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where do (male) architects buy clothes?

143
4arch

i've always had difficulty finding clothes that are simple, stylish, and affordable. in the men's clothing market it seems that young professional guys are pretty much squeezed out. most of the offerings for men are too baggy, too ornate, and have too many pleats for my tastes. at work i generally like to wear black, gray, or brown pants with a plain pullover or button-down shirt. i usually go for whites, browns, grays, blues, and sometimes red and avoid bright colors. i tend to stick to solids and if i do go with a pattern it is usually simple and monochromatic. i also want clothes that can be thrown in a regular washer and dryer and will come out without wrinkles. anyone have any recommendations for any stores/brands?

(express men comes close to my aesthetic, but it started going downhill even back when it was structure”¦the quality of the clothing is poor relative to price, it wrinkles like crazy, and it seems that they go out of their way to hire snooty salespeople”¦i try to avoid it now.)

 
Feb 7, 05 11:59 am
Suture

google

international male

Feb 7, 05 12:15 pm  · 
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BOTS

no button down shirts but his looks as if it covers all the other bases... except being credible!

Feb 7, 05 12:17 pm  · 
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3ifs

banana republic? (sale items)

Feb 7, 05 12:17 pm  · 
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meversusyou

buy used/vintage

good quality stuff is not hard to find if you go to the right place

Feb 7, 05 12:18 pm  · 
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mwad

all the Dutch architects wear H & M

Feb 7, 05 12:22 pm  · 
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higgsARCH

stores, duh

Feb 7, 05 12:22 pm  · 
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Ms Beary

H&M is great - has variety, simple and way cheap. has your basic pieces as well as the necessary spicy pieces. (for ladies too, i'm a chick and it's my favorite.) Unless you don't like clothing that was made in sweatshops in cambodia....
Where I live, we have Tj Maxx and you can get some rare finds there for a good price. It's a bargain hunter's paradise.

Feb 7, 05 12:38 pm  · 
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meversusyou
http://www.tdrinc.com/clothing.html

Feb 7, 05 12:48 pm  · 
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kyll

good point beary. tjmaxx, filene's basemt. and marshalls are the flagships of CHEAP good clothing. RL, CK, all that for like 80% off prices- just have to deal with a cut or marked over designer tag.

daffys too.

Feb 7, 05 3:01 pm  · 
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archetecton

try american standard, if you want to get away from slacks and a button down, which i personally find kinda boring.

Feb 7, 05 4:55 pm  · 
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e

american standard has good business practices too.

Feb 7, 05 4:58 pm  · 
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Tectonic
www.target.com
Feb 7, 05 5:21 pm  · 
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Tectonic

I think Charles and Ray Eames would approve.

Feb 7, 05 5:57 pm  · 
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e

they might approve it they didn't have such aweful business practices. big boxes need to start paying their peeps a living wage.

Feb 7, 05 6:02 pm  · 
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pencrush

where can one find this american standard?

Feb 7, 05 6:06 pm  · 
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A

Every once in a while I hit up TJ Maxx. I like Ike Behar button down shirts. Nordstrom sells them for $115/ea but a score at Maxx has them for $25.

If you know your sizes you can find some deals over the internet. Overstock.com has some great quality stuff at decent prices.

Feb 7, 05 6:15 pm  · 
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wyoming81

Vietnam

Feb 7, 05 6:31 pm  · 
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vongkothts

gap - simple and stylish; also durable. some sale items have a big difference in price from in-season stock.

AE - comfortable and nicely fitting clothes (slim-fit available). button down shirts come in a variety of simple patterns and textures (mostly blues, greys, and whites). and w/ reasonable prices

old navy - for work pants. they're cheap and durable.

dillards or burdines/macy's - the dockers wrinkle-free and stain defender clothes are a w e s o m e.

also for a cleaning tip: if you turn your clothes inside-out before throwing them in the washer & dryer, it helps the clothes retain their color.

Feb 7, 05 7:44 pm  · 
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Sullivan.DJ

Go to the large dept. stores: macy's, robinson may... whatever you have. They have alot more merchandise and huge clearance sales.

Feb 7, 05 8:00 pm  · 
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infernocp

FUBU

Feb 7, 05 11:18 pm  · 
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spaceman

I think the American Standard references might be referring to American Apparel. They are LA based but expanding.

Feb 8, 05 1:27 am  · 
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e909

tjmaxx, marshall's and others, but at best they are so hit-and-miss.

it's hard to find anything that fits even halfway well.

vietnam, yeah maybe.

Feb 8, 05 3:55 am  · 
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David Cuthbert

i must say I'm an old navy man at heart - but if you go there impulse shopping you come out looking like a builder at "dress up"

I share this problem though...nothing out there anymore...I really liked structure/express my favourite pair of trousers/pants came from there. But what happened???

Feb 8, 05 6:37 am  · 
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Kohl's is great. Along the lines of TJMaxx/Marshalls, but slightly more consistent with what they have. Good place to find shirts for work, etc.

As far as jeans, I stick to Old Navy. Dirt cheap and pretty damn durable. The only article of clothing I'll spend more than $30 on are my shoes and my watch. My token black shirt did come from Express though, and its pretty comfy. Its some sort of lycra/cotton blend or something. It was on sale so thats the only thing that justified it.

Feb 8, 05 7:16 am  · 
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rtdc

Mexx is great. It is a little more pricey than h&m, but worth the extra money.

United Colors of Benetton, Club Monaco, and FCUK are good options as well (but more expensive than Mexx). They are all priced about the same as Banana Republic.

Feb 8, 05 10:45 am  · 
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TEJAS

bryan4arch,
i think you are a shame to this profession for posting such an ignorant question. who gives a rats ass what an architect should wear. a good architect has a million other things to worry about

Feb 8, 05 12:54 pm  · 
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pencrush
TEJAS,

Obviously you are new here, but people can post whatever they want in these forums. If you think this is a stupid thread, don't read it. No one is forcing you to read or participate in any of the threads on this message board.

I don't think asking for ideas on where to buy clothes has any relationship to the quality of work you produce or your relative place in the field of architecture.

Feb 8, 05 1:24 pm  · 
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5

eBay

Feb 8, 05 1:28 pm  · 
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e

agreed. wtf tejas? why don't you stop bitching and post a subject worthy of a "good architect?" i can't stand people who bitch but offer no solution. the true sign of a "good architect" is one who offers solutions not complains.

Feb 8, 05 1:32 pm  · 
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5

"a good architect has a million other things to worry about"

let's see what happens when a "good architect" like you walks into a meeting with a client wearing a Mr. Tuxedo T-shirt and flip-flops--I'm sure they'll be glad you've got your head in the right place.

Feb 8, 05 1:41 pm  · 
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Crumpets

i'm a plato's closet whore. I just go to search for mavi and club monaco products. Sometimes I score big.

Feb 8, 05 2:21 pm  · 
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1. value city.

2. maybe banana republic - but you must cover your eyes and walk DIRECTLY to the tiny sale shelf in the back. DO NOT look at the seductive new clothes on offer near the front or you'll be sorry.

2. quarterly sales at lazarus/macy's. 15% off already 75% off. (was this weekend in louisville. 6 shirts, 1 pr pants=$60.00.)

Feb 8, 05 3:54 pm  · 
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yeah, supposed to be

3.

Feb 8, 05 3:54 pm  · 
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mm

Tejas, come on, what's more important to architects than stylish clothes?

Feb 8, 05 4:56 pm  · 
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3ifs

seriously... how can one design a beautiful building, if oneself isn't beautiful?

Feb 8, 05 4:58 pm  · 
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inkwray

E like the comment.

Feb 8, 05 6:10 pm  · 
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vado retro

i wait for mrs eisenman to take a load of clothes to the goodwill and pounce for the best petie's bowtie castoffs

Feb 8, 05 6:16 pm  · 
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David Cuthbert

vado you wearing the bowties by themselves - hmm you dancing for the Chippendales? I can picture that - you with you t-square wink wink!!

Feb 9, 05 2:43 pm  · 
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theWanderlister

banana (there's pants get too baggy though)
gap (sometimes they do have simple and nice black or grey clothing... check out the black slim fit pants I got for $12.)
H&M... sometimes there's nothing, but sometimes there's a lot to grab.
Zara is good sometimes. Club Monaco.
Old Navy and Target have shitty cuts and shitty quality.
Express sucks.

Feb 9, 05 5:05 pm  · 
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ferplexion

Barney's Warehouse sale in LA starts Thursday

Feb 9, 05 6:11 pm  · 
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Tim DeCoster

I shop at 4 stores almost exclusively: Bananna (most often), H&M, JCrew, Express (not too much anymore - declining quality). Of course, when I travel I like to shop at other designer stores that don't exist locally.

Online is increasingly good too.

Feb 9, 05 9:01 pm  · 
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vado retro

actually jam i got a trick where i carry around a roll of blueprints with no hands!!!

Feb 9, 05 9:09 pm  · 
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rothko67

If you're in LA, I recommend:
• DNA: Rose Ave., Venice
• Urban Outfitters: hell, they're everywhere (online store sometimes has some pretty good sales. not very much "black" though) also, check their clearance area
• Loemans: near the beverly center (i got a fred perry shirt there for $40!)
They've also got good deals on Kenneth Cole.

Feb 9, 05 9:30 pm  · 
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bzkr

I like Five's suggestion. I think flip flops and tuxedo t-shirts will be all the rage at Gwathmey this season!

What do you think? Clogs at Polshek...

Feb 10, 05 1:49 am  · 
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vado retro

no matter where you shop guys (and ladies too) be sure to occasionally where your best interview outfit to work once in awhile and tell your boss that you have a doctors appointment and must leave early. put the fear of god into them that you might be testing the waters. then where your nice outfit and go to a matinee.

Feb 10, 05 7:01 am  · 
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Raj Patel

I make my own. out of weldbond and black foamcore.

Feb 10, 05 10:47 am  · 
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infernocp

seriously though... fubu, rocawear, ecko, shady ltd. what about a company called FABA (For architects, by architects) There's millions to be made here, we could get Brad Pitt to be our spokesman.

Feb 10, 05 1:34 pm  · 
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sameolddoctor

yes, vada retro, i tried it once, but not with any 'intentions'

just had no time to wash my regular clothes and put on a really good looking shirt and pant, and coincidentally i had to leave early that day too, so the next day my boss was all over me, asking if things were okay, how i was doing, how i liked the work etc etc!!!!

now i know why

Feb 10, 05 1:34 pm  · 
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e909
vr: actually jam i got a trick where i carry around a roll of blueprints with no hands!!!

laser printed tapa


no matter where you shop guys (and ladies too) be sure to occasionally where your best interview outfit to work once in awhile and tell your boss that you have a doctors appointment and must leave early. put the fear of god into them that you might be testing the waters. then where your nice outfit and go to a matinee.

hot tip.

Feb 10, 05 2:27 pm  · 
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e909
I make my own. out of weldbond and black foamcore

homemade stealth technology

Feb 10, 05 2:28 pm  · 
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