Shirts & Sweaters – The $1500 Wardrobe Part I
Building a wardrobe is almost always a process and not a one weekend affair. But what if you had to blow up your closet and start from almost scratch? Sure you’d keep a few things. Maybe have your tailor make a few tweaks, and keep a favorite pair of beat up boots. But what about the rest? Suppose you were also on a strict budget of $1500.
Over the next five weeks we’ll explore some of the best options for remaking a budget friendly guy’s wardrobe one section at a time. A lot of these will be basics and necessities (but not underwear or socks). It probably won’t be easy, some corners will be cut, but the total budget is set at a strict $1500. Let’s see how far we can stretch it.
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Dress: Target White Dress Shirt – $19.99 (in store only) | Michael Kors Blue Check – $29.99
Two shirts that deliver serious bang for little buck. The Target Merona shirt isn’t 100% cotton, but it doesn’t feel thin and scratchy like an Alfani RED. Nice sized collar which stands up well. The M. Kors blue check pattern allows you to wear solid ties w/out looking like a paint by numbers piece. You’ll need a visit to the tailor, but still.
Casual: L.E.C. Pink Stripe Oxford – $12.99 | J. Crew Factory Tattersall – $34.50
Yes you can wear pink. Especially if it’s a thicker striped Oxford like the almost perfect (could come in a touch at the sides) Lands’ End Canvas Heritage Oxford. There’s a lot you can do with tattersall too. An Iron and some startch will allow you to dress it up a bit despite the “Washed” texture. Button down collars = control.
UPDATE: Looks like they sold out of the $12.99 version, and overall LEC has moved prices off of sale/clearance to full retail. That should (should?) change at some point though with all the sales they run.
Wurkin Stiffs Magnetic Power Stays – $19.99
Your old billowing dress shirts you never wear should go to the tailor, and when they get back these should go in the collar. Seriously, you’ll start wearing shirts you haven’t worn in ages again. Wurkin Stiffs can muscle just about any collar into a good shape for tie-less wear. Consider them the defibrillator of button ups.
Polos: Two Mossimo Target Polos -$9.99 | L.L. Bean Signature Stripe Mariner Polo – $19.99
You can find trim fitting vintage tees at the thrift store. Finding trim fitting non-pique polos on the other hand, good luck with that. It’ll be almost all of Grandpa’s old baggy golfing polos. The Target Mossimos are incredible for the price, the L.L,. Bean Signature Stripe has just enough pattern, and a retro feeling extended placket.
Sweaters: L.E.C. Fine Gauge V – $19.99 | B.R. Silk/Cotton Svest – $34.65 (@ 30% off)
You can do a ton with a light brown/beige/khaki colored sweater. It goes incredible with jeans, black blazers, grey chinos, blue & white button ups, etc. Don’t knock the B.R. sweater vest. It’s cheaper, cooler, and if you wear it right it looks even better than a v-neck. Plus you can turn a grey suit into a poor man’s 3-piece come winter. Wait for a sale.
TOTAL COST: $192.08
CASH REMAINING: $1307.92
Upcoming Categories: Shoes – 5/18, Suits & Blazers 5/25, Pants – 6/1, The Rest – 6/8
Joe, nice selection on the shirts. I have not had a pink oxford in awhile and would love to get the LEC version. Do you have a code to get it for 12.99? I can only find it for 49.50.
Keep up the great work! Will
The jig is up, i think LEC of how affordable they are. LOL, all jokes aside, i think the heritage shirts have been removed from clearance and apparently from the site all together. Someone want to confirm, maybe my eyes are play tricks on me.
On another note, i own a J. Crew tattersall in a medium and I must say I am very impressed by it. It came in wrinkled and casual like, but after a nice pressing with starch, it will be a closet favorite.
H&M polos are also slim for $10, though don’t throw it in the dryer.
Why go with the Target and Kors shirts? I think the Express MX1 is a lot nicer shirt, and it can be had for cheap if you try.
I agree. I think H&M polos are an incredible value. I’m surprised they’ve never been mentioned on dappered before. I like them way better than the Target Mossino polos.
Joe have you over tried the H&M polos before?
I tried on a Target dress shirt, Mossimo I think. I had the right size for the collar, but the rest of the shirt was HUGE. Made for jocks?
Problem with H&M stuff is they don’t sell online, and not everyone has access to a brick and mortar store. Y’know?
Well sonofagun. Like Maxman says in the comment after yours, LEC moved the price back up. By a lot. They were $12.99 for the LONGEST time (and that included late yesterday). Keep an eye out though (we will too) they’ll have to come back down at some point.
Lately I love JCPenney’s athletic Stafford “Essential” oxford shirts. Order them online if your store doesn’t carry the athletic fit. I’m 5’9″ 150lbs, short, thin, muscular. These shirts fit me better than any others I have. Not 100% cotton, 40% I think, but they are non-iron which is a fair trade off. And you can usually get them for a bit cheaper than Target or Express.
Isn’t that supposed to change soon? I hope so, their stuff looks pretty affordable.
This isn’t really a switch. There were two different pink stripe versions. The 12.99 version was “Pink Stripe”, the $49.99 version is “Sandy Pink.” Obviously, the original “pink stripe” finally sold out and isn’t available anymore.
All the clearance ones are gone but the Heritage Shirts are still on the site.
http://canvas.landsend.com/ix/canvas/Canvas/Men/Heritage-collection/index.html?catNumbers=2198~2200~2844&visible=1~1~1~1&store=le&tab=17&cm_re=Canvas-Men-_-D-2-8
Crazy. Nice catch. I do remember there were almost all sizes in the pink still available yesterday. Interesting.
I’m looking at the Performance Broadcloth, and yeah, this looks like a great deal. Will have to try it out this weekend.
I gotcha. That makes total sense. Thanks for the response. Big fan of Dappered. Keep up the good work!
They are saying online shopping will be available around the end of 2011:
http://twitter.com/#!/hmusa/status/30617576983764993
Hey Joe, love the post, but where are you seeing those LEC prices? The site has them full price.
Thanks! Once H&M goes online, we’ll certainly be featuring some of their stuff.
That LEC striped oxford (in “gull gray” as well, snagged one of those awhile back at this price) was $12.99 for just bout ever. Seems like the prices went north after they sold out this morning? Last night they were still $12.99. And actually, seems like there’s not that much on sale on LEC right now, which is odd, because they’ve always had dirt cheap prices. Gonna have to keep an eye on that. And thanks for the compliment!
they’ve caught wind of our plot to be stylish at affordable prices…
I too have noticed the uncharacteristic lack of sales at LEC. They send me tons of emails….but they just showcase their new styles and do not provide any discounts. I have about 4 things bookmarked just waiting to pull the trigger. Are you reading this LEC?
@dapperedsite:disqus I’m not seeing the price on the BR vest mentioned above either. Is there a coupon required for that 30%?
They just had one, and do 30% off sales I’d say a few times a month, so on the sweater vest, wait for a sale and it’ll drop to about there…
nice if you want to look like the manikin
Joe, the $1500 wardrobe is an excellent idea. I’m picking up a LEC sweater now. I’m actually exciting to see what comes next
As a reminder, if you live near a lands end inlet they carry canvas. I stopped by mine today and they had the striped oxford in grey, pink and blue for under $15. They also had the marled blazer and man am I glad I never ordered that one.
I have the striped version of that LEC v-neck and I LOVE it. It’s slim (which is tough for me to find), yet still fits well over a dress shirt. I’m really tempted to pick up the solid color one now.
LEC just put a bunch of the sale stuff back on the site, including the $12.99 pink stripe oxford. At the moment, it is available in S, M, L, and XL. I bought that shirt a couple of months ago, and I really like it even though I haven’t worn much pink in the past.
By the way, the 12.99 LEC pink stripe oxford is available again.