How does one learn fashion and style?

In My Humble Opinion
41

Thank you for that website! I’m learning sooo much. It’s a whole new world, this fashion thing. Honestly it’s a little overwhelming, and mostly right now my mind is full of strange jargons and flashing images of dollar signs. How many hours does it take these people to dress themselves in the morning? How much money do they spend to look chic like that? I readily admit most of those people look like walking fashion advertisements and that I’m quite jealous and impressed. Still, damn… that can’t be easy nor cheap to look like that. I don’t even think that would be my goal, although you know what they say, ‘aim for the stars, and even if you miss you will land on the moon’ and, as we all know, rabbits making mochi live on the moon. They screw all the time, so, aim high and you will look good, have lots of sex, and get to eat delicious mochi.

On a less rambly note, I saw three pics of guys on that blog that I really liked. All three looks were very different, but the thing is there are parts of my personality that each would emphasize differently. Still, it looks like they cost a fortune!

Well, here are the main three:

fitted tee and khakis

blazer tie and jeans

leather jacket and trousers

Also, nashitashii showed me a hairstyle I kinda like: short and faux messy

Oh, and here is a picture of me for anyone who is still interested at this point:

Me smiling

Me with facial hair

42

You’re just fine looking, but yeah, it’s time to update the wardrobe. I had that south park t-shirt in seventh grade. You’re stuck in 1998.

43

Speaking of 1998. No leather web belts.

44

Ok, I am hardly fashionable nor stylish, but at least in those two pics you are making my #1 most hated male fashion mistake (though you do acknowledge in in a previous post): Your shirts are WAY TOO BIG!!

[rant]
You see where that seam is? The t-shaped one, where the sleeve and the top of the shoulder seam meet? It should not be below your bicep! [/exaggeration]. That seam should be at the tip of your shoulder, at the point where, when your arms are by your side, the direction goes from horizontal to vertical. Shortly after meeting my husband he suddenly discovered that he was not an XL, but, in fact, an M in his T-shirts. So many guys do this, and I have no idea why.

Also, if your t-shirt billows out around your waist like a baby-doll shirt, it’s too big and not well fitted to you. Get rid of it. Now.
[/rant]

Getting the right size is so important. I’ve seen men wearing too big, billowy graphic t-shirts who looked like dorks, but a similarly built man who wears a similar t-shirt that is the right size and fitted looks like a quirky guy with interesting taste and perhaps is someone with something interesting to say about [whatever].

Also, us girls like to be able to see men’s butts. Please don’t hide them in pants that have so much fabric in the ass that it looks like your butt hangs down to your knees. Straight leg, no pleats, and with an actual shape to the butt, please. Thank you.

Maybe now I should insert the [/rant]?

I know a guy who constantly impresses me with his style. He happens to be tall, lean, dark and handsome (which helps a lot!) and he wears nice slacks nearly all the time, and button-down shirts. He’s very comfortable wearing shades of pink and even purples (usually as stripes on a white shirt, for example), because he looks amazing in those colours. He even wears cuff links when he dresses up (by that I mean when he goes to parties/clubs, etc), which is an opportunity to be a little more creative with a look that makes him look good but might not show off enough of his personality for whatever event he happens to be at. His look is never complicated; it’s just well-fitting, right size, right colours, with a hint of creativity in some of the details. Take the time to find the right clothing items while shopping, and then you spend next to no time at all “getting dressed in the morning”.

45

That’s very sexist saying only females know good fashion. Some gay men know good fashion.

Fit is very important. Keep your body fit and get clothes that fit for your size. I find that tuxedo rental pants are the best for fit: they are expandable. That was a joke. Never wear a cheap necktie. If you only wear a necktie once a year, get a dark one suitable for a funeral and wear it to all occasions. But don’t go cheap. A woman will look at your eyes, your smile and your necktie. A woman can spot a cheap necktie in direct inverse proportion to liking loser bad boys.

46

How much money do you want to spend as an initial investment?

47

This is probably laughable, but I was looking around 200-300 bucks tops.

48

Might wanna pass on the GQ advice.

49

No pleats, no “boat/deck” shoes!

50

If you know where to shop, you can get some pretty nice clothes in that price range. Look for sales (buy at the end of the season… winter stuff is coming out now, so you can buy fall clothes at large discounts) and plan to buy “outfits” that you can mix and match, so if you get 2 pairs of pants and 4 shirts, that can actually work out to 8 different outfits.

One of my cousins loves to shop, but she limits how much she actually buys. Basically, she looks for something in the 30$ range about once a month, but obviously sometimes spends less or more depending on what she’s looking for or fallen in love with. That way, she ends up with 12 new items in her closet, and spends less than 400$ a year on clothes. That might seem like a lot, but you’re looking at spending at least half of that and assuming you’ll only get a handful of items.

51

I was going to wade into this discussion as a queer eye for the straight guy, but I don’t think I can really add any more than what people here have said already. My biggest recommendation is to people watch - go out and look at what people are wearing and get a feel for the styles you like and the kind of clothes you want to wear. This can also give you an idea of what NOT to wear too. I don’t think magazines are a great way to go about deciding what you like, I’ve yet to buy one piece of clothing in my entire life that I saw someone in a fashion magazine wearing (mainly because I don’t spend more than £300 on individual pieces).

Just a tip on buying clothes, don’t get a whole new wardrobe straight away, give yourself a monthly clothing budget and buy things gradually. If you set aside something like $100 a month for all your clothing needs (including things like underwear, socks, shoes, sports clothes too) then you’ll have a constantly growing and eventually rotating wardrobe too. It’s good to have a regular supply of things and means you can discard clothes as you start to get better ones (this is an especially good thing to do if you’re changing body shape from dieting/working out).

52

If you spend a lot of time in second hand stores you can do this.

53

I want to pop in and say this thread has gotten me obsessed with my clothes. God, I hate my winter clothes so much. I bought most of them two or three years ago when I had ten pounds less muscle and about twenty five pounds more fat. I have to wait a full year before buying a true winter wardrobe, when my body finally settles on a good size.

But, the best tip I can offer: don’t look at your clothes in a mirror. Bring a friend to take your picture. It’ll give you a more honest look.

54

These are some good looks, but easy ones to completely banjax if not done right. Although I like the t-shirt and khakis that dude in your pic is a little too International Male to make it a real look, but that’s a good standard going to the bar look. Fitted t-shirts are good, but that’s *way *too tight.

The blazer/tie/jeans thing is way harder to pull off than it looks. It’s super easy to try to look that hip, but instead look like a 5th grade science teacher. Some of the hints that that photo gives are deconstructed (ie no lining) jacket (a suitcoat will not work as well.) of a soft material like cotton or tweed, slim fitting jeans (I’d go darker though) a slim tie (slim ties are where it’s at right now) but the look in that pic dies with the pocket square (too formal for the look, that dude is not pulling that off) the cuffed jeans (um, no) and the ratty looking canvas shoes (canvas shoes should be new, but even better a pair of brown leather slip ons)

You can punch that look up with a slim fitting hooded sweater/sweatshirt too, especially if it’s a zip up or a 1/4 zip pullover. It’s one of my favorites.

Oh, and grow a short beard, no goatees if you’re going for stylish.

55

  1. Fit is 90% of the battle. Go as small and tight as you can go without actually getting to “tight.” A lot of guys out there wearing XL shirts could easily be rocking mediums with room to spare.

  2. Absolutely figure out what YOU want to present and look like. I have my own unique style cribbed from several guys that I wanted to actively emulate, because every time I saw them I’d say, “damn, THAT’S what I want to look like!” Outside of job interviews, there are no rules and it’s about what you want to project about yourself. There are certain things I always think look terrible, no matter what - polo shirts for one, or those sort of pointy loafers that are really hot right now that make everyone look like Peter fucking Pan, or button-down collars under any circumstances - so I avoid them. At the same time, I will totally rock Monk straps, polyester as a material for anything, including pants, love paisley, pinstripes, etc. I once successfully scored while wearing a butterfly collar. It’s all about what you WANT to do, first and foremost.

  3. Know your audience, and work it. Know when to dress up, when to dress down, what works in what circumstance and how much you can push it. Like others said, I can practically look like a different person depending on my environment.

  4. Always peacock - a small touch here or there to get attention and stand out just a little bit - but just enough - from the next guy. Pink shoes with an otherwise normal casual outfit. A purple paisley pocket square in an otherwise conservative suit. An unconventional but awesome hat if you can pull it off. This will always be your friend unless you’re in the witness protection program. The aforementioned pink shoes led to no less than three women making first contact with me last time I went out.

56

I veto this suggestion with extreme prejudice.

57

Freejooky has some really good points within his post, and I think that there are some classic pieces that look good on many men:

  1. The button-down shirt: some men look good in a dressier button-down shirt, others look good in a slightly more casual Oxford style. It can be dressed up, dressed down, accessorized, and converted to a great many different types of looks. Personally, I think that they pair well with a plain t-shirt underneath or with the sleeves rolled up, but I’ve seen quite a few guys rock the button-down shirt with a fitted vest, a pair of suspenders, or contrasting sport jacket to add interest. Also, don’t go for the short sleeved ones; if it’s too warm to wear it with the cuffs at your wrists, roll them up-- it’s a better look than the Dilbert-esque short sleeve.

  2. A good pair of shoes: Freejooky commented on shoes already, and I think he’s got some good tips, but the one thing I think you should know is that the shoes should be flattering on your feet and “work” with your wardrobe. They should be of at least reasonably good quality and should be comfortable for you to walk around in all day. Since we’re getting to be of an age where we’re not likely to be playing sports all day (you know, that job thing gets in the way of it), our shoes should probably reflect that. (I know, I’m not a good candidate for this rule if you ever see me at work, but my Chucks are more comfortable than most dress shoes and I’ve got a barely business casual thing going on at work. Do as I say, not as I do.)

  3. A signature accessory: Now, this can be a little “out there”, but not so out there as to make you look strange. A hat can serve well (if you look good in hats), as could some of the accessories I mentioned paired with the button-down shirt, or a pocket watch/wristwatch. Just don’t go for, say, a neck scarf, as you’ll not only look silly but you’ll be sending out the wrong sort of cliche signals with it. This is an advanced dressing technique, so we’ll get to it later when you’ve got the basics down of looking good and comfortable in your clothes.

Also, the issue with facial hair is that, whether you have it or not, you should pick a style that looks good on you. Think of it as an extension of the hairstyle on top of your head; what looks good on others may look terrible on you, and vice versa.

58

I think that might be Mickey Rourke–just don’t go in the plastic surgery direction he did. If it’s he, he can pull off the tight tee since he’s a persona. :wink:

59

Maybe some aviator goggles too, Mystery?:smiley:
Polo shirts are tough. Depending on fit, style, build and what you wear with it, they can make you look like fat frat guy, IT support guy, preppy douche guy or gay fitness guy. I have a bunch of them though and they seem to work out fine for me.

Button down collars are a definite no no as they are “law firm casual Friday”.

Polyester? Unless you are going clubbing in Vegas or somewhere else where you want to look outrageous, you should really stick to natural fabrics - wool, cotton. leather, etc.

Are you talking about an actual winter scarf or an ascot?

60

Also, thanks to this thread, I’ve finally managed to figure out why half of my button-downs make me look fat. It’s because almost nobody sells them in a tailored (“athlethic”) fit which slims in the waist. Express, the store of skinny jeans and skinny shirts and thinning stripes and tight jackets, is the only store I can find that stocks my cut, and even then it’s maybe 1/5 of the rest of their stock.

But lord, I am so happy that I can now comfortably wear button-downs. Next time I go to europe, I am stocking up on clothes.