Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with clothing and wardrobe

Garment Purge 2009!

EatTheWeak — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:44:02 -0800

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!

How would a 23 year-old male become more fashionable?

decrescendo — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:57:57 -0800

How would a 23 year-old male become more fashionable? The only time I feel dressed well is when I wear a suit. How can I fix this? It's difficult for me to find clothes that I feel fit me well because of my 6'3" 185 lb frame. I'm 6'3" and slim. The only time I really feel comfortable with what I'm wearing is at work: I wear a suit. With suits, I believe that I look better because I know that I have a complete outfit that fits me fairly well (it's tailored after all). I know what suits are supposed to look like and I'm able to pull it off. I have a few different colors of suits, shirts, and ties.

However, after work hours, i feel that I do not dress well enough for my age. I'm 23 and I live in one of the nicer areas of DC. The only thing I seem to be good at is putting on one of my 3 sweaters, 6 t-shirts, or 3 dress shirts with blue jeans. There are 8 million more ways to dress well out there and it seems that I just can't cook them up in my head. The only way I seem to be able to figure something out is to look at a mannequin or look on the Express website or something.

Even then, I feel that nothing fits me well because of my body type. Clothes aren't made for guys who are 6'3" and 185 lbs. Everything is too baggy or too short. It's very frustrating and I think that realizing how difficult it is to find clothes that fit me well has turned me off to fashion. I tend to find a few simple things every now and again that fit me fairly well and I wear them all the time. I need to expand my wardrobe. I have enough money to do it, but it's so hard for me to do.

How can I change this? Should I be reading men's magazines, fashion magazines, or fashion blogs/websites?

Anyone have any ideas? I feel that I'm a classy guy but my wardrobe does not reflect that, I'm afraid. Feeling that I'm dressed well is a big confidence booster that I desperately need sometimes.

Shirts like that?

springbound — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:44:27 -0800

[FindThatShirtFilter/DressMeFilter] I know I'm supposed to be eyeing off this seller's Etsy products, but I'm sorta more interested in the shirt her model's wearing! Anyone know where I can find it? Or recognise what brand it is so I can check out their other gear? And/or (while I'm at it!), different stuff entirely but with a similar feel? My wardrobe needs some revisioning and I'm looking for stuff that's a bit more grown-up than tshirts (my current wardrobe, including for work, which is in a very casual office) whilst not being all stiff-plain-business-shirt corporate-ish either.

The shirt the model's wearing here (third pic down) is totally rockin' the (or "a") vibe I'm after: subtle pattern, soft-looking fabric (too rare in women's button-down shirts!), slightly dorky, not stiff or staid-looking (probably that pocket helps to keep it casual, here), not hyper femme but not masculine, capable of being worn to work or with jeans.... Know where I can find it?

Or stuff like it? I'm colour-open, at least in theory... whatever... I need some change. Dress me, MetaFilter!

Any cartoons where people change their clothes?

phunniemee — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 08:38:05 -0800

Are there any cartoons in which the characters regularly wear different clothes? There are so many reasons why it makes sense to keep the characters in the same outfits episode after episode, season after season. Are there any examples of cartoons where the animators have gone above and beyond and created an actual wardrobe for their characters?

Tracking down a Big Bang Theory sweatshirt

craven_morhead — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:07:32 -0800

I'm looking for a sweatshirt that the character Penny (Kaley Cuoco) wears in the last episode of the first season, "The Tangerine Factor." It's yellow and orange, with fairly intricate designs. Seen here. Any ideas?

Help me with clothes for my lifestyle--SAHM/Travel/exercise/errands/small town/comfort/classic

seekingsimplicity — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 08:09:19 -0800

I would like some direction about making my wardrobe work well for my lifestyle that I see as diverse. I am home much of the time in our smallish conservative town (SAHM to teens)
I do yoga/biking/weights/run
I run errands/clean house/do yardwork/cook
I am the wife of a business exec and we do a fair amount of travel to board meetings and dinners (international and US) where I must dress nicely and walk for hours
I go to church about once a month
belong to a knitting group

The other parameter for me is that I am comfortable when walking a lot in foreign places but still want to look good!

Please help me find classic/timeless practical clothes and shoes that I might feel good in!

Thank you!

When only the best will do...

Jess the Mess — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 16:59:46 -0800

Help me revamp my wardrobe. I need suggestions for the best quality clothing and accessories in each category, i.e. t-shirts, suits, sandals, umbrellas, whatever. What I'm looking for is quality, not bargain pricing, or designer label cachet, just the best of whatever clothing item you've ever come across. What are some brands you've bought again and again or items that you've had forever but still love and wear on a regular basis (for example, my closet has not been without at least one pair of Converse All-Stars since I was in junior high)? What I'm looking for is great value when it comes to price per wear. My goal is to not have to go shopping again for a very long time.

One requirement: the clothes have to be reasonably stylish (though not trendy). A pair of Carhartt coveralls might be of exceptional quality but they're not exactly what I'm looking for.

Oh, and I am a female of 30 years and would need casual, work and dressy clothing. Also, suggestions from men's brands would be fine to as long as they carry a women's line too.

Sometimes being vertically blessed isn't such a blessing

hazelshade — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 08:57:11 -0800

Tall, female MeFites: where do you find buy pants? I'm a tall-ish girl (5'8") and have a hell of a time finding pants that are long enough for me. Anthropologie, for example, has awesome pants but very few options that are appropriate non-shorties.

What American stores have a good selection of "tall" pants? Any recommendations for particular clothing lines/designers? I'm looking both for pants that are appropriate for work and casual pants -- willing to pay in the under-$200 range for slacks that will fit.

Aidez-moi choisir les vêtements!

Jess the Mess — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 14:54:11 -0800

How do people dress in the summertime in the South of France? When I was in college I spent a semester in Paris and quickly realized that my colorful, American hipster clothes made me stick out like a sore thumb amongst the perenially black-clad Parisians.

Call me insecure, but I'd like to avoid that feeling of being la laide americaine again when I spend a month in Provence next summer. I haven't spent much time in the southern part of France and would like to know what kind of clothes I should bring. I imagine the style of dress down there is a bit different from that in Paris considering the milder, sunnier climate, but is it that different?

I'll be doing all the normal touristy things in addition to taking some classes and hopefully a trip or two to the beach.

Merci pour votre assistance!

The Ultimate Capsule Wardrobe

janecr — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 11:51:31 -0800

What items should I have in the ultimate capsule wardrobe? I have a wardrobe full of clothes that I don't wear, that I don't like or don't fit. I want to give the whole lot to charity and start from scratch, with the smallest, most versatile, fashion proof wardrobe that I can get away with. What are the key must-have items that I should buy? Links to actual items (rather than just "black suit") would be great.

Additional info: I'm female, thirties, don't need to dress smart for work and live in UK.

DressmeFilter

jimmythefish — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 01:12:27 -0800

Dressing professionally in a junior, bureaucratic position. I'm a grad student in (urban) planning, whose likely working for the city planning department this summer. Measly salary considering the work I'll be doing, but I'm in a position where I'll be finished and clear very soon. I'm also turning 31 in a few weeks, and both consider myself an adult and believe that I need to start dressing like one.

Here's the thing. Most people in gov't tend to dress just enough to get away with it. Dockers and crap Mens Wearhouse slacks. ID tag and cell phone off the belt. I don't want to go down this path.

Here I've been a student long enough that I'm dying to look sharp, and I can finally afford it. I wanna raid the Republic and scour GQ for that perfect ensemble. I want to look like I jumped out of an Aston Martin.

Will I look like an idiot wearing anything but Dockers, or should I just say to hell with it and dress like I desire?

What's the etiquette here?

Dressing past the interview...

srah — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 10:41:17 -0800

What should I wear to work in a higher education student services setting? Interview attire is one thing - I'm all set with that. But once I get the job, what should I wear to work? I want to build up my professional wardrobe and I want to do it right. There's plenty of information on the web about what's appropriate or inappropriate to wear to a job interview, but much less about what's appropriate to wear once you get the job. What information there is (I've read JT Molloy's New Women's Dress for Success) seems to be angled towards the corporate world, rather than higher education, and I feel like the rules are probably slightly different.

Background: It's my first professional job after back-to-back college and graduate school. I want to look professional to my co-workers/supervisor, but I thought that wearing a suit every day might be overkill in this setting. I want to be approachable by students but not look like one of them (I'm a petite and young-looking female, so this is a concern).

Please let me know what works/doesn't work for you!