Old Thoughts on New Items

Last night my husband confessed to me that he wants an entirely new wardrobe.  He dreams of getting rid of all his clothes and starting fresh.  This, I was told, would be "awesome".

Probing deeper into his thought process, I discovered this:

1. He views his clothes as being "ratty" and most don't fit well enough
2. He was only talking about work clothes (not Tshirts and athletic wear - although I've heard him muse about getting new pairs of board shorts lately also)
3. He's not talking about shoes, socks, underwear or accessories (although, again, he's also asked for those items in the recent past)
4. He has no idea how he wants to procure these items - ie. whether/where he wants them to buy new or used.

Mr A wears his clothes like a champ (most of his dress shirts have been with him longer than I have) and he isn't opposed to second hand items.  He has a pretty definitive idea of what he likes and doesn't (a definable style).  I'm not exactly against the idea of him clearing out his closet and starting over - in fact, I think it shows a healthy and admirable detachment from his possessions.  However, I have a few concerns.

1. First red flag was this sentence: "I've been working hard and once I graduate, I think I deserve it.  You know, to reward myself."  Umm...emotional fulfillment via consumerism?
2. My husband has zero patience when it comes to shopping.  He would probably just hit the first department store and stock up.  This will naturally result in low-quality or not-quite-right impulse purchases and we would be back to square one within 3 months.
3. His definition of 'ratty' is slightly contrived.  Pilling on the side seam of slacks that you wear to work every other day?  Totally normal (and fixable with a shaving razor).  

I also think he deserves to own and wear clothes he likes.  Moving forward with this idea, since we still have several months before graduation, I am going to try and get him to nail down exactly what he wants.  "4 new slacks and 8 new shirts" just isn't going to cut it.  I want to know what color, what style, what size.  I think if I know exactly what he is looking for, then I can help connect him to the clothes he really wants, rather than what is on display at Macys the day he goes shopping.  I can also try to find as many of them as possible second hand.  Being a good wife, I don't want to impose my beliefs on my husband...in such an obvious way. 

During our conversation Mr A made a joking reference to the fact that, if it were up to me, his work pants would be patched until they fell apart then turned into a quilt.  Damn right.