Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Liam S. on August 2, 2012 at 6:11pm

http://anaffordablewardrobe.blogspot.com

JC Penny for basic dress shirts and a few staples - good thrifting for the rest. 

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Permalink Reply by Nathanael on August 2, 2012 at 9:16pm

This has been covered on many points on various dressing and grooming threads, so you will find lots of advice if you go through some of those archives.
To provide a summary, I think there are three general principles: knowledge, time, and planning.
Knowledge: know how to identify quality clothing, know what looks good on you, know your sizes, etc... Budget shopping options rarely involve great sales help, so you have to do it yourself.
Time: budget shopping will almost always take more time than the alternatives. Whether you hit thrift shops, eBay, or sale racks and clearance sections, it will take longer than walking into a store and buying whatever takes your fancy.
Planning: when you're on a budget, you have to be able to shop out of season. Know what you need and take it when you find it, even if it means buying a winter coat in May and a linen sport coat in October. Try to plan your wardrobe so that you have many coordinating pieces that you can swap in and out for a variety of looks.

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Permalink Reply by JD Dillard III on August 3, 2012 at 8:18am

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Permalink Reply by David F. on August 3, 2012 at 8:51am

That depends on where one works.

It also does not cover weekend attire.

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Permalink Reply by Chuck Knight on August 4, 2012 at 6:57pm

Respectable, but unremarkable.  I've never heard a better description of a Rolex.

 

Regardless, I wouldn't wear one for dress.  Certainly not with a suit.  Regardless of popular opinion they're just too sporty, for my taste, to wear with actual dress clothes.

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Permalink Reply by Alex on August 6, 2012 at 12:57pm

I thought "Overpriced POS that isn't remotely near waterproof or good looking as a dedicated dive watch" was the correct description.

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Permalink Reply by Chuck Knight on August 6, 2012 at 1:04pm

Oh, be fair.  Rolex has a long history, all the way back to its days as Unicorn, and holds more than a few patents on dive watch refinements.  They're also well made, and a design classic.

 

And, since their move to in-house movements, they'd make a great $1500-2000 Swiss watch.  Nice, and slightly above average.  Genuinely a good watch.

 

But at their actual price, they're just massively overpriced, for what you get.

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Permalink Reply by Alex on August 6, 2012 at 1:09pm

Patents are not an indicator of whether or not an invention works. A G-shock makes a better dive watch for the environment and money than any Rolex. Hell even a crappy Vostok makes a better dive watch.

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Permalink Reply by Chuck Knight on August 6, 2012 at 1:14pm

I have a Vostok...and several Poljots, and a Raketa, and a Molnija.  The domed crystal of my Vostok is designed to flex with increasing exterior pressure, and actually improve the seal.  Amphibia series.

 

Ingenious.

 

But the basics of the Vostok are remarkably similar to the innards of the in-house Rolex movement.  It's actually a Swiss design that was sold to the USSR.

 

If you want to talk at this level, let's talk movement design, jeweling, lubricants, case design, and manufacturing tolerances, and finishing, both functional and cosmetic.  And weak points as well, like the "wobble mount" of the Vostok crown on the stem, which has proven to be a decidedly weak point in their design.

 

Yes, I'm a huge fan of Russian watches...

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Permalink Reply by Liam S. on August 6, 2012 at 1:06pm

The Air King - yes... but they do make good deep sea dive watches too. 

I don't happen to like the technical dive watch look though - so, Omega/Rolex are good alternatives when found vintage (and thus more affordably). 

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Permalink Reply by Alex on August 6, 2012 at 12:47pm

Working men do not wear shirts and ties to work everyday, nor do they carry briefcases. This is more like the clothing a working man needs:

6x wifebeaters, not white because they don't stay white.
6x Navy coveralls, oil and grease stand out less on them.
Also 6X wool beanies. These are godsends.

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Permalink Reply by Liam S. on August 6, 2012 at 1:07pm

I suppose it depends on how you define "working man." 

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