Picture me. It’ s 7: 30am. Staring at my phone underneath Walmart’s personality draining florescent lights while inspecting a pair of $12 chinos for quality.
You ever have an idea of how you want your Tuesday to start off? Well… let’ s just say investigative shopping at Walmart with a baseball cap on backwards trying not to make eye-contact with anyone while furiously writing notes on my phone about the hand-feel of their George brand polos wasn’ t it. Admittedly, that creepy old lady that welcomes you into Walmart every time damn near had me security checked.
She probably thought I was casing the store to steal something or lose my shit in aisle C7. Why was I acting so shady?
I keep getting asked by guys – “Bro, I’ m on a budget but need to look nice for work/dating/life- should I shop at Target or Walmart?” and I didn’ t have an answer.
I can write paragraphs about my love for $400 Japanese selvedge denim and weak at knees over luxury Italian leather shoes – but when it came to saying where to go to buy a basic tee, I was lost. As someone who considers themselves to be a menswear “authority” this made me feel inadequate. BOOM.
Next thing I know I’ m sweating up prune juice completing my disturbing Walmart shrine of a routine… at Target. At this point I’ ve somehow evolved into comparing the underbulge of henley’ s while some lady with two toddlers watches me hold shirts up to my face like a modelselfie. “Oooo burgundy really brings out your undertones bb” *walks away proudly*. Love how folks at Target just don’ t give a fuck.
Byjoewears.co.uk I was already in it, might as well have thrown on that Target jumper and been done with it. <img class=”size-full” src=”http: //joewears.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/im1979_The_Target_vs._Walmart_Menswear_Showdown_Whats_Actuall_got_ya.png.jpg” alt=”im1979_The_Target_vs._Walmart_Menswear_Showdown_Whats_Actuall_got_ya” width=”940″ height=”788″ />Ok but bear with me – I get why people ask this question. Have you ever noticed how mall stores like Hollister or American Eagle charge twice as much for clothing as these warehouse stores? Yet literally every shirt and pair of trousers they make all look like it came from the same factory.
Saw a basic white button up at Banana Republic recently and it was $89. Nine. Ty.
Bucks. What is happening!? So why would the clothes at Target/Walmart automatically be worse?
I suddenly became consumed by my mission. Colour coordinating piles of garments all over my flat I was living at the time. Matching Goodfellow & Co. jumper against some generic brand’ s chinos.
Tagging shit. Washing multiple loads of clothes twice. Stress testing seams.
Wearing every.single.item out for DAYS to determine quality. It was straight style nerd insanity. I knew my girlfriend wasn’ t going to be pleased when I walked in the door with a graphic Walmart tee on underneath my suit jacket, but WFH was calling.
Let’ s talk about Target first. More specifically their Goodfellow brand. Y’ all these jumpers are great.
I picked up this Goodfellow cotton blend crewneck in charcoal for $28. Nothing special, the sleeves are cut a lil too long and it has that generic jumper shape that every brand uses. BUT YOU GUYS.
It actually held up JUST AS COMPARED TO some of the $80+ jumpers I already had! It hangs better on my body, doesn’ t pill after numerous washes like others I tested do, and actually feels durable. I wore that damn thing nonstop after testing was over.
Jumpers are the easiest articles of clothing to wear and judge quality on. If you’re consistently reaching for that new jumper over your old favourites, that right there is truth. <img class=”size-full” src=”http: //joewears.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/im1979_The_Target_vs._Walmart_Menswear_Showdown_Whats_Actuall_fact.png.jpg” alt=”im1979_The_Target_vs._Walmart_Menswear_Showdown_Whats_Actuall_fact” width=”940″ height=”788″ />That goes for their jackets as well. Picked this denim jacket out to showcase because I wear it all the damn time and every time I wear it, someone asks me where I got it so I get to casually inform them “ironically its from Target”.
They’ ve really found that sweet spot where their jackets retail WAY cheaper than they look like they should. The denim isn’ t as stiff or “bright-boy blue” as other jackets I own, which works in their favour. But it’ s those small things like that help elevate their garments above Walmart ( we’ ll get to that later).
Alright now let’ s discuss what they seriously suck at. Dress shirts and chinos. The shirts are rubbish.
They poof and puff at your collar after one wash like Steve from accounting”s shirt from the 90’s. Their chinos looked like they may as well have “best by” dates on them. After about 4 hours of wear the knees get all deflated and worn out looking.
SO I decided to do a control – buy the exact same style of chinos at Walmart and Target. Same exact material, same exact price. $24. Both were about $24.
Walmart lasted all day wearing them, Target pair didn’ t make it till lunch. Total respect to Walmart when it came to the basics. That “pima cotton” they use for their underwear? $14 bucks for a 3 pack and they’ ve lasted me longer than the $30 name brand boxers I spent an actual damn fortune on for years.
Speaking of, I’ m actually ditching all my underwear for theirs. The durability on these things are unreal. athletic-shirts. Same thing with their athletic socks – they keep their elasticity way longer than Target’ s. <img class=”size-full” src=”http: //joewears.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/im1979_The_Target_vs._Walmart_Menswear_Showdown Whats_Actually_in_it_for_you.png_.jpg” alt=”im1979_The_Target_vs._Walmart_Menswear_Showdown Whats_Actually_in_it_for_you” width=”940″ height=”788″ />Time to discuss my findings on Walmart plain tees.
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So Walmart was….. better than I expected? Pulled these “premium” plain white tees from them and was honestly shocked at how they held up to “ nicer” brands. Now don’ t get me wrong – they’ re not quite as soft and don’ t have that great body that my beloved Uniqlo shirts have, but they’ re leagues ahead of their other basics.
Super soft, don’ t pill or shrink weird after countless washes, and hopefully they’ ll last me a long time. If Walmart would stop trying to adapt to every stupid streetwear trend they would be perfect. Walmart REALLY struggles when they try to replicate styles from popular brands.
Why the hell do their shirts always have the worst proportions? Pre – “ripped” graphic tees with terrible “distressed” ink that they think no one can see? The cropped quarter-zips that end at your wrist?
It’ s like they watch teenage boys walk by and decide to sell the same styles but to adults. It’ s EVERYTHING they wear is just so… wrong. Sleeves too short, colours way too bright or washed out.
While both stores are surprisingly good at accessories.. Target’ s are definitely more stylish. Did you know their belts ACTUALLY LOOK EXPENSIVE?
I picked up this braided elastic belt for $15 and every time I wear it people assume its from some boutique brand. Their sunglasses are also absolutely RIDICULOUS quality for the price. Got these $12 Target wayfarers and I wear them all the damn time.
Walmart takes the win in leather goods. Walmart beats Target’ s quit significantly. That $15 brown leather belt of mine has been through hell and back everyday for months and no cracks in the leather.
Ok one crazy thing I did that was probably entirely nerdy but here’ s goes. Blind T-Shirt Test. Bought plain white tees from Walmart, Target, and one “premium” brand that sells plain tees for $45 and tries to tell you they’ re “premium basics”.
Had my dude friend feel all three with his eyes closed. He guessed the $45 shirt was “most likely the cheap one” and thought I had WALMART written on my wallet when I told him the $8 shirt was “definitely the nicer one”. Did laundry last night and couldn’ t tell the difference between my “expensive” shirt and Walmart’ s.
AND you know what happened first? The expensive shirt developed a small hole in it. <img class=”size-full” src=”http: //joewears.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/im1979_The_Target_vs._Walmart_Menswear_Showdown Whats-going_on_out_here_.png.jpg” alt=”im1979_The_Target_vs._Walmart_Menswear_Showdown Whats-going_on_out_here_” width=”940″ height=”788″ />Another thing I noticed? Target seasons their clothes SO WELL.
Every Autumn/ Winter style garment blows their summer pieces out of the water. Flannels are top tier. Light jackets are amazing.
Walmart beats Target when it comes to summer wear though by A WHOLE FUCKING MARGIN. Performance Polo’ s, moisture wicking t-shirts, that h stuff. Target gets stuck with shirts that look like they have a sweat stain permanently engraved after one wash when Walmart can handle the heat.
Okay maybe the real thing I discovered? It’ s not even the clothes. It’ s the STORES.
Target really goes ALL OUT on their Goodfellow displays. Dim lighting compared to the rest of the store, styled mannequins randomly placed throughout. Literally everything about their displays just LOOK nicer than it should.
Walmart still consistently takes cheap approach with bright lighting and just dump shirts into these shitty ass racks they put together. I bought the same exact style shirt from both stores and every time my friends see them in-store they always give the Target one higher praise. Remove the tags and wear them- Walmart mysteriously becomes the better brand.
TLDR – Target if you need it to look good today. Walmart if you need it to look good after you wear it a few times. What would I buy if I ACTUALLY went shopping with only $100?
Target. The things that I love at Walmart are ALWAYS TOO trendy and don’ t age well. Shopping at Target made me WANT to wear the clothes I picked out.
But tbh with you guys. Take BOTH of them shirts off. Wear em.
Then go buy Target jumpers and Walmart basics. Walmart for plain tees, underwear, socks, gym clothes. Target for jumpers, jackets, or anything you’ d realistically wear outside.
Speaking of that Target jumper I had on in the beginning. Still wearing it daily. It’ s been through MAYBE 6 washes and STILL competes with my “nice” jumpers.
And those Walmart boxer briefs I keep rambling about? Swapping those out for my “nice” brands because THEY ACTUALLY LAST longer. Moral of the story?
The menswear industry is cuckoo shit. Sure there are brands that pump out straight rubbish, but you never know until you try right? Next time you’ re at Walmart/TARGET stop and actually look at the clothes.
Hell buy something. I promise you it doesn’ t’ t gonna hurt my feelings- send me some pics! Just please don’ t warn security at Goodwill like I’ ve been <a href=”https: //joewears.co.uk/thrift-store- treasure-hunter-finding-designer-labels-at-goodwill-prices/”>doing</a> when I wear these outfits under my suits to their events. <a href=”https://joewears.co.uk/i-dressed-entirely-from-walmart-for-a-week-and-got-more-compliments-than-ever/”>Some secrets</a> should literally stay secret.
