It's summer time. It's time to look nice, but for many of us college men, we often think that looking great means breaking the bank. Although some articles of clothing DO indeed require a decent amount of investment to look nice (such as shoes), every guy can afford to look good. It's all about being smart about where exactly to look for the quality brands.
1. Hawk the discount racks
You may be looking at me like "well, obviously," but hear me out. Often times, most discount racks at stores only have sizes for really small or really large men. Most of the time, the average guy that wear size M's and L's, these racks don't have the sizes we need. It's important to be aware when stores such as Banana Republic and J Crew have discount racks. The second these stores pull out new clothes, you better be ready to look around and take your time on these racks. More often than not, the clothing they have on these discount racks are still in style. Take advantage of these deals. It's not everyday you can find 25 dollar jeans at stores like Banana Republic.
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2. Sign up for email lists from your favorite stores.
For those of you who don't mind the extra 10 to 15 emails to open weekly, this is a perfect opportunity for you to take advantage. Stores like GAP and J Crew will bug you about weekly sales they have. Often times, these emails contain discount codes for free shipping and percentages off your final sale. I can't tell you the amount of money I have saved from signing up for these email lists and too many times, guys my age skip over these emails!
3. Shop online
Shopping online is so much more efficient but one thing to always be weary of: know your size. Luckily, we live in an age where everywhere is at the tip of your hands. Most online stores have smooth return policies. If something doesn't fit you well, most stores have labels you can print out and mail back to them. Not to mention, the online factory stores have a wider array of clothing than the physical stores you can walk into. You have no store hours to worry about and most likely, a wider range of colors and fits for that same shirt you were so close to buying in your local mall.
4. Know when to buy and how much money you are willing to buy.
Being a college-aged man forces you, but teaches know-how to manage your money wisely. Sometimes, cooking chicken and veggies daily instead of getting daily Whataburger can save you a good 20 to 40 dollars over two weeks. Those are 40 dollars you can easily invest in buying a nice polo or dress shirt from a quality brand. Remember, clothing is an investment so you don't want to be wearing clothing that's about to disassemble and obliterate. With life being so spontaneous, you just don't know who you might run into at any given time and people most certainly pay attention to what others wear. On the flip side of the same token, it's important to realize what pieces of clothing do not need a brand name behind it (yes, I am looking at all you who drop 70 dollars on a tie and pocket square set). Items such as ties and neck apparel aren't as important as say shoes or suit sets. I promise you, nobody cares about your 60 dollar Vineyard Vines, whale patterned tie that certainly wasn't in style two years ago and will soon fade away like True Religion jeans. It's important to realize the classics. You can never go wrong with a quality navy polo or a nice fitted white oxford.
