Overwhelmed by men's fashion
March 29, 2016 9:33 PM Subscribe
I need some help navigating the process of updating my wardrobe and learning men's fashion.
My job responsibilities have changed a bit in the last year. I've gone from working with colleagues who dress down constantly (tshirts and jeans and sweatshirts), to a few times a week having to meet with others who dress up (some in suits, others at least in a dress pants and very nice shirts). I used to wear a tshirt and jeans every day to work, and now it's become too jarring to go back and forth between dressing up and down. And to be honest, I like the idea of dressing up a little more.
I have started reading men's fashion blogs, I've made a few purchases here and there. I've been reading Dappered, Mr Porter, and a few other sites from this old question. I've even donated a few clothes to charity that were clearly out of style, and I'm trying to find time to visit a tailor to improve the fit of some of my classic shirts.
My basic strategy has been to read a few blogs a couple times a week to learn what looks good and try to get a sense of color patterns, etc. I would say that this recent article on Gilkes is the style I'd like to wear. He looks stylish but is not trying too hard.
I have some money to spend, but I can't just drop a thousand dollars on each outfit. Most blogs seem to be focused on men that can spend a crap load on clothes. (Dappered is more reasonable.) So I have been looking for clothes that approximate these looks. I found white sneakers that are pretty close to those Achilles Retro Leather Sneakers ($440) that he is wearing for $50.
So my basic questions are: how does one perfect the art of translating these styles into cheaper outfits? Is there a blog/store that sells cheaper versions of these outfits all put-together? I don't have time to painstakingly find each item elsewhere and I'm not sure where to look. I don't have the skills yet to buy a complete outfit from many different online stores. I don't have a lot of time to shop in real stores. Also, are there blogs that aren't listed on that old question? I'm complaining a bit here, but I'm willing to put some work into this, but would like reassurance that I'm on the right path and looking at the right sites.
I know there is a club that will send you a new outfit once a month for $80. I'm not really interested in that, but I'm considering it as I'm tired.
My job responsibilities have changed a bit in the last year. I've gone from working with colleagues who dress down constantly (tshirts and jeans and sweatshirts), to a few times a week having to meet with others who dress up (some in suits, others at least in a dress pants and very nice shirts). I used to wear a tshirt and jeans every day to work, and now it's become too jarring to go back and forth between dressing up and down. And to be honest, I like the idea of dressing up a little more.
I have started reading men's fashion blogs, I've made a few purchases here and there. I've been reading Dappered, Mr Porter, and a few other sites from this old question. I've even donated a few clothes to charity that were clearly out of style, and I'm trying to find time to visit a tailor to improve the fit of some of my classic shirts.
My basic strategy has been to read a few blogs a couple times a week to learn what looks good and try to get a sense of color patterns, etc. I would say that this recent article on Gilkes is the style I'd like to wear. He looks stylish but is not trying too hard.
I have some money to spend, but I can't just drop a thousand dollars on each outfit. Most blogs seem to be focused on men that can spend a crap load on clothes. (Dappered is more reasonable.) So I have been looking for clothes that approximate these looks. I found white sneakers that are pretty close to those Achilles Retro Leather Sneakers ($440) that he is wearing for $50.
So my basic questions are: how does one perfect the art of translating these styles into cheaper outfits? Is there a blog/store that sells cheaper versions of these outfits all put-together? I don't have time to painstakingly find each item elsewhere and I'm not sure where to look. I don't have the skills yet to buy a complete outfit from many different online stores. I don't have a lot of time to shop in real stores. Also, are there blogs that aren't listed on that old question? I'm complaining a bit here, but I'm willing to put some work into this, but would like reassurance that I'm on the right path and looking at the right sites.
I know there is a club that will send you a new outfit once a month for $80. I'm not really interested in that, but I'm considering it as I'm tired.
Best answer: I had a similar issue in terms of updating my wardrobe and being overwhelmed by trend/fashion blogs when I changed jobs recently and I found these ideas helpful:
- doing Mari Kondo's method to keep only clothes I truly loved to get down to a base wardrobe of items I'd be happy to wear at any time; this eliminated a lot of what I thought of as "my wardrobe" but which I never wore in reality. She gets a lot of bad press, surprisingly, but the book fundamentally changed how I think about what I wear and how I feel in it.
- from my post-Kondo base, I thought about creating a wardrobe of limited scope in terms of colour and cut to ensure maximum interchangability: almost all my clothes are blues, browns, khakis, greys, and greens.
- I invited over and made pizza for some fashion/design-aware friends who offered advice as I modelled the clothes I kept: having a second/third pair of eyes really helped and I even took notes as the evening went on! Dart this shirt, get those trousers hemmed, etc.
- eliminating t-shirts almost totally and replacing them with polos/golf shirts, as tees just weren't flexible enough
- keeping all my clothes in the same place so I can see everything easily: Kondo goes into this and most of it is creative folding/hanging
- looking for pieces that can dress up or dress down - a $19.99 button-down-collar short-sleeve polo shirt from Uniqlo with a muted pattern can go to the beach or out around town as it is, but also works under a sweater for the office with the buttons on the collar fastened in place
- remembering to treat existing clothes gently: I don't have a dryer (instead using a drying rack) and I iron on low while clothes are still a bit damp so they stay nicer longer
- keeping my shoes in good condition: not obsessively polishing or anything, but rotating what I wear to work and giving everything a look over each week while the laundry is in and doing touch-ups if needed
- also on shoes: I happily admit to having two of the same pair of work shoes (among others) to minimize wear and tear
- getting trousers hemmed and shirts darted to keep them in circulation as my body changed over time (I'd been on a fitness kick)
- learning to shop at places with very friendly return policies
- shopping at the end of a season for temperature-specific basics that won't change too much from year to year to save major cash, like summerweight long-sleeved shirts for the office in September or a winter coat in April
- finally: embracing the fact that it's OK when you stop liking/fitting into something and letting it go to a new home; this keeps your wardrobe a place you enjoy rather than a closet ever fuller of less of what you want to wear
Good luck!
posted by mdonley at 11:42 PM on March 29, 2016 [2 favorites]
- doing Mari Kondo's method to keep only clothes I truly loved to get down to a base wardrobe of items I'd be happy to wear at any time; this eliminated a lot of what I thought of as "my wardrobe" but which I never wore in reality. She gets a lot of bad press, surprisingly, but the book fundamentally changed how I think about what I wear and how I feel in it.
- from my post-Kondo base, I thought about creating a wardrobe of limited scope in terms of colour and cut to ensure maximum interchangability: almost all my clothes are blues, browns, khakis, greys, and greens.
- I invited over and made pizza for some fashion/design-aware friends who offered advice as I modelled the clothes I kept: having a second/third pair of eyes really helped and I even took notes as the evening went on! Dart this shirt, get those trousers hemmed, etc.
- eliminating t-shirts almost totally and replacing them with polos/golf shirts, as tees just weren't flexible enough
- keeping all my clothes in the same place so I can see everything easily: Kondo goes into this and most of it is creative folding/hanging
- looking for pieces that can dress up or dress down - a $19.99 button-down-collar short-sleeve polo shirt from Uniqlo with a muted pattern can go to the beach or out around town as it is, but also works under a sweater for the office with the buttons on the collar fastened in place
- remembering to treat existing clothes gently: I don't have a dryer (instead using a drying rack) and I iron on low while clothes are still a bit damp so they stay nicer longer
- keeping my shoes in good condition: not obsessively polishing or anything, but rotating what I wear to work and giving everything a look over each week while the laundry is in and doing touch-ups if needed
- also on shoes: I happily admit to having two of the same pair of work shoes (among others) to minimize wear and tear
- getting trousers hemmed and shirts darted to keep them in circulation as my body changed over time (I'd been on a fitness kick)
- learning to shop at places with very friendly return policies
- shopping at the end of a season for temperature-specific basics that won't change too much from year to year to save major cash, like summerweight long-sleeved shirts for the office in September or a winter coat in April
- finally: embracing the fact that it's OK when you stop liking/fitting into something and letting it go to a new home; this keeps your wardrobe a place you enjoy rather than a closet ever fuller of less of what you want to wear
Good luck!
posted by mdonley at 11:42 PM on March 29, 2016 [2 favorites]
my simple hack to this. Buy 2 pairs of nice dress shoes (brown/black, laced/loafer etc) and buy some really good simple shirts (I buy them white). You're fine now. Your casual pants will go great with this. Start building the rest of your wardrobe from there. Never buy everything you need in one session.
posted by ouke at 12:29 AM on March 30, 2016
posted by ouke at 12:29 AM on March 30, 2016
I've found having the clothes fit perfectly is more important than what color or particular style they are. I would recommend keeping the blog styles in mind but just go to a large number of different stores, try on more clothes than you ever have before, and buy only the items which get a "wow" factor when you look in the mirror. This means you'll probably only buy 1 in every 10 or 20 things you try; that's ok. The key is to discard any item which is just "OK" or you have any doubt about. The right things should jump out at you.
posted by dave99 at 12:55 AM on March 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by dave99 at 12:55 AM on March 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I regularly use www.reddit.com/r/malefashionadvice to good effect. Especially look at the "Getting Started: The Most Basic Advice" guides on the right-hand side of the page:
Simple Step-by-step Intro
How Clothes Should Fit
Building a Basic Wardrobe
Understanding Color
Building Outfits That Work
I've got $X. How do I spend it?
Developing Personal Style
Understanding Unconventional Fit
posted by alchemist at 3:40 AM on March 30, 2016 [2 favorites]
Simple Step-by-step Intro
How Clothes Should Fit
Building a Basic Wardrobe
Understanding Color
Building Outfits That Work
I've got $X. How do I spend it?
Developing Personal Style
Understanding Unconventional Fit
posted by alchemist at 3:40 AM on March 30, 2016 [2 favorites]
One thing I do (as a lady) is if I see a look in a magazine that I like, I study it for the component parts, then I shop my usual haunts to buy them on sale.
I also know what styles look good on me and what to avoid. Trial and error.
I find that the best places to get quality men's clothing on a budget is Macys and Marshalls. I shop there for the brands that Husbunny likes. (Hilfiger, Polo, Nautica He's rocking the preppy thing.)
I've found Ben Sherman shirts for $13, Vineyard Vines pants for $20, basically the cool preppy stuff for about 25% of MSRP on these things.
I shop at least 3 days a month, to see if there are, what my Dad calls, Targets of Opportunity. Basically, low-hanging fruit. "Hey! It's a pink Polo for $25, SCORE!"
To switch it up, check out Nordstrom rack. Not as cheap, but some really nifty things there.
You know what really steps up your fashion game? French cuffs and cuff links. *sigh*
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:43 AM on March 30, 2016
I also know what styles look good on me and what to avoid. Trial and error.
I find that the best places to get quality men's clothing on a budget is Macys and Marshalls. I shop there for the brands that Husbunny likes. (Hilfiger, Polo, Nautica He's rocking the preppy thing.)
I've found Ben Sherman shirts for $13, Vineyard Vines pants for $20, basically the cool preppy stuff for about 25% of MSRP on these things.
I shop at least 3 days a month, to see if there are, what my Dad calls, Targets of Opportunity. Basically, low-hanging fruit. "Hey! It's a pink Polo for $25, SCORE!"
To switch it up, check out Nordstrom rack. Not as cheap, but some really nifty things there.
You know what really steps up your fashion game? French cuffs and cuff links. *sigh*
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:43 AM on March 30, 2016
ASOS has been my go to "cheap hipster business casual" shopping site recently. I have no shame buying something on clearance knowing it will fall apart in a year because I know I can't afford investment pieces.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:25 AM on March 30, 2016
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:25 AM on March 30, 2016
Best answer: If I were you, here's what I would do:
Pre-first: think of your color palette. If you keep everything coordinating, you'll get more use out of it. Your debonair model seems like he's keeping it to navy, medium blue, khaki, camel, mid brown and white - this flatters his skin and hair, plus those are easy to buy colors. For me, I wear shades of blue, black, grey and olive almost exclusively. Do not buy white shirts unless you look good in white - many people do not, including me.
I also notice that your model has a couple of dramatic pieces - that blue coat and the burgundy portfolio. Everything else is relatively classic, and the shirts, pants and shoes are really classic - he'll be able to mix those with anything in ten years and not look weird. The shawl collar, the chunky sweater and the suede jacket are going to date, but slowly.
If you need/want to wear jackets at work, plan your wardrobe to match the jackets and put much of your money there. The rest should go into shoes. For those things, there's a much more palpable difference between fancy and cheap.
I would suggest looking at jackets very early in the process - not necessarily buying, but getting a fair idea of what you want. If you know that you want a nubbly medium blue wool or tweedy medium blue wool mix jacket, for instance, you can buy other stuff on the principle that it will match when you do get the jacket.
First, try on a large array of jackets. Go into Boston (I see you're in MA) and make a day of it. They will not fit perfectly off the rack - you're looking at color, material and basic cut. This Gilkes fellow seems to like double-breasted jackets, which are IMO a bit harder to wear - if you're thinking of these, try a bunch on and try to envision wearing them regularly.
Google "styleforum" and "boston" and see what recommendations pop up. Those people are awful snobs, really, but basically sound on men's clothing.
If I were buying nice jackets to wear regularly, I would think to myself "am I going to be wearing these jackets daily, or am I going to be wearing them sometimes and either wearing shirtsleeves or a sweater the rest of the time?" This would help me to figure out how many jackets and how dressy I needed.
Also, do you plan to wear a jacket in the summer?
My suggestion is to get them in textured and more casual fabrics - tweed, corduroy, slub silk. (not linen; linen is not for the amateur). Make sure you can move your arms comfortably and that the collar fits close to your neck - collar gap is irreparable. Don't get anything that looks like half a suit.
So get, maybe, a deep blue textured wool and another textured jacket for winter. Ultimately, get a cotton, slub silk or other odd fabric one for summer.
In re shirts: To each their own, but I would check out consignment and eBay on this one. Know your size and get thee to a tailor, but you can get a virtually new really nice men's shirt for less than the price of a new crummy men's shirt. Sometimes I yearn for trendier stylings, but then every time I actually handle a trendier shirt, I'm struck by how cheap it is.
If you are going to work in your shirtsleeves a lot of the time, don't get dress shirts - get nicer casual shirts with a slightly fuller cut, maybe button-downs (that is, button-down collars). (I am excited because band-collar shirts are coming back, actually - if you like that sort of thing, maybe one of those?) If I had a mid-blue textured wool jacket, I might get white shirts with a small pattern, or a white shirt with a fine stripe in a related color, or a blue shirt with fine stripes or patterns, or a medium or dark blue shirt with stripes or patterns. Today I am wearing a pop-over shirt in deep, deep blue with a thin woven deep blue stripe, for instance, via eBay. It could stand to be slimmed in the body, but I am hoping to slim myself fractionally in the body in the next couple of months and I'd rather take it in after a few months of increased biking.
For the other things the guy is wearing in the photos: that shawl collar cardigan is a lovely piece, but they are on the wane, fashion-wise. If I wanted a jacket-ish cardigan, I would buy consignment or eBay.
The suede jacket is also something you should be able to buy consignment or eBay. You can readily find striped tees in any mid-range shop right now.
If you really want to throw money at the problem, go to any mid-range or better men's boutique (or hell, probably even a JCrew if you're a standard size) and tell the staff that you want to buy X number of things to work together, and could they bring you some stuff to try? I have never done this personally, because I always feel that I need to buy one or two pieces after putting them to all that trouble - there's no rule, but it's nicer to - but they will be glad to show you stuff that works together.
Before you do that, though, I would spend some time trying stuff on at a variety of places, because it's easy to get, like, three pairs of pants and three shirts at one place that all look nice together, only to realize that the cut doesn't work with anything from anywhere else.
When you actually go shopping, take a friend and make a day of it. Plan where you're going. Every couple of shops (unless you're just waltzing in and out) take a little break to sit or have coffee or look at records or whatever. Have a proper lunch. Even for a clothes horse like me, shopping can cause burnout and a sudden desire never to buy anything ever again.
Also, don't plan to buy everything at once. Your initial shopping should be with two goals: to get to know what's out there and how it fits, and to pick up a couple of new pieces that you like.
I've observed that it takes me a while to adjust to a wardrobe change - it's easy to buy exuberantly when you're excited about trying something new, only to realize that it's not quite what you want. Start smaller, a few pieces at a time.
If you hate shopping, bear in mind that a couple of shopping days at the beginning will give you a better idea of where you want to shop and what you want to buy - then you'll be able to make quicker trips.
On a personal note: I tend to think that someone who is dressed too nicely in extremely new clothing in real life risks looking a bit like a tailor's dummy - I actually think you're better off with pieces of different degrees of newness and costliness.
posted by Frowner at 7:00 AM on March 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
Pre-first: think of your color palette. If you keep everything coordinating, you'll get more use out of it. Your debonair model seems like he's keeping it to navy, medium blue, khaki, camel, mid brown and white - this flatters his skin and hair, plus those are easy to buy colors. For me, I wear shades of blue, black, grey and olive almost exclusively. Do not buy white shirts unless you look good in white - many people do not, including me.
I also notice that your model has a couple of dramatic pieces - that blue coat and the burgundy portfolio. Everything else is relatively classic, and the shirts, pants and shoes are really classic - he'll be able to mix those with anything in ten years and not look weird. The shawl collar, the chunky sweater and the suede jacket are going to date, but slowly.
If you need/want to wear jackets at work, plan your wardrobe to match the jackets and put much of your money there. The rest should go into shoes. For those things, there's a much more palpable difference between fancy and cheap.
I would suggest looking at jackets very early in the process - not necessarily buying, but getting a fair idea of what you want. If you know that you want a nubbly medium blue wool or tweedy medium blue wool mix jacket, for instance, you can buy other stuff on the principle that it will match when you do get the jacket.
First, try on a large array of jackets. Go into Boston (I see you're in MA) and make a day of it. They will not fit perfectly off the rack - you're looking at color, material and basic cut. This Gilkes fellow seems to like double-breasted jackets, which are IMO a bit harder to wear - if you're thinking of these, try a bunch on and try to envision wearing them regularly.
Google "styleforum" and "boston" and see what recommendations pop up. Those people are awful snobs, really, but basically sound on men's clothing.
If I were buying nice jackets to wear regularly, I would think to myself "am I going to be wearing these jackets daily, or am I going to be wearing them sometimes and either wearing shirtsleeves or a sweater the rest of the time?" This would help me to figure out how many jackets and how dressy I needed.
Also, do you plan to wear a jacket in the summer?
My suggestion is to get them in textured and more casual fabrics - tweed, corduroy, slub silk. (not linen; linen is not for the amateur). Make sure you can move your arms comfortably and that the collar fits close to your neck - collar gap is irreparable. Don't get anything that looks like half a suit.
So get, maybe, a deep blue textured wool and another textured jacket for winter. Ultimately, get a cotton, slub silk or other odd fabric one for summer.
In re shirts: To each their own, but I would check out consignment and eBay on this one. Know your size and get thee to a tailor, but you can get a virtually new really nice men's shirt for less than the price of a new crummy men's shirt. Sometimes I yearn for trendier stylings, but then every time I actually handle a trendier shirt, I'm struck by how cheap it is.
If you are going to work in your shirtsleeves a lot of the time, don't get dress shirts - get nicer casual shirts with a slightly fuller cut, maybe button-downs (that is, button-down collars). (I am excited because band-collar shirts are coming back, actually - if you like that sort of thing, maybe one of those?) If I had a mid-blue textured wool jacket, I might get white shirts with a small pattern, or a white shirt with a fine stripe in a related color, or a blue shirt with fine stripes or patterns, or a medium or dark blue shirt with stripes or patterns. Today I am wearing a pop-over shirt in deep, deep blue with a thin woven deep blue stripe, for instance, via eBay. It could stand to be slimmed in the body, but I am hoping to slim myself fractionally in the body in the next couple of months and I'd rather take it in after a few months of increased biking.
For the other things the guy is wearing in the photos: that shawl collar cardigan is a lovely piece, but they are on the wane, fashion-wise. If I wanted a jacket-ish cardigan, I would buy consignment or eBay.
The suede jacket is also something you should be able to buy consignment or eBay. You can readily find striped tees in any mid-range shop right now.
If you really want to throw money at the problem, go to any mid-range or better men's boutique (or hell, probably even a JCrew if you're a standard size) and tell the staff that you want to buy X number of things to work together, and could they bring you some stuff to try? I have never done this personally, because I always feel that I need to buy one or two pieces after putting them to all that trouble - there's no rule, but it's nicer to - but they will be glad to show you stuff that works together.
Before you do that, though, I would spend some time trying stuff on at a variety of places, because it's easy to get, like, three pairs of pants and three shirts at one place that all look nice together, only to realize that the cut doesn't work with anything from anywhere else.
When you actually go shopping, take a friend and make a day of it. Plan where you're going. Every couple of shops (unless you're just waltzing in and out) take a little break to sit or have coffee or look at records or whatever. Have a proper lunch. Even for a clothes horse like me, shopping can cause burnout and a sudden desire never to buy anything ever again.
Also, don't plan to buy everything at once. Your initial shopping should be with two goals: to get to know what's out there and how it fits, and to pick up a couple of new pieces that you like.
I've observed that it takes me a while to adjust to a wardrobe change - it's easy to buy exuberantly when you're excited about trying something new, only to realize that it's not quite what you want. Start smaller, a few pieces at a time.
If you hate shopping, bear in mind that a couple of shopping days at the beginning will give you a better idea of where you want to shop and what you want to buy - then you'll be able to make quicker trips.
On a personal note: I tend to think that someone who is dressed too nicely in extremely new clothing in real life risks looking a bit like a tailor's dummy - I actually think you're better off with pieces of different degrees of newness and costliness.
posted by Frowner at 7:00 AM on March 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
(I know you hate shopping, but doing some shopping upfront is really the only way to manage this kind of thing. If I were in MA, I would totally go round the shops with you.
Also, after you've been to shops, you'll know how things fit - I buy most of my clothes on eBay now, because I know how stuff fits.
Oh, and measure your existing clothes! What chest measurement is your best-fitting shirt? What is your real preferred waist measurement?
And one more thing: If you hate shopping, don't want to spend too much money and don't need a tailored jacket, skip that. They're tricky to fit and relatively expensive. It may be that shirtsleeves and a couple of nicer cardigans will be dressy enough for work - and that has the advantage of saving on drycleaning. I go out of my way to avoid wearing jackets, personally.
posted by Frowner at 7:05 AM on March 30, 2016
Also, after you've been to shops, you'll know how things fit - I buy most of my clothes on eBay now, because I know how stuff fits.
Oh, and measure your existing clothes! What chest measurement is your best-fitting shirt? What is your real preferred waist measurement?
And one more thing: If you hate shopping, don't want to spend too much money and don't need a tailored jacket, skip that. They're tricky to fit and relatively expensive. It may be that shirtsleeves and a couple of nicer cardigans will be dressy enough for work - and that has the advantage of saving on drycleaning. I go out of my way to avoid wearing jackets, personally.
posted by Frowner at 7:05 AM on March 30, 2016
Response by poster: Thanks for the great answers, everyone. This thread is definitely helpful to me.
posted by Tristram Shandy, Gentleman at 6:56 AM on April 2, 2016
posted by Tristram Shandy, Gentleman at 6:56 AM on April 2, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
Then maybe go online to add more pieces.
Bonobos, for one, has become a fave.
posted by artdrectr at 11:41 PM on March 29, 2016 [1 favorite]