Mistakes you made when updating your wardrobe - Page 3

Don't become a shoe collector.

A rotation of frequently worn, high quality shoes....yes.

shoe collecting.......that's bad.

+1. Takes a while to learn about fit and balance.

That isn't sprezz that is looking uncoordinated which is another mistake, by the way. A big one.

The biggest mistake I did was having a poor understanding of fit/proportions.

Seeing good fits on Styleforum, imagining fits in your head, and trying on a jacket in a store are all completely different things. I was on the "tighter is better" train for a long time, and it took me a while to realize what was just too tight, as opposed to what fit well.

I also state misunderstanding proportions to be a big mistake of mine. As a shorter individual, it's difficult to gauge how long my sportcoat should be, what my rise should be, etc. etc. I was lucky enough to have a tailor willing to accommodate changes in his work ad do multiple "fittings" for me.

I think people who discover SF for the first time flock to buy a new wardrobe, failing to FULLY understand important concepts like fit. SF just sucks you in at first glance, haha

This. You have to begin thinking in terms of numbers. Like

For instance, I'm pretty slim and I've found that:

-Shirt collar should be 0.5 - 0.75 inches bigger than actual neck
-Shirt chest circumference should be 3 inches bigger than actual chest
-Jacket should be 2 inches bigger than actual chest
-Jacket length is dependent on ones torso/leg ratio. (Some people have longer torso,etc.) A good number for me is 30 - 30.5 inches

Once you have a sense for fit, you can make more informed buying decisions on the B&S forum

Good links:

http://www.styleforum.net/t/95049/shirt-chest-measurement-compared-to-actual-chest-measurement/0_30#post_1595791
http://putthison.com/post/9394551419/three-basic-points-of-fit-waist-shoulder
http://putthison.com/post/7215023321/collar-gaps-shoulder-divots-an-explanation
http://putthison.com/post/19955659382/how-a-suit-jacket-or-sport-coat-should-fit-a

http://www.styleforum.net/t/236057/balance-explained/0_30
http://www.styleforum.net/t/44021/balance/0_30

Most importantly:

http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/Tutorials/AndrewHarrisEBayMeasurement.htm

+1 more on buying too fast!

I have gone through several upgrades, and am just now learning about REAL QUALITY clothes!
There are a lot of things I have and, while most are decently made, I am going to take everything to a tailor to have them altered to fit better!

Getting stuck on one brand is a double edged sword as well. You find something that fits, and then you don't look at others that may fit just as well, or even better.

Being a bargain whore! This is one of the toughest things for me! Buying stuff just because it's cheap, or on sale! I visit family in the states every year, and used to go hog wild at outlet stores. Now it's more of piggy wild ....just this summer, I purchased less quantity and more quality. Still ended up with more stuff than most human beings need, but also came back with quality items, and filled out some gaps in the wardrobe!

Take your time, LEARN, define your own style, and always, ALWAYS, buy the best quality you can afford! More of what most have said on this thread!

Great idea for a thread, by the way!

Shit, no one tell Gerry Nelson

When I first started buying suits I went exclusively with single vent jackets for some reason. None of those suits are still in my wardrobe.

When I upgraded, I started to read this forum and several others. I took as my bible the suggestion that fit was the number one item for my clothes.

What took a lot of time was finding a tailor with whom I could work. At first, I thought I would just do what the tailor wanted, since I thought I knew nothing. After a while, that was not working. I did not like my own look or feel comfortable in my own clothes.

For some reason, most of the tailors in my neck of the woods want me to wear my trousers too long, with a crumpled up look. I want a medium break, and the last time I had my pants hemmed, I had to go back to the tailor twice before she got it right.

The tailors also want my jackets a bit too tight. I want them fitted but with room for movement. I do not want to feel restricted after dinner. It is only a slight difference, hardly noticeable to the outside world, but very important to me and the way I feel in my clothes.

The only real mistakes I made in buying were quick purchases of shoes, on the road, when I needed something immediately. I will not throw the shoes away or thrift them, because I am too cheap, so they keep popping up in my rotation.

Like many, I probably bought too much too soon, but this was not all bad. I started to upgrade a couple of years ago, and I knew at the time that I didn't fully understand what I was doing. But it seemed imperative that I do something. I realised that the items I was buying might later have to be replaced, but I budgeted for that. On the assumption that I would keep learning, it seemed likely that I would have to keep thinking about my clothes. It was not reasonable to expect that I could just "solve" the whole problem at once. I would have to progress: bad > mediocre > OK > good ... and so on. I'm actually not sure where I am on that scale at the moment. So yes, I have wasted some money, but to some extent that was unavoidable.

I think my biggest ongoing problem is that I tend to be drawn to particular items, but then I struggle to integrate them into a complete look. That too seems to be a general problem.

I like the idea of buying things at a discount, but when I consider the various "bargains" I have acquired in the last few year, not many are still with me.

Regardless of what vox does, I think pants, especially pants with a smaller leg opening, look absolutely awful with anything more than maybe a 1/4 break.

The way I hem my pants:

Front just touching the top of the shoe
slanted hem
rear about 1/2" from the heel counter.

Yes, good point about leg opening. Slim pants look very sloppy with any kind of break in front, while fuller cut pants without any break look clownish... cuffed pants also look better with less break.

1. Buying too much, too soon.

2. Not taking time to think about what really works for oneself, as opposed to going along with the SF hype.

3. Buying unfamiliar items and brands online.

4. Buying items on discount, especially deep discount. So what if RL is having a 40% off sale or BB has 75% on Black Friday, if they don't have what you want or need, don't buy.

5. Compromising quality for price.

6. Buying cheap accessories.

7. Taking SF too seriously.

Yeah, Vox does go no break. But have you ever seen a picture of vox sitting down?

Sitting down isn't the only thing. I think no break looks like you're wearing pants that are too short. Yes, I know you're wearing beautiful shoes and maybe even FU socks.

I'm not saying we should go for a pool of fabric at the bottom of your shoes. Just a very slight break. No break has the tendency to look off, specially if you're just starting out in wearing fine men's clothing and not wearing clothing that fits you perfectly (bespoke).