Buying less but better really is the way to go for a wardrobe which you wanna appreciate. I have so much stuff which I bought because "it was cheap and looked quiet cool", only to wear my more expensive, cooler stuff. :(
I like how you advocate for cheaper clothes (if they give you enough satisfaction and if they're decent quality). I think fashion community/environment can be very toxic, so we need more people like you, who explain that everyone can be happy with what they like, and not what others say you should like.
Interesting. I get compliments on all my garments that I bought under $20. I shop at normal department stores. You can have an eye for fashion and be stylish without having a wallet for luxury brands.
Same, I get compliments all the time and the most expensive item I own is $100 boots. It's all about what cut, texture and color of clothes you choose to pair together. Anything else is convenience/luxury purchases. (Nothing wrong with that.)
by your friends? i mean if you are conventionally attractive, then you can wear anything and get compliments. but most cheap clothes are cheap for a reason: poor quality, poor fabric etc. that's not to say high end clothing can't be terrible either... there is a middle ground where the price and style can hit the sweet spot
My absolute favorite pair or pants where $15 at Costco. Dark green canvas pants from weatherproof. It’s not tech wear, but it has some elements like zippered pockets. The color is great, comfort is 10/10, and the cut fits me so damn good. I have many pairs for $400+ Japanese raw denim, and other expensive cargos, but they don’t stack up. Maybe because they’re cheap, I feel like I don’t need a reason or excuse to wear them, so I wear them a ton.
I think the biggest predictor of whether or not the cheaper item/dupe/whatever will satisfy your craving for the original fashion item is whether or not you even like it, design wise. It’s a simple question, but wanting a thing =/= liking a thing. The more you see something, the more you want it, so while that desire may be authentically felt, it can be, at the end, manufactured. If you remove the price tag, the cool label, the skinny model showing it off and you get a similar looking item at the goodwill bin, does it make you want it less? If yes, the cheaper alternative (or even the og tbh) will not make you happy. The only time an imitation of something can bring you long lasting joy is when it’s aping something you can’t buy for any money, like something that no longer exists.
Definitely think there’s an argument for affordable alternatives that allow a piece to be more versatile - either because it’s not so niche that it only goes with a few other pieces, or that the cost of it doesn’t deter you from wearing it regularly. Nothing worse that being at the top right of that graph and not wearing something because it’s too much to want to wear out into the wild, or too unique to afford the rest of the outfit to make it shine
I've definitely been on both sides, buying alternatives that don't satisfy that item itch but also finding alternatives that I end up liking even more than the "original"
As you said at the end, when you buy less, analyze more and invest is when it really pays off. Personally have toned down the way I consume by like 70% from last year. It has also helped me refined my taste like crazy I’ve only bought a handful of pieces this year but I feel very fulfilled with each one of them. My closet still needs a lot of work to get it to where I want to but I’m okay outfit repeating so I’m doing just fine
Man your videos are always well made but the graph that you included was really impressive and well laid out. I agree with everything you're saying and it reminds me of when I bought a Columbia rain jacket on sale thinking it would satiate my need for an Arc'Teryx shell. I ended up buying the Arc'Teryx a few months later but to the Columbia jackets credit, its excellent in heavy rain and has some features the other jacket doesn't, so I am happy that I own both.
affordable is great. for example, i just saw you wearing a pom pom hoodie in this video and i think it's kinda cool, so i might get a 1 dollar pompom and sew it onto a 3 dollar thrift hoodie. clothing is what you make it.
Buying more expensive stuff that will last longer also takes more experience and wisdom. When you buy cheap stuff you can just buy something to try it out, there is less risk.
One personal example for me was the Rick Owens knit beanie. I always liked the look but thought they were overpriced, so I tried to find other beanies that served the same purpose. Somehow I was always dissatisfied with the look, to the point were I thought "I just don't look good in hats like that"... When I finally splurged on one of these beanies on sale, I immedeately got the look I wanted. Could have saved a lot of money and frustration if I just had looked for the original to start with...
I kind of agree with the premise on face value, usually when people say "affordable" they mean knock offs or fast fashion, and that's pretty whack tbh.
At this point I've switched from thinking about the up-front cost to thinking of cost-per-wear. It's nice to get a $15 pair of pants, but if you only wear them 5x before they wear out or you get bored then you actually spent more per-wear than if you'd worn a $150 pair every week for a year.
@@Highland_Paddyoutgrow? If you are spending your own money on clothes, one would assume you've stopped growing. If you meant outgrowing stylistically every couple of months, you don't have a style to worry about.
@@gitnjur No, I meant GAINING WEIGHT primarily, like happens to most college sophomores and then again after every 2-3 years for many adults or whatever.
I think you can’t just buy everything by equation. For starters, it eliminates SOME of the fun of curation. Also, I have a bunch of stuff that’s meant to be long-lasting quality and all that, but I live in So Cal, where much of it hangs in the closet unused most of the year. We had a long, hot summer and I was mostly wearing the same crap t-shirts and shorts over and over and laundering them pretty frequently and they didn’t all fall apart and I’ll have most of them for next year again, but there would have been no point in trying to wear heavy wool trousers to try and get my Money’s Worth out of the purchases. I still don’t consider them a waste of money, either, though, because they will still be durable and all that supposedly when they DO get worn.
Gal has baby; doesn’t fit nice clothes anymore. Now has to decide on her own wardrobe replacement vs. baby clothes and other stuff. [scenario ripped from today's headlines...]
I've recently gotten to a place where I know what I will and won't like and I only buy something if I know it'll be quality, last me a while, and I genuinely like it. It''s why even on RUclips I tend to follow fashion people who don't do hauls and try to get you to consume, and instead and like to add philosophical/ethical elements to their channel. We all have to stop over consuming and become more conscious of our relationship with buying clothes and channels that are more about consumption, instead of appreciation have a lot of people falling into traps that they "need" something, and if they can't get that something, they'll get the alternative, then the cycle will keep going on and on. If we are aware of the tactics that are used in the fashion industry to keep us as constant consumers then I hope we will start to become more conscious buyers and contribute less to the fast fashion behemoth.
This video is one of your best yet! The advice combined with the ability to see some of the stuff you've worn before laid out in an easy to find way is amazing way to dial in my own style in a more efficient and easy way. Also this seems like a good time to ask, what are those black strapped sandals you wear in some of the warmer season videos? They've drawn my eye and since they're not on your shop, I'd like to find out where to get them or other high quality alternates for summer!
Also a suggestion! It would be nice to see tags under items that aren't shown in their shop page. Like if you show something on yourself as a model shot, or put up a picture of a pair of shoes or pants and don't say their names out loud in the video, it would be nice to see the name of the product as a little caption to the image in the video. It would even be a cool visual to have like a 'spec list' looking pop up alongside your model shots to name the pieces you're wearing to make them easier to find?
for me, its about the sillouette, the quality and purpose of the item. if all three can be met at a lower cost, why not? and old stock is an amazing way of meeting such criteria - i recently picked up a pair of adidas 4d run sneakers for SGD78 (about USD60). while ultra 4Ds are SGD350 at retail! but yeah affordable alternatives are okay as long as you truly like what you buy!
Very interesting vid. Does anyone else purchase "cheaper" versions of clothing to see how they like them and if yiu do like them, go out and purchase the more expensive version? I find myself doing this more often and donating the cheap versions if I don't like them or if I go and get the more expensive version.
I got the puma thunder spectras because I liked the Yeezy 700’s wave runners and was never fully satisfied but now that I got both, I honestly like each one almost the same.
This is such an interesting topic. As someone who just graduated from uni budget has always been the thing holding me back from getting the things i like. I compensate by focusing on my physique and looking for pieces that look the part and compliments my body but reasonably priced, making sure they all look like a cohesive fit. It might be interesting if u could cover the importance between the clothes itself and the person wearing it
this will largely depend upon your first real job, so you will have to factor in "office" or "workplace culture" with your budget and go from there. If nobody else wears suits, you might still wear sport jackets to look the part more, etc.
Interesting video. Defo agree with the original argument about how cheap alternatives will not make you as satisfied as the real deal will. To me, the best alternatives you can buy are when the original product you like is not outrageously original, like a plain oversized hoodie such as the Gap Yeezy one. You can easily find similar heavyweight hoodies that are cheaper without feeling like it’s a cope. Another good way of purchasing the right alternatives that are cheaper is with collabs: instead of buying the Collab buy the original silhouette! It’s the exact same thing without a few details. But like you said: never cheap out on quality. To me, the 3 most important things when it comes to fashion is quality, silhouette and dressing for the occasion.
A good example for me of an affordable alternative is thrifting some waxed skinny jeans for like 24$ instead of spending close to 1k ok rick owens memphis denim. You do not need to spend alot of money to find staple high quality peices for your style
I do tend to find unexpected favorites at thrift stores. Maybe because someone already picked it out once. But to once more add a sewing perspective, it's totally normal to customize your clothes, and making adjustments on that new find, thrifted or new, can make miles of improvement in terms of fit and style. Sometimes I buy things expressly for the purpose of customizing, and while maybe I should consider things other than edgy vests and cargo pants- I do love them
7:21 I've wasted so much money buying the cheaper alternative of certain items thinking it'll suffice. Inevitably I just buy the more expensive item. Now, I just wait and save for a few months. Only then if I still want that item will I buy it. This method has saved me lots of money and closet space.
thrifted fishing vests were my whole vibe this summer .. one black mesh, one tan canvas that zips off into a crop+patched it w punk shit . i didn't spend more than $20 on either and they're iconic
You get what you pay. If you look around hard enough and spend a little more. You'll find timeless pieces. I found most of my thirfted and 2nd hand pieces are my favorite compared to the newer stuff I've bought on sale.
I'm known to be really picky, so much that I dislike online shopping as I can't predict the physical sensations of wearing that garnment or how exactly it will fit me. has definitely helped my style but I am not daring to buy designer second hand online
The main reason I like to look at the affordable alternative list is that you sometimes can find some pretty interresting stuff thats kind of under the radar or just discover some new brand. Especially if you like a military style and camo pattern just go and buy some military surplus stuff in most cases way cheaper and often more durable. And you technically get the original stuff.
As sacrilegious as it might sound, I actually don't like a lot of the Acronym pieces as much as some of the other adjacent designers in the space, not because they're simply more expensive, but because I personally don't connect with the often extreme futurism that the pieces convey: a few exceptions for me being the J117 and the P23A varieties. So they fit firmly in the "Bad Zone" for me, but there are other brands from the far more "affordable" SEA Techwear groups, and more comparable brands like Enfin leve whose pieces I really enjoy, that I have used to build a fairly tight, buy very modular wardrobe I do genuinely enjoy every piece of, and can mix and match anything basically at will. With day to day basics like Tees from high street names like Uniqlo, and accessories from Orbit Gear, Aoku, and some less overt tactical and outdoor gear from Viper, Pentagon and Helikon to round out the lot.
This could be a podcast, affordable is different for everyone, also when getting by into new styles, buying affordable first can help ppl determine if they want to dive in or not and with new styles, what happens if you like the look but the company who makes the best of the best product that you love but you are in between sizes, do you spend a bunch on something you love but doesn’t fit right or getting an alternative that might be the one but fits you much better
Lots of interesting ideas to mull over. For me, as far as substitutes go, I distinguish between times when I have a strong personal attachment to a specific higher priced piece and when I am simply interested in trying out a new idea. In the first case, any potential replacement will probably be a flop because it won't live up to the original, but when I am just after a general idea, i find using an affordable version to test the waters is ideal. As an example, this year I wanted to try wearing lighter colored trousers because I tend toward very saturated shades. Spending a mint was not ideal because I wasn't even sure I would like what I bought. I found some chalky, off white jeans from Uniqlo and discovered that particularly on overcast days, I really enjoyed the option. I don't have a strong desire to upgrade them to a higher end variant because I'm accomplishing my aim satisfactorily.
And regarding the graph, this was really useful. I've attempted to shop with this mindset, but I hadn't really considered the red "no buy" zones. This will be useful come the tail end of sale season. I deal with these issues often as my wish lists are generally split between Lemaire and Uniqlo U. At one point, I'd tried to convince myself that if I could afford L's pieces sporadically, I'd probably move away from U because it would be a lower quality substitute. More recently, I've accepted that many of my most worn pieces have actually come from the secondary line, so I am sometimes more excited for these collections than the mainline runway because I know I can more comfortably select what I like. From fall winter, there was a padded peacoat in a lovely azuki color added to the women's collection that is apparently a complete sales flop. It is down in the $50 range now, but I'd gladly bought it at $150 when first released. I ended up liking it more than a similar piece I had paid substantially more for at Lemaire. Also, the U suiting has served me quite well. They tend to make very masculine women's pieces that almost no one wants, so I've picked up some beautiful looking outfits for jaw droppingly low prices. I'm aware that the "quality" isn't comparable to a tailormade suit, but I've found myself more at home in their jersey suiting than in a lot of my more formal clothes. These pieces absolutely hit that sweet spot of affordability, frequent use, and excitement.
For me it's really all about finding what kind of stuff I like and finding styles that suit me. Everything looks more expensive if it fits really well. I can also sew well enough to change my clothes if necessary so that also helps. For everything else I shop a lot of secondhand stuff and always buy out of season as much as I can to tet the cheaper deals. Right now the last few summer pieces are really cheap for example and I know my style well enough to buy now and still like it when I can eventually wear it in a few months
I think this is a great system, one exception where I personally would go for a cheaper option is workwear, if I have to dress in a style I don't love anyway, I would choose comfortable and cheap over slightly more my style.
Fashion doesn't exist in a vacuum, it serves a purpose and has a use-case. Am I going to wear my most expensive trousers and jumper to work every day? Definitely not. Am I going to wear my cheapest, "lay around the house" clothes to work every day? Also no. When I'm going out to buy milk is not the same as going out to eat at a nice restraunt and drinks in a cocktail bar. Affordability is relative, but I spend most time in work and those are my mid tier clothes that are limited in aesthetic approach, but still with some scope to look 'office smart casual' and ones i dont mind washing and wearing every week. My cheapest clothes are the ones I wear when mooching around the house and dont mind if i dribble the cold baked beans im eating from the can as i lay on the sofa infront of netflix all over them. I keep my top tier stuff for "occasions" so that they stay looking new and fresh. I know each time i wear an item i risk it getting stained, torn or damaged - it's the risk you take. On that basis, purchase appropriately to your budget and for the intended use. Like you don't need to wear your best Rick Owens Kiss Boots if you're walking through a muddy field in the rain to go and pick up milk and a loaf of bread... in that situation an affordable pair of boots is clearly winning.
My graph would be more like a root function. The cheapest stuff is mostly not that great and at some point the increase in price just doesn't bring any advantages anymore.
guess it depends on each person when it comes to "affordable alternatives" . I believe adidas sambas retail for 130-140 CAD and I bought the Puma super pima liga ogs for 90 CAD. Antwon brings up a solid point like the temporary dopamine rush, but I can say that I like the Pima Ligas more than I did originally. They are a daily in my wardrobe and they have quite the usage already
I hate spending lots of money on clothes if I don’t have to. Aside from most of my layering pieces, the majority of my clothes are stuff I randomly find on sale. One of my outifts that gets complimented a lot I literally bought all at GAP for maybe $25 total.
One of my favourite tops was £20 and its a zip through jumper with a look I can only say is think corpo from cyberpunk its a really nice top and it came in my size which was nice as a lot of fashion brands do not reach my size in any way wish I was smaller but I have to shop in the big and tall section I see tons of clothes I would love but I can't wear them as they do not support my size requirements so dressing in what fits is my style.
Secondhand. I’m a guitarist, and really honed the principal of never buy new stuff there. The things I buy are pre-owned but they may as well be new on the floor. Do you know what I mean? Our society is extremely consumerist to where people buy things, never wear them maybe wear them a couple times and then pass them on. I get all my clothes from specifically searching for them online secondhand or thrift shops and I’m not ashamed to admit that because my style is very unique for that reason then I can find things that actually fit me as a muscular shorter man with long-ish legs. I guess in that way I was forced to always look outside of the mall
I know it's not cheap but cp company's metropolis line is discounted on the Fraser websites for people in the UK, got their 2 in 1 for half price and saved £500 on it
Homme plisse pants are polyester... same as ones from other brands offerring the "plisse" element . the only real argument to be made about getting the ones from issey is if the cut/shape is perfect/is the favourite for you. (400 for plastic pants is an awful take lol, buy something with premium materials and construction lol)
I like affordable alternatives for things that I’m not too sure about. For example, I got into parachute pants by finding a cheap $20 pair and have branched out from there. I recently bought a kind of expensive pair and am going to take them to the tailor to get the fit I want. So yeah affordable alternatives are good for trying out new things imo but I wouldn’t rely on them for the core of the wardrobe.
To me the line you drew would be inverted, I like far less expensive clothing because I think about how much it cost when I wear it and tend to not do it. Also, I don't think "alternative" is not an appropriate adjective for clothing. That's only a marketing trick for people to buy expensive garment. Quality and price are not correlated, as you said, it's up to one to decide what's the best fit
Though its a pretty solid trend after about the $150 mark quality of the product drops exponentially. Chances are unless its handmade a $250 item is a lower enjoyable item than say its $50-$75 counterparts.
I do personally find that when I buy something that's an "affordable alternative", I never like it. I always wish it was the thing it's an alternative of. So in that way, I agree with the points made in that article. It's less about "spend $X or you're lame" and more "go for things you like for their own sakes, rather than because it's like something else you'd rather buy". If I really want the more expensive thing, then honestly as douchey as it sounds it's better to just save up for that. who knows, but the time I can afford it I may have thought twice about it and spared the planet the shipping. Just in general, I'm trying to buy fewer, better clothes. and if that means skipping out on trends or not getting everything I want, it's better in the long run for both my wallet and my wardrobe
This may or may not be a layer here, but: To some, clothes are nothing more than a conduit. A way of telling people they have a lot of money without having to walk up to them and literally tell them or flash their bank account, cause then it'd be too obvious they're an insecure superficial douche, so obvious that even they wouldn't be fooled by it themselves. At the very least, these people would be champing at the bit to like such posts, probably repost with obnoxious emojis, a common brainrot signal. Great video btw., I feel pretty strongly about this stuff and you hit several nails on the head.
Some of the most fashionable people I know don't have that much money. They have an aesthetic in mind or are more creative in putting together pieces they find through various means (thrifting, modeling, buying an occasional expensive piece, etc). It's one of those things where if you're not good at it already it may be impossible, though haha
i went to a thrift store and found $200 dress shoes white one that were clean and mint for drum roll please well $14.99 the check out lady marked them down to $9.99 for me cause she was saying she was happy to see there finally getting a home, why may you ask, the size is 14 US men's, and im 13.5 and they fit nice without being to snug. some people may say some shit about the brand being stacy adams but all the people bitching and moaning are people who paid full price, i didnt shit used on ebay that lowest price i could find was $50 I call that a win.
*IM A BESPOKE TAILOR* of mens historical suits - 1890 - 1940 - *SECOND HAND* It is literally self-selecting for higher quality, if its good enough to sell used, its decent quality...!!! EDIT - wrote this before I got to the sponsor bit
This is an interesting idea, I like some of the cheap stuff that I got and I regret some of the expensive things I have bought. I got once a pair of Margiela tabi sneakers in a sale, and this should've made me happy since I was into fashion back then, Margiela being one of my favourite brands but they still didn't made me feel nice even though I had other stuff from the brand that I got years ago
I like to think of each item as an investment. If I can come up with multiple ways I would realistically wear the garment then I buy it. If I can only think of one way to style it then I remove it from my cart with much sadness lol
Its not wack .. i have plenty of clothes that i bought for great deals and looks better than alot of the designer I seen. Its just an excuse for people with money to try to feel better than you.
This video honestly made me realize that a pretty big chunk of my wardrobe consists of "Affordable Alternatives" and could partly be the reason that I shop way more than I should.😅 You made me realize why I gravitate to some pieces more than others and it's never the "Affordable Alternatives". Thank you for basically saving my bank account 🫡
people who like to complain about cheaper alternatives are so privigiled that they dont even realize how it is thought to buy clothes in countries that are in America or Europe, where a basic Ami Paris sweater costs 5x the minimum wage.
Haha wrote this comment before finishing the video, thanks for your response, he must’ve got a crazy good deal, I did a search and there are none from stone island in this price range
Yeah, we really lucked out on it! It was in a video last year about buying steals where me and Ando go over some tips for finding stuff like that cheaply
As long as it's so affordable the fly breaks and my pants fall while I'm walking through the airport and already have my bags checked... I'm with it. Anything else, keep that.
Second-Hand shopping is more hit-miss than many would like me to believe. I've been to plenty of dreadful thrift stores and grungy yard sales and can almost never find pants that fit used at all.
the age-old Cost-per-Wear argument.. but if you outgrow the $150 pair, it costs way more to replace them all every few months or year, too. [so works better if you can see the future or something and know what job you will have, etc.]
fast fashion is wack, affordable is not
Is it fast fashion because You use it 1 month? Or You use it a month because it's fast fashion?
@@TexMackerson it's fast fashion because it's shit quality and unethically made
@@TexMackersonA lot more goes into fast fashion than how long someone chooses to wear it.
I have fast fashion pieces lasted several years
Imagine spending money on big name brands to impress other people to make you feel good about yourself but at the end of the day no one cares
Buying less but better really is the way to go for a wardrobe which you wanna appreciate.
I have so much stuff which I bought because "it was cheap and looked quiet cool", only to wear my more expensive, cooler stuff. :(
Definitely guilty of that!
I like how you advocate for cheaper clothes (if they give you enough satisfaction and if they're decent quality). I think fashion community/environment can be very toxic, so we need more people like you, who explain that everyone can be happy with what they like, and not what others say you should like.
Interesting. I get compliments on all my garments that I bought under $20. I shop at normal department stores. You can have an eye for fashion and be stylish without having a wallet for luxury brands.
100%!
Same, I get compliments all the time and the most expensive item I own is $100 boots. It's all about what cut, texture and color of clothes you choose to pair together. Anything else is convenience/luxury purchases. (Nothing wrong with that.)
@@Mezelenja well said!
by your friends? i mean if you are conventionally attractive, then you can wear anything and get compliments. but most cheap clothes are cheap for a reason: poor quality, poor fabric etc. that's not to say high end clothing can't be terrible either... there is a middle ground where the price and style can hit the sweet spot
@@martinvanburen4578 if you don’t buy current season there are always plenty of sales. There’s a sweet spot in the clearance rack too.
My absolute favorite pair or pants where $15 at Costco. Dark green canvas pants from weatherproof. It’s not tech wear, but it has some elements like zippered pockets. The color is great, comfort is 10/10, and the cut fits me so damn good.
I have many pairs for $400+ Japanese raw denim, and other expensive cargos, but they don’t stack up.
Maybe because they’re cheap, I feel like I don’t need a reason or excuse to wear them, so I wear them a ton.
I think the biggest predictor of whether or not the cheaper item/dupe/whatever will satisfy your craving for the original fashion item is whether or not you even like it, design wise. It’s a simple question, but wanting a thing =/= liking a thing. The more you see something, the more you want it, so while that desire may be authentically felt, it can be, at the end, manufactured. If you remove the price tag, the cool label, the skinny model showing it off and you get a similar looking item at the goodwill bin, does it make you want it less? If yes, the cheaper alternative (or even the og tbh) will not make you happy. The only time an imitation of something can bring you long lasting joy is when it’s aping something you can’t buy for any money, like something that no longer exists.
Definitely think there’s an argument for affordable alternatives that allow a piece to be more versatile - either because it’s not so niche that it only goes with a few other pieces, or that the cost of it doesn’t deter you from wearing it regularly.
Nothing worse that being at the top right of that graph and not wearing something because it’s too much to want to wear out into the wild, or too unique to afford the rest of the outfit to make it shine
That's a really good point actually, where more luxury items are more 'specialised' that could easily be a negative for most potential buyers
agree
I've definitely been on both sides, buying alternatives that don't satisfy that item itch but also finding alternatives that I end up liking even more than the "original"
As you said at the end, when you buy less, analyze more and invest is when it really pays off. Personally have toned down the way I consume by like 70% from last year. It has also helped me refined my taste like crazy
I’ve only bought a handful of pieces this year but I feel very fulfilled with each one of them. My closet still needs a lot of work to get it to where I want to but I’m okay outfit repeating so I’m doing just fine
Man your videos are always well made but the graph that you included was really impressive and well laid out. I agree with everything you're saying and it reminds me of when I bought a Columbia rain jacket on sale thinking it would satiate my need for an Arc'Teryx shell. I ended up buying the Arc'Teryx a few months later but to the Columbia jackets credit, its excellent in heavy rain and has some features the other jacket doesn't, so I am happy that I own both.
affordable is great. for example, i just saw you wearing a pom pom hoodie in this video and i think it's kinda cool, so i might get a 1 dollar pompom and sew it onto a 3 dollar thrift hoodie. clothing is what you make it.
Buying more expensive stuff that will last longer also takes more experience and wisdom. When you buy cheap stuff you can just buy something to try it out, there is less risk.
One personal example for me was the Rick Owens knit beanie. I always liked the look but thought they were overpriced, so I tried to find other beanies that served the same purpose. Somehow I was always dissatisfied with the look, to the point were I thought "I just don't look good in hats like that"... When I finally splurged on one of these beanies on sale, I immedeately got the look I wanted. Could have saved a lot of money and frustration if I just had looked for the original to start with...
Everything is easier when you have money. Most ppl cant even afford food so cant blame them for taking the cheapest option
The key is to not call your clothing affordable or cheap. Instead call it independent and punk. Enjoy your perspective on this.
I kind of agree with the premise on face value, usually when people say "affordable" they mean knock offs or fast fashion, and that's pretty whack tbh.
sure, but then I think he contradicts himself somewhere in there because Thrift Stores are AFFORDABLE clothing.
At this point I've switched from thinking about the up-front cost to thinking of cost-per-wear. It's nice to get a $15 pair of pants, but if you only wear them 5x before they wear out or you get bored then you actually spent more per-wear than if you'd worn a $150 pair every week for a year.
the age-old argument.. but if you outgrow the $150 pair, it costs way more to replace them all every few months or year, too.
@@Highland_Paddyoutgrow?
If you are spending your own money on clothes, one would assume you've stopped growing.
If you meant outgrowing stylistically every couple of months, you don't have a style to worry about.
@@gitnjur No, I meant GAINING WEIGHT primarily, like happens to most college sophomores and then again after every 2-3 years for many adults or whatever.
I think you can’t just buy everything by equation. For starters, it eliminates SOME of the fun of curation. Also, I have a bunch of stuff that’s meant to be long-lasting quality and all that, but I live in So Cal, where much of it hangs in the closet unused most of the year. We had a long, hot summer and I was mostly wearing the same crap t-shirts and shorts over and over and laundering them pretty frequently and they didn’t all fall apart and I’ll have most of them for next year again, but there would have been no point in trying to wear heavy wool trousers to try and get my Money’s Worth out of the purchases. I still don’t consider them a waste of money, either, though, because they will still be durable and all that supposedly when they DO get worn.
Gal has baby; doesn’t fit nice clothes anymore. Now has to decide on her own wardrobe replacement vs. baby clothes and other stuff. [scenario ripped from today's headlines...]
I've recently gotten to a place where I know what I will and won't like and I only buy something if I know it'll be quality, last me a while, and I genuinely like it. It''s why even on RUclips I tend to follow fashion people who don't do hauls and try to get you to consume, and instead and like to add philosophical/ethical elements to their channel. We all have to stop over consuming and become more conscious of our relationship with buying clothes and channels that are more about consumption, instead of appreciation have a lot of people falling into traps that they "need" something, and if they can't get that something, they'll get the alternative, then the cycle will keep going on and on. If we are aware of the tactics that are used in the fashion industry to keep us as constant consumers then I hope we will start to become more conscious buyers and contribute less to the fast fashion behemoth.
My favorite clothes are the things I made myself. I don't fit the fads but I have styke.
This video is one of your best yet! The advice combined with the ability to see some of the stuff you've worn before laid out in an easy to find way is amazing way to dial in my own style in a more efficient and easy way. Also this seems like a good time to ask, what are those black strapped sandals you wear in some of the warmer season videos? They've drawn my eye and since they're not on your shop, I'd like to find out where to get them or other high quality alternates for summer!
Also a suggestion! It would be nice to see tags under items that aren't shown in their shop page. Like if you show something on yourself as a model shot, or put up a picture of a pair of shoes or pants and don't say their names out loud in the video, it would be nice to see the name of the product as a little caption to the image in the video. It would even be a cool visual to have like a 'spec list' looking pop up alongside your model shots to name the pieces you're wearing to make them easier to find?
for me, its about the sillouette, the quality and purpose of the item. if all three can be met at a lower cost, why not? and old stock is an amazing way of meeting such criteria - i recently picked up a pair of adidas 4d run sneakers for SGD78 (about USD60). while ultra 4Ds are SGD350 at retail! but yeah affordable alternatives are okay as long as you truly like what you buy!
Very interesting vid.
Does anyone else purchase "cheaper" versions of clothing to see how they like them and if yiu do like them, go out and purchase the more expensive version? I find myself doing this more often and donating the cheap versions if I don't like them or if I go and get the more expensive version.
I got the puma thunder spectras because I liked the Yeezy 700’s wave runners and was never fully satisfied but now that I got both, I honestly like each one almost the same.
Lmao I just watched the video and he talked about the same shoes 💀
This is such an interesting topic. As someone who just graduated from uni budget has always been the thing holding me back from getting the things i like. I compensate by focusing on my physique and looking for pieces that look the part and compliments my body but reasonably priced, making sure they all look like a cohesive fit.
It might be interesting if u could cover the importance between the clothes itself and the person wearing it
this will largely depend upon your first real job, so you will have to factor in "office" or "workplace culture" with your budget and go from there. If nobody else wears suits, you might still wear sport jackets to look the part more, etc.
Interesting video.
Defo agree with the original argument about how cheap alternatives will not make you as satisfied as the real deal will.
To me, the best alternatives you can buy are when the original product you like is not outrageously original, like a plain oversized hoodie such as the Gap Yeezy one. You can easily find similar heavyweight hoodies that are cheaper without feeling like it’s a cope.
Another good way of purchasing the right alternatives that are cheaper is with collabs: instead of buying the Collab buy the original silhouette! It’s the exact same thing without a few details.
But like you said: never cheap out on quality.
To me, the 3 most important things when it comes to fashion is quality, silhouette and dressing for the occasion.
A good example for me of an affordable alternative is thrifting some waxed skinny jeans for like 24$ instead of spending close to 1k ok rick owens memphis denim. You do not need to spend alot of money to find staple high quality peices for your style
I do tend to find unexpected favorites at thrift stores. Maybe because someone already picked it out once. But to once more add a sewing perspective, it's totally normal to customize your clothes, and making adjustments on that new find, thrifted or new, can make miles of improvement in terms of fit and style. Sometimes I buy things expressly for the purpose of customizing, and while maybe I should consider things other than edgy vests and cargo pants- I do love them
7:21 I've wasted so much money buying the cheaper alternative of certain items thinking it'll suffice. Inevitably I just buy the more expensive item. Now, I just wait and save for a few months. Only then if I still want that item will I buy it. This method has saved me lots of money and closet space.
thrifted fishing vests were my whole vibe this summer .. one black mesh, one tan canvas that zips off into a crop+patched it w punk shit . i didn't spend more than $20 on either and they're iconic
You get what you pay. If you look around hard enough and spend a little more. You'll find timeless pieces. I found most of my thirfted and 2nd hand pieces are my favorite compared to the newer stuff I've bought on sale.
I'm known to be really picky, so much that I dislike online shopping as I can't predict the physical sensations of wearing that garnment or how exactly it will fit me. has definitely helped my style but I am not daring to buy designer second hand online
The main reason I like to look at the affordable alternative list is that you sometimes can find some pretty interresting stuff thats kind of under the radar or just discover some new brand.
Especially if you like a military style and camo pattern just go and buy some military surplus stuff in most cases way cheaper and often more durable. And you technically get the original stuff.
Wrangler is back $60 for jeans, Carhartt has an upper tier clothing line (wip). Calvin Klein has handful of jeans made in Portugal for $200.
As sacrilegious as it might sound, I actually don't like a lot of the Acronym pieces as much as some of the other adjacent designers in the space, not because they're simply more expensive, but because I personally don't connect with the often extreme futurism that the pieces convey: a few exceptions for me being the J117 and the P23A varieties. So they fit firmly in the "Bad Zone" for me, but there are other brands from the far more "affordable" SEA Techwear groups, and more comparable brands like Enfin leve whose pieces I really enjoy, that I have used to build a fairly tight, buy very modular wardrobe I do genuinely enjoy every piece of, and can mix and match anything basically at will. With day to day basics like Tees from high street names like Uniqlo, and accessories from Orbit Gear, Aoku, and some less overt tactical and outdoor gear from Viper, Pentagon and Helikon to round out the lot.
This could be a podcast, affordable is different for everyone, also when getting by into new styles, buying affordable first can help ppl determine if they want to dive in or not and with new styles, what happens if you like the look but the company who makes the best of the best product that you love but you are in between sizes, do you spend a bunch on something you love but doesn’t fit right or getting an alternative that might be the one but fits you much better
Lots of interesting ideas to mull over. For me, as far as substitutes go, I distinguish between times when I have a strong personal attachment to a specific higher priced piece and when I am simply interested in trying out a new idea. In the first case, any potential replacement will probably be a flop because it won't live up to the original, but when I am just after a general idea, i find using an affordable version to test the waters is ideal. As an example, this year I wanted to try wearing lighter colored trousers because I tend toward very saturated shades. Spending a mint was not ideal because I wasn't even sure I would like what I bought. I found some chalky, off white jeans from Uniqlo and discovered that particularly on overcast days, I really enjoyed the option. I don't have a strong desire to upgrade them to a higher end variant because I'm accomplishing my aim satisfactorily.
And regarding the graph, this was really useful. I've attempted to shop with this mindset, but I hadn't really considered the red "no buy" zones. This will be useful come the tail end of sale season. I deal with these issues often as my wish lists are generally split between Lemaire and Uniqlo U. At one point, I'd tried to convince myself that if I could afford L's pieces sporadically, I'd probably move away from U because it would be a lower quality substitute. More recently, I've accepted that many of my most worn pieces have actually come from the secondary line, so I am sometimes more excited for these collections than the mainline runway because I know I can more comfortably select what I like. From fall winter, there was a padded peacoat in a lovely azuki color added to the women's collection that is apparently a complete sales flop. It is down in the $50 range now, but I'd gladly bought it at $150 when first released. I ended up liking it more than a similar piece I had paid substantially more for at Lemaire. Also, the U suiting has served me quite well. They tend to make very masculine women's pieces that almost no one wants, so I've picked up some beautiful looking outfits for jaw droppingly low prices. I'm aware that the "quality" isn't comparable to a tailormade suit, but I've found myself more at home in their jersey suiting than in a lot of my more formal clothes. These pieces absolutely hit that sweet spot of affordability, frequent use, and excitement.
For me it's really all about finding what kind of stuff I like and finding styles that suit me. Everything looks more expensive if it fits really well. I can also sew well enough to change my clothes if necessary so that also helps.
For everything else I shop a lot of secondhand stuff and always buy out of season as much as I can to tet the cheaper deals. Right now the last few summer pieces are really cheap for example and I know my style well enough to buy now and still like it when I can eventually wear it in a few months
I think this is a great system, one exception where I personally would go for a cheaper option is workwear, if I have to dress in a style I don't love anyway, I would choose comfortable and cheap over slightly more my style.
Very often I like the affordable "version" more than the original! Except the Issey Miyake plisse pants: only the original looks good!
Fashion doesn't exist in a vacuum, it serves a purpose and has a use-case. Am I going to wear my most expensive trousers and jumper to work every day? Definitely not. Am I going to wear my cheapest, "lay around the house" clothes to work every day? Also no. When I'm going out to buy milk is not the same as going out to eat at a nice restraunt and drinks in a cocktail bar. Affordability is relative, but I spend most time in work and those are my mid tier clothes that are limited in aesthetic approach, but still with some scope to look 'office smart casual' and ones i dont mind washing and wearing every week. My cheapest clothes are the ones I wear when mooching around the house and dont mind if i dribble the cold baked beans im eating from the can as i lay on the sofa infront of netflix all over them. I keep my top tier stuff for "occasions" so that they stay looking new and fresh. I know each time i wear an item i risk it getting stained, torn or damaged - it's the risk you take. On that basis, purchase appropriately to your budget and for the intended use. Like you don't need to wear your best Rick Owens Kiss Boots if you're walking through a muddy field in the rain to go and pick up milk and a loaf of bread... in that situation an affordable pair of boots is clearly winning.
My graph would be more like a root function. The cheapest stuff is mostly not that great and at some point the increase in price just doesn't bring any advantages anymore.
some items just can't be gotten for less, though.
yeah that's also true@@Highland_Paddy
Gonna use your store to learn what brands I should check out and what kind of clothes im looking for.
I have bought 5 pieces this year, but all of them have been high quality and will be in my wardrobe for years to come.
guess it depends on each person when it comes to "affordable alternatives" . I believe adidas sambas retail for 130-140 CAD and I bought the Puma super pima liga ogs for 90 CAD. Antwon brings up a solid point like the temporary dopamine rush, but I can say that I like the Pima Ligas more than I did originally. They are a daily in my wardrobe and they have quite the usage already
I hate spending lots of money on clothes if I don’t have to. Aside from most of my layering pieces, the majority of my clothes are stuff I randomly find on sale. One of my outifts that gets complimented a lot I literally bought all at GAP for maybe $25 total.
Well, you're better off in the long run, but I still think GAP is overpriced and boring.
One of my favourite tops was £20 and its a zip through jumper with a look I can only say is think corpo from cyberpunk its a really nice top and it came in my size which was nice as a lot of fashion brands do not reach my size in any way wish I was smaller but I have to shop in the big and tall section I see tons of clothes I would love but I can't wear them as they do not support my size requirements so dressing in what fits is my style.
Secondhand. I’m a guitarist, and really honed the principal of never buy new stuff there. The things I buy are pre-owned but they may as well be new on the floor. Do you know what I mean? Our society is extremely consumerist to where people buy things, never wear them maybe wear them a couple times and then pass them on. I get all my clothes from specifically searching for them online secondhand or thrift shops and I’m not ashamed to admit that because my style is very unique for that reason then I can find things that actually fit me as a muscular shorter man with long-ish legs. I guess in that way I was forced to always look outside of the mall
Great subject Ant, thanks for making us think about these things! Now gonna check out your store 😬
And whaaaa, magic trick at 12:06 !
southern hemisphere mentioned WOO
I know it's not cheap but cp company's metropolis line is discounted on the Fraser websites for people in the UK, got their 2 in 1 for half price and saved £500 on it
Homme plisse pants are polyester... same as ones from other brands offerring the "plisse" element . the only real argument to be made about getting the ones from issey is if the cut/shape is perfect/is the favourite for you. (400 for plastic pants is an awful take lol, buy something with premium materials and construction lol)
I like affordable alternatives for things that I’m not too sure about. For example, I got into parachute pants by finding a cheap $20 pair and have branched out from there. I recently bought a kind of expensive pair and am going to take them to the tailor to get the fit I want. So yeah affordable alternatives are good for trying out new things imo but I wouldn’t rely on them for the core of the wardrobe.
To me the line you drew would be inverted, I like far less expensive clothing because I think about how much it cost when I wear it and tend to not do it. Also, I don't think "alternative" is not an appropriate adjective for clothing. That's only a marketing trick for people to buy expensive garment. Quality and price are not correlated, as you said, it's up to one to decide what's the best fit
Though its a pretty solid trend after about the $150 mark quality of the product drops exponentially. Chances are unless its handmade a $250 item is a lower enjoyable item than say its $50-$75 counterparts.
I do personally find that when I buy something that's an "affordable alternative", I never like it. I always wish it was the thing it's an alternative of. So in that way, I agree with the points made in that article. It's less about "spend $X or you're lame" and more "go for things you like for their own sakes, rather than because it's like something else you'd rather buy". If I really want the more expensive thing, then honestly as douchey as it sounds it's better to just save up for that. who knows, but the time I can afford it I may have thought twice about it and spared the planet the shipping. Just in general, I'm trying to buy fewer, better clothes. and if that means skipping out on trends or not getting everything I want, it's better in the long run for both my wallet and my wardrobe
My "very cool zone" is a pair of light ripped jeans from a GAP outlet sale, 10 dollars.
This may or may not be a layer here, but: To some, clothes are nothing more than a conduit.
A way of telling people they have a lot of money without having to walk up to them and literally tell them or flash their bank account, cause then it'd be too obvious they're an insecure superficial douche, so obvious that even they wouldn't be fooled by it themselves. At the very least, these people would be champing at the bit to like such posts, probably repost with obnoxious emojis, a common brainrot signal. Great video btw., I feel pretty strongly about this stuff and you hit several nails on the head.
Some of the most fashionable people I know don't have that much money. They have an aesthetic in mind or are more creative in putting together pieces they find through various means (thrifting, modeling, buying an occasional expensive piece, etc). It's one of those things where if you're not good at it already it may be impossible, though haha
the only affordable alternative for me would be reps of the LV virgil abloh 508 transparent sneaker which goes for like over 10k
i went to a thrift store and found $200 dress shoes white one that were clean and mint for drum roll please
well $14.99 the check out lady marked them down to $9.99 for me cause she was saying she was happy to see there finally getting a home, why may you ask, the size is 14 US men's, and im 13.5 and they fit nice without being to snug. some people may say some shit about the brand being stacy adams but all the people bitching and moaning are people who paid full price, i didnt shit used on ebay that lowest price i could find was $50 I call that a win.
*IM A BESPOKE TAILOR* of mens historical suits - 1890 - 1940 - *SECOND HAND* It is literally self-selecting for higher quality, if its good enough to sell used, its decent quality...!!!
EDIT - wrote this before I got to the sponsor bit
must disagree with the lede, im new here, all i can afford is stuff of poshmark, im unbelievably happy with my closet now. Love the show :)
I have enjoyed most of my affordable clothing, and many cheap ones. But we get the picture...
This is an interesting idea, I like some of the cheap stuff that I got and I regret some of the expensive things I have bought.
I got once a pair of Margiela tabi sneakers in a sale, and this should've made me happy since I was into fashion back then, Margiela being one of my favourite brands but they still didn't made me feel nice even though I had other stuff from the brand that I got years ago
favorite fashion guy strikes again
I like to think of each item as an investment. If I can come up with multiple ways I would realistically wear the garment then I buy it. If I can only think of one way to style it then I remove it from my cart with much sadness lol
Like VS Quality of Materials is more important than cost.
This video was made for the gatekeepers in the acronym channel on discord lmao
Its not wack .. i have plenty of clothes that i bought for great deals and looks better than alot of the designer I seen. Its just an excuse for people with money to try to feel better than you.
The mentality of designer always = better is very cringe
I got two rl hoodies both £4 at charity the shop… buying new shit is rarely me
What are good second hand sites for clothing other than the sponsor?
This video honestly made me realize that a pretty big chunk of my wardrobe consists of "Affordable Alternatives" and could partly be the reason that I shop way more than I should.😅
You made me realize why I gravitate to some pieces more than others and it's never the "Affordable Alternatives".
Thank you for basically saving my bank account 🫡
Sorry for maybe a silly question, but does anyone know the ID on his necklace? Preliminary googling didn't find it for me.
It's from Drought! They don't have this specific one any more but they release things occasionally with a similar retro tech theme
@@ThisIsAntwon Ok yeah I just checked them out and their stuff is sick, I will keep an eye out. Ty so much for replying btw!
Most dripoped out people i know make their own clothes or buy them from thrift stores for less than McMenu.
I've spent $140 on pants but also 60% of my wardrobe is from Walmart. You gotta be strategic.
i can't believe i just seen James Ferraro wearing the fuсking Skechers my boy
people who like to complain about cheaper alternatives are so privigiled that they dont even realize how it is thought to buy clothes in countries that are in America or Europe, where a basic Ami Paris sweater costs 5x the minimum wage.
I wish more people would see that it's about HOW you wear it, not WHAT you wear.
omg Antwon and I have the same tee
axel was a bad example you should of put koio
You're right, Koio definitely a better example! To their credit Axel do have a whole clothing line etc.
I would never buy £200 stan smiths instead of £290 stan smiths😤
Cool messages in here. I love you
what was the 60 pound jacket at the start of the video?
Some sort of Stone Island liner jacket
If that helps :)
Haha wrote this comment before finishing the video, thanks for your response, he must’ve got a crazy good deal, I did a search and there are none from stone island in this price range
Yeah, we really lucked out on it! It was in a video last year about buying steals where me and Ando go over some tips for finding stuff like that cheaply
Uniqlo recommended. Me happy.
Amazing video
NEW ANT LETS FUCKING GO!
The pfp fits 🤯
Jackets and Footwear are where you spend the money...
Everything else is mostly Fit based, over Cost.
3:22 does anyone know where the boots are from?
london fog
holborn boots
Brilliant!
affordable isnt the same as cheap, and i do think cheap clothing is usually trash
As long as it's so affordable the fly breaks and my pants fall while I'm walking through the airport and already have my bags checked... I'm with it.
Anything else, keep that.
I just buy the best-looking stuff I see at a thrift store
Ant, you contradict yourself. What’s with the 200$ rule? Uniqlo? I thought you oppose fast fashion and the exploitative industry behind 🤷
you can only wear one pair of pants at a time, they might as well be baller
I think superficial and money grab made fashion is wack.
Got a Maison Mihara Yasuhiro tee (MSRP 500) for like $40 on depop bc someone didn't know what they had
If you're broke af, fashion isn't for you
The only thing Im going to wack is that like and subscribe button ayo
Already my initial graphs would differ from his a bit, although maybe not the entire philosophy so far. Still ten minutes to go...
I still like some of my CHEAP clothing but also wouldn't sit around in a 3 piece Armani suit to watch TV or rake the lawn.
OK, fashion forward is just ill-fitting nonsense that I could get WAY CHEAPER at Big-5 if I want a fishing vest????
Second-Hand shopping is more hit-miss than many would like me to believe. I've been to plenty of dreadful thrift stores and grungy yard sales and can almost never find pants that fit used at all.
"Affordable" is also a mushy term because you're not breaking it down by payscale and all that.
the age-old Cost-per-Wear argument.. but if you outgrow the $150 pair, it costs way more to replace them all every few months or year, too. [so works better if you can see the future or something and know what job you will have, etc.]
8:45