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Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
I am on my travels again and seeing as I am coming home I thought I would get something done which I have been putting off and putting off out here. Basically I need a new wardrobe for work as my other clothes are looking a bit old. I hate clothes shopping here, so thought I might as well get it done in the UK where it won't cause me as much stress. Basically I need another suit, some jackets, shirts, trousers and ties. Where is the best place to buy that kind of stuff in the UK? I am looking for the clothes that look good and are well made, but also don't break the wallet too much. I really have no desire for a gold suit or anything bling like that.
Any pointers would be most welcome and you have about 13 hours to get your replies in. Thanks in advance, my darlings.
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
If ya looking for a suit that's a good price but looks well, then pop into Next, River Island or even Burtons produce some decent stuff and the right price. Failing that and ya want really cheap stuff then go to the likes of Asda or Tesco ;)
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mattyhitman
If ya looking for a suit that's a good price but looks well, then pop into Next, River Island or even Burtons produce some decent stuff and the right price. Failing that and ya want really cheap stuff then go to the likes of Asda or Tesco ;)
The same kinds of places that have always been around then. I've never heard of shopping for clothes in Tesco's, must be something that has developed since I've been gone.
Koreans know their clothes too well, so I need to strike the right balance between quality and cost. I don't want to go bankrupt, but I don't want to look like Jarvis Cocker either.
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
miles
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mattyhitman
If ya looking for a suit that's a good price but looks well, then pop into Next, River Island or even Burtons produce some decent stuff and the right price. Failing that and ya want really cheap stuff then go to the likes of Asda or Tesco ;)
The same kinds of places that have always been around then. I've never heard of shopping for clothes in Tesco's, must be something that has developed since I've been gone.
Koreans know their clothes too well, so I need to strike the right balance between quality and cost. I don't want to go bankrupt, but I don't want to look like Jarvis Cocker either.
Tesco have taken over the retail sector in the UK and just keep getting bigger. The is a store in Hartlepool, where i used to work thats bloody huge ! Ya can buy anything and everything from there, food, electricals, clothes, gifts, jewellery etc. Tesco have their own clothes brand called Fred, whereas Asda has the brand George. I actually bought a couple of suits, just plain black ones from Asda when i was in the car game, only cost about £30 for trousers and jacket, couple of quid for the white shirts, i looked smart as a carrott for less than £40 !
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
Tesco will rule the world soon.
Next probably has the best smart clothes.
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
I was also looking at the Marks and Spencers website last night. I should really post this in the signs that you are getting older thread. :-\
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My favorite places to buy business attire are: Brooks Brothers, Jos. A. Banks, Banana Republic, and Nordstrom's.
Don't know if you have those in England or in Korea.
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
Salvation Army thrift store? ;D 'kiddin
Yeah. Nordstrom and Macy's for me.
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
You may laugh ( I know my mates did) but my last suit was from Primark! :-X I'd seen this show on TV where they bought suits from all the budget suit places; Asda, Tesco, Primark etc and got some bloke to go to all the top tailors on Savile Row in London. Every single tailor picked the Primark suit as the best quality and most likely to fool the fashion conscious. I bought my suit for just £38!! Honestly, every person always comments on how nice it is!
That said Miles if the Korean's know their suits then maybe Primarni isn't the best place for you. Apart from the usual places such as Burton and River Island try Topman. Their suits are priced around the £120 mark upwards and as the 'slim fit' seems to be in fashion now a lot of their suits are well fitted. You're a fairly slim guy like me and I feel nothing looks worse than a 'wide shoulder pad' look suit on a slim bloke! Makes me look all bones! ;D
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Primark ----- AKA Primarni ;)
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
I've been looking at all the usual places (Next, Burtons, River Island etc), but to be honest I have been less than impressed. The variety of jackets for instance is extremely limited and it is tough finding anything that doesn't look baggy on me (obese seems to be the norm in this country). I will venture out to a bigger city such as York for the day in the hope of finding more choice, but so far it has been a tough sell in terms of new clothes.
In one piece of good but unrelated news though I managed to pick up a Bruce Springsteen box set covering 1973-1984 for the princely sum of £17-98. A lot of good stuff on those early albums.
I really miss having a computer, it's amazing how attached you become to your computer, but it's been fantastic being able to buy my newpapers everyday.
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
miles
I've been looking at all the usual places (Next, Burtons, River Island etc), but to be honest I have been less than impressed. The variety of jackets for instance is extremely limited and it is tough finding anything that doesn't look baggy on me (obese seems to be the norm in this country). I will venture out to a bigger city such as York for the day in the hope of finding more choice, but so far it has been a tough sell in terms of new clothes.
In one piece of good but unrelated news though I managed to pick up a Bruce Springsteen box set covering 1973-1984 for the princely sum of £17-98. A lot of good stuff on those early albums.
I really miss having a computer, it's amazing how attached you become to your computer, but it's been fantastic being able to buy my newpapers everyday.
Buy a kindle Miles! You could get free subscriptions to all the top papers whilst over there then. You get free two week trials. Best save the cash spent on physical papers and put it towards the Kindle you know you deserve :cool:
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bilbo
Quote:
Originally Posted by
miles
I've been looking at all the usual places (Next, Burtons, River Island etc), but to be honest I have been less than impressed. The variety of jackets for instance is extremely limited and it is tough finding anything that doesn't look baggy on me (obese seems to be the norm in this country). I will venture out to a bigger city such as York for the day in the hope of finding more choice, but so far it has been a tough sell in terms of new clothes.
In one piece of good but unrelated news though I managed to pick up a Bruce Springsteen box set covering 1973-1984 for the princely sum of £17-98. A lot of good stuff on those early albums.
I really miss having a computer, it's amazing how attached you become to your computer, but it's been fantastic being able to buy my newpapers everyday.
Buy a kindle Miles! You could get free subscriptions to all the top papers whilst over there then. You get free two week trials. Best save the cash spent on physical papers and put it towards the Kindle you know you deserve :cool:
Where's the best place to buy one? And most importantly, will it work in Korea? Does it just up and go wherever you use it?
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
miles
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bilbo
Quote:
Originally Posted by
miles
I've been looking at all the usual places (Next, Burtons, River Island etc), but to be honest I have been less than impressed. The variety of jackets for instance is extremely limited and it is tough finding anything that doesn't look baggy on me (obese seems to be the norm in this country). I will venture out to a bigger city such as York for the day in the hope of finding more choice, but so far it has been a tough sell in terms of new clothes.
In one piece of good but unrelated news though I managed to pick up a Bruce Springsteen box set covering 1973-1984 for the princely sum of £17-98. A lot of good stuff on those early albums.
I really miss having a computer, it's amazing how attached you become to your computer, but it's been fantastic being able to buy my newpapers everyday.
Buy a kindle Miles! You could get free subscriptions to all the top papers whilst over there then. You get free two week trials. Best save the cash spent on physical papers and put it towards the Kindle you know you deserve :cool:
Where's the best place to buy one? And most importantly, will it work in Korea? Does it just up and go wherever you use it?
I would order one on Amazon. They work everywhere! If you can connect via wifi you canuse them anywhere in the world. If you buy the one with 3G that you can browse the net for free in every country that has a vodafone network.
The basic wifi one is only £111 on Amazon now.It was easily my fave purchase of 2010.
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
Miles I just checked on Amazon. Not only do they ship to South Korea but they also give you free internet coverage there over 3G. North Korea get fuck all so that must be a truimph.
You should know however that they ship to Israel but say that unfortunately they cannot sell to the Palestinians. I'm not sure what kind of message that sends but I'm sure you won't approve much of that policy :p
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bilbo
Miles I just checked on Amazon. Not only do they ship to South Korea but they also give you free internet coverage there over 3G. North Korea get fuck all so that must be a truimph.
You should know however that they ship to Israel but say that unfortunately they cannot sell to the Palestinians. I'm not sure what kind of message that sends but I'm sure you won't approve much of that policy :p
Why can't they just sell these bloody things in the shops? I don't use credit cards, so that makes it tricky. I think I am just going to delay the kindle yet again. I was looking through the Argos catalogue and they have e book readers, but why can't they just sell a kindle? I don't understand. It could be argued 'miles, why don't you just have a credit card?', but as an Edwardian man, I just couldn't bear to indulge in such frivolous behaviour.
I am now firmly placed in the library, which appears to be the only place with internet access in the town. It's pretty cool actually and is a much funkier place than I remember it. But alas they don't sell jackets here. Nor the Kindle. :(
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
miles
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bilbo
Miles I just checked on Amazon. Not only do they ship to South Korea but they also give you free internet coverage there over 3G. North Korea get fuck all so that must be a truimph.
You should know however that they ship to Israel but say that unfortunately they cannot sell to the Palestinians. I'm not sure what kind of message that sends but I'm sure you won't approve much of that policy :p
Why can't they just sell these bloody things in the shops? I don't use credit cards, so that makes it tricky. I think I am just going to delay the kindle yet again. I was looking through the Argos catalogue and they have e book readers, but why can't they just sell a kindle? I don't understand. It could be argued 'miles, why don't you just have a credit card?', but as an Edwardian man, I just couldn't bear to indulge in such frivolous behaviour.
I am now firmly placed in the library, which appears to be the only place with internet access in the town. It's pretty cool actually and is a much funkier place than I remember it. But alas they don't sell jackets here. Nor the Kindle. :(
You are fool if you don't buy one Miles. Both Obama and Oprah own one.
I did check beforehand however, and the software it runs on was made by Jews I'm afraid. Unfortunately everything good is.
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bilbo
Quote:
Originally Posted by
miles
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bilbo
Miles I just checked on Amazon. Not only do they ship to South Korea but they also give you free internet coverage there over 3G. North Korea get fuck all so that must be a truimph.
You should know however that they ship to Israel but say that unfortunately they cannot sell to the Palestinians. I'm not sure what kind of message that sends but I'm sure you won't approve much of that policy :p
Why can't they just sell these bloody things in the shops? I don't use credit cards, so that makes it tricky. I think I am just going to delay the kindle yet again. I was looking through the Argos catalogue and they have e book readers, but why can't they just sell a kindle? I don't understand. It could be argued 'miles, why don't you just have a credit card?', but as an Edwardian man, I just couldn't bear to indulge in such frivolous behaviour.
I am now firmly placed in the library, which appears to be the only place with internet access in the town. It's pretty cool actually and is a much funkier place than I remember it. But alas they don't sell jackets here. Nor the Kindle. :(
You are fool if you don't buy one Miles. Both Obama and Oprah own one.
I did check beforehand however, and the software it runs on was made by Jews I'm afraid. Unfortunately everything good is.
Now having missed the very funeral that I came home for, I see no way of justifying the purchase of a Kindle. I have spent loads of money on getting here and running up and down the country for no reason and if I just buy myself a Kindle then that is like rewarding myself for my idiocy. I am going to resist the Kindle and all other new things for myself as I don't deserve them. My only luxuries shall be food items and my wife should be able to buy one of those expensive handbags I despise so much.
Not feeling too happy really.
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
Progress today. I went into Next and bought myself a nicely fitted jacket and trousers for £130. There are a few other things I feel like buying so will buy them next week. It ain't so difficult after all.
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
I saw the Kindle advertised on TV too, but I shall resist. If you can't even travel half the world and attend a funeral then you don't have the right to electronic products. The wife would not approve and I am in the doghouse with her too, though she admits that not attending the funeral wasn't totally my fault in the end.
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
How did you manage to miss a funeral? Especially as it was the reason you came?
Coincidently I'm at a funeral on Monday but all I have is my aforementioned light grey Primark suit. My girlfriend reckons it's not appropriate for a funeral but it's the only suit I own. Would it be rude not to wear a black suit?
The funeral in question is for my Grandad's brother. I didn't know him all that well but I wouldn't want to look disrespectful to my Grandad by wearing a grey suit :confused::confused::confused:
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
miles
I was also looking at the Marks and Spencers website last night. I should really post this in the signs that you are getting older thread. :-\
M&S actually do some really sharp business gear. Bought a few shirts and suits in there over the years. Good quality and decent prices compared to Moss/ House of Fraiser and similar.
Although you need to wade through coffin dodgers when your there, it's still worth a quick in and out.
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
miles
I saw the Kindle advertised on TV too, but I shall resist. If you can't even travel half the world and attend a funeral then you don't have the right to electronic products. The wife would not approve and I am in the doghouse with her too, though she admits that not attending the funeral wasn't totally my fault in the end.
I actually think you need the kindle Miles. It could save you. I was reading your thread in the other room where you said you almost got thrown out for xenophobic comments, you are clearly a man on the edge, and who is in need of some treats!
Get a kindle, grab some light hearted fiction, and settle down in front of the fire with a mug of tea and relax.
We can email books to each other! I just got Jerusalem, a hot new release by Simon Le Monteirfore. It's a 700 page epic! We could read together :cool:
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1 Attachment(s)
Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
Guys, Miles Pmed me some pics of him in his 'Smart casual' attire that he manage dto find
Attachment 1948
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
miles
I saw the Kindle advertised on TV too, but I shall resist. If you can't even travel half the world and attend a funeral then you don't have the right to electronic products. The wife would not approve and I am in the doghouse with her too, though she admits that not attending the funeral wasn't totally my fault in the end.
Well isn't that new and different
I went to Dillard's today to try and buy some new dress shoes....they had a very disappointing selection and I didn't end up getting anything.
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
Yes, I still have secret hopes for the Kindle as I think it looks extremely sexy and is furthermore extremely practical. But I shall stay quiet on that one for a good while as I really have no right to indulge myself in electronics or games. I spent a thousand quid on getting to a funeral that I didn't even attend. It just wouldn't be right for me to come home with a suitcase full of electronic goodies. Clothes and the odd beer with old friends are the only indulgences that I shall have.
I'm not really all that on edge, Bilbo. I think I come across like that mainly because of how I post. I say things very dryly and anyone not catching the wry smile on my face would think I am extremely edgy and just a little bit scary, but that is really not the case. I was just a bit drunk and asked what I thought was a very interesting question, but the foreign workers didn't take too kindly to me asking why they were stealing English jobs. I have my work because I have language skills that Koreans don't have. Any Englishman could be working in these hotels, but they don't. Why not? I was just curious. I tell my stories in a way that is truthful, but also in a way that I think is really quite funny. I would be a little bit upset if people weren't having a little bit of a chuckle while reading.
BTW, this weather really, really sucks. I had no idea that the weather would be this cold and the boiler system in the house appears to have broken down. So, it is just me in the house and NO heating. Last night I slept with a pillow on my head just to keep my ears warm. It was that cold!
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Re: Where's the best place to buy business and smart casual attire in the UK?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BIG H
Guys, Miles Pmed me some pics of him in his 'Smart casual' attire that he manage dto find
Attachment 1948
Truly frightening! It's not me, honest! :p
TBH, of all the places I have been looking at Next seems to be the best place. There isn't a great selection, but the costs are reasonable and they have things that actually fit me. Plus the workers there are really helpful and friendly. At a lot of the other places nobody tries to assist you and the workers are 'busy' gossiping at the counter. So, rather than make the effort you just have a quick look and walk out. It's the complete reverse of Korea where they are on your shoulder as soon as you walk into the shop. I would like somewhere in the middle and so far only Next has provided that. I will go there again later and pick up another suit and some shirts.
The worst place I have seen is Topshop. Is that the correct name? Their clothes are awful and I mean everything. I wandered around and was appalled by pretty much everything they had. Who wears that tat? I suppose it's tough for guys because our choices are limited, but at least make the limited selections look nice.
