What the fall of men's clothing stores says about America

[TBoneTX 45,259]

This can be a discussion-worthy article.  Read the comments below it, as a start to ours.

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What the fall of men's clothing stores says about America

 

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2023/10/what_the_fall_of_mens_clothing_stores_says_about_america.html

[yuna628 9,671]

Well as usual with articles from this site, the people that write them are generally insufferable, but I gave it a try, and immediately found someone complaining with no central thesis. His first complaint is that he ordered a beret (of all weird things to order) from Amazon. That is an odd one to me, but whatever he wants to do with his fashion choices. Of course he hates the choice he made. And if he made the choice he needs to take responsibility for it. Obviously he did not look for American made or good imports which I could find within minutes of searching on Amazon, or looking at google, and opted for cheap China-wear. Even if he wanted something very upper crust indeed, he could find hundreds of other options online - from small shops to incredible authentic imports. 

 

His next complaint is a lack of menswear locations. Now this can be an issue in certain small towns - I used to go with my dad to the big menswear chain and that was a soul-crushing experience akin to buying a car. Still he does mention his town, and a quick google shows that his claim is untrue. There are indeed plenty of small menswear stores that I'm sure could give him the attention and detail he wants. He does live in NJ which is not far from NY, but that doesn't really matter because men in those locations generally need a good suit for some of their jobs, and there is plenty of businesses that provide it. He is either dishonest for the sake of his article or doesn't know how to google very well. But even some chain departments like Macys or other local businesses (which is barely a drive at all for him according to the map) actually have an alteration department and very decent suits.

 

Some professions have moved past the Mad-Men era, and one does not need to wear a full suit to a job to "look professional". Of course my husband's dad always looks bespoke even on a casual day, and my husband has always tried to dress appropriately for work, but perhaps the author doesn't realize times have actually changed. Working men can actually dress for work without needing expensive luxury menswear. Those that must wear uniforms or have labor-intensive work certainly have no need for it.

 

Certainly I sympathize with the author somewhat - when I see a well-dressed woman and her slobby man and vice versa it merely annoys me that both individuals are having a fashion emergency and a lack of self-care. There are countless times I see people in PJs, crocs, unwashed socks with slides, slippers/house shoes but not in a working environment thankfully. How a person dresses does not bother me too much at the end of the day vs their attitude during work. A good partner in one's life will hopefully ensure they do not make a fashion mistake (wrong tie, stains/wrinkles, mismatched socks or shoes) before leaving the house every day, but ultimately that is not needed if the individual cares about themselves.

[Boiler 45,445]

I can probably dig up some film from the 1960's showing people looking far better dressed despite having a much smaller wardrobe.

 

My Grandfather for example worked manual jobs but always looked very presentable when going out.

 

I am sure I can find traditional menswear shops in Denver but nothing around here, but then I would have to think long and hard the last time I wore a suit.

[TBoneTX 45,259]

Perceptive comments as always, Y ma'am.

 

I have something like 19 suits, and either 13 or 14 came from estate sales or thrift shops.  Some fit me off the metaphorical rack, and others needed only minor alterations.  Many are 4-button suits by the big names.  I can't recall having paid more than $20 for a suit for years -- it's usually been far less -- and I kick myself for having bought retail for so many years prior.

[yuna628 9,671]

7 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

Perceptive comments as always, Y ma'am.

 

I have something like 19 suits, and either 13 or 14 came from estate sales or thrift shops.  Some fit me off the metaphorical rack, and others needed only minor alterations.  Many are 4-button suits by the big names.  I can't recall having paid more than $20 for a suit for years -- it's usually been far less -- and I kick myself for having bought retail for so many years prior.

My husband has two. His wedding suit and his interview suit. Every time I need to find him something new I end up tailoring it. Even his dress shirts need custom fit. For our wedding we didn't have enough time to get a local tailor on short notice, so I used Indochino for his shirt. Fast service and the quality was decent even if I had some reservations about where it was coming from. Compare that to my dad's shirt/suit from Men's Warehouse that.... grrr still so mad about that. I agree thrift stores have some real gems in them. There is something to be said of a man in a well-crafted bespoke suit, but the price is not something people will jump at as worth it.

 

I think overall there is a lack of a need for suits. People may not be able to afford functions where such attire is requested. 

 

[TBoneTX 45,259]

36 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

My husband has two. His wedding suit and his interview suit.

And, one hopes, his birthday suit.   

36 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

Even his dress shirts need custom fit.

I used to have a devil of a time finding shirts in stores.  Men's sleeves typically come in 34"-35" and then 37"-38", and I'm an exact 36".  I probably have close to 200 shirts, and something like 90% came from resale shops or estate sales.  I also have more than 200 ties, and if I paid more than $4 apiece for most of them, I'd be surprised.  Absolute gems available resale/estate sale.   

 

Another mystery is men's underwear sizes:  36"-38" or 40"-42".  Why not 38"-40"?

 

A real cop-out is shirts (and underwear) labeled "XL" or "XXL" -- what does that mean?  Give precise measurements.

 

Even worse are boys' sizes -- M, L, XL are all over the place in actual size.

43 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

I think overall there is a lack of a need for suits.

Agreed, si Y ma'am.

[yuna628 9,671]

1 hour ago, TBoneTX said:

And, one hopes, his birthday suit.   

I used to have a devil of a time finding shirts in stores.  Men's sleeves typically come in 34"-35" and then 37"-38", and I'm an exact 36".  I probably have close to 200 shirts, and something like 90% came from resale shops or estate sales.  I also have more than 200 ties, and if I paid more than $4 apiece for most of them, I'd be surprised.  Absolute gems available resale/estate sale.   

 

Another mystery is men's underwear sizes:  36"-38" or 40"-42".  Why not 38"-40"?

 

A real cop-out is shirts (and underwear) labeled "XL" or "XXL" -- what does that mean?  Give precise measurements.

 

Even worse are boys' sizes -- M, L, XL are all over the place in actual size.

Agreed, si Y ma'am.

 

He's very broad shouldered with a thick neck and long arms, so the standard shirts end up looking a mess. If you want a shirt to fit the neck (barely) it ends up being too baggy on him and he refuses to wear a collar extender. When I did the custom order with Indochino they even got back to me twice to confirm the measurements were right as if he's some kind of freak. Oh the underwear sizes LOL. Yeah same problem, and that extends into stuff like base layers and running gear. Hard to find him the right fit. 

 

Amazon also has issues especially when a lot of these sizes are set to Chinese standard. You usually have to measure carefully and size up even if the size sounds ridiculous.

[TBoneTX 45,259]

11 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

he refuses to wear a collar extender

I'm with him, or he's with me, or we're together on this, si Y ma'am!

12 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

Hard to find him the right fit. 

It can truly be awful.  Maybe you were tempted to get a 3-D printer, huh?

[Ban Hammer 13,328]

20 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

 

He's very broad shouldered with a thick neck and long arms,

 

sounds like he might be a relative of tbone's

[TBoneTX 45,259]

7 minutes ago, Ban Hammer said:

sounds like he might be a relative of tbone's

And obviously fully evolved over you lesser primates.   

[Pooky 3,780]

I’m the wrong shape for standardized menswear 😒

[millefleur 5,046]

I heard a theory recently that the style of men's suits also change, they're slimmer and more form fitted now as a way for tailors to save money. People simply don't buy suits like they used to, so they are literally cutting corners by skimping on fabric, hence the tighter fitting suits being "in fashion." Not sure I can blame them though if business is rough. 

 

Interestingly in Russia suits are still very much a thing. If you order a fancier taxi, the driver will be in a suit. Most businessmen still wear suits. In general fashion there is much more formal, to the point where there's even a joke about it that Russians "dress up to do ordinary things" such as going to the store. Same in Japan also, where the suit is still very much obligatory for anything remotely business-related. By contrast, in the US suits are mostly associated with Wall Street, lawyers, politicians and weddings and funerals.

 

I lament that western wear isn't more popular. Probably one of my favorite American creations and it's more versatile and comfy than standard suits. Thankfully it's still out there and you can find western wear stores. 

[TBoneTX 45,259]

1 hour ago, millefleur said:

tighter fitting suits

With many guys, as long as they can button the front coat button without its popping off, they're happy.  

[Neonred 3,562]

On 10/31/2023 at 12:17 PM, TBoneTX said:

And, one hopes, his birthday suit.   

I used to have a devil of a time finding shirts in stores.  Men's sleeves typically come in 34"-35" and then 37"-38", and I'm an exact 36".  I probably have close to 200 shirts, and something like 90% came from resale shops or estate sales.  I also have more than 200 ties, and if I paid more than $4 apiece for most of them, I'd be surprised.  Absolute gems available resale/estate sale.   

 

Another mystery is men's underwear sizes:  36"-38" or 40"-42".  Why not 38"-40"?

 

A real cop-out is shirts (and underwear) labeled "XL" or "XXL" -- what does that mean?  Give precise measurements.

 

Even worse are boys' sizes -- M, L, XL are all over the place in actual size.

Agreed, si Y ma'am.

What the heck happened to P-math?? 

 

I've got 2 or 3 suites that I maybe wear once a year.  

I've got some nice sport jackets that I like and wear more often, usually with dress jeans.  Most of the time it's shorts and tee shirts...it's always warm here.  

 

In the Keys it's a bathing suit and water shoes.

[TBoneTX 45,259]

7 hours ago, Neonred said:

What the heck happened to P-math??

Other thread,  man.

7 hours ago, Neonred said:

I've got 2 or 3 suites that I maybe wear once a year.

You wear entire rooms?  Sounds heavy, or spacious, or specious.