Understanding Value
“Oh, I can’t afford that.”
I stare at my friend, perplexed, as the sunlight reflects off his nearly $80,000 car over his shoulder. Searching for the words to say next, I remember the vacation he just got back from, and the next one he’s leaving for in a few weeks.
“Can’t afford, or don’t value?”
“What do you mean?” We’re both perplexed now.
This friend had asked me where to go to purchase a suit for a wedding he had coming up and how much it would cost. In fact, he needed a suit in general as he did not own one at the time. Like many guys I know, a special event served as the catalyst for pulling the trigger on one. I asked what he was looking for, details about the wedding, plus how and where he would wear the suit after the wedding. I also took into account his build. He could buy off of the rack, but I felt he would be much better served going the made-to-measure route. I told him about $800 - $1,000 for a quality made-to-measure suit that would fit well and he’d get a lot of use out of.
Given the complexity of my build, the frequency of which I wear suits, and they enjoyment wearing them brings me, the value of paying for custom-made is worth the money to me.
A few weeks later, that friend told me he purchased a “stretchy suit” for about $400. He was happy, and I was happy that he was happy. The fact of the matter is he could’ve afforded the suit I recommended, he just didn’t see the value in it. Which is fine, as there are some items I don’t value as highly. More on that later.
If I was to put suits into five tiers in terms of pricing, I would say the suit I recommended was in the second most affordable tier. I always stress the importance of play when developing one’s own personal style. That includes trying on clothes in different price points to see if the cost is worth the value or not. I know a number of male friends, family members, and current or former colleagues who loathe wearing “dress clothes” because they find them to be uncomfortable. However, more often than not, the dress clothes I see those same guys wearing are cheaply made and don’t fit well. I guarantee they would think differently about dress clothes if they invested a little extra money into them, but they won’t because they don’t see the value in those items or wear them as often as I do.
Two of my favorite watches that I own are technically women’s watches that cost about $500 or less.
Watches are an example of something I don’t spend a lot of money on that many guys I know personally do. My collection ranges from a $40 digital Casio to a leather band, mechanical Tissot and metal band Seiko that each cost no more than $500. Technically, they’re also both women’s watches with slender bands and smaller faces. If you’re wondering why I like these and gravitate towards this style, there are three reasons. First, I don’t have big hands and the proportion of a big watch on a small or medium sized hand looks off to me. Second, I often wear long-sleeved button-down shirts. Wearing a big watch requires a big cuff on your shirt to accommodate it, and it’s more challenging having shirts made with a big cuff big that also stays in place when you bend and move your arm. The final reason I like smaller watches is stylistically and in jest of “bigger is better” watch guys who try to one-up each other and purchase gaudy, big watches as a status symbol. Whatever floats your boat, but I find it funny walking into a room or a bar with a bunch of guys with watches nearly the size of a hockey puck, and then there’s me with a women’s watch that I honestly like the style of. But ultimately, smaller, more subdued watches simply fit my body’s proportions better and are more suitable for the way I dress.
I will admit, there’s a dream watch I’d really like to have some day that costs about $10,000, but only in the event that I win the lottery or am fortunate enough that I have more money than I know what to do with. It is also on the smaller side as far as men’s watches go and very in line with the style I described above. But right now, I just don’t see the value in paying more than a few hundred dollars for a watch. I have tried on my dream watch and others that cost over $25,000, but they do nothing for me. I would rather pay a few thousand dollars for a suit, which I need for work and enjoy wearing more than any other article of clothing, than an accessory that I would deem a “nice-to-have”. Another distinction is I purchase items that I value and enjoy wearing regardless of whether they will appreciate or not, as opposed to some guys who buy a particular watch or other bit of clothing as an investment.
It is also important to understand what the cost of something is going towards. Is the item designer and therefore a large percentage of that the cost is for a prominently displayed brand name? Or, is the brand name not displayed anywhere and the cost going almost entirely into the craftsmanship? I have seen, felt, and experienced the value of a custom, well-made, and properly fitting suit. The utility, comfort, and longevity it provides is, to me, more valuable than what a watch of the same cost provides. That is just my personal preference, but I wouldn’t have arrived there without trying on and experiencing each.
My point here is guys should educate themselves on the value of menswear items and learn where to place that value. Doing so allows for a greater understanding of where their dollar is going, thus resulting in smarter purchases. Additionally, and if not more importantly, guys will be more content with the things they already own and know that, for example, a bigger, flashier, more expensive watch won’t make them (meaning me) happier. A suit, however, now we’re talking.