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The $12 Suit
W
hat started as a joke, led to an entire wardrobe — one that won this author praises from the board room to the pool room.
If you’ve been exploring this site, you’re beginning to realize that one of our favorite tricks is rediscovering forgotten or discarded treasures from the past. Vintage cars, vintage appliances, vintage clothing! What is now a hallmark of our personal style began as necessity years ago. Now it’s a hobby that continues to pay dividends in fun and savings.
Fashion from Vogue, 1960
Early on, during one of our intrepid explorations into consignment shops, thrift stores and antique malls, we netted a pretty fair men’s business suit (2 piece, no appreciable wear, style… mmm… just a tiny bit odd) for $12. Though we laughed at first, we were so proud of this addition to our wardrobe that we decided to adopt an (occasionally bent) rule: “Never pay more than $12 for a suit.”
Over the years, we’ve managed to stay pretty true to this, and have built up a perfectly acceptable wardrobe of contemporary (as well as vintage) business wear. Here are some guidelines to help you do the same. These hints work just as well for women’s clothes as men’s; leisure and office wear.
Like to shop? You’ll be doing a lot of it.
“Shopping” does not mean buying. The key to much of the purchasing strategy on Planet Cheapskate is that you’ve got to: SHOP…. critically! Don’t expect to simply run out on Saturday afternoon, waltz in to a vintage store or thrift shop, pick your find off a rack and be back home an hour later. We often write that the fun is in the hunt, so prepare to enjoy many leisurely weekends trolling through a variety of unusual shops. You’ll see (and pass by) countless items that are trash. Don’t despair. “Keep your powder dry.” Don’t impulse buy. Know what you’re looking for. But once you stumble upon that undiscovered gem, it’s usually best to pounce — there’s probably another Cheapskate pulling into the parking lot right now!
Do men's fashions ever really change?
Q: How many clothes do you need?
Don’t get in a hurry to buy the first good deal you see. Over a lifetime, you only need to discover a very few great finds. We once toured the historical home of a mid-19th-century Head-of-State. We were amazed to learn that all the clothing owned by this very, very, VIP fit into one medium sized wardrobe. Shirts, pants, suits, underwear, shoes, ties, socks — everything we wear today — fit in that one well-stocked armoire. What a contrast to the walk-in closets of today stuffed full of rarely worn clothing! True, 2009 is not 1850, but you’re not representing your country at numerous formal occasions either. How many clothes do you really need? A: Not nearly as many as you probably think.
What you’ll find, where — and when.
Perhaps the stylish old-time look is not for you. You’re in luck! Vintage clothing has become so popular that it’s now actually quite a challenge to look like Clark Kent on a cub reporter’s salary. If your preference is to dress in step with the rest of the corporation (but at a fraction of the cost), you’ll find that Salvation Army, Goodwill — any thrift store in your community — has a constantly revolving stock of goods. Often, these stores put out new stock on particular days or at certain times. Don’t be afraid to ask when the “next shipment” is due. Occasionally, an alternate strategy pays off. At Goodwill (in Richmond, Virginia at least, but similar all over), their pricing system is color-coded, and the longer something is up for grabs, the lower the price gets each week. We once nabbed, through patient perseverance, a ladies’ full-length, all-wool, never worn, designer top coat for $1.50. When we wore it, no one knew we’d been bargain hunting… ’til we bragged!
Fashion from Vogue, 1946
Make friends with a seamstress.
OK. A small disclaimer. Our $12 rule only covers the purchase price of the suits. While we aim to find clothes that are near to our size (it’s always possible to take something in that’s a bit too big), we sometimes spend more than $12 on alterations and small repairs. While in the store, examine your “find” carefully and have an idea of what may be fixed and what’s beyond repair. Be especially wary of fabrics that, while still intact, have so weakened through age or wear (pockets especially) that they are now prone to easy tearing and disintegration.
Some suggestions to get you started
Contemporary cut-rate clothes
(You’ll occasionally strike gold in the “vintage” category here as well.)
Goodwill Industries Stores
Salvation Army
Salvation Army, Canada
Value Village
You only need to discover a very few great finds.
Vintage clothing sources
Boutiques: Every medium to large community has these wonderfully quirky, individual shops. Often a helpful store owner will offer to go on the look-out for some special item you’re seeking. Service is the huge benefit at these shops.
Antique malls: There’s always a few stalls with clothing racks. While the quality is variable, these are often priced lower than boutiques specializing in vintage wear.
Consignment Stores: Tend to be more expensive than the antique and strictly vintage stores, and the stock tends toward the more contemporary. But always worth a look — especially if you need something a bit more upscale for a job, job interview or special occasion.
Ebay: There’s lots to choose from here, though we have no personal experience buying second hand clothing on-line. Common sense would steer us toward sellers with impeccable feedback, and we’d be especially wary of damage or wear in hidden areas such as pockets and inner linings. Do you have personal experience that aspiring Cheapskates would find helpful?
Calling all Cheapskates
More than perhaps any other category, exploring second hand clothing shops is a regional pursuit. Each community has it’s own wonderful shops with special quirks. Cheapskate readers! Please share your personal experiences and tips!
—the Editors, on March 1, 2009