I have a love/hate relationship with TJ Maxx. When I need to pick up a load of dress shirts and private garments they have always been a source for heavily discounted, recognizable brands that were perfect for the daily grind of my law career. With 30 suits in the wardrobe in heavy rotation, I needed that many shirts and twice as many ties to keep myself looking the part of a successful abogado. Why pay department store prices when the same garments were available at 80% off? On the other hand, so much rack space is full of junk and poor quality merchandise, that I hate walking in for anything beyond those few things I find useful.
Covid has changed all that with Zoom conferences and hearings where no one sees the suit beyond the headshot on the screen. Judges are no longer sanctioning lawyers for improper dress, as they leave their robes on the clothing tree in the corner of their chambers (if working from court at all). Professional life has become more casual, although I'd return to the old ways in a second if we could eliminate this virus and be fully safe in public again.
This visit I wasn't there for myself, but for my stepson who had received a promotion and had to upgrade his work garb to suit his position in management. We had purchased suits elsewhere, and now needed to supplement the basics with shirts and ties to complement them. While he was willing to buy everything in one place, I was compelled to teach him where to save money without sacrificing quality. When you can pick up seven name brand dress shirts for under $200 (list price more than twice as much), even he recognized what he could do with the money saved over a lifetime.
So, now he will be the best dressed manager on the casino floor. At 6' 4", he will stand out like a beacon of sartorial splendor. No one will ever know his new found secret to success.
And, I will have passed on a family value, and done my step parenting very well. read more