Is 16 years old too young for style?

[stylingazn]

Hey everyone,

I am a 16 year old, currently attending high school. I think I am one of the only ones @ school who really care what and where to where things. I purchase things off Ebay for discount, and so therefore I can afford high-class things (armani, hugo boss, d&g, etc.).

Do you think my age is too young to start dressing nicely? I mean when I go to school, sometimes I dress GQ or preppy, and I feel so out of place. I love to shop, but don't worry, I'm not a gay guy either. I just like to look good. Looks like people at school don't though. Am I over-doing it? I've used quite a lot of money for a new wardrobe too, well, at least for a 16 year old. I work, so I got the money. I used $1000 (Canadian) in a month for new clothes on Ebay, and got so much like Diesel jeans, D&G tank top, Banana Republic Turtlenecks, Ralph Lauren Polos, Sean John shirts, Energie dress shirts, and more. What do you guys think? Input would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Alias]

I didn't start caring about style until I was 21.

I would suppose that, at 16, your body is still changing somewhat. It might be best to wait until things settle down a bit, both physiologically and mentally speaking. But hey, it's never really too early to learn about style.

 

[AlanC]

There's never anything wrong with looking good. I would second Alias in saying not to invest too much in particular pieces since your body is still developing. Only about 1% of 16 year olds will be able to wear their clothes into adulthood.

It sounds like you're doing fine. Don't let high school pressure get to you. Looking good now is great practice for college when dressing nicely will be noticed by the right folks.

 

[High_Roller]

I'm in that 1%. I'm sixteen as well, and I'm not growing anymore, which is good, because I've spent a lot of money on clothes. I don't have a job, though, so I rely on my parents. Spoiled little brat, I know. It's not exactly that easy to find employment at my age in this city without connections, though.

Anyways, it's not wrong at all to have style at this age. I look different from everyone else at school, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I get lots of compliments on the clothes I have, and lots of "we need to go shopping someday." comments. There's always the occasional insult here and there, but that comes with standing out in a crowd.

I don't purchase off Ebay. No one in the family really does any online shopping. I did buy a wallet off of there once, but that's about it. I really like to try on clothes before I buy. I'd say my style is for of a punk/glam look than anything else. I go to a school full of Campus Crew and Old Navy wearing preps, so it's not difficult to stand out.

I don't like shopping anywhere here in town but Winners. For all you Americans, Winners is a discount shop that recieves overstock from designer labels. I've picked up Diesel, Energie (even their gold label), and even PDC there for next to nothing. All the clothes are gorgeous and I've found some of my pieces on Ebay selling for 10, even 20 times what I payed for it.

When I'm out of town, I like to hit the designer shops and pick up something nice. Last time I was in Toronto, I found a great shiny navy Fendi belt with the interlocking F buckle at a deep discount. I also found some great Gucci sunglasses (which happen to be at saffilo getting new lenses right now. I had an accident with them) there at Winners.

One thing I haven't been too happy about, though, is that I've lost a lot of weight in the past year. I stopped my fast food intake and started to exercise a bit. Made all the difference. All my older pants are now too big for me, as well as my shirts. I did bring some pants in to get taken in, but the woman decided it would be smarted to just sew four darts in the waist than take in the pant legs as well. The fit with them now is extremely ill and I was very upset about it. Out of the three pairs I took in to hem, one is wearable. I also bought a nice pair of J Lindeberg jeans I never got to wear at all before the weight came off. It's a bit frusterating to know I spent money on something that's useless to me.

Anyways, I rambled on a bit too long there. Bottom line is: Dress the way you want. No matter what your age is.

 

[stylingazn]

Hey High Roller,

Thanks for the reply. I never knew that about Winners. I've always thought it was a cheap store selling really really really cheap clothes. I'm not trying to be mean, but I think paying like $10 for a pair of jeans makes the pair of jeans ****. I'd rather get quality, and most brand names have quality.

I will try to find a winners when I got time. I love the brands you found @ winners (diesel, energie,, and PDC)

I guess I'll have to wait a bit before I spend too much $ on clothes, as Im probably still growing. Im not happy with my height anyway, so I HOPE I grow =)

 

[stylingazn]

Thanks AlanC, Alias for the replys as well.

 

[High_Roller]

Winners gets a bad rap. No one really knows what they have. At the one there in Toronto (College park area), they had Versace jackets and shirts, among other things. That's also where I bought the Fendi belt and Gucci sunglasses. And you never need to worry about authenticity.

The only gripe I have about the place is that the pants they get are usually too long. I can sew, though, so hemming isn't a problem for me. I used to have the same mindset you do about spending money. But why spend $150 on a pair od PDC jeans when you can get them for $30?

Someone could walk into the Winners here and practically steal Pringle sweaters for $12. I would have bought them already if they had my size or if they were my style. There are also a bunch of Sixty (Energie) jeans on clearance, and some Gianfranco Ferre.

I live in a smaller town, so having these names here is almost astonishing for me. I've been to the Winners in Toronto and Montreal, and they're gigantic. Montreal was carrying Gaultier. It's really worth your time to spend an hour there searching for some steals.

 

[NavyStyles]

Styling, I was about your age (haha, not quite 4 years ago) when I started caring about style. I was fortunate enough to go on a trip to Italy through school during the summer after my freshman year and - while packing - decided I didn't want to dress as a typical tourist. So I took the most "European" clothes in my wardrobe with me. Turns out, I wasn't the only one on the trip noticing; the girls (26 of them -- to only 6 guys including myself

) paid me plenty of compliments. So, in response to your question, no 16 isn't too young to start learning a sense of style. Every now and again, you may get frustrated with some of the guys in high school who might sling accusations of "***" at you. Don't give so much credit to names; definitely don't worry about people on this site judging sexual preference ("but don't worry, I'm not a gay guy either"). I would suggest budgeting yourself with clothes. Your tastes will change (though, maybe only slightly). Of course, you did say you have/get the money, so many congrats on that. But, be thrifty with your funds. Money can't buy style. Personally, I'd say save up a good bit of your money each month. $1000 in one month is a lot to spend on a regular basis for clothes. In any case, kudos on wanting to dress with a little more thought than the general public (especially that of high school). And don't hesitate to ask any question you may have. The fellas on this site will continually impress you with their diverse knowledge.

 

[stylingazn]

Thx Navy, much appreciated. Well, my crazy styling all started with Ebay. Knowing how much brand name things cost, I logged on, and to my surprise, things were as low as 70% off, even new with tags. Here are some of the deals Ive gotten so far: - Burberry Jeans for $20 - Ralph Lauren Black Turtleneck for $4. - Banana Republic Black Turtleneck for $20 - D&G White Tank Top for $30 - Energie Gold White Dresshirt w/ Black Pinstripes for $60 - Diesel Jeans for $93 (kind of expensive, but they're nice) - Vintage Levis Jeans for $26 Much more. Thanks for welcoming me. As you can see, I'm new. I know some things, but would love to learn and help others. I'll be a regular around here =) If you need any tips for Ebay, come to me =) I got al lthe experience required haha

 

[NavyStyles]

Glad to see you shop around for good bargains. haha, you had me a little worried with the comment about brand names meaning quality. It's good that you've learned brand names don't always demand the high prices most people are used to. I've never been, but I'd be willing to guess Toronto (luckily for you) has plenty to offer as far as thrift stores and good deals.

 

[stylingazn]

Toronto..hmm I don't do much shopping in general now, aside from the internet. The internet is like a REALLY big bargaining centre.. haha ..and I need to save money....I'm only 16 you know

Hahah

 

[mr. magoo]

Ah, this thread takes me back...

To echo the words of warning -- my father once told me not to buy too many clothes in high school because when you go to university, you'll be surrounded by a different group of people and will want to fit in with them too. Sound advice. Your tastes will change (mine constantly are, and I'm more than twice your age). Remember, that banking some of your money will help you buy the stuff you covet in a year or two when you have new peers.

Also, it sounds like you're buying stuff for a well-dressed 16 year old. That's the right approach. Be careful not to dress like a 35 year old when you're 16. Don't get too tempted to be dressing in suits and ties, because that truly is out of place. The first rule to being well-dressed is to be appropriately dressed.

That being said, no time like the present to learn. When I was 15 or 16, my sister got me subscriptions to GQ. Although it's not the world's best source, it's a good guide to helping you make intelligent decisions when you have to make them (as this board should bel). Assuming that going through life you'll spend thousands of dollars on clothing, being armed with knowledge means you'll make wise decisions going foward. Example: when you have to buy a suit for your first serious job, how do you pick a good one, how much to spend, what should it fit like, what will it match, etc.? Having some insight will make sure you don't spend hundreds of dollars on a suit you'll regreat. Best time to learn, I say.

 

[Isak Bengtsbo]

What do you guys think about shoes?
I find it a little hard to find shoes that are a good mixture between style and youth. Obvious shoes to avoid are cap-toes and wing tips. I prefer loafers, especially from Tod's, and boots but what else?

 

[LA Guy]

Desert boot styles and chunkier Chelsea boots or sneaker/shoe hybrids (although I personally prefer straight-up sneakers.) Army style boots are popular, but I'm not a huge fan.

 

[High_Roller]

Shoes? I love sneakers. Even when I'm wearing something formal. The sneakers with the suit look is a favourite of mine. I do have about thirteen pairs of shoes, though. And only two of them are sneakers that I could wear with dressy clothes. One pair is black perforated leather with white suede, and the other is white leather with red detail. In the winter, I have a pair of military style distressed boots. What I like about them is that they're not chunky at all. I also have a pair of high top Italian loafers I wear with jeans and a big buckled belt. I also have a pair of brown distressed shoes for summer as well as black loafers, and two pairs of sandals. Then I've got vintage cowboy boots, platforms I wore to grade 8 graduation, and some other stuff. I really don't think it matters what kind of shoes to get that bridge the youth/style gap. It just depends on what you pair them with.