A thread for those of us who are not yet clothing enthusiasts

[JapanAlex01]

...he was not rude at all.

*accepting, complete, childishness Another thread..! *head in hands

 

[Makeshift_Robot]

GQ is full of bad advice and also some good advice

Basics lists are bullshit even if you want a "normal" wardrobe. Pocket squares are overrated, chinos are overrated, lots of people will never need more than one tie, etc.

If you're 'not yet a clothing enthusiast', go look at a bunch of nice stuff in a lot of styles and try it on if you can. Look around the web a lot. Look at the forum if you want. Don't force anything.

 

[London]

Chinos are never overrated

 

[Fuuma]

Originally Posted by JapanAlex01

The **** are you talking about? These are staples?

While I don't personally read GQ, you take what you want from it.
Aside from chinos being worn as part of a military uniform or to follow the GQ look I don't think I've ever seen a non-American wear them. A very localized staple... You can go your whole life without wearing chinos without having to consciously decide it, jeans on the other hand are a worldwide staple (well almost) and only people really invested in certain looks (consciously) avoid them.

 

[JapanAlex01]

Originally Posted by Fuuma

Aside from chinos being worn as part of a military uniform or to follow the GQ look I don't think I've ever seen a non-American wear them. A very localized staple... You can go your whole life without wearing chinos without having to consciously decide it, jeans on the other hand are a worldwide staple (well almost) and only people really invested in certain looks (consciously) avoid them.
I'll agree that jeans are the more universally worn trouser, but I see chinos all over the place? (Live in the U.K.) What is this 'GQ look', btw? I get the look, but I just never see anyone wearing it? In England, we mostly have hipster/thrift store looking kids. Then you get the 20-30's wearing more 'street' stuff. Once in a while, I guess, I'll see someone in a suit that could be classed as a 'GQ look' but not really..? I think you guys are paranoid (or it's limited to the U.S.)?

 

[Fuuma]

Originally Posted by JapanAlex01

I'll agree that jeans are the more universally worn trouser, but I see chinos all over the place? (Live in the U.K.)
The main point of my post was that chinos aren't what I'd define as a staple... As for the GQ look well its not just from GQ (its not like they kickstart styles) but is the blog du jour way of dressing with rolled up chinos or workwear items and all that pathetically ugly ****.

 

[JapanAlex01]

So what do you wear other than jeans..? Chinos are just trousers other than suit/wool trousers?

 

[Fuuma]

Originally Posted by JapanAlex01

So what do you wear other than jeans..? Chinos are just trousers other than suit/wool trousers?

chino = twill cotton or cotton blend not every ******* casual pants not made of wool. I wear some cotton pants that aren't chinos, jeans, wool slacks, moleskine pants, cord pants (thin wale).

 

[JapanAlex01]

 

[linkinwayne]

Moleskine trousers should be a staple, I love the way they feel

 

[Fuuma]

Originally Posted by JapanAlex01

No offense dude but the only picture of you I saw was that of a supermarket floor manager wearing camo pants, I'd shut the **** up about style and read the forums and other sources a little bit before acting like I know about clothing.

 

[Fuuma]

Originally Posted by linkinwayne

Moleskine trousers should be a staple, I love the way they feel

I have a grey pair by Stephan Schneider and some black ones (part of a suit) by Helmut Lang (OG not the new stuff). Really enjoy wearing both.

japanalex: I also don't wear polos, loafers, blazers and a bunch of other stuff. Personal style is also about avoiding certain things.

 

[GraphicNovelty]

Even someone who dresses "normal" doesn't need chinos. If you're going with "as little as possible" for your wardrobe there's nothing chinos "do" that nice denim doesn't. Go trousers if you need something formal.

 

[Lane]

Originally Posted by JapanAlex01

Chinos, jumpers, blazers, pocket squares, ties, suede/leather shoes are all not basics, in my opinion, they are necessities! Yes, find your own style—I never said don't do that? But the clothes I mentioned are a great start, and there is such a wide variety of styles within those clothes. I never recommended GQ—I don't read it (as a point of reference, I prefer Japanese fashion magazines). All I said was, inspiration comes from anywhere—if that place is GQ, sobeit! TUNE is a Japanese street-fashion magazine with snaps of kids in weird get-ups—I used it as a joke because, apparently, chinos are dull? Lulz. I kinda just want to see how many people get added to that list. I think, in the end, I may not able to speak to anybody. Yes, I agree, how sad!

combat boots, fingerless leather gloves, 130cm inseam jeans, and red leather jackets are necessities also.

Originally Posted by JapanAlex01

I like how Rick Owens (and .co) have made a style that reflects the hypertension and anxiety we suffer from in the 21 century! Apart from that, I wouldn't wear it..!

lol

 

[pickpackpockpuck]

Haha. Welcome to Style Forum. You'll notice a lot of bickering around here. I'm kinda bored because I canceled my cable, so here's a serious answer. As other people have mentioned, first you need to know what style you're after. If you're not even sure of that, you have to figure it out. One solution is to check out a variety of online stores so you can have a look at the range of stuff that's out there. Just to throw out a bunch that cater to various styles (in no particular order):

http://www.tresbienshop.net
http://needsupply.com/mens/
http://www.blueowl.us/scripts/psp/bi...l?page=welcome
http://www.contextclothing.com/
http://www.ssense.com/men
http://www.oaknyc.com/
http://www.forwardforward.com/fwd/index.jsp?d=M

There are a bunch more, too (some in that block of ads at the top of this page). If you want to know of others, people here will have plenty of recommendations. So figure out some brands that match what you're looking for, but DON'T buy online. You have to go to an actual store and try a bunch of stuff on. I don't know where you're located, but hopefully you're near a city and can find some of this stuff. And if you do try stuff on, try the same thing in different sizes. Most guys (not around here, of course) seem to buy things one or two sizes too big. If you're 5'8" and 145 lbs., you may not think of yourself as small, but unless you have freakishly wide shoulders or something you should probably be wearing a small (or XS).

So now you've found all this cool stuff you like in real life and it all costs an absurd amount of money, like you pointed out. You've got a few options. You can buy stuff from mall stores that approximate what you're looking for (if you do like chinos, for instance, but don't want to spend a few hundred on a pair by Band of Outsiders, you could check out Club Monaco or J. Crew). Or you can wait till the stuff you want is on sale. Or, if you know your size in a particular brand, you can check the Buy & Sell forum here and maybe you'll find something you like that fits your budget. Personally, I think buy less but buy better to start. In other words, buy high-quality staple items. And just so I'm clear, the style you're after will determine what a staple is: if you want to look like a goth ninja your idea of a staple is going to be different than if you want to look like a lumberjack. And obviously all of this stuff is just my opinion.

Originally Posted by Switz

For a non-enthusiast, recommendations for $500+ pairs of shoes, and $200+ shirts seem outrageous to both our heads and wallets. My question is how does one transition from an average to respectable (but not yet enthusiast-level) wardrobe? Where can we go to try things on before we make a purchase or if we are too unsure about a style to invest a lot of money in it? If you had spent your entire life shopping at average (think JC Penny to Express) stores, how would you spend your first $500, $1000, etc.?