The fine line between dressing like an old man and a sharp GQ/Esquire guy.

I think this is a good example of young and hip. I'm glad vox reminded me of it.

I'm not sure why I feel compelled to add to this thread, much less why I'm seriously addressing the original question 14 pages in, but here goes:

The reason why you look like an old man is fit. Fit fit fit fit fit. I say again: fit. There is nothing inherently old about a blazer, trousers, dress shirt, tie, etc. But your blazer drapes off your shoulders, hangs loosely about your body, and comes straight down through the waist. What's more, the bottom button sits below your belt. There is nothing wrong, in an objective or historical sense, with a blazer that fits this way, but it will never look young.

Old men wear clothing that fits like that. Witness: http://whatareyouwearingtoday.blogspot.com/

The fact that your clothes say "slim fit" means nothing. Tailored clothing must be tailored to your body. You should start with a blazer one or more sizes down from the one in the pictures, but add to that a trip to the tailors. Get the sleeves shortened and have the waist taken in. Bam!: GQ. The pants fit fairly well, but you have slim legs. The modern, youthful fit requires that you have them taken in a smidge, especially from the inner thigh and crotch area.

Spend an hour an $500 in your local Ed Hardy's, and 99% of ladies in bars will say you look youthful. But you don't want that. You want to look like you, but a more youthful-looking you. Do the above, and you will get it. Oh, and unless it says "Milano" on the Brooks site, few people are going to find it youthful.

Final historical note: baggy zoot suits were considered youthful and rebellious because they were a flagrant flaunting of the austerity of the times.

Originally Posted by CunningSmeagol

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I think this is a good example of young and hip. I'm glad vox reminded me of it.

Smooth is the new rough.


- B

Originally Posted by Schorsch

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Final historical note: baggy zoot suits were considered youthful and rebellious because they were a flagrant flaunting of the austerity of the times.

True; perhaps one key is to wear stuff that's very likely to look dated in a few years? I do mean this seriously.

Originally Posted by CunningSmeagol

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I think this is a good example of young and hip. I'm glad vox reminded me of it.

Coffee cup perched precariously on music stand and lap armor.

Makes sense to me.

Originally Posted by MBreinin

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Just use cayenne, black pepper, a little bit of salt and some garlic/onion powder. Do not season heavily as these dishes need to cook. I do most of my seasoning near the end. Don't forget that salty and spicy meats like Tasso, Andouille sausage and others add heat and salt to the dish. Also, a couple cans of Rotel tomatoes with diced Chilis is a nice addition to Cajun/Creole dishes.

The key to making any Cajun dish, in my experience, is to cook it all day. I can't stand "hurry up" Gumbos and the such, as they are thin and bland.

I cook Gumbo for no less than 6-8 hours. It is thick and complex.

Mike

Sage advice. My wife approves of this post.

I agree with many that the OP needs to get clothes that fit.

I also recommend replacing the belt in the pics.

Originally Posted by Schorsch

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...

The reason why you look like an old man is fit. Fit fit fit fit fit. I say again: fit. ...

Originally Posted by bellyhungry

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I agree with many that the OP needs to get clothes that fit.

I also recommend replacing the belt in the pics.

Again, as I mentioned few posts earlier effectively this is endorsing the slim fit look that many on here consider "douchebaggy" or too GQ. Admit it, everyone on here furtively likes what GQ offers

I just can't believe that all of this is because of a single comment from an uncultured bar wench.

Originally Posted by Schorsch

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The reason why you look like an old man is fit. Fit fit fit fit fit. I say again: fit. :
Thanks for the feedback. I will absolutely explore a slimmer fit jacket for my next purchase. To reiterate, my pants and shirt already fit reasonably well. The only pic without a jacket was the ill-fitting white CEGO that still needs alterations. Realistically, neither can go much slimmer while still being functional (able to sit, type, etc). I now realize that "model pictures" are completely artificial and impractical for anything beyond a photo shoot (ie: real life or a job). Below, both the pant and shirt seem to have plenty of room for additional slimming. However, the Mabitex pants are 100% taut while sitting, and flirt with being uncomfortable. Sure, the waist pictured below could be tighter, as they are 1 inch too big. (32 vs 34....no 33) But the legs can't be slimmer without looking unprofessional, ****, or rendering the pants unfunctional. The shirt below, while not a perfect fit, was slimmed significantly, and is nothing like an OTR shirt. I would not be able to raise my arms much higher than pictured.... I have edited the picture to show where my belly button lies. Pants are not even close to it. Thanks again.

Fit has nothing to do with it. I think that's bad advice. How you look in a picture hardly conveys how you look in real life, and everything looks baggier in pictures. For the love of god, don't have your jackets tailored skin tight and return to the bar in them, thinking you now look 25. Take your cues from your context. Were you the only guy your age in a sport coat? I would guess that you looked like an "old man" for that reason, or one like it. Maybe it is you -- maybe you should not be wearing sport coats in the bar. Whether or not something like that looks good on you in that kind of setting has a lot to do with your personality. The 32 yo was doing you a favor, too. Probably 20 people think you look strange for every 1 that speaks up about it. "Old man" might even have been a euphemism for "dipshit." It sounds like you were the subject of an intervention there. In all likelihood, you should not be wearing your sport coats into bars. I seriously doubt anyone could see details of your trousers or shoes, and dress shirts are ubiquitous enough to be above suspicion. There are a lot of other options. A navy v-neck sweater, or even one of those zip-neck sweaters that will pass for patagonia polyester in the right light, might be more appropriate. Prob. you don't want to go to a bar and look like a person out of place. Anticipate what the other men will wear and dress like them, but better than them. If you don't like how they dress at all, you are going to the wrong bars. Life is too short to be doing that.

Certain things are going to evoke the "old man" look right off the bat, and I see at least a few of these in your pics:

- High-rise pants worn at or near the natural waist*

- Baggy or ill-tucked shirts

- Crumpling and wrinkling in general, and/or materials more naturally prone to such effects

- Body type (in your case -- and I mean no particular offense by this -- you are a little bit pudgy around the middle and have sloping shoulders; these will make almost any tailored clothes appear "old" to an extent)

- Slouching or slumping posture

- Fabric and pattern choices (houndstooth, tweed, checks, etc., are very tough to pull off if you're looking to avoid old-manishness)

- Full-cut trousers, especially if cut generously around the hips or if pleated

Finally, there is an intangible "old man" factor that just can't be explained. But some people are just prone to looking more crumpled and disheveled than others, even if they're wearing well-fitting and freshly pressed clothes. I don't know whether it's mainly due to any one of the factors listed above, or perhaps to some subtle combination of them. But the fact remains: some dudes just get an unlucky break with tailored clothing. Probably best to embrace this curse, rather than fight it. It's better to look and be comfortable in clothing than to constantly preen, fidget, adjust, and look awkward.




*I realize this is SF gospel. But it's also a surefire way to look like an old man. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Dewey, as I said, I get many compliments. This was the first negative. I like how I dress. I'm not rewinding to some invisible and generic 20-something WalMart pull-over and jeans and street hikers. Lots of professionals go to happy hour in suits and ties. We have already established why she felt I looked old. She doesn't know any men who wear wool slacks and jackets (except her dead grandfather). Not at work. Not socially. Married very young. Never lived in a metropolitan city. As a test, she indicated that every BB website model wearing a jacket ALSO looked like a dipshit / old man to her. As a result, I have dismissed her opinion.

Arrogant, I don't think you read this entire thread.
I agree with all points you listed, but they didn't really apply to me, on this particular night.
My pictures indicated: low/mid rise, pressed pants, pants hanging low off my waist, fitted shirts, 7 in. chest/waist drop, slim cut pants)
I agree that "golf pant" patterns are associated with "old man".

I have edited the above picture to show where my belly button lies. Pants not even close to it.

Originally Posted by Reevolving

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We have already established why she felt I looked old. She doesn't see men wearing wool slacks and jackets. Every BB model looked like a dipshit to her.

Reev,

It's not just your friend that feels that way. I was having a conversation with my Wife last night. Her final thoughts on my clothing were this, "You look your best when your cutting the grass."

I generally cut the grass while wearing, hiking boots, shorts, t shirt or tank, sunglasses, and soft brimmed hat. She also liked me in my Army BDU's, with spit shined boots when that was a part of my daily workwear.

My Wife does not like the BB pics as well.

Originally Posted by Reevolving

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Sorry Dewey, bad advice. I like how I dress. As I said, I get many compliments. This was the first negative. I'm not rewinding to some WalMart pull-over and jeans and street hikers. Lots of professionals go to happy hour in suits and ties. We have already established why she felt I looked old. She doesn't see men wearing wool slacks and jackets. Every BB model looked like a dipshit to her.

So why did you start this thread?

Yes, many men go to happy hour in suit and tie. Most do not look fashionable. Get over it, or look more fashionable. I doubt it was her lack of exposure to the kind of clothing. You don't look like a Brooks Brothers model.

Originally Posted by Reevolving

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AB, I don't think you endured this entire thread.
Almost none of above reasons apply to me.
(My pictures indicated: low/mid rise, creased pressed pants, pants hanging low off my waist, fitted shirts, 7 in. chest/waist drop, slim cut pants)
I agree that "golf pant" patterns are associated with "old man".

I have edited the above picture to show where my belly button lies. Pants not even close to it.

Your pants may not be close to your belly button and they may even be low-rise and slim fit, but the pictures do not indicate such.

If you can't see the visual difference between pictures of your clothing and pictures in the magazines you mentioned, then you have got some body image issues. Sorry. It may sound harsh, but you don't look like those guys. You may or may not have the physique to pull it off. I wouldn't know, but currently, it is not the image you are giving off.

Don't blame it on the girl.