malligator
Active Member
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2018
- Messages
- 26
- Reaction score
- 45
Good afternoon everyone. I'm a 46yo engineer that is (once again) trying to find my style. I've moved around and changed jobs a lot and every single time I use the change to try to make myself over. And every single time it fails.
--Joined the Navy at 17 and obviously wore a uniform. Wore jeans and t-shirts off duty.
--Got out of the Navy at 23 and bought a pair of chinos and button up shirt from Nordstrom. Wore them to a minimum wage (college) job interview and never wore them again. Wore shorts, jeans, and t-shirts all through school.
--Graduated and started looking for my first engineering job. Bought Hart, Schaffner, and Marx navy blazer with gold buttons, gray dress pants, and HS&M navy suit. Wore them to interviews and never wore them again. Wore dockers pants, JC Penneys polos, and black sketchers boots. I also ballooned up to 300 lbs.
--Moved and changed jobs after 8 years at first company. Bought Men's Warehouse suit for interviews. Never wore it again. I went to Dillards and bought five pairs of the same Nautica slacks in different colors and five RL button up shirts for work. That lasted a few months. Slowly digressed back to jeans and t-shirts. Hit an early midlife crisis and rode a Harley for 9 years. Wore jeans, black t-shirts (not Harley branded, I promise ), and boots. Grew long hair and a beard. Basically, just settled in and got in a really really comfortable rut.
--Just moved after 10 years to a new city and new company taking a bump up in position and salary. Cut my hair and beard and (re)bought HS&M navy suit, dress shirt, and black AE shell cordovan Park Aves for interviews. I'm not wearing them regularly because my office just isn't that formal, but I'm trying to build on them.
So...right now my work wardrobe is oxford shirts, a sweater, gray chinos, and a pair of dark jeans I bought from Banana Republic the night before I started my new job. I already had a pair of Clarks desert boots. I wear them like a uniform. I wear the same outfit on the same day of each week. My thinking is that at the very least no one at my new job will associate my style with jeans and t-shirts.
What I'm trying to do now is add a new piece every week or two. I do what I called "Tailored Tuesdays". I try to wear something tailored every Tuesday and add a new piece every week or two. It started by wearing my AE shell Park Aves with gray chinos and an oxford. I know. I know. Way too black and formal for the outfit, but I had to start somewhere. My thought is that as I add things Tailored Tuesday will carry over to Wednesday, Thurs, etc.
I've already added a bright navy Hickey Freeman blazer and I have Alden color 8 shell LWBs on order. My next purchase will probably be some AE Strands in dark brown while they are on sale. I'm finding that I really enjoy shopping for shoes and jackets. Pants, shirts, and accessories...not so much.
Anyway, the issue I'm dealing with is that it's easy to buy the low hanging fruit of "timeless classics that every man should own" but it's much harder to shop for unique pieces that make your style unique. The only thing I can say is that I would love my style to pay homage to my Navy service with things like peacoats, chambray shirts, boondockers (chukka boots), dungarees (jeans), and thick textured wool jackets and sweaters.
Wow...I was much more long-winded than I intended and I haven't really even asked any questions yet so...how do you buy a bunch of individual pieces and know that you're buying a wardrobe and not just a collection of disjointed stuff?
Edited to add: One big difference this time is that I got divorced since my last makeover attempt so not only have my finances improved over the years, but now they are completely under my control. I don't have to justify new clothes to anyone but me.
Also to add: I changed my ways in 2010 and started taking care of myself. I now fluctuate between 200-220 lbs. I'm still a big guy, but I'm not a big round guy.
My favorite cobbled together outfit so far.
--Joined the Navy at 17 and obviously wore a uniform. Wore jeans and t-shirts off duty.
--Got out of the Navy at 23 and bought a pair of chinos and button up shirt from Nordstrom. Wore them to a minimum wage (college) job interview and never wore them again. Wore shorts, jeans, and t-shirts all through school.
--Graduated and started looking for my first engineering job. Bought Hart, Schaffner, and Marx navy blazer with gold buttons, gray dress pants, and HS&M navy suit. Wore them to interviews and never wore them again. Wore dockers pants, JC Penneys polos, and black sketchers boots. I also ballooned up to 300 lbs.
--Moved and changed jobs after 8 years at first company. Bought Men's Warehouse suit for interviews. Never wore it again. I went to Dillards and bought five pairs of the same Nautica slacks in different colors and five RL button up shirts for work. That lasted a few months. Slowly digressed back to jeans and t-shirts. Hit an early midlife crisis and rode a Harley for 9 years. Wore jeans, black t-shirts (not Harley branded, I promise ), and boots. Grew long hair and a beard. Basically, just settled in and got in a really really comfortable rut.
--Just moved after 10 years to a new city and new company taking a bump up in position and salary. Cut my hair and beard and (re)bought HS&M navy suit, dress shirt, and black AE shell cordovan Park Aves for interviews. I'm not wearing them regularly because my office just isn't that formal, but I'm trying to build on them.
So...right now my work wardrobe is oxford shirts, a sweater, gray chinos, and a pair of dark jeans I bought from Banana Republic the night before I started my new job. I already had a pair of Clarks desert boots. I wear them like a uniform. I wear the same outfit on the same day of each week. My thinking is that at the very least no one at my new job will associate my style with jeans and t-shirts.
What I'm trying to do now is add a new piece every week or two. I do what I called "Tailored Tuesdays". I try to wear something tailored every Tuesday and add a new piece every week or two. It started by wearing my AE shell Park Aves with gray chinos and an oxford. I know. I know. Way too black and formal for the outfit, but I had to start somewhere. My thought is that as I add things Tailored Tuesday will carry over to Wednesday, Thurs, etc.
I've already added a bright navy Hickey Freeman blazer and I have Alden color 8 shell LWBs on order. My next purchase will probably be some AE Strands in dark brown while they are on sale. I'm finding that I really enjoy shopping for shoes and jackets. Pants, shirts, and accessories...not so much.
Anyway, the issue I'm dealing with is that it's easy to buy the low hanging fruit of "timeless classics that every man should own" but it's much harder to shop for unique pieces that make your style unique. The only thing I can say is that I would love my style to pay homage to my Navy service with things like peacoats, chambray shirts, boondockers (chukka boots), dungarees (jeans), and thick textured wool jackets and sweaters.
Wow...I was much more long-winded than I intended and I haven't really even asked any questions yet so...how do you buy a bunch of individual pieces and know that you're buying a wardrobe and not just a collection of disjointed stuff?
Edited to add: One big difference this time is that I got divorced since my last makeover attempt so not only have my finances improved over the years, but now they are completely under my control. I don't have to justify new clothes to anyone but me.
Also to add: I changed my ways in 2010 and started taking care of myself. I now fluctuate between 200-220 lbs. I'm still a big guy, but I'm not a big round guy.
My favorite cobbled together outfit so far.
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