Feeling lost/confused style-wise, help from the Vets? How do I find it?

[boxdiver]

Let me start by saying I'm 26 and got out of grad school less than a year ago. So let's just say that until several months ago, I didn't have much money to buy on nice clothes. Now that I have a cushy job with a steady paycheck (and am single), I can afford to spend some money.

My college/grad school days consisted of American Eagle/Gap clothing with some decent Jeans thrown in (Lucky, Hugo Boss to name a couple). Aside from that, just plain things.

I've recently tried the button-down/polo matched with chinos above the knee and boat shoes. I'm getting frustrated with my chinos "flaring out," (which has been solved thanks to other SF'ers suggesting a tailor or higher quality shorts). A tailor is in order, as I can't afford to be spending in the 100's for Chino's.

When going out I usually wear dark jeans with some type of J-Crew/Ralph/etc. button-down with some Desert Boots.

Other than that, I can't "find" my style and it's really starting to bother me. As a 26 year old, how would you go about this? Do I simply go to Nordstrom, find a worker and ask them what they think for my body type/etc.?

I'm just a bit lost...hoping the vets can help out. Thanks.

 

[SpooPoker]

Style should be personal, its in you already. Im sure you know what you like, and what you dont. Flip through some mens magazines, or the WAYWRN thread and start really taking a closer look at what tickles your fancy there, then pick up some similar stuff at the store. Thats the best way to start, I think.

 

[Sanguis Mortuum]

Originally Posted by SpooPoker

Style should be personal, its in you already. Im sure you know what you like, and what you dont. Flip through some mens magazines, or the WAYWRN thread and start really taking a closer look at what tickles your fancy there, then pick up some similar stuff at the store. Thats the best way to start, I think.

+1

Copies of Mens Ex and Leon are also good for ideas that are a little different to the SF groupthink.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Style is acquired through trial and error.

My suggestion is not to wear boat shoes except casually on the weekend.

Save the polo shirts for tennis matches, and donate your chinos to the IT department at your office.

For chinos on the cheap, just buy Jcrew in a modern fit, something no larger than 8" wide at the hem. Buy any color except black or tan.

 

[boxdiver]

Originally Posted by SpooPoker

Style should be personal, its in you already. Im sure you know what you like, and what you dont. Flip through some mens magazines, or the WAYWRN thread and start really taking a closer look at what tickles your fancy there, then pick up some similar stuff at the store. Thats the best way to start, I think.

Not sure if I agree with you that "it's in you already." Did you all of a sudden with no advice start wearing nice clothing and brands without any help?

I'll look some more through the mentioned thread. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Sanguis Mortuum

+1

Copies of Mens Ex and Leon are also good for ideas that are a little different to the SF groupthink.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by SkinnyGoomba

Style is acquired through trial and error.

My suggestion is not to wear boat shoes except casually on the weekend.

Save the polo shirts for tennis matches, and donate your chinos to the IT department at your office.

For chinos on the cheap, just buy Jcrew in a modern fit, something no larger than 8" wide at the hem. Buy any color except black or tan.

If boat shoes are for the weekend, what type of shoes do you wear for other casual and even not-so-casual events? For instance, a trip to the mall/grocery store...and even a dive bar that you don't want to go overboard at?

Also, sorry if I'm confused, but you told me to donate my chinos to the IT department, then said to just buy them at JCrew. My chinos are from there!

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Originally Posted by boxdiver

Not sure if I agree with you that "it's in you already." Did you all of a sudden with no advice start wearing nice clothing and brands without any help? I'll look some more through the mentioned thread. Thanks. Thanks. If boat shoes are for the weekend, what type of shoes do you wear for other casual and even not-so-casual events? For instance, a trip to the mall/grocery store...and even a dive bar that you don't want to go overboard at? Also, sorry if I'm confused, but you told me to donate my chinos to the IT department, then said to just buy them at JCrew. My chinos are from there! Any other advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
I'd take a pair of penny loafers or tassel loafers over boat shoes for casual any day. Chinos to me look good in about two maybe 3 colors and only when slim fitting and pressed (at least to start the day). Stone, Mid Gray and Nantucket red. If penny loafers are too formal for a bar I'm going to go to, then one of two things: Either I pick a new bar or the clientele have to live with my sartorial choices. My work environment is very formal, and on the weekends it consists of business casual (meaning odd jacket and tie). I do the Ivy look once in a while in stone chinos, a navy linen sportcoat, white shirt and ether a repp or madras tie necktie, once in a while a repp bowtie with a club end. I'll pair that with penny loafers in brown, tassel loafers in brown suede, or cordovan tassels in cigar shell. Never with socks. To make this more casual you simply remove the tie, and if your job looks down at sportcoats than the odd jacket as well.

 

[Svenn]

Originally Posted by boxdiver

When going out I usually wear dark jeans with some type of J-Crew/Ralph/etc. button-down with some Desert Boots.
This is what I do for the most part... always safe and always will be.

Originally Posted by boxdiver

Other than that, I can't "find" my style and it's really starting to bother me. As a 26 year old, how would you go about this? Do I simply go to Nordstrom, find a worker and ask them what they think for my body type/etc.?

I for one don't worry too much about my non-business-attire clothing... jeans and a collar shirt will always work. You're still far under 30 so I don't think you have to worry about wearing all that east-coast, brooks brothers-type stuff you mention. Once you hit 35 you can start thinking about dressing like a gentrified old man... I'm in the pacific northwest so the latter consists of tucking a plaid shirt into carharts, leave it untucked if you're young

 

[Meursault-]

I'm presently going through similar transitional issues, having just finished grad school as well. For me, there is tension between what my peer group expects me to wear out and what is appropriate professionally. On top of that, the triple digit summer days make dressing like a dandy borderline absurd.

Dressing well is so much about how you feel and -right or wrong- if I dressed up too much going out, I wouldn't feel confident. So I stick fairly closely to what is expected; but, let the fit, details, and colors help me stand out. For normal bars I'll wear an oxford and jeans like every other guy; but, the jeans will be dark and slim, the shirt will fit well and maybe be tucked-in, and my shoes will be sexy. The next step up would be dark jeans with a crisp, open collar dress shirt and a sportcoat. Rarely, for an important dinner or event, I'd go with a dark suit.

I'll wear boat shoes or converse sneakers with chinos or jeans for casual daytime stuff on the weekends. Maybe dress loafers for brunch. I've said it a couple of times, but basically I aim to meet expectations, and then step a little bit outside the box to maintain my individuality. Striving for a balance somewhere between SF-approval and peer-approval. It's like a second puberty.

 

[OttoSkadelig]

Originally Posted by SkinnyGoomba

Style is acquired through trial and error.

exactly.

i think the best way to go is to learn the foundations of good style. there are certain guiding principles that are fairly perennial around what colors work with what, when to use certain kinds of fabrics, what works for certain body types, etc.

once you can figure out what the "rules" are, and why they exist, you can then embark on the next stage, which is breaking them in an educated manner (vs. groping in the wilderness) (see picasso).

in my view the best way to pick up the "rules" is by reading a couple of books. you can hang around SF, but there are far too many clashing POVs, and far too many newbies that don't always give good advice (all respect to them, everyone starts somewhere) and you will likely be lost. a far better approach would be to read a couple of books, which will give you a more concentrated dose of wisdom and ground you in the basics.

for a primer on style, the book by russell smith (forget the name) is a short and really fun read. of course it is just one guy's POV, but the guy is articulate, covers all the bases, has a marvelously dry sense of humor, and is practical (i.e., doesn't assume an outlandish budget.)

the classics by people like flusser and roetzel are also good but are a bit stuffy, less contemporary, and a bit too prescriptive, and sometimes obsess over topics that are in my mind not as important as the authors think they are (e.g., matching color combos with skin tone.)

your "style" will eventually be an amalgam of classical principles around cut, color, and fabric that will stand forever, and the divergences from these principles that you will choose to make and that will be yours alone. but in order to do the latter in an educated manner you need to build your instincts... and as skinnyG says, this will be a bit of a trial-and-error process.

good luck.

 

[bananananana]

I'd suggest 2 things:

1) look at some blogs, this board, and maybe even magazines to look at different styles, see what you like, but don't copy them exactly, just keep a mental note of what you liked about them

2) go to a barneys or a good bloomingdales if you have one nearby and check out the different designers. You may think a ro or margiela piece looks ******* ridiculous at first, but just try them on along with a bunch of other ****. You'll never know how you'll look or like a particular style until you wear them, and too many people try to figure it out through an internet board rather than going out and experimenting themselves.

 

[boxdiver]

Thanks guys. One more question:

The Tailor

Obviously when you're spending a lot of money on clothing, it's probably a given that you have a tailor. But what about someone like myself in their mid 20's? If I buy a $50 shirt, is it worth it to spend $20 to get it fitted? Same with Chino shorts...if I spend $40, is it worth $20 to get them tapered?

Lastly, how much confidence should someone have in a tailor? For example when I go in, should I be able to say "tailor this so that it fits my body in the best way possible?" Or is it expected that I know exactly what I want?

Thanks.

 

[vincerich]

Don't ever go into a store and ask the sales associate what they think you should buy. Chances are, they'll show you some product that they'll receive a commission from OR they'll point out a product that the company is currently trying to push. Either way, the decision will rarely be personalized to you. At your age and in your profession, it doesn't seem that there are many demands on what you wear. I'd say that your best bet is to look around your job and see what types of things pass as acceptable. Also, take into account the way that people who have the job that you want are dressed. From there, you can come up with a basic combination of items to fit the bill. Add in a few pieces that don't necessarily fit in with work but catch you eye as well.

No one can come up with your style. You have to do that for youself. Even a lot of the "vets" here wear clothes that I think are butt-ugly. There's a reason for why it's YOUR style. Take a little time to learn some basics of how clothing should fit and what combinations of items/colors look nice together. From there, you should be on your way.

 

[Frodo]

Originally Posted by boxdiver

Thanks guys. One more question: The Tailor Obviously when you're spending a lot of money on clothing, it's probably a given that you have a tailor. But what about someone like myself in their mid 20's? If I buy a $50 shirt, is it worth it to spend $20 to get it fitted? Same with Chino shorts...if I spend $40, is it worth $20 to get them tapered? Lastly, how much confidence should someone have in a tailor? For example when I go in, should I be able to say "tailor this so that it fits my body in the best way possible?" Or is it expected that I know exactly what I want? Thanks.
Yes, it's definitely worth it to have things tailored, so long as you're starting with good stuff. Fit is the most important thing, period. But a good alterations tailor can only do so much, so try to get as close as you can. Buying clothing online, (new or used), unless you are very familiar with sizing particulars, can often be a waste of time and money, as you wind up with clothes that cannot be made to fit or look well. Thrifting can be a great source of used items that you can actually try on. Fit is, in my opinion, where the "slippery slope" starts. Once you have a few things that fit you perfectly, you're ruined for straight off the rack (because you know you'll just have to get them altered). If you can get a great fit with OTR, count your blessings. You should know ahead of time the fit you're going for, and pictures are very helpful. It would be worth a two hour drive to get your clothes fixed by a good tailor. Time very well spent.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Originally Posted by vincerich

Don't ever go into a store and ask the sales associate what they think you should buy. Chances are, they'll show you some product that they'll receive a commission from OR they'll point out a product that the company is currently trying to push. Either way, the decision will rarely be personalized to you. At your age and in your profession, it doesn't seem that there are many demands on what you wear. I'd say that your best bet is to look around your job and see what types of things pass as acceptable. Also, take into account the way that people who have the job that you want are dressed. From there, you can come up with a basic combination of items to fit the bill. Add in a few pieces that don't necessarily fit in with work but catch you eye as well.

No one can come up with your style. You have to do that for youself. Even a lot of the "vets" here wear clothes that I think are butt-ugly. There's a reason for why it's YOUR style. Take a little time to learn some basics of how clothing should fit and what combinations of items/colors look nice together. From there, you should be on your way.

This is not entirely true, there are SA's out there that can do a fantastic job if you let them.

 

[vincerich]

Originally Posted by Frodo

Yes, it's definitely worth it to have things tailored, so long as you're starting with good stuff. Fit is the most important thing, period. But a good alterations tailor can only do so much, so try to get as close as you can. Buying clothing online, (new or used), unless you are very familiar with sizing particulars, can often be a waste of time and money, as you wind up with clothes that cannot be made to fit or look well. Thrifting can be a great source of used items that you can actually try on.

Fit is, in my opinion, where the "slippery slope" starts. Once you have a few things that fit you perfectly, you're ruined for straight off the rack (because you know you'll just have to get them altered). If you can get a great fit with OTR, count your blessings.

You should know ahead of time the fit you're going for, and pictures are very helpful. It would be worth a two hour drive to get your clothes fixed by a good tailor. Time very well spent.



That couldn't be more true. When I find an OTR item that fits just right, I load up.