Seventeen year old starting from scratch.

[CrAz3D]

Rather than the specifics, I'll suggest two pieces of advice that I wish I had been given long ago.

1. Don't think of buying a jacket, or a tie, or a pair of shoes, or a shirt, or anything, without thinking of how it will fit in an ensemble with clothes you already own, or plan to buy soon. I've bought way too many ties and shirts that just didn't go with anything. Think in terms of combinations, and if you're just starting, try to think of multiple combinations. For instance, when you shop for shoes, think of how they will go with several different pairs of pants that you already own, or are currently shopping for. If you follow this suggestions, you'll minimize the number of very nice clothes that sit in your closet and never get worn.

2. This one may be hard for a seventeen-year-old man to take, and you many definitely disagree, but a good percentage of what you buy should be "classic style" rather than current fashion. What all your friends are wearing may have to be replaced in a few years because it may look very dated. So consider classic looks. I wouldn't expect most seventeen-year-olds to stick strictly to classic looks, and you and your friends might be trying to avoid a "dad" look or even a "grandad" look. But looking and dressing like a sharp-dressed adult can have its benefits, in impressing employers, and women, for instance, and you should definitely consider devoting at least some of your wardrobe to timeless gentlemen's style. It's never to early to learn to be a full-fledged grownup, as long as you remember to enjoy being a teenager as much as possible.

And a bonus third recommendation (for you and anyone else of any age).

3. Your friend, both male and female, can be great sources of advice about what looks good. So can online forums. But regardless of what anyone says, you have to be confident that you like the look. If all your friends and everyone on StyleForum says an outfit looks great, and you don't really like it, then don't wear it. Don't buy it. Conversely, if everyone says it looks bad, but you really like it and think it looks great, then wear it unapologetically and with confidence. You may make some mistakes you'll regret later, but more likely, you'll just chuckle about it later and be wiser.

You can, and will, dress to look good to your friends, your parents, members of the opposite sex (and/or same sex, if you prefer), their parents, your employers, your customers, your teachers, your colleagues, random people on the street. But always dress to look good to yourself, and be proud and confident in whatever you wear.

while 17 year olds arent growing like 13 year olds, they are still growing. I sez buy cheap trendy v. classic doesnt matter, so long as it looks good

 

[lemmywinks]



No offense to anyone here, but my only advice would be that you're in the wrong place for advice at your age. You're 17, head over to SW&D and don't worry about the kind of stuff people wear here for a few years yet. 

Yes, but it's also good to pay attention to MC so that in the occasions where this kid does have to dress up, he doesn't show up in a black suit, black shirt and neon pink tie with all suit buttons buttoned.

 

[diglett]

Everything that Moe said was great advice, so be sure to heed it.

Don't try to jump right into suits; especially since you'll probably still grow a bit, the last thing you want to do is invest in something that's supposed to last for years. Even if you *were* done growing, you're not done learning the basics of suits; if you have to ask "Should I get a suit tailored?" then you're not ready for a suit. Spend time lurking the Men's Clothing section here, looking for inspiration and advice. Take everything with a grain of salt, as you will not be able to pull off most outfits that you see here for quite a while. Heck, I started caring about clothes a year ago, and I'm advancing at a crawl, because there's so much to take in.

With that being said, you're 17, which is a great age to start caring about this stuff. You won't make poor investments in bad clothes as a young adult, and you'll look great by the time you finish college (assuming that you try to improve yourself).

Suits are a long way off. If you're in bootcut jeans now, I'll go out on a limb and suggest that your entire wardrobe needs an overhaul. Keep in mind that if you have any intention of losing weight, you'll have to replace anything that you buy now, so factor that into your shopping decisions.

To get started, you don't really need the help of SW&D or MC, you just need basics:
1 pair of jeans
Enough blank tees (crewneck or v-neck) to get you through the week
1 pair of sneakers
Fairly new/fresh underwear and socks

And, honestly, that's all you need to start. You're miles away from looking super spiffy, but everyone has to start somewhere, so don't be ashamed of that. For now, just focus on replacing your wardrobe staples with ones that fit correctly, as you, like most new folks, are probably wearing things too big.

 

[Hayward]

You probably should have one suit or at least a sport coat. In your case i'd go with something like Uniqlo or H&M separates, adequately altered. Otherwise, stick with classic, basic stuff with minimal (or preferably no) branding on the outside. Plain Lee, Levi jeans, non-baller sneakers, Weejuns or boat shoes, oxford shirts, t-shirts with no designs on them, v-neck or cardigan sweater, etc.

 

[lckychrmsbboy]

Is there a reason why you're looking into getting a suit?

If you're just trying to update your wardrobe I suggest going into an H&M and have a look around and try on a bunch of stuff. You can get your basic jeans, button ups, T's, and suits. Their clothes aren't the best quality but I think they're great for the price. I would deff get a few basics like mentioned above and listen to some of the great advice that was already given.