The only times I've helped my husband shop for clothes was for our wedding day (and for that I deferred to my man of honor who, as a gay man, I trusted on tasteful wedding day fashion) and when he had to have some headshots taken and needed to choose some shirts in colors that were complementary to his skin tone and eyes. He'll occasionally ask me when he comes to concerts or recitals if jeans are OK or if he should dress up more, but other than that, he's a grown man who can fend for himself!
LC wrote:
It surprises me to see how many guys don't buy their own clothes because they "hate shopping." Now, I hate spending hours wandering around the mall as much as any guy, but procuring clothing really doesn't require such a painful experience.
8 years ago I spent 15 minutes at the local Eddie Bauer figuring out what style and size of slacks work for me. I bought them in navy, dark khaki, and light khaki. When a pair wears out, it takes about 3 minutes to replace them with another pair of the exact same pants. Same with jeans and shoes. Shirts might take slightly more effort, but not much more.
I think that most guys who hate to shop hate it because they have had bad experiences shopping with mothers, girlfriends and wives who insist on seeing every single shirt in the entire mall before they select one. Of course, if you like to shop, this is enjoyable. If you don't like to shop, though, realize that it doesn't have to be such a big ordeal. Aside from occasionally getting something tailored (something that you have to be present for even if your wife does the shopping), I probably spend less than an hour a year shopping and I buy all of my own clothes.
It didn't say I don't buy my own clothes, I just don't enjoy it except shopping for shirts. Wifey is nice to me on my B-Day and Christmas.
Yeah, my post was just a general response to a number of posts on the thread. I just posted it as a response to your post because yours was the last post.
I'm with Mr Conundrum on this one - I can't imagine someone else picking out clothes for their husband or wife (although as a gift, that's different - I mean all clothes). I used to hate it when that happened when I was about 10, let alone if someone did it now!
I am not sure I understand the complaints about time, either. I spend very, very little time shopping. A couple of trips to Eddie Bauer a year and a bit of shopping over the internet. That's about it. I guess my sense of style could be described as plain--I'm okay with that. Maybe it takes longer if you are a fashion plate.
Mr. Conundrum wrote:Men, assert yourselves. You can do it. You are not fashion retarded as your have been brainwashed to beleive that you are.
I can assure you, I AM fashion retarded, and it is not a result of brainwashing.
Why the heck would I assert myself to take charge of something I don't enjoy doing, and don't much care about?
To each their own, I say. If you prefer to do all your clothes shopping, then more power to you! But don't try to force it down my throat, thanks.
Perhaps, they shop online/from catalogues for their men. Just a thought. Maybe, that's why you don't see a bunch of women in the stores. I wouldn't mind shopping for a guy online but would feel funny walking around the men's department (as probably most men would feel walking around the women's department).
My wife buys almost all of my clothes. I hate shopping. She has fun picking out outfits for me. She's a stay at home mom so she can go shopping during the day. She has much better fashion sense than me. Before we were married, all I wore were old running shoes, cargo shorts/jeans in the winter, and a t-shirt. I had one suit for when I had to dress up that my mom picked out for me in HS. I took good care of it and since I'm a skinny runner, I've never out grown it. Now that my wife does the shopping, I might be accused of being stylish.
Over the weekend, I emailed the writer at the WSJ. I told her I didn't agree with the "overwhelming majority" thing, and provided her with a link to this thread.
She responded this morning:
Mike,
I understand it's a touchy subject with men who do buy their own
clothes. I'm also told it varies by age, as young men apparently start
out buying their own and cede control over time as they marry and settle
in. I'll bet that'll diminish over time - in fact, statistics from the
Cotton Council suggest that it is slowly diminishing but is still well
above 65% - and other studies suggest even higher. I'm afraid there are
no studies of the overall population that back up your contention that
most men buy their own clothes. If you sliced the population up, I'm
willilng to bet, though, that groups such as men between 25 and 35
mostly buy their own clothes.
Thanks for your note,
Christina Binkley
Style Columnist
The Wall Street Journal
So there you have it. It's probably true that "overwhelming majority" isn't quite right, more like "strong majority". But that's a sh*tpile more than I would have said.
Wow, this topic blows my mind. Married 19 years, buy 100% of my own clothes. Can't imagine what I'd be wearing if my wife bought my clothes. Dear Lord, guys, sac up!
Gonna have to say.... you guys that have your wives buy your clothes for you.... there is something really little boyish about that.
Maybe you "look stylish" but you probably look like Mama's little Ken doll. Some women like that sort of thing....
This is a great thread and I don't even have a wife. I have no idea why I clicked on it. But the real question is who is this poster:
ClothesHungLikeaHorse wrote:
I think it depends on what part of the country you live in. Whether you are a hick or whatever.
My grandmother owned a fine women's clothing store. She had men's and women's fashion magazines. And taste. My high school best friend looked like a movie star crossed with a rock star and went on to not only represent the USA in track, but also work and live in Europe as a male model appearing in many worldwide fashion mags. He taught me some tips on being stylish on a budget (while an athlete).
Women love it when a man can shop and dress himself. They'll shop for you, but they are turned on when you can do it for yourself and look HOT.
My current girlfriend...she loves me for three reasons: She finds me Lifetime hot. (Men, this is what you want in a woman, one that finds you to be the hottest guy in her life, for HER). She finds me great in bed (all runners are, si? I think we can all agree on that, even the bungholes here...), and because I TAKE HER SHOPPING and can tell her what to buy - what she looks great in.
I spent my summers as a kid, keeping my grandmother's store in order. (And peeking through the cracks in the changing rooms, checking out the hot women.) (I know, there's a movie in this. lol)
My girlfriend is smart enough to NEVER even try and buy something for me. I am hyper-hetero-sexual, but often joke that I was "metro-sexual before the term was coined" or "that I an an honorary gay man because I can take women shopping and pick out perfect "outfits" for them.
--Gentlemen, this will get you passionately laid more than any other quality or skill you have. A woman's favorite subject is...herself...and if she looks good enough...for...men / you.
...On my track tours in Europe, I would pop into the garmet district of major European capitals and buy outfits for my girlfriends. (This does not mean the full price "Fashion districts," ahem.) At the end of my trips I would ship my own clothes home "surface" mail (takes a month or so) and stuff my luggage with 5/6th clothing for my girl, and a bit of my stuff on the top, an Armani suit or two from Milan... Slip the luggage through customes, declare the Armani suits...
And "Bob's your uncle"...GOOD TIMES.
My personal best was returning with 13 dresses or outfits for my girlfriend after the WC's in 97. Athens. Ahhh, Athens.
I was there the night Athens was awarded the Games...
Talk about an all night party!
GOD, the music and celebration was HOT! It was endless, screaming, cars honking late into the night, Greek flags waving out the windows...of houses and cars...
I even bought some Greek designer clothes...that unbelievably have held their style and are more in style now than then, lol.
If you ever get a chance GO TO GREECE.
A country I never had an interest in until I got there.
I ran the track at Delphi, BEAUTIFUL. The ancient one in Athens too. Gorgeous.
The point is...BE A MAN OF THE WORLD.
Sorry for digressing...Don't ever let a woman shop for you. My girlfriend knows better. I have better taste than she does. I make sure she is well dressed. I help her shop for her sons. She loves it.
A real man can shop and dress himself.
Tim Cullpepper?
scudmore
held
baker
barquist
nohilly
crogan
middleman
pyrah
kenah
holman
maurice greene
who else ran 97worlds?
dweon jang girl wrote:
Gonna have to say.... you guys that have your wives buy your clothes for you.... there is something really little boyish about that.
Like I said, I feel more boyish/dependent when some joker at Jiffy Lube changes the oil in one of our cars than I do when my wife buys my clothes.
I just don't care how I look. I do care that my car runs properly.
Nope. I buy my own clothes.
No, my mother does!
4runner wrote:
Like I said, I feel more boyish/dependent when some joker at Jiffy Lube changes the oil in one of our cars than I do when my wife buys my clothes.
I too feel irritatingly dependent when I have to pay a mechanic to change my oil when I know I can do it myself when I have the right equipment. I may have to go out now and buy some ramps now so I can change my oil this summer, rather than pay $30+ for somebody else to do it - it's the principle of the thing.
Mrs. M wrote:I may have to go out now and buy some ramps now so I can change my oil this summer,
I have my own ramps, and a light duty floor jack. Since we moved into a smaller place a couple years back, I got rid of the crawler, because I have no room to work on the car, either in the garage or the driveway, which is shared. But I've changed a lot of car parts considering I only took grade 9 auto mechanics... starter motor, water pump, rads, rad fan, brakes, etc. I did all the maintenance on my old motorcycle. I can do basic plumbing, electrical wiring, rough carpentry, drywall, painting, etc etc. I can strip apart a bicycle and put it back together again. I can operate heavy equipment (bulldozer, excavator, front end loader, etc). I've been qualified in a wide range of small arms, and was a marksman with smallbore rifles. I can survive in the wilderness with nothing but my wits. I've built basic computers, and used to be able to troubleshoot most simple electronics problems.
But I feel no need to attempt to buy my own clothes, when I have a lovely wife who's perfectly capable and willing to do it for me. :-)
I am 25 and married. And I do not shop. I understand some guys like to think and consider how they look. And I like to wear nice clothes that fit. But I can tell you I would wear the same 5 outfits every week for the rest of my life if I could. I frankly just dont care what Im wearing at all. And if someone wishes to judge me because of that I wouldnt want to associate with them anyways.
This whole idea about guys 'sacking up' to buy their own clothes is a bit funny to me. Where I come from guys who spend time looking in the mirror and agonizing over how they look are not exactly considered the most manly of men.
Women like guys who can put themselves together. With that I would agree. But I can do that just fine with the clothes I have in my closet, no need to buy more. And the clothes there are all from someone else as a gift (sister, wife, mother, etc). I am not fashion ignorant but I have no desire to spend time and effort trying to make sure my wardrobe is current. If it gets too out of date somebody else will fix it for me. And all the while I can live without being a metrosexual who gels my hair and polishes my shoes and agonizes each morning in the mirror. And I personally feel I am better off because of that.
Pete wrote:
But I feel no need to attempt to buy my own clothes, when I have a lovely wife who's perfectly capable and willing to do it for me. :-)
I hear ya, but my husband's not perfectly willing to change my oil, and I come from a family of men who scoff at not changing your own oil, or doing other small bits of maintenance on your car, for that matter. There's a sense of empowerment when I can do the little things for myself.