Cheap clothes for men: we've all been there.
Sometimes a man simply can't afford to spend hundreds of dollars on a new wardrobe.
But you've got a big event coming up – and you want to look your best! How are you going to make a good impression if you're dressed in cheap clothes for men?
Rent a suit and hope no one notices it doesn't fit you properly?
Slow up there, buddy. Being budget-friendly doesn't always have to mean cheap looking. I guarantee you can look stylish, well put together, and professional in what you already own.
Today we're going to be talking about how to get the best bang for your buck when it comes to buying stylish, quality men's clothing and looking good without breaking the bank
We'll be covering:
How To Make Cheap Clothes For Men Look Expensive
Okay, let me clear this up before we begin.
I'm not saying you should be trying to make your clothes look like fake designer clothes. Dressing well isn't about buying fake Rolex watches to trick people into thinking you're rich.
Instead, it's all about buying regular, affordable clothing that you can style to look like the same QUALITY as more expensive garments and accessories.
For instance, a well-tailored cheap suit can look better than an off-the-rack $800 suit. The key is knowing what you need to do with your current, more budget-friendly clothing to make it look as good as something you might buy from a high-end department store.
With that out of the way, let's break out some top style tips to help you achieve that lux look for less.
Style Tip #1 – Focus On The FIT Of Cheap Clothes For Men
It's a simple fact that anything in your wardrobe looks better when it fits you perfectly. And as long as you understand how to dress for your body type, you can figure out exactly what needs adjusting in each item of clothing.
You don't have to think about shopping right away – first take look at your shirts and trousers individually. You can easily have your clothes altered if you notice any of these flaws:
- Sleeves that are too long
- Excess fabric at the torso area
- Too little/much room in the seat of the pants
A successful altering can make all the difference between an ill-fitted and a perfectly-fitted version of the same garment.
Does it cost money? Yes, but remember that you'd still have to spend more on a brand-new item. There's no reason to discard and replace something that only needs some tweaking on the seams.
Style Tip #2 – Find Quality Brands That Are Affordable
This one is self-explanatory. The reality is not all quality items have to make a dent in your savings.
The trick is to know which brands offer such items. So that's where it really helps to browse this site.
For instance – you might want a quality dress watch to add an extra flair to your suit or formal wear – showing you have a sharper sense of style than the other men in the room.
That's what makes more budget dress watches a great choice. Not only are they super affordable – but they're made to accentuate a classy look.
The best part is no matter how much you age or gain weight – a watch will always be useful. There's nothing about it that looks showy or overdone. It's simply elegant 24/7.
Style Tip #3 – Change The Knot Of Your Tie
To get a better style without spending much, you’ll need a different currency – time. You can’t amp up your next outfit without taking the time to figure things out.
That’s the case for neckties. It’s tempting to put on your tie the same way you’ve done all your life – but you’ll never know what a new knot can do for you.
Here’s a list of 18 different tie knots – together with infographics – which you may want to study.
A new knot for your tie tomorrow might feel like you’ve transformed your style into a totally new kind.
Style Tip #4 – Change The Color Of Your Shoelaces
There’s a saying that women can tell a lot about men by their shoes. And I 100% agree. Your shoes are the last thing people expect you to take care of.
So if you’re like me and polish your footwear every week – excellent! Keep up the good work.
But if you want your shoe style to go up a notch, I recommend that you spend a tiny bit of money. Not for new shoes – but shoelaces of a new color. All you need is $10. No joke.
You can find waxed cotton colored laces that are cheap but effective. They revitalize your shoes as if they’ve turned into a totally new pair. People at work and your wife will notice it… and be impressed.
Style Tip #5 – Change Your Grooming Routine
Hair plays a big part in your style. In fact, it’s one of the more underestimated assets. Think about it – your face is the first thing everybody sees (since we’re hardwired to look people in the eye).
Find a hairstyle to complement your face and showcase your personality. If you pick some random style, you’ll blow your chances of a killer first impression.
You may want to be aware of today’s men’s hairstyles that women love most. I can tell you what several forums, articles, and Reddit threads would all agree on – a great haircut equals a more attractive guy.
You can also try something different in terms of facial hair. If you normally have a beard, try shaving it for once.
Or if you're so used to shaving regularly, consider growing a beard (unless it's inappropriate for your line of work). Who knows – you may end up getting more compliments and feeling more confident because of this change to your face.
Style Tip #6 – Get Rid Of Bad Clothing
Sometimes, we see 1 or 2 shirts or pairs of pants that don't fit us at all… and they can spoil the whole bunch. It might dawn on us that we suddenly lack good clothes – when the truth is we simply haven't taken out the trash.
That's right – clothes that have no chance of being altered well are pretty much trash. Put these clothes in a donation box or hand them over to those who may have a use for them. Clear the clutter in your closet by minimizing the number of options for your PERFECT pieces.
By taking the time to do this, you'll be able to think strategically with the good stuff you do own. You can start to build an interchangeable wardrobe – which will make your style decisions and dressing-up routines much easier. And that's also going to help you become a better shopper.
Style Tip #7 – Be Confident In Cheap Clothes For Men
There's also a mental side to being stylish. You want to exude as much confidence as possible – without acting conceited. This is where you impress people using attitude first, wardrobe second.
Learn how to act more confident. Find that little bit of courage to initiate conversations. Smile and say hello to people right away. Introduce yourself and offer a handshake.
These actions have a positive impact on your mindset… and your style suddenly looks even better. People will notice you more and see you as the cool guy in the room.
You can also try some “high power poses” that Harvard psychologist Amy Cuddy describes in a scientific study. As discussed on her TED Talk, Cuddy was able to link certain poses to people feeling more confident, less stressed and more willing to take risks.
These poses aren’t complicated at all – some require you to stand tall like Superman, or extend your arms like you just crossed the finish line. Try a little bit each day to help grow your confidence.
How To Efficiently Shop For Cheap Clothes For Men
Unless you buy all of your clothes online, you'll know the struggle of heading to the mall only to find an overwhelming range of menswear stores, each with different styles and price points.
If you're thinking about sticking to cheap clothes for men, it can be even harder to navigate the sea of ‘SALE!' signs to find the clothing that's right for you.
As such, it's important to formulate a game plan. Like a soldier heading into battle, you need to know what you're doing and WHY you're doing it. Get your ducks in a row before you step foot in a store and the whole process will be a lot easier.
Before you even leave the house, I'd suggest you go through this list of pre-shopping safety checks to assess what it is you need and how you plan to purchase it at the best price.
Only Buy Men's Clothing You Need
The amount of money you save is determined by the discount you get. Right?
Wrong. The most money you'll ever save is by buying only the clothing items you need.
I remember I once bought this orange vest and thinking back I don’t know what I was thinking.
It was back in about 2000 and I was a young Marine officer stationed at Carlsbad, California. I went to an outlet and I saw this orange vest and I knew I had to have it.
Of course, there were a couple of things that were wrong with it. However. the main issue was that it was large and I wear a medium and I had no idea how it would fit in my wardrobe.
But this thing was great and it was 70% off so I purchased it because I really liked it and it was such an amazing deal I felt justified in buying it.
Given that I liked it so much and that it was such a sweet deal I must have worn it every day, right?
Not quite. I have this picture of it in my head and it's the reason I remember this vest:
I was riding my motorcycle and I had all these layers on and because of the layers I had on it somehow fit but I wore it more like a signal vest so people could see me and cars wouldn't hit me than for any other reason.
Where is that orange vest now? I don’t know because I gave it away to goodwill years ago.
The point is we often buy clothing that we don’t need and by not doing that you can save more money than any other way.
Learn More About Stylish Men's Clothing
Our first point brings us to this one because the best way you can stop buying clothes you don't need is to know what you need and to do this you need to educate yourself.
If you're reading this I'm going to guess that you've seen a few of my articles or watched a couple of my Youtube videos and this is a great step in the right direction.
What you need to do now is watch a lot more of my videos and read a lot more of my articles until you know enough to make informed decisions.
I'm not suggesting you glue yourself to your computer for a week and do nothing but peruse my content but perhaps instead of reading an article a week, try and watch one video or read one article a day instead until you know what your style is and what you need to build up a good wardrobe.
The point is that you have to educate yourself. You need to be seeking a little bit of self-improvement every single day and I think being on someone's email list that really resonates with you is one of the best ways to do that.
So find your Yoda: find the guy that you really relate to and listen to what he has to say, learn a little bit every day, and focus on educating yourself so that you know what to buy.
Create a Menswear Shopping List
One of the most important things you can do after reading this article is to make a list of what your wardrobe needs.
This list is a work in progress though and the chances are it could change as you get more educated and have a better idea of what your style is and what you have in your cupboard.
In my Men's Style System I provide you with an exceptional breakout list on what you need to build out your style, but if you're just starting off and you don’t know where to go just focus on what you think you need to get started.
Part of their service includes a list of items you need and this can be a great resource to give you a better idea of what you should be looking at.
What you wear is also going to be strongly influenced by what you do and where you live.
If you're a lawyer in New York City you're going to have different needs than if you're a master electrician and you're over in Shawano, Wisconsin and you're going to have a little bit different needs in terms of what should be in your wardrobe.
But there are items that need to be in your wardrobe and for that reason you have to put together that list.
When you make this list make sure you focus in on your needs first and then focus on your wants. That tuxedo you've been eyeing may be a great want but you'll be better off buying a good suit you can wear to work instead.
Once you've identified and created your list it makes it really easy for you to decide where you're going to spend your money.
Certain pieces are investment pieces that you have to have and other pieces which are nice to have but you only want to spend money on them after you've invested in having at least a good suit.
And when I say a suit I mean the whole outfit:
- a nice suit that fits you well with both the trousers and the jacket made from the same fabric
- a light-colored dress shirt that fits you well
- a matching tie
- good quality matching shoes
- other related and matching accessories like a belt/suspenders, cuff-links, etc.
Make sure to get a muted tie so that you can wear it to a wedding and a funeral. That outfit is an excellent example of one of your go-to investment pieces.
What you should take away from this is that you need to have that checklist and a brilliant idea is to make it a shared document on Google Docs so you can solicit advice about your choices from people more knowledgeable than you are.
Check The Menswear Store Return Policy
Whenever you're out shopping be sure to look at the store or website's return policy. I remember buying something on Lucky's website that was a clearance item.
I didn’t realize until after I received the item and it didn’t fit very well that I couldn't send it back because they have a “no return policy” on clearance items.
This struck me as kind of strange and I actually talked with the manager and they accepted it back but it's one of those things that you don’t want to have to do it.
Make sure you work with or buy from a company or person you can make a return to if you're not satisfied.
And don't be afraid to test the waters so to speak. If you're working with a custom clothier he shouldn't be looking to build out your cupboard ten shirts at the same time.
Initially, you want to get one shirt and get the fit and style right and make sure you're happy with it before having him build the other nine shirts out.
It's also not just return policies but making sure you know how they deal with other issues like having something that needs to be adjusted, repaired, or possibly exchanged.
So before making a purchase make sure you know what their general and specific merchandise policies are.
