• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Please Help Me Learn How To Become an IGent

KaiserSose

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2008
Messages
978
Reaction score
6
To be honest I don't even know what an IGent is - that's how clueless I am. Keep in mind that I've browed the forum obsessively for the last two weeks. It just seems that you guys are on a different level than me and while I don't expect to be on that level yet, it would be nice to at least make a few baby steps.

1) What is Bespoke? I hear this term being tossed around a lot in reference to high quality suits, but I have no idea what it means.

2) How can I determine my precise measurements? I see people list like five different type of measurements, but all I know is that I'm a 33 / 30 in pants and a 16 / 32 in dress shirts (both awkward sizes, unfortunately).

3) Where should I go for tailored shirts? I hear people talk about Janzen a lot, is this recommended? Keep in mind that I'm on somewhat of a budget and don't want to really spend more than $60 a shirt.

4) What does it mean when someone says they have a Corneliani suit that is made in Italy for Dunhill? Or C&J made for Ralph Lauren?

5) How do I know what shirts are slim? What pants are slim? What suits are slim? I mean, I've read through the slim fit thread but information is always being contradicted and is really tough to piece together. For example, I heard Ted Baker shirts fit reasonably slim. I went on bluefly and found a shirt I thought looked pretty nice, but it only says contemporary fit. WTF does that mean? http://www.bluefly.com/Ted-Baker-bla...000/detail.fly

6) Any recommendations for places to shop online? Right now I really only go to the Buy & Sell forum, ebay and Bluefly.

Please help, even if you can only answer one question.
 

grimslade

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Mar 31, 2006
Messages
10,806
Reaction score
82
Who is Kaiser Sose?
patch[1].gif
 

Spatlese

Distinguished Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2008
Messages
2,251
Reaction score
13
The greatest trick the igent ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn't....never mind.
 

Mauby

Senior Member
Joined
May 17, 2008
Messages
979
Reaction score
0
Good luck with that Kaiser. People here aren't all that helpful, but they sure are humorous.
 

dsmolken

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2008
Messages
654
Reaction score
23
Originally Posted by Mauby
Good luck with that Kaiser. People here aren't all that helpful, but they sure are humorous.
Oh, they're helpful, it's just an unfortunately worded question. Like asking "How do I become an Internet Tough Guy?" on a boxing forum.
 

Manton

RINO
Joined
Apr 20, 2002
Messages
41,314
Reaction score
2,879
Originally Posted by KaiserSose
lol, while I appreciate all of the jokes a little help would be nice
confused.gif


Honestly, all the question you ask have been covered many times on this forum. "What is bespoke" for instance has launched a thousand threads. You might try reading those and see if you have any additional questions.

The reason you might not be getting answers right off the bat is, first, when you use iGent in the thread title, people will assume you are joking, and second, many of these questions have been asked and answered so many times that people are sort of tired of typing out the same answer yet again.
 

itsstillmatt

The Liberator
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Mar 11, 2006
Messages
13,969
Reaction score
2,086
The True Gentleman is the man whose conduct proceeds from good will and an acute sense of propriety, and whose self-control is equal to all emergencies; who does not make the poor man conscious of his poverty, the obscure man of his obscurity, or any man of his inferiority or deformity; who is himself humbled if necessity compels him to humble another; who does not flatter wealth, cringe before power, or boast of his own possessions or achievements; who speaks with frankness but always with sincerity and sympathy; whose deed follows his word; who thinks of the rights and feelings of others, rather than his own; and who appears well in any company, a man with whom honor is sacred and virtue safe.

Just add i where necessary.
 

grimslade

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Mar 31, 2006
Messages
10,806
Reaction score
82
Here's one for you though, assuming despite your name and the thread title that you might be serious:

Companies like Polo don't make most of what they sell. They are branding and marketing companies, not manufacturers or artisans. So a company like Crockett & Jones, which makes shoes under its own label, will also make "private label" shoes for various stores. The same with some suitmakers. That's what "C&J for Polo" or the like means--the manufacturer has produced the item in question under contract with the retailer, which may well not make anything at all itself, or make very little of what it actually sells.
 

gnatty8

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Nov 12, 2006
Messages
12,643
Reaction score
6,139
If you really want to learn how to become a full-fledged member of the iGentry, you may want to start by registering at this fora, and observing the aberrant behaviors of most members with an anglophile sounding user name:
 

Scoundrel

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2007
Messages
363
Reaction score
1
Well, for starters, you need to buy the best fountain pen you can afford. They don't make good ones anymore, so you will probably have to eBay a vintage (used) fountain pen. Most iGents concur the breast pocket of one's suit is the only place to keep a fountain pen. Others will contest the breast pocket of a shirt is best. Either way, always keep one on you! Don't even think of using a ball point pen, ever!! Good luck!
 

KaiserSose

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2008
Messages
978
Reaction score
6
Vox: That link was just to another forum? Is there a "manual" somewhere in there that I shoudl read?

Manton: Trust me, I know all about the fatigue associated with answering noobs questions in forums. I'm a very active member of a few other forums. This forum, while extremely helpful in a number of ways, is not catered at all too noobs. While I could use the search tool to find information on the questions I presented, the answers are often contradictorary and inconclusive. Furthermore most of the threads presume you know things. Like there are a ton of bespoke threads, but not one I have found defines what bespoke is.

Grim: Very good response. Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks so much.

I realize my title / name are somewhat humorous, but this is a boring thread so I thought it would help lure in the experts. I guess my choice of words should have better conveyed what I was after.
 

nostrings

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2008
Messages
46
Reaction score
0
The term "Bespoke" usually means that you're footing the bill for something custom made by hand. Essentially you've visited a good tailor, had yourself measured and 'spoken for' your own quantity of fine cloth to be used specifically for your own suit, jacket...

A good tailor, or experienced clerk can advise you on fit, quality and value. If you are "new" I would recommend staying clear of Macy's, Sears, Dillards, JCPenny, etc. Better shops/department stores will help you find ready-to-wear articles in odd sizes or recommend things that can be altered to fit you.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 36.7%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 59 39.3%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 15 10.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 26 17.3%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 26 17.3%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,124
Messages
10,578,693
Members
223,880
Latest member
EdvardHelene
Top