I have a ‘getaway’ with Five Four (and 3/4!) in June. We’ll be going out some evenings, not super dressy places, but I know she’ll look great and I’d like to pick up some new stuff since the dressiest I’ve had to be for a while is khaki shorts (not cargo!) or nice jeans and a polo with boat shoes.
I was considering a summer blazer, but it could very well be hot and sticky as hell, so I just don’t want to deal. We’ll just plan to eat somewhere that doesn’t require a jacket. So I guess what I’m looking for is something just below “jacket required.”
I’m tall (duh) and slender, but have decently broad shoulders. So I was going to start off with light weight and -colored chinos, but kind of got stuck there. Are short sleeves ok? Or long…I’m kind of used to having long sleeves 1/4 rolled since sleeves are too stupid short
Shoes? I found lots of nice-looking shoes, but I don’t want to over or undershoot the dressy level with the rest of my outfit.
And I ran across this wonderful, wonderful tall men’s clothing store today. Clothes for tall guys who don’t also have a 42" waist! Awesome!
So I’m eager to drop some dough on those guys, if there’s anything there that’s good.
I swear, I’ve said for a long time that if I win the lottery, I’m getting a personal dresser/shopper. I do ok looking as sharp as I need to for everyday, but I don’t like to have to research before I expand my horizons! :smack:
Don’t wear baggy stuff. Wear stuff that fits you, especially if you’re tall and skinny. If you can’t find something to fit off the rack, go to a tailor and have it tailored. Yes, even poor people.
Layer
Tiny printed shirts are in.
Socks are out, most shoes (not running shoes) are in. You can show some ankle in the summer. Short boots (“chukkas”) are cool if you’re wearing long pants.
You can do a jacket that’s not a sportscoat and it can still be stylish
Short sleeves are fine.
Accessorize with a belt, watch and maybe sunglasses
Make sure you get your hair a beard trimmed before you go
Please don’t wear a hat if your wife is dressed up
That site has a lot of nice basics and you can probably find pants there but I don’t see sexy-wife-worthy shirts or jackets.
This page has some pretty good info on summer wear, from shirts to cologne to hair to shoes. Not all of it will apply to Dress Up Day but it’s still good info.
What type of somewhere are you going to? Because if it’s tropical, Aloha shirts will definitely work. Linen shirts, long or short sleeve, can be dressy but not too dressy. Ditto for silk.
I have another sneaky idea: ask 5-4 what she thinks will work.
Get a summer weight blazer; they come as sheer as mosquito netting. Seersucker is really good for summer. Tell your tailor in general terms what you’re looking for. Light or white chinos.
Look, I already said in the OP that I know how to look sharp on a daily basis. I’d like to try something different for a change. :eek::D:dubious:
AND 3/4!!***
Ahh, I used to have 2 linen shirts…light green and light blue. They were my favorite summer shirts, but had to be retired because they pit-stained.
I ran it by Little last night, and as I expected she basically trusts me to dress myself. She also trusts me to dress our toddler and pick out paint colors and home decor, so…
Good ideas here, I think I was on the right track.
You say “your tailor” like I HAVE a tailor It would just be A tailor. Me saying I have a tailor would be like most people saying they’ll have “their lawyer” on you!
Your big changes sound a lot like tiny little tweaks to what you’re comfortable with now, to be honest.
Consider hitting the new tall guy shop and asking someone there for suggestions. Maybe they could put together two outfits for you, one they know you’ll like, and one outside of what you normally wear. Y’ know, just to shake things up a titch!
Once upon a time I used to get compliments on my sense of style ALL the time. But really, I had no sense of style. I’d just go to the store, tell the rep what event I’m trying to dress for, and they picked out all the clothes.
Some of them would really get into it too. They’d pick out the outfit, and by the time I got out of the dressing room, they would have a couple of more options waiting for me on the rack.
I’m only 6’-1", so I may have more of a selection to choose from, but my “uniform” for when I want to look nice but not sport-coat nice is:[ul]
[li]Jean-cut pants in some shade of tan,[/li][li]Long-sleeved , button-up, cotton shirt, in a bright-ish color or a colorful pattern,[/li][li]Brown leather moccasin-type shoes,[/li][li]Brown leather belt,[/li][li]Nice watch.[/li][/ul]
Keep the shirt un-tucked and roll up the sleeves a little, no socks with the shoes.
If you are tall and slender, don’t wear anything with too much volume. You don’t want skin-tight, but you do want fitted. Too much volume and you’ll just look sloppy.
If it’s more casual than that, then I’ll do an aloha shirt or a nice polo; something with some color or a pattern. Again, not too loose-fitting. One more step down on the formality and I’ll wear linen pants (usually a tan color), a solid color linen shirt, and decent sandals (not flip flops). These you would want a little blousier but, again, you don’t want to swim in them.
I live in Miami, which seems to be simultaneously a more stylish but less formal city than most, so YMMV. Still, seems to work out for most occasions.
Come to think of it, MY tailor (and here in Korea you can’t throw a rock without hitting a reasonably-priced custom tailor shop) is a fast-talking salesman with a measuring tape and an implied relationship with the guy who actually sews my suits together…
She also trusts me to dress our toddler and pick out paint colors and home decor, so…
