Question:
I've recently developed a need to increase my business casual wardrobe (yes, it's that thread again). I also don't have any money, so I need to do this relatively cheaply just to get me by until I can upgrade a little bit but not so cheaply that I'll hate wearing them and throw them out in 6 months. So is Nordstrom's house brand a good value? I need a few workhorse wool pants, slim shirts, and maybe a few ties for when I need (get to?) wear a suit and they seem like they're a few notches up from Jos. A. Bank and relatively cheap. They're also having a sale in a week that will make them all the more palatable.
I'm a fairly thin guy and I'd prefer a slimmer cut, lowish rise without a baggy seat, flat-front and no cuffs so if anyone has any non-Nordstrom suggestions let's hear them. Hugo Boss appears to have the general fit I'd want but I'm suspicious of the quality. I really don't want to order anything over the internet because I've made one too many orders where something doesn't fit, and I'm not experienced enough to get Incotex sizing or fit right the first time or whatever I'm sure the absolute best value in material and construction for the money is. I have to be able to go into Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, Brooks Brothers etc. and get it right the first time.
Answer:
The mto excecutive Nordstrom shirts are one of the better values out there. I believe they are on sale now, for 135 dollars. The fabrics are alumo and the buttons are hand stitched (crow's feet or whatever it's called) also nice looking split yoke construction. The fabric and button stitching on a few I have ordered are much better than my Barba shirts and the fit is similiarly slim.
The Hugo Boss pants are certainly a decent quality, slim fitting pant for low money. You can always find them on discount so it is tough to beat the fit for the pricing.
Answer:
If you're looking to do this cheaply, I've had good luck with RL:Polo stuff off the clearance rack at Dillards. I find a lot of nice stuff for 50-75% off, and just the other day there was an additional 30% off....I ended up with some very nice slim/flat front wool slacks for roughly $25/pair ($145 retail). I've also picked up a few dress shirts at Marshall's for $20-$30.
The stuff would be a "few notches up from JAB" in my estimation. I just ordered some of those $100ish JAB signature series dress shirts when they were clearanced for $20 but I'm going to be taking them back because I wasn't impressed with them.
Answer:
Nordstrom's house brand is usually a good value when it's on sale. They will not run on the slim side, but that's what a tailor is for.
I'm not sure if they'll have them on sale next week as well, but their Faconnable line of dress pants are well made and are slim.
Answer:
Might get an even better deal on July 20th with the Anniversary Sale starts if that is a product line included in the sale.
Answer:
Is it worth it to buy pants on sale just to have them altered slimmer? Is that even possible to do reliably? I do not have a quality go-to tailor. Hence the undesirability of ordering from the internet.
Answer:
That's actually a good point that I did not think of, as getting them slimmed down by a tailor would kill the savings from buying them on sale if that's all you're able to spend. I do recommend trying their pants on anyways, as you might find them to be the sort of fit you want.
Answer:
wathat type of polo slacks are slim?
Answer:
It varies by the type and model of pant, but the classic fit's are usually a good for most men, but the custom fit's can be incredibly slim.
Answer:
HINT !!!!
do not choose a pant by the waist size. why?
choose a pant that fits well in the seat and thigh,
regard less of the waist size.
because the waist can be made larger or smaller.
and its a cheaper alteration.
Answer:
While admitting that I've never been able to visit a Nordstrom, I would definitely second bdbb's suggestion to also check Dillard's. With over 300 stores in more than half the United States, Dillard's is much more easily reached for many of us and offers respectably quality. Their top-of-the-line Daniel Cremieux line is nothing to sneeze at. Some Cremieux pants are offered at under $70! Furthermore, many Dillard's offer excellent big-and-tall departments!
Jerry
Answer:
Bump to reflect that I was told tonight that around 6 or 7 of their fabrics which are normally $145/per shirt will be at $99 per shirt for the sale. I didn't find any of them particularly stunning, but some were CBD-ok and were not offensive as many sale patterns tend to be.
