Changing up your look at the right price

A Style Points reader wrote recently:

Hello Stylepointer! I enjoyed your segment on the Channel 13 KTRK show this past weekend.

I'm looking to change from my hip hop/denim style to a more casual formal look in general. I used to wear nothing but slacks and polo shirts in the '80s. However, due to the new subculture of hip hop, I've changed over the years to dressing down.

Now! I wish to dress back up to a more casual formal look. My clothing interests is gearing back to a khaki pants, polo style shirt, sports jacket and coat look. I was considering rebuilding my wardrobe at the K & G clothing stores here locally in Houston.

What's your take on the quality of products and prices of clothes in the K & G Males clothing store as well as Suit Mart? Are the prices reasonable for the products? Or do you suggest better stores to look at.

First of all, thanks to Ken for writing in and for watching my TV segment on the Houston community affairs show "Crossroads." To answer your first question, I would do some window shopping first. If you have the time, do some comparisons between K & G and Suit Mart, and other stores, such as Men's Wearhouse, Marshall's, TJ Maxx, Ross and Kohl's. Also, Dillard's and Macy's have sale offers almost every week. List the items you're looking for (khaki pants, polo shirts, sports jackets, etc.) and then go to these stores and get a sense of the selections they offer.

If you're concerned about the quality of clothing for the price, look at the labels. For example, are the shirts 100 percent cotton or a blend of cotton and polyester? Prices vary depending on fabric content. At the end of the day, you do get what you pay for. Since you're in window-shopping mode, keep looking until you develop a feel for why some garments cost more than others. Are you paying for quality fabric? A specific fit (slim fit vs. relaxed)? The designer's name?

I'm not sure if your definition of "better stores to look at" means "more expensive stores to look at." If that happens to be the case, it never hurts to look around at Brooks Brothers, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom's, Polo and Saks Fifth Avenue in the Houston Galleria. Again, your goal is to gain as much information as possible on different levels of quality and prices on menswear. If you're building your wardrobe on a budget, you can find designer items on sale. This requires patience, but it is rewarding in the end.