- POSTPONING PURCHASES UNTIL SATISFIED WITH THEIR WEIGHT.
The single biggest mistake that people make is to delay their purchase of clothing waiting to lose weight. Clothing can be taken in and made smaller when and if you lose weight. It can’t always be let out. The cost of taking in the circumference of a jacket and taking in the waist and seat of the pants is nominal. People postpone new purchases for years for a weight loss event that may never happen! They look “shabby” to save a theoretical $100 in future alteration costs. Proper fit of clothing is not even about “size” as much as the far more important issue of how it fits their “structure”. A suit that fits one’s structure but is too big or small looks better than a suit that doesn’t fit one’s structure, but is the right “size”. The greatest incentive to lose weight is knowing that new clothing is arriving on a schedule regardless of weight. “Waiting” for new clothes until you lose weight results in frustration, and looking not only overweight but not well dressed. Clothes are worn too tight make you look more overweight. One’s willingness to buy new clothing at whatever weight may result in a wardrobe of two or three sizes which keeps one well dressed while their weight is bouncing around. The result is that that person will look and feel good and ultimately probably seek and attain their best size and can then adjust some of their clothes to their new “permanent” size. - TRYING TO GET “MILEAGE” OUT OF EXISTING SHIRTS AND TIES.
The better the match of a specific shirt and tie combination to a specific suit, the less likely it will work well with everything in one’s wardrobe. In selecting the perfect tie from hundreds of ties, looking for precisely the right colors to accent the suit and often a shirt, it’s rare to find a tie that makes just the right statement, and at the same time goes with several other outfits Order or buy at least two “dedicated” shirts and ties as part of the outfit as though they are only intended for that outfit. Then, have a half dozen to a dozen “basic” shirts white, blues, ivories, etc. that work with a number of outfits. - BELIEVING THE STORE HAS YOUR BEST INTERESTS IN MIND.
One must realize that stores are not in the business of making you look good, as much as to sell merchandise and to get rid of their inventory. Commission bonuses are adjusted daily to move merchandise that is due for payment. The salespeople will recommend whatever they make the highest commission selling! In terms of expecting them to give you a good fit, you must realize that a salesman or tailor who recommends too many expensive alterations will lose his job quickly. Alterations are expensive and can take all of the profit out of a suit sale. A well-prepared customer should understand his or her own physique and instruct the store what they expect in “fit”, before the sale is agreed to. Stores left to their own devices will do as little as possible. - LACK OF AWARENESS OF ONE’S OWN PHYSIQUE; AND HAVING AN UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR PARTICULAR “FIT” CHALLENGES.
A man invests more money in clothes with less information than in any other investment that he makes. It starts with knowing your own body and taking charge in the fitting room letting them know what you expect if the sale is to be complete. If you stand with erect posture and realize that your arms swing back and the sleeves need rotating, tell the salesman and the tailor in advance. Be aware of your tendencies and negotiate for adjustments as a condition of the sale. One reaches a point where their increase in knowledge and their desire to look as good as possible, leads them to conclude that they may be better off having their clothing made. - LACK OF GOOD JUDGMENT AND LOST OPPORTUNITIES IN THE NAME OF COMFORT BY DRESSING “BUSINESS CASUAL”.
Many men have no idea of what separates clothes for gardening from clothes to see clients. They literally are wearing the same pants for business as their gardeners are wearing to take care of their yard. Basic rules include; Cotton slacks for weekends, wool slacks for weekday business. Knit golf shirts for weekends, woven long sleeve shirts for business. Shoes: rubber soles for weekends, leather for business. A jacket of some sort has been a staple of any business outfit. Casual shirt/slack combinations should be selected in terms of color and pattern with a basic jacket in mind. This way, any day that starts out in slacks and a shirt, can be pulled together by a specifically dedicated jacket that was pre-planned to go with a number of combinations. Days that may have a new short notice initial appointment, should start with a shirt to which a tie can be added, along with the jacket to make a legitimate business casual sport outfit for an important new appointment. - A LACK OF AWARENESS OVER HOW TO USE THEIR IMAGE TO ENHANCE THEIR RESULTS.
The “uniforms” that we wear either attract or put off the people whom we’re seeking as our clients, friends or more personal relationships. If you project an image of “class”, and wear the “uniform” that is appropriate to any given encounter, it increases your results, and particularly the doors that others will open for you to their friends and associates! These “rules” are in place. People ignore them; Golf shirt means for Golf. Black tie means formal occasions. Break the rules and you’re singling yourself out as being too cheap or lacking basic judgment. Setting one’s “personal style” doesn’t necessarily mean suits, but it should project good taste. A pride of dressing well and projecting an image of good taste and success will enhance someone’s career, along with their hard work, higher education, etc - GIVING ONE’S ALLEGIANCE TO A STORE, DESIGNER NAME OR PERSONAL SHOPPER WITHOUT HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE.
90% of the people we meet or talk with are “happy” with their clothing and the source they turn too. They are satisfied far too easily. Most of them look terrible in their clothing and all of them could have stood a major makeover. The fit of clothing is not subjective. There are accepted rules for the fit of a jacket or slacks and 95% of it is ignored by vendors with lack of ability or too strong a profit motive. I witnessed a well know newscaster and movie critic purchasing expensive suits in a major department store and was horrified of what the fitter overlooked in the altering of those $4,000 suits! - LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF ONE’S BEST COLORS, CUT, PERSONAL STYLE.
While many men have hardly given a moments thought to what they like or look good in, many other successful men have carefully studied their own physique, colors, etc. They subscribe to fashion magazines, clip ads for a wish list, read books and generally develop a sense of their own personal image. A blue-eyed blond Scandinavian is going to look better in suits, shirts, and ties of different colors and cuts than those that would look best on a brown-eyed olive-skinned Italian! Nothing. Yet, they are often both sold the same suit, jacket, shirts, off the rack. Clothing should be personalized to the individual’s coloring, but also for their “personality type”, as well as their profession. And, the fit is still the most important factor. - LOSING TRACK OF TIME; DEFERRING MAINTENANCE, WEARING OUT THEIR CLOTHES UNTIL NEED FOR REPLACEMENT. THEY BUY CLOTHES AS AN “EVENT” AS OPPOSED TO A “PROCESS”!
Men are notorious for postponing the purchase of clothing year after year. They are uncomfortable with the process of purchasing clothes and don’t consider it a cost of doing business like maintaining a well-appointed office, cars, productive office staff and other assets that contribute to their success. Every 2 or 3 years they buy two or three suits and wear those new clothes 80% of the time and the previous 3 suits from 2 years ago, 20% of the time. They “store” additional worn out clothes in the back of their closet. Every other year for 40 years, 20 cycles of $5,000 each, ($100,000) is spent and the new purchases are essentially “replacing” worn out clothes from the previous purchase or the purchase prior to the last. There were too few clothes being worn and dry-cleaned too frequently, causing the suits to be temporary. With a purchase of better-made clothes, and more clothing to be rotated between wearings, the money spent could have been a permanent investment, with dozens and dozens of classic outfits that could have been accumulated. One should set a schedule of additions and fund it with a dedicated account that accumulates every 3,4 6 or 12 months; resulting in a purchase. - BUYING “QUANTITY” IN FAVOR OF “QUALITY”.
The true cost of something is what you spend, by how many times you wear it. In other words, how well and for how long does it serve you? Does it do the job you paid for it to do? When someone meets you, all they see is what is in front of them; not the other clothes in your closet. Putting your our best foot forward always will serve you better. You must invest in the proper “uniform”, and the difference in the fit and the quality of construction is most of what sets you apart from someone else of much lesser means that might buy the same suit. With a few tricks of mixing and matching solid fabrics to double as suits or blazers, you can have more “outfits” without having to compromise with ill-fitting, poorly made glued together suits that are more of a liability than if you don’t wear a suit at all. - GETTING BY ON TOO FEW CLOTHES.
Most men think they have plenty of suits when they hit from 5 to 10 suits in their wardrobe. Clothes that are worn too frequently require cleaning to get the wrinkles out which limits the life of the clothes. Over a 40-year career, most men buy clothes every 2 to 4 years, essentially replacing clothes that they’ve worn and cleaned too often. If a man keeps adding to his wardrobe, building on what he has, rather than waiting until his wardrobe needs replacing, assuming the clothes are well made and fit him, he’ll eventually have a permanent investment in a large lifelong wardrobe. Most clothes aren’t made the way they were for centuries; with a hymo canvas interlining inside and days of hand stitching. Those centuries old process gave way to “fusing”, a gluing process, which makes for a cheaper look and for not much longevity. Building a wardrobe of better-made clothing that can be eventually rotated allowing 4 to 6 weeks between wearing, allows clothing to recover naturally, and to last forever; without being worn and dry cleaned to death. This philosophy is at the heart of our Wardrobe Plan Program. - DEPENDING ON THEIR WIVES FOR HELP AND ADVICE: (Sorry ladies!)
Many well-intentioned wives rarely see the inside of a boardroom or understand the concept of the “Suit as a Uniform” of business. They are often more interested in dressing their husbands for “fashion”, in suits of a different cut, style and fit and colors, than what best serves a man on the battlefield of business. Sort of like seeking out a trusted adviser in the wrong area. When it comes to men depending on their wives to tell them what to wear, wives really want their husbands to make the decision, and then ask what they think, rather than to put the entire burden on them from the start. As a point of interest, many men select their clothes without their wives help or opinions without their wives present, as well as in the presence of there wives. They’ve learned to trust their own instincts and in the process have become sensitive to what cuts, styles, and colors they look and feel the best wearing.
