r/frugalmalefashion: rules, karma requirements and posting culture

Who posts here

You do not need to know much to post a deal: a price, a discount and a link are enough. The comments assume some brand literacy, though. People argue about whether a label's quality has slipped, how a cut fits and what a boot is worth used. A basic style or "what should I buy" question is not answered in a post, it is sent to the weekly sticky, the Discord or r/malefashionadvice.

• Deal hunters who watch retailer sale pages and post what they find.
• Menswear hobbyists who know heritage boots, denim and outdoor brands and will tell you if a price is actually good.
• Casual shoppers looking for cheap basics like socks, underwear and sneakers.
• People with a find from a local off-price or warehouse store, posting a photo and a price.
• Members selling from their own closet, who are kept to the weekly Buy/Sell/Trade thread.

Karma and account requirements

What it takes to get a post through in r/frugalmalefashion.

What you can post

What happens to a new post

Where the most recent posts ended up. Sample size: 400.

• Stayed up53%
• Removed by Reddit's filters8%
• Removed by moderators37%
• Deleted by the author3%

Reddit counts a removal by the subreddit's own AutoModerator rules as a moderator removal, so that share is not all human. Held by AutoModerator means the post is waiting in the mod queue.

The rules, in the mods' words

1. 1

   Do not complain about Frugality.

   Comments and posts about lack of frugality aren't allowed. Frugality is unique to the individual. It does not refer to the final cost, value, quality, or popularity of the item. Violations of this rule are an automatic 7 day ban.

2. 2

   If you have a question or one-time use code, post it in the sticky.

   To encourage the sharing of deals and sales, we limit the number of posts that aren't directly related to a sale or deal. Violations of this rule are an automatic 1 day ban.

3. 3

   Referral Links & Codes are not allowed.

   While we encourage sharing of discount codes and unique links to awesome deals, we discourage users from sharing their own referral links and codes for which they profit from. This removes the incentive of profit for redditors who post and comment within r/frugalmalefashion and keeps the community fair, honest, and ethical. When money is involved, you cannot trust anyone to be objective, particularly on the internet. Violations of this rule are an automatic 1 day to permanent ban.

4. 4

   Do not spam or mislead with your link.

   Do not spam or mislead users. This includes coercion with deceiving links and fake websites. Additionally, do not use links which contain UTM codes. This includes copying links from your email or newsletter. We will not sift through your URL to determine if it is an affiliate link, spam or legitimate.

5. 5

   Follow reddiquette.

   We strictly enforce reddiquette in r/frugalmalefashion. Click here to visit the official Reddiquette page. Healthy debate and sharing of information requires a civil environment, so consider the following: - Remember the human. - Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life. - Use an "innocent until proven guilty" mentality. - State your reason for any editing of posts.

6. 6

   No Astroturfing/Schilling.

   Astroturfing is the practice of masking the sponsors of a message or organization to make it appear as though it originates from and is supported by grassroots participants. To maintain honest and fair posts, do not pose as a third party to a company or a deal/sale if you are directly or indirectly affiliated with a company. If you are directly affiliated, such as an employee, shareholder, owner, or related to any of the above, you must disclose it.

7. 7

   New accounts must have legitimate comments prior to creating posts.

   For new users, we require a certain minimum amount of karma before posting new threads. By doing so, we are able to filter out a large number of spam posts from bots to spam-filled websites. Posting requirements will not be disclosed by the moderator team. If you believe your post is legitimate yet still removed, please send us a mod mail message with a link to your post and rationale. The moderators will review the post, potentially allow it, and monitor it for suspicious activity.

8. 8

   No company may post.

   Posting as a company, even if you announce it, will result in a permanent ban as that is considered spam. Similar to the rules on astroturfing and referral links, we strictly enforce a non-biased and ethical subreddit, where money isn't exchanged to our subreddit or our members.

9. 9

   Do not post a sale that has already been posted.

   To cut back on multiple posts sharing the same information, we require posts to only contain new information on deals. You may create a new post for the following: - New items added to a previously posted deal. - More percentage off to a previously posted deal. Typically, sales run 3-7 days but can run as long as 2 weeks, so please check the post history that far to see if your deal has been posted already.

10. 10

    Do not post a sale that is insignificant.

    In order to keep posts relevant to as many redditors as possible, and to keep our subreddit clean from spam, we don't allow insignificant deals. Typically, we consider insignificant deals to be those which are a very low discount (like perpetual discounts, or rolling sales) or items which aren't historically very popular.

11. 11

    For YMMV posts, the post title must include discount and location.

    Some deals are only available at specific physical locations, or have very limited stock, e.g. returned items or factory seconds. In this case, use the YMMV flair ("Your Mileage May Vary") to indicate that others may not be able to obtain the same deal. Thrift Store finds may not be posted. YMMV posts must include location and other pertinent details in the title, or they will be removed.

12. 12

    No NSFW content. It does not provide value to this subreddit.

    Since a large number of our subscribers view these deals either around friends/family and at work or school, we can't allow NSFW content, and if it is shared, it must be disclosed. Typically, we won't allow this type of content if it's purely NSFW in nature, rather than just happening to be NSFW and related to a deal or sale (such as with underwear). This is a bannable offense and we do enforce it.

These are the rules as archived in January 2025. Rules change. Check the sidebar before you post.

The culture

r/frugalmalefashion is a feed of menswear deals, and the moderators work to keep it that way. Links and text posts split almost evenly, the typical post body is under 30 words, and none of the titles in our sample were questions. A good post is a brand, an item, a price and the percentage off. Everything that is not a deal, a discussion or a review is pushed into two weekly threads, one for questions and one-time codes and one for buying, selling and trading.

The rules are built around one idea: nobody posting should be making money from it. Referral codes, affiliate links, undisclosed ties to a brand and company accounts are all banned, with bans listed next to most rules. The sidebar puts it plainly: when money is involved, you cannot trust anyone to be objective. Moderators removed about 37% of posts in our sample, far more than Reddit's own filters did, so this is hands-on moderation by people reading each submission.

The live argument is whether deals are as good as they used to be. The most upvoted recent post was a complaint that sales have gone mediocre, and it drew several hundred comments. Alongside that sits the oldest rule on the board: you may not complain that something is not frugal. A discounted $190 shirt is a legitimate post, and saying it is still too expensive can earn a 7 day ban. The mods also recently announced a rule against undue negativity in comments.

What lands

• A clear deal on a brand the room respects, with the price and percentage off in the title and a note on which sizes or colours are left.
• In-store finds at warehouse clubs and off-price chains, posted as a photo with the price. Several of the most upvoted recent posts were exactly this.
• Cheap basics. Multipacks of underwear and wool socks at a few dollars a pair pulled more comments than most outerwear deals.
• A line of personal experience with the item: you own it, how it fits, how it has held up. It reads as a shopper sharing, not a listing.
• Occasional meta discussion about the state of sales and retailers, such as orders from a deep discount sale being cancelled.

What gets removed or ignored

• Personal sale listings, including resale marketplace links and closet clear-outs. The submit text says all personal sale posts are removed and belong in the weekly Buy/Sell/Trade thread.
• Questions posted under the discussion flair, like whether a particular shoe ever goes on sale or where to find good clothes cheaply. AutoModerator points these to the weekly sticky.
• Outfit photos and style questions tagged as reviews. Those are for r/malefashionadvice.
• Roundup style posts and vague marketplace deals with no named retailer or discount, which read as affiliate spam.
• Titles that say nothing, such as a bare shoe size, and anything promoting an app or service.

The unwritten rules

• Comments are short, about 14 words, and mostly about fit, sizing and whether a brand's quality has held up. Expect someone to say the brand is not what it used to be.
• Search before you post. Reposting a sale that is already up is a rule violation, and sales can run for two weeks.
• A deal has to be a real markdown. Perpetual discounts and rolling sales count as insignificant and are removed.
• The Discord and the weekly sticky are where recommendations actually happen. Asking for one in a post marks you as someone who did not read the submit page.
• Never ask for a one-time code. The sticky lists that as a 1 day ban.

Self-promotion

The rules could not be clearer: posting as a company, even if you announce it, is a permanent ban and is treated as spam. Employees, owners, shareholders and their relatives must disclose the connection, and posing as an unconnected shopper is banned as astroturfing. Referral links and codes carry bans from one day to permanent. An older wiki page describes a verification route for companies with at least six months of brand history, but the current rule list contradicts it, so do not rely on it without asking the mods first. In practice the only way a brand shows up here is when a real customer posts its sale.

How people write here

Typical post length

28 words

Typical title length

8 words

Titles phrased as a question

0%

Typical comment length

14 words

Comments that include a link

6%

Posts that carry a flair

100%

The regulars

The accounts that showed up most in our sample. Worth reading before you post: they set the tone, and they are usually the first to reply.

Top keywords

The words and phrases that show up far more often here than in other communities, from recent posts in r/frugalmalefashion.

• sale 102 posts
• frugalmalefashion 13 posts
• weekly buy 12 posts
• unprotected gift 12 posts
• transactions gifting 12 posts
• trade thread 12 posts
• trade suspected 12 posts
• timely matter 12 posts
• suspected vote 12 posts
• seller's communication 12 posts
• reply comment 12 posts
• reoccurring thread 12 posts
• recommendations simple 12 posts
• recommendations one-time 12 posts
• recommendations ask 12 posts
• potential buye 12 posts
• overpricing 12 posts
• official weekly 12 posts
• manipulation brigading 12 posts
• item condition 12 posts
• intentions nothing 12 posts
• frugal alternative 12 posts
• fraudulent seller 12 posts
• fmf'ers 12 posts
• fmf discord 12 posts
• discord thousands 12 posts
• dedicated forum 12 posts
• codes discord 12 posts
• code sharing 12 posts
• code reply 12 posts
• buyer respond 12 posts
• ban offense 12 posts
• admins suggestions 12 posts
• accurately describes 12 posts
• vote manipulation 12 posts
• sell trade 12 posts
• risk rules 12 posts
• discussions join 12 posts
• buy sell 12 posts
• jacket 16 posts

Recurring topics: off, sale, shoes, deal, deals, clothing, mens, code, jacket, fashion.

Posts that did well

• What happened to sales? There hasn't been a good sale in years603 upvotes · 268 comments · [Discussion NOT Questions/Requests]
• Get $100 credit to Patagonia.com (valid through 11/17/26) if you assist 3 friends making plans to vote.544 upvotes · 71 comments · [Deal/Sale]
• Marshall’s Grab: Levi’s Premium Trucker Jacket $37.99369 upvotes · 44 comments · [Local/Sample Sale]
• 4-pack Supima Cotton boxer briefs for $14 at Costco (in-store).236 upvotes · 92 comments · [Deal/Sale]
• FMF's New Rule 4: No undue Negativity.180 upvotes · 36 comments · FMF Meta
• Goodfellow vintage collection cargo pants on clearance at Target for $10.50164 upvotes · 49 comments · [YMMV]
• Filson waxed cotton Jac Shirt - tan or navy - $193.50 (30% off) most sizes available144 upvotes · 58 comments · [Deal/Sale]
• Smartwool socks, various varieties, size L only (US men 9-11.5, $5 to $10.97 upvotes · 36 comments · [Deal/Sale]

Growth

1. 201248k
2. 201391k
3. 2014141k
4. 2015186k
5. 2016227k
6. 2017453k
7. 2018808k
8. 20191.5M
9. 20202.2M
10. 20212.5M
11. 20223M
12. 20233.1M
13. 20243.2M
14. 20253.2M
15. 20263.2M

Related subreddits

• r/DealsReddit
• r/NYCbitcheswithtaste
• r/computerscience
• r/BuyCanadian
• r/FrugalFemaleFashion
• r/Python
• r/Silverbugs
• r/AskMechanics
• r/VintageFashion
• r/PlusSize

Common questions