The Appeal of Dressing Fashionably for Men

[mcknia07]

I would love to take a guy out shopping. I mean, like homestly, how much fun would that be. To pick out more clothes that aren't even for me and to make someone else look good. Not saying that I look good, but I think I know how to dress a man.

 

[Cyrus]

I would love to take a guy out shopping. I mean, like homestly, how much fun would that be. To pick out more clothes that aren't even for me and to make someone else look good. Not saying that I look good, but I think I know how to dress a man.

You can take me out shopping so long as you buy it for me. Were going to start at Hugo Boss, and work our way down.

 

[Cyrus]

offtheleft, very nice suit you have. The first pic looks like a clubbin' photo that you would see in a magazine.

As for people wearing tight clothes...only do so if it properly fits, like moonbear said, we don't want muffin tops everywhere. I see more females doing this than males, but nice fitted clothes is a good thing. Plus, it helps if the person looks good anyhow to begin with...

LOL...I've never seen any guy with a muffin top due to tight jeans in my life.

 

[mcknia07]

Alrighty, sounds ok to me, but I get to pick out everything then, and you can't say no to me. I've never been to Hugo Boss before, so it might take hours upon hours

 

[Cyrus]

Alrighty, sounds ok to me, but I get to pick out everything then, and you can't say no to me. I've never been to Hugo Boss before, so it might take hours upon hours

I hope you poo-poo money. I don't think you could spend hours there, they don't sell that many things. It's a very small selection, and an extraordinarily high price.

 

[mcknia07]

LOL...I've never seen any guy with a muffin top due to tight jeans in my life.

Ummm, yeah I have, not that I wanted to. It's sick! People can get new clothes, they really aren't that much.

 

[mcknia07]

I hope you poo-poo money.

Oh great, how expensive are we talking here?

 

[Cyrus]

Oh great, how expensive are we talking here?

You don't want to know.....shirts are going to be $175 and up.

 

[Cyrus]

Ummm, yeah I have, not that I wanted to. It's sick! People can get new clothes, they really aren't that much.

That's quite nasty...

 

[mcknia07]

You don't want to know.....shirts are going to be $175 and up.

Holy crap boy, you sure know how to pick the most expensive items now don't you?!

 

[Cyrus]

Holy crap boy, you sure know how to pick the most expensive items now don't you?!

You said you were going to pay for it!

Seriously though, they have very very nice stuff in terms of design. But the price is literally for people that have lots *lots* of money to drop. The jackets (normal everyday type, not dress suit jackets) there are going to run $600+, ties are $100+, shoes are $160+ (sneakers!)...it's the top end you can buy.

But lots of companies like Ralph Lauren are also damn expensive (button shirts $200+). Not the stuff at department stores, but the real deal Ralph Lauren Boutique.

Neiman Marcus is also shi* expensive. They have dress shoes that run over a grand.

 

[mcknia07]

I hope you poo-poo money. I don't think you could spend hours there, they don't sell that many things. It's a very small selection, and an extraordinarily high price.

I can spend hours in small stores You have no idea. I have spent 8 hours in a tiny store and still wasn't done. I didn't want to leave.

 

[mcknia07]

Did you say SHOES? Oh no, bad word for me to hear, I might get into lots of trouble now...

 

[gravenewworld]

There is a difference between tight fitting and form fitting. I know that if I wore a suit like this:

I would probably rip the entire back of the coat in half if I crossed my arms. I would also probably split the seat of pants that tight if I ever crouched down to pick something up. Get something that fits to your form.I haven't seen a suit posted yet that I liked. Not saying I would ever buy one unless I made tons of lucre, but Hickey Freeman makes good suits that don't look ridiculous

http://www.hickeyfreeman.com/website/assets/product_images/hickeyfreeman/085303514_md.jpg

http://www.hickeyfreeman.com/website/assets/product_images/hickeyfreeman/085303040_md.jpg

 

[Cyrus]

There is a difference between tight fitting and form fitting. I know that if I wore a suit like this:

I would probably rip the entire back of the coat in half if I crossed my arms. I would also probably split the seat of pants that tight if I ever crouched down to pick something up. Get something that fits to your form.

Personally, I don't like that suit. It's way too slim cut. It's not something you'd ever wear in a professional setting. It's way too trendy. So you could only wear it to a club, and would spend loads of money on it. It's useless rags IMO.

Edit: Those new suits you posted are nice.

 

[Cyrus]

I have this suit, but solid black

http://content.nordstrom.com/ImageGallery/store/product/Gigantic/15/_5463875.jpg

 

[gravenewworld]

I have this suit, but solid black

See something like that is good. Classic and modern look to it. That is something most guys could wear. There are only a few people that can pull off the super trendy look and look good doing it.

 

[Cyrus]

I think that's the key difference. There is a vital distinction between *modern, and *trendy.

Trendy looks bad pretty quick as it shifts often. But modern is a slight variation on something traditional without going too far outside the norm. I generally avoid buying anything trendy unless its specifically for going out to a place like the bar.

I talked to the guy where I bought my suit. It was interesting he was telling me the most expensive suits have very light soft fabric, but you don't want to wear those every day or they will tear or fall apart quickly. They are only for special occasions. For everyday, you want something that's tougher, which are the cheaper end suits. (Cheaper is a relative term here).

 

[Kurdt]

Like these - http://f1store.formula1.com/stores/f1/products/product_details.aspx?pid=40622

Rossi as in Valentino Rossi?

F1 outfit, eh?

Not quite those.

http://f1store.formula1.com/stores/f1/products/product_details.aspx?pid=41657

And yes Valentino Rossi

 

[Moonbear]

And pleats work for some people.

I agree. I don't know where Jason gets the idea that pleats are for fat people. I think it's usually fat people who need to avoid them...if the pleats are stretched, it makes someone look even fatter.

I took one ex-boyfriend shopping (he wore the same size pants as SticksandStone, so I definitely can appreciate how tough it is to find that size in menswear...unless it's such a popular size that they sell out first), and not being sure what styles would look good on him (he didn't know either, which is why I was shopping with him) he headed off to the dressing room with a mix of pleated and unpleated pants. First he came out with the unpleated ones, and I almost died laughing. I couldn't decide if I should hand him a pocket protector or get him fitted for dentures. They looked like some horrible cross between nerd and old man pants (or maybe it's that the classic nerd look is to wear old man pants). Then he tried the pleated ones, and what a difference! Hubba hubba!

It was hard finding non-baggy pants too, though. That had nothing to do with the pleats, and in such slender sizes, had nothing to do with them being made for fat people. I used to think it was easier for men to shop than women, but with the trends in the stores, it's not very easy for men to shop either, especially if they just need a mature, classic look (without looking like an old fart). There were some slender designs too, but they went to the other extreme. After he tried those on, I was informed they must have been designed for castrati, or maybe pre-pubertal boys.

I don't have to go shopping with the current boyfriend. His taste is impeccable! Of course, he gets all his clothes custom made and spends a small fortune on them, but they look fantastic! Though, most still cost less than those trashy looking designer clothing. Just one really made my jaw drop when I found out how much it cost (apparently I have expensive taste too, because it is my absolute favorite shirt of his)...that's because the fabric was expensive, not the tailoring.

 

[Moonbear]

Not quite those.

http://f1store.formula1.com/stores/f1/products/product_details.aspx?pid=41657

And yes Valentino Rossi

It takes a confident man to wear red shoes.

 

[Monique]

I don't know about fashion, some trends are better to be avoided.. like the shapeless clothes that are all over the stores right now, it is impossible to find something shape-fitting. I'm a little intrigued by the talk of tailoring, what would be the most common things that you would get fixed by a tailor and what fabrics would best be suited for refitting?

 

[Moonbear]

I don't know about fashion, some trends are better to be avoided.. like the shapeless clothes that are all over the stores right now, it is impossible to find something shape-fitting. I'm a little intrigued by the talk of tailoring, what would be the most common things that you would get fixed by a tailor and what fabrics would best be suited for refitting?

There are obvious things that most people would think about, like adjusting the length of pants or sleeves (I'm short, so all my pants need to be hemmed. Out of necessity, I learned to hem pants myself so I don't have to run to a tailor with every pair of pants I buy, but I don't know how to do sleeves to come out looking right). With dress shirts or blouses, they can take in the side seams fairly easily to make it more form-fitting (for women, this is sometimes a regular necessity if they have a larger chest and have to buy a size up to keep their blouses from gaping open in the front). Another common alteration, especially for women, is to take in the waist a bit. With those shapeless clothes that have no curves, if you have curves, often you have to get pants or skirts that are too big in the waist in order to fit right around the hips, so a tailor can take in the waist to make it fit right and show off those curves.

Of course a good tailor or seamstress can take apart an entire garment and custom fit every part and put it back together, but if it needs that much work, it's better to just not buy it. I've had to deal with this when friends have chosen horrendous bridesmaid dresses that didn't fit me in any dimension...let out the hips, take in the waist, shorten the bodice, take in the shoulders (or shoulder straps), add a built-in bra to the backless ones, raise the hem on all the ugly, poofy layers, etc.

It's easier to take in clothes than let them out, so if you're thinking about tailoring, it's better to buy something that is bigger in some places than one that's tight in some places. How much can be let out depends a lot on how much extra fabric is in the seams. I think with things like bridesmaid dresses, they know there are going to be major alterations, so leave extra fabric in seams, but for most store-bought clothing, there are very minimal seam allowances.

 

[Cyrus]

It takes a confident man to wear red shoes.

Kurdt is all man, never forget it. ALL MAN

 

[Cyrus]

I agree. I don't know where Jason gets the idea that pleats are for fat people. I think it's usually fat people who need to avoid them...if the pleats are stretched, it makes someone look even fatter.

I took one ex-boyfriend shopping (he wore the same size pants as SticksandStone, so I definitely can appreciate how tough it is to find that size in menswear...unless it's such a popular size that they sell out first), and not being sure what styles would look good on him (he didn't know either, which is why I was shopping with him) he headed off to the dressing room with a mix of pleated and unpleated pants. First he came out with the unpleated ones, and I almost died laughing. I couldn't decide if I should hand him a pocket protector or get him fitted for dentures. They looked like some horrible cross between nerd and old man pants (or maybe it's that the classic nerd look is to wear old man pants). Then he tried the pleated ones, and what a difference! Hubba hubba!

It was hard finding non-baggy pants too, though. That had nothing to do with the pleats, and in such slender sizes, had nothing to do with them being made for fat people. I used to think it was easier for men to shop than women, but with the trends in the stores, it's not very easy for men to shop either, especially if they just need a mature, classic look (without looking like an old fart). There were some slender designs too, but they went to the other extreme. After he tried those on, I was informed they must have been designed for castrati, or maybe pre-pubertal boys.

I don't have to go shopping with the current boyfriend. His taste is impeccable! Of course, he gets all his clothes custom made and spends a small fortune on them, but they look fantastic! Though, most still cost less than those trashy looking designer clothing. Just one really made my jaw drop when I found out how much it cost (apparently I have expensive taste too, because it is my absolute favorite shirt of his)...that's because the fabric was expensive, not the tailoring.

Pleats are fine, but I find they tend to have that old 1920s-1930s look. Again, there's nothing wrong with that; but, they tend to come off more 'dressy' and I wouldn't wear pleated pants without a belt, nice shoes and a nice shirt.

I perfer non-pleated pants and no cuffs on the bottom. You can wear them without a belt and it looks fine. Pleated pants are pretty much signature dockers.

But as you said, if it looks good on you wear it.

 

[Cyrus]

I don't know about fashion, some trends are better to be avoided.. like the shapeless clothes that are all over the stores right now, it is impossible to find something shape-fitting. I'm a little intrigued by the talk of tailoring, what would be the most common things that you would get fixed by a tailor and what fabrics would best be suited for refitting?

That's because you live in Europe. American shirts are for fat people, literally. If I buy a button up shirt at any american brand store, it's spills out all over the place when I tuck it into my pants. When I try on shirts from European stores they are cut for slim people and it fits into my pants neatly. So I have to get the chest/waist of the shirt brought in. They usually cut out like 5 inches on each side!

That's how I can tell if someone doesn't know how to dress themselves (Guys). You'll see them 'dressed up' with their shirts tucked in their pants spilling out all over the place.

 

[offtheleft]

That's because you live in Europe. American shirts are for fat people, literally. If I buy a button up shirt at any american brand store, it's spills out all over the place when I tuck it into my pants. When I try on shirts from European stores they are cut for slim people and it fits into my pants neatly. So I have to get the chest/waist of the shirt brought in. They usually cut out like 5 inches on each side!

That's how I can tell if someone doesn't know how to dress themselves (Guys). You'll see them 'dressed up' with their shirts tucked in their pants spilling out all over the place.

give me an example of some of these european brands. I am a thin guy and i find it quite ugly when I am wearing a button down size 14.5 and it makes me look like a hot-air-balloon.

 

[Monique]

It's funny to see that there are guys here who are particular about their clothing. My bf is of the same type, if it were up to him he'd only wear Ralph Lauren Purple Label. It's a nightmare to go shopping with him, as he is really picky. At one point I got him to like clothes of a main-stream store (they had really nice shirts/pants), but he has deprecated them as the cuffs started to wear (according to him, I can't see anything wrong with them ).

 

[Cyrus]

Here I have no life so I took some pictures to illustrate a point:

The first one is unaltered. The second one is a tailored shirt. The third is a custom made shirt to all my body measurements. Its also in increasing price as you go right. You get what you pay for!

http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/8423/baggyxv3.png

The pants should have a belt (I was lazy). I also think they are a bit too baggy. I have not had them altered yet either. I should probably have those and the first shirt done.

 

[Cyrus]

give me an example of some of these european brands. I am a thin guy and i find it quite ugly when I am wearing a button down size 14.5 and it makes me look like a hot-air-balloon.

Hugo boss - expensive but it will fit you
Zara - thin european cuts because the company is from spain

If you are lucky you can find some at regular department stores for slim fit. If so, by all means buy it instead of the more expensive Hugo shirt. I literally can't find one that fits my neck and isn't too short on the arms, so I have to get them custom made. The ones I buy from the store are too big on the neck so I don't wear them with a tie, ever.

If you can spend the money, just get a custom shirt. It has many advantages. If it starts to go bad in the collar or cuffs, they can just replace it with a new one of the same material and it won't cost you the price of an entire new shirt. You can also specify exactly how you want the shirt to look, how many buttons, what type of cuff. You can make exactly what you want. One pocket, two pockets, no pockets.