How to Make Buying Menswear More Enjoyable

Don't get frustrated and learn How to Make Buying Menswear More Enjoyable

Too often we'll grab the first "deal" we see, buy five of the same item from one brand, or overpay on something over marketed. Falling into these bad habits can quickly turn into a toxic loop where you're spending enough money where you think you look good, however your return isn't there when you stand in the mirror. Stick around and we'll break down easy steps how to approach menswear shopping and make the process something you look forward too

Have a Plan

Having a plan or an end goal is actually pretty important in getting your style to where you'd like to be. Unlike hunting for a car, house, job, and all the other things that outwardly portray you, clothes shopping is a collection of items that all tie into each other and perform relatively similar jobs. Our pieces we determine fit for our wear eventually turn into our style in the big picture. Think micro for now and develop a plan of pieces that you'll likely need, brands you'd like to investigate, or materials you'd like to experiment with. With the amount of sheer options that are available to you at any given can be almost too much to handle and can make you feel lost. Keeping a plan help you focus on your goals amongst the sea of advertising in the apparel world. 

Go in Person

The convenience of online shopping is amazing in it's own right and you might already know what you want and where to get it from. If you're not convinced on what your next purchase is, or if you haven't been in awhile, it's highly encouraged to check out a shopping district to really get a sense of what you like. Try on different colors, fits, materials and anything else you're feeling! One of the best benefits of being in person is trying all sorts of combinations of clothes and seeing what does what with what. Every piece you try on and like/don't like is just more feedback on what to/not to go for. Confidently walking out after trying something on and scoring that sweet item, is 10x better than realizing you in fact made a mistake on that online order. Although it can take more time and sometimes be a little more costly, we can't stress enough how much better of an experience and end result you'll have with men's clothing if you show up in person. 

Ask a Friend

This might not be for everyone as some people just know what they prefer, but it can be really useful to ask the opinion of someone else. You may not realize that a certain color brings out your eyes, or that a certain fit accentuates you well. Even if it's browsing online, receiving feedback can be a great way to hone in on your personal style and make your overall experience more enjoyable. A lot of retail stores and online brands have personal stylist options that can give you invaluable insight on where to begin and how to achieve the look you want. Since apparel is something that we don't actually get to enjoy the appearance on ourselves, it's imperative to keep receiving feedback on what's working for you. Whether it's a professional or your friend, asking for feedback is a great way to keep adapting, molding and achieving your fashion goals. 

Give Smaller Brands a Chance

I'll admit, if you were to ask me to name five menswear or fashion brands I would probably name five that you've already heard of before or that are relatively widely known. However, some of my favorite pieces that I own are from brands with just a single retail store and generally a small operation. There are thousands and thousands of clothing brands, manufacturers, and designers all accessible right at your finger tips. So why go back to the same old five? Expanding your horizons and diving into the world of apparel is a big task, but can be rewarding when you stumble upon that perfect piece. Some of the most detailed, unique, personable items that I've seen has come from deep diving into an unknown brand's catalogue. Brands like Good Days NYC, Critical Slide Society, and Dark Seas are perfect examples of smaller brands that really shine through with their personal design. 

Don't Impulse, Set a Budget

Clothes can be one of the easiest things for us to justify impulse buying to ourselves since we can just put it to use right away, right? Of course you'll have needs that pop up here and there, but it's generally important to keep a budget or have an idea in your head about how much you want to spend. A lot of people who have adopted this stick with a quarterly or semi-yearly strategy to keep their wardrobe up to date without spending excess time and money. This will also help keep you serious and on track about your menswear goals and approach the subject with a greater confidence and ease.