How does your environment affect your style?

[patrickBOOTH]

I hope I used the correct affect/effect. i have never really understood the difference with much certainty...

Anyway, how does your environment affect your style? I don't mean from work to BBQ to power sailing, more like your city, or your group of friends. For me personally I grew up in the burbs and always dressed up more than those around me. even before dressing "up" I was always interested in clothing that was different than a lot of my peers. When I moved to New York you certaintly see more people into style and many different kinds. I could definitely see how the unconscious "competition" in any social circle and just seeing so many people on the street can make you feel the need to evolve or at least keep it up.

How does your environment affect your style?

 

[julius12]

First I predict how my friends / others might dress, then I dress up a bit more, but not by too much to avoid being overdressed.

 

[Teggeh]

Friend environment, doesn't impact on my decisions at all really. I have a variety of friends with a variety of level of interest in fashion. I'd probably say my biggest environmental influence would be the weather itself. It chooses for me what I wear.

Summer of 40 degree days (uhh, whatever that is in American silliness, roughly translated, ******* hot) means the jacket, vest, woolen suit option isn't worn, nor much money invested in to one because it would get a rare use.

 

[Boswell]

It has no effect on me whatever.

If I let my environment affect my style, I'd dress like a slob like everyone else I see.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

You people really are not getting the point of this thread.

 

[Sanguis Mortuum]

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

You people really are not getting the point of this thread.

Welcome to the internet.

I get the point of the thread, but I don't really know how to answer it. I dressed like crap before finding StyleForum and discovering that I look a lot better in this kind of clothing. My dad certainly has had some influence on my attitude to clothing, but apart from that it's hard to point to specific things about my environment which have contributed to moulding my particular style.

 

[Galix]

I would say the impact of my environment on me is very low. Here in Europe people my age (around 30s) tend to dress following what it's considered fashionable / hipster at the moment.
I consider myself in a whole different league. Of course there some subtle competition between my coworkers and me. They tend to flash what they consider cool and I do the same, but with my own type of clothing.

In any case I feel more affected by SF. If I see someone, specially from Europe and around my age posting pics of himself going one step forward, I'll probably follow. Or I'll try to innovate. For example there's one beloved by all member (won't say the name) who is always dressing very colorful, well, that "pushed" me to go for a more colorful style.

 

[SpooPoker]

^

 

[JayJay]

I live in Indiana. Need I say more?

Fortunately, I travel a lot and take my cues from elsewhere. I could ratchet my style and choice of clothing down by several notches and most folks in these parts would applaud me for fitting in.

 

[JubeiSpiegel]

I find I affect my direct environment more than it affects me, dressing well is completely my choice, not the norm. I will admit that I did not care for such things just a couple of years ago, but I caught the bug and have enjoyed the research and history involved. It's starting to rub off on some of my friends.

 

[stinsonbass]

I love the topic! Well for me it all started a while ago back at a very expensive/famous college in Germany. Rich kids only... cars, clothes, clubs whatever you can think of. Before I went there I didn't pay much attention to what I wore, not because I couldn't afford it but because I didn't care much. Oh well now I do but I don't think that SF can have an effect on my wardrobe simply because I only came to this forum for entertainment. But being at that college was different it was like massive peer pressure on dressing "properly"

I guess it sounds silly but it happened.

 

[MikeDT]

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

I hope I used the correct affect/effect. i have never really understood the difference with much certainty...

Anyway, how does your environment affect your style? I don't mean from work to BBQ to power sailing, more like your city, or your group of friends.

Living in China has certainly changed my style. Different brands, different styles to what I would find in the UK.

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

How does your environment affect your style?

Mainly affects it because gear I could get in the UK is not available in Xilinhot and vice versa. Certainly when it comes to styles of shirts, sweaters and jackets. Not so much with jeans, those are available pretty much everywhere.

 

[Beatlegeuse]

Originally Posted by Galix

I would say the impact of my environment on me is very low. Here in Europe people my age (around 30s) tend to dress following what it's considered fashionable / hipster at the moment.
I consider myself in a whole different league. Of course there some subtle competition between my coworkers and me. They tend to flash what they consider cool and I do the same, but with my own type of clothing.

Bolded - I wish I had that at my office. I tend to tone it down a bit at work just because everyone at my job dresses so poorly. I definitely have nicer shoes and better fitting shirts/trousers than everyone else here, but I do find that I don't wear suits or SC/ties as often as I would like, just because I'd be the only one in the entire building that's "dressed up."

BTW, PB you did use the correct version of affect....definitely a pet peeve of mine when used incorrectly.

 

[Madroaster]

I'll bite...first post here (been lurking for months).

For me, it's a little bit city and a little bit work. I recently moved from a city of 50,000 to one of 500,000. There are better dressed people here and I felt out of place. Before SF I generally looked like ****; now--well, now at least my clothes fit properly.

I was back in the previous city a couple months ago and my wife commented on how frumpy everyone looked, even at restaurants, and guessed (correctly) that moving probably had a lot to do with my style change.

I also mainly work from home. When your social circle is restaurant staff and hippies and you also work from home, you can really let yourself go. Or at least I can. Now I work from home and out of the house so there are (moderate) dress expectations there as well.

 

[acecow]

Interesting topic, but not an easy one to answer. I live in Los Angeles and try not to limit myself to one group of people. At the same time, I cannot allow any of the groups of friends I'm in affect my style, because most of them have little taste or understanding in clothes even if they try to dress up. A few examples:

- My friends with whom I can go have a beer, or go to the movies: dress like crap, usually in jeans, t-shirts, sketchers shoes, sometimes ill-fitting, always untucked shirts. Some are being influenced by my style, not the other way around.
- Friends with whom I can go to the opera, classical concerts, etc: dress like crap, but try to up their game with expensive brands like Hugo Boss and John Varvatos. They can wear slacks and even tuck in their shirts, which doesn't make them any less ill-fitting. Again, those who care, see how I dress and ask me to go shopping with them. I try to help.
- Friends from salsa clubs: ugh, people often from lower classes playing dress-up and feeling alpha-male and confident at the same time. While I really enjoy being around them, as they are cool people, their sense of style is absolutely horrendous. Think, shiny suit jackets with tie/ps combos. All kinds of pointy black shoes, extra-long slacks and ill-fitting jackets and vests with ties and jeans (too long). I ignore their style and frankly don't care about it. These people have no desire to learn, because they think they are dressed to kill. Whatever floats their boat

There are others, but my point is that my environment affects my style much less than, say, classical men's books, movies or you guys at SF. For which I thank you.