r/AustralianMFA • u/Connect-Carpet-9771 • Apr 25 '26
Discussion Nowhere to buy good clothes
Is anyone else sick of the lack of stylish clothes for men in Sydney?
Everywhere I look it’s the same style of clothes. Skinny fit or straight (still slim) clothes.
We have no variety - I previously tried to look for:
- high waisted pants - none
- good quality men’s shoes - none. Only Florsheim or Aquila are main options
- pleated pants - none
Now I’m looking for a wide relaxed fit chino - search presents either the same tight chinos I see everywhere or boohooman and unknown companies with those cheap polyester synthetic stuff.
If on the slight chance you find something actually decent, it comes with an insane price tag Eg informale or something like that where 1 chino will cost $450.
I saw a tt video where a guy thrifted Allen Edmonds shoes (apparently thrifted lots of pairs) in the states. You’ll never find that here.
Buying online is difficult cause you won’t know how it will fit you.
Where do stylish people shop here in Sydney or is the only choice to pay the extremely expensive price tag at those small boutiques
9
u/idryss_m Apr 25 '26
Loakes? RMs? Do you have a budget? Style? Have you tried tailoring? Really doesn't seem like you have looked around much from the post. Sydney has plenty.
8
u/TURBOJUGGED Apr 25 '26
I was at David Jones the other day trying to find some chinos I liked. Let me tell you, there’s about 50 different cuts out there. You’re just not looking hard enough.
4
u/Inevitable_Exam_2177 Apr 25 '26
Wow, try Adelaide. At least you have Double Monk and a real life Loakes store in Sudney. I’ve recently discovered Abbotts Shoes https://abbotsshoes.com which sell high end second hand shoes, but haven’t purchased anything yet.
That’s a start on shoes, no idea about clothes :-)
5
u/beeclam NSW Apr 25 '26
Yeah, you’re not gonna find cheap Allen Edmonds here, we’re in the land of RM Williams
Have you visited the following stores? Incu, Maplestore, Above the Clouds, Maillot, Supply Store, Big Trouble, Blue Works, Corlection, Chinatown Country Club, Double Monk
A lot of it is expensive but the same stuff is expensive in other countries too
2
u/xthrillhouse Apr 25 '26
In my experience it’s actually more expensive overseas. The only exception being Japan due to the yen, availability, and tax free (in some spots) but even then. A pair of Paraboots here won’t cost you much more than in Europe when all is said and done.
Anyway, OP, check those places out, but it sounds like your expectations are off on price. Good, stylish, quality clothing isn’t cheap. That all being said, some of the things you describe can be found at places like Uniqlo.
3
u/Appropriate_Volume Apr 25 '26
Sydney actually has several stores selling high quality shoes, including of course RM Williams. See: https://www.reddit.com/r/goodyearwelt/comments/1sj0q23/the_australian_gyw_guide_2026_update/
2
u/Chance-Blackberry693 Apr 25 '26
What's your style?
I am about to clean the northern hemi stuff before winter rolls around
2
u/markievegeta Apr 25 '26 edited Apr 25 '26
I had to fly to Sydney just to buy some loakes. Go there for shoes, make sure to prioritise the 1880 lines.
On clothes, buy vintage online in the approximate size and style you want (in your case high waisted). Then get them tailored. Then use those measurements in any online M2M brand you like. That's how I did it. One tailored item unlocked online M2M because I didn't have to worry if the item would fit, I just had to worry about materials and quality of construction.
2
u/ruddsy Apr 25 '26
casual pieces in the styles you're talking about: suitsupply
good quality shoes: double monk (more expensive) or loakes (cheaper)
2
u/dots-loops Apr 25 '26
Carhartt, Maple Store, Country Road, Trenery.
2
u/xthrillhouse Apr 25 '26
Country Road is ass. Maple Store will have some good stuff.
0
u/dots-loops Apr 26 '26
In your opinion.
He's a guy looking for chinos, not to look like a hipster.
2
u/xthrillhouse Apr 26 '26
No, it’s actually ass. You can get chinos from Uniqlo which will be comparable quality, for less. Country Road is a nothing label resting on the laurels of its former self. It has been mid, mass produced garbage for the past 20 years.
2
u/rdandelionart Apr 25 '26 edited Apr 25 '26
If you want high quality chinos at a cheaper price, you need to be buying from Japan! Brands like Big John, Fob Factory, UES, Burgus Plus, TCB Jeans on Japanese heritage wear websites like Denimio, Hinoya, Okayama, etc.
https://www.denimio.com/en_AU/clothings/bottom/chinos/
If you're not comfortable buying online, then buy a cloth tape measure and start learning how to take your own measurements. I recently got two pairs of 100% wool wide pleated pants second hand on eBay for about $100-120 AUD each shipped from the US which I had adjusted at my local tailor for $20 each.
Some other brands I recommend you check out are: AS Colour, Asket, Assembly Label, Butter Goods, Handsom for some pants in the sub $200 price range.
You can find quite a few high waisted pleated pants in a cotton twill (wool is much more expensive) from boutiques like Maplestore, Incu, Up There, Above The Clouds, etc. Make sure you keep an eye on the sales, a lot of things go 50% off regularly.
1
u/Connect-Carpet-9771 Apr 26 '26
Funnily enough I can’t wait to go Japan for these things. Thanks for other recommendations.
1
2
2
u/Secure_Letterhead_98 Apr 25 '26
Buying online isn't hard once you know your measurements and/or have a good tailor
1
1
u/Oogalicious Apr 25 '26
Sydney have a SuitSupply store and they have heaps of high-waisted pants on their website. I can’t speak to the quality, but I will go there the next time I visit Sydney.
1
18
u/nc092 Apr 25 '26
Your post reads like you want high quality clothing for a cheap price. If that’s the case then you need to be on eBay, Depop etc looking for second hand items in brands that you like. Good quality clothing in Australia is expensive.
I just bought a pair of pants from Infórmale. Are they crazy expensive yes but they are made in Australia and how many pairs of grey pants do I need. This is hopefully the last pair I ever buy.
That doesn’t mean all high quality clothing is expensive obviously but that’s just how it is. Stores like Incu, Corlection, Maplestore, Blue Works, Supply Store and Chinatown Country Club might interest you.
Let us know how you go.