Like most engineering types, I’m not someone who cares much about fashion, and since I always wear a suit at work, apart from T-shirts I only buy casual clothes once every few years, when I’ve run out of things to wear. Lately, thanks to global warming, spring and autumn keep getting shorter, so even when I do buy clothes it’s mostly winter or summer stuff. With the weather the way it is these days, you only have to hold out for March–April and October–November, two or three months a year, so there’s honestly no need to buy spring/autumn clothes. By May you’re already in summer clothes. Still, every once in a while I have to meet people in something other than a suit, so this year, on my tight budget and with tears in my eyes, I thought I’d buy a spring coat and dropped by the outlet mall in Sanda, Kobe. This time the roads weren’t jammed like last time, so I got there quickly. No traffic, but there were tons of people. Business is really booming.
Paul Smith, where I bought my spring coat this time
Paul Smith’s British-style design is flashy yet fresh – you could say it’s the kind of flashiness gay guys would love – but the prices feel a bit steep for the quality. They say it’s on the cheaper side among the brands (about half the price of Armani..), but if it hadn’t been on sale I wouldn’t have dared. (I also need to buy an iPad, and a digital camera..) Even so, I liked the design, so I plan to wear it faithfully for at least ten years until I’ve got my money’s worth.
I never understood women who love the latest arrivals, but after actually going out and buying clothes like this, I can kind of see it. Nice clothes really can make you look a lot more attractive. (Not that charm you never had will suddenly spring up..) But buying clothes like these every season doesn’t seem right, and borrowing from loan sharks is completely out of the question. I think it’s better to save up, or put aside your bonus, and splurge on one piece a year. Or make some money on a fund with good returns first and then buy. Of course, people whose families are loaded are the exception.
Le Creuset
Hmm.. they say it’s on sale, but at 30% off it’s still about 20,000 yen -_-, so can you really call that a sale.. It’s just heavy, and I still don’t really get what’s so great about it. T-fal is on sale too, and their prices are fairly reasonable. I cook for myself a lot, but I’m not that greedy about kitchenware yet. Really pretty kitchenware somehow looks like it needs constant upkeep.. Still, I’ll add items one by one as I go through life.
GAP Outlet
I used to buy a lot of clothes at GAP, but lately I’ve lost interest. It’s decent value for money, but I’m not at an age where a natural style suits me anymore -_- and there are fewer and fewer occasions to meet people dressed casually. Buying a suit would actually be more useful in lots of ways..
Brooks Brothers
Lots of safe, middle-aged-guy clothes. ^_^ There was one piece I liked, but everything is in American sizes, so there wasn’t a single thing in my size. I don’t think I’ll be going back.
Banana Republic
This is the casual brand I’ve been into lately instead of GAP. It’s casual yet stylish, and the prices are fairly reasonable. Banana Republic even gets a mention in the software pricing part of More Joel on Software. ^_^
Gucci
Gucci has good design and name recognition for the price, but for a middle-aged guy like me it’s 100% of unclear use. Still, if I ever get a cute girlfriend I’ll have to buy her something, so I just checked out the goods for now…
Maybe because I was so busy that day, I didn’t take many photos. I have no photo of Cole Haan, the shoes I really want to buy. Cole Haan shoes have Nike Air built in, so they’re a must-have for a salaryman like me who has to work in dress shoes for long hours, but the prices are just too high – and expensive shoes are a pain to look after – so I’ve been going back and forth on buying them for three whole years now. For now I’ll hold out until the Regal shoes I’m wearing fall apart. Maybe I’ll have to wait another three years.. By the way, the hiring part of More Joel on Software briefly mentions a manager who works in Cole Haans. Is that the image these shoes have? -_-;;;
The other brands were expensive, so there wasn’t much to interest someone like me who cares about value for money. They did have golf gear on sale, though, and it was really cheap. If I’d known, I would’ve bought mine here…
I think it’s been about three months since I came for the reopening after the renewal, and the prices they touted as huge opening sales aren’t much different from the prices now. You can’t really trust ‘event sales’ at places like this. Timing your purchase well seems to be the smarter way to shop. Like buying a winter coat after winter has already started…
I only had two hours to shop that day, so I just grabbed the spring coat and moved straight on to the next place. This is a place I like anyway, so I’m sure I’ll be back before long. I’ve bought all the clothes I need, and now I somehow feel relaxed..