Some basic beginners questions. We've all had them.....

[Max727]

So I'll start with a intro. My name is Max. I'm 18 and a freshman in college. I have always cared about my appearance and liked dressing nice. But I am terrible with "fashion" and figuring out what goes with what. I've had a subscription to GQ for a year now and have been catching onto a few things from reading it, but I still find myself getting confused. Mainly at pairing, what colors go together, when and how to wear something, etc. Are these things that are constantly changing in the Mens Fashion world and the only way to know the answer is to read magazines and visit sites like this? Or are they all mostly set in stone rules that can be bent and tweaked through the years?

Sorry if this is a confusing post. I am just trying to figure somethings out so that it will be easier for me to continue learning.

Here are a couple small questions:

1. When it comes to your style "genre", do you have to only dress a certain way? Or can you have multiple styles. My example: I am more into the preppy look. But I also like the street wear style these days that rappers and people like that have. Like Diamond Supply, Supreme, etc. Is it ok to dress in either "genre" depending on how you're feeling that day? Or is it best to chose a "genre" and stick to it.

2. Do you guys find GQ, Details, Esquire, etc. to be reputable fashion sources? Or are they too "sponsered"? If so, what are some other places I can find whats trending?

3. Does Mens Fashion really from season to season? Like is the spring 2012 style trend going to be the same this spring 2013? Or does it change up?

4. Is there any yearly mens fashion books or large magazines that "forecast" the upcoming trends for the year? Or are there any mens fashion books that have a lot of info on styles that never really change in mens fashion? Like a fashion bible or something? LOL



I'm sure some of you will find these questions funny or weird, but I would really appreciate your answers on them.

 

[E TF]

answers to your questions -

1. Yes, no, no, yes. The two genres you mention seem pretty diametrically opposed. It is possible but not easy to traverse classic menswear and streetwear, but you should try to maintain some consistency in your "look" across the two. Not just wear one thing one day and something completely different the next - that turns both in to costume. Look back through the pictures of members here called GDL203, Parker, Aeglus.

2. Desist reading these magazines right now, they will do you more harm than good. Instead take some time to look through the better threads here, and some of the better blogs/tumblrs. I'm too lazy to find links for you now, but you'll come across them.

3. Men's fashion changes from year to year no doubt, but that's not what we are concerned with here. "Classic Menswear" changes at a much slower pace.

4. See 3, above.

 

[E TF]

OK I felt guilty so I found some links for you. In no particular order, and by no means complete -

WAYWRN

the anderson & sheppard expatriates thread

"my visit to napoli su misura"

whnay' s good taste thread

waywrn-hall-of-fame-pre-2010

mc casual

a suitable wardrobe

putthison

voxsartoria tumblr

 

[Max727]

Thanks for the reply.

What style does GQ cater towards? Because I really like a lot of the looks in the magazine. Like the suits with sneakers sometimes. Or a blazer with a graphic tee and jeans or chinos. Stuff like that.

I want to dress preppy, yet "new agey" too. Sometimes more new agey, sometimes more preppy. Make sense?

I want to find a median in-between the two.

 

[Max727]

Thank you for the links!

I have more questions but I'll post them later when I wake up. I need to clarify a few things from my first post.

Mainly what I want to figure out is how to balance out the preppy style with the current street wear trend.

I looked through some of those threads you posted and thats not really the look I am going for ALL the time.

I like GQ because they kinda blend preppy with street wear in some ways. Like suit and sneakers.

But I also do like dressing formal.


Maybe someone else will jump in and be able to better explain what I am into.

 

[CanGren]

Honestly, all the questions you ask are really personal. If you listen to the board then you'll dress like the board, and you need to figure out if that's something you want.

This forum is filled with an immense knowledge in regards to quality of construction, fabric, etc and is invaluable in that sense. However, in regards to aesthetics, I'd take everything you see and read with a grain of salt, and learn to figure out how to dress in a way you're comfortable with.

 

[Lord Mulberry]

I'd say, wear what you want. Personally, I don't do fashion, I do clothes. I don't want to be like the majority of other people - why fit in when you can stand out?

The only thing I would say is that there are around three choices when putting together an outfit:

Colour: Should Compliment

Cut of garment in relation to what other piece of clothing you are wearing. Try not to mix styles and periods of clothing.

Texture. Try to avoid mixing course materials with smooth. e.g. if you wear a chunky jumper wear chunky cord trousers etc. The except would probably we an overcoat.

 

[Makoto Chan]

The thing is: buying a wardrobe that fits both your preppy and streetwear interests is expensive (because they don't mix well and you're buying for both) and somewhat fleeting (when they go out of fashion or when you change your style, you won't reach for those pieces anymore). The virtue in "classic menswear" is that you can look good, masculine, and "always in style" if not always on the cutting edge of fashion. It doesn't mean wearing suits and ties all the time, like many (older, more professional) members do. The classic menswear way of dressing is flexible, too: with a few accessories or interesting pieces, you can bend into streetwear or preppy or whatever, easily enough. Also, while fashion changes from year to year, if you shoot for "the middle," you'll find that you're never far off from what's presently (or in the near future) trending.

Put This On has a great list of how to get started building a wardrobe... he has some good links on the sidebar, too, in the "Best of" column.

 

[usctrojans31]

Stop trying to hard to label your style and dress in what fits you well and makes you look better. If you're consistently trying to fit your "preppy" look, you lose out on what truly complements you best.

 

[msulinski]

Thank you for the links!

I have more questions but I'll post them later when I wake up. I need to clarify a few things from my first post.

Mainly what I want to figure out is how to balance out the preppy style with the current street wear trend.

I looked through some of those threads you posted and thats not really the look I am going for ALL the time.

I like GQ because they kinda blend preppy with street wear in some ways. Like suit and sneakers.

But I also do like dressing formal.


Maybe someone else will jump in and be able to better explain what I am into.

Wearing sneakers with suits is, in my opinion, truly a Streetwear thing. There is a Streetwear and Denim forum here which might be more to your liking. I think very few in the Classic Menswear forum that would do this.

That said, you don't have to look "preppy" when wearing classic men's clothing. You might just want to avoid penny loafers with an odd navy jacket and striped tie. You can do this without resorting to wearing sneakers with suits. I suppose I might also be misinterpreting what you mean by "preppy."

 

[E TF]

Sounds like you should check out the streetwear and denim side.

I guess my broader point was if you're just deciding day to day "oh today i'll dress like an ivy league professor", or "today I'll dress like a rapper", or "hmm, today I think is an alpine goatherd day", then you're always dressing like something, never actually just dressing. The rapper, the professor, the goatherd, all look good because they are just dressing, just doing what they do. They are comfortable and natural in what they're wearing in a way in which you won't be, because you're playing dress up and they're not. Your'e young, so of course it's fine to experiment with different looks, but you should work towards finding a single style, the one in which you are comfortable and natural. That's what all the best dressed guys here do.

 

[Quadcammer]

if you wear a suit with sneakers, you will not look cool, you will look like a dick.

next up, GQ sucks. Not only do they recommend stupid **** like puffy vests over suit jackets and the like, the clothes are soo much too small that you would split every seam if you attempted to move.

Honestly, as a "preppy" freshman in college, your go to items will be decent jeans, a few pairs of slim fit chinos, sweaters, sport shirts, polos, ocbds, sportcoats, etc.

Its a good look and it works because its classic and timeless.

 

[aravenel]



if you wear a suit with sneakers, you will not look cool, you will look like a dick.

next up, GQ sucks. Not only do they recommend stupid **** like puffy vests over suit jackets and the like, the clothes are soo much too small that you would split every seam if you attempted to move.

Honestly, as a "preppy" freshman in college, your go to items will be decent jeans, a few pairs of slim fit chinos, sweaters, sport shirts, polos, ocbds, sportcoats, etc.

Its a good look and it works because its classic and timeless.

/thread

 

[Max727]

Thanks everyone for the replies! Looks like I have a lot to learn.

I'll just post some pictures of outfits I like and would wear. Maybe that will help you guys figure if I am on two opposite sides of the spectrum, or If i can incorparete both in my daily style except on somedays be more preppy or more casual street wear.

I mainly dress "Classic Preppy" like most of the Ralph Lauren models. But sometimes I like to wear a thin light t-shirt, rogue moto jeans and some jordans.

 

[Max727]

Well I posted a reply with a bunch of photos but it said it needed to be approved by administration. Looks like it still hasn't been approved. I'll repost it later.