You can call me "cheap." My 401-K has shriveled, there's still a mortgage to pay, and now my second child is attending an expensive, out-of-state college. To save money, I take the bus to work, carry my lunch, and carefully shop for clothes. Clothes which are inexpensive, durable, easy to care for, and look good on TV. It’s the kind of wardrobe that may be required in your own workplace, or in the search for a new job. It’s not that difficult to assemble if you are willing to invest a little time, have some patience, and put aside any preconceived notions that you may have about fashion. The labels "wash and wear" and "wrinkle free" are not to be ignored. My wife and I both hate to iron. Dry cleaning is expensive, and reserved just for wool sport coats and suits. Designer labels mean little to me when the vast majority of garments are assembled overseas and then marketed to fancy stores and discounters alike. With that said, here are some of the places that I shop as I dress up in a down economy.

Shoes: Two words: "Nordstrom Rack." Your wife shops here for a reason. The place has an incredible inventory of shoes. Be careful, because some of them are high end. I can usually score a pair for about $55 or less. I prefer the "Bass" and "Clark" brands for comfort, quality of construction and durability. If you can’t find them at the "Rack," check out the "Bass" and "Clark" stores at the outlet malls. I have found that they usually undercut the department stores substantially in price. The selection is great. My last pair of dress shoes were discounted 60 percent and cost just $39, well worth the trip to the mall.

Shirts: Although I’ve found some good deals on permanent press dress shirts at “Ross Dress for Less” and other discounters, I keep returning to the Van Heusen store at the outlet malls. They’ve got a good selection in a wide variety of colors, and continuous sales. I rarely spend more than $20 for a shirt.

Slacks: I’m a "Dockers" man. Yes, I know that wool slacks are preferred by many on the job. My job often takes me outdoors, and even into the woods. Not long ago, I snagged my slacks on a strip of barbed-wire that was hidden in the grass. I have learned from experience that I cry fewer tears when I ruin a $35 dollar pair of pants, then when I ruin a $100 dollar pair of pants. The department stores seem to take turns discounting their "Dockers." My advice is not just to shop the sales, but to opt for the more expensive "No Iron" or "Never Iron" variety. They hold their color and shape much longer than the products at the bottom of this line. I have found that the cheapest "Dockers" are usually sold for around $29 at "J.C. Penney." I get the ones that go for $35-$39.

Ties: To me, ties are the greatest rip-off in men’s clothing. I can’t believe that some guys are willing to pay $40-$60 or more for a strip of silk. I use to cruise “Ross Dress for Less” and “Marshalls” for ties that cost $10 or less. It took a lot of time and I had to weed through some pretty ugly ties, but I could usually come up with one or two winners. Recently, I rediscovered the “Burlington Coat Factory.” This place has, in my experience, the greatest selection of quality ties at affordable prices. I have had to up my limit to as much as $14.99, but that’s still a steal. I’ve included a photo of three recent purchases and the prices I paid. While most of my ties are silk, don’t let a pretty tie go just because it’s polyester. The black and white in this photo is poly.

Sport Coats: There are many, many places where you can pick up a good sport coat on sale. A Navy blue blazer seems to be a standard for many work environments. My last purchase was a “Joseph & Feiss” coat at the Men’s Wearhouse. It retails for about $170. The wool blazer looks good, fits well, and was at least $100 less expensive than a similar product I found at a high end department store.

If you’re like me, the key to this kind of bargain shopping is a change in attitude. You can look sharp for less money. In a down economy, you don’t brag about how much you paid for anything. You celebrate how much you saved.