Men’s Clothing: Looking Sharp Without Going Broke

We got a lot of laughs from my post on Chicago Now’s blog – Baller to Businessman in 15 Easy Steps.  It got a ton of Tweets, blog comments and 130+ Diggs.  In this day and age, even in a bad economy, men still have to look sharp in their clothing.  First impressions are everything from a job interview to negotiating a business deal and prospecting for customers or clients during a networking event.

Unfortunately, many people will still judge a book buy it’s cover.  Not to say that it is fair, but it is our own human nature that does so.  Therefore, if they are going to judge a book by it’s cover, make it a GREAT cover!

Here was a video from CNN’s site on Men’s Clothing – great fundamental to looking sharp without going broke.

Personally, at 6’2″, 200 lbs…I have a hard time finding shirts and suits that fit me.  Buying a suit off the rack frustrated me because the coat will fit great at 46L but, the trousers come with a waist size usually 38 and above. That’s lots of material to trim down!  Us tall and skinny guys have to get the pants “recut” and that costs another $50-$100 to tailor in addition to the cost of the suit, causing the pockets in the rear to come closer to together.

As for shirts, nothing feels better than a custom shirt made especially for you, monogrammed and tailored.  I find that the cost for a custom shirt is quite comparable to buying an Armani or Boss shirt for $200.  Plus, many custom men’s clothing stores have special deals where if you buy 5, you get 1 free, for example.

Also, if you can’t afford a tailored suit or shirt, find a great POWER TIE.  Often times, people overlook the suit and focus on the shirt/tie combo and say, “Nice suit!”  I’ve laughed at some of my friends who have $1500 custom suits and a client will compliment them solely on their tie.  HA!

If you know of any Chicago custom men’s clothing stores where you have a great experience in value and price, please post them in the comments below.  As always, Men’s Wearhouse and Jos A Bank always have great deals and specials if you like off the rack.

Bottom line, wear what makes you feel GOOD!  In the Marine Corps, we used to remind our troops before uniform inspections, “If you look good, you feel good.  If you feel good, you DO good!  If you do GOOD, well…that’s ALL GOOD!”