Guys, do you ever follow fashion?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Thursday is ‘fashion’ day for some reason in the Post-Dispatch which is what inspired this. I normally dont give a rat’s ass about fashion, and most of what they print applies to the female audience, but they have tips for guys as well - why? I guess enough guys do follow fashion to make it worth it I guess.

Yet, once in the bluest of blue moons, I do see a trend that I like, and thus find myself ‘trendy’ - but if I think I look good wearing it, I’ll keep wearing it even when I falls out of fashion. (Though my basic wardrobe is pretty stable - Levi’s (pulled all the way up with a belt), button-up shirt, sometimes tucked in, sometimes not, black or brown boots or shoes (I never wear sneakers anymore unless exercising, dont know why really, just dont anymore) - the basic guy wardrobe since the probably the 1840’s when Levi’s first came out). I also like Henleys and golf shirts, for variety sake if nothing else. I have olive skin too, so the earth colors look great on me, so Im grateful that neon died out and the pastel comeback didnt.

But one trend I’ve noticed lately is bracelets and necklaces for men made from leather, hemp*, wood beads and other natural materials, and as I only like natural fibers anyways, I’ve found myself buying a few pieces over the last year. It works for me, and as above, I’ll probably wear them for a few years even after they fall out of fashion again.

The only other area I tend to follow fashion is with ties - though even there I stay on the conservative side, though I like the geometric patterns that started coming out in the nineties. And I am extremely happy that ties have seemed to finally stabilized as far as width goes also. I hated the skinny ties of the 80’s and the fat ties from og-knows-when, but the ‘standard’ width I love. It ‘feels’ right - which is always the important criteria when it comes to clothing - comfort will always come trump ‘fashion’ - but when they coincide - sure, why not?

So does anyone else (gals too) ever follow fashion ‘trends’?

*I know hemp/shell necklaces and such were very trendy back in the nineties, and this seems an offshot of that, but I see alot more different styles than just the surfer look from then. YMMV.

2

Never. I wouldn’t have the slightest clue as to what was in style. Jeans and a tshirt never really go out of style so I’ll just stick to that.

3

Nope. Not beyond the fact that I buy what is available in the shops, so even though I shop at places that aren’t exactly hip, it is unlikely that I’m wearing anything too embarrassing. But I’m another jeans and t-shirt guy, and I don’t pay fashion the slightest attention.

4

(serious answer) What’s fashion? I just go to the stores and if there’s something I like, I’ll buy it.
(not quite so serious answer) Why, did they make neon spandex pants that go with my canary yellow sombrero?

5

I read the thread title as “Gays, do you ever follow fashion?”

6

If you look at the laddie mags, they are full of ads for fashionable mens wear and accessories. I read an article somewhere that said that surveys had determined that laddie mag readers paid absolutely no attention to those ads. But the fashion advertisers, who presumably know this, really want to be in the laddie mags for some reason, so the publishers are willing to accept all that money they’re willing to pay.

Pretty weird, if you ask me. All I can figure is, it’s a way of saying, "You’re not gay if you really dig nice clothes. You’re metrosexual. Yeah, metrosexual. Which as all real guys know, is another word for ‘gay.’

7

There’s also a thin line. There’s “Digging really nice clothes” and “Spending money to look good”. The difference seems small, but there IS a difference.

8

I once bought some new Retro Look ties. Old pattern, new width.
But I’m old enough that nobody would believe me they were really new.

9

My wife buys most of my clothes, since I care so little what I look like. So I imagine she is swayed in her purchases as to what colors/patterns may be currently “in.” But all of my clothes are pretty conservative - long or short-sleeved knit or button shirts, jeans, Dockers, a business suit or 2 - they don’t really change. I guess the pants change occasionally - pleats and cuffs used tro be more popular, last time I think I got flat front.

When we go through my closet/drawers to thin out old stuff, she will occasionally comment that a shirt appears “dated.” But that doesn’t happen much.

On occasion a fashion-heavy magazine such as Vanity Fair will appear in our home. Not only do I not enjoy looking at all the ads, but I dislike having to wade through them to get to the content. And when I do see fashion ads, the clothes strike me as silly (and the prices outrageous) more often than not.

10

Yes, for the simple reason that occasionally something (some pattern, cut, whatever) comes into style that looks good on me, and although I may well look stupid in that shirt when I look at the photograph twenty years from now, I enjoy wearing it now.

One of the big ones recently is the upturn in bold, multi-stripe shirts. I look good in green and blue, and it’s been trendy to match lime green with sky, navy and silver or white. Loud? Incredibly, if done wrong. It would have looked horribly out of place anywhere ten years ago, but it’s acceptable and even encouraged at social gatherings or clubs.

Just my $.02.

11

Menswear Quiz –

Q. What is your most important fashion accessory?

A. Denial. :smiley:

Seriously, blue jeans work fine for me just about any where I go.

12

I’m a khaki t-shirt guy which is really just a throwback to the private school I attended in elementary school. When I dress up, I usually only wear black or grey. Black and grey never go out of style, so I really don’t need to pay attention to fashion.

13

No. I’ve got my own sense of style that people seem to like and compliment me on so I don’t see the point on finding out what’s in or out. As long as I like it and it looks good on me, that’s good enough.

My girlfriend tries to get me to buy the newest fashions when we go out shopping but I can’t do it. I only go shopping when I find I’m missing something in my wardrobe. I shop when I need to and have little patience for it when I don’t.

14

My wife and I watch a lot of the Style Channel (don’t laugh, there’s a lot of entertaining shows on that channel! :slight_smile: ), so I’m actually pretty aware of current men’s fashions.

Whether I wear fashionable clothes is different question… I tend to buy clothes rarely and wear the stuff I have until it literally falls apart, so I try to go for relatively “timeless” stuff. My wardrobe responds to trends very gradually, but it does respond-- if you compared what I wear now to what I wore 6-8 years ago, you’d see a little less plaid and a little more stripes; some lightly distressed jeans; and a general trend away from loose-fitting shirts and jeans toward tighter fitting stuff.

15

Also, let the record show that I had a hard time looking for a narrow black tie. I did find one, though.
Also, I am 25 and I have a pretty impressive tie arsenal. I like ties.

16

If by “fashion” you mean “football”, then yes, I do. Saints are 8-4, facing a big game at Dallas this weekend.

Otherwise, no.

17

Dude, you just betrayed your entire gender. That’s it, you’re out of the club. Report to your nearest hospital for an emergency castration. We can’t have that tie-liking gene getting passed on…

18

. . . follow fashion ‘trends’?

No.

Nearly all of my clothes come from Marks and Spencer, so hip I am not.

I will never wear a pink shirt (the younger guys here seem to be going for them) and I think jewelery is for girls. Tattoos and piercings are for idiots*
*tattoos on sailors is traditional and earrings are OK for pirates, on regular guys? Nah.

19

I had to get an arsenal of ties for work. Shirt and tie, man!

20

I only follow one piece of Fashion advice–NO CAPES!

:smiley: