Re-building a wardrobe and changing my style a tad...

[generallissimo]

Hey Styleforum, I've been hanging around and reading for week or two... I ended up here because I have been thinking of overhauling my wardrobe a bit as I haven't been giving it much thought in the past few years and I'm a bit out of it. The other thing being lot of my favorite clothes no longer fit and the ones I have been wearing mostly are pieces I picked up out of convenience rather than because I liked them.

I'm hoping some of you could throw some ideas my way but let me know if this is the wrong forum to ask this kind of question. But let me give some context with regards to my current wardrobe and what I feel is missing in it.

1. Shirts - a lot of Ben Sherman, some PS Paul Smith checked shirts, some Costume National (both Homme and CNC), some An Phuoc (a Vietnamese brand that has aligned itself somehow with Pierre Cardin), some old Wings + Horns, some Shanghai Tang and some linen by Journal Standard.
   • I'm in my mid thirties now and I no longer feel much affinity towards Ben Sherman as I think I need to move away from a preppy look at this point in my life.
   • PS Paul Smith ones are great but I can't seem to find any shirts of similar style in NY Soho or London Covent Garden stores.
   • Costume National ones are from like 10 years ago, I still love them but they no longer fit and I can't bring myself to get rid of them even though I no longer wear them.
2. T-shirts - lots of band t-shirts I buy at concerts...
3. Jeans - I have 2 pairs of Syoaiya that I love... I'd love to hear about other Japanese jeans that I should consider. Though I don't buy raw denim and usually stick to 1 wash or something that is a little more comfortable to wear from the beginning. Also Blue in Green in NYC still the place to go?
4. Pants - I have stuck to John Varvatos and Paul Smith consistently over the years as I really like their jean-like but not-jean pants. I have never liked chinos and I don't really have occasions to wear dress pants, so this is mostly it.
5. Jackets - My favorite jacket is a no-name brand 3/4th length peacoat like Jacket I bought at a no-name discount store in Paris. Also have an old beaten down punk jacket by Fenchurch and some Paul Smith overcoat.
6. Shoes - I mostly alternate between a beaten down pairs of Common Projects and a beaten down pair of Doc Martens. I have a pair of Yohji Yamamoto Y3 dressy sneaker that I absolutely love so I rarely wear it as I don't want to ruin it as Yohji Yamamoto does not seem to make any dressy sneakers anymore. I used to have some Chelsea boots by them as well that I wore until I destroyed it. I have a pair of leather chelsea boots but I don't wear them as they aren't that comfortable.
7. Accessories - almost none... this is where I need to really step up. I love the Atelier Wan thread and I can't wait for their kickstarter.

So you can get a sense for my style preference from some of the above hopefully. Most of what I used to wear is not the same as it were when I got into wearing those designers clothes as styles have changed or I can't find the same stuff anymore. Also I feel like I'm limiting myself to just a hand full of brands and I don't want to be the guy that wears the same shoes 7 days a week (which I do now).

My style is mostly minimalist with a hint of flair... but I feel like it's a bit boring and I need to step up my game. So folks, help me out will you?

 

[Pete E]

Hey Styleforum, I've been hanging around and reading for week or two... I ended up here because I have been thinking of overhauling my wardrobe a bit as I haven't been giving it much thought in the past few years and I'm a bit out of it. The other thing being lot of my favorite clothes no longer fit and the ones I have been wearing mostly are pieces I picked up out of convenience rather than because I liked them.

I'm hoping some of you could throw some ideas my way but let me know if this is the wrong forum to ask this kind of question. But let me give some context with regards to my current wardrobe and what I feel is missing in it.

1. Shirts - a lot of Ben Sherman, some PS Paul Smith checked shirts, some Costume National (both Homme and CNC), some An Phuoc (a Vietnamese brand that has aligned itself somehow with Pierre Cardin), some old Wings + Horns, some Shanghai Tang and some linen by Journal Standard.
   • I'm in my mid thirties now and I no longer feel much affinity towards Ben Sherman as I think I need to move away from a preppy look at this point in my life.
   • PS Paul Smith ones are great but I can't seem to find any shirts of similar style in NY Soho or London Covent Garden stores.
   • Costume National ones are from like 10 years ago, I still love them but they no longer fit and I can't bring myself to get rid of them even though I no longer wear them.
2. T-shirts - lots of band t-shirts I buy at concerts...
3. Jeans - I have 2 pairs of Syoaiya that I love... I'd love to hear about other Japanese jeans that I should consider. Though I don't buy raw denim and usually stick to 1 wash or something that is a little more comfortable to wear from the beginning. Also Blue in Green in NYC still the place to go?
4. Pants - I have stuck to John Varvatos and Paul Smith consistently over the years as I really like their jean-like but not-jean pants. I have never liked chinos and I don't really have occasions to wear dress pants, so this is mostly it.
5. Jackets - My favorite jacket is a no-name brand 3/4th length peacoat like Jacket I bought at a no-name discount store in Paris. Also have an old beaten down punk jacket by Fenchurch and some Paul Smith overcoat.
6. Shoes - I mostly alternate between a beaten down pairs of Common Projects and a beaten down pair of Doc Martens. I have a pair of Yohji Yamamoto Y3 dressy sneaker that I absolutely love so I rarely wear it as I don't want to ruin it as Yohji Yamamoto does not seem to make any dressy sneakers anymore. I used to have some Chelsea boots by them as well that I wore until I destroyed it. I have a pair of leather chelsea boots but I don't wear them as they aren't that comfortable.
7. Accessories - almost none... this is where I need to really step up. I love the Atelier Wan thread and I can't wait for their kickstarter.

So you can get a sense for my style preference from some of the above hopefully. Most of what I used to wear is not the same as it were when I got into wearing those designers clothes as styles have changed or I can't find the same stuff anymore. Also I feel like I'm limiting myself to just a hand full of brands and I don't want to be the guy that wears the same shoes 7 days a week (which I do now).

My style is mostly minimalist with a hint of flair... but I feel like it's a bit boring and I need to step up my game. So folks, help me out will you?

What you are asking is quite difficult, even with the information in your post...

Any re style will have to fit in to both the personal and professional parts of your life, although you may end up with a style for a each...

The first thing I would do is cull your wardrobe down of anything that doesn't fit, is hideously unfashionable or is no longer appropriate to the new you...

Then decide if any of your existing items fit in with the direction you want to move and if so build off them..

Sometimes it helps if you can find pics on line of the "look"/ "style" you wish to move towards...This is especially so if you can find a celebrity of similar age who's dress style you particularly like... I don't suggest you then copy, but use them as an inspiration/template from where you can start...