Fit

I'm personally curious to hear more answers on this one. I've often wondered the same thing. I look at guys like yfyf, PinkPanster, Lel, Vashin, Chrono, Getsmart, Easton, etc and wonder if their stuf goes beyond "fitted" and is actually just too tight. I definately think in some cases it's pushing the bounds. Getsmarts stuff just looks like it's going to be uncomfortable to wear, as with several other posters.

I've started sizing down and tailoring almost all my clothes over the past year and a lot of my friends and family have said everything looks too tight. I still think it's actually just slim/fitted, but I'm constantly putting on older clothes that I thought were slim and finding them loose and baggy. Maybe it's all in the head?

anyone else find even the 28's and xs's at mainstream retailors have started to feel too big and baggy since joining S.F. and sizing down_and/or shrinking stuff?

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Of those you just mentioned, I think Eason is the only poster who comes close to being 'too tight', but even still he's able to pull it off because of the confidence he wears the pieces with and his physique. Part of the problem that you're seeing with your family/friend is that they're too used to seeing clothes fit poorly on others, but they accept that as how articles are meant to be worn. Being on SF adds a different mindset to fit and style compared to those who aren't.

Personally, I'm still building my wardrobe even though I've been reading/lurking here for a while. Typically I find that slim/fitted works the best when possible with going too baggy or skin tight aren't ideal. Looking slim is good, especially when there's an overabundance of fat people in the US.

As to the last part, I find that I'm often between sizes in the mainstream world which makes finding pieces that fit a pain **********. Either the chest/shoulders is too small or it's blousy in the midsection - getting them tailored is probably the solution, but spending the $$ on alterations for cheap stuff that isn't going to last isn't worth it too me on a student budget.

Looking back at the old WAYWN thread is always great to see how past frequent posters wore their clothes, we have lost a few good ones the past year or so.

Originally Posted by tagutcow

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Again, it comes back to body type. Put a guy like me in Bobo's clothes, and it would just look sloppy.

Not true. Case in point: timpoblete.

Originally Posted by whacked

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Not true. Case in point: timpoblete.

Yeah, but: breakfastheatre

In cases like that, height comes into play. Bobo's a taller dude, so those types of fits down look that sloppy (though I can't say I've ever seen a fit from him that would work for me). Someone who looks shorter just winds up looking like a dumpy fatass in baggier clothes.

Originally Posted by APK

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In cases like that, height comes into play. Bobo's a taller dude, so those types of fits down look that sloppy (though I can't say I've ever seen a fit from him that would work for me). Someone who looks shorter just winds up looking like a dumpy fatass in baggier clothes.

Engineered Garments clothes look great on all the short (and not skinny) Japanese models. Just check one of the EG threads, pics aplenty.

Originally Posted by bluemagic

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This is a fascinating area of inquiry, but I feel it will be hard to systematize.
are you a robot?

* How did you go about figuring out what kind of fits work for you?
* What specific aspects of a piece can emphasize torso taper, create illusion of narrower hips, elongate legs, etc.?
* Can fit be as simple as wearing clothes that are slim, but not tight?
* What exactly marks the difference between a purposely oversized piece and something that is simply too large?
* Why is it that wearing skinny jeans and a more relaxed OCBD looks weird, while Patrik Ervell's whole chunky sweater-with-narrow trousers look works?
We're on the same page on a lot of stuff regarding clothes wmmk and I sympathize with your tendency to overthink it (as robin or chrono would say). That said, for people with sensibilities like yours (and mine) the doubting will go away with time and wear on the clothes. I could be wrong but it seems like you're stuck in this rut of searching for the 'perfect' garments without giving the ones you've got time to grow on you. That's how you really tell when you've found your style and your silhouette - you wear the stuff until it falls apart and then you replace it with something nearly identical. If that process is a frustrating chore to you, something's wrong. To sum it up:

Originally Posted by PinkPantser

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As others have mentioned it comes down to body type and your clothes can only do so much; unless you wear a lot of layers. In my case I just have a long body type, in particular my legs - when I played baseball my teammates called me high ass.​

Did you go to school on an Indian reservation?

Originally Posted by Teger

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its about being comfortable in your clothes.
Well yeah, that's actually something I meant to ask about. (The disparity between looking and being comfortable, that is). For instance, those uniqlo skinny khakis that everyone on WAYWT said looked uncomfortable are in fact my most comfortable pants. I certainly feel better in them than I do in somewhat looser raw denimz, which definitely *look* more relaxed. Then again, knowing that you appear relaxed to others may actually cause a greater feeling of ease.

But I'm overthinking things again...

Pantser, I certainly enjoy the process of developing my wardrobe in and of itself. However, I think forums like SF can present a bit of a catch-22 to anyone but those who already have an impeccable, fully-developed sense of style, especially if said person in on a tight budget. For instance, let's say I post a fit in which my pants are deemed too skinny for my style by the forum consensus (for the sake of argument, we'll assume that upon further examination of my fit pics, I realize this is true). Knowing that I only have enough funds to buy one or two new pairs of pants in the year, I want to be damn sure that my next pair of pants fit perfectly. I then make a zillion posts asking about what pants will fit me, creating the perception that I'm overthinking things, and have no "steeze."

That's interesting about buying the same version of things when they wear out, though. I think I've settled on the fact thing RL Rugby bd's fit me best pre-tailoring, and once I find a good, cheap tailor who I like, I'll feel pretty content in knowing that I'll always be able to get a well-fitting buttondown. I also have a pretty good idea of what kinds of shoes work and don't work for me. If I can get my pants, sweaters, and outerwear in order, I'll hopefully stop freaking out about stuff fitting weirdly and settle into steezedom.

By the way, I'm learning how to sew. It's a little harder than I'd expected it to be...

Originally Posted by wmmk

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Here on SF, there's a lot about fit being the most important aspect of dressing well. However, I'd venture that a lot of WAYWT posters (myself certainly included), have not entirely mastered the art of putting on clothes in a way that flatters their respective builds.

Some bodies are obviously easy than others to make look good in clothes. Superskinny guys such as Lel and Vashin seem to always look good, as do taller (but still very slim) ones like chronoaug and PinkPanster and insanely ripped ones like Eason.

Still, I get the sense that these guys all have a very good sense of what works for them, fit-wise. I'm interested in whether how they developed such great senses of fit, and whether it came gradually and naturally from trying different types of fits, or from one instance of analyzing their body types and figuring out tangible reasons that certain pieces did or did not work.

Even beyond typically good-looking guys, I find that some people just have an amazing eye for fit. For instance, F2B was quite awkwardly-proportioned, yet his clothes were very flattering, in an odd way. Even when JFK had a bit of a gut, his clothes fit him impeccably. Some of the workwear dudes also look good despite not being stick-thin.

So, I guess I have a lot of questions:

• How did you go about figuring out what kind of fits work for you?
  
• What specific aspects of a piece can emphasize torso taper, create illusion of narrower hips, elongate legs, etc.?
  
• Can fit be as simple as wearing clothes that are slim, but not tight?
  
• What exactly marks the difference between a purposely oversized piece and something that is simply too large?
  
• Why is it that wearing skinny jeans and a more relaxed OCBD looks weird, while Patrik Ervell's whole chunky sweater-with-narrow trousers look works?
  
• How does fabric/material affect fit in terms or drape?

I look forward to hearing all of your opinions; sorry for my usual wordiness.

I've got a pretty awkward build myself. Short, slim, with short torso. So I'll wear slimmer jeans/pants to give my legs more length. I never wear boot cuts anymore because they make my legs look shorter than they are. T-shirts that are slightly longer tend to extend my torso, which is a good thing I guess, since all of the popular branded t-shirts tend to be a bit long for me, even in xs.

However, I've come to grips with the fact that there are some things I will never be able to pull off because of my build. No trenchcoats, or long coats in general . No bootcuts, or looser cuts. No thick sweaters, even with skinny trousers. And I haven't been able to find a leather jacket that fits me right. I should probably also stay away from suit jackets with padded shoulders.

But in the end, I guess it's how comfortable you are wearing a particular item that will decide things, and how much you internalize other people's comments about how it fits.

Originally Posted by wmmk

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Pantser, I certainly enjoy the process of developing my wardrobe in and of itself.

Good to hear. You do have a lot of posts expressing frustration (or maybe those are just the ones that I remember) so its good to know that's not your general outlook.

I think I've just lurked for a long time.

For me its been a bit of a trial and error process aswell, I had slimmer jeans, and slimmer shirts a couple of years ago, but realised that comfort was too important, and wearing higher rise, loose pants with shirt that doesnt restrict movement is a good way to feel more comfortable and relaxed (which I need, since Im otherwise am a pretty stiff academic kind of guy). However, I am concious of how my stuff fits, but I think my range of "ok" is bigger than alot of people here. I can wear a shirt that obviously fits big if the fabric and details make up for it. However, I think my body type is pretty easy to dress aswell, since im tall, slim hips and wide shoulders, but obviously I could dress more "flattering" if I felt it was important. Who knows, If im single again, perhaps ill dress in slim jeans and impeccable eason-sexy shirts... who the hell is mr tighty pants?

^ Hey there, sexy pants.

It's been a lot of trial and error for me as well. And still is. Here's a handy before and after comparison:



Before is my first WAYW pic from August 07 and rather cringeworthy, after is from earlier this month. I've come a long way, but I've got a long way still to go!

^ I don't find the "before" cringeworthy at all. Aside from the cuffs and laces, I actually like it