You know those stores with all that breathing room between the racks and displays, the stores with like five jackets and four pairs of shoes on the floor? Apparently, the extra space is supposed to make a place look classy, but to us it just means we can’t afford anything — and by just walking in we’ll have to look and act a certain way (plus, the salespeople make us nervous). That’s why we like the Dillard’s men’s department. Rack after stuffed rack of clothes fill the floor, to an almost claustrophobic degree. More important, the rags are priced right; many of the racks boast 25-, 30-, 50-, even 75-percent-off signs. And if you catch the right sale, you can get an extra 30 percent off that. Dillard’s features most of the mid-level designer brands — Hilfiger, Polo, Perry Ellis — along with a handful of decent house labels. Bottom line: You can overhaul your wardrobe (a few times a year) without breaking the bank. 2223 N. West Shore Blvd., Tampa, 813-342-1220.
This article appears in Sep 13-19, 2006.