Why I Stopped Buying Cheap Clothes (And You Should Too)

I was reaching up for my coffee mug on the top shelf of my kitchen cabinet Tuesday morning before work bleary-eyed when I heard… SNAP (literally swear words whilst writing this). I looked down in time to watch my favourite t-shirt rip straight down the right side seam of my shirt Hulk style. My ribs rubbed together gently as I stared in horror at the large opening where my shirt used to exist.

The cold Portland winter air hit my exposed skin and I thought to myself ‘Really?! ’ [][1] It was one of those shirts you see on Instagram that you “need” from a website store. You know the ones I’m talking about. Popped up on my feed and looked really cool.

Anyway it was about $15 dollars. Seemed quality enough when I got it too.

Lets be real folks – I had worn it seven times.

Washed it three times. Seven. Times. $2 a wear!

Insane if you sit down and actually do the math. But when you’re popping into Target for a quick shopping trip that $15 shirt feels like such a bargain… When I stood there naked and shocked in my own kitchen I felt slightly ashamed. “Oopsie” kinda moment. You see I should know better.

I write about menswear for Christ sakes. Tell total strangers what they should and shouldn’t spend their hard earned money on. And yet here I was falling victim to the same fast fashion bullshit I’ve tricked my readers into every time they buy that new shiny shirt.

Picture this.. Your wife walks into the kitchen and sees her husband standing there naked. Rotates her eyes at me. “Another one?” Indeed.

Lets discuss cheap shirts for a minute. When I say cheap I mean damn cheap. We all know your classic Target shirts aren’t going to last you through more than one wash.

But what about those expensive looking “Website Store You’ve Heard Of” shirts. Trick is they really aren’t that great either. Sure they look great when you first try them on at the store.

Soft fabric. Super comfortable. But that’ because thats the point of fast fashion!

They want you to think it’s high quality so you don’t return it. Feel confident about your purchase so you come back for more. [][2] Don’t autumn for it…I ripped my shirt because it got caught on something but had noticed months before that it wasn’t as great as I once thought. The material was cheap.

The weaving of the fabric wasn’t good. The shirt I ripped wasn’t even that cheap at $15 bucks. That’s what happens though when you buy cheap shit.

You don’t realise because for $15 you can buy 3 of these shitty shirts. If one of them rips early oh well looks like I got a bargain. I used to buy these all the time.

When I worked at the design agency full time (pre-freelancing life am I old?) and was living paycheck to paycheck just making enough to cover my rent and student loan payments I would be in H&M and Zara way too much. I thought I was being smart. “ If I buy these jeans for $25 they look practically the same as these $80 expensive ones!” INCREDIBLY wrong. 1.) $25 jeans from any store will NEVER be great but will also trick you into thinking they look expensive.

They look like $80 jeans? Wait till they fade to an unnatural shade of blue after one wash. Develop holes at the knees from wear.

Stretch out in the crotch from non existent fabric after two months of wears. But hey they’ only $25 so I”ll just buy 3 pairs… Remember when I mentioned how my high school undergrad shirt I bought in 2006 is still in perfect condition? This was kind of the same thing except I ruined it.

Yeah lesson learned there I guess. Anywho I was cleaning out my old college room with my parents one day a few years back and found my favourite Oxford shirt. Dad had got it for me my maybe junior year of high school.

Brand was J.Crew. Around 2008 maybe? Who cares.

You could tell just by looking at it that it hadn’t been worn very often. If at all. In fact it was in better condition than when I bought it! [][3] Fabric had that awesome worn in feel shirts give you after you own them for years.

Collar sat nice and crisp. Buttons weren’t ripped from continually ripping on them. Yet here I was wearing this “Expensive Shirt That Costs More Than Most Other Clothes You Own” brand name from – you guessed it – Instagram brand and it had that new shirt collar roll they all seem to engineer into the garment.

After like. 3 months. And that right there is when it hit me.

I wasn’t saving money by buying cheap shirts. I was literally LOSING it. Whats crazy is I didn’t realise there was a happy middle ground.

You don’t need to spend $200 on a t-shirt or $500 on a pair of jeans to get that calibre of quality. I get it there’ some high end expensive shit that will last you until the zombie apocalypse and cost more than your monthly flat payment. But there’ some awesome brands out there that overcharge you maybe <a href=”https: //joewears. co.uk/under-50-style-upgrades/” target=”_blank”>50-100%</a>% what you would spend at a fast fashion retailer that will make clothes that last you literal years.

Buy $80 jeans that will look better with wear not autumn apart. My boy Jake over at Textured Patterns showed me this world. We were hanging out one day back when we both worked at Nike (so many hat tips to that company throughout this post I really should work there) and he was rocking this basic white tee.

It looked incredible. The fabric was just done right. Fit was stellar.

You could tell he spent money on the material itself rather than cutting corners. I remember asking him where he got it and being so surprised when he told me thinking some boutique small brand would pop out of left field. Nope.

Just expensive white tee that cost him around $30. To me that seemed like crazy amounts of money back then. But I’ll never forget – my boy Jake goes to this day STILL has shirts from that brand. wears them everyday.

Three years later. Doesn’t look like they’re wearing any better than when he bought them. Flash forward to me doing some research.

Basic Math 101 for us it came down to this. I was buying these bulk quantities of 3-4 tank tops from Target/Walmart for $12-15 a piece. Last me maybe a 2 months because the shirt shrank in the washer or turned into some weird texture that didn’t feel good up against my skin.

3 cheap shirts at $15 a pop x 2 times per year=$90/year on shirts I’m only wearing once every other week. Now buy $30 on 3 quality shirts that will last you…TWO YEARS MINIMUM. Wow.

The expensive route is paying LESS for clothes that actually fit you, look good, and last. Spend money once instead of every other month. Same goes for jeans.

Button ups. Shoes. Jackets.

Any piece of clothing you buy really. I promise you there’s some happy medium of buying something that costs maybe 50-100% more than that comparable shirt at H&M but will last you 300-400% longer. It’ learning what brands autumn into that category and what brands are just Burning A Hole in Your Wallet.

That’s why for basics I’ve found Uniqlo’s high end line <a href=”https://asket. app/cheap-wholesale-apparel/collections/men/products/organic-t- shirt” target=”_blank”>Asket</a>, and <a href=”https://buckmason. com/collections/mens/products/straight-fit-canvas-zip-fly-chino” target=”_blank”>Buck Mason</a> hit that sweet spot. Not cheap by any means. But exponentially better than whats at Walmart, H&M, or Target.

And also nowhere near the $400 shirt prices some brands are asking nowadays. Quality Uniqlo Supima cotton t-shirt will run you about $20. I harped about Walmart shirts being $8 above but do you know how shitty that $8 Walmart shirt feels against your skin compared to a $20 Uniqlo shirt?

No? Trust me it. Does.

Not. Feel. Good.

Denim is where this trend is most helpful though. I can go buy some cheap ass jeans at Ross, Forever21, Burlington, wherever and get them for $20-$40 and toss them as soon as they inevitably blow out their knees or fade to some clown colour. Or I can spend that little extra on jeans from <a href=”https: //bonobojoe denim.com/products/classic-straight-fit-joe-jeans”>Naked & Famous</a>, <a href=”https://nudie-jeans.com/en/men/products/straight-leg-indigo-jogger”>Nudie</a>, or YES even Levi’s Made & Crafted when they’re on sale knowing full well I can wear those babies for years to come. $80-$120 depending on brand and style you choose but last you half a decade easy.

Same thing goes for button ups. Buy $25-35 shirt from Target? They start to whisker at you after a couple months of washes and you chuck it.

Spend $60-$90 on something from <a href=”https:// spierandmackay.com/collections/mens/products/vintage-button-up-shirt”>Spier & Mackay</a>, <a href=”https://teesnap. com/taylor-stitch-guide” target=”_blank”>Taylor Stitch</a>, or J. Crew if you can find a super deep discount (do not pay full price for J Crew guys listen to me that’s RICH PEOPLE TAX) and it’ll look just as crisp and professional years down the road. Plus when your kids are older you can easily alter it to fit them.

Ok shoe game is where we get REAL. The difference between $60 shoe and $200 shoe is exponentially more than just built to last longer. They’re constructed in a way that YOU can make them last FOREVER.

Want your $60 shoe to last 5 years? Good luck man. Chances are you washing them wrong.

Buy a $200 shoe from a brand that actually cares about how their stuff is made (looking at you welted soles guys!) and you can have them resoled everytime they start to autumn apart. Places that live in this middle realm? <a href=”https:// thursdaybootcompany.com/collections/men/products/straight_ cut-boot_waxed-cotton-black”>Thursday Boot</a>, <a href=”https://meermin. com/collections/mens/products/straight-fit-canvas-zip-fly-chino”>Meermin</a>, <a href=”https://www.grantstone. com/collections/men/products/hampton-brogue-leather-boat-shoe”>Grant Stone</a>. The list goes on.

TLDR Tip: Feel the material. How does it feel in your hands? Heavy doesn’t always mean better but if it feels thin and cheap while you’re standing at the store it will look thin and cheap on you.

Cheque stitching. Are the stitches double at areas of high stress? Enter my beloved kitchen mystery shirt.

Started falling apart at the seams because the stitching wasn’t reinforced. Do some digging. Learn construction.

Can your shoes be resoled? Are they made of quality materials? Does your shirt have symmetrical patterns that match up on both sides? [][4] Here’s a little tip I started doing years ago.

Stay away from the cheap stuff and brands. Shop the middle guys. Brands that sit right in that Goldilocks zone I been preaching about.

Some of my favs: <a href=”https://teesnap.com/taylor-stitch-guide” target=”_blank”>Taylor Stitch</a> makes some of the best shirts and trousers I’ve ever owned. Prices maybe 30% more than something comparable at J crew but last me 300% longer. <a href=”https: //reigningchmp.com/pages/who-we-are”>Reigning Champ</a> makes the BEST sweats/hoodies you’ve ever owned. They actually get softer with age!! <a href=”https: //universalworksupply. com/ollections/mens/products/vintage-canvas-straight-fit-chino”>Universal Works</a> for amazing work inspired jackets with insane fabrics. <a href=”https:// porterfabric.co/shop/9-men” target=”_blank”>Porter Fabric</a> or <a href=”https://www. portugueseflannel. com/collections/men/products/classic- zip-fly-chino-white”>Portuguese Flannel</a> for button ups that rival shirts double and triple the price.

Expensey? Hell yeah. But trust me when I tell you they’re worth every penny if you can kerb that anxiety of not buying 2-3 fast fashion shirts every season.

Buy during sales. That $120 Taylor Stitch shirt will be on sale for $60 at some point mid season. Now you just paid the same amount for a shirt that’ll last you 10x longer than whatever you would’ve bought at the mall.

Build 75% of your wardrobe this way. Good, trustworthy brands on sale vs buying cheap brands at full price. Easy math guys.

This doesn’t mean you have to become the sartorial Hadron Collider or take 6 months researching each article of clothing you buy. But once you understand how your clothes are made and what you should be looking for you’ll never look back. Hell most of my friends text me closet sales they see from Instagram asking if some cheap shirt is worth the price.

Love being that guy. [][5] ALSO ALWAYS TAKE CARE OF YOUR CLOTHES. Sounds crazy but don’t dry things if they don’t need to be dried. Hang them up properly on wooden hangs.

Learn how to utilise your wardrobe. I know I rambled on forever in this thing but hear me out on this last point.

You can buy $1,000 shirts all day but if you’re washing them in hot water and drying them right after you won’t be happy with how they look.

Don’t be that person. TLDR of THAT: Stop buying cheap shit! Lesson learned.

Shirt is gone. $15 hole in my cupboard gone. $65 I probably would’ve spent along with it gone as well. Shirt I bought to replace it? Will probably be with me longer than I will be living at this flat I’m renting.

Life hacks. At the end of the day my closet isn’t nearly as big as it was when I first started this journey two years ago. But I spend WAY less money on clothing yearly because I don’t have to replace my clothes as often.

Want to feel that expensive shirt I wore in college? Go buy yourself something that won’t autumn apart the first time you wash it.