Is This Forum on a Downward Spiral?

[PaulAnderson]

I’m starting to find a few posts on here a bit pretentious, and I feel it is causing the forum to drift from its roots. The think I liked about FashionBeans was that it wasn’t filled with over priced designer clothing. A lot of the items feature a broad range of items from high end to TopMan, but with a real focus on realistic ways to achieve a more fashionable or stylish look.

I’ve seen a number of posts now with people asking for advice on what to buy with x amount of money, only to be told to make purchases that are clearly ridiculous for the poster.

If I want advice on what two items to buy with £100, I don’t want to be told to just buy one item, or to find more money to buy something more expensive. Honestly, how realistic is it that if somebody generally spends around £50 max on an item, that they’ll all of a sudden be willing to double that at the drop of a hat.

The NZJames post is another example. If my parents wanted to spend £200 on me for Christmas, they would certainly be upset if I suggested them spending it all on one item, let alone telling them that I’d rather put it towards a £600 cardigan. I’m sure they’d see either as pretty ungrateful.

I’d actually love to know how much of your salary you are willing to spend on clothing.

I’m an IT contractor, but would be very reluctant to even spend a days money in a month on clothing on a regular basis. I’d never consider spending £500+ on knitwear, or £2000+ on a bespoke suit.

I had a conversation with a tailor from Gresham Blake recently, and even he said he would never recommend a bespoke suit over a made to measure suit (£750) for anybody, unless they really wanted one, or needed one (due to unusual proportions).

Even our resident staff member William Colman has suggested he wants a Bespoke Thom Sweeney 3 piece, but is finding rent, food and cider is getting in the way. Realistically, how likely is this purchase, even if £2000+ cash was to come your way? If £2000 landed on my lap, the last thing on my mind would be a bespoke suit.

Now I’m certainly not having a go at William as we all have dreams, and often unrealistic. My concern is when these dreams start influencing our opinions and suggestions to others. Personally I’d love to be able to justify spending £200 on knitwear every time I want a jumper or cardigan, but that isn’t going to stop me suggesting somebody buy from TopMan or Next if they’re budget suits better.

Personally I think this forum needs to be based on realistic advice, not fantasy.

[Ben Herbert]

I can understand your point Paul but unfortunately I guess it is up to the individual on how much they would wish to spend on clothes on a monthly basis. I for one don't actually spend a large amount on clothing each month even though you might think running a Fashion site I would (or even should). Like you say, guys shouldn't be discriminated for purchasing cheaper high street clothing, just as guys shouldn't be labelled 'pretentious' because they want to throw good money at their clothing.

I am a big believer in investing good money in certain items once (made to measure suit, quality footwear, good outerwear etc.) but otherwise I will shop the high street and vintage for bargains because when you pair them with more expensive pieces you see the outfit as a whole. However, I know quite a few guys who ONLY shop the high street and create AMAZING outfits for way less than £100. I know for a fact they could out dress many males who only buy premium designer labels.

I do agree with you that we should all offer realistic advice on the forum. If someone does state a price range then let's help them stick to it and find items that suit where they are right now in their life. With the economy as it is, not many people can stretch their budget right now.

We are all about providing a range of price ranges on every single article on FashionBeans and that ethos should really continue into the community we are building as well. However that obviously goes both ways - high quality examples and the budget finds.

Hopefully everyone who reads the site and takes part in the community realises that each person has individual needs and tastes, so we should adapt the advice to them personally and not just enforce our own opinions on them.

In terms of William's dream - each to their own. It could be tongue in cheek or a true aspiration for him. Either way it doesn't make his opinions any less valid on here or the advice he gives weekly for free (which includes lower priced product picks) any less relevant.

Let's just all try to get along and help each other out

[William Colman]

I think my aspirations of a Thom Sweeney 3 Piece are a long way off, it's more of a joke at the moment, I had intended to slowly fill up my fund with a few pounds here and there; I'd be waiting years, it would represent a kind of labour of love.

Someone actually commented on my last article that a lot of the products used where too expensive, particularly for students or those without a consistent source of income so you are not the only one. In the end I think it comes down to your attitude towards fashion and clothes; on one side we have the investment shoppers, the people that want to spend more on their clothes because that suits their preconceptions, their parameters if you will. On the other side we have the people who would much rather spend less on their clothes and so stick to the lower end of the high street. Neither group is wrong, it's just how we as individuals shop.

Personally, I am an investor, I will spend more on my clothes (not ridiculous amounts of course) because in my mind, the extra money gives me better fit, better quality, better longevity and greater satisfaction in what I have bought, whether you agree with this is entirely up to you, but it is the way my mind works. I want a fully bespoke suit, purely because I really really would like to own one, but I can tell you know that if I was given £2000 to spend It wouldn't go on a bespoke suit, there are more important things in my life than just looking damn tasty in a fine suit - for me it is an aspiration, a dream that one day I know I will achieve, I'm not going to work my arse off immediately to buy one.

I would say that more than our dreams, our attitude towards our own clothes and how we shop affects are suggestions. If someone asks for help and they have a strict budget then I would try to accommodate, offering cheaper alternatives to the kind of things I buy, but inevitably I will always suggest investing in certain items (shoes, tailoring) because that is what I believe will give the best purchase.

As for the product picks in my articles, I am actively trying to incorporate more items at the cheaper end of the scale.

It will be interesting to see what other people think of this topic.

[PaulAnderson]

Thanks for the replies. Please don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t a dig at William, nor negativity towards expensive items, and I certainly wasn’t calling all the members pretentious. I just feel we need to keep a little relevance to what is actually being asked in a lot of posts.

I too have my own view on how I shop, and will generally happily spend on items I think I will wear for years to come, but tend to buy cheaper items for more fashionable things that I think I might not want to be seen in next year, or even next season. I’m not saying this is right, and I’m certainly not saying anybody feeling differently is wrong. Therefore I agree, each to their own.

I’m also not trying to rattle anyone’s cage here. I just like an interesting debate. It was just a passing concern that we are picking up a negativity to cheaper items, and it’s almost becoming a bit of a fantasy forum of items out of most peoples reach (or desire).

Personally I’d love to buy all my items from places like AllSaints, but I come here hoping to save a few pounds by finding ways to look good without spending a fortune. I hope I’m not alone.

I’m sure I’ve said it before, but FashionBeans was my find of the year, and it’s helped me a lot. I’m just hoping the forum reflects all your hard work. After all, it’s your articles that have brought all of us here.

[Jay]

The NZJames post is another example. If my parents wanted to spend £200 on me for Christmas, they would certainly be upset if I suggested them spending it all on one item, let alone telling them that I’d rather put it towards a £600 cardigan. I’m sure they’d see either as pretty ungrateful.

That was me, so I shall respond.

The thread was 'If YOU had £200 to spend on clothes what YOU spend it on. I'd put it towards that cardigan. If the thread was titled 'What should I spend this £200 on?' then it's a wholly different story.

Just because you wouldn't spend £500 on a piece of knitwear, doesn't mean it shouldn't have a place on this forum, especially when the item of knitwear in question was actually featured on the main fashionbeans site. Likewise, just because you'd only spend a day's salary on clothing per month, doesn't mean I should feel guilty for spending a larger proportion of my salary on clothes.

I think the forum covers a whole range of budgets and advice based on those budgets (and I myself have recommended things from very low end budgets upwards) and long may that continue.

[PaulAnderson]

Ok, but would you really put it towards that cardigan? Even if you are willing to spend £600 on a cardigan (which I have nothing against), I'm pretty sure that if you had £200 to spend, you'd spend it elsewhere, so I did find your comment pretty pointless.

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe you are saving for it. Maybe the next thing I see you post in the “Look at what I just bought” thread will be that cardigan.

I'm really not trying to aim this at you, but yes, your post was one of the posts in my thoughts when I posted. I certainly don't have anything against you. I just thought it would be an interesting topic for debate. I didn't intend it to be argumentative.

[NZJames]

I guess its one thing to say for example. If you had £500 to spend on clothes, what would you get, you immediately think well thats 500 quid, so I would get a great cardigan.

The other side though is if you actually had £500 of money right now, WOULD you spend that money on the cardigan in the real world, or do you only THINK you would when its only imaginary money? Or would you in reality probably put that money towards a holiday?

[Pin Money]

The thread was 'If YOU had £200 to spend on clothes what YOU spend it on. I'd put it towards that cardigan. If the thread was titled 'What should I spend this £200 on?' then it's a wholly different story.

Was going to post exactly this.

[Jay]

Ok, but would you really put it towards that cardigan? Even if you are willing to spend £600 on a cardigan (which I have nothing against), I'm pretty sure that if you had £200 to spend, you'd spend it elsewhere, so I did find your comment pretty pointless.

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe you are saving for it. Maybe the next thing I see you post in the “Look at what I just bought” thread will be that cardigan.

I'm really not trying to aim this at you, but yes, your post was one of the posts in my thoughts when I posted. I certainly don't have anything against you. I just thought it would be an interesting topic for debate. I didn't intend it to be argumentative.

And that's why making assumptions like you have done is never a good thing, because, yes, I would put it towards that cardigan, which is why I posted as such. I've had my eye on it for a while now. I need brogues first, which is what my next month's spend has to be on and then the following month it will be either a tweed jacket or saving towards that cardigan; and there is the problem as I'm not a natural saver, so having a windfall of £200 (as per the thread title) and an indulgent Xmas splurge, I could just about stretch to it (and no doubt feel terribly guilty for weeks after).

I know I am incredibly fortunate in that I can even consider it (and no, I'm not rich), but I'm a little older than most here, haven't done the married/kids thing and have worked damn hard to get to where I am with work. But that's not to say I don't wear inexpensive items too; I'm currently sat here in a black short sleeved henley t-shirt from Topman costing a grand total of £12 if I recall correctly.

And virtually all (of not all of my recommendations have been within the budget posted, so perhaps picking out a time where I listed an expensive cardigan which wasn't even a recommendation and using it as an argument as to why the forum is slipping was unfair.

So, the next post you'll find me posting in the 'Look What I Bought' thread will most definitely be brogues (which will be horribly expensive, but shoot me). The month after, I dunno - I'd love it to be the cardigan, but I don't have the extra £200 from the thread to throw at it.

[Jay]

I guess its one thing to say for example. If you had £500 to spend on clothes, what would you get, you immediately think well thats 500 quid, so I would get a great cardigan.

The other side though is if you actually had £500 of money right now, WOULD you spend that money on the cardigan in the real world, or do you only THINK you would when its only imaginary money? Or would you in reality probably put that money towards a holiday?

If I had £500 right now to spend on clothes (and it wasn't supposed to be for food or bills), I'd buy the cardigan.

Or a tweed jacket.

But not a holiday.