If I told you that I bought a $700 suit for under $200 would you believe me? Whether you do believe me, or just believe I’m spewing out alternative facts, it’s the 100% truth. And I’ll tell you how, along with how I found a dapper outfit for less than $400.
I love a great custom suit or tux, like the $800 combo that I had made for my wedding, but the reality is that for most people, including me, it’s not sustainable to spend that kind of bread on every suit in my closet. When I get the kind of bank where $800 translates to just breadcrumbs, I’ll consider it. But for now I’ll save those slices for a rainy day and I'll help you do the same!
Where to go 🏃🏾
Hit the discount retailers and online shops. For my suit, I visited my favorite discount department store, primarily located in the Tri-state area. They usually offer suits for about 40% below retail price. However on this specific day following the change of seasons (from winter to Spring), they discounted my suit from$700 down to $195, a 73% price cut!
But I don’t have $400..😕😒
Always be ready to spend. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should wear out the magnetic strip on your credit card. Instead, it means it's time to rearrange your spending habits. If you grab 2 cups of coffee everyday, maybe go for one instead. Are you a Starbucks guy, hellbent on getting your "Triple, Venti, Half Sweet, Non-Fat, Caramel Macchiato" that clearly has your misspelled name on it. **Sidebar, how to you misspell every name, every time?? How about home made or Dunkin donuts coffee instead. Chipotle everyday? Maybe cut that cost down by bringing lunch? The point is that small changes like these can help you accumulate $400 in 2 months. It's simple math:
[$10 savings per day] X [20 work days per month] = $200 X [2 months] = $400
Who knew that budgeting advice and fashion advice went hand in hand!
Timing is everything ⏰
Sales are your best friends in this scenario. Retailers find any reason to have a sale; and not those fake sales where they jack up the price by 30%, just to discount it by 20%. I mean the hardcore, let me not ask too much questions at the register, in case they made a mistake on the price, so I’m gonna hold my breath, type of sale.
Department stores
Always start with the clearance section, which offers the deepest discounts and work your way to “normal” sale items. During holiday and seasonal sales, the clearance section increases in size and quality.
Martin a Luther king day—From this holiday, through end of January, you’ll find the best sales on winter clothing, thicker wool suits, sweaters and dress boots.
Easter—About one to two weeks before this holiday, and the month following, you’ll catch some great sales on suits and formal apparel. With the turn of the weather from blistering cold to a slight spring breeze, you’ll be able to capitalize on sales for your warm weather wears.
Labor Day—This is the perfect time to take advantage of the “back to school” residuals, where retailers also use this as an opportunity to clear out early fall stock.
Columbus Day— And through October—summer clothing is officially at its lowest price point. Take this time to get fresh for next year. Remember as long as your picks are classy and timeless, you won’t have any issues being “out of style” while buying months in advance.
Black Friday—You don’t necessarily have to wake up at the butt crack of dawn to capitalize on great sales. You’ll catch deals all weekend!
Outlet an online stores
Prime Day happens in July, so for you Amazon fans, get ready for those discounts.
Cyber Monday, directly follows thanksgiving weekend and provides a less crowded shopping experience to Black Friday, by visiting your favorite retailers online
Discount retailers
One of the best kept secrets, discount retailers are an "everyday sale", but much like the department stores, the best values can be found in the clearance section. Remember, ALL clothes at some point, end up in the sale or clearance section, so don’t rule this section out!
What to look for 👀
The obvious here is to look for suits and blazers, but the real diamonds out there are the pieces and accessories that make men’s attire pop.
Suits
As mentioned in my post "From Shabby to Suitabull", you'll need to replenish your starting line-up of suits. Two of each in the same or similar color (not necessarily same pattern is essential. If you have already achieved that, try to incorporate some of the more intricate patterns such as windowpane and pinstripes.
Pieces
Sweaters— You’ll need these for the fall and winter seasons. Pick up some light wool V-necks and a couple of turtle neck collar sweaters. Either will look great under a blazer
Shirts—If you already have some, great! Get more anyway. It will help you cut back on the frequency of trips to the dry cleaner. A good 5 shirts will extend those intervals by 1 week.
Waistcoats/Vests—Work either as part of a suit or as a solo act, so don’t be afraid to take advantage of suit separate sales.
Accessories
Ties, pocket squares, lapel pins, cuff links, tie bars will always be on sale at the discount retailers and online stores so start your search there. These accessories will make your suit game pop in any season!
I once had a friend of mine tell me that I look “expensive!” Sure perception is reality, but the real reality is that I'm a beast when it comes to bargain shopping. But beyond that, I'm even better at selecting items that work for my body type, personality and most importantly, my budget!
Finally, that $400 outfit I was talking about..
Suit—$195
Shirt—$30
Tie—$20
Square—$6
Shoes—$130
Grand Total= $381
If words weren’t enough, a picture worth a thousand words should suffice!
Contact me at contact@suitabull.com to get the full details on name brands and shopping locations!
Shop smart and look out for the next big sales around Columbus Day. Until then..
Stay SUITABULL guys.