My Baseline Streetwear

[yeayea]

Hey guys, Thanks to all who gave me advise last week. Here's where Im starting from. A typical casual/street/denim outfit. My bio: Age - 32 Height - 5'6" Weight - 165 lbs normal to athletic build What I wore today: Pic #1 - Me with Massimo jeans, Stranded tee, Timberland boots Pic #2 - Same with Spiewak Jacket, knit scarf Pic#3 - my shoes - Timberland boots, Puma sneaks, Kenneth Cole shoes Pic #4 - my denim, Abercrombie and DKNY, Guess Belt Pics #5 - tees - threadless, obey, tank theory Other info - Im undergoing some serious dieting and weight-training. My body composition will change. Ive lost 2" on my waist since Jan and plan to lose 1 more inch. So, Im a bit hesitant to get new jeans till I reach my goal. Right now, however, my clothes are all oversized. I plan to put on some muscle in the chest and shoulders as well. Im 32 years old and a professional. However, Im still a kid at heart and love street fashion. I also look very young for my age. Im trying to find the right balance so I can wear street fashion yet look sophisticated and not like a "kid." What do you guys think?? DONT be gentle!! Thanks.. yeayea!!

 

[knucks]

Ok, here's me being blunt:

You're chubby and don't have any muscle mass. Those jeans are too baggy for you. They would work if you had any muscle on your legs, but you do not.

I say wait until you get to a build you like, no point in buying clothes that do not fit now. Wear **** that doesn't fit until you get to the point.

 

[lance konami]

Jeans look ginormous. I recommend burning your abercrombie jeans. I'd check out the WAYW thread for examples on how to do streetwear with class, just go through the thread and see how dudes are putting **** together to get an idea.

 

[knucks]

also what is your waist size

 

[Bona Drag]

Don't mind knucks, he's just a bit...er...

I agree those jeans look terrible, but you also have some decent pieces to work with - the tees, the Pumas, and the Spiewak. I would take your jeans and your Kenneth Coles (

) to Goodwill tomorrow without a second thought; I understand why you're holding off, but you need some new jeans stat. Buy something cheap for the time being - maybe some rigid 505s from Sheplers, or a pair or two from Uniqlo or H&M - but def ditch the ones you're wearing in the pics, and the Abercrombies and DKNYs too. Replacing the shoes may be a bit pricier, but avoid square toes and thick rubber soles at all costs. Other than that, +1 to lance's advice.

 

[yeayea]

its cool.. i can take criticism

i was a 37 now im a 34.. my goal is 32

i agree with everything said so far.. keep it coming..

i guess ill ditch the jeans and pick up a fresh pair of decent yet cheap ones (ill check out the ones recommended by bona)

aside from the interim jeans, i think the first "basic" i should get are new black shoes. (I know they will still fit in 3 months.) Ill research WAYWN for ideas. Can anyone start me off with suggestions?

(PS Im glad someone finally agrees that I am chubby!.. all my friends are too "nice" to give me the straight story!)

 

[gamelan]

that cross belt is very cool.

-Jeff

 

[Max]

Kenneth cole shoes are never OK. This has nothing to do with brand and everything to do with chunky square toed hideousness.

Unless you're actually doing construction work in them, and I don't think you are, timberland boots have no place in a 32 year old professional man's casual wardrobe.

I'm not a fan of printed t shirts in general, but those are some slightly hurt colors. It's not 2002. We can move beyond army green.

The fit of the jeans is sort of busted, but you clearly came of age in the time of 36" leg openings so tighter jeans are going to take a little getting used to.

 

[Max]

Some post-fat dressing suggestions.

The idea is to move attention away from the middle of your body and up toward your face and shoulders.

This is why suits look good on most men; the rest of the body becomes the background for the attention grabbing combination of lapels, shirt, and tie.

It's slightly harder to do in streetwear. I like brightly colored t shirts and polo shirts against a darker backdrop of jeans and a zip-front sweatshirt. Interesting sneakers round out the look.

What not to do:

1. Attention-grabbing belts. Do you really need to be attracting attention to a horizontal line around your waist?

2. White/light gray/light blue pants. Black and dark blue hide shadows and are slimming. These colors aren't.

3. Shirts with prints on the stomach. Do you really need to be attracting attention there? You also look like a teenager.

4. Too baggy. You'll look like you're compensating.

5. Too tight. You'll look like the michelin man.

 

[yeayea]

Originally Posted by Max

The fit of the jeans is sort of busted, but you clearly came of age in the time of 36" leg openings so tighter jeans are going to take a little getting used to.

You got me there. I dont feel comfortable in slender jeans. I like the Levis 509. Are they still too baggy?

 

[BrettChaotix]

A 34" waist on someone 5'6 might be a little chubby but a great improvement from 37! Congrats on the weight loss!

Just a tip - even after you hit your goal weight - don't buy anything too expensive right away. You may still fluctuate in size for a couple of months and a 1/2" on a pair of $200 jeans makes a difference.

A few suggestions that you can work on for under $100 total.

Stop shopping at Target (I'm not saying that to be mean, it's just that they have a limited selection and you need to experiment) - try H&M, Urban Outfitters or even Express for cheaper stuff to hold you over until your ready to spend the big bux. If you aren't sure of a fit, take a camera phone photo in the dressing room, post it here, see what people say and then buy the clothes later.

Stop buying jeans with faded/light washes. Buy dark washes or raw denim. There's no point in discussing high-end denim yet but at least consider something like a pair of $40 H&M Sliqs to have a more "mature" look. Don't be afraid of black jeans in a slim fit.

You are 32 so there's more to "casual" than tshirts So consider some sweaters, cardigans, button-downs (long & short sleeve) to mix things up. All can be found for $20-$50 at H&M or UO.

Keep the pumas. Ditch the KenCole and Tims At least one thing you can get now is nice shoes. I don't know what your spending limit is but Paul Smith is great for dressy-casual. Chucks and Vans are good for casual. I avoid Nike and New Balance but maybe you like them? Don't be afraid to go with colors on footwear too. Red, blue, green, black, white and brown shoes all have a place.

Don't be afraid to try on slimmer fitting jeans. Avoid anything that says "loose" or "relaxed fit". You are thinner now - go with it!

 

[yeayea]

Great stuff.

Shopping at target is a new habit that I really don't feel very comfortable about anyway.

There is more to my casual wear than my tees. I have some thin sweaters and button downs that I think are pretty decent. Will post pics soon.

Losing my tims is gonna be the hardest part of this I think. Save em for wood-chopping i guess (*tear*).

I will start looking around for new denim and shoes this week. Any further shoe suggestions? I really dont know where to start outside the mall

 

[Studio27]

Originally Posted by Max

5. Too tight. You'll look like the michelin man.

 

[phooi]

I think there are lots of good advice here. I'll add that you should take your time upgrading your wardrobe in light of your weight loss. In fact, you'll should probably wait about 6 mos after you've reached your goal to see if you maintain. I speak from experience. It took me about 1 yr to lose 25 lbs (lifestyle, diet, and exercise) and I've kept it off for over a year now. I've thoroughly enjoyed updating my wardrobe. Good luck!

 

[BrettChaotix]

Originally Posted by yeayea

I will start looking around for new denim and shoes this week. Any further shoe suggestions? I really dont know where to start outside the mall

Guess it depends on where you are and what stores your mall has. You need to do plenty of experimenting!! Don't be afraid to go into a store and spend an hour trying on stuff, even if you're not going to buy it.

If you are near a big city maybe plan a day-trip to just to try on everything you think you might like, even if you don't plan on buying it. At least you will know what brands, styles and sizes you like. Hell, if you're not sure what looks good take some camera-phone photos in the dressing room and post em' on here and see what people say.

Since you are still experimenting don't buy anything online unless you've tried it on in person first.