From the Mailbag: Are outlets the best place to upgrade your wardrobe?
Above photo credit
Hey Joe:
My birthday is approaching, and this year my girlfriend is proposing a ‘shopping spree’ for me. She knows that I have a hard time buying things for myself, but it looks like the perfect opportunity to upgrade my entire wardrobe. My budget for this spree is $400. The question is, where do I go? One option I’ve been thinking about is heading to a pretty extensive outlet mall about an hour away.
Thoughts on that? Do I shop around the regular Macy’s and Banana Republic locations, or do I try to maximize the budget with a trip to the outlet mall’s Banana Republic and J-Crew stores, with possibly sacrificing some quality?
– Steve
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Here’s the deal about outlet malls. They stick most of them in the middle of nowhere with the intent of putting some Jedi mind-trick pressure on shoppers once they get there. Many end up feeling like they have to buy something. You made the hike out there, so you can’t leave completely empty handed… right?
Wrong. You can. And you should leave the outlet mall empty handed if you don’t find anything you want.
That’s not to say you can’t pick up some great stuff at incredibly low prices. But I’d suggest Steve take a two pronged approach. Make a list of what he really wants, head to the outlet mall, see what can be knocked out without sacrificing any fit or too much finish, then hit the regular retail stores or web afterward for the rest. $400 is a pretty solid chunk of change. Let’s see how far we can stretch it away from the outlets.
The $400 Wardrobe Revamp:
- L.L. Bean Signature New Tradition Twill Blazer- $135 & Pant – $59
- Mercanti Fiorentini Leather Oxford – $119.95 (reg. $250)
- Lands End Canvas Denim Jacket – $29.95 (reg. $69.95)
- J. Crew Factory Point Collar Tattersall Dress Shirt – $34.50
- Kenneth Cole REACTION Tie Clip – $20.99 (reg. $30.00)
The Reasoning: Six items for $400 might not seem like the biggest haul, but hear me out. The L.L. Bean Signature Cotton suit can be worn together, or the pants and jacket can be worn separately. The shoes are Italian made and pretty simple, the denim jacket would go great with the L.L. Beans pants, and if you add the J. Crew shirt to the jean jacket/chinos, you’ve got a terrific casual date night outfit. Tie clips seem to be falling out of favor, but if you prefer a shirt and tie to a suit, they’ll keep your torso streamlined.
Or… Steve can just blow it all on J. Crew’s perfect Fine Stripe Cotton Ludlow suit, pick up a blue shirt and simple black tie, and be set for every summer wedding & warm weather event coming his way. Your thoughts?
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I’ve found outlets (like any retailer I guess) can vary greatly in quality, value, fit, etc. I believe the J. Crew Factory Store is among the best, and I’m thinking maybe that’s why you pictured it up top. I’ve also found some great deals at the Kenneth Cole outlet, Gap outlet, DKNY outlet, and Brooks Brothers outlet. Banana Republic outlet is a bit hit or miss, but when it’s on you’ll definitely find some steals – one of my favorite dress shirts is from there in fact.
In the end Joe, I think you hit the nail on the head, there are some great deals to be had but you probably should’t spend your entire budget there.
http://www.brfssurvey.info Think of it as unlimited 15% of Banana Republic Factory Stores (as long as you have 15mins to kill on your computer and always save your receipt.
WHOA where can I find that shirt under the L.L. Bean suit?!
Raymond, it’s the “Hunter’s Buffalo Plaid Shirt” in kelly green.
http://www.llbean.com/llbeansignature/llb/shop/66945?subrnd=1&parentCategory=505939&feat=505939-sigtn&cat4=505938&productId=1113883&attrValue_0=Kelly%20Green
Nice call Justin. It does look pretty sweet with the suit too. The green stands out a lot more though when you’re viewing just the shirt…
I will say that I’ve had great luck at both the Banana Republic and Gap factory stores. But everyone’s warnings should be paid attention to. Sometimes you can just tell by the look and feel of an item that it was made for the factory store as opposed to the actual stores. However, I recently found one of BR’s tailored cotton blazers at the factory store for $40 (marked down from $250). Plus a little tailoring, it has become one of the best items in my wardrobe, so I wouldn’t overlook the outlets completely!
I have to ask, does any one still wear jean jackets? I’m not bad mouthing them, just dont know what’s the consensus opinion on them now? BR Outlet is not bad, and you tend to come up on some pretty good deals. This weekend I found a pair of work slacks for $7.90 (that is tax included!) off the clearance rack. But I’d be careful in that you must inspect the quality. I know at BR some stuff is marketed as work wear, but its more casual Fridays.
That’s a very good point about the location of outlets…I was 13 before I realize you’ll never find a clock in a mall because they don’t want you to realize how much time you’ve spent there. I guess this is the outlet version of the same idea.
Hi Greg. I’ve noticed that BR outlet store clothing also will sport a differently designed tag sewed to the back of the shirt. Just compare a shirt you’ve bought at a regular BR store and on from the factory store, and you’ll see the diff. I’ll be honest, I wonder if the stuff in the factory store was made just for the store. The things in the factory store seem boring, and they seem not to be found in the regular stores.
Speaking of outlets, I actually stopped at the Camarillo outlets on my way to Santa Barbara this afternoon. The Banana Republic store was having a special on two pieces for $125… including suits! So a regularly priced $400 jacket and pant combo was nearly a quarter of that. And if you opened up a GAP card you could save an additional 20%. Talk about a great deal. Needless to say, I got some new clothes today.
I would tend to agree with that statement with some of the items. I’m sure it varies from store to store, but I do notice several of that season’s fall items in the outlet store once winter hits, etc. Again though, have found some great deals on quality clothes. Like you said, pay attention to the label and also just looking at the makeup of the fabric can help a lot (i.e., 100% wool or cotton? Or 50% “other”?)
I’d say 95% of the items in the ones near me (New England) are stocked entirely with merchandise made for the outlets and not discounted high street items. The label is the giveaway — it will have a gold line stitched through it (like the one they used to draw on with indelible marker in the past) or 3 diamonds in a row below their name.
IMHO you get what you pay for and the quality and cut is not nearly as good as the regular stores (although even that can be questionable these days). That’s not to say if you find something and the price is right then you shouldn’t buy it — I own trousers and a corduroy jacket that see great use — but don’t think you’re getting the same item as you saw on the high street.