Disclaimer: This post is really f**king long and probably boring if you don't care to help someone who doesn't know much about fashion. What I've written details what my wardrobe had been, currently is and where I'd like it to be. I am only posting b/c I have lurked here for a while and was fairly impressed with some of the threads: I figured I'd introduce myself by telling about myself and see what happened. Please remember, if you want to read this post, offer opinions, etc that's great, but please remember no one is forcing you to.
It appears that there are about 3 million threads "Introduction" so I decided to differentiate .... with a NSFW tag on mine! You're probably thinking "go find another forum to pollute Favre" but just hold on a minute....... *snaps pic* Ok, now what were you saying?
All joking aside I just wanted to introduce myself by explaining why I'm here. In a single sentence, I'm here because my wardrobe needs a fairly drastic overhaul and to do that properly, I need to know where to start. I'm not starting cold, I've done quite a few hours of reading around the web trying to learn, but I figured I may as well see if anyone here wants to give me input. *shrug*
Let me explain where my wardrobe was, where it is and where I want it to be.
Preface:
I am 26 years old and I'm a new Financial Advisor in a small town: very few people seem to have a sense of style around here which I'm sure is partially due to the sheer number of blue collar workers along with the rural atmosphere and the lack of young people. For example, I hardly ever (never?) see the two senior FAs (partners) wear french cuffs, and a lot of their shirts seem boring (color/pattern) and worn out in some cases. In comparison, when I recently took a trip to my company's Home Office my peers (other young new FAs) were dressed far better (I was impressed). I immediately realized I wanted to (and needed to) change regardless. Standing out by dressing well is now a goal of mine.
This goal was further implanted when I was talking with a girl of the "friends w/ benefits" variety. She didn't come out and say it, but when I started asking her about what she liked on guys and it really opened my eyes to how close minded and redundant my wardrobe was.
I am a slim guys... lets call it a 16.5" neck, 40" chest, 36" stomach, 34" waist and a 36" sleeve length.
Where it was:
My wardrobe until about a year ago was mainly comprised of Hollister, American Eagle, Abercrombie, a bit of Express and scatterings of Polo. I picked a lot of button-down long sleeve shirts (mainly uninspired stripes) and a lot of golf shirts. When I was picking out said wardrobe, I had paid much more attention to color than anything else and thus a lot of my clothes fit poorly. I'm thin with long arm and most shirts were fat with shorter arms.
For work the situation was slightly different; I didn't have much when I started working, so I just ran out and bought a lot of button-downs from TJ Maxx, Macys, etc. The shirts are mostly cheap, poor fitting and uninspired. I also snap-bought two suits from Men's Wearhouse that haven't been tailored at all: they are both overly baggy, which makes for a poor fit given physique.
Things I have realized:
- I need to learn a lot more about what to look for.
- Fit is arguably the most important part of a piece of clothing, especially for a slim guy.
- I need a diverse wardrobe and I need to be open to different styles b/c a closet full of two styles of shirts is not attractive.
- Company logos should not be sought after on most pieces of clothing (doubly true if the brand is not a high end one).
Where my wardrobe is currently:
I have ditched the vast majority of the Hollister, American Eagle, Abercrombie and Express (certainly anything a company's name printed on it along with the golf shirts with the embroidered logos). I have also weeded out some of the pieces that are incredibly ill-fitting. Unfortunately, I have had to keep most of my poorly fitting dress shirts b/c it's all I have for work. I haven't made very many additions to my wardrobe in the past couple years, partially b/c I haven't known where to add from and partially b/c I'm poor lol.
Where I want it to be:
I am currently attempting to overhaul my wardrobe, but right now the most important items are dress (work) wear. I'm kinda hoping that I can use a number of these shirts in as 'going-out' wear too.
First and foremost, I need shirts that fit me (I've had enough of the blouses). I also need to look for some more interesting colors/patterns (the wardrobe of pastel striped shirts isn't gonna fly anymore). It seems that OTR shirts are not the way to go: if I was in Europe I'd probably be fine, but the shirts on the US racks are for fatties with comparatively short arms.
How to get where I want to be (dress shirts specifically):
Here are the choices I see for myself:
- I can work directly with a tailor (my lawyer buddy has an amazing one who makes unbelievable stuff for him)
- I can order from a site that will make a shirt based on the measurements I give them
- I can order from a site that makes slim fitting shirts.
My current poverty (I'm a very new FA) dictates that I need to stay as cheap as possible. I know I should invest in quality, but I need to fill up my wardrobe quickly, so I can't do that as much as would be ideal. My buddies tailored shirts probably run $150-$300 so those are out. Some of the websites like MT do seem to have cheap shirts, but to be honest, I think right now I'd end up spending far to much on trial and error to get the right fit. It seems that my best bet is to look at places like Charles Tyrwhitt and T.M. Lewin (and a few other places when they have big time deals).
Based on reading this forum and other articles/forums around the web, it appears that I'll need the Charles Tyrwhitt Tailored Fits or the T.M. Lewin Fully Fitted shirts. I realize that other Jermyn Street retailers have higher quality but again I'm on a tight budget and those two can offer shirts for around $50 a piece. Also, from what I understand, the quality of the CT and TML shirts is pretty darn amazing compared to the stuff that I have been buying at $20-$30 a pop. While their patterns don't seem to be as diverse in the tailored/fully fitted lines (or compared to some of the other more expensive retailers) I think I can make do with their styles for the time being.
Once I find a shirt that really fits me well that I can use as a guideline for MT I think I'll probably go that route.
Comments about the rest of my wardrobe:
Pants: Although most of the above discussion was about work shirts (that hopefully can be used out of work too) I still need to keep an eye out for pants. Although the right fit seems easier to find at a Macys or even places like Banana Republic/J Crew, I still might need other options that offer better solutions. I don't know that I really want to try ordering from online without having the option of returning without having to pay a bunch of shipping to get it to me and then back, so the places overseas are out. I just feel that shirts tend to be more constant with things like collar measure, arm measure, etc as opposed to pants: a waist measurement and length in one brand rarely translates to others and the skinniness isn't something that I've ever seen a measure for.
Suits: I also need to get my suits tailored. I have only just begun reading up on that subject. Hopefully I can find a good tailor near me who can adjust my suits enough to make them decent looking.
Other: Additionally, I need to begin reworking the rest of my wardrobe, but that can be done more slowly. I need to incorporate different types of shirts, materials, patterns and colors imo. I think I may even venture to plaids (which I have previously denounced). I'm doing my best to give everything a fair shake, but it's tough to do.... well that's not true, Ed Hardy shirts are never going to make it onto my body.
If you've made it through everything, then thanks for taking the time to read this. I'd love to hear your responses, thoughts and suggestions if you've got them!
Edited by Diversification - 11/11/11 at 12:14pm
hahaha
![lol8[1].gif](http://files.styleforum.net/images/smilies/lol8%5B1%5D.gif)
