Help For a Fashion Newbie!

[GG11]

Hey guys, so I'm new here and had a few questions. Sorry to start my own thread, didn't think it was quick enough for the question one. Anyway, I work in music and recently decided I want to dress nicer/cooler and, since my industry is based very much on superficiality, look like I'm more successful than I am haha (until I am actually am, of course). So I had a few questions I'll number out to keep organized.

To first get an idea of my tastes, I love John Varvatos looks, have a couple things from there, but as you probably know, way too expensive, and as I've read on here and elsewhere, the quality isn't usually worth the money. That sort of classic/timeless meets rock look is what I like though, but I don't want to go too over the top on the rocker side. I'm not going to wear one of those silk scarves, for example.

I also like a lot of things from All Saints (the tamer things ha), and am about to go grab some stuff in their huge sale. Recently got their Griffen leather jacket on sale, which I love. On the classier side, big fan of some Hugo Boss things, though I can only really grab their stuff when it's on sale. Recently got a really nice gray cardigan I guess you'd call it, which I've worn with burgundy cords from Levis, which I think looks good. Ralph Lauren is of course another brand, that sort of rugged English country-side look is what gets my attention when I see their stuff. So on to the quesitons:

1) Based on those designers, are there any others I should definitely check out? I'm in NYC, so shouldn't have any problem finding a store for anyone. (Besides Scotch & Soda and Rag & Bone, those are two I've checked out)

2) Being that I'm attracted to darker, more plain designs with earthy tones, I feel like I need to have a little bit more going on with no patterns. Is there any articles of clothing that's a must have for my style, or are there any style combos maybe I haven't thought of? Right now, it's basically lots of henleys, casual button downs, couple worn thermals from Lucky that I like, couple v-neck sweaters, random other stuff.

3) I've been getting my jeans from Levis for the past like 10 years, and I feel like they get really loose after a while. Does all denim do that, or should I buy more expensive, sturdier jeans? And if yes, what's a good brand/fit? I'm 6'4 so slim looks terrible on long-ass legs, so I usually get 514s and 501s, so basically just straight cut.

4) At the same time, I'm trying to get out of jeans every day, so I bought some great khaki 501s, the burgundy chords I mentioned and the suspender pants from Varvatos, which are that nice not quite casual, not quite formal look. Any other styles/brands of pant I should look into?

5) I have a couple Brooks Brothers slim dress shirts, which fit me fantastic, but they fee/lookl a little thinner than I want. I briefly checked out Thomas Pink shirts and they looked a bit thicker, better made. Are they? And/or is there another brand I should look into for dress shirts?

6) Last question is pretty random, but what's the deal with brown shoes and black pants. I have a pair of nice brown JV boots, and I put them on with black jeans and I think it works, especially when I cuff the pant a little to show off the boot. But I wouldn't want to be committing a major fashion crime hah. Should I just buy black boots too?

7) Oh, one more. Is there a trick to buying a blazer to stand alone as opposed to a suit jacket? I want a blazer I'd wear with any other pants, not just take the jacket from my suit and wear it. I feel like you fit those different, since you wear it more casually. What should I be looking for there?

Thanks for any help, I know this is probably a bit longer than normal, I just literally started caring a lot about this stuff when Thanksgiving sales rolled around.

 

[mensimageconsultant]

2) Gingham has been trendy for several years. (Although probably not in the rock genre, in case that's the backdrop of this discussion.) Just about about everyone should have regular checks and plaids. At 6'4", stripes probably can be skipped.

3) Denim stretches out over time, probably less for the heavier versions. Heavy hemp denim basically doesn't stretch, but few people buy it regardless.

6) Black and brown probably would be fine for a rock musician, but under typical circumstances, the shades need to be distinct in low lighting, and formal situations virtually forbid brown shoes with black pants. It's never a bad idea for someone who likes boots to have them in both black and brown.