New User in Search of Reinventing Style

[zbip]

Hey guys,

I don't know if this is the right place, but the 1st sub-forum was talking about high-end fashion & I don't think I fall in that range.

To introduce myself: I'm a sophomore in HS, 5'11'', ~145 lbs., slim (but working on getting a bit more muscular), & Asian. My New Year's resolution is to completely change the way I dress & look - I'm sick of wearing baggy jeans & t-shirts/sweatshirts everyday.

Plus, I posted my thread here since I decided I'll be investing the bulk of my cash into jeans.

The trend/style I'm aiming for: Prep [kind of], athletic, stylish. I'm definitely NOT FOND of the "scenester" look (I just really dislike the whole Vans/tapered jeans look). I'm not looking to spend too much money so please don't suggest items that are way outta my price-range.

I basically need help choosing jeans & tops. Just browsing, Seven For All Mankind, True Religion jeans seem really nice-looking; but, people here seem to look down upon 'popular' jeans. So, if you know of jeans that would fit well on me (I don't want tight, but I DEFINITELY am not looking to wear baggy jeans; I'm looking for a slim, but kind-of loose fit), please give me suggestions.

For tops, all I've heard of that combines both price, looks, & quality are American Apparel & J. Crew. So help choosing staples would be great!

Thanks!

 

[drizzt3117]

Welcome.

People here tend to like raw, unwashed jeans, which are going to be quite dark. This sounds like it might go fairly well with what you're considering.

Here are some jeans you may want to consider:

APC New Standard $112 from Denim Bar
Nudie Regular Ralf Dry Selvage
Nudie Straight Sven Dry Selvage ~$200 from Denim Bar

The above are generally the entry level dry jean offerings. The New Standard (if you size down 1" from your true waist size) or Rescue (sizing down two from true waist) will be straight leg and somewhat relaxed (not overly tight) while with RRDS/SSDS you can more or less buy your true waist size for a relaxed fit. The RRDS/SSDS have a bit lower rise than the APC jeans.

As far as tops go, AA and J Crew are OK, but you may want to check out Uniqlo for very good values, if you have access to them. AA makes some nice hoodies that are quite slim fitting, but AA quality is a bit inconsistent. J Crew/BR aren't bad for staple stuff (sweaters, polos, etc)

 

[zbip]

Are the 'popular' jeans really that bad or do people here just like to be original?

Also, could you list some more jeans that would kind of fit a prepp-y/fashionable style?

Also, I would a 30% off code at Revolve justify getting the 'popular' brands or are they truly not worth it?

Edit: Does the Denim Bar have a functional site?

 

[drizzt3117]

Originally Posted by zbip

Are the 'popular' jeans really that bad or do people here just like to be original?

Also, could you list some more jeans that would kind of fit a prepp-y/fashionable style?

Also, I would a 30% off code at Revolve justify getting the 'popular' brands or are they truly not worth it?

Edit: Does the Denim Bar have a functional site?

Denim Bar's website isn't working yet.

Personally I like the 7FAM jeans that I own, but I wouldn't say they are a good value. You'll get more mileage out of Nudle/APC jeans in terms of durability and the dark denim thing is in now, in any case. As far as other "popular" jeans go, they are generally overpriced unless they're ~$60 or so in price which you will almost never find, except on ebay, where 90% of them are fake. I don't think i've ever paid more than $65 for my Seven/PDC jeans. True Religion is complete garbage, don't waste your money.

If you're going to go for pre-distressed jeans, you can look at washed Nudies, Earnest Sewn, and maybe Loomstate/Rogan. Crate makes some decent dry jeans that are pretty "trendy"

As I said above, the "trendy" jeans (and even some of the ones I mentioned above) aren't a good deal even at 30% off.

 

[zbip]

Are there any places I can try on any of these jeans besides the actual boutiques that carry these items?

I'm also curious as to what kind of tops I should be buying. I plan to wear white sneakers & a thick brown belt if that helps... haha.

Would the dark denim go w/ the look I'm striving for... bc, based on my experiences, in general, only 'scenesters' & the people who dress liek gangsters wear that color/wash.

 

[drizzt3117]

Originally Posted by zbip

Are there any places I can try on any of these jeans besides the actual boutiques that carry these items?

Barney's Coop carries Nudie. There are a bunch of stores that carry APC. Do a search on www.apc.fr and you can find a boutique that carries it.

I'm also curious as to what kind of tops I should be buying. I plan to wear white sneakers & a thick brown belt if that helps... haha.

Solid colored sweaters and hoodies, along with contrasting colored T-shirts would be a good choice, along with some striped sweaters IMO.

Would the dark denim go w/ the look I'm striving for... bc, based on my experiences, in general, only 'scenesters' & the people who dress liek gangsters wear that color/wash.

I think it would, dark denim is usually dressier. "Scenesters" typically wear something distressed in my opinion. Take a look at the "What are you wearing now" thread for a lot of looks with dry denim. Most people here wear dry (unwashed) jeans, which are dark by definition.

 

[zbip]

I'm wary to consider buying raw denim bc I haven't seen a picture of a guy w/ similiar body type wearing it well that doesn't wear really tight jeans.

 

[Stazy]

You can buy raw denim that isn't overly tight. Check out http://www.nudiejeans.com/fitguide/ for pics on how their cuts look. For tops I'd consider a mix of hoodies, v-neck sweaters, a cardigan or two, and a couple dress shirts.

 

[Edward Appleby]

Preppy style is easy to do relatively well. Polos that fit, slim, broken-in chinos, buttondowns, slim sweaters, etc. Honestly you could probably put together 9/10 of the sort of wardrobe you're talking about from J Crew.

Just FYI, though, most people's style on this subforum would probably be closer to the "scenester" look, as you put it, than traditional preppy stuff. Take a look at this thread to get an idea of where we tend to fall on the style spectrum.

 

[McG]

If you are in a large, metropolitan area, you will have better luck finding the jeans people mention here, as well as a good variety of shirts. If you live in a smaller area, check out websites that offer free shipping to you, and back to them if you need to return the item (like revolveclothing.com). Investing in a pair of raw jeans is a good way to start, since you need to wear them often (meaning you wouldn't need many pairs right away), and they will eventually fade in a way that reflects how you wear them.

 

[Max]

If you're going for the prep look, I suggest getting it straight from the source: Hickey freeman, J. Press, and Brooks Brothers. Most of the stuff at J. Crew really just looks like broken-in clothing from those 3 classic east-coast prep institutions.

I'd suggest ande whall jeans (google them). I have no personal experience with them, but they're hand made by the designer and the fit guide is pretty thorough.

 

[zbip]

Well I don't really want the hardcore prep look. That, in my opinion, doesn't look so great. Maybe it's just my naiveity (is that a word), but Brooks Brothers automatically gives me a picture of old men at the country club.

But, thanks for the response guys!

 

[minya]

Get a pink polo and pop the collar.

 

[Max]

Originally Posted by zbip

Well I don't really want the hardcore prep look. That, in my opinion, doesn't look so great. Maybe it's just my naiveity (is that a word), but Brooks Brothers automatically gives me a picture of old men at the country club.

But, thanks for the response guys!
Forget the marketing. Look at the clothes.

 

[theshonen8899]

Originally Posted by minya

Get a pink polo and pop the collar.
LOL You're still fifteen. Learn slowly before you start spending. Check out the What are you wearing now thread for good ideas. Just don't steal people's looks :X