Advice for someone new to "style"

[Myriddan]

Hello everyone,

Thanks in advance for anyone willing to help someone out who is trying to find their style and dress better.

I've been stalking the forum for the last few months after I needed to buy a suit for a wedding I was attending. In the end I ended up getting a BB Fitz in charcoal because I really didn't have the time to find something better as recommended by looking for better sales and felt that it was regarded well enough by the members of this forum.

Now onto the real reason I am here. I am looking for everyday clothing fits and could use some suggestions. I live in the Bay Area and work in the tech industry, therefore dress is usual jeans or trousers and a collared shirt. I am looking maybe for 2 pairs of jeans (I was thinking of checking out the 3sixteens at self edge) and 3 odd trousers in various colors. For the trousers I was reading that medium gray is recommended but what about the other two (brown and blue?), I was taking a look at Howard Yount's made in Italy styles and could not decide.

For shirts what is recommended with this type of wardrobe? I'm looking for about 5 different shirts to start. I typically wear striped shirts in blues, browns, and blacks. To finish off the wardrobe I am looking for 2 pairs of shoes I can alternate daily.

My budget for all of this is roughly $2000. As for my build I'm 6' and thin. (14.5" neck, 33" sleeves for dress shirts; 32" waist not sure about the other main measurements for trousers however)

Again thanks in advance and feel free to flame away if you don't think I spent enough time searching the forum.

 

[Gauss17]

If I were going to start brand new, here is what I'd do:

2 Pair Indigo Denim: Gustin ($190)

3 Pair pants:
Khaki Chinos - J. Crew - $55
Gray Wool Trousers - Howard Yount - $115
Navy Wool Trousers- Howard Yount - $145

*As a note, I do not favor really slim trousers or any kind.

Shirts:

For casual, easy-care shirts, I almost always recommend oxford cloth. It goes very well with casual attire (i.e. anything that's not a suit) and wrinkles can actually add to the look. I can't say I am a huge fan of blacks or browns in my shirts though.

You can get all your shirts custom made by Luxire, Proper cloth, or any other fine makers. Just for example:
White Oxford - Luxire - $70
Blue Oxford - Luxire - $60
Blue Stripe Oxford - Proper Cloth - $85

Here you can kind of go where ever, if you really like brown/black in shirts then by all means go for it. I personally just do not think it looks that great with chinos, jeans, or odd trousers.

For something classic, you might go with a navy gingham - $100

Shoes:

Assuming you have no dress shoes, you can go a couple ways: You will definitely want something in brown, but for the second, you can pick either black or burgundy. Black is business standard so I would tend to say go that route. However, if I were recommending a casual attire for any other purpose than business, I would certainly say go burgundy.

Pick 2:
Dark Brown or Walnut Strand - Allen Edmonds - $365
Black Park Avenue - Allen Edmonds - $365
Merlot/Burgundy McAllister - Allen Edmonds - $365

*You can get these cheaper if you wait for a sale or buy seconds.

As it stands, this would total you about $1550.

 

[dan138zig]

I would say no to two pairs of jeans with the same colors.

 

[Myriddan]

Thanks for the advice Gauss17. I actually picked up a pair of Black Park Avenues to go with the suit, I'm looking for 2 other pairs of shoes. I see the walnut Strands recommended quite a bit so I'll have to check them out to see if I like them.

I'm a bit surprised by the J. Crew khaki recommendation are they good quality? Also from the pictures those Gustin look really nice. And I assume dan138zig is saying no to the same color for diversity? A second pair that is slightly lighter?

 

[dan138zig]

Yeah, I don't see the point of having 2 indigo jeans for someone who's just starting a wardrobe. The other one should be of a lighter color or black, depending on your shoes and tops.

 

[colabear]

My advice is to not ask someone else for style advice. Discover it on your own and have fun in the process

 

[Gauss17]

This all kind of depends on your personal style. For me, I just don't see a purpose in wearing jeans that are not a dark indigo. Jeans are probably the most worn item in a lot of people wardrobes, so you really need two in case one is dirty or in the wash. Light jeans, in my opinion, just never look that great, and certainly not better than dark indigo. Any possible "outfit" would be better off with dark jeans or different pants all together. As for black jeans, they are just personally not my thing, nor are black pants all together for the most part. I like black for T-shirts, leather jackets, and footwear, but that is about it for me.

If you already have a PA, then I would go for the strand in walnut or dark brown. I have both and they are some of my favorites. Wearing a balmoral style shoe with more casual clothing like jeans is kind of a faux pas, but it just looks damn good in this case. For the second shoe, you could get whichever (walnut or dark brown) you did not pick for shoe #1 or you can get something in burgundy as per my previous recommendation. I'm tempted to say walnut and burgundy may be your best bet for the pants described above. Walnut looks very nice with grey slack and jeans. Merlot/burgundy looks especially nice with navy and grey slacks.

J. Crew is not know for amazing quality, but they have some nice stuff and it fits well. I really like them for casual items: T-shirts, chinos, sweaters, oxford shirts, etc. However, I would however never recommend them for something like jackets or suits. I suggested those pants because they are made of a nice cotton and they are currently on sale. The casual fit also a a good cut for most guys. If you want to go for something higher quality, you can custom order a pair from Luxire, or go to something like Bills Khakis.

 

[Myriddan]

My advice is to not ask someone else for style advice. Discover it on your own and have fun in the process

True, I'm mostly looking at suggestions for brands/styles. I'm not going to go out and buy something that I do not personally like even if 99% of the world does. I have very basic tastes and am also looking in the WAYWN thread to see if I can find styles that I appreciate more than others to determine why I like them.

 

[devastitis]

If I were going to start brand new, here is what I'd do:

2 Pair Indigo Denim: Gustin ($190)

I am beginning to love those jeans. I think I might pick up a pair myself. Do they fit true to size or are they a little tighter? I fluctuate between a 33 and 34.

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I didn't think my questions warranted a new thread. I'm also looking to update my style. I feel like I'm pretty set in the footwear department. I have 4 pairs of AEs (merlot McAllister, black McAllister, walnut Strand, bourbon Mora 2.0), 2 pairs of Timbs (camo and wheat), and a couple pairs of walking shoes. I'm looking to diversify my wardrobe and would like some advice or recommendations.

What pants or jeans would you recommend with a charcoal blazer, light grey blazer, and a navy blazer? Also, what shirts would you recommend with those blazers/pants as well?

 

[Gauss17]



I am beginning to love those jeans.  I think I might pick up a pair myself.  Do they fit true to size or are they a little tighter?  I fluctuate between a 33 and 34.

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I didn't think my questions warranted a new thread.  I'm also looking to update my style.  I feel like I'm pretty set in the footwear department.  I have 4 pairs of AEs (merlot McAllister, black McAllister, walnut Strand, bourbon Mora 2.0), 2 pairs of Timbs (camo and wheat), and a couple pairs of walking shoes.  I'm looking to diversify my wardrobe and would like some advice or recommendations.

What pants or jeans would you recommend with a charcoal blazer, light grey blazer, and a navy blazer?  Also, what shirts would you recommend with those blazers/pants as well?

For the jeans, I'd go 34. At the very worst, they can always be a taken in a touch, but belts normally solve any looseness. However, tightness or more difficult to remedy.

The navy blazer is classic and goes with a great variety. For pants, I personally favor either khaki chinos or a medium-light gray trouser. For shirts, I tend to favor plain white, but it goes with nearly any shirt from light blue to lavender. They key to remember is contrast. For example, don't wear dark shirt with a navy blazer.

As for grey and charcoal, the answer is more complicated. Personally, I can't say I'd go for a charcoal or light grey blazer as they (depending on styling) tend to look a lot like an orphaned suit jacket unless you are rather clever. Hence, it is hard for me to say without seeing them. For example, a tweed grey blazer with patch pockets would be much easier to pull off than a sleek charcoal jacket. However, I often wear a charcoal overcoat with jeans so let us entertain this a moment.

As a general rule, I like the jacket to be darkest and the shirt lighter. So for example, you could try a light grey jacket, a lavender gingham shirt, and dark blue jeans or navy trousers. There are as you might guess a great variety of options, but as a general rule, go for some contrast and don't use the same color for multiple items. Grey and blue tend to work together and purple/lavender tend to look very nice with medium to light grey. You might even go for a lavender shirt and dark green slacks.

The charcoal is probably a bit trickier, but you might be able to pull it off with the addition of something like a v-neck sweater. For example. dark jeans, a charcoal blazer, burgundy v-neck sweater, and a white OCBD. You have a little bit more going on here that will help detract from the orphaned suit jacket jumping out at people. As previously mentioned, I often a favor a charcoal overcoat with a dark burgundy/purple/green sweater, a white OCBD, and dark jeans. I imagine a charcoal jacket would give a similar effect.

I will be honest with you though, the only jackets I really ever wear are a dark brown tweed sport coat and a navy blazer. This admittedly follows SF group-think pretty closely, but there is a reason for that, and it is that they generally look more flattering on people.

 

[McPryon]

The road to personal style is a long one filled with many mistakes. You're going to want to experiment with different fabrics, cuts, etc and find out which ones you like and why you like them, then capitalize on that. I think a lot of people would suggest starting small because overbuying is a mistake almost everybody makes in the beginning...but maybe it's one they need to make.

 

[johng70]

Just to jump in on a couple topics here. I have Walnut Strands and I really like them. However, they are a very contrasting shoe and IMO do not look good with dark colors. With jeans, I find my McTavish and Brown Wilberts are great looking shoes. Of course, strands look better with khakis/chinos. But, I would say the lightness of the Walnut definitely makes them less versatile than some of the mid and darker tones.

As for jeans - I'm definitely on board with mostly indigo jeans. They look much better than light colored or black in my opinion. But, styles are different in different parts of the world.

One thing I would definitely suggest - do NOT go hog wild right out of the gate. Try on pants/jeans from different brands to find out what fits YOU the best and what material you like. Don't just buy several pairs off the bat only to discover they don't fit your body style well or the style of them doesn't look good. But, it's always relative - you often don't realize something doesn't fit right or look right until you try something that DOES.

 

[devastitis]

For the jeans, I'd go 34. At the very worst, they can always be a taken in a touch, but belts normally solve any looseness. However, tightness or more difficult to remedy.

The navy blazer is classic and goes with a great variety. For pants, I personally favor either khaki chinos or a medium-light gray trouser. For shirts, I tend to favor plain white, but it goes with nearly any shirt from light blue to lavender. They key to remember is contrast. For example, don't wear dark shirt with a navy blazer.

As for grey and charcoal, the answer is more complicated. Personally, I can't say I'd go for a charcoal or light grey blazer as they (depending on styling) tend to look a lot like an orphaned suit jacket unless you are rather clever. Hence, it is hard for me to say without seeing them. For example, a tweed grey blazer with patch pockets would be much easier to pull off than a sleek charcoal jacket. However, I often wear a charcoal overcoat with jeans so let us entertain this a moment.

As a general rule, I like the jacket to be darkest and the shirt lighter. So for example, you could try a light grey jacket, a lavender gingham shirt, and dark blue jeans or navy trousers. There are as you might guess a great variety of options, but as a general rule, go for some contrast and don't use the same color for multiple items. Grey and blue tend to work together and purple/lavender tend to look very nice with medium to light grey. You might even go for a lavender shirt and dark green slacks.

The charcoal is probably a bit trickier, but you might be able to pull it off with the addition of something like a v-neck sweater. For example. dark jeans, a charcoal blazer, burgundy v-neck sweater, and a white OCBD. You have a little bit more going on here that will help detract from the orphaned suit jacket jumping out at people. As previously mentioned, I often a favor a charcoal overcoat with a dark burgundy/purple/green sweater, a white OCBD, and dark jeans. I imagine a charcoal jacket would give a similar effect.

I will be honest with you though, the only jackets I really ever wear are a dark brown tweed sport coat and a navy blazer. This admittedly follows SF group-think pretty closely, but there is a reason for that, and it is that they generally look more flattering on people.

That's a lot to take in. I'll check out the styles when I have my next day off to see how they fit and look. I don't actually have a lavender shirt, but I'll look into getting one. I do love light blue and pink with my blazers though. I don't own any gingham shirts, and they do look pretty nice for the upcoming spring season (whenever that comes). Thanks for the information.

The road to personal style is a long one filled with many mistakes. You're going to want to experiment with different fabrics, cuts, etc and find out which ones you like and why you like them, then capitalize on that. I think a lot of people would suggest starting small because overbuying is a mistake almost everybody makes in the beginning...but maybe it's one they need to make.

Yes, this is very true. I have made that overbuying mistake, and right now, I'm trying to sit back and get as much style advice and information as I can before setting out on trying out new styles and adding to my wardrobe. Thanks for the heads up.

Just to jump in on a couple topics here. I have Walnut Strands and I really like them. However, they are a very contrasting shoe and IMO do not look good with dark colors. With jeans, I find my McTavish and Brown Wilberts are great looking shoes. Of course, strands look better with khakis/chinos. But, I would say the lightness of the Walnut definitely makes them less versatile than some of the mid and darker tones.

As for jeans - I'm definitely on board with mostly indigo jeans. They look much better than light colored or black in my opinion. But, styles are different in different parts of the world.

One thing I would definitely suggest - do NOT go hog wild right out of the gate. Try on pants/jeans from different brands to find out what fits YOU the best and what material you like. Don't just buy several pairs off the bat only to discover they don't fit your body style well or the style of them doesn't look good. But, it's always relative - you often don't realize something doesn't fit right or look right until you try something that DOES.

I accidentally went hog wild, and made some bad purchases of clothes that is just collecting dust. I will need to purchase a pair of chinos or two, and I understand what you mean by very contrasting shoe. Do you have any suggestions on brand of chinos? I have a few indigo jeans, and I love them. But I think besides maybe one more indigo pair, I'd be better off going with a dark grey for my next purchase. This has caught my eye for sure though:

https://www.weargustin.com/store/524#

Thanks for your advice.

 

[mensimageconsultant]



The road to personal style is a long one filled with many mistakes.  You're going to want to experiment with different fabrics, cuts, etc and find out which ones you like and why you like them, then capitalize on that.  I think a lot of people would suggest starting small because overbuying is a mistake almost everybody makes in the beginning...but maybe it's one they need to make.

No, nobody needs to buy too much. Mistakes will happen, but if people disclose enough up front and get good feedback, they can avoid making many of them.

Anyway, addressing a line in the first post to help prevent mistakes:
For the trousers I was reading that medium gray is recommended but what about the other two (brown and blue?)
For wool, medium gray is a good wool color, but wool as the norm in a SF tech workplace? It's vastly inferior in cotton. Blue isn't ideal for office pants. Light brown is a must for cotton pants. Dull olive is an option for both wool and cotton pants. No black, just in case the memo was missed. Consider mixing in a pair of corduroys or maybe moleskins.

Also, J. Crew pants quality isn't much better than Lands' End pants quality, and the latter can be had much cheaper.

Unless the workplace is more conservative than it seems, get some shirts with checks. Variety is stylish.