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

Originally Posted by pebblegrain

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You look old-man as f*ck
Why thank you! What an insightful contribution that is backed up with empirical evidence and specifics. Suck on this for a while, genius: In the macro scope, I basically look exactly like everyone else on SF. Overwhelmingly more alike than different. Normal civilians would not see any difference. If I look old man, doesn't say much for you, pal.

Originally Posted by Reevolving

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Why thank you!
What an insightful contribution that is backed up with empirical evidence and specifics.

Suck on this for a while, genius:
In the macro scope, I basically look exactly like everyone else on SF.
Overwhelmingly more alike than different.
Normal civilians would not see any difference.
If I look old man, doesn't say much for you, pal.

It's true though, your style is bad and you dress like an old man.

My suggestions to the OP....

1. Start shopping at more trendy stores that target a younger demographic. BB tends to be oriented towards an older audience. Unless you know exactly what you're doing, I feel it will be difficult to shop there without looking old man like.

2. Buy slimmer fitting clothing. Your comments about how your trousers could not possibly be any slimmer if you still want to be able to move or sit down are BS. You are likely simply not used to wearing clothing that fits well, but as you become more accustomed to it you will see I am right about this. But there is a very fine line between your pants being too skinny vs. too roomy-- you will have to experiment until you find the exact right amount of slimness.

3. Stop wearing such traditional looking ensembles-- they are boring. Unless you have awesome style (which you don't), then wearing nothing but traditional pieces such as black or tan pants, navy blazers, and white button downs will make you look stale, a common trait of the elderly.

Instead try wearing some fabrics with unusual textures or less traditional colors. By different colors I don't necessarily mean bright, but less business-like semi-neutral colors such as olive, brown, azure, or various shades of gray. And try incorporating some textures which are less smooth into your ensembles-- e.g. rougher wool fabrics, cotton, or even denim.

4. Try incorporating a single item into your outfit that the average older man would say does not belong. This can be tricky, but it can really make your outfit appear a lot more youthful and edgy if done right. Shoes are often the safest way to experiment with this.

For example, I recently had to give a presentation at a large company's corporate offices. As an experiment I decided to incorporate some black military style boots into my outfit which was comprised of otherwise business appropriate pieces. I was able to make the supposed clash of styles mesh because my trousers were made of a slightly roughened fabric, but in every other way they looked like dress trousers. This softened the blow between my dress shirt and the boots by providing a transition.

5. Avoid seeing your work clothing as distinctly seperate from your casual clothing. Many older people like to compartmentalize their clothing-- e.g. "These are my work clothes, these are my church clothes, and these are my lawn mowing clothes." While a lot of younger people often combine different types of clothing in a more irreverent manner. Ideally, you should be able to go into that bar wearing what you wore to work without looking like you don't belong.

Originally Posted by Reevolving

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I think that outfit looks horrendous, frankly.
Outdated thick striped shirt (square toed shoes with that?), no socks, cuffed pants, tacky suede loafers, tacky tassles, etc.
Trousers are a terrible fit as well, certainly worse than my low-rise, slim fits.
Also, this whole short jacket thing has totally thrown me.
For 9 months, all I saw was short jackets being torn to shreds on SF.
Literally overnight, that is now all that is being recommended on SF.
A mindblowing lesson in fashion vs. timeless style.
I'm not dropping $1000 on a jacket if it's again a "terrible chick jacket" tomorrow.
I'm not going for faddish fashion, but timeless elegant style.
This is why my core foundation is "boring". That is intentional.

This is you problem. You like the way your clothes look and fit. Your taste is not what is in fashion.

The picture you speak of would most certainly be outside the norm in most bar situations, but if that model walked into the same bar you were in, he would be eccentrically fashionable, not old.

Originally Posted by Reevolving

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What width would you recommend?
This was a 1" Trafalgar in Burgundy.

Get rid of all your 1-inch belts and get a few belts with at least 1 1/4 inch width.

Originally Posted by Reevolving

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In the macro scope, I basically look exactly like everyone else on SF.
Overwhelmingly more alike than different.
Normal civilians would not see any difference.

I was thinking about this the other day. There's a central clump comprised of those who seem to be of similar size, age, and mode of dress with expanding circles of variation out to the fringe - which is not too far out.

It seems to me that many of us, myself included, get caught up in the minutiae of our accouterments that only we notice and can't understand why others don't see our utter suaveness.

Is this thread still going?

Originally Posted by Reevolving

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Why thank you!
What an insightful contribution that is backed up with empirical evidence and specifics.

Suck on this for a while, genius:
In the macro scope, I basically look exactly like everyone else on SF.
Overwhelmingly more alike than different.
Normal civilians would not see any difference.
If I look old man, doesn't say much for you, pal.

You base this on the fallacy that everyone is like you, a no personality dull who comes to the internet to learn how to dress. I come here to discuss clothes, not to learn how to dress. I dress like no one on here. You presume that there is some sort of group think going on, but that's just the vocal minority confusing you.

Im sorry that you dont have a mind of your own to dress yourself.

Originally Posted by butterflystyle

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You base this on the fallacy that everyone is like you, a no personality dull who comes to the internet to learn how to dress. I come here to discuss clothes, not to learn how to dress. I dress like no one on here. You presume that there is some sort of group think going on, but that's just the vocal minority confusing you.

Im sorry that you dont have a mind of your own to dress yourself.

+1. His friend (who called his style "old") was probably trying to be nice.

Originally Posted by Reevolving

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Funny, I actually think TC above looks more like the old man picture above than I do. (It's the old man colors and patterns)

Reevolving, I know TC. TC is a friend of mine. Reevolving, you're no TC. (Sorry, but you brought my friend into it and if you saw him IRL, the last thing you'd EVER say is "old man").

Now for just a few constructive thoughts. As others, including you, have noted, the fit on the Canali is not good. That doesn't mean don't wear Canali or go straight to Zara, it means get a better fitting jacket or alter this one so that it fits better. Waist suppression is a good place to start and it appears that your physique will accommodate it. You can also work on the shoulders if you want a more fitted appearance. Another note would be on the length of the trousers. If they were a bit shorter, though still hitting the tops of your shoes, you'd see less of the ruffling and apparent bagginess that has been pointed out. And as others have noted, but perhaps less helpfully, while AE cordovan bluchers with rounded toes are solid, well-built, sturdy shoes, they are not often confused with being "stylish". They may be the right shoes for many fits, especially more traditional ones, but they aren't the right shoes with slim fit, low rise Mabitex, which call for a sleeker (though hopefully no less well built) shoe. Give this some thought and good luck. And yes, TC's wife is definitely hotter than the girl at the bar.

Originally Posted by Reevolving

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(This is me taking one for the SF team. Flame away!)

Why did you steal these pictures from my Manhunt profile?

Originally Posted by Guero

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Reevolving, I know TC. TC is a friend of mine. Reevolving, you're no TC. (Sorry, but you brought my friend into it and if you saw him IRL, the last thing you'd EVER say is "old man").

Damn. You dug up the oldest reference known to man: a Lloyd Bentsen reference.


- B

Force of habit -- I'm in his political family tree. The youthful side, though.

This post has been good for me, I could see my style getting more constrained from sf group think. I learned a lot here and I still agree with the general thoughts here, but it reminded me of why I found this site in the first place. Basically anything trendy/young deviating from classic here gets shot down alot.

Revolving will never look like the zara man picture. It's a model's body that's extremely skinny, and Revolving has a larger build. I have a body like the models and hate the way tight clothing looks, I have actually been getting things a little less fitted now, and feel uncomfortable in pants so tight. I wish I could pull off a boxier look, honestly. It's not that great when people think your 2/3rds your age, you get taken less seriously, you look like a guy playing dress up in a suit rather than people thinking, there's a "mature" man, looks normal that he's in a suit. You constantly get that changed impression from people after they find out your real age, it's better they just assume somewhat correctly. Plus women like older men generally.

I don't really see why you'd want to look younger, too look healthier and in better shape I understand. The truth is those GQ looks will only make you look hipster or gay from most people, and if you look young, it's even more so.

Last of all, you all need to lay off revolving, from his very first post he explained he wasn't so much even asking for your advise, but a general discussion for thought.

Freedom rings where opinions clash.

Adlai Stevenson