Men's clothes shopping

[harrisonba]

Can anyone please offer advice -- stores with nearest cross streets, please -- on where to buy good quality men's clothing at reasonable prices? I saw what I thought was tourist pricing on Defensa in San Telmo today. It gets better than this, right?

I'm looking for jeans, sweaters and a sports jacket. Thanks!

 

[Ries]

If by "reasonable" you mean the chinese sweat shop prices one finds at places like WalMart and Target in North America, you could try Zara at the Alto Palermo mall.

reasonable is a very flexible term.

And taste, in clothes, is far from universal.

Anyway, you could go and wander along Cordoba, right around the intersection of Scalabrini Ortiz, and there are a couple of dozen stores that are the equivalent of the "outlet" stores for various Buenos Aires clothing stores- they sell last seasons stuff, at a discount- but nothing like the discounts you find in North America.

 

[harrisonba]

Thanks Ries. No, I don't mean Wal-Mart, I just want to pay the going rate for clothes, not inflated prices for mediocre quality. I realize that taste is also a subjective term. I'm looking for classic, not young man trendy.

 

[sergio]

Ries, Sorry to tell you that Argentina imports Chinese clothes the same as Walmart. A friend of mine is in the women's clothing business and is forever ordering clothes from the factories in China!

 

[Napoleon]

I just want to pay the going rate for clothes, not inflated prices for mediocre quality. I realize that taste is also a subjective term. I'm looking for classic, not young man trendy.

I think that you'll find that "mediocre quality" is the standard here. It's difficult to find quality unless you pay more than American prices. It's odd, but it's true. Even though the cost of labor is much lower, the cost of quality is actually higher.

 

[Ries]

I dont doubt for a minute that there are clothes here made in China.
I dont buy em in the USA, and I dont buy em here, either.

I am a big fan of clothes from small argentine designers, who DO make clothes in argentina, and, which, of course, cost more than the ones from China. And can be high quality.
I wear the hell out of my black leather chaleco from Hermanos Estebecorena, for example. It was not cheap, although I would say it is cheaper than an equivalent US designer would charge for leather- but it has lasted me years already, and I expect it to last me many more.
How many throw away Chinese sweaters equals one good garment?

I am a bit of a bug about clothes- I have been making clothing myself since the 60's, have many friends who are designers, and generally pay more attention to clothes, and wear a wider variety of stuff, than most men- and I have found a variety of interesting, well made stuff in Buenos Aires.
Yep, there is plenty of cheap crap here, too.

but generally speaking, most people wouldnt wear what I wear, so I dont have advice on sports jackets or slacks.

 

[Zackdotcom]

Can anyone please offer advice -- stores with nearest cross streets, please -- on where to buy good quality men's clothing at reasonable prices? I saw what I thought was tourist pricing on Defensa in San Telmo today. It gets better than this, right?

I'm looking for jeans, sweaters and a sports jacket. Thanks!

In the Abasto mall there is a Zara! they have great stuff and great prices.

 

[EdRooney]

Hey Harrison,

I'm one darn well dressed dude thanks to Carolina, my personal shopper. Her rates are super reasonable, speaks English and she's buena onda. PM me if you're interested.

Ed

 

[PhilipDT]

Hey speaking of mens clothing, anybody know where I can go to get some clothes that are designed for someone taller than the standard argentine midget?

 

[harrisonba]

Thanks Ed and Philip -- I second Philip's question -- I think I've got a good foot on the average population here too.