The great news is I am leaving the world of finance and moving into the medical field (I’m going back to school to be a respiratory therapist). But I have realized that most of my clothes budget over the years has gone to buying suits, shoes, ties, shirts, blah blah. I hated wearing a suit.
So when I cleared out my closet I had a few pairs of jeans, a pair of khakis, some button down shirts, and some ratty old Rockport loafers. Oh and some Sketcher sandals. My wardrobe is way out of whack.
Please help me! What are your (or your s.o. or whoever) favorite wardrobe items? I prefer things that are distinctive but not necessarily expensive. Things that are high quality but not showy. I’m 40 so I probably don’t need to go to Abercrombie, but I am not ready to give up on all aspects of being somewhat stylish. I’d rather spend money on a few things that are a great fit for me rather than buy 20 logo tees.
I’ve never owned anything from Abercrombie. Honestly, most of what I have that is not for my formal job is something I bought at a discount place like Marshall’s or something like that. I’m looking to updgrade the quality. Thanks!
For summertime, khaki shorts and pants with nice heathered t-shirts from Gap or short sleeved buttondowns in muted plaids, available at Kohls or anywhere.
For wintertime, jeans in a “slim” fit–these aren’t skinny, they just aren’t baggy and gross. Substantial-weight knit shirts with collars and plackets. Ribbed sweaters with a short zip or a couple of buttons at the collar–stops them from looking too Lands-Endy. Calvin Klein dress shirts in dark colors, often with chic low-contrast stripes.
newcrasher, I like the J Crew look for going back to school. You can get away with faded, broken in jeans if you have a nice polo, plaid button-down, and loafers (leather or canvas). The good news is no tucking necessary. Maybe go to the J Crew website and request a catalogue so you can see the look on models? And congratulations! Big changes in your life
40 year old male here. 5’11" 190 lbs. I had to upgrade my 10 year old favorite pair of jeans to a darker color this year after I learned what “dad jeans” were and that I was wearing them. After a few weeks, I had almost given up on finding a pair of dark blue jeans that ride normal on the hip and without faux rips and weathering on the thighs. I had to pay more than I wanted, but these Polo Ralph Lauren Classic-Fit ‘Cortlandt 300’ Jeans are just what I was looking for. Not cut low on the hip, good dark color, just a hint of weathering on the thighs and a lightweight denim. High quality but not showy, as you say. I’ll probably get another 10 years out of these until dad jeans come back into fashion.
These are on Amazon, but I found mine in the mall at either Belk or Dillard’s, really anyplace with a RL section should have them. Old Navy has a good selection of dark jeans, too but they ran tight in the crotch. These RL jeans fit great.
Interesting topic - I’m currently on holiday in Italy, and I’ve come to the conclusion that the clothes don’t matter so much as the wearing thereof. I have the terrible handicap of being English, which means that I’m currently surrounded by people who look much better than me despite the fact that we’re wearing broadly similar clothes. I’ve tried to imitate them, but it’s no use. The important thing is the attitude.
For the record I’m copying the look of a typical thirtysomething gentleman about town here in sunny Bergamo, which is (a) creased off-white trousers (b) a belt (c) some kind of cardigan / jumper. Conceptually, exactly the same as Mark Smith of The Fall (or your dad), but in execution there is an infinite gulf. Tomorrow I’m off to Venice, where I will be surrounded by my own kind again. The younger people wear blue jeans and black leather jackets. e.g. this Google street view image from Bergamo:
Notice how the clothes are nothing special, conceptually, although they’re well-fitting. But the attitude, the pose. The gumption. That’s the thing. I’m dressed similar to the chap on the left - jeans, jumper, there’s nothing clever about that - but whereas he looks the part I look like a dork. I do. Like a dork.
Do NOT get rid of suits/shoes/ties/shirts that meet the following criteria:
a) are really well-made
b) were quite expensive and/or hard to find
c) are “classic” or restrained in style and color, rather than being somewhat extreme or unusual fashion-wise
d) still have a lot of wear left in them, and
e) look and feel quite good on you.
At age 40, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll never need (or even want) to dress up again in your life, and a really good pair of conservative-looking dress shoes or a really good suit will last for decades without ever looking unfashionable.
And if you’ve ever been lucky enough to own garments or shoes that were well-made, comfortable, versatile, and flattering, even if you think you don’t wear them often enough to justify keeping them, by golly, you’ll end up missing them when they’re gone. Keep the good stuff around and at some point you’ll be glad you have it.
[ETA: And oh now Ashley, I’m sure you look lovely. Chin up, shoulders back, and remember that it’s an Englishman’s birthright to look well-dressed even if he can never look fashionable! :)]
Living in Florida, I have few short sleeve button down shirts from O’Neill and Quicksilver. They’re lightweight for summer wear with cargo shorts, but look good with jeans, either with or without an undershirt. Here’s one examplefrom Macy’s website, but they’re easy to find in most department stores. They’re not short sleeve business shirts, they’re cut to be worn untucked, without a tie and the collars lay flat. I have them in black, blue, tan and white with grey stripes. About $30 a pop.
You can find these North Face T shirts at a lot of stores, even sporting goods stores like Big 5 and Sports Authority (anyplace that sells ski equipment). I used to wear a lot of surf T shirts, but the designs aren’t to my taste anymore (too Ed Hardy-ish) and the fabric of these North Face Ts are a lot better (thicker). Good for the slopes or the backyard.
Interesting dilemma. I loathe “semi-casual” and dress either super casual or super formal. Very little in-between, so I just adjust accordingly.
Calvin Klein offers the best quality for your dollar vis-a-vis jeans, but they also have a decent selection of khaki/tan slacks.
A bunch of smart button up shirts–Kenneth Cole is my go-to brand–and a good number of ties that go with them all.
A good suit should last long enough to go out of style; about 10 years. I’d opt for one black suit, one taupe (more or less olive in colour), and one charcoal. In Canada, Stars Menswear has a good line of microfibre suits that won’t break the bank.
For shoes, look for a pair of Doc Martens with black seams–the oxford line is pretty good. (and if you find one pair you like, buy another pair–sometimes lines get discontinued and you’re out of luck)
BTW I get most of my clothes from ebay from reputable sellers, and 99% of the time, if you know your size, it’s really the way to go.
My favorite shirt is a Quicksilver I got in 2001. Is 100% polyester and is very thick and heavy, but short sleeve with a 5 button front. I got in in the way to my (then finceé’s) wife’s house when picking her up for our first date so it’s sentimental. But I can ball that thing up in the bottom of a bag, take it out, and its pertly pressed. Love it! And today it looks brand new.
Depending on your budget, you could consider hiring a stylist. In major cities, will run you $50-100/hour, and most will come in and help you cull your closet and then go shopping with you to build a wardrobe, or at least advise you about what to buy. Could be a good investment of a hundred dollars or so to have someone come in and do that for you.
I started getting all of my button-down shirts washed and pressed at the cleaners a few years back and it’s been worth every penny, IMO. I could iron them at home, but that only led me to wearing more t-shirts and polos instead of putting the effort in to iron a shirt. For about $3 a shirt, I’ve always got a few ready to go in the closet. No starch, just a wash and press works for me. I couldn’t pull off - and don’t really care for - the wrinkled oxford look. I just feel a bit more grown up in a pressed shirt, which gets back to the “attitude” point that Ashley Pomeroy made.
Disclaimer I went to dinner tonight in a pair of cut-off camo pants, a dry-fit running shirt and ball cap, so I might not be the best 40 year old to be giving fashion tips :).
My wife’s a respiratory therapist, and she’s saving a lot of money on clothes. She wears her mom jeans and changes into scrubs as soon as she gets to work. Her department got to vote on wearing their own clothes or scrubs, and they voted not to spend money on “business casual” fashions.
I work around a lot of RT students, and I can assure you that they don’t care about their clothes (well, except for those girls that are a we-were-almost-cheerleaders-back-in-high-school clique). But everyone ignores them.
ALL the other students are wearing jeans, t-shirts, sweats. Maybe your stint in corporate America has got you expecting that everyone’s going to be judging you… they’re too busy with their own lives.
Ashlley, my man, it’s not your attitude; it’s Italy. Englishmen aren’t designed to be seen in full sunlight. That’s why you all only look comfortable in a Barbour and wellies. Grey skies and rain are your birthright!
