$1,500 Wardrobe

[alan]

That's one of my favorite sayings, JC. Are you in project management?

[jonATL]

Thrift, Ebay, Marshalls. If you have the time, that will make your money go a long, long way.


Before I really knew what I was doing, I pieced together a Ludlow suit with ebayed pants and a sale jacket for about $350, I think. Of course, I wouldn't do that now, but that was then.

[alan]

I'm great about sales and have picked up thrifting, but I always seem to forget that Marshalls even exists. I have one right by the office, too. Might have to check it out.

[jason_carreira]

Not in project management, but I've been building software a long time. Also, it's one of putthison.com's mantras about building a wardrobe.


Some guys on SF have been finding amazing stuff at Marshall's... Kiton & Marinella ties and one guy found an amazing Bruno Cuccinelli sportcoat for $69... They retail for like $3500.

[alan]

I'm in software, too. And I might have to stop by Marshalls on the way home. The shopping spree is winding down, but I still have a little bit left. :-)


And FWIW, now that I have the basics, I can afford to wait for something really worth it to come along.

[ZachL]

I would personally skip the black shoes and black trousers and instead get a second pair of brown shoes (walnut, cognac, ect), one wingtip, one oxford, and a patterned trouser in grey (houndstooth, herringbone, windowpane, glenplaid). Throw a charcoal sportcoat in there as well and have interesting buttons (horn or mop) put on the navy suit so you can wear it as a jacket as well.


For the shirts, get a white spread collar buttonup, a white ocbd, light blue spread collar buttonup, white with blue checks spread collar, and maybe a light pink spread collor buttonup or a gingham of sorts (navy, purple).


Those should keep you solid for some time while you continue to build your wardrobe

[Brent k]

Go to TJ maxx and Marshall's in nicer areas. Higher income demographic areas. I found a ton of RLPL and black label cheap. 100% cashmere knit tie, button downs, RLPL suits but none in my size yet.

[wsupjs]

The biggest determining factor is what you need out of your wardrobe. A casual guy working construction and an executive need very different wardrobes, so some background about yourself would help.

However, assuming you work in a business casual environment and want a versatile wardrobe for a young professional, here's what I'd buy with $1500.

- 1 Suit
- 1 Blazer
- 6 Dress Shirts
- 2 Sweaters
- 4 Pairs of Pants (1 pair of dark jeans, 3 pairs of wool pants in varying colors and weights)
- 2 Pairs of Shoes (I'd recommend a dark brown captoe balmoral and a medium brown blucher)
- 3 Ties (1 pin dot, 1 repp stripe, and one very dark Grenadine)
- 2 Polos
- 1 Pair of Khaki Shorts (assuming you wear them)
- 6 Undershirts (assuming you wear them)
- 6 Solid Color Tshirts (casual wear)
- 6-8 Pairs of Boxer Briefs
- 6-8 Pairs of Socks

You can easily make all of those happen with quality goods if you take your time searching big sales, TJ Maxx/Marshalls, and eBay.

[Brent k]

God I need to trim my wardrobe after reading the last post.

[wsupjs]

God I need to trim my wardrobe after reading the last post.

Hah it's all good. I'm big on wardrobe minimalization, but it's not for everyone.

The template I listed above is the foundation I was shooting for when I started my consolidation. It's the bare minimum I think most people could reasonably get away with, but does limit some options. In the end, I added a few pieces to it (2 more suits, 2 more sweaters, 3-4 pairs of shoes, 5 Ties, and 2 Polos), but the idea is still there.