Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Clothing

Time to get a grownup coat

bunji — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:10:04 -0800

Can anyone identify this lovely plaid coat? Also seen here, and in a series of thumbnails here.

I'd also love recommendations of similar coats. What I especially like about it: mainly the muted black/charcoal plaid, as well as the knee-ish length and the slightly nipped-in shape. No strong feelings about the collar, buttons or pockets.

Any leads appreciated! My current Value Village coat has served me well, but is too big and deserves a new owner who fits it.

help me party like it's 1929

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:32:43 -0800

I got invited to a 1920's themed party, and I need advice on what to wear (I'm a guy), and also where to buy the clothes/accessories needed. I get the feeling from the invitation that I should dress up a bit, so a fake suit from a costume store is probably not the best idea.

I've read up on Wikipedia about what people wore then, but are these things you can get in a traditional suit store? or should I try vintage stores? What about the hats... are there hats from the 20's that are still worn or available today?

I'm trying not to spend too much time shopping, and yet still look decent. Buying stuff from the internet won't work because the party is too soon. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Find me some fashion!

alygator — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:55:20 -0800

Help me find this dress! Thanks in advance! Inspired by this post. Seriously, ModCloth can't be the ONLY distributor of this dress. There has to be one Size 2 out there in the ether available for purchase. Right? Please say yes?

Dress me like an office goth.

gonzo_ID — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:52:34 -0800

I wanna dress like a smart goth. Recommend me some online stores. When I mean smart goth, I don't mean over the top going out to a club goth, I mean hanging out with friends and doing the shopping goth. Oh, and male clothes only.

I'd also be interested in how you interpret this.

Looking in particular for: Nice civil war / victorian jackets, unusual black trousers, army boots / trainers with something extra, nice smart shirts (no frills) and a selection of hats.

Help me find the right dress!

Industrial PhD — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:33:36 -0800

DressFilter: Help me find a dress for my woman that matches these shoes! My girl bought these shoes at the mall a few weeks ago because she fell in love with them, but she really doesn't have anything that matches them =\

So I'm trying to find her a dress that will match them for Christmas!

Here's the shoes.

I was thinking that a little black dress that had a lot of white accents would be good, and I managed to find one, but they are sold out of her size. I don't even know if I'm barking up the right tree, as clearly I'm no fashionista. I do think she would like something of this style though.

Some details:

She's pretty fair skinned, brownish hair that she sometimes colors red. She's 5'1", about 115lbs, and she's about a size 6.

We just had a baby about 6 weeks ago and like most people have been doing the lounge around the house in sweatpants thing while we care for our new addition, but those shoes got her excited about getting dressed up and going out and I want to encourage that =)

Hoping to keep the price ~$65

Thanks HiveMind!

The Great Ecstasy of the Signer Herzog

Dr. Wu — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 08:50:02 -0800

How do I preserve Werner Herzog's signature on my t-shirt? I met Werner Herzog the other night at the IFC Center's screening of his excellent new movie, MY SON, MY SON, WHAT HAVE YE DONE. I'd been meaning to buy one of these "Cinemetal" Herzog/Danzig t-shirts for a while, and figured this was the right time to finally do it.

Herzog signed my shirt with a Sharpie, thus rendering a cool shirt even cooler. I'd like to wear the shirt and preserve the signature on it. Can you suggest a product with which I could treat the shirt so that the signature persists, even after laundering the shirt?

I hypothesized that something called "fabric fixative" might exist, and, lo and behold, it does! I found some here, on the site of a company recommended by various MeFites. Will this product do the job? Or might there be some alternative, or some additional product I can use for insurance?

I also looked at the "Sharpie blog," and found that they recommend heat-treating to preserve Sharpie marks on fabric, so I'll do that. But I really want to render this autograph as indelible as I can, so all further tips are welcome.

Danke!

Canadian clothing lines/stores for the big busted lady?

thelaze — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:55:10 -0800

Are there any stores or clothing lines for busty (but not plus size) women in Canada? I know about the fabulous Bravissimo for those of us whose disproportionately large boobies make buying regular clothes a chore, but sadly they only have stores in the UK. I'm a bit wary of online shopping for clothing so I've been trying to find something similar that's a bit closer to home (Toronto). I would love to be able to actually go in and try something on before buying.

Anyone have any ideas for where a relatively petite (dress size 6/8) but G/H cup size Canadian woman should shop?

Where would I find quality, curved, wooden hangers?

decrescendo — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:38:26 -0800

Where would I find quality, curved, wooden hangers? I was just at Nordstrom and I bought some dress shirts that were hanging on some really nice, curved, wooden hangers in the store.

Where would I find something similar?

I see a lot of wooden hangers online but I'm afraid they're probably pretty junky.

Target
Target
Walmart

Compare these brands of jeans

Busy Old Fool — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:03:39 -0800

I'd like a comparison of CK, Levi's, Dickies and Lee jeans. I've never bought a pair of jeans (for dull reasons), but I'm thinking about doing so. I know very little about the various brands and would appreciate some basic knowledge.

Obviously I need to see which fit me best, but aside from that, please tell me about the durability and other distinguishing characteristics of the following brands:

Calvin Klein
Levi's
Dickies
Lee

Any good or poor record of environmental friendliness or workers' rights would also be interesting.

Other brands (also for dull reasons) are not such a good choice for me, but if you strongly believe there is one that's head and shoulders above the four listed above, you can tell me too. Mostly, though, please compare the brands above.

Call it "Tailor Tourism"

rileyray3000 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:52:19 -0800

I'm thinking about taking a suit holiday. As in, going to a country where not only can I have a fun vacation, but I can get a bunch of suits made for a good price. Where should I go? When I was teaching in Korea back in 2001 I got a few suits made for me on a lark. Some were the kitschy kind of fun suits that you get made when they're 70 bucks American and you think "what the hell." In my case that was one red satin number and five iridescent sharkskin suits in colors ranging from blue to yellow to brown - all as shiny as a marine's dress shoes.

Goodfellas was one of the only American movies I saw over there. I think it left a mark.

But in addition to those suits I also got one charcoal gray suit made and one light brown one. Those two have been my standby suits ever since. I get compliments every time I wear them, they fit me perfectly and I worry about the day they finally fall apart.

Thus I've been considering a "Suit Holiday." Something where I go somewhere like South Korea, have an exotic trip, and get a bunch of suits made to take home and last me another decade.

But I'm wondering if South Korea IS the way to go here. Maybe Hong Kong? Or Taiwan? Or the Philippines? Or Indonesia? I'm totally open.

Where is the place I can get the best bang for my buck and get 5 or ten suits made to take home with me? Where would YOU go on a Suit Holiday?

Appropriate attire for presenting at a Philosophy conference

chndrcks — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:29:56 -0800

MetaPhilosophers: What should I wear when presenting at a conference this weekend? I'm a Philosophy grad student who will be going on the job market in the next year or two. I'm also going to be presenting a paper at a professional (not-grad-student-only conference) for the first time this weekend.

I'd like to make a good impression on any future employers I may run into. It's too late to do any more for the paper, but it's not too late to pick out an outfit - preferably something that says "Hire me!" but doesn't go overboard.

Here's what I have to work with:

Pants: Dressy Jeans, Cargo Khakis, Real Khakis, Suit Pants (dark gray - charcoal maybe)

Shirts: A variety of button down shirts - a few in solid white or blue, but most have vertical stripes.

Jackets: Brown Corduroy (but not as expensive), Blue Blazer, Suit Jacket

Ties: standard

When I teach I usually wear: jeans, striped button down shirt and brown corduroy jacket. I think I should bring it up a level or two, but I'm not sure how far. Any suggestions?

hoody filter

lodie6 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:17:17 -0800

I'm looking for a hoody that absolutely MUST have a double zipper - meaning you should be able to unzip it down and up at the same time. Other details: I'm holiday shopping and looking for a high-quality hoody. It needs to be plain (no big graphics, a small logo of some sort is ok) and a dark color. It can be medium to heavy in weight. This person has and enjoys other hoodies from various skater brands as well as Carhartt - the sweatshirt should be durable like those. The gift recipient will be an adult female, but it does not matter if it is a men's garment.

Workout tops for short girls?

catesbie — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:23:31 -0800

Are there brands that make workout tops suitable for short girls? I'm 5'1" but reasonably curvy. All the fitted workout tops I own are too long and therefore too tight on the hips, so they ride up on my rather short waist and require constant adjustment. Buying a size up doesn't solve the problem - then they're just too baggy everywhere else. Can anyone recommend a brand - online or otherwise - that sizes tops for petites? (Lots of places seem to offer pants with shorter inseams, but not tops.)

This would be for the usual gym stuff, but also needs to be suitable for Pilates and yoga, where t-shirt+sports bra+headstand simply will not do. Thanks in advance.

I'm right, but lack visual evidence of my rightness

B-squared — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:45:07 -0800

Help me find images of handsome, manly men in white sweaters. I'm trying to convince my husband that a white sweater is as versatile as his dour browns, blacks and grays. If they are layered with shirts under or jackets over, all the better. Thank you!

MetaStyle: Help a stylishly challenged person get the perfect dress.

magnoliasouth — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:14:40 -0800

Help me (a plus-sized picky person) pick out an affordable, versatile dress to wear to a December wedding. I have no sense of style and I hate shopping for dresses; there are several reasons why too.

1. I have gained a lot of weight since an injury, so I'm around a size 18 and probably a 20 in some dresses. I feel like I look fat in EVERYTHING. I have thin nicely shaped legs though, but my torso is another story.
2. I don't like wearing dresses at all and I only shop for new cocktail/semi-formal dresses about every ten years. I am very picky.
3. I look terrible in many colors. I have almost an Eastern European look where my hair is medium to dark reddish brown, but my skin is very fair. Yellows and reds are out.
4. I prefer green and not just any green, but close to sage. I have only one feature that I'm proud of and that is my green eyes. Sage makes them striking and I nearly always get a compliment on my eyes.
5. I have to have something which hides my armpits. I have skin tags that I hate and am mortified over. Several times I've been to the doctor to have them removed, and every single time there wasn't "time" to do it. It's as though I'm destined to deal with them forever and always.
6. I need something that is about $75 or less, if possible.
7. Since I don't shop often for stuff like this, it needs to be versatile enough to wear for Christmas parties (et al) too.

Phew!

I like this dress, in Sage, but again, no sleeves and I'm not entirely sure how it would look on me anyway.

So, any ideas? If I get the above dress, what kind of wrap could I wear with it or sweater, or something else? I can't leave it sleeveless. Is there another dress out there which would be a better option?

I'm at a loss.

Trouble with black hats

Brocktoon — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:13:28 -0800

Why can't I find a decent black hat/cap? It seems that every time I buy a black baseball-style hat, the black always fades to brown or off-color after a couple months. I don't stand in the rain in these hats. I don't do anything to them but wear them. I've tried Hurley hats 'cause I like the style. I thought maybe getting an MLB (etc) licensed hat might boost the quality, but any hats they have in black are all "gangsta" style. While I have nothing against this style, it is not for me. Anyone have any ideas?

Happy medium or nurturing the beast?

bitteroldman — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:28:32 -0800

I can't seem to find sweatshop-free or second-hand clothes in the style that I like. How about this alternative? So I really wanted to make a push to purchase sweatshop-free clothing and started to do some research into what was available. Read a lot of discussion with a lot of valid points being made on all sides of the argument.

Not to mention, the style of clothing that I am looking for is more dressy and I can't seem to find any stores or Websites that sell dressy, sweatshop-free clothing.

So then I thought to myself, what if I bought my clothes regularly, but for each article of clothing I buy, I make a donation to a charity in the country where the clothes were made (we're talking about 30-50% of the price I pay for the clothes)?

My rationale is that when I make the donation, I have a pretty good idea where it's going; but if I buy a dress shirt that says "Made in Wherever", I have no idea what the conditions of the factory are like.

So on the surface, it seems like an interesting idea, but is it a good idea or is it the equivalent of whipping a child and then feeding him/her?

I want to do what's right, but damn it I'm still wearing the clothes I bought when I first met my better half, and that was 11 years ago!

Yes, I've got a lulu. Why?

stuck on an island — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:25:06 -0800

Where can I find reasonably detailed reference images of smart everyday women's clothes from the 1940s, 50s and early 60s? After bemoaning the state of modern women's workwear for years, I've decided to draw my office wardrobe influences from the past. Specifically, the block of time bordered roughly by His Girl Friday and Mad Men. (Yes, I know.) To do this, I need images from the time to "clip" for reference and inspiration, but I can't figure out where to look -- searching specifically for costume images yields too few results, searching generally for the time periods yields too many.

Where should I look to get a good idea of what the woman in the street wore? I am not looking for haute couture or Hollywood glamour (although I'd welcome recommendations for good frock porn films) -- more along the lines of what a Sartorialist of the time might have photographed. I make clothes and am learning to draft my own patterns, so the more detailed the images the better.

Used clothes in Detroit

lolo341 — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:42:34 -0800

What are your favorite used clothing/thrift stores in the Detroit metro area and/or Ann Arbor?

Help us find this suit!

a.steele — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:15:05 -0800

Men's Suit Filter: Please help us remember the brand of a suit we saw at K&G! This just happened yesterday while my boyfriend and I were looking for his halloween costume, and we've already forgotten! Details: we're 90% sure it starts with a Z. I seem to remember a double-L but it could possibly be a different double letter. 3 or 4 syllables. Vaguely Italian?

The suit was a 4-button royal blue with subtle stripes, and a slight sheen. It was inexpensive ($80, retailed for around $100-$120?). Not sure if K&G is regional, but it's a discount suit store like Burlingtons. I'm assuming that the fact it's not high quality is why we're not having luck with the Google.

If we have to, we'll go back and look at the label but it's out of our way and they didn't have his size. Hoping the hive can help. Thanks!

Need a new jacket lining that is hopefuly not stripey pink. In London.

ElmerFishpaw — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:03:07 -0800

My leather jacket needs a new lining. Im in London. Where should I go and what should I expect to pay?

Below the hemline...

lois1950 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:13:57 -0800

Fancy restaurant tonight = black/white jersey wrap dress. It's October in Seattle. Can I wear panty hose? I have not worn a dress all summer and I missed the memo about not wearing panty hose anymore. I don't think that black or white tights will look good with the dress; nude or bare would be better. Is this a big fashion no?
The alternative is dress pants. I am in my 50s and no one has ever accused me of having any fashion sense. Thanks for any advice!

Inexpensive work clothes in the DC area?

Mrs. Pterodactyl — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:22:25 -0800

Where can I find inexpensive work clothes in the DC area? I am planning to start a job as a receptionist/administrative assistant in the near future and I've recently lost weight so none of my clothes fit, although I am still plus-size. We are pretty short on money right now so I really really don't want to spend too much; I would very much appreciate any suggestions for decent, inexpensive stores for plus-size women to buy work clothes. The hardest part for me is generally finding things in my size, especially things that will last and are appropriate for my age (twenty-five). Thank you for any suggestions you might have!

What are the etiquette guidelines for T-shirts referencing ethnicity?

Eater — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:36:30 -0800

How likely is it that a white American woman in NYC wearing this shirt in public and in the workplace will be deemed offensive?

Help a fussy, picky dresser look better.

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:10:40 -0800

I'm embarrassed by the way my husband dresses. He says he wants to dress better, but that he "physically can't". My husband has told me repeatedly that he wants to look more stylish and more professional (he's 30). This is great, because I'm tired of feeling like he's my kid brother instead of my partner when we go out. However, he has a bizarrely long list of tactile sensitivities that make it "impossible" for him to wear certain things because they're so uncomfortable that he "can't concentrate on anything else".

I don't really know what to make of these objections. I remember when I was a child thinking wool sweaters must be punishment for bad behavior, but I definitely grew out of it. Is he just being ridiculous, or could these issues be physically and/or psychologically real? Any other picky dressers have insight?

Here is partial list of his self-imposed sartorial restrictions, along with his rationales. (He also has a rather spartan aesthetic sense, you'll notice). He won't wear any of the following things except under extreme duress:

Things that are "scratchy":
denim (i.e. all jeans) and corduroy
synthetic fabrics or blends
wool or wool blends

Things that "make me feel like I'm suffocating":
sweaters
ties
undershirts
slim-fitting shirts

Things that are nonspecifically "uncomfortable":
blazers and jackets
shirts tucked in
belts

Things that "look dumb":
stripes, checks, or patterns of any kind
v-necks
boots
pink, yellow, purple, and pastels
vests
watches
hats
(pretty much any accessory/nonessential)

Things that are "inefficient":
shoes with laces
owning more than one pair of shoes
owning more than one coat
buttons

The end result of these limitations is that he typically wears Gap chinos, a t-shirt, and slip-on shoes every single day. On dressier occasions he'll swap the t-shirt for a solid-colored oxford-type shirt, but only if it's half a size too big, loose at the collar, and untucked.

So...

1) In the short term, what can he do to dress better within the boundaries he's set for himself? I'm not very knowledgeable or creative in this department, unfortunately.

2) More importantly, in the long term, can he be desensitized to blazers, belts, shoelaces and sweaters? How should he go about it, and how can I help?

Anonymized for my Mefite husband's privacy, who would die of embarrassment.