I've never claimed to have any real sense of fashion. But honestly, I also never thought I was that bad at dressing myself.
That is, until I went to New York for the Intel Extreme Masters a couple months ago. I have a few old highschool friends who have done well for themselves, and live and work in New York, either on Wall Street, or lawyering, or doing something else trendy and high-paying.
So, naturally, I got together with them while I was there. I wore a normal Mr. Bitter outfit. Jeans. Sneakers. Hoody.
The first thing I heard was "what hobo did you beat up to steal that outfit?"
T.T
After that night, I talked to my good friend and colleague RotterdaM about it, expecting him to reassure me, but all he said is "well, you do kinda dress like a bum".
wtf...
Okay, so I admit it. I don't get this fashion thing. It was never a big deal to me, but as fate as deemed it necessary to grant me a job where looking nice is a big part of being successful, I guess its time to grow up and build a real wardrobe.
So that's exactly what I'm setting out to do. My Christmas present to myself is going to be the beginnings of that endeavor. But I have no idea where to start.
This is what I'm working with:
T-shirts, most of which were given to me by teams, event coordinators, and sponsors.
Jeans, all of which I bought when I was in highschool. (class of '03) I've got this really cool pair of jeans with holes, and stuff, and I thought they were really fashionable, but Germans just laugh at me when I wear them. T.T
Shoes: I own a pair of New Balance running shoes, which I wear every day, and some house slippers.
Hoodies/Sweaters: I've got a few of these too, but even I can tell they're not all that fashionable. On the up side, they're nice and warm.
Formal Wear: I do own a nice, tailored suit that my buddy had made for me. It's a dark grey. Almost black. Jacket and slacks. That's it.
And from here, I'm utterly clueless as to where to begin.
Rotti says I need new jeans, but I'm not all that sure where I should be shopping, or what styles are cool.
I definitely want to buy some new shoes and boots, but again, I don't really know where to begin and what to prioritize.
And everything else just feels foreign to me. I'm lost in all of this.
Yes, my girlfriend will help me in all of this, but as someone who has told me I look great for the last 5 years, I'm not sure I trust her judgement too much.
So I ask you, TeamLiquid, to help me out.
This is my Christmas present to myself, and I'm ready to spend a couple thousand bucks over 2-3 months getting this whole thing going. Maybe I can provide pics and video along the way.
Well, I would most certainly start with well fitted. I'm not talking skinnies (or am I?) but fitted is key. Notice all sharp looking people seem to just fit in their clothes and look too suave for life. Yeah. Post pics when your done!
So you go into the store... then look for things you like... and then you buy it.
Seriously, how can that be difficult? XD ... If you're looking for shops you should state the city and maybe someone will be able to jump in, or can give you onlineshops... But it's not that difficult.
People look best in clothes they like and feel comfortable with. If you're looking for clothing for interviews etc you should just check out proper stores or even contact a tailor!
On December 20 2011 22:59 Juliette wrote: Depends what look you're going for. How do you want to present yourself? ^^
Professional. Mature. Smart.
I don't want to dress like a highschool kid, or a frat boy.
On December 20 2011 23:00 KeksX wrote: So you go into the store... then look for things you like... and then you buy it.
Seriously, how can that be difficult? XD ... If you're looking for shops you should state the city and maybe someone will be able to jump in, or can give you onlineshops... But it's not that difficult.
People look best in clothes they like and feel comfortable with. If you're looking for clothing for interviews etc you should just check out proper stores or even contact a tailor!
On December 20 2011 23:00 KeksX wrote: So you go into the store... then look for things you like... and then you buy it.
Seriously, how can that be difficult? XD ... If you're looking for shops you should state the city and maybe someone will be able to jump in, or can give you onlineshops... But it's not that difficult.
People look best in clothes they like and feel comfortable with. If you're looking for clothing for interviews etc you should just check out proper stores or even contact a tailor!
The clothes I like got me labeled as a hobo
WHAT LOL !
Okay, if that is the case maybe you REALLY need help. Where do you plan to shop all this? Onlineshops? Specific city? It's easier to talk about buying clothes if we know what is reachable for you and what not. A weekend in madrid will be different than an evening shop in a random city in germany.
On December 20 2011 23:00 KeksX wrote: So you go into the store... then look for things you like... and then you buy it.
Seriously, how can that be difficult? XD ... If you're looking for shops you should state the city and maybe someone will be able to jump in, or can give you onlineshops... But it's not that difficult.
People look best in clothes they like and feel comfortable with. If you're looking for clothing for interviews etc you should just check out proper stores or even contact a tailor!
The clothes I like got me labeled as a hobo
WHAT LOL !
Okay, if that is the case maybe you REALLY need help. Where do you plan to shop all this? Onlineshops? Specific city? It's easier to talk about buying clothes if we know what is reachable for you and what not. A weekend in madrid will be different than an evening shop in a random city in germany.
Yea, I definitely don't want to go shopping in Madrid...
Just something with the times that I can find here in Cologne, or maybe in Dusseldorf if I really have to posh it up.
A nice button-down shirt (like a suit shirt), keep the top two buttons undone. Collar should be a little high, but not popped. Jeans or slacks go well with it. You look serious but fashionable. A mix between hobo and businessman. No tie. Nice shoes if slacks, sneakers if jeans. Shirt tucked in.
Do what I do, walk into a men's clothing store, a good one (you need some new clothes most likely). Let some chick working there play dress-up with you. You can't miss.
Straight men aren't supposed to know what outfits look good, don't worry about it too much.
On December 20 2011 22:59 Juliette wrote: Depends what look you're going for. How do you want to present yourself? ^^
Professional. Mature. Smart.
I don't want to dress like a highschool kid, or a frat boy.
First you need basics then. Some slacks, khakis, etc. Button up shirts in bright colors for work, darker ones for more formal things, going out, etc. Ties. I'm sure you have a blazer, I see it in casts! A coat, if you're in a cold place. Dark jeans.
I'd continue by looking at pictures of smart, professional people and see how they dress. For example:
(I picked him because a lot of my friends think he's hot OO)
He seems to be wearing a dress shirt often enough, so go with that! Pick colors you like but that compliment. Get dress shoes for everyday use.
Basically wear parts of a suit everyday lol, make it look casual.
I don't know about department stores in EU, but if you head to US and go to nordstrom, macy's, etc you can literally just go up to the men's section and ask one of the guys to help you redesign your wardrobe. Tell him what you want.
Price wise it can get expensive but you said you wanted to spend a few thousand over the next few months so....
Department store prices tend to be 50-100$ for each shirt/tie/pants, more for coats and jackets. But you can go to mark down stores (in US, nordstrom rack, for example) and get nearly the same quality there. Of course, this is if you want high quality :O.
You can also just go to individual stores at the mall and look for things that you like.
Men's fashion magazines help.
(man i sound like a snob)
edit:
After this consider finding 1 guy that you can go to that will do your hair. long term investment - your hair guy will make you look good so you have to build up a working relationship. I mean this is less money involved (though hair cuts from good stylists can be expensive - 20-30$), but its very good to have
Basic well fitting non-bleached/ripped jeans. A shirt not made of felt or mixed synthetics. Iron it. Yes, iron it. Jacket over short sleeves, vest over long sleeves. Don't wear shoes with over logos, don't wear work out shoes to any event where you want to look good. An eye catching watch is always a plus, but don't go overboard, don't let the watch outclass everything else you're wearing. More cleanly shaven, yes, we notice your shadows of sideburns xD.
This is me assuming you want to look casually suave. You know, rather than Day[9] Forbes 30 under 30 SEXY.
If you find anything really swanky around here, you definitely need to share it. I'm similarly stuck on combinations of nerdy t-shirts and jeans and would love to know where I can buy something in the area that's nice looking but not preppy and crazy expensive.
We both need new jeans. Strait leg, dark dark blue jeans with those 'fancy' wash out patches on the thighs are considered 'fasionable'. No holes and a nice black leather belt. T-shirts and hoodies can be okay, hoodies from American apparel are nice and non-bum like. I'm a fan of solid colours. T-shirts should fit you properly tho and you should buy ones you like. zip up hoodies are often less bum like. A lot of the bum like appearance can be from baggy shirts and sweaters. For going out to dinner the same jeans and a 'button-down' shirt are appropriate. I say 'button-down' cause its a collard cuffed almost dress shirt but not quite, just a little more casual then a 'dress' shirt. You can tuck it in or not depending on how well your belt fits/looks and how well dressed you want to look. I think the most important thing is that everything has to fit nice: Jeans off the ground but over the shoe, t-shirt over the belt but not covering the whole pocket, a little tight around your manly chest, sleeves of appropriate length, etc, etc.
tl;dr: new nice looking jeans and good fitting shirts. EDIT: get yourself a sweet pair of shoes too. especially if your interested in attracting women. running shoes are fine but brand names are important.
On December 20 2011 23:00 KeksX wrote: So you go into the store... then look for things you like... and then you buy it.
Seriously, how can that be difficult? XD ... If you're looking for shops you should state the city and maybe someone will be able to jump in, or can give you onlineshops... But it's not that difficult.
People look best in clothes they like and feel comfortable with. If you're looking for clothing for interviews etc you should just check out proper stores or even contact a tailor!
The clothes I like got me labeled as a hobo
WHAT LOL !
Okay, if that is the case maybe you REALLY need help. Where do you plan to shop all this? Onlineshops? Specific city? It's easier to talk about buying clothes if we know what is reachable for you and what not. A weekend in madrid will be different than an evening shop in a random city in germany.
This was stated in OP.
On December 20 2011 23:06 Chargelot wrote: A nice button-down shirt (like a suit shirt), keep the top two buttons undone. Collar should be a little high, but not popped. Jeans or slacks go well with it. You look serious but fashionable. A mix between hobo and businessman. No tie. Nice shoes if slacks, sneakers if jeans. Shirt tucked in.
This works very well. A lot of my relaxed, wise male teachers dress exactly as such. Sometimes with a cardigan over but that makes me lol, but still works very well when applied correctly. Maybe you shouldn't be taking advice from someone in a an oversized knitted hoodie :D Gosh this thing is itchy.
You will find yourself at a gravve crossroad; which pants to buy. Never buy anything pre-ripped as it is effectively useless for work. You're gonna need a few pairs of casual but stylish black pants, while keeping in mind you also need non-black stylish pants. By stylish I mean somewhere between not-wedding-material and Best-man-material. As such, you can wear them anywhere and you will have the most versatile pants on the block. IMO, good pair of pants are hard to come buy dese days bro.
I second the "fitted" or "slim fit" look suggestion for anything you buy. It's what gives men a modern look nowadays.
If you're looking for dress/professional work shirts that look good for work or play and are still fashionable, try Nordstrom (or, better yet, Nordstrom Rack, their outlet stores). Their customer service is considered the best and their return policy can't be beat. If you want to try on ANYTHING, even wrapped up, pinned up stuff, just bring it to the dressing rooms and the people will help you with a smile. Since the customer service is so good and patient, you can really give yourself time to find out what kind of style fits your body type without feeling pressured to gtfo or buy anything.
If you're looking for dress/professional work shirts that look good for work or play and are still fashionable, try Nordstrom (or, better yet, Nordstrom Rack, their outlet stores). Their customer service is considered the best and their return policy can't be beat. If you want to try on ANYTHING, even wrapped up, pinned up stuff, just bring it to the dressing rooms and the people will help you with a smile. Since the customer service is so good and patient, you can really give yourself time to find out what kind of style fits your body type without feeling pressured to gtfo or buy anything.
Check out Levi's 511 line of pants and jeans for a slim yet not super skinny style. Their 511 khakis can be dressed up or down easily and look modern. You can also find them on sale quite often, otherwise you're paying around $60 for a pair, which isn't terrible but isn't really a great price, either. Try them on in a store, find out your preferred size and you can try to find a sale online. The outlet stores also carry these jeans often but I can never find the pants.
My 2 cents. I'm not a fashion expert either but in the past year I've gone through a similar transformation that you are contemplating now. Good luck man, I have a lot of respect for your work!
On December 20 2011 23:00 KeksX wrote: So you go into the store... then look for things you like... and then you buy it.
Seriously, how can that be difficult? XD ... If you're looking for shops you should state the city and maybe someone will be able to jump in, or can give you onlineshops... But it's not that difficult.
People look best in clothes they like and feel comfortable with. If you're looking for clothing for interviews etc you should just check out proper stores or even contact a tailor!
The clothes I like got me labeled as a hobo
WHAT LOL !
Okay, if that is the case maybe you REALLY need help. Where do you plan to shop all this? Onlineshops? Specific city? It's easier to talk about buying clothes if we know what is reachable for you and what not. A weekend in madrid will be different than an evening shop in a random city in germany.
Yea, I definitely don't want to go shopping in Madrid...
Just something with the times that I can find here in Cologne, or maybe in Dusseldorf if I really have to posh it up.
As it is always hard to just write about clothing and I could go on forever about what you might and might not like, I'll just give you some hints about shopping clothes in Germany. You should really check these shops out yourself and maybe get a partner(Rotterdam?) with you to tell you if you look like a Hobo or not. I hope that will help you at least a bit!
So as you might already know there are shops like KIK where you have really cheap clothes that don't look decent at all and are mostly for kids/teenagers. Then you have something like C&A where you sometimes CAN get more "mature" stuff but it's still mostly for kids/teenagers/women. Guys have a hard time there finding clothes that don't look like your mom bought it for you. You WILL find good stuff there, it's just harder to find and will take a lot of time as their main focus are women/teenagers... These shops include C&A, Esprit, H&M and all these others big retail chains.
What you want is a so called "Herrenausstatter". These shops specifically have clothing for men(sometimes women, too. But men are their focus). Not only suits but often times "accessoires" and everyday clothing as well. You should give google maps a try and just look for generic things like "herrenausstatter köln" and just find shops that you'd want to give a visit. Often times tailors run these shops as well so you can even get personalized suits if you want that. (Yea Herrenausstatter are also the ones that make grooms clothing but just in some rare cases they only have these things)
As for cologne specific... One good thing is to just randomly ask people that are familiar with the city. I am not sadly because I was only there once and didn't have the time to look out for good shops that I don't already know.
If finding clothes that suit you is hard, make sure you get in really good shape. It gives you the luxury of 'pulling off' jeans with a t-shirt.
But I'm eighteen and you're ... older. So I'd recommend copying someone like Ryan Gossling. Start getting serious about what you wear, treat it like your health or Starcraft, get a gym membership AND DON'T SKIMP ON HAIR. Go to a hairstylist and get all the fancypancy shit.
On December 20 2011 23:00 KeksX wrote: So you go into the store... then look for things you like... and then you buy it.
Seriously, how can that be difficult? XD ... If you're looking for shops you should state the city and maybe someone will be able to jump in, or can give you onlineshops... But it's not that difficult.
People look best in clothes they like and feel comfortable with. If you're looking for clothing for interviews etc you should just check out proper stores or even contact a tailor!
I met my first wife by asking a gay friend to take me shopping to improve my wardrobe.
Barring that option, here's what I got, I hope it helps.
~looks at what you mention and sees what I remember~
Shoes: Basic black all over. Every guy should own a pair of these. They go with everything except when sneakers are needed.
You can probably get a pair for < $30 at Wal-Mart.
Pants: Jeans are always a dilemma. I love my jeans but they don't fall into business casual even. If you must do the jeans thing, go for blue or black, as solid and non-faded as possible. As for all the funky cuts and loose and etc, don't worry about it. Go for the basics, unless you know XYZ thing compliments you.
Pants Plan B: If you avoid jeans is slacks, black and blue are your friends. If you go with slacks, socks should be black. Hell, black belt, black slacks, black socks and black shoes...that means you're doing it right. The belt, socks, etc, pretty much go with any top except t-shirts and even then you can still get away with a T + those.
Tops: This tends to be where the variety comes from in the male wardrobe. Honestly, my opinion here is go with nice jeans + T or if you go nicer than that, solid shirts in basic colors...red, white, blue, green, etc. Avoid patterns if you don't have a good eye for what works for you. Basically this will give you this kind of hierarchy.
Jeans + T: Casual.
Slacks + Polo: Business Casual.
Button Down Shirt + Slacks: Business Casual with +1 Upgrade.
Button Down Shirt + Slacks + Tie: Business.
Suit (ask for help in a mens' suit store, like Men's Wearhouse): Semi-Formal.
Get a few button up long sleeve shirts. T shirts are fine for around the house and going to the store (or casual streaming like HSC). Some sweaters to wear (sometimes over the shirts). V-neck and/or ones with a few buttons (that you don't actually button up).
A few new jeans (relaxed or fitted - nothing too skinny or too baggy, the bottom should be able to fit over your shoe but not drag in the back). Try darker jeans too, and nothing with holes or pre-bleached or w/e (you're not going for punk/grunge).
You want some sort of boots (esp winter). Preferably a black pair and a brown pair.
A good rule of thumb would also be this: If some buddies asked you to join them for a game of football/basketball etc would you be comfortable in what you're wearing? Unless the answer is "NO" you're probably have the 'wrong' clothes on.
(I'll try to edit later after talking to my wife lol)
For reference... I went from a T-shirt, lose jeans and sneakers guy to what I'm describing after I started dating my wife and getting some fashion advice from her and some friends. There's a lot you can do to still feel comfortable and not look too formal while looking very good and "smart".
I would say you should spend you money on shoes & jeans/slacks, if you got that down it's okay if you wear cheap shirts. It's okay to wear sweaters but my advise would be to get some without hoods on, or maybe some in wool. As for shirts it seems that with they style you're aiming for it would be with buttons > without buttons.
If your fashion sense was as good as you casting you would be pwning in Paris ;-)
Come on Mr.Bitter, has Starcraft taught you nothing?? :p
People could send information your way until our fingers fall off, but the only way to improve or get better is to take an active role. When one first ventures to learn Starcraft you start off by copying a standard build and improving on your mechanics (roughly speaking). Applying this to fashion, you should start off by reading design and fashion blogs (there are tons of them over the internet), looking for a style that you like. Straight up copy something that you like, work at replicating the look and style over a period of time. Then you can practice a bunch of different builds styles for different occasions until you are comfortable with them. Finally, once you have gained a certain level of mastery you can truly start branching on your own. At least, that's my take on it.
I personally am pretty early in this journey my self, but it's pretty rewarding imo. I think a good way to "practice" is to comment (in your head, or if you're Artosis, in your Fashion Notebook) on what you see on the street. Think about what you like, what you think looks good, mock others who clearly don't know anything, (no-homo) check out guys who have great style, ect. ect.
On December 20 2011 23:27 MrBitter wrote: Ah, cool. Some really nice advice here.
People really don't like the facial hair, eh?
Fuck, I'm out of touch.
Oh, and I forgot to mention: Those specific shops for men often have people saying "Guys I don't know shit please help me" and they will help you for free and even take you to other shops sometimes, so just find a good one in your area and you can even get professional advice. You might need a translator though because I'm not sure if you want to deal with the average german's english.
Just kidding (though if she really likes you and hates your clothes she'll tell you what you look good wearing )
Go shopping with Rotti. Tell him to show you where to get a nice pair of jeans. Then just look for nice simple but classy shirts. Hoodies aren't all bad, I mean there are some nice ones out there from places like United Colors of Beneton. When I went on a trip to europe I got two really nice simple hoodies (zip up hooded). They go well with a nice jacket (leather for example).
Don't completely turn your back on the casual wear you like you just need to find nice classy casual as a style that works for you. Maybe a simple button down shirt that fits well but you dont button up the whole way and a nice complimentary colour undershirt and a blazer with jeans.
On December 20 2011 22:59 Juliette wrote: Depends what look you're going for. How do you want to present yourself? ^^
Professional. Mature. Smart.
I don't want to dress like a highschool kid, or a frat boy.
First you need basics then. Some slacks, khakis, etc. Button up shirts in bright colors for work, darker ones for more formal things, going out, etc. Ties. I'm sure you have a blazer, I see it in casts! A coat, if you're in a cold place. Dark jeans.
I'd continue by looking at pictures of smart, professional people and see how they dress. For example:
(I picked him because a lot of my friends think he's hot OO)
He seems to be wearing a dress shirt often enough, so go with that! Pick colors you like but that compliment. Get dress shoes for everyday use.
Basically wear parts of a suit everyday lol, make it look casual.
I don't know about department stores in EU, but if you head to US and go to nordstrom, macy's, etc you can literally just go up to the men's section and ask one of the guys to help you redesign your wardrobe. Tell him what you want.
Price wise it can get expensive but you said you wanted to spend a few thousand over the next few months so....
Department store prices tend to be 50-100$ for each shirt/tie/pants, more for coats and jackets. But you can go to mark down stores (in US, nordstrom rack, for example) and get nearly the same quality there. Of course, this is if you want high quality :O.
You can also just go to individual stores at the mall and look for things that you like.
Men's fashion magazines help.
(man i sound like a snob)
edit:
After this consider finding 1 guy that you can go to that will do your hair. long term investment - your hair guy will make you look good so you have to build up a working relationship. I mean this is less money involved (though hair cuts from good stylists can be expensive - 20-30$), but its very good to have
Go with this. She knows what shes talking about.
From a guys point of view, there is a line between casual and business. Polo Shirts, button up shirts, slacks, khaki's, all of that can fit well into a nice looking outsit.
Buttoned up Dress Shit with sleeves rolled, dress pants/khaki's, nice pair of shoes. Other things that might help - nice watch, a clean cut. All these add to a good image.
Saw someone post previously about no facial hair. If you keep your facial hair trimmed/styled, there is nothing wrong with it, save there is a situation where it's required (IE: an interview).
well if you want to dress casually just check out h&m, a jack&jones store or peek&cloppenburg in dusseldorf.
for summer this year i got a pair of "fake converse chucks" which costed about 20 euros in black, a brown leather belt and tons of v-necks for about 9 euros. all in all that costed me about maybe 60 euros.
if you want to be in trend this year you can try some chinos, they're pretty cool but its a question of taste. you can get them very cheap for about 30 euros a pair. i only got 3 of them but they look pretty cool compared the stuff i mentioned before.
just a few posts above someone posted that pic of jaedong/bisu. thats probably how 90% of all people are running around in my small town, you can dress up like that for less then 100 euros. i can garantuee you that.
if you dont like to go shopping you can also get some pretty decent stuff at topman.com . there you can get tons of really cool clothes which dont cost that much, they shipped to germany 3 times this year for me and 2 friends.
I would succgest you to invest in Quality and not Quantity. Therfor forget all the random crap people advise like H&M & such. If you are looking for a big change and look really DECENT I recommend you Hugo Boss for jeans & armani (125 /175€). Same thing with Hilfiger for anything else. Any decent italian leather jacket cobined with armani shoes. This might be a little bit over the top and you'll need time to get used to it, as it is a big change from your casual wardrobe toi have!
You will look classy and attract attention around you. Rotterdam will look miserable, as he is dutch and dutch people are usually miserable looking because they hate spending money and tend to stick to orange anyway
here is some help fo yo fashionless butt. This will keep you cool and hot during the upcoming winter.
Shoes: (very important, especially when judged by women) Camper Industrial Raiguer Winter Pants: (keep it simple) option 1 - grey chino - option 2 - blue jeans tshirt: (here you are free to choose. as long as it you follow some basic rules. pants and shirt should never have the same color. there are exceptions, but as a nooby, you follow the no-same-colors rule. and as always - keep it simple) sweatshirt or similar: (I prefer zipper jackets or long shirts) option 1 - option 2 jacket: (you don`t want to freeze and to prevent that, your jacket needs to keep the wind and water out. Just follow that rule and pick whatever style you like) option 1 - classy - option 2 - sporty
bam, you`re done!
remember, when you´re not into fashion - don`t try to fake it. and btw. applications of any kind suck. just get a good, but simple product and you`re good to go.
On December 21 2011 00:03 RaGe wrote: I really recommend http://www.asos.com . British site, really nice clothes, they handle returns really nicely and it's not too expensive.
I can second that! I get a lot of clothes from ASOS (especially when i'm feeling lazy and can't be bothered to look around stores).
Ultimately you need to feel comfortable with whatever you're wearing, so I wouldn't reccommend on completely changing your "style" in one pop. Take the time to look around a variety of stores (I live in the UK, so I don't really know what options you have in Germany) and more importantly take your girlfriend/rotterdam (or both!?) with you to get second opinions on the stuff you like. Same goes for anything you see online.
For event casting, I honestly think a full suit is too formal. If I had your job, I would wear a nice smart polo shirt, or checked shirt like:
With a smart pair of jeans. What I mean by smart is usually... dark in colour, no rips/holes/stained effect patches (this isn't 2004 anymore!) and either Slim fit or Straight Leg. This is just my personal opinion but bootcut jeans look old fashioned, skinny jeans only look good on emo's/hipsters/skateboarders and flares, well, yeah...
Something like this would be great (note, they aren't actually green):
For the shoes, it's honestly worth spending a fair amount of cash. Brands like Hugo Boss, Diesel, Armani etc. are "generally" very expensive for a reason. Aside from the quality of the leather and materials, they tend to last a LOT longer than a similar shoe of a cheap brand (provided you look after them). Something like this would go well with what I picked out above:
You could additionally add a skinny black tie with the shirt in an attempt to look slightly more formal, but honestly.. this outfit alone would look bawsy on any caster
Edit: If the event is cold, or you just prefer to wear something over t-shirts/shirts, I would reccomend a nice cardigan like this. The "knitted" chunky style is very popular right now, and also keeps you nice and warm!
Few outfits really look particularly "good" or "complete" with just one layer. Even with a good shirt and a good pair of pants, it will look mostly plain and dull. With proper layering and accessories, plain clothing suddenly becomes part of a more exciting package. I would say don't worry so much about what clothes you have, worry more about how you're wearing them.
There's no quick and easy way to figure out what's the best way to combine any types of clothing, and experimentation will have to occur, but a few general tips:
-Gets lots of thin, plain coloured T-shirts (black, white, grey) and thin long-sleeve shirts, which will be used mostly as undershirts. You can basically say that these are your "foundation" for a good looking, causal outfit. -anything with a collar will make a good over-shirt, I personally find they look best and feel most comfortable 3/4ths buttoned. Suit-style dress shirt for a more serious look, basic stripe and (my favourite) flannel shirts for a more causal (but still stylish) look.
Yes, flannel. With a good undershirt and a good pair of jeans, no one will be conjuring sterotypes of lumberjacks. Flannel is really popular now in many clothing stores. -If you live in a colder region, pull-overs (with zippers, to show off your layers of course ^^). -A plain black jacket can also do wonders. It goes well with just about anything (except completely black undershirts) and you can alternate between "serious" and "causal" depending on what sort of undershirt you wear. Tasteless's and Artosis's only partically "good" or "fashionable" clothing seems to be their black jackets, but they always look professional even if they're just wearing "geek" or "plain" shirts underneath. (seriously, go watch and GSL VOD and they follow a pretty strict formula of geeky t-shirt under black jacket).
Accessories: Knowing how to wear accessories is a bit harder and depends a lot on what sort of "look" you are going for. That said, a good hat does a lot in terms of improving an outfit and establishing yourself as an individual: a hat makes you stand out and becomes memorable. I personally am something of a toque guy (beanies in american english? ski-hat? I don't really know what word americans would use for what I like to wear). Which works well for many causal outfits. Obviously, you wouldn't want a very heavy one if you plan on wearing it in warmer areas. Other good options are: fedors, those old-timey boxer hats, russian fur hats in winter. Basically google "fashionable hats for men" to get an idea of what sort of hat you would like to wear.
Scarves are also a fantastic accessory, especially in colder climates where they also serve a functional purpose (makes them look less "try hard", which can happen if you wear scarves in really warm weather).
I've never been a big fan of watches--hate them actually--but there's clearly lots of people who disagree with me.
Necklaces/chains: Also hate them and almost always find them to look try hard, but definitely could compliment certain outfits.
That's basically the wisdom I've acquired in my own journey in trying to look less like a bum. A good way to get ideas is actually just to walk around malls and look at what the mannequins are wearing. You'll often notice that they are often wearing outfits with layers, and you can either directly copy their combinations, or derive from them basic principals of what would look good with what.
Last bit of advice: If you really want to change your style, you have to be willing to go outside your comfort zone. Often, people keep wearing the clothes/style they wore in highschool because that's what they feel "comfortable" in. You only feel comfortable because you've wore it so many times before. You'll grow to be comfortable in just about anything as long as you are a bit confident.
EDIT: for shoes, just avoid colored sneakers for most things. All-black shoes go with everything and are your best bet. Those black causal shoes that waiters often wear are both comfortable and look like dress-shoes enough that you'll never feel under-dressed in just about any situation.
Scarves are also a fantastic accessory, especially in colder climates where they also serve a functional purpose (makes them look less "try hard", which can happen if you wear scarves in really warm weather).
yes please, scarves are awesome. But keep it simple
I feel like i should reply to the guy above me, cause he seems baller.
For watches/necklaces, make sure you get them in the same color (yellow gold, or white gold/silver). At least, if you get metal. A cross if you're religious is usually ok, i wear one all the time in fact, but otherwise just a plain one to be worn under everything is nice ^^.
Gotta say, this blog has been very helpful to me, will be definitely taking notes as my wardrobe looks pretty much the same as MrBitter's (except I have more work clothes).
On a sidenote, I'm pleasantly surprised no one has said anything like, "I'm a fashion designer at xxx" or "I model for xxx" with their advice :D (the sc2 strategy equivalent of "I'm mid masters" lol)
The secret is in the fit more than the actual piece of clothing. The standard jeans + tshirt + hoody can look very good if the clothes are well fitted. Ive seen the Levis 511 mentionned a few times here, +1 for those pants as they arent very expensive and a good exemple of what a "modern" fit looks like.
Do please buy a Tux. hoTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.
In seriousness, lots of good advice has already come through in this thread. I have to say that my husband owns exactly one pair of jeans. They are for working - like, time to go paint a house, or time to go chop some wood. He never wears jeans. He buys Dockers slacks. He has four different colors and they are fitted. Therefore he always is looking good. (Yes, I may be a tad biased but whatever.) He wears slacks with polos to work. (Polos are shirts with a collar - unpopped!) In the winter, throw a sweater on top of the polo, and fix your collar so that it folds down over the sweater. You're all set and looking good!
You definitely need a nice suit, which you already have, so that's awesome. Go get about 5 button-up shirts and 2-3 ties to wear under that. If you feel adventurous go get yourself a bow tie and learn to tie it.
Good Luck! Please post pics after your shopping spree. :-) And Merry Christmas!
For shirts I can recommend this German site: http://www.olympshop.de/ Very good German quality dress shirts you don't have to iron. Personally I can't live without my collection of OLYMP Luxor slimline shirts. Have Rotterdam measure up some things like your arm lenght, breastwith, waist and neck and go on an online shopping spree
I would succgest you to invest in Quality and not Quantity. Therfor forget all the random crap people advise like H&M & such. If you are looking for a big change and look really DECENT I recommend you Hugo Boss for jeans & armani (125 /175€). Same thing with Hilfiger for anything else. Any decent italian leather jacket cobined with armani shoes. This might be a little bit over the top and you'll need time to get used to it, as it is a big change from your casual wardrobe toi have!
You will look classy and attract attention around you. Rotterdam will look miserable, as he is dutch and dutch people are usually miserable looking because they hate spending money and tend to stick to orange anyway
jeans: if you want low end stuff, just get levi 514, 521 or 511(skinnier). you look pretty skinny so i recommend 511. or APC and naked and famous but a bit more expensive. look for dark blue colors.
chinos: dockers are good for low end stuff. get the alphas.
shoes/boots: white sneakers (chucks, vans) are super versatile. others stuffs i recommend are allen edmonds, red wing beckmans or aldens. you can wear them casually or with suits.
shirts: get some oxfords button downs i guess. the ones where you can button the collar
suits: just make sure your tailor is good. i know places like men's warehouse don't tailor that well, they put you in stuff that's too large. fit is king, it can make a $1billion suit look bad and a $100 suit look perfect. fit is king for every type of clothing.
brands (disclaimer: im a college student in america): zara, uniqlo, j crew, brooks brothers, lands end. a lot of these brands have sales frequently. never try to buy something at full price, be patient.
Some nice fitted t-shirts, some regular jeans and a nice, expensive blazer. Maybe a sexy haircut would help? Accessories are also an awesome option, and I reckon you'd fit a slightly metrosexual look. Maybe a ring or two, a necklace, a fancy watch, some bracelets (events you've been too often give sick bracelets [my dreamhack one will be on forever more :D]).
Shoes are a funny one, because I can never find nice shoes. Boat shoes suit some people? or slipons, but personally I hate them. Vintage trainers can be a good look, but don't go for actual running shoes like new balance. Because you look a bit older, perhaps brogues or dress shoes would suit you better.
My advice is, pick a guy of a similar look/body type to you and copy them. Literally copy everything they wear and do. Personally, I copy Tasteless, because he's the sexiest man in eSports, but I'm a bit skinnier than him, but with bigger shoulders, so I look for things that accentuate my slim waist. Googling "Men's fashion" can give you some websites with great tips too, there's a reddit for it, and if you have a lot of money to spend, Men's health have some good outfits (albeit they tend to be really expensive).
Being clueless about fashion kind of sucks. I went down the path that you are right now a few years ago when I realized I had no idea what I was doing when it comes to fashion. In the end though, I came right back to where I started, not caring at all (although with perhaps a bit more knowledge). I wear t-shirt/casual buttoned long shirt and jeans with sneakers pretty much exclusively because that's what I like to wear. Anything else I wear makes me uncomfortable and feel awkward, so I quit worrying about it.
Don't worry too much about it. My only rule is to make sure my clothes fit and are clean, and inside this rule I wear whatever the hell I want without regard to anyone's opinion (note this doesn't apply to work/interviews, obviously).. There are far more important things to worry about in life. If you like to wear hoodies, wear em and be happy about it! If people say you look like a hobo, laugh and then proceed to not give a fuck.
I would succgest you to invest in Quality and not Quantity. Therfor forget all the random crap people advise like H&M & such. If you are looking for a big change and look really DECENT I recommend you Hugo Boss for jeans & armani (125 /175€). Same thing with Hilfiger for anything else. Any decent italian leather jacket cobined with armani shoes. This might be a little bit over the top and you'll need time to get used to it, as it is a big change from your casual wardrobe toi have!
You will look classy and attract attention around you. Rotterdam will look miserable, as he is dutch and dutch people are usually miserable looking because they hate spending money and tend to stick to orange anyway
hahahahah, best post in the thread by far.
LOL! Best advice in this thread, that and the one from Iceland explaining accessories. But tbh if you wanna look professional I recommend looking at facial hair/hairstyle too. Jinro looked like a bum hairwise before he went to Korea, now he looks like the fucking Gorilla Terran!
My best advice as a fashionable swedish guy(yeah, we dress best in Europe!) is to enter a store with nice brands such as Hugo Boss, Tiger of Sweden, J.Lindeberg etc.. And ask the ppl working there to help you, they will make u try a lot of stuff and if you like it, buy it! The trick is to take your time, they won't give you clothes that you like every time. Maybe not even half of the time.
It's always healthy to do some research on cloth sites on the web, look for brands you like etc.. But typically Italian and North European brands equals fashionable and professional.
On December 21 2011 02:24 trias_e wrote: Don't worry about it. My only rule is to make sure my clothes fit and are clean, and inside this rule I wear whatever the hell I want without regard to anyone's opinion (note this doesn't apply to work/interviews, obviously).. There are far more important things to worry about in life. If you like to wear hoodies, wear em and be happy about it!
Normally I'd agree with you, but given the way e-sports is growing, I occasionally find myself in positions where how I'm perceived can have significant effects on not just me, but on our industry.
In other words: I don't want to cast a bad image on gamers because I'm always walking around in a hoody, and ten-year-old jeans. Some sponsors will never take us seriously if that's how we present ourselves.
On December 20 2011 23:27 MrBitter wrote: Ah, cool. Some really nice advice here.
People really don't like the facial hair, eh?
Fuck, I'm out of touch.
Oh, and I forgot to mention: Those specific shops for men often have people saying "Guys I don't know shit please help me" and they will help you for free and even take you to other shops sometimes, so just find a good one in your area and you can even get professional advice. You might need a translator though because I'm not sure if you want to deal with the average german's english.
This is rapidly becoming a truly epic thread. So much great advice.
I think I need to plan a shopping date with my wife at a Herrenausstatter sometime soon. Anyone else in the Düsseldorf/Köln area? Maybe we can do a mass manly fashion TL meetup :D
Edit: By the way, for formal occasions there's really nothing more excellent than a top hat. I have a real (read: €300-ish) top hat that I got for my wedding, and it's just the most awesome thing ever.
Something maybe like this? All you really need is a nice pair of well fitted jeans, a nice top (could be a sweater of some sort, button up, even flannel, or just a nice plain tee like in the pic), and nice jacket to complete the look! Good luck yo, you should post pics when you get a new outfit or something.
I'd say a nice pair of fitted slacks, any Docs or anything like that should do nicely.
I primarily wear dark ones / shades of grey / black, they tend to go with a lot of things and can look well in most situations. But a few pairs of light ones can't hurt.
As far as shirts go, like a lot of people have said, long sleeved button down shirts look the sharpest, but roll up the sleeves, or leave a few top ones unbuttoned to not look like a frumperton. Van Heusen makes great looking (and affordable) business shirts like that, that look good enough to wear out for the evening, but also not expensive, so you're worried about wearing them and spilling something on them.
I realize you said you were looking around cologne, but i'm not sure of the brands there (it's been too long since i was in germany for a summer ).
A pair of nice shoes won't have a deep shine to them, here's where i tend to struggle the most, so i'll let someone else take care of it.
As far as watches go, don't get a rolex or a folex, unless you want to spend a ton on watches. If you're wearing a rolex, and your regular clothes, people will realize it's fake or they'll think you waste your money on stuff.
Get a Seiko, or a Citizen (in the US, generally $150-500. But, since both are Japanese, I'm pretty sure. They have some EXTREMELY dignified & business like styles, that are very understated, which i love, and they don't break the bank like an actual rolex would. Plus, you can wear them around without worrying that you'll bust them up.
On the note of facial hair: If you've got a well defined Jawline, then it can be a nice little addition (if you have a little stubble). Either that, or grow a full blown beard. Don't grow something out half-assed and expect to look good. (Think the "cool" guy from the hangover, either that amount of stubble, or go zack galafernakis).
Little accesorries like watches can go a long way into helping complete an ensemble, if you're 90% of the way there, people can overlook a mediocre pair of shoes if you have a watch that just pops with it all.
Hope that helps at all. If you make it home to the states for Christmas, you can pick (all of) that stuff here.
Dockers: 20-50 a pair (depending on sales) Van Heusen: i usually get them ~$20 a shirt Citizen watch: 150-500
Just to ballpark a few of those things, that's what I wear to work every day, and I work at an investment bank, and look pretty good, IMO.
Springfield Last time I visited the Cathedral in Cologne there was a shop within 10min walking distance. I'm sure there are other stores in Cologne that are a bit cheaper than this.
I know your in Europe where skinny jeans are very popular. just remember skinny jeans were originally made to make girls legs look slimmer, not guys legs. But if you want to wear them, go for it (i think they look terrible, and secretly laugh at those that wear those pants).
If you want somethign casual yet stylish wear something like this.... Black blazer(or another color if you wish) Graphic T Jeans(nothing shredded unless it ends up looking really good) A pair of hushpuppies.(make sure they match the blazer or your going to get laughed at by people with actual fashion sense)
Also, you might to steer away from a shaved head unless you can pull off the bald look like khaldor. It just says lazyness all over.
I can't dress for shit either Mr.Bitter. But if you are doing something new years eve or something. Just get a black suit, black tie and a white shirt. That's just fine for the most part. Regular shoes is okay, even though classy shoes fits the suit better.
I'm in the same boat as you though, I absolutely have no idea what suits me well. Well except for the tie and suit.
best thing to do is to go around shops, for example a store where they only sell jeans ect... & just ask them what's really popular today & they will guide you around.
Now, I know a lot of people who wear only what's popular... But that doesn't mean it looks good on them. So don't go & make that mistake as well.
I personally somewhat have my own style when it comes to clothes.. Now, if I'd mention some brands in my possession (theory, diesel,...) people would say i'm following the fashion scene, well.. I'm not, i don't care what others wear but I do have some sort of taste & sense on what looks good on myself but I would never even try something that looks kind of silly imo or something that i'd be like i can't imagine myself wearing that even though it's really popular.. Then I just don't buy it.
Now, another option, for someone who doesn't have any sense in how to dress himself.. Is to take a look at how people dress themselves & just mix it up a bit.. Just make sure the mixing goes well together or you'd just make yourself look silly. Grab a fashion magazine (even though people would think it's mainly for women.. there are parts in those magazines where it's aimed for men so..) & just take a look at what's "in" today & read on what kind of shirts & jeans ect... are really the thing to wear nowadays & go from there.
My own brother had his girlfriend taking him all over the place for clothes.. So that's another option, let your girlfriend transform you but make sure you like it yourself because wearing something you don't like will make you look uneasy most of the time.. & that's not your goal.
EDIT: This isn't an exhaustive list, and I think people in this thread have already given you good advice, but your main goal here is how you look when you are at tournaments live, since for online tournaments most of the time you are not going to be on camera. As for whether you dress like a hobo when you go out with your bros drinking, well that shouldn't matter to you unless you are looking to meet someone. If you like the hobo look, stick with the hobo look when not working.
This site will be great for your look at tournaments. Frankly, most casters look ridiculous on camera because they are poor dressers. Tastosis wearing their handsome nerd shirts may be good product placement, but they don't look particularly good on camera. If you follow the advice from this site, you'll definitely be the best dressed caster (unless TLO decides to cast of course).
In terms of jeans, you should definitely find something slim fitting. NOT skinny jeans, or girl jeans...but not KawaiiRice jeans either. Levi's 514's have a nice, slim fit (for me anyway). That's my 2 cents Expect to spend about 50$ per pair
On December 21 2011 05:05 flowSthead wrote: So easy. Just use this site for all your fashion needs: http://artofmanliness.com/category/dress-grooming/ No joke, they have great articles about looking good.
EDIT: This isn't an exhaustive list, and I think people in this thread have already given you good advice, but your main goal here is how you look when you are at tournaments live, since for online tournaments most of the time you are not going to be on camera. As for whether you dress like a hobo when you go out with your bros drinking, well that shouldn't matter to you unless you are looking to meet someone. If you like the hobo look, stick with the hobo look when not working.
This site will be great for your look at tournaments. Frankly, most casters look ridiculous on camera because they are poor dressers. Tastosis wearing their handsome nerd shirts may be good product placement, but they don't look particularly good on camera. If you follow the advice from this site, you'll definitely be the best dressed caster (unless TLO decides to cast of course).
Hm, I personally love clean looks on guys, think it would work well with what you're looking for. I always get my guyfriends cardigans or sweaters from jcrew, they always have simple but classy looking clothes My brother works at bonobos and I've checked out some of their stuff, perfect for casual, clean looks. I'd recommend both of those~
Straight eye for the gay guy, calling it now. Idk wear like dress shirts, and pants if you want to look more professional. Or in that fact why care what ppl think of how you look. If its comfortable wear it. Thats what I say.
One thing I will say, is always go for quality over quantity. Simple, stylish stuff is expensive but it lasts and you can mix and match a few items to expand your collection. If you do get black leather shoes, go for something with a small heel and leather sole. You can always get a cobbler to add a rubber protecter. I'm a fan on of pointed shoes or brogues. They add character.
go to H&M if you have one nearby... my pastor get's his clothes there. I'm being serious, they have some nice cheap fashionable clothes that look professional but not old. Good luck!
Ok, I might be a bit late to this, but I feel I can give you some very good advice on this topic. The most important thing when buying clothes is first to know your size. Nothing looks worse than something that is quite clearly too small or too big, so the first thing I would do is go to a number of different stores and get your idea about your exact size; you may even want to go to a tailor to get some more precise measurements. The next thing you need to do before buying clothes is to pick a style you want - merely saying you want to be fashionable won't help you. Are you looking for a modern look, a more traditional look, a radical look? If you're not really sure then I'd suggest going around stores to browse and make sure to take catalogues, to give you a better idea of what's out there. It's often better to go into high end stores, even if you have no intention of purchasing anything, to just to see what's currently "in" as they say. Once you have a vague idea in mind of what sort of clothes you want and you're confident that you know your exact fit etc, then it's the time to start buying. A good way to go about this is to accumulate slowly, until you grow more comfortable with wearing new things, and you start to get an idea of what looks good on you and what doesn't. In terms of things that I think are essential, maybe first is a nice pair of shoes. I'd advise you to splash out on a pair of very nice shoes. Shoes are one of the few areas where it's best to buy high quality. You'll see a definite increase in the quality, durability and comfort of shoes at higher price levels, and a nice pair can last you quite awhile. Some brands I'd advise are Tods (especially for suede) or Church's where a pair will probably set you back at least £200, but probably somewhere closer to £300. If you'd feel more comfortable in something a little more casual for everyday wear, then a pair of nice loafers or chelsea boots might be a good choice. Prices and brands here are pretty much all over the place, but it's probably still better to avoid really cheap shoes.
Honestly, with what you already have, and if you're on some kind of budget, I would do the 'zatic build' (I see him wear this a lot). Buy a few nice jeans and a few suit jackets/blazers that are well fitted and you can still wear your tshirts with them. This gives a clean/modern/professional yet casual look that I think you're looking for.
By the way, that guy looks horribly douchy in that getup. Not only does he seem colorblind, but he has a V-neck showing through a half-buttoned up collared shirt, along with oversized sunglasses. That's not really something I would wear in public.
I don't see why you feel the need to dress so fancy, fuck what lawyers think about your fashion sense. Wear what you are most comftorable in. I don't think you need to dress up that much just to cast some SC2 games anyways. Dress pants, polo shirt, done.
By the way, that guy looks horribly douchy in that getup. Not only does he seem colorblind, but he has a V-neck showing through a half-buttoned up collared shirt, along with oversized sunglasses. That's not really something I would wear in public.
I don't see why you feel the need to dress so fancy, fuck what lawyers think about your fashion sense. Wear what you are most comftorable in. I don't think you need to dress up that much just to cast some SC2 games anyways. Dress pants, polo shirt, done.
Kind of this. Don't overdress in way overstylized outfits, especially to do something like cast SC2 games. Just go with simple and professional. Dress pants, dress shirt unbuttoned at the top, nice coordinated undershirt, and a casual-ish jacket or sweater(no hoody).
If you're looking for more formal wear then usually anyone who works in a men's clothing store can help you out a lot. And if it doesn't fit you can get it tailored.
If you're looking for more casual wear, it becomes a little more complicated . . .
First, start going into random mens stores and seeing what catches your eye because you want to create a hub that you can always go to that you know will have something you like. For me, it's Tommy Hilfiger because their sweaters are pretty good and, living in Canada, 3/4s of the year is a mix between cold, cool, or warm making it perfect for layers.
Once you find a store that you like, you want to start building an outfit. It's best to do this in stages: upper body, and lower body.
I like to start with the pants because a good pair of jeans (or other) will make you feel infinitely more comfortable with whatever you're wearing. When picking pants, go with what feels good and fits your body type. If you are wearing a pair of jeans and you say to yourself: "that looks pretty baller," then buy it. My only suggestion is don't go too tight, you don't need to be wearing baggy pants, but you don't want to look like you're some emo kid either.
Next is the upper body which has a lot more variation than the lower body. Here is when you start considering things like colour, season, fit, and the overall ensemble. This is also pretty subjective, but there are a few more guidelines that I like to follow: 1) Layers are your friend. Not in the sense that "I have a wife beater under this pullover hoodie," but in the sense that I have a nice white T-shirt under this red, flannel long-sleeve. 2) Take into consideration of the overall colour scheme of your outfit. Avoid one colour outfits. If you're wearing black jeans, avoid wearing a black T-shirt, unless you have something to contrast; e.g., a light coloured zip-up hoodie, or cardigan. A rule I use with black anything is that it needs to have some white or light colour to go with it. It's not that black jeans are bad with black tops, but if you're in a dark room you don't want to look like a floating head. Same goes for light colour clothing, you don't want to look like you were just performing at the circus. 3) Season. This is pretty simple: if it's warm, wear something that will cool you off. Whites, and light colours are better because darks absorb heat and you don't want to get all sweaty. When it's cool, wear darker colours and more layers (accordingly). Greys, blacks, and darks are your friends. These are all guidelines for when you're starting out. Once you become more comfortable you can start experimenting with all sorts of combinations because fashion is very innovative and it's always changing. After you have the ensemble you can start picking out shoes, this is pretty easy. Comfort first and how it compliments your outfit second (a very, very close second though).
It takes some getting used to. When I first started thinking I need to dress better I had to go shopping with my twin sister and get her to teach me and pick out clothes in order to learn what I was looking for
The most important thing to remember, TB: Don't be afraid to ask for help The people that work in clothing stores usually have some interest in fashion and they understand that most people coming through the doors don't know too much of what they're doing. That, and they usually get paid commission. But the fact is that they are willing to help and give you advice if you're willing to ask.
You need new shoes. Trainers/Sneakers are fine and dandy for casual stuff but as soon as you need to dress up they stick out like a proverbial sore thumb. I'm partial to brogues, but take a look around at any more formal footwear at some stores in town (much <3 for a good pair of house slippers though haha).
Quality Jeans are always a 100% excellent purchase. Good denim will last for ages and go with almost anything,
Some smart-casual trousers that aren't of the denim persuasion go a long way in more professional environments.
Shirt + sweater combos almost never fail and you are almost infinitely flexible when it comes to mixing/matching them with the rest of your wardrobe.
The most important thing is always to get things that fit well; if it fits badly no matter how upmarket or fashionable it's supposed to be it will look awkward and you won't feel as comfortable in it as you otherwise might.
Identify your budget and then work out what kind of menswear outfitters you can shop at to get what you decide you need. Increased cost doesn't always = increased quality, but most of the time there's a pretty decent correlation xD
Mr.Bitter it looks like you already have a lot of sound advice in this thread so I won't add in too much. But as mentioned before looking "clean" is extremely important, I mean I don't blame them for calling you a hobo on a night out when you're wearing a hoodie (but the hoodie is understandable since these are long time close-casual friends)- Hoodie's are for I'm working, its cold, idc what I look like.
I'm shocked at the old jeans tho, huge no no. I've seen what your figure is like at MLG so I'm pretty sure you should be able to pull it off quite easy with the right wardrobe, but it should be noted that even adding a tiny bit more muscle can make you look exponentially better and people WILL notice.
Someone said it before. It depends where you live, go to H&M, but you're traveling a lot so it should be easy for you to find one. Seriously you can just go in there and come out "fashionable" for cheap. For shoes, I recommend boat shoes, but that's what I usually wear. Then for the winter, get some type of boots.
Loads of great articles and they cover really basic stuff. They also talk about a really wide variety of styles rather than just sticking to the ones they like which is also pretty cool.
My own two cents: Buy yourself the basics in more dull colours and then add to it. Make sure everything fits well and is in fairly bland colours i.e. navy, black, grey, beige etc.
It'll give you a great base to your wardrobe and then you can start adding stuff and going for a particular look, when you have a better idea of what you want. Centrepieces are attractive, but you might find yourself struggling to make them fit when you add more to your wardrobe. If you look average or good without them, you'll look even better with them... Bam knock it up a notch Elsar.
On December 22 2011 03:33 TheMango wrote: Honestly, with what you already have, and if you're on some kind of budget, I would do the 'zatic build' (I see him wear this a lot). Buy a few nice jeans and a few suit jackets/blazers that are well fitted and you can still wear your tshirts with them. This gives a clean/modern/professional yet casual look that I think you're looking for.
This is the best advice so far. This is what you're looking for. I'm from Düsseldorf so I can't give you tips for Cologne, but here's where you'd want to go shopping:
1.st: P&C, they have a couple stores in Germany but in Düsseldorf they have the biggest store. They have have one in Cologne too. On the upper floors they have more formal stuff like suits, mainfloor casual and shirts and downstairs a "boutique" with young fashion. They'll have everything you want/need except vor a variety of shoes. They only have the best brands it's not exactly "cheap" but it 'll probably be what you're looking for. Brands: Pretty much everything Quality.
The advantage of P&C is, that you can get everything from there. For example Carhartt has a flahship-store in D'dorf but you can find their stuff at P&C aswell. But it'll cost you like 5 euros more if that's something important for you
Other shops you might like:Mexx -> pretty awesome casual/dress shop, COS -high fashion shop ->expensive, American Apperel you probably know that one?! nice T-shirts and Hoodies, Titus -> skate-shop ( I like ) aaand for god sake Abercrombie&Fitch.... but I don't get why anybody would want to buy there but yeah.. :D
Regarding shoes: We have a lot of Shoe only shops in D'dorf where you can get pretty much anything you want. Btw: summer: Converse>all, autumn>sneakers/skate shoes for me, Snow on the roads(soon!!! yay) Timberlands
For every Starcraft related thing, there are Teamliquid Shirts.
For everything else, there's Zara, H&M, Topman, etc. etc. Nice, clean, ironed, plain shirt, dark jeans/slacks/trousers, AF1/Converse/brown/black leather shoes, pretty much sorted?
Check out Theory (www.theory.com). It's very expensive, but the style is classic and streamlined, which suits your build best. Even if you can't afford it, the outfits they have on the site are a good guide on the kind of look you should go for. I'm not sure if there are Club Monaco stores in the U.S., but they always have amazing outfits on the mannequins and salespeople have always been helpful in my experience. For casual wear, a lot of my friends prefer Armani Exchange and Mexx, which are a bit more trendy in style but they also have simpler pieces as well. For denim, try browsing Revolve Clothing (www.revolveclothing.com) which has a huge variety of brands that you can't really go wrong with. For your wardrobe staples (basic tees, henleys, collared shirts, and other casual tops), I strongly recommend you take a look at H&M, Zara, Uniqlo and American Apparel. Their clothes are good quality, not too expensive and they have a huge selection in stores so you're bound to find something.
Some other random tips:
- Fit is everything. If you buy a suit, splurge on a good tailor and make sure your sleeves and and pants are hemmed to perfection. Your pant legs shouldn't be bunching at your feet but they shouldn't show your ankles either when you sit down (which you should test when trying it on). If you decide to invest in a good quality coat, leather jackets and peacoats are the most versatile and (in my opinion anyway) the most striking. Most stores offer complementary alterations and steaming, so make sure to ask. - When wearing a suit, do not match your shirt to your jacket (especially black on black, unless you want to look like mafia or a strip club bouncer) and add some contrast in colour, texture or pattern with the tie. A black suit, white shirt, and silver tie is pretty much the gold standard on the red carpet. If you are wearing a suit without a tie, starch that collar within an inch of its life. If you buy a new suit jacket, single-lapels would probably be best for you. - Buy a few good quality accessories so you can look put together even in simple looks. Tasteful jewelry (a nice watch, necklace, or ring) that isn't too big or showy, a scarf, a bag (not a backpack), one pair each of sneakers (or whatever casual shoe you prefer) and dress shoes (take a look at Aldo and Steve Madden). - Cologne is a nice finishing touch and it can leave a lasting impression. People always seem to get this one wrong though. The general rule of thumb: people should not be able to smell you before they see you. Any brand or smell will work as long as it's subtle. One or two light sprays is enough. - Graphic tees under suit jackets are appropriate for gamer events, and that's about it. - Facial hair on men is like the pixie cut on women: only a beautiful minority can pull it off. Shave, or at the very least keep it trimmed. - Hoodies and zip-ups are perfectly fine, unless you wear them every day. Switch it up with a basic tee, cardigan or henley once in a while.
This isn't so much about trends or style as it is about looking put together. To be honest, I think "hobo" is a little harsh. Just keep it clean, simple and quality. Good luck!
yeah why not talk to your old sc2gg buddy about this topic, he seems to know a good deal about it
JWD is the man. I think I might drop him a PM.
JWD is awesome.
Also, don't shop anywhere that doesn't have hot girls working there to help, because A) They probably sell crap, and B) You tell the hot girl to dress you for XX amount of dollars. You win.
is there a website or can someone give like a quick rundown of what is a good and a no no?
like i heard from someone if the dress shirt goes past your wrist then you tuck it in, khakis and jeans match with anything usually, acid-washed jeans are bad, don't dress in one shade etc...
I guess I am asking if someone can give summary (or a good website to refer to)
If you feel as though you've got nothing good, go to H&M and try on a lot of stuff. Generally I'd recommend you start with minimalistic items e.g. plain fitted shirts/t-shirts and fitted dark blue raw denim jeans (get ones that are somewhat tight around your lower legs, do not buy flares). Get a smart casual pair of shoes, maybe from Deichmann, and then you're set.
I'd say that your hoodies/pullovers are fine and your problem is with your other items. A good pair of shoes/jeans go a long way.
On December 22 2011 15:17 heroyi wrote: is there a website or can someone give like a quick rundown of what is a good and a no no?
like i heard from someone if the dress shirt goes past your wrist then you tuck it in, khakis and jeans match with anything usually, acid-washed jeans are bad, don't dress in one shade etc...
I guess I am asking if someone can give summary (or a good website to refer to)
A brief look through this thread seems like everyone is dishing out some general advice on how to look good, but I would advocate a different approach as opposed to the "Here's an example of what I think looks good" method.
Find someone with good fashion sense IRL, whether it be one of your wall street friends, or someone on TL, and make them go shopping with you. Really, clothes are something that are very much a per person sort of thing; what looks good on one person can look like a garbage bag on the next. This is why you need a live person to help you shop for sexy clothes, not someone over the internet telling you what to buy.
It seems like you are used to taking a very practical approach to clothing - warm, cheap clothes, practical shoes, and no accessories. As a college student, I also wear similarly ghetto ass clothing. However, I also have to look good for them job interviews and hot ladies. So my advice to you, when you go shopping, is not so much to go for one particular style or so - it really is just whatever catches your eye. Try something on, make sure it fits, and take a moment to check yourself out - do you like it? Do you think it looks good on you? Personally, I never really took the time to do that since I just wanted some cheap clothes to keep me warm - but when I started shopping for aesthetic value, it came fairly easily by just taking the time to appreciate what looks nice, and what doesn't.
Anyways, I really enjoy your casting, Mr. Bitter. ^^
[edit] also if you think clothes look good on someone else, go buy the same thing or something similar. kinda like build orders.
as with anything you should just be more perceptive so you can have your own style and not dress as what is said to be well-dressed: look at peoples cloths, look at cloths in shops/internet try out alot and see what you like =]
Ask one of your female friends to go shopping with you. She'll do all the work.
If you can't manage the above, then get a sweater (whatever not-too-extravagant color looks good on you); a pair of fitted dark-ish blue jeans; a button down shirt (make sure the collar matches the sweater's colors) and black leather shoes or a pair of vans that goes with the sweater. Can't go wrong with that. Also, I agree with the going to H&M thing and trying random stuff on. When I started trying to dress well, that's where my friend took me.
On December 21 2011 02:43 AmericanUmlaut wrote: This is rapidly becoming a truly epic thread. So much great advice.
I think I need to plan a shopping date with my wife at a Herrenausstatter sometime soon. Anyone else in the Düsseldorf/Köln area? Maybe we can do a mass manly fashion TL meetup :D
Edit: By the way, for formal occasions there's really nothing more excellent than a top hat. I have a real (read: €300-ish) top hat that I got for my wedding, and it's just the most awesome thing ever.
Heh, formal occasions? I pretty much wear my top hat everywhere.
Trust me MrB, a top hat, some black boots and twisted chinos will get you FAR.
EPT
![[image loading]](http://img.dailygame.co.kr/news/201112/attachments/20111213_70759b7576d7c28a965e2d1570e64973.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://www.planetshoes.com/mmplanet/Images/2313/2313_mens-kennethcole-simplicity_119_detail.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://www.threekicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/1500vectorsJpeg-1.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://www.artschoolvets.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/parra-nike-sportswear-air-max-1-1-artschoolvets.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/EkpOTl.png)
![[image loading]](http://manolomen.com/images/Charles%20Tyrwhitt%20Aldwych%20shoes.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/6tzVb.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://healthstones.com/dinosaurdata/d/diplodocus/diplodocus.jpg)
