Are you the best dressed person at your job?

[Mirage-]

I actually like most of those (1-5,8) too, as opposed to the previous one. Particularly like most coats.

 

[smittycl]

The coats on the women were pretty cool.

 

[pasadena man]

What's wrong with this? (Take personal preference out of it. Meaning, this is not about whether you or any specific individual would want to personally wear it. But as an aesthetic, what's wrong with these non-jersey pants made with a drawstring waist?)


View attachment 1645041

This outfit would be perfect for Carl Douglas performing Kung Fu Fighting, one of the great, cheery, bright, shiny thing artifacts of 70’s popular culture. In fact, it would have been a sartorial upgrade on his already excellent outfit.

Hard to believe such perfection could be produced in just 10 minutes of recording time.

 

[josepidal]

A lot of these CM outfits are painful because the person clearly wants to dress casually, but they're holding onto CM ideas that don't work in casual outfits. First, the outfits are very internet-y. They're like the tailored version of a furry. Second, the outfits look so forced and uncomfortable, like a perfectly still, stiff image of a person trying to look casual and nonchalant.

I’m very interested in your thinking. Could you post some photos of what you think are done well and what are too Internet-y or are trying to improperly force CM design onto casual wear?

 

[josepidal]

I just think some hybrids like those dress joggers I posted make no logical sense for practical reasons, even though, to me, they still look better than your classic poly-cotton sweatpants.
I always thought joggers are liked because they are comfortable, not because they are nice-looking, so keeping the ugly shape but making them uncomfortable through a non-stretchy material and close cut seems dumb to me: worst of both worlds.

I have to disagree. If you are not actually out jogging, the slimmer cut of newer sweatpants looks better and to me feels more comfortable as there is less fabric ballooning around your leg (and that means it feels lighter too). Tapered legs match them better with non-athletic sneakers.

by the way, what is the functionality of drawstring waists and elastic waists on non-jersey cotton pants? Is there a functional choice to put them on linen pants or is it more decorative?

 

[dieworkwear]

I’m very interested in your thinking. Could you post some photos of what you think are done well and what are too Internet-y or are trying to improperly force CM design onto casual wear?

This was discussed a bit in an earlier thread about whether Ghurka trousers are a passing fad. I think they look bad when filtered through a CM lens, but can look great if you embrace a casual look.

For example, I think this look bad:

The outfits above just look gimmicky to me. The waistband closure gets tacked onto an otherwise elegant outfit. There's no real dress tradition for this. It's like painting a mustache on the Mona Lisa.

But as a general style, I think Ghurka pants can be worn well if you embrace a look that's actually casual.

Whenever those types of SWD outfits get posted, a lot of CM guys say, "that doesn't follow my prescriptive understanding how clothes should fit." Or they say, "this isn't proper" or "this guy looks like a slob" or "this guy looks homeless." Or any number of similar comments.

Again, that's fine. If someone doesn't like those looks, they can dress however they want. I just think if you try to shoehorn gimmicky details into an outfit where there's no such dress tradition or culture around that look, then it looks gimmicky and internet-y. I also think that, if you take this position, it's also easy to end up in casualwear that looks terribly boring, like just chinos and a button-up shirt. Or you just always wear a tailored jacket.

 

[josepidal]

Whenever those types of SWD outfits get posted, a lot of CM guys say, "that doesn't follow my prescriptive understanding how clothes should fit." Or they say, "this isn't proper" or "this guy looks like a slob" or "this guy looks homeless." Or any number of similar comments.

And I appreciate that you're not one of these guys. I now see what you are saying with cluttered waists and agree on the gurkha waists. However, the two sets you showed are being pushed together to the point that I would consider how far you can push the second set. Meaning, could I wear slimmer pants like those in the second set with a dressier shirt and shoes, though obviously not a dress shirt and dress shoes. The pants in the second set, for example, are baggier and more casual but you can readily wear less casual versions with "dressier" t-shirts (they exist).

It's funny how the overly prescriptive CM folks don't understand some outfits in the second set can cost more than their tailored suits, and not because of tacky designer logos.

 

[Mirage-]

I have to disagree. If you are not actually out jogging, the slimmer cut of newer sweatpants looks better and to me feels more comfortable as there is less fabric ballooning around your leg (and that means it feels lighter too). Tapered legs match them better with non-athletic sneakers.

It does look better, but if the pants are so slim yet not stretchy at all (e.g.100% cotton), can you actually move comfortably?

by the way, what is the functionality of drawstring waists and elastic waists on non-jersey cotton pants? Is there a functional choice to put them on linen pants or is it more decorative?

In my case, it's none since that pair already fit snug. But in general, of course the functionality is in keeping your pants up, i.e. acting like a belt, or side adjusters, possibly in a more comfortable way. Personally I find belts uncomfortable (at least, when sitting for long periods of time) and as such almost never wear them, so I'd rather not have empty belt loops on my pants. And given that side-tabs pants are very hard to find at moderate prices (or downright impossible on more casual pieces like chinos) I don't automatically dislike the idea of alternative closures if they are not too bulky.

I suppose the drawstring in particular is also meant to look "more relaxed" than any of the alternatives, which is what Derek dislikes as a futile enterprise in trying to "casualize" CM with artificial elements outside of it (such as drawstrings or gurkha closures), while retaining CM silhouettes. Personally, I am not a huge fan of most gurkha closures (except perhaps those that are so discrete that they seem to be just side tabs, e.g. look 4), but that is independent of whether the rest of the outfit is CM or not, and as such I still prefer the looks he posted as "bad" over those he posted as "good" in the last batch.

By the way, in most of the "good" ones I can't even see that's a gurkha since they wear untucked things over it.

 

[ClassicStyle1950]

What's wrong with this? (Take personal preference out of it. Meaning, this is not about whether you or any specific individual would want to personally wear it. But as an aesthetic, what's wrong with these non-jersey pants made with a drawstring waist?)


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Nothing, if you want to look like you are going to your Kung Fu class.

 

[Genericuser1]

What were they saying?

The usual for the most part:

• Why are you so dressed up?
• Going on an Interview?
• Look its Mr. Fancy pants
• Etc.

And one very rude "Why do you dress like that". From a Lesbian so I kind of forgive her, kind of.

Doesn't matter that most everything was thrifted and the shoes I continue to wear cost most than my outfits by far, no one notices or comments on my shoes unless they are a stand out color or style like a spectator.

They more or less got used to it but I could tell they just weren't saying anything to my face anymore, then COVID and telework hit, I got fat and don't fit into my dress pants anymore anyway.

 

[ClassicStyle1950]

The usual for the most part:

• Why are you so dressed up?
• Going on an Interview?
• Look its Mr. Fancy pants
• Etc.

And one very rude "Why do you dress like that". From a Lesbian so I kind of forgive her, kind of.

Doesn't matter that most everything was thrifted and the shoes I continue to wear cost most than my outfits by far, no one notices or comments on my shoes unless they are a stand out color or style like a spectator.

They more or less got used to it but I could tell they just weren't saying anything to my face anymore, then COVID and telework hit, I got fat and don't fit into my dress pants anymore anyway.

They're just jealous!

 

[Genericuser1]

They're just jealous!

My mom used to say the same thing when I was in grade school but I don't think she was right. I'll just use my sport coats for other occasions, no big deal.

 

[Dr. Cyril.]

Humbly speaking, are you the best person at your job? Do you stand out? Or others lack of attention/care to their dress make you look like you are "trying too hard"? Do you have a dress code?

I am a college professor, and in this realm, the dress varies radically. The corridors I have served - small colleges - have tended to range from extremely casual to frumpy, with most somewhere in between. The President's typically dress well, along with a few - and getting fewer - faculty. So, I am from a comparative perspective, overdressed. But I adhere to a larger standard of what seems appropriate for an educator of college students in the classroom. And frankly, I just don't like the frumpy look for anything much beyond tending the garden or watching a movie on one's couch at night.

 

[ClassicStyle1950]

I was always the best-dressed. I had one boss tell me to "tone it down" because I looked like the president and made others feel jealous. I never let up and ended up as the general manager. After I retired, I got into politics and my last elected position was president of the city council for one of the 40 largest cities in the country.

When you look good, you feel good -AND- you do good! Oh, I don't care what kind of shabby shoes a lot of men are wearing today (ridiculous, really) - keep your shoes shined, its the first thing people notice. Also, you have to keep in shape. People are dressing sloppy because they can't fit into stylish clothing.......e.g., PJ pants......really?

 

[RSS]

I'm at home these days ... and the answer is often but not always. When I met my spouse many decades ago, I was always the better dressed. But he has gained ground and can now give me a run for the money so to speak. Also, we have male help, and he too can challenge. I rather like it this way.