Cheap and stylish: the best of both worlds
If you’re a man and in college, you’re probably as dismayed as I am by the lack of fashionable men’s clothing offered at a lower price point. Women have access to larger selections at stores like H&M and Forever 21, as well as alternatives like Wet Seal. I’m not going to claim that the quality at these stores are top notch, but if you’re on the college student budget, buying a pair of boots is less appealing when the price floor is around $80 at stores like Aldo, instead of the $30-40 when buying from Necessary Clothing.
If you delve deep enough into the dark corners of the internet, however, you’ll find a land where the men are metrosexual enough to create a large enough market to justify equally cheap menswear. Yes, rejoice, for there are a number of online shops and eBay stores carrying fashionable clothing from China and Korea, just awaiting your discovery.
$40 and better quality than Forever 21. Yes.
Freestyleboom.com is a great resource for almost any type of menswear, but be sure to check out their eBay store if you feel more comfortable with the assurance of a large company name. The company is based in Korea, and it has a great selection of anything from coat, dress and casual shorts, to shoes. They have fast, although otherwise expensive shipping, but their apparel is very modern and trendy. Their material is pretty good to the average consumer, although their fake leather tends to look rather, well, fake.
Dinodirect.com doesn’t have an eBay store, but compensates by being a retailer with an overwhelmingly large selection. Most of the clothing seems to be from overseas companies as well, and the prices are great, especially during sales (which seem to be occurring all the time, as far as I can tell). Although, prepared to be disappointed by the filter system, especially if you’ve been spoiled by the likes of Asos.
He is both thrifty and incredibly cool. Look at him.
I will be the first to admit the apparent “sketch” factor of these websites, some of which
have their information in Korean and require the aid of Google Translate. But lucky you, you have the wisdom of those who have already shopped there. In my experience, not only have I never lost an order, but the shipping is usually a deal faster than from a domestic store. Likewise, the quality has been fairly consistently high — the materials aren’t on par with J. Crew, of course, but everything has held up against the relatively poor care I take of my clothing.
These stores provide a great alternative to more established clothiers at very college-affordable prices. And don’t be afraid to branch out into other eBay stores — there are customer reviews for a reason. Finding good deals is something every student could use.
-Adam Warner