Wardrobe overhaul

[Jeff L.]

I am looking to overhaul my current wardrobe. First... A few facts about myself, and profession.

I'm a 39 yr old Elementary School Teacher. 5'11 210 lbs.

Their is really no specific dress code for my current school, however, I usually tend to dress somewhat business casual, I guess you would say.

I'm trying to create a wardrobe that I can wear to school, as well as social functions... dinner out with the wife, church on the weekends, etc.

First of all what would you recommend as far as trousers and shirts.

what about shoes that I could use for a 5 day rotation.

By the way.... love this forum.

Thank you in advance,

Jeff

 

[philosophe]

Could you tell us more about what you're wearing now? For example, are you wearing khakis and the like to school? Wool trousers? etc. Then we could make some specific suggestions.

 

[Jeff L.]

I'm currently wearing Khakis, button down oxford shirts, and slip on shoes, in either cordovan or black.

 

[chorse123]

It would also be useful to know what you want to spend, what your priorities are, etc. Do you want to wear sportcoats?

As for shoes, I would recommend getting at least one pair of suede shoes. They look great worn casually, but can be worn dressy, and they are a tiny bit unusual. These are a great deal at $125 each using this link: www.ctshirts.com/spots

 

[philosophe]

Suede shoes could be great. We are, as you've no doubt noticed, shoe fanatics around here.

One clear upgrade would to mix some wool trousers in your rotation. In cooler weather, corduroy would be nice as well. Would something like Brooks Brothers work for you, price and/or style-wise?

Sportcoats would also make sense.

Could you tell us more about your budget, your taste, and your shopping options?

Last but not least, an SF favorite is sierratradingpost.com. They sell lots of good stuff at great prices, and their return policy is very liberal. That might be good source of trousers, shirts, shoes, etc.

 

[Jeff L.]

Yes I would like to wear a sportcoat. I currently do not own one. Suggestions would be appreciated.

I am looking to spend around 3k.

By the way... the shoes you mentioned look great.

Please keep the replies coming.

 

[chorse123]

For 3K, with some judicious shopping, you can do very well. I'd shoot for something like this:

5 pairs of goodyear welted shoes (1 black, 4 brown). You should be able to get five pairs for under $1000 total, $750 if you are disciplined, $500 if you are willing to buy (barely) used off of eBay. Mix and match:
one suede
one monkstrap
one wingtip
one burgundy
one cap toe brogue balmoral or blucher
one boot (chukka or chelsea)

Minmum 3 sportcoats. Budget maybe $250 each. This is going to be a bit more difficult. If you want the money to stretch, figure out your measurements and buy on eBay. If you do, you can easily get more. Perhaps a corduroy for fall, a seersucker for summer, etc:
One three season wool navy blazer (with or without metal buttons)
One fall/winter tweed
One summer weight wool/cotton/linen

10 shirts, perhaps one or two of which is a button-down collar. Brooks Brothers is a good source for these. Decent quality shirts at a reasonable price. Their shirts are also easy to buy on eBay for about $40 a shirt. I'd get at least:
3 solid (2 white, 1 french blue)
3 checked
4 striped

10 pairs of trousers. I'd be sure to include:
one grey flannel
one corduroy
one linen
one cotton poplin

8 ties. Discounters like Filene's Basement and Marshall's can have good ties. Again, eBay is awash in decent quality ties under $20. Ties can really blow your budget if you pay full retail, but you can find good deals pretty easily.

So maybe the budget would work as follows. You could probably cut back on both ties if you wear them infrequently, and could toss more money into the catch-all Misc.:

Shoes $750
Sportcoats $750
Shirts $400
Trousers $800
Ties $150
Misc (belts, pocket squares, socks) $150
Total: $2850


Resources:

A good place to check is www.virtualclotheshorse.com. The owner is a member of this forum, and his prices and service are both excellent.

A good ebay seller for quality shoes is Grapevinehill:
http://stores.ebay.com/Grapevinehill...Q3amesstQQtZkm

You can buy shoes from Allen Edmonds on eBay, though usually in discontinued styles or odd sizes:
http://stores.ebay.com/Allen-Edmonds...Q3amesstQQtZkm

I'd echo the recommendation of Sierra Trading Post. It's a great resource, and there are good deals. Plus, discount codes often surface for 10-20% off.

Keep your eyes on the Buying and Selling forum here. Members (self included) often sell their own high-end clothes, or items they've bought new to resell at very good prices.

 

[JBZ]

The way you're dressing already really isn't that bad (perhaps not terribly imaginative, but not bad), so it's not like you're starting from scratch. You probably just need a little variety in your wardrobe, which most of the suggestions above will give you.

Brooks Brothers is having a 25% off sale right now (if you purchase with a BB card - 15% without the card). I've had really good luck with their trousers. Also, their sport coats are nothing terribly special when it comes to quality, by the styles are classic - you could do a lot worse.

I'm not sure you need quite as many shoes and trousers as chorse suggests (although, the more the merrier

). You can probably get by with three pairs of shoes to start. Let's say one black and two browns, one of which could be a suede, if you like the style. You may want to opt for 7 or 8 pairs of trousers instead of 10 (you could even get by on 6, which is more than one for each day of the work week).

Also, it hasn't been mentioned yet, but you should own at least one suit if you don't already. If you're only going to have one suit, a solid navy or charcoal two button single breasted would be my choice. You can use the suit jacket as an additional sport coat.

 

[Tck13]

I've posted this before but I like the list:

I found this in a book I recently purchased called "What Not to Wear". I kinda like the list as it seems to cover most bases. It seems to be a good goal to shoot for. (Except tuxedo event)

I forgot to add; this list should be considered a bare minimum!

1. A heavier weight wool 2 or 3 button suit in charcoal or navy
2. A tropical weight wool 2 or 3 button suit in brown or med. grey
3. A tweed sport coat (Personally, not tweed for me, but...)
4. At least 6 dress shirts (sized neck and sleeve)
5. 6 sport shirts, long or short sleeve, some polos mixed in
6. 6 ties
7. 2 pocket squares
8. 3 sweaters (pref. cashmere)
9. An overcoat
10. Brown loafers
11. Black loafers
12. Brown lace ups
13. Black lace ups
14. 2 pairs of jeans- lighter for day, darker for night / dressier
15. 1 pair cargo, painter, carpenter pants
16. 1 brown belt
17. 1 black belt
18. 1 QUALITY umbrella
19. 1 leather briefcase
20. 1 metal band watch
21. 1 leather band watch
22. 1 non-athletic sneaker

 

[AlanC]

Jeff, where in Kentucky are you?

AlanC
Displaced Kentuckian

 

[acidboy]

Originally Posted by Tck13

I've posted this before but I like the list:

I found this in a book I recently purchased called "What Not to Wear". I kinda like the list as it seems to cover most bases. It seems to be a good goal to shoot for. (Except tuxedo event)

I forgot to add; this list should be considered a bare minimum!

1. A heavier weight wool 2 or 3 button suit in charcoal or navy
2. A tropical weight wool 2 or 3 button suit in brown or med. grey
3. A tweed sport coat (Personally, not tweed for me, but...)
4. At least 6 dress shirts (sized neck and sleeve)
5. 6 sport shirts, long or short sleeve, some polos mixed in
6. 6 ties
7. 2 pocket squares
8. 3 sweaters (pref. cashmere)
9. An overcoat
10. Brown loafers
11. Black loafers
12. Brown lace ups
13. Black lace ups
14. 2 pairs of jeans- lighter for day, darker for night / dressier
15. 1 pair cargo, painter, carpenter pants
16. 1 brown belt
17. 1 black belt
18. 1 QUALITY umbrella
19. 1 leather briefcase
20. 1 metal band watch
21. 1 leather band watch
22. 1 non-athletic sneaker


#15- i'd rather forego the worker pants and purchase good pyjamas

 

[philosophe]

A few other suggestions: Check out Four-in-hand ties. Jonathan, the owner, posts here, and members have raved about his products and service. I believe the address is www.fourinhand.com. Also check out carlofranco.com; Chuck and Jill post here. They are also on ebay as sartorialsolutions.

 

[Jeff L.]

Thank you all for you replies.

Alan C.- I am from Louisville..... The "Derby City"

 

[mensimageconsultant]

The replies contain some good guidelines, though with a few too many items and no mention of goodies like merino wool sweaters and cotton-linen pants. The jeans sound unnecessary.

If you have $3000 to spend on a casual wardrobe, little urgency, and many pieces that could be mixed in with the new, it is best to spend it gradually (and maybe not completely). That way, you discover your own tastes and let others get used to the new you.

By the way, let some call it blasphemous, but as a teacher (probably moving around a lot), you might do well with no-iron dress shirts.

 

[tiger02]

Jeans will get 10x the wear of cotton-linen pants