Modern Man's Wardrobe....

[Cecilie1200]

I got our "shopping list" for next Sunday from Emmi Sorokin @ It's A Man's World Image Consulting....

4/5 Casual Shirts (mix of button downs and polo alternatives)
3 Knits (casual to dressier)
4/5 Layering Tees

1 Chino
2 Jeans
2/3 Casual Pants

2/3 shoes
1 Wallet (added at my request)
2 Belts (casual and dressier)
1 Lightweight Jacket

1 Suit
2 Dress Shirts
2 Ties
1 Dress shoe
1 Belt

Approximate budget... >$1800
What do you folks think of that list?

I wish I'd caught this thread before you hired someone. I was going to tell you the same thing for free.

By the way, there's nothing wrong with polo shirts and cargo pants for casual wear, so long as they're in good condition and the colors match. There's a reason why such things stick around through every season and fashion change.

Couple of specifics. Make sure your pants are all fitted well to you. Unless you're fat or a circus clown, shapeless baggy pants are anathema, and we're not even going to TALK about skintight. Ideally, a man's pants should be close-fitting enough to indicate the presence of the . . . um, essential body parts while still being loose enough to allow him to move comfortably.

Ditto on the casual shirts. I can't stand guys who seem afraid I'm going to notice there's a body in all that fabric, and very few guys in real life look good when they look in danger of busting seams. Happy medium, please.

On the shoes: contrary to popular opinion, black does NOT go with everything. Specifically, if you're wearing lighter summer colors, heavy black shoes look ridiculous. Take this into account. And no, you CAN'T wear the same shoes all the time.

On the suit: I'm sure you already know this, if you work in a professional environment and wear suits a lot, but I'll say it anyway. Spend the money to go somewhere that tailors it to fit. Nothing is more obvious than a cheap, hasty, off-the-rack suit choice, and it defeats the entire purpose of wearing a suit in the first place. Consider it an investment, and get a good-quality one altered just for you.

Oh, and make sure you hold onto some grubby knockabout clothes. You will want them eventually, and just because you own casual clothes doesn't mean you want to use them as your grubbies.

Summer's coming. I don't know how you feel about swimming, but I've always considered a good, comfortable swimsuit to be an essential in anyone's wardrobe. Swim shoes or sandals are a good idea with this, as you will not want to get water all over your regular casual shoes.

 

[JBeukema]

Suits. Muted colours, blacks, and browns.

Ties should compliment, not stand out too much. Let the shirt provide the contrast.

For fridays, slacks.

 

[JBeukema]

No suits, no ties.

Hippie. You look like a bum.

 

[JBeukema]

Combat boots and braces

 

[JBeukema]

 

[Skull Pilot]

No suits, no ties.

Hippie. You look like a bum.

You've never seen me so how do you know?

I refuse to be a drone and wear a stupid suit.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Spats!!!! Start a revival of old style dress and be spiffy looking in the process. That fella on the Monopoly board looks pretty good in them. Who knows, maybe you'll be a big hit. Regardless, you'll be in lots of conversations.

 

[editec]

I'm in the process of cleaning out, sorting, and packing things in my apartment. One of the last things I need to go through and clean up is my wardrobe. I'm changing over from winter to summer clothes, and with a potential move in the near future and the fact that I've lost about 55 lbs. in the last year and a half it seems like a good time to "make-over" my wardrobe. The only problem being that I'm about as fashion and style conscious as a rock, and really don't hang around with anyone who is fashion or style conscious.

So I'm looking to the USMB membership for some help here..... What should and shouldn't be in a modern man's wardrobe? What are the essentials that have to be there, and what should be avoided at all costs?

For background..... I'm almost 37 years old, about 5'-6" tall, athletic build, and work in a professional environment. I also have a full facial birthmark, which can make certain color shirts look pretty awful on me.

Any SERIOUS suggestions, ideas, or input would be greatly appreciated.

One's wardrobe ought to reflect one's chosen lifestyle and age. THAT is the right fashion for you.

My personal tastes are hopelessly forged by the preppie look of the late 1960s. However, I think I'd decribe my current fashion as hand-me-down Bohemian anti-fashion.

My wardrobe comes from:

1. Clothing women gave me. (women love to dress me up. I'm sorta of like a living Ken doll, I guess)

2. Clothing my wards left behind (my goodness do I have a lot of that!) or

3. Clothing now dead friends left me ( I own three black leather jackets for example.)

3. Clothing that I bought in a second hand shop. (I do that if its really cool and really cheap)

The only things I buy new are socks and underwear.

What should every man own?

1. At least one outfit suitable for funerals, weddings or eating out in a decent resturant. Including dress shoes, I note (good luck finding those nowadays)

2. Whatever else he is comfortable wearing that suits his lifestyle.

 

[Anachronism]

I wish I'd caught this thread before you hired someone. I was going to tell you the same thing for free.

Unless you were going to come out here to do the shopping with me as well, that would only have been half the battle, Cecilie. Like most guys I'm so style and color incompetent it isn't funny. So I was going to need someone to do the shopping with me anyway. Thanks for confirming the ideas she had, though.

By the way, there's nothing wrong with polo shirts and cargo pants for casual wear, so long as they're in good condition and the colors match. There's a reason why such things stick around through every season and fashion change.

The small amount of that stuff which will be saved is going to be mostly for my shooting activities. Then again most of thos pants are poly-cotton or rip-stop nylon and designed for police officers, SWAT teams, and Spec Ops guys, not your normal run of the mill everyday wear so they don't really look very nice. My "Tactical Look" as it's been referred to by many in the past.

Couple of specifics. Make sure your pants are all fitted well to you. Unless you're fat or a circus clown, shapeless baggy pants are anathema, and we're not even going to TALK about skintight. Ideally, a man's pants should be close-fitting enough to indicate the presence of the . . . um, essential body parts while still being loose enough to allow him to move comfortably.

The four keys Emmi talks about are: Fit, Distinction, Layering, & Accessories. I don't do anything skin-tight (outside of the gym anyway) so don't worry about that. The problem is that most of what I wear that's baggy now WASN'T anywhere near as baggy 18 months and 50+ pounds ago.

Ditto on the casual shirts. I can't stand guys who seem afraid I'm going to notice there's a body in all that fabric, and very few guys in real life look good when they look in danger of busting seams. Happy medium, please.

Another one of my big problems. I've always worn shirts really loose. I know that's something Emmi is going to change come this Sunday. Her suggestion in that the shoulder seam needs to hit you right at the point of the shoulder, and the body should just lightly skim your torso without any pulling, bunching, or puffing.

On the shoes: contrary to popular opinion, black does NOT go with everything. Specifically, if you're wearing lighter summer colors, heavy black shoes look ridiculous. Take this into account. And no, you CAN'T wear the same shoes all the time.

By this time next week I'm going to own more shoes than I've owned in the last 10 years combined. We're talking 3-4 pairs of new shoes to be purchased next Sunday. THAT is going to be interesting.

On the suit: I'm sure you already know this, if you work in a professional environment and wear suits a lot, but I'll say it anyway. Spend the money to go somewhere that tailors it to fit. Nothing is more obvious than a cheap, hasty, off-the-rack suit choice, and it defeats the entire purpose of wearing a suit in the first place. Consider it an investment, and get a good-quality one altered just for you.

Thankfully I work in a business casual environment. No jeans or tee shirts but I can get away with almost anything else. Trust me, cheap quality is not something that Emmi is interested in dealing with. Alterations will be a must just due to my body type.

Oh, and make sure you hold onto some grubby knockabout clothes. You will want them eventually, and just because you own casual clothes doesn't mean you want to use them as your grubbies.

Yeah, but even that stuff will probably end up being newer stuff, because most of the old stuff literally doesn't fit anymore.

Summer's coming. I don't know how you feel about swimming, but I've always considered a good, comfortable swimsuit to be an essential in anyone's wardrobe. Swim shoes or sandals are a good idea with this, as you will not want to get water all over your regular casual shoes.

I love to swim but I don't get to do it very often. Maybe I'll mention that to her on Sunday, but that's not exactly the top of the list stuff.


Thanks for the input, Cecilie.

 

[Anachronism]

One's wardrobe ought to reflect one's chosen lifestyle and age. THAT is the right fashion for you.

The problem with that concept is.... My wardrobe/style hasn't changed in about 20-25 years. I'm not in junior high school anymore. I need to really look a little more put-together and adult. Especially as I'm looking for a new job and making a bunch of other changes in my life these days.

 

[Cecilie1200]

One's wardrobe ought to reflect one's chosen lifestyle and age. THAT is the right fashion for you.

The problem with that concept is.... My wardrobe/style hasn't changed in about 20-25 years. I'm not in junior high school anymore. I need to really look a little more put-together and adult. Especially as I'm looking for a new job and making a bunch of other changes in my life these days.

Well, it sounds like the stuff she's directing you toward is very comfortable, easily-matched, and low-maintenance (for the most part), so that should be good. My own rule of thumb for clothing is that once I put it on and leave the house, I don't want to have to think about it again until I remove it.

 

[Anachronism]

Well, it sounds like the stuff she's directing you toward is very comfortable, easily-matched, and low-maintenance (for the most part), so that should be good. My own rule of thumb for clothing is that once I put it on and leave the house, I don't want to have to think about it again until I remove it.

That would be very good. As a guy, KISS is a very important principle when it comes to clothing. Something that can go from work to the bar or an evening out with a lady without having to be totally changed is good for me.

I'm also hoping to get some input on hair styles and a couple other things from her.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Well, it sounds like the stuff she's directing you toward is very comfortable, easily-matched, and low-maintenance (for the most part), so that should be good. My own rule of thumb for clothing is that once I put it on and leave the house, I don't want to have to think about it again until I remove it.

That would be very good. As a guy, KISS is a very important principle when it comes to clothing. Something that can go from work to the bar or an evening out with a lady without having to be totally changed is good for me.

I'm also hoping to get some input on hair styles and a couple other things from her.

Not sure about the hair, but I have one very important piece of grooming advice for you: unless you have serious BO problems, forego the cologne and go easy on the aftershave. Nothing worse than a man who smells like he's trying to chloroform a girl into submission. For the vast majority of men, just the - LIGHT - scent of soap and deodorant from a RECENT shower is better than any commercial scent I've ever found.

 

[bambu]

Some employers demand suits and ties...'professional attire'.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Some employers demand suits and ties...'professional attire'.

Which is why I work for myself.

 

[editec]

One's wardrobe ought to reflect one's chosen lifestyle and age. THAT is the right fashion for you.

The problem with that concept is.... My wardrobe/style hasn't changed in about 20-25 years. I'm not in junior high school anymore. I need to really look a little more put-together and adult. Especially as I'm looking for a new job and making a bunch of other changes in my life these days.

Look at how the people you expect to work, play and live with, dress.

Clothes don't make the man, but they do send a message to those who look at the man.

 

[Anachronism]

Not sure about the hair, but I have one very important piece of grooming advice for you: unless you have serious BO problems, forego the cologne and go easy on the aftershave. Nothing worse than a man who smells like he's trying to chloroform a girl into submission. For the vast majority of men, just the - LIGHT - scent of soap and deodorant from a RECENT shower is better than any commercial scent I've ever found.

I've never been a big cologne or aftershave type of person. Maybe a little cologne if I have a date, but very rarely outside of that.

Then again some girls like the idea of being chloroformed into submission, but that's probably not a good idea for the first date. ;-)

 

[Anachronism]

Some employers demand suits and ties...'professional attire'.

Been there and done that. I'm hoping I don't have to go back to that again. At least not all the way back to the tie and jacket stage (which I have had to do in the past).

Look at how the people you expect to work, play and live with, dress.

We've got almost too relaxed of a dress code at work, so that doesn't do a whole lot of good. As for those I live with.... somehow I doubt polar fleece and sweatpants are really the IN style these days. As for those I play with.... outside of shooting and medieval recreation (both of which have their own wardrobes) I don't get out that much. That's part of what I'm trying to change.

Clothes don't make the man, but they do send a message to those who look at the man.

Exactly.

 

[editec]

Some employers demand suits and ties...'professional attire'.

Been there and done that. I'm hoping I don't have to go back to that again. At least not all the way back to the tie and jacket stage (which I have had to do in the past).

Look at how the people you expect to work, play and live with, dress.

We've got almost too relaxed of a dress code at work, so that doesn't do a whole lot of good. As for those I live with.... somehow I doubt polar fleece and sweatpants are really the IN style these days. As for those I play with.... outside of shooting and medieval recreation (both of which have their own wardrobes) I don't get out that much. That's part of what I'm trying to change.

Clothes don't make the man, but they do send a message to those who look at the man.

Exactly.

I seldom care what today's fashion sense is.

I mostly dress to suit my own needs. Being warm enough AND having pockets loom large in my personal style.

But then, too, I totally understand that most people must care what impression their attire is making on others.

I happen (right now, at least) to be lucky enough not to have to care.

FWIW, when I teach, I'll still wear a coat and tie even though few male teachers bother with that old school look, anymore.

I do it out of respect for the process, and to be frank, out of respect for my students.

I want them to know, I think they're important enough, and what we're doing together is important enough, that I'm dressing rather formally for that ocassion.

 

[Anachronism]

I seldom care what today's fashion sense is.

I mostly dress to suit my own needs. Being warm enough AND having pockets loom large in my personal style.

But then, too, I totally understand that most people must care what impression their attire is making on others.

I happen (right now, at least) to be lucky enough not to have to care.

Right now I'm working on making a number of very large changes in my life, and most of them are going to require being a little more stylish and "with it" than I have been in the past.