How to dress myself

[TenJed69]

So I'm coming to the end of university and I'm going to be having graduate job interviews and soon enough starting on my career. I'm ambitious, and it seems to me that dressing well is, apart from anything else, another tool in the toolbox to getting ahead in life. For that reason I'm looking to revamp my style and start dressing properly. This I have never done before. Where can I find a good book or online guide that will basically teach me how to dress myself, to put it frankly? I'm talking, how to pick a suit or clothing in general, an outfit, that fits my body shape, complexion, matches, puts across the image I want it to and so on.

I've so far been recommended Alan Flusser's 'Dressing the Man' and Nicholas Antongiavanni's 'The Suit: A Machiavellian Approach' so any opinion on them or other suggestions would be much appreciated.

[subbiesrock]

www.askmen.com has surprisingly good advice on formal/casual attire, how to properly get fitted for suits, where cuffs/shirts/pants need to sit on the body. One thing that's really important when buying a suit, for example, is having it properly tailored so it fits your body. I'm not talking some homosexual Queer Eye stuff, catch an episode of Mad Men and look out for the lead, Don Draper. His wardrobe department have him impeccably dressed, the perfect model for any men to aspire to look manly and well-groomed.

Learn about which buttons to do up, and which to leave. Believe me, it makes a difference.

Learn the difference between two- and three-button suits. Lapel placement (the higher the better) and most important, single and double vented jackets and what the purpose of pleats in pants are.

I have an incredibly fashion savvy (and gorgeous to boot) girl who takes great delight in dressing me, find yourself a helpful, stylish woman, you can't go wrong. They just get it, when we're useless. Fact of life.

Good luck, show us your new threads

[TenJed69]

Thanks for the advice. I'm getting a suit made to measure, and I think from now on I'll get my sports jackets (which is what I normally wear) made to measure as well.

I'm 5'9" and a little overweight. Don't want to overstate that, I'm not hideously obese or anything. Think Alec Baldwin in The Departed, 30 Rock etc. Based on what I've read so far I'm thinking: No cuffs on my trousers and a low rise, to make me look taller. A single vent on the jacket as I gather the others are better for slimmer men or to show off a good butt? Seems to be conflicting advice on pleats. Some places say pleats are better for larger men as they hide unsightly bulges, while others say they just have no place and you should wear flat fronted regardless since pleats merely draw attention to that area.

Also split on two vs three button jacket. Three button is said to conceal a guy better, but other places say a business suit should be two button regardless.

What about things like regular vs kissing buttons, shirt cuffs (round, square, French etc), shirt collars (tall, short, French etc)? I've read that peaked lapels are preferable but tbh even if it's just me being ignorant I think they draw attention to themselves so pretty sure I'll go with notched.

I have brown hair and I'm a little pale, thought not like a ghost. What would be a good colour for a suit? What about sports jackets/trousers?

[subbiesrock]

Pleats are for your grandfather - properly tailored flat front trousers are the way to go, much more slimming than pleats. In some styles they're necessary, business pants for example they take the width of the leg as it flattens when you sit down, which is why they're infinitely more comfortable to wear during the day at work, but flat fronts are much dressier and generally look a lot better. Use them when you need them. This is, of course, not a fixed rule.

My taste happens to be two-button, I like a lower V in the jacket, again a matter or personal preference. I judge a suit's cut on the shape and placement of the lapels, American designers seem to place the notch very low, in some cases, almost to the chest, it's gaudy and hideous, the Italians have sorted suits out.

Shirt cuffs. Hit me up for some T&Co cuffs, I have plenty of spares, I'll deck you out

As for cuff shape, personal preference. Most important, make sure when you have a jacket on, and standing with arms to the sides, that the shirt peeks from the jacket. Otherwise your jacket sleeve is too long. A good rule is the jacket should come to the lowest line on your wrist, and the shirt - 1-2cm lower, usually enough so a little T&Co blond pops out. The girls love the T&co, great convo starters, not that I know...

Suit, stick to dark, neutral colors, grey, brown, black of course. It's daunting at first, but it gets kind of fun

Shoes: make sure you get a few nice belts with similar colors and textures to some nice shoes. Black, dark brown, light brown/tan, try ones with wooden soles. Go to www.aquila.com.for ideas on shoes.

I'll finish this toomorrow, hope this helped a little

[TenJed69]

Thanks. When I asked about pleats I meant for a business suit, I'd instinctively never wear pleated trousers casually!

[subbiesrock]

Thanks. When I asked about pleats I meant for a business suit, I'd instinctively never wear pleated trousers casually!

Then your instincts will serve you well, young paduwan...

Haven't had the chance, but I'll get some more info up, might help, but you seem well equipped with those instincts, many lesser mortals would not have a clue why pleats are hideous...

[txcollector]

Try this

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/lp2/mens-guide.html

btw, depending on how polished you want to look fabrics are important as well. I only wear synthetics if I'm using a very modern cut (e.g. microfiber). For suits I only wear 100% wool.

Like subbiesrock mentioned 2 button jacket with a lower V are back in fashion. They've kind of disappeared for a few years when the 3-5 button jackets starting to pop up. Right now there are even designers like Armani going with 1 single button (which makes sense since you always leave the last button unbuttoned). Besides if you're not slim a 3 button suit will only help you if they are buttoned. Leave them open and it will increase your profile.

Color: dark is slimming. You always need a plain black suit and a navy sports jacket. Avoid the light colors.

Pleats: I agree with subbiesrock's advice. Avoid them.

Cuffs: french are very classy but you have to pull them off with the rest of the ensemble and you need the right cufflinks to go with the colors and watch you are wearing. They will look more formal though.

Collar: I don't like french collar but that's a personal preference. I think they look older than I am. Tall or short depends on your neck. You don't want your collar hitting your lower jaw. People should have necks. Proper size is also important since you don't want to look like you're being strangled or wearing a clown suit.

Trousers: get a light gray and some sort of beige to go with the navy jacket. They work well with your 2 button black suit jacket as well.

If you live in the US you might try Burlington Coat Factory. They have last season's stuff and usually very few sizes (left over from the main manufacturers). You can buy very good quality clothing for a lot less.

I never buy tailored clothes. 1) I have to see it on me to like it or not. Waiting to see that the taylor didn't actually create something I liked it's a waste of money 2) I tend to mix up different cuts (modern to traditional) and finding a taylor that can get me a Boss vs. Armani vs. Dolce & Gabanna look will be hard. 3) For some reason some cuts make me look a lot slimmer than I am but I have to try it on to see which one works best.

[scottosaurus]

Go shopping with the most stylish woman you know.

Start with a great pair of shoes and work from there. Shoes are always the easiest tell.

Buy fitted clothing or have your clothes tailored to get the best fit.

Accessorize with a great watch.

[exper]

Some great advise here but you haven't told us your budget, MTM or Bespoke can add up quite a bit depending on the cloth and tailor.. certain OTR options are perfectly viable as well - I imagine if you have just finished university you probably aren't looking to splash out that much ?

I won't repeat whats already been said because its all great advise however 2 button is very modern what I would and do go for - but don't forget there's also a 3 roll 2 option - which is very much what all the Bespoke / MTM fans generally go for.

If you do insist on going MTM, make sure you choose the tailor correctly whose work and style you are happy with and they are willing to make the changes you want - some are quiet stubborn.

Just because its MTM doesn't mean it will fit perfectly - I don't necessarily see the point in going for MTM just because you are slightly over weight if you have a good tailor any OTR can be made to look just as good, especially if you aren't sure what style you are happy with and still finding your style I would personally leave that till I was sure what I wanted that way I would be a lot happier with the end result. There is nothing worse then walking into a tailor and not knowing what you want and expecting a good suit as a result - been there and got the bad suits to prove it.

[Neuuubeh]

The more important question is, what field are you positioning yourself for? Suits might look like the most important thing on a person working/wanting to work as a lawyer, investment banker or similar (to be honest, what else do they have to show lol). Would not look all that well on a more technical field tho, and might earn you very weird looks and even (bad) critique.

Clothing is just another accessoire in our constant struggle with society - you still have to know what you can "get away" with before everyone starts making the wrong assumptions about you.

Sounds weird coming for a 25year old student right? Curiously, I have already been told by a colleague at work that I look "too well situated for a student". Interpret this as you wish, ever since then Ive been more careful choosing clothes, especially shoes... Having a nice looking polished pair of shoes clacking at your every step seems to be over the top :S.

On a side notice, I realized how hard it is to find decent rubber-sole shoes tho.. Is it worth it to have a shoemaker glue some of those thin rubber soles?

[subbiesrock]

The more important question is, what field are you positioning yourself for? Suits might look like the most important thing on a person working/wanting to work as a lawyer, investment banker or similar (to be honest, what else do they have to show lol). Would not look all that well on a more technical field tho, and might earn you very weird looks and even (bad) critique.

Clothing is just another accessoire in our constant struggle with society - you still have to know what you can "get away" with before everyone starts making the wrong assumptions about you.

Sounds weird coming for a 25year old student right? Curiously, I have already been told by a colleague at work that I look "too well situated for a student". Interpret this as you wish, ever since then Ive been more careful choosing clothes, especially shoes... Having a nice looking polished pair of shoes clacking at your every step seems to be over the top :S.

On a side notice, I realized how hard it is to find decent rubber-sole shoes tho.. Is it worth it to have a shoemaker glue some of those thin rubber soles?

I hear your pain, my stylish brother from a different mother and father there appears to be a severe disparity in my dress sense and that of the higher-ups at my institution... Being there to learn and rolling up in Italian-styled wooden soled shoes was a little too much to bear for some of the older folk, who funnily enough summoned the courage to remark on the 'sound my shoes made' in the hallway... Ridiculous. It showed me that I might well be in the wrong profession. I've since toned it down to hoodies and jeans, and those same people commented that I'm nowhere near as well dressed as I was before... You can't win.

Take-home point, while you need them, you have to pander to their ideologies, ad as soon as you don't you can dress however the f&@k you like

[agp]

Try http://www.styleforum.net/

Some people there are really a$$holes, but they dress very very well.