Look for Less: Cost or Quality

This or that?

Buy designer digs or buy the less expensive option.

You decide. It's your money that you earned, but let's look at the options.

• Designer quality goods generally have, well, a higher quality. Nicer factories, more substantial garment construction techniques, higher quality fabrics and more luxurious blends are used, such as cashmere. Designer brands usually have specialty characteristics, such as seaming and fit, yanno, a little personality. You get the tag with the designer's name on it. "Hey, this was constructed and dreamed up by the imaginary, or imaginaries, under this brand that saw this as something worth constructing and associating their name with as a part of their intimate collection that fits within the brand's lifestyle and identity." I mean, some of my favorite pieces are designer, because they fit so damn well and have a story behind it.
• Off-brand, or "house" brands, generally use fabrics of lesser quality along with less strict quality control procedures. For example, your sweater may fall apart because a seam wasn't secured after one wear. You get something mass produced. It's not as unique or poorly made (see: Forever 21.) What's interesting is that if you look closely at a clothing line or when you walk into a store, you can tell if the store is pushing a product or a lifestyle. Is this store trying to sell me something? Or is this store trying to sell me a lifestyle, an identity, a sense of community--- a story.

Left to right: Speckled jersey sweatpants by 3.1 Phillip Lim, $350; Salt & pepper sweatpants by American Apparel, $38; Shetland Varsity Letterman Jacket by Thom Browne, $1,298; Brown Varsity Jacket by Abel, $110.

$350 is a bit much for sweatpants. I totally agree, but do I want these? Absolutely.

Are they necessary? No way. But here is where the bridge splits and you can decide...

Left to right: Fairisle crewneck by CPO, $60; Fairisle shawl collar cardigan by Burkman Bros, $250; Gameday chinos by Bonobos, $88; Hayden pant by Theory, $195.

Certain designers cut their pieces in particular fits. Huge Boss suiting runs slim, so does Ben Sherman, A.P.C., D&G, Prada, etc. If you need a suit and you're built like a toothpick, you'll probably have to fork out the extra dough to get a suit that fits you well... off the rack, if you don't have time for a tailor. Same goes for chinos, sweatshirts and Lord, don't get me started on dress shirts.

Hear me out, there is nothing inherently wrong with designer brands, off-brands or mass-produced pieces, although some would argue in relation to relativism, ethnocentricism and ethics. Save it for a family meal.

Ultimately, you're the consumer and you have the choice.