Are Sharp Dressers Born or Made? (Question from a newbie)

Originally Posted by Metlin

Click to expand...

Vox, like Chuck Norris, was born. Everyone else is being made, as we speak, to "standards".

if by born you mean came to existence by magic not man, yeah you got it.

In my case, definitely made. I always liked "dressing up" but never considered my day to day appearance. From 13 to 28 i wore virtually nothing but jeans and t-shirts, almost never did my hair, rarely shaved. Baggy, baggy, ill-fitting cheap clothes. I considered paying more than $5 for a t-shirt a rip-off.

Now, about a year and half after finding SF, I'm about to commission a bespoke tux for my wedding and have been eye-ing a pair of G&G midnight blue whole-cuts from Bespoke England. I know for myself, I hit a certain age where I just felt that dressing like a teenager couldn't go on forever.

My best advice to you: As noted above, lurk more. Also, hold off on any major purchases until you've started figuring out what you actually like, as opposed to what you're infatuated with because you saw it on here. I have a couple of suits and a couple dozen ties that are going to good-will because I bought lots of stuff cheap so I could start dressing better right away. Save your money. Spend more on a couple of great,high quality, timeless pieces to start. Be patient.

Originally Posted by musicguy

Click to expand...

kitonbrioni would definitely agree with you on this, but I don't. I don't care about construction if the fit sucks. Maybe I'm misunderstanding your statement.

Haha, that is a metaphor. I always agreed with the importance of fit, but as you became more demanding in style, construction and material will be the way forward. I maybe wrong, but that is my view

I feel as though this thread is being taken too seriously.

If "sharp" means a good taste sense, then I'm afraid that it is born
and inherited. My father dressed well. When he was away in the
military for three years, I was clothes-conscious without any example from him.
I have two grandsons, one 5 and one 7. The 5 year old cares what he wears
even if that means a t shirt with a specific type of airplane or car on it. His older
brother is indifferent to his clothes. Their father is no example. He wears jeans
and a Lacoste shirt with running shoes to work, but can afford bespoke.

Nurture is more important than nature because our sartorial evolution is always influenced by our sartorial environment...

Some people can wear the nicest clothes and look terrible

Some people can wear the ugliest clothes and look terrific

Born not Made.

Originally Posted by imajin

Click to expand...

Some people can wear the nicest clothes and look terrible

Some people can wear the ugliest clothes and look terrific

Born not Made.

Yes, but there are other variables that affect this.

I'd agree with the people that said its all about the desire to look better. I am still a young guy myself and always found myself wanting to dress nicely, although my definition of nice changed throughout the years, whether it be classy, hipster, whatever. Make sure not to confuse dressing well with having to spend money and not being cheap. I personally (at this point in my life) basically only pick out stuff on discount from the likes of off saks, macys, nordstrom rack, tj maxx, etc.

As far as staying interested, I think browsing these forums will help tremendously. I would look through the what did you wear today threads.

Another thing is look at the streetwear threads as well...I find it to be very fashion forward as well, albeit to a different tone...u may find it easier to transition to that before jumping directly to men's clothing section.

The more I've read the forum, the more I've come to appreciate the importance of having a well-dressed father/grandfather/etc. while growing up. Even if you don't possess the vocabulary to describe exactly what you wear and why you wear it, having that background offers a big advantage over starting from scratch as an adult.

That said, dressing well's a learned skill. Anyone can do it.

Kind of like sex.

I hope it's learned because I do not have a natural sense of style except maybe simplicity. I go for high quality items in traditional designs. My tailor (there's a word I did not know several years ago) will make them fit. The quality means they usually last a long time and feel better to me when I'm wearing them. I look best when there is nothing about my outfit that stands out. It looks right in a pleasing way, without anyone noticing anything in particular.

Originally Posted by imajin

Click to expand...

Some people can wear the nicest clothes and look terrible

Some people can wear the ugliest clothes and look terrific

Born not Made.

Hmmm...not sure about that.

I think the people in group 2 can make paper bags look like juicy couture because of their appeareance, body type (the desirability of which is a product of modern Western culture), posture, and confidence.

You can't do much about your appearance (plastic surgery aside), and one man alone can't change cultural norms, but you can do something about posture and confidence. I think it all boils down to not letting your clothes wear you.

So put me in the "learned" camp.

Originally Posted by Metlin

Click to expand...

Vox, like Chuck Norris, was born. Everyone else is being made, as we speak, to "standards".

Has he left the building again our Voxy?

Just like any sport: you can be taught all the rules and a few tips and tricks, but that won't make you a star player.