Imagine me, at 7: 30am standing underneath the soul-sucking florescent lights of Walmart judging $12 chinos for quality. You know how you have expectations of how your Tuesday should start? Well… let’s just say that standing in Walmart with a baseball cap on low trying not to eye-contact anyone while jotting notes on my phone about the hand-feel of George brand polos wasn’t it. I swear that old lady who greets you at the door thought I was casing the joint to steal something, or possibly losing my marbles in aisle C7.
The reason for my suspicious behavior? I keep getting asked the same question by guys over and over – “Bro, I’m on a budget but need to look put together for work/dating/life – should I be shopping at Target or Walmart?” and I didn’t have an answer. I can write whole articles about $400 Japanese selvedge jeans and drool over fancy Italian leather shoes – but ask me where to buy a plain tee and I draw a blank. As a supposed menswear “expert”, that felt bad.
Next thing I know I’m hacking up lung fluid doing my grim Walmart ritual over at Target. By now it’s gotten to the point where I’m comparing henley’s underbulges while a lady with two toddlers watches me scrutinize shirts up to my face like a modelselfie. “Oooo burgundy really brings out your undertones bb” she says before sauntering away. Love how people at Target don’t give a fuck. By this time I was so deep into it I almost wanted to turn to her and be like ‘Yo, I write about men’s style online, just doing some tests lol” but that seemed dorkier than trying to assassinate our first lady.
Ok but hear me out – I totally understand why people ask this question. Ever notice how retail stores like Hollister and American Eagle cost twice as much as these warehouse stores? Yet their shirts and pants all basically look like they’re from the same factory. I saw a solid white button up at Banana Republic a few weeks ago and the price tag was $89. Nine freakingty bucks. So why would Target/Walmart’s stuff be worse?
Suddenly my apartment became a relentless assault of color coded garment piles. Matching Goodfellow & Co. sweaters up against George brand chinos. Tagging everything. Washing every load of clothes twice. Stress testing seams. Wearing every article of clothing for full days to gauge quality. It was style nerd madness. My girlfriend wasn’t impressed when I came home wearing a graphic Walmart tee under my suit, but science.
Let’s focus on Target for a sec. More specifically their Goodfellow line. Guys these sweaters are straight fire. I purchased this cotton blend Goodfellow crewneck in charcoal for $28. Nothing fancy, sleeves are slightly too long and it’s basically the same uninspired shape every sweater ever comes in. But YOU GUYS. It actually compared favorably with some of the $80+ sweaters I already own. It hangs together better on my body, doesn’t pill after multiple washes like some of the cheaper ones do, and feels surprisingly durable. I’ve been reaching for this sweater nonstop since finishing the test. Sweaters are the easiest thing in the world to wear and assess quality. If you’re reaching for that new sweater over your old staples that’s the true test.
Same thing goes with their jackets. Pulled this denim jacket aside to feature because every time I wear it people ask me where I got it and I get to casually drop that “actual fact you fool” smile when I say its from Target. They somehow manage to make these jackets cost way less than they look like they should. There denim isn’t as vibrant or “bluestore-buyer blue” as others I’ve seen, which helps. But it’s those subtle little touches like color that elevate them above Walmart (more on that later).
Now let’s talk about what Target really sucks at – dress shirts and chinos. The shirts are atrocious. They billow and ripple at the collar after one wash like you’re wearing your dad’s shirt from the 80’s. Their chinos may as well have an expiration date on them because after about four hours of wear they start to look worn out and deflated around the knees. So I did a control test – bought the exact same style of chinos from Walmart and Target. Same exact material type, same exact price. $24. Yeah, Walmart lasted all day wearing without looking like I sat down in paint. Target pair didn’t make it past lunch.
Props to Walmart on most of the basics. That pima cotton they use for their boxer briefs? $14 for 3 pack and they’ve lasted me longer than the $30 pairs I swore by for years. I’m actually secretly replacing my whole underwear drawer with their underwear because they outlast everything I own. Same with their athletic socks – they don’t lose elasticity as fast as Target’s do.
Now onto Walmart plain tees. Ok so Walmart was a pleasant surprise. Got these “premium” plain white tees from them and they actually hold up against “nice” brands. Don’t get me wrong – they don’t have the texture and body of my favorite Uniqlo shirts, but they’re miles ahead of other Walmart basics. Soft, don’t pill or shrink oddly after multiple washes, and fingers crossed they last me a long time. If Walmart would stop trying to mimic streetwear trends they would actually be perfection.
Trying to copy/paste styles from popular brands is where Walmart REALLY falls flat. They have the weirdest, worst proportions. Mock vintage graphic tees with bad “distressed” ink? The quarter-zips with sleeves that end right at your wrist? They watch the teenage boys walk by and try to replicate their style, but with adults. Everything they wear is just so… off. Sleeves are too short, colors are too bright or too washed out.
Walmart and Target are surprisingly both fantastic at accessories. Did you know Target’s belts LOOK EXPENSIVE? I got this braided elastic belt for $15 and people assume it’s from some boutique when I wear it. Their sunglasses are also INSANE value. I’ve been wearing these $12 Target wayfarers nonstop. Walmart wins when it comes to leather goods. Their quality is lightyears ahead of Target. That $15 brown leather belt of mine has gone through daily abuse for months without a crack in the leather.
Ok now for something totally nerdy I did. Blind t-shirt test. Bought plain white tees from Walmart, Target, and one “premium” brand that sells shirts for $45 and touts itself as “premium basics”. Got my guyfriend to feel all three with his eyes closed. He guessed the expensive shirt was “probably the cheap one” and swore the $8 Walmart shirt was “definitely the nice one”. I did laundry last night and couldn’t tell the difference between the expensive shirt and Walmart’s. And guess what happened first? The expensive shirt got a small hole in it.
Here’s something weird I also noticed – Target seasons their clothes really well. Fall/Winter style garments always blow their summer shirts out of the water. Their flannels are top notch. Light jackets are great. Walmart completely murders Target when it comes to summer clothes though. Performance Polo’s, moisture wicking tees, all that stuff. Target gets shirts that look like they have a permanent sweat stain after one wash when Walmart’s can weather the heat.
Another thing I realized? It’s not even the clothes. It’s the stores themselves. Target really goes all out on their Goodfellow displays. Dimmer lights than the rest of the store, styled mannequins thrown throughout. Everything just looks nicer than it should. Walmart still takes a ghetto route of bad lighting and dump shirts into these poorly made racks. I bought the exact same style shirt from both stores and when friends see them in store they always give the Target one higher marks. Take the tags off, wear them, and Walmart miraculously comes out on top.
TLDR: If you need something that looks good now, go to Target. If you need something that looks good after wearing a bunch, go to Walmart.
What would I do if I actually wanted to shop and only had $100? Hit up Target. The styles that wow me at Walmart are almost always TOO trendy and don’t age well. Shopping at Target just makes me WANT to wear the clothes more. But If I’m being completely honest with you guys? Strip down and grab the best of both worlds. Walmart for plain tees, underwear, socks, gym clothes. Target for sweaters, jackets, or anything you’d wear outside.
Speaking of that Target sweater I was wearing in the opening photo. I’m still wearing it nonstop. It’s been through probably 6+ washes at this point and STILL holds up against my other “nice” sweaters. And those Walmart boxer briefs I kept mentioning? They’re slowly taking over my drawer because they actually outlast the $40+ pairs I used to grab from “nice” brands.
Moral of the story is that the menswear industry is weirder than we think. Sure, some brands really do sling shitty product – but you’d be surprised what you can find at Walmart or Target. Just please don’t report me to security at those designer brands for what I wore under my suits at their events. Some secrets are best kept….umm laundered?
