Ok, I’ll give it a try. There’s been some discussion recently about starting general threads similar to /rog/ focusing on “low budget fashion” (what a strange phrase). And since Veeky Forums only gets shittier each day, I wanted to contribute with something that actually might help somebody, especially lurking users. Because let’s face it, the age average on the board is 19-21, if we’re optimistic, and there’s not much people in this age range with means to buy only designer brands. And non-designer or streetwear threads within Veeky Forums suck. Also, since there’s a lot of shitting about the definition of the word ‘fashion’ around here, I am just gonna use ‘clothes’ as it’s all budget limited.
Genral advice and tips on being a poorfag: - Manage your money well. Separate certain amount of your monthly income and put it in a clothes jar. Make sure the amount is appropriate so you don’t have to withdraw anything for non-clothing purposes. - Buying mediocre clothing doesn’t benefit you in any way. Either thrift/buy something really cheap or save up for a high quality piece you really want. - Always think through your purchases, even if you’re thinking about copping a plain tee. - Keep your wardrobe small. As you progress on your poorfag crusade, you’ll find a lot of ways to get cheap clothes which, however cheap, won’t satisfy you equally to its price. And having an imperfect wardrobe, more so voluntarily, doesn’t feel good. - Lower number on the price tag doesn’t mean the item is actually cheaper. Cost Per Wear (CPW) is what you’re after, look for price/quality ratio. - THRIFT. Or use Grailed. Generally, as far as poorfags are concerned, used is a better option in many/most cases. However, see below. - Generally you don’t want to be thrifting for shoes (doesn’t apply for thirft, GOAT etc.) and mostly jeans as these things need to have proper fit. However, see below.
- TAILOR YOUR CLOTHES. If you can learn to do it by yourself, it’ll completely enhance your poverty experience since basically every unfitting pair of pants from a thrift store can be transformed into a great pair of jeans. If you can’t/don’t want to learn this, partial cure is finding your own tailor, but depending on your country, this might get pricy. - Invest in new, cheap basics before you develop your personal style. These basics should be basic to the degree when you’ll always find some good use for them.
Brands and stores: >Your local thirft store(s), Grailed Daily bread and butter. Go there regularly, look for decent stuff. Don’t act rashly or impulsively when you see something interesting, think it through. >Levi’s Go-to jeans vendor for most people. I recommend getting a pair of either 511’s or 501's and getting them tailored. This will result in an ownership of properly fitting pair of jeans with good durability. >Adidas, Converse, Vans Meme brands of choice for your shoes. Chucks, Stans and Old skools in an appropriate colorway will do until you save up for a btter pair. >Fruit of the Loom, Gildan, ASOS, h&m, workwear stores Only use these for buying basic tees. The first two are more durable then the latter, but don’t come in as trendy fits. Some workwear stores sell decent quality plain t shirts in packs of 5(6, 7) for reasonable price. >{insert your favorite designer or high-end brand here} From time to time, buy some grail of yours you really want to keep you motivated. Remember, you won’t be this poor forever.
>Last advice. If you’re reading this, you’re probably a fucking white male with an access to internet connection and some electronical device, meaning you won the life lottery the day you were born. So don’t bitch on ancient malaysian rice-growing message board about being unable to buy a pair of Ramones.
Ryder Williams
bump coz disappointment.
Jace Morgan
I would also add to look for a way to personalize your clothes such has getting a jean jacket and filling it up with patches that are relatable to you
Bentley Foster
Bumping since this is interesting
Justin Wright
Come on poor fags contribute
Caleb Reed
Idk what to really contribute... I found these @ Goodwill yesterday though. $8 for the jacket and $1 for the hat
Easton Rogers
If you live in Europe you will find Decathlon and there are some nice basics tee very cheap and the quality is nice.
The brand is Domyos, probably you will find it.
I bought 2 t-shirts yesterday, aprox 10€ total
Jacob Edwards
Epic
Brandon Morris
Tip: A lot of clothes from thrift stores have nubs and stuff. You can use a razor to shave them off and it looks and feels really nice. Don't do it too much though or else you'll ruin your clothes, and always use a sharp one.
Ethan Brown
Nice.
Kayden Thomas
>nubs You mean pilling?
Jace Rogers
Thrift from today, $6.
Jayden Taylor
Shoes from American Apparel, $15 on clearance
Alexander Myers
Part of why I shop thrift to be honest, it is much softer when it's been broken. T-shirts, plaids & sweaters mostly
Brody Hernandez
thrifting is probably one of the best ways to get nice clothes for cheap. if you live in an area with a large amount of old people who live there, check out every thrift shop. not everything will be great, but they give away nice leather jackets, suit coats, and sweaters. i got a ralph sweater in near mint condition a few weeks ago for only $5. salvation army also tends to have better things because people who actually care about where their shit goes donate there (goodwill is a for profit company, and those who have nice stuff to give usually know that, so check out local donation centers, small thrifts, and salvation armys for the better finds). typically you'll get brands like the north face, nike, polo, and tommy hilfiger at thrift stores, but if you can style it right, there are tons of good fits to come from them.
Grayson Peterson
Anyone know of good places to thrift in DC?
Jace Harris
screenshotted and saved, also checked. Great guide OP, I really appreciate the fact the you took the time to write this out for us. I'll be putting your advice to good use.
You should add Uniqlo to the stores for basic tees, they're pretty cheap too.
Landon White
Op here, woke up few mins ago. Good contributions so far, I'll put the suggestions in the text file I saved. Also, glad this helped someone Also I might upload some budget fit if I find decent camera.
Nathaniel Wright
maybe go outside DC / more NoVa? nova has plenty thrift shops, like one in every little shopping center. but idk about DC
Jose Watson
Thrifted this coat. What do you guys think?
Jeremiah Fisher
Meh
Michael Green
I like it, but I wouldn't wear it with that shirt
Dominic Harris
>depressing stint not working for 2 years so I can help take care of my grandparents >both die >too depressed to finish grad school so drop out and get job >save up some money so I can get better business cas clothes and shoes >car breaks down >computer fucks up >student loans want money
Should we just kill ourselves poorbros?
Mason Morgan
Don't lose hope, man. No matter how shitty your life is now, it's bound to get better sooner or later.
Christopher Johnson
i believe in you, poorfriend, stay strong
Jaxson Moore
Being depressed due to lack of disposable income is pretty stupid desu, but I don't blame you, I get how and why you feel that way.
This is gonna sound like a cliche, but start working out. It's basically free and pretty much guaranteed happiness points.
Jayden Lopez
How do you guys tell how worn clothing is? If someone on grailed claims "excellent condition," where do you check to see if it actually is?
Dylan Brown
i just buy everything on sale
Connor Ross
>Cost Per Wear (CPW) lmao listen to yourself man
Alexander Flores
Link item here
Jonathan Wood
I would like to help here, but that's not very specific question, is it.
Only overall advice, look at the edges of the item, wear shows of there mostly. On hoodies and sweats, check if those stretchy parts look.. well, stretched.
Don't get fooled by 'excellent condition'. That's 'I've worn it many times, but haven't trashed it' in internetian.
Jaxon Ross
That's pretty commonly used term on fashion blogs. It determines how many wears can you get out of a specific piece of clothing without it falling apart. What's so wrong with it then?
David Perry
>It determines how many wears can you get out of a specific piece of clothing without it falling apart Yeah no shit but what an absolutely retarded way of looking at fashion
Aaron Cooper
Oh here we go, let's argue about the definition of fashion and how shall we treat it. For the xth time today.
If I am not mistaken, this thread is focused on people with limited resources, therefore there's nothing wrong with getting clothes (note I didn't say fashion pieces or some bullshit) of quality according to its price.
Robert Reyes
I mostly thrift suits. Short checklist for fellow poorfags: >scan whole suit for mothholes >check for wear: >lapel — is the edge frayed or threadbare? Press the edge of the lapel down or pull the two sides: is the stripe of edge cloth discolored or visibly more worn than the fabric on the sides? >cuff — same check as the lapel >collar: is it worn/discolored? Older guys' suits often have discoloration especially due to them wearing pomade and shit every day of their lives. Check the top fold line of the collar in particular. >check the lining for wear, the lining's often the first thing to go. Take particular note of the arm holes: wear, torn seams, discoloration? >buttons — are they loose? >seat of the trousers — is it fucked? This is THE #1 place any pants blow out >pocket inners — often thinner, less hard wearing material >fly >hems — fraying is common
Some of this stuff's easily fixed, other stuff less so.
Post TL;DR, so cont'd
Brandon Wilson
Cont'd from >check fit: >does the jacket sit right over the shoulders? This is virtually impossible for even a good tailor to fix, so the most important factor. There should be no rumpling over the shoulders, the collar should lie snug against your shirt collar, there should be no dimples in the sleeves at the shoulder, or twisting of the sleeve fabric >is the jacket the right length? The skirt should cover your ass >is it right in the waist? Should neither bag, or stretch — the dread pleb X you see on guys who think "slim fit" is the same as wearing two sizes too small. You will not look slim, you'll look like Chico Marx >sleeve length decent? This is the most easily fixable jacket detail however so don't sweat it too much, any tailor can do this on the cheap >is the trouser length right? >is the waist good? >is there room in the seat/legs when you sit, bend and so on?
Out of these, sleeve length, trouser length and waist are supremely easy to get adjusted by any tailor, and having the waist taken in is also simple. If there's excess fabric in the back you may also be able to have the waist let out.
>what's the hand like? The weight? Is it nice? A lot of the time old suits have incredible, nice cloth and actually are better than new shit for this reason, the checklist may sound like it's all shit but tb h it's far from impossible to find some great old suits cheaply. If you live in a big city especially, your wardrobe can be top notch for not a huge lot of money.
Caleb Adams
...
Connor Morris
bampo for poverty
Zachary Hall
Decathlon is weird. Almost everything is low quality and overpriced, but >10€ sneakers that last a year >15€, 7.5€ sometimes, 70% merinos tshirts I wish they'd bring back last year's merinos tshirts, now that I have the money to buy a bunch.
Nathaniel Morris
>advising converse €80 for shoes that last three months isn't very frugal
Jaxon Peterson
just as a heads up for y'all, size up when you buy gildan hoodies/sweatshirts because they shrink like crazy
Michael Barnes
Or you could air dry all your clothes
Matthew Richardson
Best thing to ever happen to me when saving money just leave it over night
I ve got two thrifted pairs that have lasted me two years. I ve been wearing them to school/work basically daily. They're trashed, yes, but still cover your feed.
Anyway, feel free to actually recommend something.
Chase Fisher
Seriously OP, great post. Thanks for all this
Copped this jacket at an NYC Goodwill for $14 while I was visiting the city
Xavier Perez
Forgot the pic because I'm tipsy
John Jenkins
Very decent cop, grats.
William Reed
word advice to you Veeky Forums nerds
don't save up to "buy a quality piece you want" and only have a few quality pieces and then everything else you wear with it is shit and you look like a cock sucker
and stop buying shoes from american apparel
and stop wearing weird jackets that you saw as soon as you walked into the thrift shop because you're scared and have no real taste yet and just know you're in a thrift shop and so you think almost everything looks good
and stop shopping from american apparel actually in general unless you're buying some socks or some shit
buy plain white tees
stop wearing medium shirts
stop wearing v necks
Joshua Cooper
>letting everyone know that they're wrong while not offering alternative ideas
Christopher Ross
just figure it out while not doing any of that
Dylan Bailey
Or you can get a no name converse knock-off?
Isaiah Flores
I guess you can get away with buying cheap basic pieces. Plain t-shirts, plain polos, black skinny jeans. But you should always buy decent shoes? Is it not worth it to buy cheap shoes?
Grayson Gutierrez
I've heard that cheap shoes just fuck you over in the long run. If you're buying boots or something other than sneakers, you'll save money buy buying long-lasting versatile ones. As far as sneakers go, I don't think that Converses or Vans would last too much longer than a generic pair from some other store.
Christian Mitchell
>stop wearing medium shirts
what are you even implying here
Joshua Hernandez
Sure. But it wouldn't feel right to me. I hate myself for that, but that's the truth tbqh.
David Bailey
but what if you live in europe? there are no thrift shops here
Carson Hughes
Op is european.
I haven't been to all the european countires, especially esatern ones, but i've seen thrift stores everywhere. Care to post specific location?
Cooper Morgan
i've seen a few reccommendations for work shirts in this thread; anywhere europe/UK based I can buy them online?
Justin Lopez
Bumpu
Aaron Gomez
Eastern Europe here (Czech Republic), thrift stores are scarce but filled with really good and cheap shit. Find one nearby and you're good for life
Brody Walker
Beautiful jacket
Ethan James
If it's leather or suede I'd generally say shell out s bit more dosh, but unless you're super into designer sneakers or absolutely dead set on getting CPs or Replicas, getting a basic pair of adidas or Nike or vans sneakers isn't terrible. Killshots, sk8-his, stans all look ~fine~ and if you aren't putting the primary focus of your fit on your shoes or just don't have the funds to buy luxury sneakers, getting a good looking budget pair that normies won't bat an eye at and fit the overall aesthetic is perfectly fine
Ian Perry
Just thought id say that if you sign up for the goodwill newletter, they send you these
Michael Young
Forgot to also add, the two pieces you should generally buy quality/spend extra on are trousers and outerware. If you're especially tight on your budget, getting cheap tees that fit well and have a good color to them, and getting shirts that fit you well on the cheap and tailored to you if needed is the way to go. Buying these pieces used if you want higher quality is also very reasonable.
Being fashionable and achieving your desired style is as much dependent, if not more so, on the time and effort you put in as the amount of money you have available to devote to it.
Gabriel Martin
Thanks for the tip, glad the temps aren't as brutal as they have been so I'm not a sweaty mess going into goodwill anymore.
Noah Wright
>ctrl+f >no results for ebay
Noah King
What the fuck do you mean by stop wearing medium shirts
Jason Baker
is there really much wrong with h&m jeans?
I've had a black pair of their low skinny for about a year and nothing seems wrong with them.
Brandon Cruz
Bump
Parker Perry
...
Lucas Nelson
hit and miss
I have the same gray pair shia wears (low skinny maybe?) and I worn them for maybe 3 years until they started tearing
while other h&m jeans tore before I even got out the door
Josiah Lopez
How do I into palewave as a poorfag?
Easton Morris
I'll bump this. I got my dad's old gold's gym denim jacket and a bunch of my university patches and different personal shit on there. Its not even that effay but it turns heads and I'll never see anything like it on anyone else. Plus qt3.14s always want to wear it.
Jeremiah Hall
Nice trips. I used to be a poorfag (still somewhat am, but better than I was). Being a poorfag is good in a way because you think more about every purchase you make. Having more money doesnt make me better at managing it, it just makes me buy more shit impulsively.
I somewhat agree with the advice on jeans and basic tees, but I would say it doesnt just apply to poorfags. Good jeans and plain black or white tees make up the base of 95% of my outfits. Most people cant tell the difference between $150 and $500 jeans, so why pay more, even if you have the money? I also rarely pay a lot for shoes, unless there are some I really want. Shoes like Vans and Adidas Orions go with most of my fits, and I always seem to wear them, even though I own a lot better shoes, cause I hate worrying about cleaning my X Dooms or veritas after every wear.
When I invest in good clothing, I go for top end jackets, pants, backpacks, and accessories (glasses, etc.) cause that shit will last me longer than the year or two I get out of most of my shoes.
David King
Easily desu, that's not a hard core to do on a budget. There's a reddit about it somewhere, but all the basics are obtainable from pretty cheap vendors (Hanes and gildan, levis..). You can buy cool socks on eBay, pale sweatshirts are easily thriftable, so are light wash jeans and woollen trousers (tailoring needed doe).
As far as shoes are concerned, I'd either buy Stan Smith's or off white chucks.
Feel free to ask for specific pieces.
Cooper Rivera
Gazelles or Chuck II Parchment? I'm stuck between the two for palewave
Hudson Foster
Chuck p's for sure, but I might be biased since I can't stand the type of toebox gazelles have. So don't take me very srsly.
Angel Parker
H&M Jeans are dope
Isaac Jenkins
ioffer is also a great place for fakes,i found qasa replica for 72 euro
Mason Lopez
Does this patch look like something a seam ripper could take off?
I'm new to this, sorry
Nathan Ward
First of all, I'd advise against wearing the jacket, but that's subjective.
Anyway, the question isnt whether the patch is removable but more like whether the jacket is capable of going through that process. The fabric looks as if the removal would leave it rugged and visibly deformed. But it's hard to judge from a picture.
Jose Brooks
Thanks for the response. I'm looking at it on grailed so I don't have more pics.
I've seen tutorials online about removing patches from letterman jackets, and the fabric on those jackets is such that the holes sort of fill in after removal. This one is padded on the inside however. Even though it's small enough for me I'm probably not gonna cop because of uncertainty
Gavin Garcia
What type of pants do you guys suggest I should get from dickies?
Logan Cox
Reason for this is that ebay isn't great for a poorfag. It's great if you have a decent amount and you want some vintage pieces, then you can take some risks with ordering, risking getting one or two duds in terms of fit or condition for each good cop. If you're in poorfag mode you can't chance your cash like that, you have to see the pieces in person, examine them for wear, try them on for size. You can't afford to pony up for a dud.
Ryder Cook
I can't recommend it. With a patch that big and tight there's sure to be deformations. Don't cop it if you can't stand the back, there are plenty of this type of jacket. Ever brand new ones shouldn't set you back that badly either.
Jack Gutierrez
874 or nothing or the loose fits if you can pull them off
Colton Wilson
Slim or regular
Kevin Sullivan
And what colors
Gavin Walker
Parents died Car broke down Drop outta school >pretty stupid desu It's not just cause he's poor, he lost everything. Different kind of poor.
Mason Hall
regular i would say slim but the low rise sucks horribly whatever you like. neutral ones if you want to play it safe.
Leo Perez
Should I invest in raw denim vs regular when buying Levi's?
John Morris
And in what style should I buy them
Camden Smith
Jacket is nice, fuck those fagget anons telling you otherwise, rip that bitch off and put a patch you want on it.
Caleb Perry
Whats the best brand for tees? Uniqlo ones feel plastic Also are uniqlo sweatpants any good?
Jacob Anderson
Would also like to know
Isaac Myers
Bump 4 good thread
Easton Baker
All depends on what you want, for the price the suprima cotton uniqlo tees are great, if you're of a certain body type Gildans aren't awful(?) I guess. Jcrew isn't bad for a bit more cash and if things are on sale. Go to a thrift store or something I always find Ralph Lauren tees for like $10 at the most