From Jeffrey
What is the minimum income that you consider appropriate for a bachelor to achieve the number of suits you recommend for the minimum and medium wardrobes that you detail in my favorite of your many insightful posts--'A Suitable Wardrobe'--as well as for the corresponding minimum number of shirts, ties, squares, shoes, coats, sportscoats that you discuss in other posts?
There's no simple answer to your question but I can give you a way to think about what you want to accomplish.
I frequently advise clients to budget the acquisition of four articles of tailored clothing and two pairs of shoes each year, plus 25%-33% for accessories. The client's total budget determines how much can be spent on each item. So, for example, a bit more than $25,000 annually buys bespoke from Savile Row or Naples. Half that amount buys Hong Kong bespoke and MTO shoes, or $8,000 buys good quality ready to wear (call it Brooks Brothers and Alden).
The challenge with this formula is that it's not enough clothing the first couple of years. Suits have a finite life that varies with their quality level, but even the best quality clothing will wear out quickly if it's worn two or three times a week. So in the early years, it helps to acquire a minimum wardrobe of less expensive clothing quickly and only then (if ever) improve the quality.
Fortunately, early in one's career shirt and trousers is as formal as a man may need to dress, and acquiring a wardrobe for daily suit-wearing can often be spread over as many as five years.
But however long it takes, young men should accumulate a wardrobe of six suits for each season, two odd jackets for each season, an overcoat, a raincoat and seven pair of shoes as quickly as they can. At the end of this accumulation period they'll have enough clothing to be able to reduce their rate of acquisition to something comparable to what's in the second paragraph. Or they can spend the same amount on fewer items and improve the quality level.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
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13 comments:
Maybe I'm mis-reading, but six suits for each season? In Minnesota, that's 24 suits! I have one -- and if it gets worn four times a year, that's a busy year. I'm in the media biz (magazines), and I'm the only one who consistently wears a shirt and tie to work -- even the bosses don't "dress up" that often. Some might think I'm trying to show them up, but at my age -- 57 -- that isn't happening. "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have," goes the adage. I've got the job I want, and I still dress for it. But 24 suits?!
There are two seasons: spring/summer and fall/winter.
In Atlanta we have 2 seasons. Summer & Fall. It never gets cold enough to call it winter and it is really warm most of the year.
What do you think is the appropriate age to start building this type of wardrobe?
I'd really love to have that many suits, but my overall income doesn't even reach your suggested 25000$ mark, so I wonder how much time do I have to live up to your expectations. Now I'm 18.
Irid, it's really a chicken and egg question. A man doesn't need that many suits until he needs to wear them every day. And generally, if he needs to wear them every day his income will permit him to afford them.
At age 18 you may need just a single suit and an odd jacket.
But Will, What if you are obsessed with beautiful clothes, shoes, shirts, ties suits, Jackets, slacks etc.. This is my hobby and I love it. I buy MTM, OTR if it fits well etc.. I keep accumulating shoes all the time. I don't think it will stop. I can afford it. But is that good?
When I think about spending a great amount of money the first thing that comes to my mind is always shoes. I can say is the best money spent. I am still wearing shoes that are in my wardrobe for easily more than ten years (I like your Alden brand and I have a few, but when we talk about shoes, England comes first)
Another thought is that - especially early on - there are some suits that can be worn year round. I have two suits that are really fall/winter only, and another two that are perfect for the hottest summer days. The other three can work year-round - one being acceptable for a summer evening/night, but not during the day. I wear suits usually three times a week, but I also travel a lot so my suits get beat up more than I'd like and need frequent cleaning / pressing.
In preparing a wardrobe for my first year as a lawyer, I've invested in many more sportcoats than you suggest. By the time I start, I'll have five sportcoats and three suits. Given how lawyers are expected to dress at big firms these days, I figure that I will wear sportcoats 90 percent of the time I'm wearing anything more than a shirt and pants. I don't imagine I will be required to wear a suit very often.
Your strategy is smarter though. I will never [i]need[/i] to wear a sportcoat--even though I [i]can[/i] wear them more often than suits.
I have been told that suits made with Loro Piana can be worn both seasons
To anyone reading who is still young enough to only just be embarking on the joys of building a new wardrobe what suited me well was to trawl every charity shop I could find for the best clothes I could find in them. It is possible to find bespoke suits, shits and ties a well as many high quality items from makers such as Airey and Wheeler (vintage) and Turnbull and Asser. If you are just starting out on the road to sartorial nirvana these purchases can allow you to make mistakes, learn what is good and bad, learn what makes a garment great and discover what can make you look good on a budget that is less than one off the peg suit from most department stores. Though many of the items you buy may not fit exactly as you want, and may have even had someone die in them you can soon learn how to distinguish quality and discover why a Turnbull tie is better than one from the supermarket without having to spend more than you would to buy a supermarket tie. You can be told a hundred times how fantastic it is to wear a well made, pure silk tie but you actually need to try it and if you are on a budget the Charity shop will allow you to do this. Plus you will be doing your bit to support local causes and charities. I am not advocating just wearing someone else’s clothes but they can complement the early stages of wardrobe building.
Matt, I employ that strategy myself. I also like to go to estate, and tax auctions. I've made out with some pretty nice deals on cuff links, and the odd item that way. I'm in my last year of University and am trying to build a high finance career so, conservative suits are in my future. I regularly dress up about the only thing I do purchase at retail is shirts; on sale of course. I'm thinking about doing a few mytailor.com shirts since Will suggested them to me last year.
Sorry for the belated thanks for posting my question. I've been very busy here in Japan. Your advice in your comments to this question as well as your other blogs certainly contribute to my sartorial education.
I'll follow advice, though I will have to tweak it a bit when it comes time to get married. Then I'll follow Manton's excellent advice he posted at AAAC and LL. While someday I certainly do want a dinner suit, for in the distant future wedding I'll wear a bespoke morning suit, which I'm sure will not come cheap.
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