Clothing for the 40yr old - Page 6

I will answer in two months.

Nicola, just because you are smaller framed does not mean people who are 6' and 170 are chunky. It is impossible to determine body composition based on two variables.

Let's see some pics...

Pictures, measurements, location, budget, etc. would help. Middle-aged men tend to do better with casual shirts that have patterns. Orvis usually does well in that regard, and sporty seems an educated guess for a pilot's off-work style. J. Cogburn presented a fine wardrobe framework, by the way.

Why? I am curious how this could be. I would say that bad patterns characterize a lot of casual wear -- at least the stuff we most often see. My theory is that designers think in terms of sets -- how will all these shirts look together in the catalog -- and so build around a favorite thing or two they want to make, with contrasting (or complementing) colors and scale. As if they think they have to get some pink and lavender and coffee into the picture, and there really needs to be something with a bigger scale, so they make a fugly shirt with those colors in a huge check. And call it a day. And then it goes to clearance. And the people who get the most wear out of their clothes -- almost never buy anything, and only buy clearance -- wear the fugly shirt often for eight years. And the rest of us have to look at it. This is why I would never steer someone who asks the internet for help picking clothes, toward patterns. Apparently it is not that easy to pick a good one.

It isn't. But Orvis tends to do it well, and this service of course involves specifics. The reasons for patterns include the facts that many middle-aged men don't have ideal bodies and patterns often are seen as more sophisticated than solids.

Fixt

It is really hard to give good advice without more input about their job, life style, interests. But in general, either on MC or SW&D having nicely fitted anything will make a guy look his best at any age and will make a guy look younger at 40 and older.

At 40 I see little correlation between linear age and what is appropriate attire, outside of trends like Ed Hardy, graphic Ts, "skinny jeans", etc. What seems more important to me is the image I want to present at a particular time. What are the circumstances? What is my mood?

In a couple of days I'll be closer to 50 than I am to 40 and the diamond stud that I put in my ear 29 years ago is still there. Don't like it? Think it's passe? Think I'm trying too hard to be hip? Ask me if I care.

Bottom line is that dressing is self-expression. Learn here about fit and construction. Learn "the rules" (and then go and break them if you so desire). I'll take jeans, T and a Harris tweed over an OCBD any day of the week. But that's just ME.

There are tasteful patterns and God-awful patterns. I don't know the Orvis catalogue, but I know Ralph Lauren's, and his pattern choices are reliably tasteful. See, for instance, this gingham, which is absolutely timeless. In fact, there's a famous photo of Cary Grant having a picnic on some living room floor wearing a pink gingham like this. Wear a smaller gingham for the office and this gingham outside of the same and you're gold. That said, my own taste runs towards solids. I have about a few casual ginghams and stripes for the warmer seasons and some tattersalls for the colder months, but I prefer solid white, light blue, and navy (casual) shirts more often than not. They are simply more elegant, even off-hours. Hard to beat a white shirt and khaki trousers, for instance, or a navy linen and cream or white linen pants.

In my book that pic of CG having a picnic on the hotel room floor is a black and white photo but his shirt looks solid white. There is another pic of him with what looks like a navy blazer and a navy small chech gingham shirt which looks class.

Well, perhaps my memory is fuzzy and it's not the picnic shot I'm thinking of. But dammit, he wore it somewhere!

This is exactly what I go for, but add Bruce Wayne. 90% of the time I think "Would Bruce Wayne or James Bond wear this?" That's pretty much what my style is based on at age 30. It also helps a lot that I'm built.

The youngsters on the board must be pissing themselves laughing (and the poster confused) at how a thread about clothing degenerated into a midlife crisis bitch fight about waistlines. Any of you boys been out to buy a Harley recently? Considering a hair transplant? Maybe rogering your secretary?

bump...a shoe style question...
well I am 40 and short (5-6 on a good day )...your thoughts on sleeker vs. rounded style toes relative to your height and obviously age?
Also, I am thinking of getting some long wings...or are PTB, NSTB, cap toe blucher better choices? Sorry no loafers for me. Nothing against it but just a personnal choice...

Thanks