2013 winter male fashion trends, applicable in a high school environment?

I'm a junior in high school, and have the opportunity to go shopping with my grandparents. I've been following fashion shows but I can't find much info for what is really a very casual space in fashion. In high school everyone puts a lot of effort into looking like they don't try. Of course I don't agree with this mindset, but I'm not about to try and start a fashion revolution. So my goal is to look better than the average guy, but not too formal. Any trends I should be following? I'm about average height, slim body size, but not super skinny, lift weights but only slightly more defined than average, if that helps any.

EDIT: I'm gonna xpost this on streetwear, so if needed delete this post.

My son loves brooks brothers. I recommend the Milano Brooks Brothers fit pants. For shoes I recommend alden. Or something cheaper incase you want to save.. maybe some clark desert boots.

For shirts you can get brooks brothers shirts or any well fitting dress shirt. You can pair it up with a nice merino wool or preferably a cashmere sweater.

Cardigans are also great!

dunno...I'm 21 and everyone just wears a nice button down shirt. Maybe a vneck sweater. There's some people that wears sports coats and blazers if they're a TA at college.
You can just try Club Monaco and JCrew? They make pretty nice items that you're probably looking for



BullionBro said:

My son loves brooks brothers.  I recommend the Milano Brooks Brothers fit pants. For shoes I recommend alden.  Or something cheaper incase you want to save.. maybe some clark desert boots.

For shirts you can get brooks brothers shirts or any well fitting dress shirt.  You can pair it up with a nice merino wool or preferably a cashmere sweater.

Cardigans are also great!

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No. I work in a highschool and you don't want to wear this stuff unless you're comfortable in it. High school is the time you get to express yourself however you wish and while I'm sure a cashmere cardigan, roomy trousers and a pair of $400 shoes are expectant of a principal or the higher-paid teachers, I'm not sure this is the uniform you should be aiming for at this stage in your life.

The fun thing about wearing clothes is basically that you get to ''choose'' your identity at a time when you're just developing it.

If you're looking for very basic advice on what to wear and what to avoid:

Don't:

- Put on a bunch of logos. Your friends and peers may be adorned in them, but they're not flattering. Tiny ones here or there won't kill you, but avoid the 'skater clown' look.
- Buy things JUST because they're on sale. Getting something off the rack that's ten bucks cheaper than it normally is seems like a bad reason to put something in your wardrobe- it's just rampant consumerism. If it's something you've been wanting that's great, but if it's just 'cheap' or 'on sale' that's not good enough.
- Be concerned about a particular ''aesthetic'' or ''look''. You'll probably be the only one who actually knows the deep and thorough history of the Alden shoe you're wearing. It doesn't matter and you're probably still growing. Don't spend an absurd amount of money on stuff (like Aldens or cashmere) that you probably won't even fit in a few years.
- Wear really 'busy' things. You don't need back-pocket stitching or dragons or whatever on your tshirt. They make you stand out... which ironically in high school everyone else is wearing and just makes you look 'like one of those people (whoever they are).
- Avoid affected accessories. This means don't wear something because you think it looks cool today... but probably won't wear in a month. Yeah, I get that I said that highschool was a time to experiment, but that doesn't mean you need to put on that fanny-pack or man-purse just because it has a Gucci logo on it...

Do:
- Wear things that you feel confident in. If you're constantly wondering "does this even work" you might want to avoid it until you're more comfortable with your own sense of style- and for most people that comes after practise.
- Wear stuff that fits. Not too tight, not too loose. This is hard to describe online, but the basic rule applies; put on clothes that don't hang off of you or look like you accidentally put on your little brother's shirt. You could wear the cheapest stuff you can find, but if it's in proportion to your frame it will look better than the most expensive ill-fitting clothes.
- Stick to the basics. If you look at the best-dressed people, they're all wearing very basic pieces. Not everything needs to 'pop' or be conversational. If you can go into your closet, in the dark, five minutes before the first bell rings and pull out an outfit that matches- you're miles ahead of most of your teachers! This means neutrals: whites, blues, greys, some browns. It's not rocket science- don't reach for that REALLY YELLOW sweater if you don't already have something a little more subdued. Go basics first, then you can go crazy.
- Make a "uniform"- if you like t-shirts, wear t-shirts. If you like button-downs, do that. You're just putting together explicit 'style rules' for yourself- even if those involve ''ok, I like t-shirts but I don't like them to say things.... or, i like button-downs, but I want to stick with ones that have button-down collars.
- Have a go-to that you can feel REALLY good in. This is good for dates and trips to the movies and stuff. Things that you put on and feel like james bond or whatever.
- Make a list of really simple things and get those. Stuff like "v-neck sweaters'' or ''a good pair of jeans'' that will guide your buying decisions. It will reduce the amount of waste in your wardrobe and add to your back account.

- And finally, do browse this forum. Don't get too caught up in either MC or SW&D- cruise both. One fit will kill in the denim forum and get puked on by all the crusty old bank executives in MC and likewise for the opposite. Putting on shell longwings and a cashmere cardigan might score you points in here but you'd get lauded out of the street wear forum.

reeeeeboot said:

I'm a junior in high school, and have the opportunity to go shopping with my grandparents. I've been following fashion shows but I can't find much info for what is really a very casual space in fashion. In high school everyone puts a lot of effort into looking like they don't try. Of course I don't agree with this mindset, but I'm not about to try and start a fashion revolution. So my goal is to look better than the average guy, but not too formal. Any trends I should be following? I'm about average height, slim body size, but not super skinny, lift weights but only slightly more defined than average, if that helps any.

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At the risk of derailing the thread, at your age, if you're a virgin, then you've got more important things to worry about than clothes, and if you're not a virgin, then you've got more important things to worry about than clothes.

I'm not sure what high school kids where, and you didn't give any input on your style/tastes, so I'll leave it at that.

IChen said:

dunno...I'm 21 and everyone just wears a nice button down shirt. Maybe a vneck sweater. There's some people that wears sports coats and blazers if they're a TA at college.
You can just try Club Monaco and JCrew? They make pretty nice items that you're probably looking for

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....curious: what college are you in, where everyone where's button down shirts?

VinnyMac said:

....curious: what college are you in, where everyone where's button down shirts?

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UMass Boston.

Not everyone but everyone in business/economy/management/finance classes wear button down shirts. And there's always 2-3 kids in blazers/sports coats...
The other classes, lot of TShirts. No idea why but

@CBrown85

Thanks for the info and I really appreciate the time you took to type it out. Currently I do have the stereotypical "jeans and T-Shirt" look going on. I like to stick to a slightly skinny jean, such as the Levi 514's, and tighter fitting shirts as you said. Right now though that outfit is a bit... impractical as it is often below 40F outside. I have a leather jacket that I like to wear but it's a bit garish, however it's warm and comfortable. I'm looking to ditch the leather in favor of something more fashionable, any recommendations as for a moderate to heavy winter coat to wear? As for the shirts, I was thinking a white shirt underneath a regular t-shirt. Any other recommendations?


Oh, I forgot to mention, I have shoulder length hair.

stop caring so much about the clothes...high school many people don't care and just throw on an American Eagle shirt and jeans. Many just wear some linen sweaters from JCrew or whatever. Maybe a North Face jacket? I doubt being more "fashionable" will make much of a difference...

of course (at least from my current experience) once you go into higher year college years, more students will start wearing button down shirts (some always wear sport coats/blazers) especially in business classes. But in high school....just be comfortable, have fun and study hard for the college you want to attend for your career

Polyester/nylon jackets? Only popular brands I see are North Face, Rei, Columbia, Burton.
And I think girls care about more about your personality than the clothes you wear?

Well, first off you underestimate the vapidity of high school girls. I'm going shopping next week, and I want to buy whats fashionable, not some half-assed ****** outfit.

IChen said:

UMass Boston.

Not everyone but everyone in business/economy/management/finance classes wear button down shirts. And there's always 2-3 kids in blazers/sports coats...
The other classes, lot of TShirts. No idea why but

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Really? In MBA classes, it was that way, but...undergrad.? Wow...

reeeeeboot said:

Well, first off you underestimate the vapidity of high school girls. I'm going shopping next week, and I want to buy whats fashionable, not some half-assed ****** outfit.

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What do you mean by that?

I'll be honest with you, most of the guys here are much older than you are. What they wear probably won't look good in high school. Maybe you should take a look at the steetwear/denim section of the site. You may get more hits there. Good luck.

IChen said:

And I think girls care about more about your personality than the clothes you wear?

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Well, maybe after a while, but first impressions are a good thing to have nailed down.



reeeeeboot said:

I was thinking a white shirt underneath a regular t-shirt. 

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I suggest you toddle off to SW&D. At your age, MC will probably only do you bad.

Just crawled my way over there. Not getting much hits.