ruff_ilb
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- Joined
- Jan 6, 2009
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Preface: After typing this all up, I realized it may suffer from the wall of text effect. I have bolded the important bits below for anyone who doesn't care to read the whole thing.
Hello, StyleForum -
Late in '08 I came to the realization that I am lacking a few style essentials. While I'm unlikely to get pulled over by the fashion police here in college, I've started attending events where my go-to business casual outfit (grey/tan slacks, unaggressive dress shirt, reasonably nice tie, and sports coat) isn't quite cutting it. Even when it is appropriate, some of the items in it are beginning to become a little worn - ties, for instance, are beginning to have that wrinkled, faded, "old tie" look, and hems on pants are beginning to fray. At the same time, I've had more and more formal events to attend (both professional and social) and (after securing a higher-paying job for the summer) a modest but workable budget through which to outfit myself.
This, of course, all comes somewhat tragically at the same time that I discovered this forum: suddenly my deteriorated square-toed leather Rockport oxfords (gasp!) are not the fashion icons I believed they once were. I shudder to think what other skeletons still lurk in my closet.
But I digress - I need to update my wardrobe, and I need your help. I don't have a lot of cash to spend on the project - realistically, around $400 now and maybe more in the summer depending on what grants I can land.
Here are my priorities as I see them. Feel free to offer suggestions on how they ought to be arranged:
1. I need a suit. I do not currently own one, but would make regular use of one had I the opportunity.
2. I need a nice pair of black/dark brown oxfords as a go-to pair with the suit. I have a decent brown belt, but if I get black oxfords, I'll need a matching belt.
3. I need a few new slacks and ties to replace/augment my aging collection.
Some other general comments:
- I'm (comparatively) good on shirts. I have a few nice brooks bros' no iron in several colors, and a wide variety of other nice shirts (most of them brooks bros or RLPolo) in many colors. They're old though, and mostly button collars, which are less formal, right?
- In december I managed to score a RLPolo midnight blue tux for $100 that will fit me with minimal tailoring (I am proud of this snag).
These points bring up a series of questions (this is really the key point of the post):
If you were in my shoes, what would you do in terms of getting a suit? My size is a 41L, but I can fit in either a 40L (a little too small) or a 42L (a little too big). Either way I would have to get the suit tailored (I am a little too tall for a L suit, but XL are hard to find) and it would probably look fine. Most of the stuff I can get OTR at my local Macy's would probably be miserable and overpriced. I'm looking at ebay (I managed to pick up a nice HF Madison Charcoal pinstripe 42L for $230 in 42L for my father), and I'm hoping I can get a nice HF or BB for not too much, as these tend to be the most plentiful options in my price range. Other than a good deal on a HF or a BB suit, what would you look for on eBay (or somewhere else?) I have found two issues with the selection: the pants are almost always double reverse-pleated, which I have always known as a more formal, older style less suitable for young adults and social occasions. Are double reverse-pleated pants appropriate young adults in social occasions, or are they reserved more for the over-40 business crowd? Second, these suits are almost always in pinstripes. My impression is that pinstriped suits are again more formal and (importantly) less versatile - is this correct? I will probably have only the one suit for a while, so I want as versatile a garment as possible.
As far as shoes go, I'm just going to try to pick up a pair of plain black oxfords with a non-square toe. I really do not like split-cap shoes, so they are right out. Any shoe brand ideas for my budget? I see a few AE's get tossed around on ebay (see below) but they're only cheap because they're used, and that makes me somewhat suspicious.
Anyway, here are some prospective purchases:
Suit:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=230317805596
Shoes:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=130279908041
Thanks in advance for your help - I'm a new poster here; please guide me with a firm hand.
- Ruff_ilb
Hello, StyleForum -
Late in '08 I came to the realization that I am lacking a few style essentials. While I'm unlikely to get pulled over by the fashion police here in college, I've started attending events where my go-to business casual outfit (grey/tan slacks, unaggressive dress shirt, reasonably nice tie, and sports coat) isn't quite cutting it. Even when it is appropriate, some of the items in it are beginning to become a little worn - ties, for instance, are beginning to have that wrinkled, faded, "old tie" look, and hems on pants are beginning to fray. At the same time, I've had more and more formal events to attend (both professional and social) and (after securing a higher-paying job for the summer) a modest but workable budget through which to outfit myself.
This, of course, all comes somewhat tragically at the same time that I discovered this forum: suddenly my deteriorated square-toed leather Rockport oxfords (gasp!) are not the fashion icons I believed they once were. I shudder to think what other skeletons still lurk in my closet.
But I digress - I need to update my wardrobe, and I need your help. I don't have a lot of cash to spend on the project - realistically, around $400 now and maybe more in the summer depending on what grants I can land.
Here are my priorities as I see them. Feel free to offer suggestions on how they ought to be arranged:
1. I need a suit. I do not currently own one, but would make regular use of one had I the opportunity.
2. I need a nice pair of black/dark brown oxfords as a go-to pair with the suit. I have a decent brown belt, but if I get black oxfords, I'll need a matching belt.
3. I need a few new slacks and ties to replace/augment my aging collection.
Some other general comments:
- I'm (comparatively) good on shirts. I have a few nice brooks bros' no iron in several colors, and a wide variety of other nice shirts (most of them brooks bros or RLPolo) in many colors. They're old though, and mostly button collars, which are less formal, right?
- In december I managed to score a RLPolo midnight blue tux for $100 that will fit me with minimal tailoring (I am proud of this snag).
These points bring up a series of questions (this is really the key point of the post):
If you were in my shoes, what would you do in terms of getting a suit? My size is a 41L, but I can fit in either a 40L (a little too small) or a 42L (a little too big). Either way I would have to get the suit tailored (I am a little too tall for a L suit, but XL are hard to find) and it would probably look fine. Most of the stuff I can get OTR at my local Macy's would probably be miserable and overpriced. I'm looking at ebay (I managed to pick up a nice HF Madison Charcoal pinstripe 42L for $230 in 42L for my father), and I'm hoping I can get a nice HF or BB for not too much, as these tend to be the most plentiful options in my price range. Other than a good deal on a HF or a BB suit, what would you look for on eBay (or somewhere else?) I have found two issues with the selection: the pants are almost always double reverse-pleated, which I have always known as a more formal, older style less suitable for young adults and social occasions. Are double reverse-pleated pants appropriate young adults in social occasions, or are they reserved more for the over-40 business crowd? Second, these suits are almost always in pinstripes. My impression is that pinstriped suits are again more formal and (importantly) less versatile - is this correct? I will probably have only the one suit for a while, so I want as versatile a garment as possible.
As far as shoes go, I'm just going to try to pick up a pair of plain black oxfords with a non-square toe. I really do not like split-cap shoes, so they are right out. Any shoe brand ideas for my budget? I see a few AE's get tossed around on ebay (see below) but they're only cheap because they're used, and that makes me somewhat suspicious.
Anyway, here are some prospective purchases:
Suit:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=230317805596
Shoes:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=130279908041
Thanks in advance for your help - I'm a new poster here; please guide me with a firm hand.
- Ruff_ilb