dolphin08
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Note: I wasn't sure if this thread should be placed in Men's Clothing or Streetwear and Denim. I ask a lot of questions about t-shirts and jeans, but I also ask about button-down shirts and blazers. Hi all, I am a 21-year old college student in Northern California, extremely new to the world of men's fashion. Here's a brief recap of my "fashion" history: During high school and my first two years of college, my outfits solely consisted of ThinkGeek.com t-shirts and khakis. My hair was never brushed, my facial hair always half-trimmed. I truly did not care about the way I looked, and it showed. During the end of my sophomore year of college, I realized that it was time for a change. I ended up with a wardrobe of poorly fitted jeans and completely unfitted t-shirts that were far too short and far too billowy, but at least I was done with ThinkGeek.com and I had brushed hair. I've since been trying to refine my look, and I've gradually moved from poorly fitted jeans to better jeans and from billowy t-shirts to much sexier, tighter t-shirts. I am an attractive guy, and since my latest clothing showcases my body instead of hiding it, I've been getting a lot of female attention. It feels good! I recently purchased and read AskMen.com's Style Bible, in which I learned some invaluable tips. Unfortunately, the book is more geared towards right-out-of-college men, and as such it spends little time discussing casual clothing (aside from a fantastic section on jeans). Before I ask my questions, I will describe my look and style as it currently stands: - My body type: I am white (medium-toned), 6'2" and weigh about 160 or 165 pounds. I have broad shoulders and am not lanky, but I am also not muscular. I have long, relatively skinny legs (length 34 or 36), and a round-but-small butt. - While I am very interested in looking great, I'd like to retain a classic look. I don't want to look super-hip or trendy. - I usually wear normal-rise (high-rise?), regular-fit, boot-cut jeans in various different washes (some very light, some darker). Some are from Old Navy and some from American Eagle. They fit far better than my original straight-leg jeans, but they still don't fit me that well: the area under my butt is quite baggy, for example. - As for tops, I really only have t-shirts. I love the tall-sized ones that hug both my chest and my waist to showcase it, epitomized by the American Apparel Track Shirt. Unfortunately, I don't know where else to look for shirts with this fit, and American Apparel's colors are limited. - Shoe-wise, I've got sneakers as well as casual, Oxford-style shoes (that don't really fit me). - For the past 12 years of my life, I've had a very similar hair cut: the hair is cut relatively short and brushed straight back. The hair at the side is thinner than the hair at the top. Over the past year, I've been experimenting with getting my hair cut shorter and shorter, although that basic look has not changed. I have a bunch of questions. I realize that this is probably too much for any one person to answer, but answers to any of these questions will be greatly appreciated! 1. If I find a great pair of jeans that fit well, is it appropriate to wear that pair of jeans all the time (or switch it off with an identical spare)? I currently own many pairs of jeans in various different washes, some of which fit better than others. In an effort to look different very day, I find myself only sometimes looking great (always switching between my various pairs). I'm hoping that this type of switching off isn't necessary! I realize (or assume) that it's a good idea to have some very cool jeans for those times when I want to look stellar, but I am referring to daily wear. 2. The Style Bible recommended that a tall, thin guy like myself go for a low-rise jean. Personally, I love the boot-cut, so I'm thinking that a low-rise, regular-fit boot-cut jean is the way to go. Would you agree? Also, would you agree that the darker the blue, the better? I currently own a lot of light-wash jeans, and they really don't seem too flattering. 3. Along the lines of #2, the Style Bible suggested that I find a cheap (~$40), well-fitted-but-unembellished pair of jeans that I can wear often, but I haven't been able to find any low-rise, regular-fit boot-cut jeans that both look ordinary and are tight in the seat. The best I've found are the Levi 527's; however, they are not that tight in the seat. I'm wondering if a little (very little) bagginess in the seat is a good look or if I should keep looking for something a bit tighter (but I essentially exhausted the mall, as most jeans are quite embellished). Any suggestions in that department would be fantastic. 4. It shouldn't be a problem for me that American Apparel only has four colors of the Track shirt, as I certainly don't want to look like an American Apparel advertisement. However, I've found that it is a problem because the only way I add variety to my "ensemble" (if you even want to call it that) is through changing my t-shirt color. If, on a daily basis, I only wear the same pair of jeans (or similar pairs), the t-shirt color is the only difference in my outfit! It seems clear to me that I need to add more variety to my wardrobe, but I am not sure which direction to go... Perhaps I need to outfit my wardrobe with more button-down shirts (i.e. casual dress shirts?), but no button-down shirt that I've ever tried on has hugged my body perfectly (i.e. my chest and waist). (Note that by "button-down shirt," I am referring to the type of shirt with buttons extending from the top to the bottom. I'm not sure of the correct terminology.) 4a. If I should be adding a lot of button-down shirts to my wardrobe, where would I find those that hug my chest and waist? 4b. I am unsure of the best way to wear a button-down shirt. I've seen them worn by themselves or over t-shirts, buttoned and unbuttoned, and tucked and untucked. What is considered stylish? It seems that wearing them over a t-shirt would be an easy way to add variety to my outfit, although I'm not sure about whether I should button up. When I leave them unbuttoned, the billowing looks ridiculous; but buttoned, no one would even see the t-shirt underneath. 4c. Are short-sleeve button-down shirts stylish? They look a bit silly to me, but could be convenient when the whether is warm and I still want to layer. 4d. As for other options, I feel that Polo shirts look too preppy. Are there other ways to spice up my daily outfit so that I don't look the same every day (even if I wear the same color t-shirt as one of the layers)? 4e. It seems hard to layer (and hence, add variety to my outfit) when the weather is warm. Any suggestions? Are there ways to add variety without layering? 5. Do you think I should I be veering away from wearing sneakers on a daily basis? I can't imagine walking around campus in loafers. Perhaps there is a good intermediate? 6. When I sit down, large portions of my socks always show. I feel that this looks dorky (as if my pants are too short), but if my jeans are any longer they'll drag on the floor (and in fact, some of my longer pairs actually do, which clearly is not ideal). Maybe it looks dorky because the socks are white (because I'm wearing sneakers) and more visible? Maybe I'm just imagining the dorkiness? Any ideas? 7. I'm uncertain as to when a guy my age should bust out something like a blazer. The blazer-plus-jeans combo looks great in my opinion, but I've also heard that it's a professorial look (i.e. not a look for a college student?). And again, I don't want to look too trendy, and I'm not sure if trendiness relates to this matter. 8. When it comes to hair, I'm uncertain as to whether I should keep having it cut shorter and shorter. I don't know how much advice I can get in this area from an online forum, but generally, is short hair considered more stylish than long hair? What is considered a stylish way to brush hair? When I brush my hair straight back, my hair ends up forming a bit of a "poof" that extends forward from my forehead, and I don't think that's flattering. I apologize for the length of this post, and I realize that very few people will actually take the time to read the whole damned thing. In any case, I'll take what I can get! Thanks
Update: Below are some images of my American Apparel t-shirt and Levi's jeans, so that you understand my body type and my current style. I'd love any comments and/or suggestions for improvement.