OT: Proper Cloth

[gtcam]

CT are good, even better when on sale!
I find Brooks Brothers to be true to size and hold up great - just make sure you know if you are a blue or red label
Got 3 PFs a few years ago - 2 are good, 1 did not hold up - they offered to take it back but I got too lazy
Oh yeah - Proper Cloth - I have never tried them but two of my friends have and the reviews were mixed - the initial offer is good but one thinks the price does not fit the quality - again I have never tried them myself
For cheap and hard to find sizes - try Van Huesan (sic) at the outlets - you'll get at least a year out of them

 

[CTMike]

no you're just not a fancy rich boy like a lot of these people. I'm not spending anywhere close to $100 on a damn dress shirt. I have crazy long arms, and have found that Express tall shirts actually fit me sometimes. Problem is they are shifting to increasingly slim fit, and extra extra slim fit now, and while I'm not a chunker, I'm not a slim fit. The shirts there seem to be pretty high quality to me, have a little bit of stretch to them and they have a number of different fits so you can find something that feels tailored while not costing a ridiculous amount

I’m the polar opposite of slim flit so I see value in a shirt that fits but... dang... $100 or more for a shirt.

 

[Lefty2one]

but... dang... $100 or more for a shirt.

It's a matter of long-term value. Getting 8-10 years out of a $100 shirt vs 2-3 years out of a $50 shirt. My old man still has some Brooks Brothers shirts in his closet he bought in the 80s.

Same thing with shoes. Dropping $350 on Aldens or Allen Edmonds that you can re-sole makes sense; they'll last decades. Or you can buy uncomfortable cheap/plasticy $100 mall brand dress shoes that need to be trashed in two years.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

It's a matter of long-term value. Getting 8-10 years out of a $100 shirt vs 2-3 years out of a $50 shirt. My old man still has some Brooks Brothers shirts in his closet he bought in the 80s.

Same thing with shoes. Dropping $350 on Aldens or Allen Edmonds that you can re-sole makes sense; they'll last decades. Or you can buy uncomfortable cheap/plasticy $100 mall brand dress shoes that need to be trashed in two years.

This. Throwing down some more money up front on these type of items (as long as you're actually throwing it down for better quality), will generally end up saving you money over time. I drop $100+ on a pair of jeans and some of my family/friends think I'm crazy, and then they end up going through 3-4 pairs of jeans in the same length of time it takes me to blow through that 1.

 

[Kembacity]

It's a matter of long-term value. Getting 8-10 years out of a $100 shirt vs 2-3 years out of a $50 shirt. My old man still has some Brooks Brothers shirts in his closet he bought in the 80s.

Same thing with shoes. Dropping $350 on Aldens or Allen Edmonds that you can re-sole makes sense; they'll last decades. Or you can buy uncomfortable cheap/plasticy $100 mall brand dress shoes that need to be trashed in two years.

So I'm the only one who is liable to get a greasy stain on a shirt and have it be useless? For the same reason I wont spend 'good' money on a pair of sunglasses I'm liable to leave behind or sit on, I don't think its worth it to spend that much on a dress shirt.

I find it worth it to spend good money on a winter coat from Eddie Bauer, because its quality and if it rips or otherwise 'breaks' they will give me a new one without a problem. Seems far too easy to rip or stain a shirt that I think I could be truly rich and still be buying dress shirts for $50-$60 max

 

[J187Money]

So I'm the only one who is liable to get a greasy stain on a shirt and have it be useless? For the same reason I wont spend 'good' money on a pair of sunglasses I'm liable to leave behind or sit on, I don't think its worth it to spend that much on a dress shirt.

I find it worth it to spend good money on a winter coat from Eddie Bauer, because its quality and if it rips or otherwise 'breaks' they will give me a new one without a problem. Seems far too easy to rip or stain a shirt that I think I could be truly rich and still be buying dress shirts for $50-$60 max

FWIW when I get anything on my Tom James shirts - they always seem to come clean.

 

[Lefty2one]

So I'm the only one who is liable to get a greasy stain on a shirt and have it be useless? For the same reason I wont spend 'good' money on a pair of sunglasses I'm liable to leave behind or sit on, I don't think its worth it to spend that much on a dress shirt.

It's never been an issue for me. Between the local dry cleaner and my wife being a wizard with stain removal I very rarely have had to throw a shirt away due to stains. Plus, I don't eat greasy/messy food when I'm wearing my nicer clothes. It probably depends on age and job as well. I never bought nice clothes until I hit my 30s.

I'm with you on sunglasses though.

 

[CL82]

Custom made dress shirts done in person at a tailor are the way to go. You'll never go back once you get one

Well, I went back, but I did love them while I was getting them. We used to have a woman who would come to the office and measure you. It was convenient and the shirts were terrific.

 

[Lefty2one]

Curious - what did they charge for the bespoke shirts? $150-$200?

 

[polycom]

Curious - what did they charge for the bespoke shirts? $150-$200?

Depends on where you go but that's about right and you don't look like a snail.