Dressing like a pauper

[Bdoc]

I was like the majority of you but I now find it embarassing when my medical students/residents are dressed better than me.

And honestly, i dont hate it. It feels good to look good. I encourage you all to splurge a little. People notice. Patients notice.

My sister recently bought me pair of lululemon dress pants. Feels like sweatpants, but looks like dress pants. Highly recommend

[childay]

Cordovan is different because its a very dressy leather and is touted as being ultra durable which maybe it technically is, but most people treat their cordovan boots like dress shoes... cordovan would be like a ferrari. Other high quality leathers, though, would be like a Lexus LS. They're real ************************-kickers and will last a lifetime if properly taken care of. For many people the point is to wear them and scuff them so they look nice and aged. Of course, many people who say that have so many boots that they'll never really get the proper use out of them

Add me to the expensive boot and jeans club. But I don't think cordovan is technically a true dress leather vs calfskin.

[8arclay]

All this leather talk has my head spinning

[GlassPusher]

I'm likely an outlier on here...i enjoy wearing different styles, and admit i have way too many clothes. I think I purchased 3 or 4 coats from Todd Snyder last fall (I think half my wardrobe is Todd Snyder), a few close out items from BestMadeCo {which is now owned by duluth trading}, i have more pairs of shoes than Imelda Marcos (ok not that many) and more suits, sweater and sport coats than I can realistically wear in a single Fall/Winter.

It's obviously a packrat/collecting thing/disorder, maybe DSM-IV...started with baseball cards when i was a kid (still have all the Jordans and Kobe rookies), transitioned to stamps (so many stamps...), and now apparently it's clothes.

[TheDangerZone]

Add me to the expensive boot and jeans club. But I don't think cordovan is technically a true dress leather vs calfskin.

Agreed. People like to shine it up for pics but for formal occasions, calf is the gold standard.

[TheDangerZone]

What shell pairs do you have? I love the leather in theory, and have a shell wallet, but have been a little underwhelmed with the aging since it doesn't age like normal leather and, imo, shell looks best when its basically new and shiny without marks on it. Personally, I really like horsehide.

Aside from the Indys, I have C&J Dark Brown Lindricks, Alden Color 8 captoes boots, Lof & Tung captoe boot with hatch grain uppers, Trickers black shell derbies, and Alden Color 8 unlined Dovers. I have a couple of Viberg service boots for more casual wear and have thought about a pair of their stitchdown shell but it wouldn't be much value add over what I already have..

[childay]

Aside from the Indys, I have C&J Dark Brown Lindricks, Alden Color 8 captoes boots, Lof & Tung captoe boot with hatch grain uppers, Trickers black shell derbies, and Alden Color 8 unlined Dovers. I have a couple of Viberg service boots for more casual wear and have thought about a pair of their stitchdown shell but it wouldn't be much value add over what I already have..

All in shell? Lol you must have a big closet! Nice

[GlassPusher]

Aside from the Indys, I have C&J Dark Brown Lindricks, Alden Color 8 captoes boots, Lof & Tung captoe boot with hatch grain uppers, Trickers black shell derbies, and Alden Color 8 unlined Dovers. I have a couple of Viberg service boots for more casual wear and have thought about a pair of their stitchdown shell but it wouldn't be much value add over what I already have..

that's a nice assortment. most of my work dress are allen edmonds because i feel allegiance to wisconsin; their QC can be spotty but generally good.

[NumberWhizMD]

My life is scrubs at work, and sweats/work-out clothes at home. It's rare that my husband or I even wear jeans, which at this point is considered "dressing up" in our house. Luckily, neither of us is bothered by this.

I get quality workout clothes yearly as a benefit of my husband's job. The only thing I end up spending "real" money on is running shoes. Even then, if I wait to buy last year's model, I can usually stock up and get a couple of pairs to last me for the year without having to pay full price.

[CordMcNally]

I think I purchased 3 or 4 coats from Todd Snyder last fall (I think half my wardrobe is Todd Snyder)

He makes good music, too. I'm a big fan of his song 'Play A Train Song'.

[GlassPusher]

He makes good music, too. I'm a big fan of his song 'Play A Train Song'.

i've only ever heard 'beer run'.

[nomindforfinance]

You guys are making me feel better about our dismal clothing situation. Partner and I have been discussing how ratty our clothes are - we both wear a lot of gym clothes - to the gym and around the house, plus he wears them under his scrubs. A lot of it is lululemon, but that stuff is worth it, it lasts forever, never fades, etc. When we suddenly get invited to go out to a nice dinner or a party thats where we have trouble. I feel like we have maybe 2-3 outfits that are acceptable, most of which are clothes we have had for 4-5 years or more, and if they are dirty, we are screwed. we have friends that wear blazers and nice clothes to events and rarely seem to wear the same thing twice. I just don't have the mental capacity for it, though when I was in high school and college this stuff was much more important to me. I don't think spending a little more on clothing would even be noticeable to us, it's more about the time and energy.

I actually ordered him 4 pairs of dressier/casual shoes in various colors yesterday as an unexpected treat (it helps that we are both men and wear the same size, so I can wear them too), plus had his cowboy boots and winter boots polished and cleaned up since it's getting to be winter and he will find reasons to wear them now. He goes through at least 2-3 pairs of athletic shoes a year - he has one pair specifically for clinic/hospital and another for gym.

[VentAlarm]

i love how these threads (like car threads) turn into a "who can be the cheapest" contest really quickly.

Yea. I’m frugal, but I don’t think I’m cheap. I bought blundstone boots. I think they were $200, but they will probably last 20 years. I have a pair of Frye dress shoes that were 150-200, but they’re very nice and I’ve had them for years. I cheap out on gym shorts. I buy Patagonia everything - not cheap, but not expensive - I just always try to buy it on sale. Incidentally, I bought 2 shirts today - they were both $90, but a company that makes good stuff, lasts and fits me well. Neither were on sale.

[Fugue]

I think I’m somewhere down the middle. Used to be on the dressier side of the spectrum. Not anything super expensive, I would buy everything on sale, but used to dress up in clinic with button downs and slacks, occasionally ties. Now I am 99% scrubs in clinic, and generally casual joggers/shorts and T-shirts outside. I will however dress up for nice occasions. Suits for meetings, sports coat with dressier jeans for dinners out, etc. definitely not clothes with holes in them. some of this is specialty specific, for derm I think I dress more casually than the average person.

[Tim]

My thoughts on boots that expensive that you get for the craftsmanship can be summed up in the song 'Air Force Ones': "once you scuff 'em you eff'd up your whole night".

https://www.republicbootcompany.com

There is nothing wrong with dressing for the occasion. It is basically the same as a house.
You can buy a brand new house from a builder.
Low end the floor plan, amenities and colors are fixed. High end it is built to your specs and plan, a complete custom build. Big price difference for the same square footage.

For $400 you get a custom fit and an off the shelf design. Better material adds cost. Custom design adds cost. I think it’s also a regional thing. Dress boots aren’t work boots for the stable. I doubt you will see a female surgeon wearing dress boots to clinic. I doubt you will see a female surgeon dressed casual in clinic.
Business casual but not overdressed.
How do people dress for residency interviews?
Suit or sport coat or business casual or casual?
Fashion statements are individual. Don’t wear boots with running shorts! Regardless of the cost. Or dress shoes for that matter.
MPMD said it best, dress appropriately for the occasion.
My wife actually changes if we need to run out to a store.What is with that? I get told to change if we go out to eat. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes we don’t go out then. That’s the downside, unless I didn’t want to go out.
Dress for success is more about appropriate dress than cost.