RMW - Proportion of boots to hem of jeans?

[Jared]

I guarantee you will appreciate the RMWs once you're a little farther in the process - chelseas are a wardrobe staple. But there's a reason we always advise people upgrading their wardrobes to start with the jeans...

 

[yeayea]

ive been thinking about that lately..

it seems that, as a beginner, it is wise for me to start out with less expensive items until i start to 'get it' - H&M, Uniqlo, levis, etc. - because i can expect to replace them as i upgrade my style and not worry about it too much - shoes are another story

my dilemma right now is that if i buy some high quality shoes (RMWs) i wont have a wardrobe to match. but, i dont want to buy low quality shoes. i back to considering the CTs because its kind of a compromise. The trouble there is that if i drop $150, i will still want them to last for a few years, by which time my style may 'grow' into the RMWs - at which point i will look to upgrade, even tho the CTs still have some life in them.

then again, the denim i own will probably not work with the CTs either, so maybe upgrading the denim is the next step. or at least looking for a clean, dark straight leg jeans that arent too expensive.

sorry for the rambling here, but this is my thought process and why my progress is stalled at the moment

 

[dtmt]

I think you're worrying too much. There's no reason why you couldn't wear RMWs with a dark pair of Levi's or Uniqlo, and they should easily last a decade or more. (will have to be resoled at some point tho)

 

[j]

You could get the brown waxy CTs, which are better for casual wear and with jeans IMO than with suits. They are decent quality in terms of construction although the leather is not great. They will last quite a while, and I think they are a decent value, they just aren't anything particularly special in terms of leather quality or style.

Later, once you upgrade the rest of your stuff, you can pick up a really good pair of black chelseas like the RMWs or C&Js, wear those with suits and your better casual stuff and nicer jeans, and use the CTs for kicking around and rainy days.

 

[Jared]

Originally Posted by yeayea

it seems that, as a beginner, it is wise for me to start out with less expensive items until i start to 'get it' - H&M, Uniqlo, levis, etc. - because i can expect to replace them as i upgrade my style and not worry about it too much - shoes are another story
I see wardrobe upgrading as a cyclical process, so you get jeans now and won't worry about them until you've brought every other item up to that level. As you know, H&M Sliqs and Levis STFs are respected low-end options, totally approved if that's what your budget allows. If you can afford more, I'd go for something relatively neutral like APC NSs. Get that one pair of jeans ASAP and stop thinking about shoes and anything else until you do. Once you have them, the fog over the chelseas will be lifted.

 

[yeayea]

what, me worry?

thanks all.. i think you shed some light on my dreary style dilemma

the levis stf are the 501s, right?

I would go for the APCs but Im playing around with my diet and exercise and trying to drop one more inch off my waist, so my body is in a state of flux at the moment. Im going to give it some time before i go for $100+ denim.

 

[yeayea]

Originally Posted by j

You could get the brown waxy CTs

the only chelseas i see on the CT site are the black ones.. got a link?

 

[j]

http://www.ctshirts.co.uk/productMSB...#37;20Care%Kit

Looks like they may be sold out in most sizes, sorry. Their stock has been changing so fast lately I can't really keep up. I do not recommend the "sharp black" chelseas - they are corrected grain and not worth buying IMO.

They also have these suede ones which look pretty decent, but I have no experience with them.

http://www.ctshirts.co.uk/productMSB...Casual%20Shoes

 

[NoVaguy]

Originally Posted by j

http://www.ctshirts.co.uk/productMSB...hoe%20Care%Kit

Looks like they may be sold out in most sizes, sorry. Their stock has been changing so fast lately I can't really keep up. I do not recommend the "sharp black" chelseas - they are corrected grain and not worth buying IMO.

you can probably find the equivalent shoe from Loake's catalog - maybe on pediwear.

 

[yeayea]

^like these? i just picked up the STF Levis. I bought a 31 waist, which is snug (on a full stomach) - they didnt have 32s in my length - the label says to allow for 1" of shrinking so i might be cutting it close.. maybe this will give me the incentive i need to drop the last bit of fat! as far as shrinking.. what is the recommended process? cold wash, tumble dry on high? .. how can i regulate and stop the shrinking when i need it. i imagine i should check on them every few minutes as they dry until they shrink to the desired fit. then hang them to dry or dry them on low.. any pointers here? do you think i will be ok with the 31s? i bought levis 514s in 30 last week but just returned them. the waist fit but they were just too snug in the crotch and butt. my 514s in 32 are too loose and im going to try shrinking them as well oh, and i tried the h&m sliqs. the 31s were very snug around the thighs. 32s were better but a bit too loose and way too long (im a 30). i guess they only have one length.

 

[Jared]

Originally Posted by yeayea

^like these?
MC consensus is that RMW chelseas are the best value, bar none. (Compared to the Loakes, RMWs are wholecuts if nothing else.) I can't recall if they come waxed, though...