Dressing like a grown-up

[Goblin]

I turn 37 this summer. I'd like to make the transition from my usual "$200 jeans and a t-shirt I bought in a bag of 3" to slacks, chinos, and nice casual button-downs. I'd like to start dressing my age. I'm not Iggy Pop.

I'm upgrading my professional wardrobe with several MTM three-piece suits. Beyond that, and about a half-dozen nice new MTM shirts, I'm not making any real changes to my business wear. (I'm a "trial division" public defender in a jurisdiction where odd-coat-and-tie is acceptable courtroom wear for any appearances other than trial, especially for lawyers who are in court every day).

But my casual wardrobe is very sparse. I have a pair of old raw Nudies, a hoodie, some western shirts, bunch of plain or concert t-shirts, Chuck Taylors, Jack Purcells, Doc Martens.

Basically, I need advice about clothes I can wear to look like a nicely-dressed, age-appropriate-but-not-stodgy guy in his mid-30s. I'm 5'9", 155 lbs at my usual "winter fat weight" (i.e., right now) but usually more like 145 lbs once nice weather rolls around. Below are the only two pics I have of myself in button-downs. I'd like to move to a more "dressy" look, but I just don't know much about this stuff.

(I'm fine with showing my tattoos anywhere other than the courthouse, so covering them or displaying them isn't a factor one way or the other.)

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Golf_Nerd]

Originally Posted by Goblin

Thanks in advance for any help!

Hello,

here are my 2 cents:

- To dress is not about age. Dress as you like it/ feel.
- the suits/ shirt should fit real good
- buy some dress shoes
- kick the jewelry
- enjoy wearing your new clothes

I hope I was a help.

 

[Goblin]

Originally Posted by Golf_Nerd

Hello,

here are my 2 cents:

- To dress is not about age. Dress as you like it/ feel.
- the suits/ shirt should fit real good
- buy some dress shoes
- kick the jewelry
- enjoy wearing your new clothes

I hope I was a help.
I do have dress shoes that I wear for business. And yeah, the tacky rocker jewelry is already a casualty in terms of everyday wear.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

I'd start buying slacks.

I have slacks in dark grey, brown and black and wear them alot, they go with many different color options for shirts.

I'd like to also buy navy and charcoal.

I'm 145lbs, and the pants that really look great on me are Flat front hugo boss, however after finding this forum, and stumbling upon the For sale section, i realised that i can buy a much nicer pant for less money.

So check out the for sale section, look for your waist size in a slim fit, flat front, and i think you'll be happy with the results, if you can, buy them without the length tailored, so you can have them fitted to length.

start expanding into alot of different shirts and patterns.

Start looking for cashmere and merlino wool sweaters to coordinate with them.

Combine that with some sharp looking Brown and cordovan lace ups, and you have a damn good looking casual wardrobe.

For shirts, i really like Ralph Lauren Blue label, however i have to have my tailor taper them up.
which is fine for me, i usually buy them at a steep discount, and they're a nice quality shirt for the money.

 

[DouggiePhresh]

deep 6 the jewelry
buy a couple dark suits
buy some brown shoes and a brown belt

 

[newinny]

I think the biggest change in my wardrobe was my pants; diversifying beyond khakis and fancy jeans.

 

[academe]

1. I'd vote for slim-cut, flat front trousers in wool for cooler times of year and linen/cotton for warmer periods. Preferably in various shades of gray; it's a colour that is easy to co-ordinate, and depending on the tone, can look more dressy during the evening (e.g., charcoal, steel gray, etc.) or more casual/festive (light gray, silvery gray). I also quite like dark greens and browns, although these are harder to find in wool. I don't really like the tan coloured "khakis" as much, especially not with what seems to be your sense of style. They just seem a bit too bland... 2. For shirts, I would probably look for slim-fit shirts with subtle stripes or patterns. Thomas Pink's slim-fit shirts offer a nice range of options. I quite like the Ted Baker ones, too, although they're probably best bought on sale as they're not worth the price at full retail in the US for the quality of manufacture. 3. +1 on brown dress-casual bluchers or bals. Depending on your personal taste, you might be able to pull-off the hybrid leather/sneaker type shoes, possibly something like this: http://www.yoox.com/item/YOOX/JIL+SA...s/searchResult or this http://www.yoox.com/item/YOOX/PANTOF...s/searchResult I like wearing "hybrid" shoes with jeans or on days when I'm not wearing an open-collared shirt. 4. +1 on the merino sweaters. Throw in some wool zip-ups or cardigans, too. These are nice alternatives to the hoodie or other "younger" layering piece. 5. Invest in some sports coats/blazers and outerwear that are more trimly cut, something like this perhaps: http://www.yoox.com/item/YOOX/COSTUM...s/searchResult or http://www.yoox.com/item/YOOX/COSTUM...s/searchResult 6. Switch to simpler jewelry and wear less of it (i.e., 1 ring instead of 3, etc.).

 

[Brigden]

You look young enough to continue wearing the type of clothes pictured, but I would lose the jewellery and shave the sideburns to soften up your image a bit.

 

[vitaminc]

+1 for slimmer cut trousers, flat front with no cuff of course. From the sound of it, you definitely don't want to look older than your age like a car salesman.

 

[acidboy]

+1 on chopping the chops, and the jewelry. Also make sure the MTM suits are on the slim side. Other than that you're doing good.

 

[Goblin]

(I do want to note that the pics above are where I'm at now, not where I want to end up ... I'm actually trying to move away from those looks, so assume the jewelry's finally gone into the dresser drawer.)

 

[LabelKing]

I don't see why he has to eschew jewelry completely.

 

[phooi]

I'm a year older than you and I think you dress fine. I'm assuming that this is for casual wear and not work. I agree with everyone that you should lose the jewelry given that your tats provide you with all the visual interest one needs.

If you want to dress like an "older" guy, go check out Baron on the Streetwear side. As for myself, I still wear jeans (simple selvage -- APC, 5EP) and t-shirts (plain). I will mix the jeans up with a shirt or sweater (merino or cashmere), throw in a couple pairs of decent shoes (chelsea boots, lace ups or loafers) and some simple classy jackets (blazers, etc.). The key is to keep it simple, clean and you'll always look age appropriate without looking too old.

Oh yeah, lose the chops. They won't work with your new look. Good luck!

 

[brad-t]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

I don't see why he has to eschew jewelry completely.

Because the goal of SF is not to take someone and improve them, but to change them completely.

 

[MilanoStyle]

Dress like business man when doing business.

Dress like rock star when you party like rock star..

That's how I see it.