On my second venture out to buy business clothes (I learned a lot after my first buy) I was at a department store in Gallup, New Mexico. I started asking the sales guy some questions based on my first experience.   I don't know what happened next but the guy turned to me and said, "You know what, man? This town is not the place for you to buy stuff. I'm serious man," he said. "I'd never buy anything from here."   I was shocked considering he was supposed to be selling me something. I even looked around to make sure his boss wasn't listening. And he didn't look like he was from the area; actually, I thought he was from Los Angles, so I asked, "Then where do you buy your stuff?"

This encounter with a brutally honest sales guy is probably rare, but on the flip side you come across lazy, will-say-anything-to-sell-you people. When I ventured out on my own and bought my first sports jacket I was at a department store in Flagstaff, Arizona.   I told the sales guy what I wanted and he steered me to what I should be wearing. But when I started asking questions like, "The jacket is tight around my back," he said something like, "Then we'll get a bigger size." We got a bigger size and the arms were too long.   Then I looked at him and asked what we do now, and he threw his arms up and said.

"Well, that's all we have." He didn't sound believable so I left.

Later I learned that people working in department stores have almost zero knowledge about what they're selling. And later, I'd come across sales people who had answers to all those questions.

The first time I went to a men's specialty store in Albuquerque, New Mexico the guy fitted me with a jacket, stepped back, told me to turn around and said, "It's too tight around your back."   He then took some measurements and for an extra $15 had the jacket fitted for me.

The rule: buy the information if you know you will only need it once. Another rule: pick a sales guy or woman who you are comfortable with.   Look at how they dress. Some of them are too flashy or loud - this should be a warning. Find the person who consistently dresses to your liking. Consistency. Consistency.

Another rule: if you want good advice, make sure you are worth the sale person's time. Again, this is true for anything. When I bought my first set of suits I had saved up some money so I wasn't just going to buy one shirt or tie. I let the sales guy know how much I was going to spend so he'd know I was worth their time. I wanted their undivided attention (basically buying them out). But I also brought along a trusted friend because I still didn't know what I was doing.

A good sales person will ask what you're looking for, but you can tell them upfront what you want. "I need something to wear for business meetings. And I don't want to be overdressed." For myself, I'm not the kind that gets too fancy or wears loud ties and shirts. I like to stay below the radar because my belief is that wearing a suit in it self is a loud act. You don't want to be screaming.

Sometimes I see people who are overdressed and wonder if their wife dressed them. My belief is that you should be dressed for the occasion, to make a statement, not get people excited. You want people to listen to what you have to say, not check you out.

I've never been the kind that hangs-out at the mall and goes shopping for clothes. In fact, until I became an adult and started buying my own clothes, all my clothes came from K-Mart, Target, and the freebie tribal clothing.   So department stores like Dillards, Sears, and Macy's were a step-up for me. Beyond that, I knew nothing. I'd heard about specialty stores, but always thought they were for rich people. But I was wrong. Not only do you learn a lot from the experts at a specialty store, but it's also worth the extra price for the advice, and their prices . . . actually are very good.