When Shopping for Men's Clothing

The time has come to enhance that special someone's wardrobe or you may be that man shopping for self. There are some things you may want to think about if you don't often shop online for men's clothes.

Sizing

Some shoppers tend to play the guessing game when it comes to shopping for men's clothes. They assume that one size fits all or that a medium size of a particular brand is the same size medium for another brand. Not so. You may want to visit a store that carries the brand first or check your wardrobe first for that brand before assuming it will fit for your body frame. Also, check the comment section to to find out if anyone says something like, "This item runs small...it fits tight...it's too loose or too bulky." Comments might be helpful in determining if a shirt or pant will fit you. Be sure you measure your waist if it has been awhile since you bought clothing for yourself.

Color

The color you see online, may not be what you expect when it arrives in the mail. Some colors on clothing change under certain lighting conditions. Be sure that you can view the item closer by selecting a zoom option on or under the image you are viewing. Some clothing changes under certain lighting conditions. A red might be brighter than expected. A dark blue might look black no matter how much light appears on the item.

Style

Consider your appearance when picking out athletic apparel and casual wear. An older face can be a bad match for an outfit that is typically worn by youth. Grey hair can clash with some colors. Large collars, pockets on casual t-shirts in solid colors that fit snug, can make some men look older and dare I say it, tacky if they have a large waistline.

Horizontal stripes along with other similar patterns can be bothersome on the eyes depending on how large the man is. Quarter length shirts with floral patterns (like Hawaiian style shirts) that hang outside the waistline, can make some men appear older and bigger than their natural size. Therefore, be sure you have viewed yourself in your desired style in a fitting room before you order your item online. Take someone with you when you visit an offline store or ask a store clerk for his or her honest opinion.

Jeans and Athletic Wear

It's unfortunate, but not every man looks good in a pair of jeans. Some men wear pants that actually make their behind flat looking, and others wear their jeans too low which gives an illusion that there is something hiding back there.There are those men who wear jeans tight in the front (think: the skinny style jeans) as if he is letting the world know how blessed he is while others wear the front of their pants too lose that you have to look down for awhile just to see the bottom of the zipper seam.

The sag look has long been out of style according to fashion designers in the Hip Hop industry. Yet, some young and old men actually wear the sag look as if to make a statement, "I'm cool." Any respectable person attending a business event doesn't want to be seen with a sagging in the back, drooping in the front pant wearing guy. It's just ugly, so be sure the jean fits all the way around and it's tattered or torn look if you are one of those guys attempting to wear jeans to a formal function with a suit coat. The same holds true for athletic wear (although I have yet to see a man allowing his underwear or butt crack to show wearing athletic gear) -- thank God! However, the elastic band at the top of jogging pants shouldn't be displayed and if one must wear elastic around the ankle, don't allow it to rise up the calves. Can we say, grandpa? The straight-legged jogging pant is better to view above all athletic pants--in my personal opinion. I posted an example of one for 40-50 something year old males (even though young men can wear this item too.)

Now when shopping for these items, be sure to watch for "too good to be true" pricing such as buy one get two free. Sometimes those "out of this world" deals are really for products that have defects or damage somewhere on the garment especially if you are buying from a wholesaler. Check thoroughly in the clothing description when visiting websites screaming these deals to be sure there is no disclaimer. Also, check for comments below the merchandise. Sometimes buyers will indicate whether a pant leg was too tight around the thighs (weight lifters should watch for this,) the elastic waist was too small (those with large bellies should be mindful,) or was simply too short (tall men beware.)

Material

What a turnoff to see a man driving an expensive car wearing a pauper's clothing when he steps out, ugh! Some men will grab up sale items in a local drug store or dollar store and wear them with pride (and yes some drug stores do carry men's seasonal tops and bottoms.) There are those cheap cotton shirts that collect cotton balls after the first wash and pants that begin to rip at the seams after a few wears. Learn to read clothing labels neatly tucked inside the clothing to find out whether an item is 100% cotton or blended. Know what materials like polyester and nylon feel and look like. Some blends are inexpensive and obviously cheap looking while other blends tend to look very nice. Here's a tip:

When buying a short-sleeved patterned shirt in a solid color that is 100% polyester it will look nice on an older man, but not so much on a younger man. There is a slight gleam to the material. A shirt that has less than 30% polyester with 70% cotton is easy on the eyes and any age will do (depending on the cut and style--of course,) but a button down wrinkle-free shirt with short collars made of 100% cotton is not only good-looking, but spells quality in a solid color! Can I get your number?

Now what if you can't afford some of those expensive name brands, you can still find attractive looking clothing online, just remember to study what is cheap looking and always read the label when shopping offline to get familiar. I might add know your measurements too! You can go to a professional tailor to measure your frame simply by shopping in a suit store. Don't worry over buying, just get those measurements so you won't place an incorrect order online.

Here are a few tips when shopping for inexpensive clothing online:

• Buy in bulk. This way you aren't wearing and washing it as often. In addition, check out specials on dry-cleaning so that you can maintain the item's appearance this way too.
• Shop thrift stores only after you have become familiar with the latest fashion trends, otherwise you just might start dressing your man like your father or some other elderly male relative.
• If you are a male shopping for your self, talk to a loved one about contributing to your wardrobe. He or she may be likely to buy a quality item as a gift for you.
• Visit yard sales and flea markets. A friendly reminder, only do this if you know what flatters your body.
• Watch for store signs that offer 50% or more off select items.
• When shopping online go to the clearance section to see what's on sale. When shopping offline go straight to the back of the store.

Have fun shopping!

Some wait all year for Black Friday and Cyber Monday specials during holiday seasons. There are many discounted items on Amazon when it comes to media, apparel, electronics and more. So take a moment to look up your favorite item. I personally like visiting shops like Amazon, because of the many lengthy reviews on products.

Shop Amazon - Black Friday Deals Week

Shop Amazon - Cyber Monday Deals Week

Before you click that button to pay for those items in your online cart, did you check for coupons? I can't tell you how many times I have shopped online and failed to do this! Always and I do mean always, do a coupon code search simply by typing in the name of the company and then add the name of the store. Some of the best places online to get coupon codes consistently rank high in the search engines. However, you can always check the reviews of a site to find out if it is one worth bookmarking.

The coupons I tend to find are usually for free shipping (if you spend a certain amount), discounts off the total purchase, and other specials if you shop in a certain department that specific day.

Those who take the time to leave comments about merchandise are God-sent! I can't tell you how many times I escaped making the wrong choice about an item, because I took the time to read about 10 or 15 comments about it before leaving it in my cart. When you know you are shopping for a big or tall man you definitely want to pay attention to what people are saying about the merchandise on the site. But what if there are no reviews, check another store or simply put the name of the product in the search engine and include the word "review".

Looking for cheap men's clothing is not necessarily easy, unless you sacrifice quality, but isn't that difficult if you can dedicate some significant time in searching for cheap men's clothing. Some things you might want to do are as follows.

1. Have a specific item in mind. For instance, you might type something like, mens cheap dark blue jeans size 36/32. The stores that usually appear on the first page are popular and are known for having periodic sales, but don't just stop with who you know, every now again there are those lesser known stores that have those unbelievable deals on shirts, pants, and other clothing that tends to take longer to sale. If you have no problem with color, style, or maybe some imperfection (read the description) then you will come away with much! I have been known to find men's clothing for under $20 and didn't have to settle with something cheap in quality either.

2. Know when and where to shop. Find out when stores want you to buy most. When holidays come around or special events like Black Friday, everyone is competing with those free shipping deals, but some are actually increasing the price of items. So check your favorite stores and compare prices; therefore you don't end up paying more for something that was just on sale a month ago before the holiday season.

3. Online auction sites and thrift stores are your best places for pre-owned clothing, but not always the wisest choice to shop for clothes. Private sellers don't get the breaks on shipping like big chains and they aren't always honest. However, they are worth checking just in case someone does post a bargain item.

4. Wholesalers can have some good deals sometimes. The wholesale distribution companies can slash prices because they are selling in lots usually to stores, but sometimes to individuals to with a business license. There are those privately owned companies that don't require a business license for individuals and businesses to buy from them, but they don't have the best deals. So if you want to really buy a pair of jeans for yourself for pennies on the dollar and are willing to sell a rack full too, then it might be worth getting into the clothing business at least until you exhaust of it and have made some profit.

5. Check the clearance section of these online stores. If I said it once, I will say it again, look for the tab or button in an online store that says, "deals," "sales" or "clearance" and see what you might find.

6. If your "cheap" long sleeve mens shirt, pants, etc. keywords don't bring desired results, you can always check with bloggers who write about the men's clothing industry, because you just might find on their pages comments from real people who have managed to find some gold nugget websites that consistently offer up good prices on select men's merchandise.

NOTE: For my frugal fans, to date, the best place to find mens jeans for under $15 is Walmart and eBay. If you live in or visit Los Angeles, you know you are to go to the clothing district in downtown Los Angeles--lol.