"I'll only buy clothes in sales. I never, ever buy in a shop that hasn't a sale there. The profit margin on clothes is huge and the shop isn't going anywhere, so if you don't buy the item this month, then in a couple of months, sure enough there'll be a sale on. The thought of some people that spend twice or even three times as much as they should for an item is mad."
Buy cheap, buy twice is the shopping philosophy of a successful businessman originally from Aberdare. Darran Phillips has made his fortune and shares his time between London and Cardiff.
Darran: It's always a shock to me when I try to tidy my wardrobe because I'd like to think that I don't have much clothes but the reality is that I do have too much. Seeing as I share my time between London and Cardiff, I had a good excuse to buy a second wardrobe! I have nearly the exact clothes wardrobe in London as I have in Cardiff more or less. I'm not a big shopping fan so I buy two of the same item of clothing and if they're in the sale, I get two for the price of one.
Nia: You're an extremely tidy person aren't you?
Darran: Well, I made an effort to tidy the wardrobe before you came. I must admit, it didn't look this good the day before yesterday! But, I'm lucky enough to have someone help me with my washing and ironing at the moment. This makes living and working in two places much more practical. It means that I have clothes ready for work when I return to London or clothes for socializing.
Nia: I notice that you have lots of shirts
Darran: This is an Ozwald Boateng shirt and it was really expensive but has a lovely quality to it. It was in the sale and was approximately a third of the original price. There's always a good sale at Ozwald Boateng. The shirt that hangs next to it in the wardrobe is from George at Asda and was £4.99! The Ozwald Boateng shirt was ab&p£££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££und;ut £120 originally.
Nia: How about the suits then? Do you buy some cheap and expensive ones like you do with your shirts?
Darran: Yes, I suppose I do but I always buy them in the sales. This is a Versace one I bought about three years ago when I stayed at the Versace hotel in Austaralia. It was a good excuse to buy a Versace suit! Another suit I'm fond of is an Armani one I bought on Bond Street, London.
Nia: Have you always been aware of how you look and the way you dress?
Darran: I started to pay attention about 15 years ago when I started my business. I started to make a mental note of what people wore and the type of image the clothes would convey - that is, what the clothes said about them. Some wore cheap suits and conveyed a cheap image, others wore extremely expensive suits who looked too flash. So, my secret was to find something that was of good quality and conveyed profesionalism.
Darran: There's one particular suit that bring back memories. Believe it or not, an old Cliff Richard suit! Three or four years ago, the morning after I attended a charity do in Bristol, I woke up and the first thing I saw was this suit. My instant thought was "Oh, no. Did I really do that?" I paid way too much for it!
Nia: How about your leather jacket?
Darran: This is my favourite item. I bought it in Armani on Bond Street for about a third of it's original price. After a week of wearing it, I was so happy with the jacket, I went back to buy a second for my Cardiff wardrobe. By then, the sale had come to an end and they weren't happy to let me have a discount. I asked to speak to the manager and managed to persuade him to sell it to me for the same price as I'd paid for the first one! So I have one in London and another in Cardiff!
Darran on clothes...
I believe as one gets older, one hopes that they become more comfortable with their image and what suits them. I don't think I'm extremely fashionable. All I want is that I look smart and I don't make any big fashion disasters. Seeing as I don't dress particularly trendy, I'd hope there'd be less chance of getting myself into a mess!
- Series returns Wednesday 3 September 20:25