 million in settlement offers from creditors in this past June alone, which is testimony of their strong negotiating skills as well as our company’s leverage with creditors.
To comment NO. 3, I think he mentions thrift shop at least twice in the last section. intriguiging article, it makes me wonder how the author dresses and what percentage of his own advice he actually follows. I see a fedora and a sweater on the picture. Very snazzy but not a suittttttttttttttttt.
Definitly buy your airfare in advance. You can save hundreds of dollars if you're not a last minute traveler like me. I also find that you can get cheaper flights if you look at specific airlines websites under their deals. For example: Virgin Atlantic has great summer fares. I've flown from Miami to London for $400 just by looking at their fare deals. Another tip: there are certain times and days when air fare is cheaper. I want to say midnight on Mondays or Wednesdays but I'm not sure. That's just something you'll have to research if you're motivated enough.
Interesting article, thanks for your thoughts on the suit. Very provoking and informative. I did check out the site you suggested and I agree, cool idea about the unique shirt - but $75 a shirt?
Hmmm.
Personally I've found great bargains on quality shirts at most of the chain department stores like Macys, Kohls, JCPenny etc. For ties you can definitely score great deals at places like TJ Max and Ross.
You're right about the thrift stores as well. Suits are generally items that get donated because us working men swell up around our bellies over time, not because the suits are shot.
Personally, I've been able to build up a decent collection by waiting for buy one get one or buy one get three sales at places like Men's Warehouse of Jos A Bank. The deal carries over for their low, mid, and high priced suits so you make your own choice about the deal.
One thing I will say about making a good impression, don't skimp on the shoes! Get a quality pair and take the time to make 'em shine!
Beat up toys, plastic chairs, loads of vhs tapes, cheap plates/cutlery, worn towels, etc are not going to get high dollar at a vintage sale. Sell these things at give away prices or donate them to organizations which can benefit from them.
Also, DO NOT refinish Grandmaws old dirty looking ugly furniture to make it ready "for sale". Figure out what you have before cleaning the heck out of it...
Figure on only 2 to 5% of a regular normal person's effects to be collectable at any level. If the person was an actual art or antique collector or pack rat you may have better luck.
You haven't mentioned that great menswear can be bought for very little at thrift shops! My husband has found one that he frequents regularly and between that thrift shop for jackets and pants (it's in an upscale area), and even a Land's End blazer and a couple of dress suits, and all the upscale golf shirts he can wear to work with a jacket - plus jackets bought on sale at Kohl's, he is better dressed than he has ever been! I have bought beautiful designer ties for him, too - & he even found some great shoes, too! If you have an eye, or know a woman who does, this is also a way to go. But luckily my husband is a casual guy, who can dress fairly casually at work, too.
Having been on a tight budget my entire adult life, I have discovered that I can get away w/o dry cleaning most of the time!
Silk blouses etc. can usually be washed by hand. Ditto sweaters. Wool items do well with spot cleaning most of the time - and you can use Fabreze spray to freshen jackets, etc. (I used it on a handknit Scottish sweater I got from a thrift shop - & voila!)You can also press items with a steam iron to freshen them. My husband needs to have his suits cleaned occasionally - but he mostly wears washable chinos or similar pants. He did try to wash a corduroy jacket - BAD IDEA.
Wool puts up with washing better than lined corduroy - You can spray delicate items with Scotchguard fabric spray to keep them from soiling easily. I also love K2R spray cleaner, if you can still get it anywhere!
I actually had a blazer ruined by a fairly decent cleaner who had put it through a mangle of some kind and managed to FLATTEN all the brass buttons, not to mention sort of scorch the blue wool's surface. I had to argue, but I DID get them to replace ALL the buttons & SEW them ON. (Their disclaimer on buttons only went for the PLASTIC ones & it takes a LOT to flatten brass buttons!)
So - hand wash whatever you can - try to become an expert in spot cleaning & airing/freshening up clothing & you will be able to avoid spending $ at the dry cleaners!
I said above the at home kit worked for my wool sweater and cashmere sweater. Now that I think about it I'm not sure if I did both in the at home dry cleaning thing or not. I might have hand washed one of them...
I've used one of the at home kits and it worked fine. I have a wool sweater and a cashmere sweater and it worked well for those. They are easy to use too, just throw the apparel item in a bag with a special cloth and put it in the dryer for a set time.
I recently won a custom suit from this site www.indochino.com and they are a great alternative to the local shopping mall. Their suits are custom made to fit you and they have lots of classic and trendy styles. Best of all they are very reasonable. You simply pick your suit, enter in your sizes (they ask for like 20 measurements) and in less than two weeks your new tailored suit arrives.
I don't work for them or have any obligation to them other than I entered a contest a website was having and won a suit and really liked it. I would definitely check it out!
Have you been over to Boardgamegeek.com for boardgame ideas? Its a great resource for people who play carcassonne and other non traditional boardgames! Thank you for posting this! Its full of great ideas!
You CAN get good menswear at a thrift store. But be careful about the suits. It's not so much that they're shot (well, some are) or out of style (not a good idea to be an '80s flashback while you're looking for work), though those are considerations. The big problem is that good suits are tailored to the shape of the wearer and it's pretty difficult (read: not cheap) or impossible to have them altered again for YOUR shape. Cuff a pair of pants shorter? No issue. Let out the shoulders? Uh-oh.
If you go the thrift-store suit route, be prepared to spend a lot of time looking for the right suit and a bit of money altering it. In fairness, most of us can find something more valuable to do with our time.
Thanks for interesting post.
Vacation? What is that? I have been a temp at a chair company since Aug. 2008 and I have not yet had a vacation or any sick days. I am still a temp and all I get out of management is lucky you have a job..but they take time off. They might hire me in 2010 but I know they will drag their feet...they'll bring up budget issues...the economy..etc but they make millions each month. And if they do hire me I'll be on a 3 month probation and I'll have to work 1 year (After my 3 month probation ends) to FINALLY take 1 week off. Wow!!! I'll have a week off after working 3 years.
By the way, that's not me with my head cut off in the suit, it's tailored atrociously, the fabric doesn't look on point and the lapel is a bit high for my taste for that cut. Take it in, big guy, take that in LOL:)
Jabulani Leffall
Monetary Gadfly, Common Currency
00000 Broke Blvd. Kitchenette #68 & 1/2
Lowcash, CA 90000-0000
I agree with Brian but shoes are another post. The truth of the matter is that a good suit dies without a good shirt and decent shoes, I don't care if it's a suit made of money.
Jabulani Leffall
Monetary Gadfly, Common Currency
00000 Broke Blvd. Kitchenette #68 & 1/2
Lowcash, CA 90000-0000
We actually put off our new countertops so long, the local place we were going to get them from went out of business :(
My computer died, and I bought a new one - my first ever. I had previously owned 1 purchased used and 1 hand-me-down from my boyfriend's office - when they upgraded 5 years ago, they just gave the old machines to the employees.
Well, that machine died dead, wouldn't stay booted up for more than a few minutes even after we wiped & reinstalled the OS. So I bought a new desktop - I kind of wanted a laptop but the price difference was too much for me.
I ended up needing some teaching clothes, so I went to Ross and such and managed to get slacks pretty cheaply. But no shirt I needed, so then I went to the resale shop that supports rehabilitating female addicts, and managed to score a lovely, new-looking shirt for $1.08 w/ tax. I'll be going there from now on instead of Ross. New (ish), and still frugal.
Other than that I'm still on my frugality thing.
The posts in this area refect the heaviness Americans are carrying today. Keep on frugaling and we'll all wake up one day with a smile because of it. We will see we have saved enough for that wonderful 'whatever' we've always wanted.
Julie,
Job seekers would be wise to follow your advice about networking. It can literally move mountains if done correctly. Plus getting to know people can be alot of fun. It is much better to have had 1 informational interview than to waste time applying to 10 jobs that you find online (which is typically a blackhole).
A free resource that may useful to some job seekers, is the website www.emails4corporations.com
This website shows you how the large US corporations set-up their email addresses (it lists the email address patterns and the email domain name). This site comes in handy, particularly, when one uses a business networking website like www.Linkedin.com to search for inside company contacts at target companies. If you have a full name, know where they work, and know their email address pattern, then you can reach out to them directly!
I know it sounds a little looney, and I've never actually tried it myself, but I've always heard that you can hang your dry cleaning out on the line during a dry snowfall -- the action of snow falling against the fibers rubs the dirt away. I've also heard that you can lay your carpets out on freshly fallen snow to gently clean them. Maybe I'll give it a try this winter (although it seems like we never get a good snow where I live anymore). I have hung dry clean items out on a windy day to freshen them, and that seems to work pretty well.
Ignorant ranting.... your "friend" doesn't qualify for the tax credit
When you fall further and further behind on your payments, creditors would much rather settle your debts than have you file for bankruptcy. The current economy has only accelerated that fact." Doug Van Arsdale, CEO of Credit Solutions, the settlement industry innovator, said, “Of $29.5 million in unsecured client debt, our Settlement Advisors obtained $15 million in settlement offers from creditors in this past June alone, which is testimony of their strong negotiating skills as well as our company’s leverage with creditors.
Yep the proof is in the pudding, let's see this guy in a suit.
To comment NO. 3, I think he mentions thrift shop at least twice in the last section. intriguiging article, it makes me wonder how the author dresses and what percentage of his own advice he actually follows. I see a fedora and a sweater on the picture. Very snazzy but not a suittttttttttttttttt.
JET DRY IS A DISHWASHER DETERGENT AND RINSING AGENT (ALL IN ONE) POPULAR IN THE US.
Definitly buy your airfare in advance. You can save hundreds of dollars if you're not a last minute traveler like me. I also find that you can get cheaper flights if you look at specific airlines websites under their deals. For example: Virgin Atlantic has great summer fares. I've flown from Miami to London for $400 just by looking at their fare deals. Another tip: there are certain times and days when air fare is cheaper. I want to say midnight on Mondays or Wednesdays but I'm not sure. That's just something you'll have to research if you're motivated enough.
Interesting article, thanks for your thoughts on the suit. Very provoking and informative. I did check out the site you suggested and I agree, cool idea about the unique shirt - but $75 a shirt?
Hmmm.
Personally I've found great bargains on quality shirts at most of the chain department stores like Macys, Kohls, JCPenny etc. For ties you can definitely score great deals at places like TJ Max and Ross.
You're right about the thrift stores as well. Suits are generally items that get donated because us working men swell up around our bellies over time, not because the suits are shot.
Personally, I've been able to build up a decent collection by waiting for buy one get one or buy one get three sales at places like Men's Warehouse of Jos A Bank. The deal carries over for their low, mid, and high priced suits so you make your own choice about the deal.
One thing I will say about making a good impression, don't skimp on the shoes! Get a quality pair and take the time to make 'em shine!
Brian
http://www.SocialMediaDefined.com
Beat up toys, plastic chairs, loads of vhs tapes, cheap plates/cutlery, worn towels, etc are not going to get high dollar at a vintage sale. Sell these things at give away prices or donate them to organizations which can benefit from them.
Also, DO NOT refinish Grandmaws old dirty looking ugly furniture to make it ready "for sale". Figure out what you have before cleaning the heck out of it...
Figure on only 2 to 5% of a regular normal person's effects to be collectable at any level. If the person was an actual art or antique collector or pack rat you may have better luck.
You haven't mentioned that great menswear can be bought for very little at thrift shops! My husband has found one that he frequents regularly and between that thrift shop for jackets and pants (it's in an upscale area), and even a Land's End blazer and a couple of dress suits, and all the upscale golf shirts he can wear to work with a jacket - plus jackets bought on sale at Kohl's, he is better dressed than he has ever been! I have bought beautiful designer ties for him, too - & he even found some great shoes, too! If you have an eye, or know a woman who does, this is also a way to go. But luckily my husband is a casual guy, who can dress fairly casually at work, too.
Having been on a tight budget my entire adult life, I have discovered that I can get away w/o dry cleaning most of the time!
Silk blouses etc. can usually be washed by hand. Ditto sweaters. Wool items do well with spot cleaning most of the time - and you can use Fabreze spray to freshen jackets, etc. (I used it on a handknit Scottish sweater I got from a thrift shop - & voila!)You can also press items with a steam iron to freshen them. My husband needs to have his suits cleaned occasionally - but he mostly wears washable chinos or similar pants. He did try to wash a corduroy jacket - BAD IDEA.
Wool puts up with washing better than lined corduroy - You can spray delicate items with Scotchguard fabric spray to keep them from soiling easily. I also love K2R spray cleaner, if you can still get it anywhere!
I actually had a blazer ruined by a fairly decent cleaner who had put it through a mangle of some kind and managed to FLATTEN all the brass buttons, not to mention sort of scorch the blue wool's surface. I had to argue, but I DID get them to replace ALL the buttons & SEW them ON. (Their disclaimer on buttons only went for the PLASTIC ones & it takes a LOT to flatten brass buttons!)
So - hand wash whatever you can - try to become an expert in spot cleaning & airing/freshening up clothing & you will be able to avoid spending $ at the dry cleaners!
I said above the at home kit worked for my wool sweater and cashmere sweater. Now that I think about it I'm not sure if I did both in the at home dry cleaning thing or not. I might have hand washed one of them...
I've used one of the at home kits and it worked fine. I have a wool sweater and a cashmere sweater and it worked well for those. They are easy to use too, just throw the apparel item in a bag with a special cloth and put it in the dryer for a set time.
I recently won a custom suit from this site www.indochino.com and they are a great alternative to the local shopping mall. Their suits are custom made to fit you and they have lots of classic and trendy styles. Best of all they are very reasonable. You simply pick your suit, enter in your sizes (they ask for like 20 measurements) and in less than two weeks your new tailored suit arrives.
I don't work for them or have any obligation to them other than I entered a contest a website was having and won a suit and really liked it. I would definitely check it out!
Scott
It's not just what you wear, It's HOW you look in it. Rested, alert, aware, fresh looking, attentive, groomed.
My opinion.
John DeFlumeri jr.
Have you been over to Boardgamegeek.com for boardgame ideas? Its a great resource for people who play carcassonne and other non traditional boardgames! Thank you for posting this! Its full of great ideas!