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On January 31 2012 14:05 GrayArea wrote:If you guys could only have one suit in your closet, you are saying you would not go with a black suit? Why is a "bold" looking suit bad for an interview...I would think it would be better. And I personally don't think black suits look bold. Also I think I look good in black.
Black isn't bold, black is boring, overly formal, and doesn't go well with anything other than black or some shade of grey.
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On January 31 2012 14:16 Blyadischa wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 14:05 GrayArea wrote:If you guys could only have one suit in your closet, you are saying you would not go with a black suit? Why is a "bold" looking suit bad for an interview...I would think it would be better. And I personally don't think black suits look bold. Also I think I look good in black. Black isn't bold, black is boring, overly formal, and doesn't go well with anything other than black or some shade of grey. I guess that's what I want to look like for an interview. I would rather be more formal than needs be. And just because you are wearing a black suit doesn't mean you have to be boring. You can wear a different color shirt, or a unique tie to stand out.
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On January 31 2012 14:05 GrayArea wrote:If you guys could only have one suit in your closet, you are saying you would not go with a black suit? Why is a "bold" looking suit bad for an interview...I would think it would be better. And I personally don't think black suits look bold. Also I think I look good in black.
Absolutely not. If I could only have one suit in my closet, it would be Navy
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I personally have a dark gray (almost charcoal, but not quite) that I wear for most anything that requires a suit.
Also, on the matter of where to buy suits, look around where you live. Chances are, there's a local shop (not a chain) that will have suits available for good prices and lots of expertise on fitting and tailoring.
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I bought a jacket at doublj and it was pretty nice. The cloths are really cheap and heavily influenced by Korean fashion.
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Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 06:43 xDaunt wrote:On January 29 2012 15:28 VManOfMana wrote: For office clothes, how is a store like Men's Warehouse?
Also, I tend to like Bostonian, Clarks and Florsheim shoes. Opinions? Men's Wearhouse is okay, but not great. You probably would do better at Joseph A Banks for the money. I generally prefer department stores. In particular, Dillard's has some excellent suits (Hart Shaffner Marx, Daniel Cremieux) at very low prices. If money is no object, then just bite the bullet and hit something like a Nordstrom's or Nieman Marcus. Alternatively, and if you know your size, you can order your suits online and then get them tailored locally. Men's Wearhouse blows. It's not okay. They markup suits then sell them as "buy 1 get one for xx", but really that's because you're buying the first suit for 2x what it's supposed to be. The suits have unflattering boxy cuts, and the fabrics are decent at best. Their tailoring and the knowledge of the people working at the stores are despicable however. They will fit you for a shitty suit, then tailoring it to look even worse. One thing in particular is THEY FUCKING USE GLUE TO PLEAT YOUR PANTS. Seriously, don't go to Men's Wearhouse.
Well then. What do you recommend for walk-in stores? Although online provides a lot of variety, I still prefer to see clothes in person to see what I like. What I am looking for is a good starting point for business or business casual, and start learning from there. Although my workplace has a somewhat lax dress code (IT), I want to start dressing sharper.
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If you're just starting to build a business/business casual wardrobe I would suggest H&M (I don't like their shirts or pants, your mileage may vary, but they have really amazing deals on blazers and sweaters), Express (pants, shirts), or Bonobos.com (on the more expensive side but amazing customer service). Macy's and Lord and Taylor are ok as well. You will have to sort through a lot of shit to find the decent stuff there. Don't be fooled by fancy sounding names - Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, etc. Many of those big brands are shit.
Look for pants with no pleats and a low to mid rise. I prefer a slimmer leg, but avoid baggy - it just looks sloppy. Buy for the biggest part of you and tailor after that. For most men this means you buy to fit your waist and then hem the length if necessary.
I suggest picking up a gray/charcoal pant in a lightweight wool or wool blend (cotton blends work too if you can't find wool) and a nice pair of khakis. If you're only picking up a few items, avoid black for now. It really doesn't go with many things and gets dirty so easily.
http://www.bonobos.com/mudslides-slim-fit
^ nice khakis
For shirts find a brand/style that fits you and buy it in a bunch of different colors.
You're missed all of the big sale season now : \
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Aotearoa39261 Posts
The epitome of NZ mens fashion.
Sigh.
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On January 31 2012 15:55 Plexa wrote:The epitome of NZ mens fashion. Sigh.
Haha time to move to Wellington!
Were stylin' up here ^__^
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Aotearoa39261 Posts
I'd rather not be a goth thx
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On January 31 2012 16:02 Plexa wrote:I'd rather not be a goth thx
We also have flocks of Hipsters =P
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On January 31 2012 03:26 The_LiNk wrote:Show nested quote +On January 30 2012 19:50 Motivate wrote:On January 30 2012 07:28 jamesr12 wrote: Tips for the skinny guys:
- Avoid V-necks go crew neck instead. V- Necks they expose skinny features in the neck and collar bone -Layers are good - Thicker fabrics are good, like knitted wool instead of cashmere. Cords opposed to chions. - Wear spread opposed to pointed collars. 90% collars are some variation of pointed, you want spread it will give the appearance of a wider face. - Try SMALL shoulder pads in blazers and suit jackets. Don't go crazy here though. - Tailor Tailor Tailor
Eh a lot of these are more trouble than they're worth. The only one I would actually suggest you go through with is the crew neck as opposed to v-neck. I'm pretty thin, but I see nothing wrong with wearing fitted clothes such as t-shirts or shorts because I'm comfortable the way I am. You can't hide the fact that you're thin, and for the love of god please don't wear baggy clothing to try and hide your figure. You'll be swimming in it. Most girls don't mind if you're slim (within reason). but Korean girls love collarbones. need V-neck to show'em. well, at least IU likes guys with a nice collarbone Yea the koreans love skinny + Show Spoiler + Thin at best, devastatingly skinny at worst? Super low v-neck + blazer. (Couldn't find a better pic but if you've ever watched "My girlfriend is a Gumiho"...)
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On January 31 2012 16:10 Xenocide_Knight wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 03:26 The_LiNk wrote:On January 30 2012 19:50 Motivate wrote:On January 30 2012 07:28 jamesr12 wrote: Tips for the skinny guys:
- Avoid V-necks go crew neck instead. V- Necks they expose skinny features in the neck and collar bone -Layers are good - Thicker fabrics are good, like knitted wool instead of cashmere. Cords opposed to chions. - Wear spread opposed to pointed collars. 90% collars are some variation of pointed, you want spread it will give the appearance of a wider face. - Try SMALL shoulder pads in blazers and suit jackets. Don't go crazy here though. - Tailor Tailor Tailor
Eh a lot of these are more trouble than they're worth. The only one I would actually suggest you go through with is the crew neck as opposed to v-neck. I'm pretty thin, but I see nothing wrong with wearing fitted clothes such as t-shirts or shorts because I'm comfortable the way I am. You can't hide the fact that you're thin, and for the love of god please don't wear baggy clothing to try and hide your figure. You'll be swimming in it. Most girls don't mind if you're slim (within reason). but Korean girls love collarbones. need V-neck to show'em. well, at least IU likes guys with a nice collarbone Yea the koreans love skinny + Show Spoiler +Thin at best, devastatingly skinny at worst? Super low v-neck + blazer. (Couldn't find a better pic but if you've ever watched "My girlfriend is a Gumiho"...)
That dude isn't small at all. He's actually pretty dang tall and is relatively ripped. Koreans just prefer their definition as "cut" rather than "bulked up". Though, recently bigger muscles has caught on a lot. Look up the video with 2PM and Girls' Generation. You'll get the idea.
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On the suit question, if you can only have one, I'd say a deep charcoal is the most versatile, in that you could wear it to a professional interview, a funeral, a wedding, and still look rather sharp. If you're buying a suit for a certain event (say a wedding/interview) I'd consider a lighter grey suit, I think they can look very nice. The brand isn't so important when buying a suit, but FIT IS EVERYTHING. You simply must see a tailor.
Here's a great guidline for shoe color. In fact I wouldn't even say its a guidline, its the law. I word trend towards brown shows unless its a funeral/interview.
Here's some more casual shoes/boots i've been seeing a lot of lately. http://goo.gl/4086D
I like to wear them with a nice pair of chinos or cords and pair them with a nice fitted shirt and maybe a sweater or tie. http://goo.gl/hwNLn http://goo.gl/DQmio
Aside from that throw it together with a standard casual leather brown belt, a cool well fititng army jacket and you'll be looking great for university, a date at a coffee shop, a casual office environment, practically anything that isn't a formal event. http://goo.gl/iFGuJ
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On January 31 2012 16:25 Quesadilla wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 16:10 Xenocide_Knight wrote:On January 31 2012 03:26 The_LiNk wrote:On January 30 2012 19:50 Motivate wrote:On January 30 2012 07:28 jamesr12 wrote: Tips for the skinny guys:
- Avoid V-necks go crew neck instead. V- Necks they expose skinny features in the neck and collar bone -Layers are good - Thicker fabrics are good, like knitted wool instead of cashmere. Cords opposed to chions. - Wear spread opposed to pointed collars. 90% collars are some variation of pointed, you want spread it will give the appearance of a wider face. - Try SMALL shoulder pads in blazers and suit jackets. Don't go crazy here though. - Tailor Tailor Tailor
Eh a lot of these are more trouble than they're worth. The only one I would actually suggest you go through with is the crew neck as opposed to v-neck. I'm pretty thin, but I see nothing wrong with wearing fitted clothes such as t-shirts or shorts because I'm comfortable the way I am. You can't hide the fact that you're thin, and for the love of god please don't wear baggy clothing to try and hide your figure. You'll be swimming in it. Most girls don't mind if you're slim (within reason). but Korean girls love collarbones. need V-neck to show'em. well, at least IU likes guys with a nice collarbone Yea the koreans love skinny + Show Spoiler +Thin at best, devastatingly skinny at worst? Super low v-neck + blazer. (Couldn't find a better pic but if you've ever watched "My girlfriend is a Gumiho"...) That dude isn't small at all. He's actually pretty dang tall and is relatively ripped. Koreans just prefer their definition as "cut" rather than "bulked up". Though, recently bigger muscles has caught on a lot. Look up the video with 2PM and Girls' Generation. You'll get the idea. Cabi song is hardly recent -.-;; And 2pm is the exception. Look at B2st, shinee, infinite, mblaq, 2am, etc.
Maybe not the best example, but my point being that Koreans love showing some collarbone. Most of the scenes with No min woo, the first thing I noticed was collarbone. (and hair). + Show Spoiler +
More on topic, after reading this thread, I looked through my closet and counted 2 black suits, and tux, and a dark grey blazer. Would you guys say a grey or blue suit would be a safe bet to buy? Which is more common? I don't have many occasions in my life to wear a non-black suit so I'm looking for something sort of "all purpose"
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On January 31 2012 13:45 Cedstick wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 13:31 GhandiEAGLE wrote: Can we please get TLO to this thread? You noobs talk about fashion, but it is all babble and heresy without the GOD of fashion... I'm not overly impressed with what I've seen him wear, WHEN I've seen him wear something other than his Liquid shirt.
He wears an awesome beard, that is probably it!
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On January 31 2012 14:19 GrayArea wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 14:16 Blyadischa wrote:On January 31 2012 14:05 GrayArea wrote:If you guys could only have one suit in your closet, you are saying you would not go with a black suit? Why is a "bold" looking suit bad for an interview...I would think it would be better. And I personally don't think black suits look bold. Also I think I look good in black. Black isn't bold, black is boring, overly formal, and doesn't go well with anything other than black or some shade of grey. I guess that's what I want to look like for an interview. I would rather be more formal than needs be. And just because you are wearing a black suit doesn't mean you have to be boring. You can wear a different color shirt, or a unique tie to stand out.
Here is the thing with a black suit and an interview:
I'd say 70% to 90% of the time it wont hurt you at all depending upon the industry, but the other 10% to 30% of the time it is going to be big hurt against you if not an automatic rejection. It all depends upon the interviewer, many interviewers are older people who believe in these rules of formality even if they may seem arbitrary to you. A charcoal suit on the other hand will never hurt you in an interview. Is a 30% chance of getting rejected because of your clothes a risk you really want to take?
Get a mid to dark charcoal, you will look sharp.
Edit: @ Knight, a Navy or Charcoal suit are both incredibly all purpose. If you want an all purpose suit get one of those colors and stay away from unique features like double breasted, 3 button, and pinstripes, and you will have a suit you can wear to anything.
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My post is directed particularly to the guys out there with jobs that require at least semi formal clothes and have at least a muscular body shape. My personal interest is in reading about your struggles when it comes to finding clothes for work. I'll start out below by sharing a little bit of my history until what I've recently gone through. one thing i've realized is that issues like color matching is fairly easy because it is straight forward enough to be explained in chart. however i completely agree with everyone in this thread that has stressed about the fit of clothes.
college days in nyc: + Show Spoiler +body composition: depending on bulking or cutting phase anywhere from 180lbs to 230lbs wardrobe: beater and shorts/jeans/sweats + hoodie activity: enough variety for gym, classes, clubbing fit: everything was either very loose with the exception of beater which i would just replace frequently because they were cheap so i can always buy a size bigger or smaller
graduate school in Cali: + Show Spoiler +body composition: same as college wardrobe: beater and shorts/jeans activity: same as college fit: same as college
engineering career in NJ/NYC: in the last 5 years + Show Spoiler +body composition: same as college wardrobe: I've accumulated approximately 30 polo shirts, 15 pairs of jeans, 50 dress shirts, 20 trousers, 8 blazers, 3 suits, dress shoes that I'd replace every year because they broke (cheap material and construction), old clothes i wore in college activity: office work, gym, night activities with my wife (dinner, parties, etc) fit: nothing fits! i used to think it was solely because of my weight fluctuations. Although my weight fluctuations did have some to do with my clothes not fitting, it was definitely not the only reason. However because i didn't know any better, i kept buying clothes hoping I'd "grow" into them somewhere during my bulking and cutting phases. i had always bought clothes because the color matching principles or because the fabric was nice or the brand is good, thinking i can always transform the shape of my body to fit the clothes. I've always kind of knew i should just go to a place where i can get my clothes custom made to fit me but i always had other bills to pay (school, student loans, car, engagement ring, wedding, vacations).
the past year: + Show Spoiler +body composition: 175lbs to 180lbs depending on how much food and water i just had, lol wardrobe: 5 more dress shirts, 3 more jeans, 2 more trousers activities: same as before fit: still nothing fits! i've trimmed down to a constant 180lbs and 5% body fat for the last half year, i no longer feel the urge to get anymore muscular as the amount of time i used to dedicate to the gym has been slowly replaced with other things. still my clothes as well as clothes i've tried on at stores don't fit. last week i finally decided to go get my clothes custom made. After making an appointment, i decided to purge my closet of clothes that don't fit, either too big or too small. i ended up donating my entire wardrobe minus 8 polos and 3 jeans. Just enough to get by at work (i can dress informal since I've between there for 5 years and they like my work and it is just engineering. Architect wear even more casual stuff.)
last week: + Show Spoiler +wardrobe: 3 jeans, 8 polos activities: Went to get some bespoke clothes. things i learn while meeting with the fashion consultant: 1. depending on your definition of muscular you may never find "Of The Rack" (OTR) that fits. Basically even the stuff that is considered "fitted" won't fit you if your chest to waist drop off is too high. (ie. the reason i can't find dress shirts to fit me is because my chest to waist drop off is 15 inches - meaning circumference around my chest and lats is 45 inches while my waist is 30 inches: 45-30=15) It doesn't matter what my weight is because the difference in measurement is proportional, so my old theory of "growing" into my clothes is completely false. same goes for pants (waists to quads ratio).
2. $250 - $300 per shirt $550 - $600 per trousers $1500 - $2000 per blazer $1000 - $1500 per shoe 6 weeks until first fitting and 4 more weeks for final fitting. I really liked the fact that i got to pick the fabric. i'm usually hot all the time so it was nice to be able to choose a very breathable fabric. At first i thought the clothes were on the expensive side but as i added up the cost of the misfitting and uncomfortable clothes i've accumulated over the last 6 years I've come to realize that it's actually bourree than the 5k I just spent.
So in conclusion, if your body composition is like mine 6ft, 180lbs, 5% BF, 15+ inches chest to waist drop off, less than 10 inch waist to upper leg circumference drop off
then I highly recommend that you get some bespoke clothes for work because it not only worth the money because it looks, fits, and feels way better, but it will also save you time from hopelessly find clothes that fit and money that you will be wasting on clothes that "kind of" fits.
that's my story and i look forward to hearing other personal struggles and advice regarding how clothes fit.
thanks.
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On January 31 2012 22:34 jamesr12 wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 14:19 GrayArea wrote:On January 31 2012 14:16 Blyadischa wrote:On January 31 2012 14:05 GrayArea wrote:If you guys could only have one suit in your closet, you are saying you would not go with a black suit? Why is a "bold" looking suit bad for an interview...I would think it would be better. And I personally don't think black suits look bold. Also I think I look good in black. Black isn't bold, black is boring, overly formal, and doesn't go well with anything other than black or some shade of grey. I guess that's what I want to look like for an interview. I would rather be more formal than needs be. And just because you are wearing a black suit doesn't mean you have to be boring. You can wear a different color shirt, or a unique tie to stand out. Here is the thing with a black suit and an interview: I'd say 70% to 90% of the time it wont hurt you at all depending upon the industry, but the other 10% to 30% of the time it is going to be big hurt against you if not an automatic rejection. It all depends upon the interviewer, many interviewers are older people who believe in these rules of formality even if they may seem arbitrary to you. A charcoal suit on the other hand will never hurt you in an interview. Is a 30% chance of getting rejected because of your clothes a risk you really want to take? Get a mid to dark charcoal, you will look sharp. Edit: @ Knight, a Navy or Charcoal suit are both incredibly all purpose. If you want an all purpose suit get one of those colors and stay away from unique features like double breasted, 3 button, and pinstripes, and you will have a suit you can wear to anything. Looked it up online. For my interview, wearing a black suit is standard. Please do not make up random statistics and post them. More important than the suit is the person and what they say. As long as you look neat and the suit is tailored to fit you, then you are fine. Just don't wear something like a green suit.
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