Teach me what to buy to look good

[Metlin]

Originally Posted by stylemeup

I have been trying to read and learn from this site, but I have no idea what the posters are talking about in the vast majority of things I've read on this site. I don't understand the terminology and abbreviations at all. So reading stuff I can't understand doesn't seem to be helping me know what to buy any better. I don't understand why it would require a miracle for you guys to refer to me a good places to buy clothes in Toronto, and what specific clothes are good to buy from them. Or a good tailor shop who could tell me what is good to buy. That seems like a very simple and easily-answered request to me.

Okay, let's start at the beginning. You want to look good - we all do, and we get that. What kind of clothes are you looking for? Because, recommendations on suits would obviously not work for someone who is looking for jeans and a tee. Are you looking for formals, i.e. a suit and a tie with lace-up shoes? Or are you looking at business casuals, i.e slacks and a dress shirt? Or casuals, i.e. khakis, polos and Madras shirts. Or street wear, i.e. jeans, t-shirts etc? It is hard to provide any advice without knowing about the kind of clothes that you are looking for. Also, what particular terminologies do you have trouble understanding? If you are looking for general advice, I'd recommend the following - get a good collection of good slacks or khaki pants and dress shirts. You can either get them tailored, or you can go to stores, and see which ones fit you well and look good on you. I'd recommend going for darker pants (i.e. gray, black, navy blue, dark brown) and lighter colored shirts (white, light blue, lavender etc.) and maybe some mild patterns (stripes are good). And get a pair of good shoes, maybe black or dark brown, to go with your clothes. If you want to pull off a dressier look, get a sport coat or a blazer, and a few ties. That's as good a place to start as any.

 

[stylemeup]

When I look in the "What are you wearing now?" thread I barely understand anything in there.

Example: http://www.styleforum.net/showpost.p...ostcount=16030

Where it says "blazer - Y's", what does that mean?


What brands should I buy for the things you listed, Metlin? I wanna be sure I'm not buying crappy brands, which I might end up doing if I am not given specific direction of what brands to buy. Likewise, what materials should those clothes be made out of?

I'm looking for business casual and casuals and maybe streetwear in terms of hoodies, I dont like jeans though and I never wear jeans.

 

[sonlegoman]

Okay, in all seriousness, I think this is what you should do if you want to learn the vocab.

Find all the threads that begin like this: "please critique my MTM shirt" or "please critique my new suit" or to that effect.

These threads always contain photos. And here, you can connect the dots when it comes to what vocab word is describing what. If a poster says "your gorge is too low" simply go into Google and google something like "gorge suit" and you'll be able to find the answer to what "gorge" means from the first few hits from Google. Then come back to SForum and look at the photo and you'll see what they're describing by "low gorge."

Use Google as your best friend. Use proper boolean search terms and techniques. For example search in Google everything in between the parentheses (suit "low gorge&quot and you'll get all search hits that contain the word "suit" that also contain the phrase "low gorge" with those two words one right after the other. You won't find many site hits for "LOW scores" and "Three GORGE dam."

Also, use Google's image search feature. Best way to differentiate "Low Gorge" and "High Gorge" is simply do a search for (suit "low gorge&quot and then click "Images" and then open another window and do a search for (suit "high gorge&quot and then click "Images" and then compare what you see. Instantly, you'll be able to now define what "gorge" means as related to suits. Do this for any other vocab you may find.

Have fun. Welcome to SF. Read 10x more than you post for the first 3 months.

 

[sonlegoman]

Originally Posted by stylemeup

Where it says "blazer - Y's", what does that mean?



In the WAYWRN thread, people describe what they're wearing, primarily who makes it (brand, designer, etc). In this case, if you'll notice, Fade To Black likes to wear a certain Japanese designer whose first and last name starts with a Y. Some Yamamoto guy I think. So he just says "Y's". At least, that's what I'm deducing. I really don't know but that's my best guess.

 

[Lel]

I'm kind of confused as to why the forum refuses to answer a pretty specific question such as "good stores/tailors in Toronto". I'm sure there are several nice boutiques/tailors/department stores around the area but unfortunately I do not live there so I can't recommend anything.

But, for basics get

1.) A navy suit. 2 or 3 button, probably 2 because you are 5"9. Don't button the bottom button. Always show a bit of sleeve cuff (the sleeve of your shirt should be a tiny bit longer than the sleeve of the suit jacket)

2.) Black shoes. Something simple, like basic captoes or maybe simple wingtips. (Google images will show you the difference between a captoe and a wingtip). Go for a more respectable show brand such as Allen Edmonds, which will run you quite deep (150-300) but it makes up for it in quality because it isn't mass produced in third world countries.

3.) Nice respectable blue jeans. Nothing light, lean towards a more darker rich indigo color but not black. Don't go too tight, too loose, or too anything. Go for something relatively slim, but complimenting. There's tons of different brands but here's some anyways; Ernest Sewn, Nudie, APC, Levis, (any of the Japanese labels). Opt for "raw" denim, you can ask more about that in the SW&D forum.

4.) A white shirt and a blue shirt. When tucked in, it should not significantly "poof" outwards. If it does, then go to a local tailor (I'm sure someone here will eventually recommend a good one) to talk to them about it.

Don't go for anything too flashy or gaudy, lean towards conservative. Try on all different clothes and see which compliment your body the most. Looking at the H&M website, there seems to be 3 different stores in Toronto. I'm sure you can either google that or go to the H&M website and get the exact addresses yourself; but overall it's a pretty cheap but very trendy clothing store like a European Gap or Target and I'm sure you can find something you like in it.

And on a final note, it'd be nice to know what look you're striving for (either if it's in one of the local posters, a character, or a celebrity, show us what you're looking for).

 

[houserichichi]

For 1000 CAD you're not going to get far with "nice" clothing unless you thrift it. I assume you'll be paying retail prices and, to get it out of the way, at the basic "nice" stores you'll be looking at jeans in the 200 dollar range and shirts at least around 100 a shot. Sport coats will run you a minimum of 400 and suits at least double that. That's already over the 1000 dollar limit and we haven't even touched socks, belts, shoes, undershirts, bodywear, ties, accessories.

So asking questions like "who are good brands" is irrelevant. You're not going to be getting premium pieces at your budget and it's nothing to be ashamed of. Go to some outlets (there's one up north near Wonderland) and have at it up there or take a drive to the States and have a go there. To be fair I don't know retailers in Toronto, I'm in Windsor, but I am quite sure that your options are limited, and especially at that budget.

You need shirts (a few), ties, jeans, dress slacks, sport coats, suits, shoes, socks, belts, and various accessories. Who cares who makes them? If you're looking to start a wardrobe you can either raise your budget and start buying "name brands" or you can go to some stores and try pieces on and look in a mirror and use your own eyes. You're not incompetent and, I assume, can see colours and patterns. If it looks good to your eyes then pick it up. Ask the salespeople for some opinions if you feel absolutely lost...they may be pains but they know their merchandise better than you. Or should. Don't rely on them, though.

For magazines to look through, grab *shudder* GQ, Esquire, Vogue for Men, or any other magazine in that general section of your mag-rack. Flip through and look at what the models are wearing. That's going to be your basis for what's in "style" right now. You don't necessarily want that but, at the same time, you may be able to pull out a couple ideas that you actually like and want to go with.

My personal opinions:

Get a basic white dress shirt, no french cuff (aka no cufflinks)
Get a basic blue, be it striped, checked, or solid dress shirt
Get some basic ties. Pick what you like because ties are personal and show your personal flair.
Get some jeans. Ripped up? Sure. Basic and boring? Sure. Get what you like.
Grab some sport shirts. They look like dress shirts except more casual and generally have floppier collars.
Get a navy blue jacket ("blazer") in two or three buttons. I prefer two.
Get a charcoal grey suit in two or three buttons. Pleats are up to you. I prefer no pleats in the trousers. Vented jacket is up to you. I prefer side vents.
Get some brown shoes. Nothing too clunky. If you want a really basic, boring line to go off of look up Allen Edmonds. They sell them at Harry's. They're not cheap but at least get an idea of what higher quality shoes look like and compare that to your lesser-priced counterparts.
Get some socks that match your trousers.
Get some trousers, for that matter. Dress pants. I hate black but you choose what you like.

Beyond all that just use your eyes and make a choice for yourself. If you're so incompetent that you don't know what you like even when you're wearing it then there really is no hope for you. Everything we're going to tell you here is just a guideline. You might not need a suit right now, for instance, so replace that with something else that you do need. Don't be a label whore. Buy in your budget and wear what you like....you'll be a lot happier with the process in the end and the next time round you'll feel more confident.

Don't bring your wife.

 

[marc237]

Originally Posted by sonlegoman

Dude, whatevers. Check out the post above. Get out your books and a pencil, cause you've just been schooled.

Damn. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Who knew it was that easy?

 

[whacked]

Originally Posted by sonlegoman

Dude, whatevers. Check out the post above. Get out your books and a pencil, cause you've just been schooled.

Originally Posted by marc237

Damn. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Who knew it was that easy?

Perfect time for a style-off, no? You two post WAWYT style pics, we be the judge. The OP will get to learn a thing or two as well.

What are y'all waiting for?

 

[marc237]

Would it not just be easier for the OP to dress like your avatar?

As to getting into a style war, I would clearly lose - no way that buying shoes would ever have occurred to me. I mean I get the whole "buy some shirts" thing, but shoes, well, SON just took it to whole 'nother level.

 

[jimbo3971]

Here is some advice from another noob that specifically answers some of your questions;
Where to go in TO:
Holt Renfrew or Hary Rosen. You won't buy much if anything on your budget but they have the big names in clothing that you see in this forum all the time. Look and learn.
What to buy:
Forget the hat. Focus on the basics. One thing I have learned from this forum is that a basic black or navy suit that has been well cut and tailored is more versatile than I ever imagined. Get one pair of shoes, black, and basic and keep shoe trees in them when you are not wearing them. I love my Allen Edmonds Park avenues. I could pair them with jeans or a tux. Again, bought them based on what I read here.
Lastly, get ready to work.
I am assuming that you are not in a position to hire a fashion counsultant/personal shopper so all the hard work is going to come from you. You will make mistakes, but it's part of the growing process. Use this forum as a full time tool and part time advice collumn. What I mean by that is search before you post. I'm not trying to sound nasty here. When you search, you tend to bring up more general info than what you were looking for. I tend to learn more that way.

 

[Mr. Potato]

Before you even start to spend any hard money on brand quality clothing, you need to define your own style. People referred you to the WAYWN thread to help you find inspirations on what you want to look like. Don't even start at brand names. Define your Look.

I was in the same position as you at one point. My friends transformed my wardrobe and overall look into some edgy Japanese fashionista. It looks good and proper for my age. Many have complimented me on how good I look. But in the end, it wasn't my style at all. I ended up spending thousands on things that I ended up selling within months.

Since you're still having some doubts, I would suggest saving that $1000 and look around the forum for a while.

 

[Studio27]

Originally Posted by jimbo3971

One thing I have learned from this forum is that a basic black or navy suit that has been well cut and tailored is more versatile than I ever imagined.

you have learned nothing, young padawan!

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=8221

 

[academe]

Originally Posted by sonlegoman

In the WAYWRN thread, people describe what they're wearing, primarily who makes it (brand, designer, etc). In this case, if you'll notice, Fade To Black likes to wear a certain Japanese designer whose first and last name starts with a Y. Some Yamamoto guy I think. So he just says "Y's". At least, that's what I'm deducing. I really don't know but that's my best guess.

Y's refers to one of Yohji Yamamoto's (a Japanese designer's) clothing lines. Can't remember them all, but roughly:

Y's for Men Yohji
Y's Madarina
Y's Yohji Yamamoto
Yohji Yamamoto
Yohji Yamamoto pour Homme
Y3

I think Yohji Yamamoto is the mainline and the others are various diffusion lines (i.e., secondary clothing lines that aren't the same quality and aren't as expensive as the "original" or main clothing line), although he has so many that it leaves me in a muddle.

 

[Verso]

Originally Posted by stylemeup

I don't understand why it would require a miracle for you guys to refer to me a good places to buy clothes in Toronto, and what specific clothes are good to buy from them. Or a good tailor shop who could tell me what is good to buy. That seems like a very simple and easily-answered request to me.

http://www.harryrosen.com/en/home.shtml

http://www.toms-place.com/

http://www.helpmeholts.com/english/fashion/

And done!

Also, read:

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/...1255-item.html

No one could say it's as good as Flusser, but it is easy to read and understand, good for beginners, and widely available in Toronto bookstores.

You have had more useful advice in this thread than you can easily digest at one time. You need to learn more before you can ask better questions and get more specific advice.

This forum is an amazing resource for people starting out, but you need to put some basic work in.

Reading Smith's book (linked above) will, at least, give you some vocabulary and some hard-and-fast rules that will help you to seek out advice that is suited to your particular needs.

 

[academe]

I would follow the advice of members like houserichichi, sonlegoman, etc. etc. about putting together a basic wardrobe. The *most* important thing, regardless of the price point, is fit. Make sure whatever you buy fits well; my experience living in the US and north america was that many men tended to buying clothing that was much too big for them, because more fitted clothing was somehow perceived as effeminate (in a perjorative way).

Unfortunately I have to second other members' concerns that your budget won't get you very far unless you're shopping at places like H&M, or the outlets. My concern with stores like H&M is that the clothes they make are relatively poorly quality and may not last you very long, leading to a false economy. For example, if you bought a Brooks Brother's suit (an old standby for many of the North American members) at full retail you're talking at least US$900. Is $1000 the most you're willing to spend on your new wardrobe, or is it "seed money?" My rule of thumb has been to spend around 5-10 % of my annual income on clothing; if $1000 is already putting you in this range then you will be doing very well. You can get some basics for your new wardrobe this year, and add the bells and whistles as time goes on. North Americans spend notoriously little on clothing (see this thread: http://www.styleforum.net/showthread...d+on+clothing), so don't feel to strange about spending more than your average bear.

To learn more about individual designers and the looks they like to put together, try looking at the runway shows and reading some of the critiques at websites like men.style.com (http://men.style.com/fashion/). The New York Times fashion section also has some good info on designers, although the articles tend to be focused more on women's clothes. Keep in mind that runway shows for some of the more flamboyant designers (e.g., Alexander McQueen) can be more performance-art oriented and conceptual, rather than being what you actually would wear. You may very well decide you don't want to go the haute couture route for your own personal look; it's just too much for some. You may want to go with a more "traditional" or "trad" look, especially if you're working in business.

Make sure you buy a few pairs of really well-made, well-designed shoes. I would personally vote for one pair of more "formal" or dressy shoes with leather soles (North American members seem to favour Allen-Edmonds), and a pair of more casual shoes for pairing with jeans or chinos, etc. with rubber soles. I personally like sneaker hybrid- type shoes (i.e., shoes like this: http://www1.yoox.com/searchResult.as...6931&areaid=7), but my tastes tend to run towards more "contemporary" looks than some of the other members here.