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New fashion suggestions?

VMan

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Hey all,

I've always considered myself to be well dressed - perhaps in the 'top 5%' of well-dressed students on campus. Thats not saying much though, most people walk around in dingy jeans and t-shirts. Many of the "well-dressed" kids look like employees at an AE or Abercrombie store. Anyway, I'm getting a little tired of my closet. I have many, many great pieces, but I think I need a switch-up in style.

My most-worn outfit would be a pair of dark-washed jeans and a striped dress shirt untucked. I also wear some sweaters (v-neck, zip, and turtleneck), solid-color dress shirts, and long sleeve crew-necks in a stretchy, form-fiting material. I usually wear jeans (Diesel, Buffalo, PDC, Earl, Levis Premium, CK) but sometimes wear a pair of heather gray K. Cole pants and a pair of flat-front charcoal dress pants. As for shoes, I have a pair of black monk-strap shoes, a pair of brown slip-in shoes, and a pair of black steve madden leather trainers with four suede stripes on the sides, a suede strip near the toe, and a suede upper-heel. The model is "rascal". I also have a few vintage T's and a very nice Donna Karan Signature blazer, two-button, nice textured look, grayish brown.

I like my look, but I want to branch out into something different. I feel like I'm not really being fashionable anymore in the sense that I'm not changing up my style or 'doing my own thing'. Any suggestions on new looks that I could try?

Thanks a lot, I really appreciate the (future) replies.


By the way, I'm 19, 6' tall, 160 lbs, slim yet toned build, dark blonde hair.
 

Brian SD

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I know exactly the feeling you're talking about.

Think of colors that you don't normally wear - obvious examples for most people are pink, light green, and royal blue. Maybe these aren't the same colors that are lacking from your wardrobe (although they certainly are lacking from mine) - but anyhow, expand and expirement with the new colors.

Also, it never hurts to check out celebrity fashion and gather some influence from a nice outfit you see in a movie (Snatch is a prime example for myself). You never want to copy someone else's style, because of course it's not your style - you're just borrowing it, but like I said, gather influences from other places and try to apply it to your body.

It's the same sort of work that I have to do in graphic design. It's nearly impossible for a new artist to completely create a new and popular design; so as most designers do, you see what aspects work with other things, and you actively think how those would enhance your own designs.

I really hope this post helps.
 

banksmiranda

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I've been meaning to tell you, VersaceMan - love the Jules logo. Thanks, J.(super administrator) - I think I'll add one soon.
 

VMan

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Thanks for the reply. I know what you mean about the colors - thats whats been bothering me the most. I have shirts with some nice striped patterns, but most of them have white as the base color. I picked up a really light grayish-lavendar shirt a few months ago that I really like, and am thinking of getting a light green shirt for spring. I also picked up a reddish-burnt orange thin merino wool sweater that I love.

Snatch is my favorite movie. I love their style - a mix of traditional British attire and modern details. I like the shirts they wear with a blue or striped 'body' and white cuffs and collar.

I've been looking through the usual mags for suggestions. I know the sport coat/jeans/T-shirt look is really big and I like that, but I would look horribly out of place at my university. "Dressing-up" means wearing an A&F polo or wrinkly longsleeve shirt and AE jeans. I know the sport coat/jeans/vintage T look is very casual, but everyone here would think I'm going way over the top by wearing the jacket. I liked the vintage/western look a year or so ago, but it seems really played out since thats all American Eagle and Abercrombie does.

I was thinking of going for the slick modern look. Slim-fitting black and gray pants (with jeans thrown in the mix), thin sweaters, longsleeve v-necks, but again thats what my style partially resembles now.

I can't wait until spring comes, I picked up some nice pairs of black, light beige, and light olive green linen pants. Way too cold to wear those now.
 

Brian SD

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Snatch is my favorite movie. I love their style - a mix of traditional British attire and modern details. I like the shirts they wear with a blue or striped 'body' and white cuffs and collar.
Same, on every point.
smile.gif
The suits that Benicio Del Toro wears are totally cool, too. Luckily, at my school, I can often get away with wearing a velvet blazer and vintage T and not look too dressed up. It's funny, because a good chunk of guys here (I'd say 65%) dress "Express-or-better," meaning everyone is wearing a striped button-down and distressed jeans with square-toed Diesel shoes. Did you try colors to match your eyes? Getting compliments on my eyes is my favorite, and I tend to get compliments when I am wearing shirts that match them (foresty green, in my case).
 

VMan

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Did you try colors to match your eyes? Getting compliments on my eyes is my favorite, and I tend to get compliments when I am wearing shirts that match them (foresty green, in my case).
That is a good idea, I'll have to try that. My eyes are mixed green and blue. I wear a lot of blue and blue-striped shirts, but I should really try out some green. I'm not a fan of kelly green, but I have a few olive green sweaters and I should pick up some lighter green shirts.
 

Pink22m

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I have been wearing a couple of my french cuff shirts more casually; untucked with jeans and some silk knot links. I like that look alot. The caveat is making sure your shirt is short enough in the shirt tail as well as slim fitting enough to wear casually. I have thought about wearing a sportcoat...but as you mentioned, it would look terribly out of place as a college student. Besides, I look out of place enough as it is
tounge.gif
 

matadorpoeta

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I have thought about wearing a sportcoat...but as you mentioned, it would look terribly out of place as a college student.
i used to wear a sportcoat at your age. it doesn't look strange at all. it just depends on what you wear it with.

versaceman, go shopping and look for some pieces that you really like a lot, without any regard for whether or not they go with what you currently have. you'll then be forced to find more pieces to go with the the new ones. sounds expensive, but if you want a whole new look...
 

Pink22m

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i used to wear a sportcoat at your age. it doesn't look strange at all. it just depends on what you wear it with.

Trust me on this one, it would. The sad thing is, you don't even have to wear a sportcoat to look out of place at my university. I do suppose it would depend on what you wore it with. But all in all, it would definetely stand out.
 

Carlo

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By the way, I'm 19, 6' tall, 160 lbs, slim yet toned build, dark blonde hair.
BASTARD.

...Just Kidding you partner.

Once you have a kid in private school and a mortgage your ass will grow too, time and gravity are relentless and constant.

Meanwhile....
It is never wrong to be slightly overdressed. While the campus norm is often 'modern slob' I would be willing to bet that a bit of dressy casual will do wonders. For sportcoats, try going a little casual - some of the lightweight unconstructed stuff over a silk/cashmere pullover or even a neat tee shirt with nice slacks and shoes is casual but shows some flair.
Also, ditch the backpack and find something with a bit more character - like a leather messenger bag. A few nice accesories wouldn't hurt - a decent watch, pen, portfolio etcetera.

Remember that looking your best has one true purpose - to woo women. Yeah, some girls like the badboy nonsense but the clean cut well-dressed guy who pays attention to looking nice wins in the end.

Good habit to get into - always be one of the best-dressed wherever you are. A jacket or tie is easy to remove - nothing feels worse than looking around and realizing you look like a slob. Since countering norms is cool in college - why not be a rebel by dressing nice and going clean cut? It's the other 27,000 who all look alike.

Like the french cuffed idea too... just a little statement that says you were thinking when you got up and got dressed.

Keep it up my young friend, if you backslide into grunge we'll hunt you down and beat you with our canes.
 

Pink22m

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Also, ditch the backpack and find something with a bit more character - like a leather messenger bag. A few nice accesories wouldn't hurt - a decent watch, pen, portfolio etcetera
This is a good point. I recently got myself a messenger bag; backpacks are just inconsistent with a well dressed person, and they are better left for the younger grade school days. You don't have to necessarily make it leather though. The one I purchased is a black tough nylon, and it is quite nice. The leather ones are nice, but I take the bus to school and it is very crowded and the leather would get rubbed up against and scratched very easily. I think as long as you have a messenger bag in a black color preferably, that is the way to go. I will eventually get a leather one, just not at this point.
Remember that looking your best has one true purpose - to woo women. Yeah, some girls like the badboy nonsense but the clean cut well-dressed guy who pays attention to looking nice wins in the end
I am going to have to disagree with this point. I don't think that you should dress well just to attract women. I like dressing well because it makes me feel good, and it reflects who I am. I don't even do it too attract women because I don't think that it is on the top priority list of girls (at least at my university I don't think it is). Although I could be mistaken, but so many college girls don't seem to care about a nice, clean cut guy. But oh well, that is my soap box for the night
confused.gif
 

Alias

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I have a black messenger bag from Yakpak that's made out of some tough material. I think it's the same material boat sails are made out of, because it sure doesn't feel like nylon to me.

I still use it from time to time. Fifty bucks.

Now, those eBay auctions for Coach bags make me cry inside. If only I could get a decent soft leather messenger bag with nickel hardware for less than $200...
 

VMan

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Thanks for all the replies, this has provided a tremendous amount of help.

Pink: I love the idea of wearing a french-cuff shirt with jeans.  I think I'll order one from Jantzen that is slim fitting and has either French Cuffs or 'Flowback' cuffs.

Matador: Normally I say be yourself - if you want to wear a certain article of clothing go for it.  However, I have to be a hippocrite here.  As much as I love my sport coat, wearing it to class where 75% guys and girls wear sweat pants, PJ Pants, a T shirt, or a sweatshirt would make me look very pretencious and wouldn't attract many friends at all.  I may look nice, but it seems most people here associate that with snobby-ness.

Carlo - Good points.  I have a messenger bag now, but its just a cheap (yet tough) black nylon version from Hugo Boss.  Been thinking of getting a black leather one soon.  My watches are ok, I have a few seikos and citizens, but my favorite one is pretty nice; stainless-steel Wenger..swiss made and has a croc strap, under $500 but I've been thinking of adding another better one.  

I have been taking a strong interest in repairing mechanical watches and have purchased several older broken ones to practice on.  I think my next purchase would be a circa 1950's or 1960's Longines or a 1930's to 1940's Bulova.  Something nice (with a white gold case even) yet something that nobody else here will have.

As for a pen, I have my eyes on some Mont Blancs, but there is no way I can justify spending $200-$400+ on something I could lose so easily.

Oh, and about the point of dressing well to attract women; think about it this way.  Why do we dress nice?  To separate ourselves from other men (make ourselves look a lot better than the competition) and to impress/attract women.  In fact, why do we work out, dress nice, buy expensive jewelry, buy sports cars, buy big houses?  Some may be for self-satisfaction but the biggest reasons are to impress women and destroy the competition.  Why do we go these lengths for women?  Sex.  Everything we do boils down to getting women and ultimately, sex.  There's nature for you.
 

j

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Re sportcoats at school:

I have a nearly black blazer I keep wanting to wear at school but the buttons are bright gold and look cheesy to me. After I replace them with something more plain I will definitely wear it.

The other thing I've been looking for is a waterproof or water resistant sport jacket, possibly in very tight cotton, tan, blue or black, or maybe in the kind of material trenchcoats are made of. This would come in handy in the weather we've been having where my peacoat is too warm but I don't need to wear the huge ski parka around, and it might rain some that day.

I know what you're all saying about jackets seeming inappropriate at school, because I started going to college before the whole Kenneth Cole / Banana Republic fashion revolution occured, and wearing my pea coat seemed daring at the time. EVERYONE else was wearing A&F or Eddie Bauer type crap and I did stand out. Now it's a lot more varied but the few people in jackets still stand out. They look good.
 

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