Dressing ones age?

[Superb0bo]

AndrewRyan. Well, I dont mind sparking abit of controversy if I belive people are wrong or narrowminded, and it increasingly seems to come with sufu. Ive obviously been posting there for years, but very seldom in the past people have responded so aggressivly. I however dont think i have that rigid perceptions on what do/does not work. But, just because a bunch of dudes with obviously different tastes on a fashion forward forum think I suck, I wont go out and by fashion forward sneakers and graphic tees. Shoreman, thanks! Im also more inclined to take a pic if i think it might look somewhat novel/interesting to others (I was obviously wrong yesterday ). I was not expecting praise for posting a shirt and some weird pants, but not "hate" either.

 

[DLester]

That sufu outfit looks good on him, but it would be really difficult to pull off if you are 40 (or 30). Even George Clooney would look ridiculous.

BR's jorts outfit looks good and would work for a much wider age range, including a fit person 40 or older.

 

[toothsomesound]

Originally Posted by SuperBobo

Well, I dont mind sparking abit of controversy if I belive people are wrong or narrowminded, and it increasingly seems to come with sufu. Ive obviously been posting there for years, but very seldom in the past people have responded so aggressivly. I however dont think i have that rigid perceptions on what do/does not work. But, just because a bunch of dudes with obviously different tastes on a fashion forward forum think I suck, I wont go out and by fashion forward sneakers and graphic tees.
This is exactly what I'm talking about, and some of the dudes flaming you at SUFU were talking about too. Nobody's asking you to do anything except maybe be more open to criticism. A lot of the initial commentary was just trolls anyway, but you took the bait. Some people might not like your dress; **** em. Or maybe you'll realize that, hey, I've pigeon-holed myself a lot of the past couple years, maybe I should try break out of my mold a little? Or not. My other point was based on a lot of your comments, (recently you were criticizing Zissou's shorts as too short and slim [when paired with his other pieces? not sure why this matters so much beyond silhouette which is something that we've seen from runway shows to lookbooks for years] and they really weren't by my standards at least) you don't seem to want to embrace a lot of what is currently accepted in the style/fashion community and that's just tough cookies mang.

 

[thekunk07]

i have decided to just wear a suit to work everyday. is cheaper in the long-term, though not in the short term

 

[Get Smart]

go to college, be a man
what's the ******* deal?
it's not how old I am
it's how old I feel

 

[berlin report]

Originally Posted by SuperBobo

After receiving alot of rather harsh criticism on superfuture on my latest fit pic, for looking bland, generic and old mannish, and being encourged to embrace my youth to get some fashion edge, it made me wonder if dressing your age is something you conciously have to do to be "stylish"?

Im the first to recognize that yesterdays fit wasnt anything special, but I would probably never imagined it looked "old mannish" in the sense the sufu elite ment, which got me curious about possible differences between self image and how others percive you.

So, whats your take on "dressing your age"? You conciously try to dress "youtful" and is it even possible to look old mannish when your rather young and in decent shape and doenst act like a geezer? Since the styleforum look leans towards classic and americana, this might bear some interest for others than me.
Had to look at the original post again... I never really thought about this until a few years ago when I turned forty. I would look at my outfit in the mirror and sometimes something would bother me. I would tweak it a bit, remove this, add that, and realize that it was because the look no longer matched my face. Stuff like deep v-necks (aside from being übergay) looked all wrong all of a sudden and forget skinny jeans, they just made me look like a dirty old man. I mean, I wore them in the 80's already for god's sake.
All this to say that it never really hurts to dress your age but I think that people up to about 35 should really not have to worry about this. Honestly, you look a bit older than your years but I think its more about your countenance than your clothes. You look mature and intelligent and sometimes this gets mistaken for "old". I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. I mean, what are you really missing out on if you dress older than your age? They're just clothes you wouldn't want to wear anyway.

 

[starcrash]

Originally Posted by AndrewRyanWallace

Starcrash's fit is cool, it's okay if you guys don't/can't appreciate it for what it is.
The person in that photo is absolutely NOT me. I do not condone any aspect of that outfit. In fact, I actively oppose it. Just needed to clarify. I was pointing it out as an example (an extreme one, I thought) of how different the SuFu population is compared to SF.

 

[toothsomesound]

Sorry, my mistake. Well, enjoy being closed-minded.

 

[Fuuma]

Originally Posted by AndrewRyanWallace

Sorry, my mistake. Well, enjoy being closed-minded.

The guy is called "Minou" (great dude) and I love the outfit. He's gay in case some of you think it's relevant.

 

[Crane's]

I'm not real sure what dressing your age is. For that matter I'm not sure that really exists in the first place.

 

[berlin report]

I agree, in spite of all that bull I said above.

 

[zissou]

^indeed, Crane's.

Bobo, you usually relish the fact that you dress in 'dad style' and you very often pull it off well. I just think there was nothing particularly interesting about that one fit. Besides, you're one of very few people on sufu who dresses like that, so it's a given most people aren't going to like it... just different tastes.

 

[thekunk07]

i ******* love minou

Originally Posted by Fuuma

The guy is called "Minou" (great dude) and I love the outfit. He's gay in case some of you think it's relevant.

 

[Superb0bo]

Originally Posted by zissou

^indeed, Crane's.

Bobo, you usually relish the fact that you dress in 'dad style' and you very often pull it off well. I just think there was nothing particularly interesting about that one fit. Besides, you're one of very few people on sufu who dresses like that, so it's a given most people aren't going to like it... just different tastes.

The dad´s style thing is rather tounge in cheek, alá Free & Easy, but your right. But sufu didnt use to be so anti though. I might resort to superdenim for sanctuary...

Berlin report,
good post, nice insight from the other direction

And thanks for the kind words.

 

[LA Guy]

To me, the criticism that you ought to "dress your age" is asking you to use less brain activity. Whenever I hate an outfit, it is because there was no thought put into it, or minimal thought, which this is generally worse. That is what I hate about the untucked striped shirt with black pants for going out look (on guys, of course). It shows minimal brain activity. The guy thought "I gotta look nice tonight - I need to wear my going out clothes." On the other hand, while I may not be a fan of a full on Versace x Dolce&Gabbana look, I can appreciate it if there is obvious care put into it.

As for worries about your academic peers, and especially as a graduate student - I'd say that they are unfounded. I am an academic, and have been at a number of top tier as well as mid-tier universities. Unless you decide that your personal fashion statement is to rock out with ********* out, no one is going to pay much mind. Congratulations on your article being accepted.