Ever since young I have a problem dressing neatly. Not stylish, just looking good with plain t-shirt and jeans. Clothes just don’t seem to fit me, it’s either too big or too small. The pants I get fit around the waist, but are too big for my thighs and legs.
Is there something obvious I am missing?
Your location: Tropics, not in the US.
Don’t know if you have any good fashion malls nearby, but if you went to one and found a good salesperson, they could help you a lot.
For instance, once you find a brand/size of jeans that fit both waist and butt, you know what to look for in other kinds of slacks.
Getting the right fit (not too tight in the waist) will allow you to tuck in a shirt and use a belt without looking either like a poorly stuffed sausage, or a sack of potatoes.
Then there are the basics - if you are heavy, avoid horizontal stripes; if you are thin, probably avoid vertical stripes. Bright colors work on some people, not on others - but in a tropical environment, it almost always works. Still, you should stick to colors that fit with your skin tone - if you are dark, go for the light colors - if you are light skinned, go for the darker colors. Generally, but not always, contrast is a good thing.
And lastly, just look around. Check out people of your gender who you think look good. If you are brave, ask where they shop. But nonetheless, checking them out will give you an idea of what to shop for.
Good luck, and by the fact that you are making the effort, chances are good you are starting to see what you need to do. Dressing nicely really helps boost your confidence and makes you feel better about yourself. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune, just be selective and know what you need and want.
One possibility for finding better-fitting pants: Many trousers and (especially) jeans come in different fits - classic, relaxed, etc. It could be that your jeans are that fuller “relaxed fit,” and that you’d find a better look with a classic or slim fit.
Huh. I don’t understand how jeans can fit you around the waist yet be big elsewhere. I’d suggest just trying on a variety of jeans in different cuts until you find one that fits best. Avoid skinny jeans unless you are confident you can pull them off (most people can’t, in my experience.)
My other piece of advice would be this: don’t wear shirts that are too big - they can look a bit sloppy.
I honestly haven’t look at what fit it is.
I just got a new pair of pants (not jeans, just causal stuff) which says ‘relaxed fit’. 33 inch is rather okay, but it’s just huge and roomy for the legs area. 32 inch does fit, but it’s rather tight.
That what prompts the post, anyway.
Just one more comment.
I lived in Germany for many years and they always complained that American Levi jeans didn’t fit well…to be honest, we have fat asses, unlike most Europeans.
Then they started to produce Levi’s in France and suddenly - voila - the jeans fit the Europeans.
As mentioned above, Levi’s (as a brand example) now sells various “fits” for different body types. Most other brand names do as well. Try the various styles until you find one that fits you.
Yep, there you go: “Relaxed fit” is made to be roomier in the butt and thighs. If you are proportionately slimmer through that area, avoid “relaxed fit.”
I’d also suggest finding a good tailor. Most people don’t really fit the ‘standard’ sizing available instore. The most stylish and elegant looking people will invariably have their clothes tailored to fit. This doesn’t need to be expensive (although jeans are a little trickier to adjust ‘seamlessly’) - I have a really small waist to hip ratio and always have to get the waists taken in on skirts and trousers - costs me in AUD 15-20 a time. Well worth the investment.
Sounds like you have my problem: too many fat people in the area. Because I’m surrounded by fatties, the stores around here always only carry relaxed or loose fit, which are like parachute pants on me. When I find slim fit, I buy them in bulk.
ps. Shirts are a different story. My shoulders should fit a M shirt, but because I’m tallish, I need to buy L otherwise I show off my bellybutton.
Try to find shirts that use the Asian fit system (100-150.) They tend to be a little thinner at the shoulders yet long at the midriff. I generally use 110-120. Also, sleeves tend to match sizes as well. To avoid having sleeves that end at your forearms, get shortsleeved shirts. They can be worn with a tie, and you can use a jacket if you need to dress business formal.
Really? I can’t tell what gender Crowbar of Irony +3 is but lot’s of women seem to have that problem. Lot’s (most?) of women have wider hips and butts than their waists, so if you’re a particularly straight woman you find a lot of pants that fit in the waist are too big elsewhere.
Anyway I agree the trick is to find a brand and style that work for you. Once you find one that fits they tend to stay fitting well.
Sorry that I have left out my gender and some important information - I’m male, and yes, from an Asian country. Most of the malls here have clothing shops, and some afford alteration service. Now a dumb question - what can they alter? Is that the same as tailor fit?
I am not thin or really lean by any stretch, but even S size shirt/t-shirt can be large for me. I guess it is easier to bulk see larger-size clothings in mass sales.
I don`t really think you should have t-shirts or jeans altered. It’s pretty excessive. Have you tried slim fit t-shirts and jeans? Slim fit, tailored fit, “custom” fit. That’s a better place to start.
Start by looking for shirts and tees in ‘slim fit’ - these tend to be narrower through the torso than standard sizing. Avoid anything with relaxed in the name - in terms of jeans a slim fit or straightcut could fit you better. Shop around and try different brands - sales assistants can be really helpful if they know their stock well. Try unisex - if they could fit a woman, the sizing may work better for you, e.g. these American Apparel tees seem to fit this guy pretty well, and he’s pretty skinny.
Given that jeans come in so many styles I would try to find the right one for you before adjusting. Tailoring/adjusting is better for shirts, pants etc. Find something that you like that almost fits you (e.g. wide enough across the shoulders but maybe a little too bulky through the torso) and get the small adjustments made so it fits you perfectly.
My experience is that clothes aimed at young people fit smaller, too, than clothes aimed for a more…mature audience.
Some of the indicators of neatness for guys is shirts that fit at the shoulder and at the neck. A big, gaping collar looks too big, and shoulder seams that hit halfway down your arm also look big and sloppy. Also, a shirt shouldn’t look like a sail - it should be skimming somewhere around your body (not clinging to it, but not billowing, either).
ETA: A shoulder seam should be right about the point of your shoulder.
I forgot to address the shoes - shoes should be clean, neat, and appropriate. Dress shoes with jeans usually looks stupid, and dirty, holey sneakers alway look sloppy. Save your dirty, holey shoes for gardening. The wrong shoes will always tend to make you look less put together.
I disagree with this. Sneakers are not to be worn with jeans, except a very limited type of sneaker. With jeans you want to wear loafers or another appropriately casual shoe.
Re: alterations: usually, there’s not much they can do. It’s relatively easy to make something shorter, but you can’t really make something larger.
Hmm, I find clean, tidy looking sneakers to be appropriate with jeans, but I can see your point.
One thing you can do to help the fit of your clothes. Shop. A lot. Try lots and lots of stuff on. This will be incredibly annoying. But the investment will pay off. You’ll eventually figure out which brands and styles are more likely to fit you.
And if you find something that does fit well, buy it in more than one color.
And yes, you can get jeans altered.
I would argue that you are both right, and both wrong. I would say that the shoes should match your top in level of casualness. If you are wearing a t-shirt with jeans then you would go with sneakers for a very casual look.
If you are wearing a nice polo or long sleave shirt then I would recommend a casual dress shoe.
Too dressy a shirt and shoes (like what you would wear with a suit) with jeans, IMHO looks a bit dorky in a sort of “I don’t know how to dress casual so I’m going to wear jeans instead of dress pants and leave everything else the same” sort of way. You know when I wear that? When I’m on a business trip and just want a comfortable pair of pants for after work and don’t feel like bringing my entire wardrobe.