For as long as I can remember, I’ve been very focused and particular about the way that I dress and what clothes I wear on a day-to-day basis. Even on a day spent in athletic shorts, sweatpants, T-shirts, and hoodies, no article of clothing gets put on without being thoughtfully selected. (This is no joke; I actually try to make sweatpants and hoodies look as nice as possible). Because of this, I decided to evaluate the impact that fashion has on society, mainly examining the way my generation views their clothes, and what opinion they have on the importance — or unimportance — of fashion in the modern world.
The first person I went to was fellow junior Jaryn Simpson. I asked him what fashion meant to him and how important it was in his daily life. “I feel like, as young people, we look to fashion to express who we are as a person. Our generation uses clothing to express themselves, and oftentimes, we find ourselves in what we wear,” he explained.
I would have to agree. More so now than ever, risks are being taken in what people wear, and I think that we’re in a really cool and interesting time when it comes to clothing. Internationally recognized and local brands alike are pushing boundaries in the world of clothing that were previously unapproachable.
As with anything, an important and ever changing aspect of fashion is the price point. With brands like Maison Margiela, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, and Versace being staples in the community of higher-end attire, it can be pretty easy to get caught up in the hype of buying expensive things. Admittedly, I have, and continue to, get caught up in the world of pretentious, illustrious, and luxurious name brands. However, it is important to keep in mind that the most expensive and well-known brands are not the only labels in the world making quality clothing. Anybody interested and passionate about fashion knows that it can be equally, if not more, beneficial to take a trip to the thrift or second hand store than it can be to online shop at an outlet such as Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, or Barneys. With that being said, I would like to share a few of my favorite bang-for-your-buck online stores that will have you looking great while simultaneously taking it easy on your bank account.
Cole Haan
My first choice is a staple in the world of dress shoes, Cole Haan. If you’ve never heard of this brand, you don’t dress nice often enough. Nevertheless, you can find great shoes here at prices under $200. For extremely high quality footwear, anything that’ll run you less than two Benjamins is a steal. Not to mention, they make a wide variety of products — everything from oxfords, to boat shoes, to windbreakers. Go check it out and get yourself up to speed.
Frank & Oak
Second on my list of cheap luxuries is the Canadian-born brand Frank & Oak. This site is great, and one of my favorite brands to wear. Whenever I’m looking for something fresh and unique, I always find myself returning to good old Frank & Oak. “Old” isn’t really the correct way to describe this brand though, seeing as they’re fairly new and still young compared to plenty of other labels. Buy something from their website and see for yourself what I mean by fresh, unique, and quality clothing.
Bonobos
Last, but certainly not least, is the casually exceptional yet formally professional dress clothes and beach wear brand, Bonobos. On this site, you can find great dress pants and floral print beach shirts only clicks away from one another. With pants under $100 and shirts ranging from $50 to $100, these materials will last you for years and provide great bang for their buck. Transition into the summer season in flawless fashion wearing something from the wide and wonderful line of Bonobos clothing.
As you can see, fashion is something that is very important to me and is something that I take very seriously. Like I said before, we’re moving towards some very exciting things in the world of clothing, and I hope my list helps you take your first step towards being better dressed while also allowing you to conserve your bills.