Dressing fratty on a budget?

[TriDeltaSallie]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

gigantic sizes like 14.

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

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

[axoalum]

Originally Posted by 33girl

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.

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.

[lucgreek]

Originally Posted by Dusty6

Hey, I just recently joined TKE at my school and all my brothers were telling me I should upgrade my wardrobe, they were naming brands like polo,brooks brothers, locoste and vinyard vines. Problem is all of these brands are really expensive. I support myself and buy all my own clothes and stuff and I can't afford to pay $75 per shirt.....is there any brands that are cheaper and are considered fratty?

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

[DTD Alum]

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...

[alphatausc]

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.

[KYTAU]

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.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by KYTAU

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?

[KYTAU]

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.

[OSU'81]

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!

[LatinaAlumna]

Originally Posted by TriDeltaSallie

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

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

That's the same thing I thought.

[Dionysus]

Originally Posted by TriDeltaSallie

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

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

Ok, GRANDIOSE maybe?

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.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by LatinaAlumna

That's the same thing I thought.

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.

[Tulip86]

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.

[KDCat]

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

[dantenic1]

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.