Think I'm about to go on my every 2 year shopping spree. This is where I go into like 3 stores, drop a lot of money, and never go back for a few years. I'm eye-ing some wrinkle free button downs (i'm getting tired of ironing on travel) and some nice shoes. Ppl that actually have business fashion sense, feel free to advise us without any. Any recommendations?
I only wear Johnston & Murphy dress shoes. They are of great quality and well worth the price. Whatever you do make sure your shoes are leather soled. I can't stand rubber soled dress shoes - unprofessional. Shirts I usually buy at Brooks Bros.
If you are looking for longeitivity, try lookiing into Prada shoes. I buy couple of those and they last me a very long time. Great build quality and comfort based on personal experience. I even get Prada casuals because of the comfort. As for shirt, try the English dress shirt company "Pink." I am not sure where you are located and if you can find it there. I get mine from one in Boston. Top notch dress shirts.
I picked up some Deer Stags dress shoes a few months ago. They aren't as classy as the other brands listed here, but damn if they aren't the most comfortable dress shoes I've ever worn.
Stores are for suckers. Don't go in and blow a label. You can buy the label on ebay. For the shirt - If you really want it to fit, you will have to get it tailored. You can also have the tailor make you one. Good quality oxford cloth shirts are fine for after-market tailoring from any brand. Brooks Brothers shirts are well made but fit like a tent and make you look like an unkept, fat hippo. You must get them fitted. For the shoes - boots are superior to shoes. Get some beatle boots that zip up the side, from Kenneth Cole or Prada or Donald Pliner or whatever. Go to ebay. You'll find them there for less than 1/2 the price at stores.
The problem with eBay is that a lot of the stuff is fake. You have to be careful about that. I bought some Diesel jeans on eBay that ended up being blatantly fake. A good $41.00 down the toilet.
I'd go with Allen Edmonds shoes also. They are the most comfortable dress shoes I've ever had from the first time I put them on. No waiting to break them in. Plus, they're just nice.
I've always been keen on Cole Hahn dress shoes. They'll cost you about $200, but they last forever and wear well. As far as shirts go, a shirt is a shirt, but wrinkle free is the way to go. If you're buying a bunch of shirts, you might want to throw in a white french-cuffed button up. They look nice if you happen to wear a suit.
Allen Edmonds for the shoes. They are pretty comfortable and are pretty damn durable. I usually try not to spend so much on dress shirts since thet tend to wear out. If you want some stylish ones try to catch the sales at Neimans and Sax. Otherwise i think the ones at Joseph Banks are pretty good for the price. They have wrinkle free ones too.
SHIRTS Brooks Brothers NON-IRONS.. 3-$179.00.. I like their French Cuffs and Spread Points.. I’ve tried other NON IRONS and they cant match Brooks Brothers.. SHOES I'm not sure what you’re looking for there are so many types out there, I guess it depends on how dressed up you want to get.. For overall comfort and style I like MOST Kenneth Cole shoes, for classy dress shoes I go with Cole Hann or whatever I find at a good price.. Leather soled shoes give and bend so much that I usually never have a hard time breaking them in so the cheaper the better IMO.. Also if you want to save a few dollars shop HARD at the end of seasons.. Right now most stores are just not stocking up on their Winter/Fall sets and most of the summer sales are long gone.. If I were you and only shop a few times every few years I would try to hold off till the end of a season and save a few dollars because most likely you're going to be spending some serious money..
If you do not get a tailored shirt, get a fitted one unless you are pretty think around the middle. A fitted shirt will help you avoid the scrunched up look when you tuck your shirt in. If you have a good build it also showcases that as well.
Yeah, that's what I hate about dress shirts....they never fit me right. They always end up looking way to big around the midsection and blouse out.
thanks for the great advice. my mother is a seamstress (vietnamese seamstress... big surprise huh?) and i totally agree on the fitted shirts. i guess i will look into brooks brothers. i like them, but they don't always have colors i like.
Yeah...why is that? I usually resort to buying shirts that are too short in the sleeves to avoid the huge midsections on dress shirts.
Brioni makes the finest men's clothing on the planet. has the cost to match, but the quality is unparelled. as for shoes, i've got several pairs of Bruno Magli's that are very nice. edit - and please get your clothes tailored. it makes a huge difference, and if you're gonna be spending a lot of money on dress clothes, it should fit you perfectly. i get almost all my clothes tailored, dress or casual.
