Garment Purge 2009!

June 16, 2009 7:44 AM

How best to go about rebuilding my wardrobe?

Hey everyone! I was hoping to get a hand with some matters of fashion. See, I'm a big fella who has lost a significant amount of weight over the last year or so, and all my old clothes look pretty damn goofy on me now. Aside from salvaging a couple beloved t-shirts, I mean to donate the lot of my fat man garments and rebuild my own wardrobe from the ground up.

The trouble is that fashion is one damned esoteric discipline to me. I was hoping some more clothing-conscious MeFites could give me some advice on how best to go about this. What should I be looking for? What's in style nowadays? - I can't seem to get a handle on it. In an ideal world, what is every young man's closet equipped with?

If it matters, I'm about six feet tall and 220 lbs big. My shoulders are fairly broad, my head is always shaved and I tend to sport a beard or a mustache. I'm 30 years old. What shall I wear to accompany all of that?

Thanks, everyone!

posted by EatTheWeak to clothing, beauty, & fashion (13 comments total)

A little more general info on your work environment (suit-every-day or one-step-above-jammies), avocations, and personal preferences would be helpful.

Congratulations! I was in your shoes about 25 years ago, and color consultation helped me a lot. Find a $1 copy of Color for Men online, translate it to this time period and your own life. It can make a huge financial difference.






(I should change my username to "Getyourcolorsdoneandhaveafullthyroidpanel.")
posted by jgirl at 7:54 AM on June 16 [1 favorite has favorites]

Nthing the getting your colours book as most men, mine included, wear a lot of colours that look like mud to me. What kind of clothes do you need? For work? What kind of work environment? What kind of climate are you in? And sincere congrats on losing weight. That takes work!
posted by x46 at 8:22 AM on June 16

Hey! First of all, congratulations! You should be so proud of yourself. What an accomplishment.

As for the wardrobe, male or female, I think that the best game plan is to stick with some classic, basic staples for the bulk of your closet and investment, with some smaller portion given over to choices that may be more trend-driven. You can't go wrong with a nice trouser or chino-kind-of-thing, in several colors that suit you (good idea to give a thought to what those are, EatTheWeak). The same goes for some shirts and sweaters that work well with each other, so that you can mix and match. A good warm- and cold-weather coat are a wise investment. You don't say how formal/casual you're life is, but just keep that in mind as you shop.

Another important consideration too, I think, is to try to buy good-quality pieces as much as possible. You'll get more use-per-dollar-spent out of them in the long run, and besides, you've earned it!
posted by Samantha the Curious at 8:31 AM on June 16

I don't mean to be cynical, but I regret triumphantly purging my wardrobe after loosing a significant amount of weight. I did so much celebrating that I neglected to stay disciplined, and now I wish I had some of my fat pants back. If you think that taking the fat pants out of the drawer is disheartening, imagine having to go to the store and lay out cash for them. Ugh.
Your experience may, God-willing, vary.
posted by jefficator at 8:36 AM on June 16 [2 favorites has favorites]

Well done! You don't want fashion advice from me, but if you've made lifestyle changes and are eating healthier and exercising more you will probably continue to drop from 220, albeit at a slower rate. I bought a bunch of new clothes when I got down to 210 from 260 and then over the next couple of years dropped another 20 lbs, so you may want to build your new wardrobe slowly until you level out.
posted by IanMorr at 8:47 AM on June 16

Ok, I'm not sure how fashion conscious you can consider me to be, but here's my two cents.

Start with the very basics. Figure out what size shirt you wear, at different stores, and buy tons of solid color t-shirts. Make sure they actually fit you or else they'll just look goofy. I think my collection is something like 2 black, 2 white, 3 light blue, 1 green, 2 yellow, 1 orange, 2 red, 1 light green, 1 dark gray. Then, using those as a base I typically wear some sort of collared shirt on top. I find that collared shirts from Gap tend to be a little baggy on me, shirts from Express work pretty well, and shirts from H & M fit like a dream. I never tuck in the collared shirts, so it's important that they fit around my torso. Occasionally I'll get a rare printed tee or a multi-colored shirt but these are obviously for wearing on their own. The basic tees are nice because you can wear them as undershirts or on their own.

As far as jeans are concerned, just get some nice dark jeans and some khakis to go along with the wardrobe. If you live in a warm climate, some cargo shorts would be useful and maybe a set of plaid shorts if you're feeling particularly trendy. Also, one black belt and one brown belt. Dull, not shiny. A cloth belt can also be good. I recommend a darker khaki color.

Shoes are unique and can make the outfit. Get a nice pair of brown shoes, a nice pair of black shoes, and some more casual sneakers like either of these.

Finally, the socks. Black and khaki, obviously. Never wear white socks if you're planning on looking like you can dress. Depending on my mood sometimes I'll wear some colored and striped socks that match my outfit. Odds are people won't see them anyway, but I like wearing them.

And there's your outfit! Feel free to add a watch, maybe some sunglasses when it's appropriate.
posted by scrutiny at 8:55 AM on June 16

You might want to check out The Sartorialist for some ideas for more formal stuff. He's so GQ he writes for them, which may not be your look at all, but he often points out little details, and explains why they make the difference between wearing a suit and looking good in it. Sleeve length, things like that.
posted by Diablevert at 9:00 AM on June 16

Another nice thing about the book I mentioned is that she has a "survival list" of items and how to adjust it for suit-all-the-time (corporate), suit/sportcoat-all-the-time (executive casual), casual-all-the-time (business casual/other shades of casual), and uniform-wearers. The color samples are better than in the women's books, too.
posted by jgirl at 9:05 AM on June 16

Hi, congratulations on your weight loss. I would recommend not buying too much, or not buying really expensive items like a suit or coat, until you have lost what you want to lose. Buy economically until then - Target has great business casual work clothes for men, for example. Ones that you can wash in the washing machine. Then, when you reach your ideal weight, reward yourself with great pieces that will last through many washings. As for style, go to a store like J. Crew and have someone there help you. The clothes are safe, great for mixing and matching, and aren't too trendy.
posted by heather-b at 9:12 AM on June 16

What do want to spend? If you are on a budget, I would walk into a J Crew and let them do the rest. I would avoid H&M, Express or Gap. Their clothes don't fit because they are not made well. J Crew is the next level and you will get your money's worth. And it's great for everyday stuff that you can beat on.

Here's what's in my closet that I can't do without:

A navy blazer - Italian traditional. NAVY - NOT BLACK.

dress shirts: white, blue, pink a couple of stripes. broadcloth, 100's and oxfords

polo shirts navy, white - The actual brand Polo fits and looks the best.

jeans - levis and APC

sweaters - cashmere v-necks- J Crew (cheap) and Ballantyne - basic colors

shoes - driving shoes from Tod's and Geox, Allen-Edmonds oxfords, cap toes-- black and brown NOT BURGUNDY.
posted by Zambrano at 9:50 AM on June 16

Yay, you! Get a salesperson to help you buy clothes that fit. Men look so nice with a tucked in shirt, as opposed to a huge tshirt loose over baggy jeans.
posted by theora55 at 10:19 AM on June 16

Wow, thanks everyone! It's a curious feeling, being this excited to buy clothing.

This question has fallen off the front page, so this is probably for naught, but to answer a couple follow-up questions ..

1) Climate - I live in southwestern Washington State, where "50 degrees and overcast" is the forecast for about 70% of the year.

2) Situations - my current job involves assisting disabled adults and tends to be pretty messy, so I'll probably salvage some fat man clothes to wear to work. The situations I'd like to dress nice for include school, casual knocking about with my friends, job interviews and the occasional classy evening out. Comics Convention season is winding down here in the northwest, but it'd be cool to have some nice clothes to wear for next season.

3) Budget - not a ton of wiggle room here, unfortunately. Say ballpark ~$250 for the initial purchases. Looks like there's a lot of good mid-range suggestions in the thread already, so thank you very much for that. Point taken on the wisdom of spending a little extra on quality goods so that my dollars go farther.

Thanks again, everyone. I really appreciate all the advice.
posted by EatTheWeak at 4:52 PM on June 16

This might be easier & more fun if you have someone help you. If there's someone you know who always looks nicely dressed, asking for him/her to go shopping with you could get you home with the most flattering cuts & colors.
posted by debbie_ann at 11:41 AM on July 2