end
 

old

*snicker*

QFP

Not a guy, so I'll decline comment on alternative brands, etc., but can't you find these things at places like TJ Maxx for much less money?

Also not a guy, but could I appeal to you to not use the term "fratty". Maybe I'm just old but it sounds straight out of a television show. On a more helpful note- check the sales now. I have seen Izod polos at JC Penney and Vinyard Vines at Steinmart at much more reasonable prices.

Don't forget Southern Proper. Style is not the point, because seriously, who thinks that crap looks good? The point is to wear expensive brands to show you can blow $75 on a shirt. It's not fratty if it's affordable. :rolleyes:

</sarcasm>
Why did your brothers give you a bid if they think you need a wardrobe upgrade? It'd be one thing to tell you if you're not well groomed or you're not dressing correctly for a given occassion, but to say you need more brand names in your wardrobe? Fuck them.

Is this supposed to be a dealbreaker?

if you live near an outlet mall, you can get great bargains by shopping there. the outlet mall near my house has brooks brothers, polo ralph lauren, vineyard vines, j.crew and banana republic outlet stores, to name but a few. maybe there is an outlet mall near you.

and as axoalum and dstren suggested, look at tj maxx, marshall's, ross and steinmart. at these places you kind of have to keep going back to find exactly what you are looking for. i have seen polo dress shirts at marshall's priced between $20 and $30 dollars, and sometimes less, when on sale. you might even find a blue blazer, if you need one, at a discounted price. if you need a suit, mens warehouse has good sales, as does joseph a. banks.

also, add to your wardrobe in increments. don't rush out and buy a whole new wardrobe. buy one or two shirts now(and maybe a pair of khakis) and then save up some more $ and buy something else in a month or two. when you are shopping just don't think about the present, but think about clothes that you can wear to work after college to a "grownup" job.

Now, how did this conversation happen? Were you asking for clothing brand advice, or was it unsolicited?

I don't mean to be the voice of negativity and gloom-and-doom, but if you've just joined and you don't feel like you can keep up financially NOW, what's it going to be like later on? Now it's just clothes, but later on it will be ski vacations, Spring Break trips, and other things. If you're struggling now to "keep up with the Joneses," it won't get any better.

Are they Purple Label or something? If not, it's very hard to NOT find reasonably priced RL clothing.

My school was very laid back (southern, non-SEC/Big 12 school), so outside of a few "show pieces," most people were very casual around campus. You may wear a school t-shirt around campus, but you'll pull out the high end stuff for the weekend. Maybe you can try that (not sure of your campus climate).

If my (non-IFC) brothers ever told me I needed an upgrade, I'd tell them to buy the outfits or STFU. But that's just me ;)

I agree with this :) Obviously some of my sisters have better fashion sense than others, and we all help each other out when it comes to picking clothes for recruitment, etc because we know we need to put our best foot forward as a chapter. But I can't imagine anyone telling a sister that her day to day wardrobe needs work, especially to the tune of lots of $$. Offering hair and makeup tips and occasional shopping trips together is one thing, suggesting a total 180 is another.

/end female rant. I'm just surprised your brothers would have the guts to say that.

That's why I asked if the OP asked his brothers for advice or they pulled him aside and told him that he needed to start wearing Vineyard Vines.

I want to know where these magical TJ Maxx stores are that have VV, Lily Pulitzer etc. as those things never ever darken the door of ours. We get stuff from The Limited with the tags cut out.

They may be giving you those brands not as a "must" but as an example - i.e. they don't want to say "wear more polo shirts" and have you get them at Hollister and they're see through and skin tight. Instead of the DO, I'll say DON'T. DON'T shop at:

Hollister
Abercrombie
Ed Hardy
American Eagle
Aeropostale
Pac Sun
Hot Topic
Anyplace Jersey Shore-esque

Go to the MEN'S section of a department store and buy things that are better quality. Lots of places are having sales now...ask your mom for her Macy's card and coupons. You'd be surprised...you'll probably actually get better quality for less $$ than you would at the stores I named.

The TJ Maxx locations in NYC will have Lilly; the TJ Maxx in my parents' hometown doesn't even get Limited with the tags cut out :(. You really have to scope it out though because they'll have a ton of tiny sizes (like 2--and Lilly fits smaller than most) and gigantic sizes like 14. Nothing in the middle.

Marshall's will have Vineyard Vines, and you would probably have better luck in the men's section. Filene's Basement will have pretty decent sales on VV for men.

Our Filene's went belly-up. I've actually done better at Gabe's lately than anyplace else ($50 Michael Stars shirts for $2) but saying that you have to wade through a lot of dreck is an understatement.

I got adorable Lilly PJs at Marshall's last time I was there :)

I also just bought 2 Lilly dresses on Ebay- $130 total. So worth it.

I have a problem.

That's the first time I've ever heard a size 14 referred to as gigantic. :confused:

I don't think a size 14 even begins to approach gigantic.

33girl- Bahaha! at Ed Hardy. All I can think about is what a DB Jon Gosselin looked like when he wore those shirts!
Agree with your above list. Of course in my day, nothing seemed sexier than a cute boy in khakis and a slightly rumpled buttondown. :)

This has to be a troll. Especially after reading this guy's post in the 'Rivals' thread.

First off, that's pretty toolish of your chapter.

However, college is a good time to adjust to dressing more mature, whether that be GQ style or Southern. Ditch the Hollister, A&F, American Eagle, etc., it doesn't impress girls and really shouldn't be worn after high school.

If you want to do the whole Southern fraternity thing, it's pretty easy because every guy essentially wears the same thing. Just get some Polo polos in white/navy/conservative colors, a pair of Polo shorts and some Sperry's. If you can't afford it, what I'd do is check out your size for those brands at a local department store and then use eBay to search for those. Sometimes they'll sell bulk deals for older polo shirts on that site.

That being said, I agree with what everybody posted about this chapter...if it's truly an old exclusive Southern chapter, you probably wouldn't have been bid if you DIDN'T dress like that, and if it's a chill chapter they wouldn't have really given a shit about what you wear. This leads me to think you might be in a chapter that is trying really hard to be a "good ol' boy" chapter but really isn't, which is going to lead to a lot of posturing, overkill and douchebaggery. What is the rest of your pledge class like? Do they resemble the older brothers at all, or is this a fraternity that is going to pressure you (through hazing or just good ol' peer pressure) to change your image/personality? Because frankly no matter where you're at, nobody likes "that guy" who is trying so hard to be something he just isn't, and if it's a fraternity full of them well...

This is hilarious. Fratty on a budget. That's like walking into a Ferrari dealership and saying here's my check from McDonald's, can I buy a car now?

But seriously, BB just had their annual. Real decent prices, might still be going on. Other fratty brands would be RL, Southern Tide, VV, Southern Proper, Southern Marsh, and Southern Point. I'm not a fan of Lacoste but it can pass. Izod would be good for a budget.

J Crew has an online factory store that is open on the weekends. You can usually catch some good deals on there. It might not be the frattiest clothing, but they will still get you by.

I don't usually say this, but link please?

http://www.jcrew.com/factory.jsp
They have really good deals. And if you sign up for the email list, you can usually get free shipping.

Go even cheaper! Target has great polo shirts, cargo shorts, pants, etc.

My son is also a TKE and my daughter a KKG. Both shop at Target. My daughter has bought several dresses there for under $15 that have gotten rave reviews from her sisters. She was even asked by a stranger on Bid Day where she got her sandals...and of course she replied, "Tar-jay!," with a slight French accent!

I have frequently bought my son sweats, t-shirts, polo, and dress shirts there and have taken them to a local embroidery shop to have his letters/crest added (t-shirt + embroidery $14). For him this works well, as he could care less about brand names, and items frequently change ownership/possession in the house.

As mentioned in previous posts, the department stores are having great sales right now. This would be the place to go if you feel the driving need to get nicer, name brand items. For example, I was able to buy my daughter three dresses that she wore during rush for $80....regular price in the designer section, over $350.

Good luck!

That's the same thing I thought.

Ok, GRANDIOSE maybe? :confused:

Seconding OSU81. Also try H&M. Yes, H&M! You'll see a lot of ghetto gay black guys and coked-out Asian chicks shopping there...but they have some nice fitting oxford shirts, crew shirts, and slacks there if you look hard enough.

It's gigantic in my world! It's especially large for LP, whose clothes fit very small and are basically cut for women who don't have hips and/or booty.

Seriously a 14 gigantic? You must live in a Barbie-dreamworld.
Please note a size 14 is the average size for the American woman.
I used to be a size 14 and didn't consider myself anyhere near gigantic.
And Lilly fits me just fine.

When I was in law school, I was really broke. I bought a lot of clothes for my summer jobs at consignment stores, Goodwill stores and Salvation Army stores and looked for labels. I found some great stuff that way.

You can also try ebay and shopgoodwill.com

I'd imagine you could get by with some LL Bean chinos/button-downs. Their website offers free shipping, and you can monogram certain items for a classier look.

Try an upscale resale store for men (gently used clothing) where you can buy big name brands at a fraction of the cost. Just look for one online and see where the nearest one is. You may have to venture out on a weekend.

Robert Graham popular in your area? It's pretty cheap.

Southern Marsh is fratty and cheaper. Buffalo&Co is super fratty and very decently priced; I'm wearing one of there tees right now. And actually B&C emailed me a code:BLOWOUT where all their polos, tshirts, fleece jackets, and hats are half off their already really good prices. Brooks Brothers 346 is cheaper than regular Brooks Brothers, but its not as quality in my opinion. Vineyard Vines, Ralph Lauren, Southern Tide, and Buffalo&Co are my favorites. Some are more expensive than others, but they all will last you forever.