Reinventing My Style

[aBone2pick Senior Member Member of the Month July 2014 Find all posts View Profile Close aBone2pick]

So recently I've been feeling really strongly that I need a pretty big change in my style. I don't like the clothes that I wear anymore and I am very aware that they don't at all fit with the person I'm trying to be at this stage in my life.

I dress almost exactly the same as I did in high school, and I'm now in my mid 20s and trying to move on to being someone who externally presents themselves as being a competent professional.

I'm very fit, but I would say I'm a more slendee build, so some of the popular fashion I see on sites like Askmen don't really work for my build. The most similar celebrity I could compare myself to, for the sake of you all helping me out, is Ryan Gosling. The only issue I have with that comparison, is that the styles he wears seem to be very difficult to pull off from a less than wealthy budget.

Men and women are both welcome. Also, anyone can feel free to hijack this thread and ask their own fashion questions as well.

Thanks.

[islander Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close islander]

I'll participate. Need info though
How tall are you?
Do you have long legs and long torso ( evenly distributed) or short torso? Short legs?
What type if shoes will you wear outside of work?
Is your completion northern white pale? Beige? Olive? Tan? Black? Brown?
Do you have a long neck with visible Adam's apple?

[TPW Senior Member Member of the Month Oct 2013 Find all posts View Profile Close TPW]

Hey my little dachshund in a bun,

Are you looking to change your casual style, work style or both?

[Toadstool Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toadstool]

always with the buns, TPW.

[aBone2pick Senior Member Member of the Month July 2014 Find all posts View Profile Close aBone2pick]

Hey!

So I'm 6' and 170 pounds. I have fairly long legs and a short torso. Like I said above, I'm built very similarly to Gosling. My complexion is light but not like a ginger. I am naturally a brunet, but right now I have blond hair. Hazel eyes. My neck is fairly long, and I'm generally clean shaven. Adam's apple is visible, but not extremely pronounced.

As far as TPW goes, I'm talking about outdoor wardrobe. I wear a uniform to work.

[TPW Senior Member Member of the Month Oct 2013 Find all posts View Profile Close TPW]

always with the buns, TPW.

What can I say Mushroom Man...it's who I am and what I do.

[TPW Senior Member Member of the Month Oct 2013 Find all posts View Profile Close TPW]

Hey aBone,

Before considering your body shape (height/weight) complexion and where you are currently located (temperatures), it is usually a good idea to first determine what kind of style best reflects your personality or what you prefer it to say about you. After you discover your "style personality", it becomes much easier to know what kind of clothing to choose based on the other factors mentioned.

Try this simple men's fashion style quiz to help determine your style personality.

1. When I'm not thinking about what to wear, I go for my no-brainers, which are:

A. A crisply pressed shirt and pair of classic American or European designer jeans.

B. A soft, rumpled pullover with lived-in khakis.

C. The most current clothes that make me look cool.

D. A vintage cardigan, worn-in T-shirt and skinny pants.


2. If I owned a restaurant, it would be:

A. A prime steakhouse with a comprehensive wine selection.

B. A classic burger joint, famous for its beers on tap and killer milkshakes.

C. The hippest place in New York or Los Angeles.

D. An artisanal cheese and wine bar.


3. My idea of the perfect vacation is:

A. Hitting a European city after a long business trip.

B. Jumping in the car and driving to a lakeside retreat.

C. Finding the best beaches from South Beach to Rio.

D. Going to Iceland to experience the summer solstice.


4. The celebrity whose style I most admire is:

A. George Clooney.

B. Matt Damon.

C. David Beckham.

D. Justin Timberlake.


5. I like to read:

A. The Wall Street Journal.

B. Sports Illustrated.

C. Maxim.

D. Interview.


6. The music I'm most likely to listen to is:

A. Jazz and standards -- Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra.

B. A mix of rock from Bruce Springsteen to Dave Matthews.

C. What's hot, anything on iTunes' top charts.

D. My DJ friend's private playlist.


7. My fantasy car is:

A. An Aston Martin.

B. A vintage Mustang.

C. A BMW.

D. A Smart Car.


8. My friends would describe me as:

A. The man in charge, who always knows which wine to order.

B. Mr. All-American. I still use my baseball mitt, know how to fix a leaky faucet and grill a mean steak.

C. An urban adventurer. I'm always searching for new experiences, whether I'm on a quest to find the coolest gadget or my hometown's best taco stand.

D. A trendsetter. It's important for me to stand out from the crowd.


9. On a lazy weekend, I'd enjoy:

A. Sailing around on a yacht.

B. Watching a football game from the 50-yard line.

C. Wine tasting at a great gallery.

D. A fringe festival in my own neighborhood.


10. I think of my closet as:

A. Custom-designed and built just for me.

B. The classic walk-in closet that acts as my "general store."

C. The armory of pieces that makes me who I am.

D. My style lab -- a place I go for inspiration.


Add up your answers to determine your style type:

Mostly A's: Your style type is Luxury.

Mostly B's: Your style type is Classic.

Mostly C's: Your style type is Contemporary.

Mostly D's: Your style type is Trend.


If you agree with the results, let me know what your style(s) type was and I can offer some recommendations.


And should anyone else want to do the quiz and get recommendations...just post your answers.



source

[Toadstool Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toadstool]

My complexion is light but not like a ginger

my heart skipped a beat. Thank God you made that distinction. We have enough gingers running around unchecked.

[kickinthemebs Senior Member Member of the Month Feb 2014 Find all posts View Profile Close kickinthemebs]

Don't let Burty or Foxy hear you saying that!!

my heart skipped a beat. Thank God you made that distinction. We have enough gingers running around unchecked.

[burtybasset Retired Moderator Member of the Month May 2014PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close burtybasset]

my heart skipped a beat. Thank God you made that distinction. We have enough gingers running around unchecked.

Who rattled the glorified mushrooms cage? Can't believe I'm getting abused by someone who's kept in the dark and fed on BS.

Us gingers are a proud people and we're multiplying!

FYI - There is a secret plan among us gingers, I shouldn't really tell you about! -We are all getting milk rounds! While the working man works, we are getting up to no good with your ladies! Ginger babies for everyone! , Wu hu ha ha (evil laugh)

Sing it loud, I'm ginge and I'm proud!

Sorry aBone

[BigO AdministratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close BigO]

Don't let Toad fool you. He loves gingers.

Or he just says that so we don't steal his soul.

Okay, sorry too AB2P. Couldn't help myself.

[bigborer Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bigborer]

Here is what I know so far, mostly by trial and error, since "men's fashion" websites only teach you how to make yourself look like a buffoon, or at best in a way that will make women question your sexual orientation. I've had a lot of good reactions, so I know it works. Since I've learned on this site how to make my penis bigger, I hope that the following will be of use to anyone looking to improve their image.


FIT
Most important thing to consider is the fit of the clothes. No matter what kind of style you wear, without the right fit it will never look very good. Most men wear clothes way to large (and so did I until it hit me that it didn't look good)

Especially if you say you're fit, they should be as close to the body as possible WITHOUT being restrictive or tight. For guys not in their peek shape, get a slightly looser fit, but don't try to mask anything with the looseness of your clothes.

Pinch the fabric in a way that you grab all the possible fabric, and the fold of fabric (you should have 2 layers of fabric) should be (in widths of fingers):
-for shirts: waist and chest 1,5-2 on both sides, arms 2 on one side. Sleeve length 0,5-1 over the ulnar styloid. NO short sleeve ever. Look for collars that match your jaw width and neck length, and only get shirts with removable collar stays (except for button down collars, ofc). You can roll the sleeves if you're don't have anything else over.
-t shirts- waist and chest 1 on both sides. Don't wear them too much, but if you really must, only wear polo t shirts.
-pants- 2 on each side, for both thighs and calves. Avoid shorts, unless you live in a beach city. Don't roll your pants sleeves.
-suit jackets: waist-2-3 on each side. Sleeve length-1-1,5 shorter than the shirt sleeves. Make sure the lapels don't fold. Make sure the fabric on the back is relatively stretched (no bulges). Make sure the top fabric follows your upper traps. Make sure the shoulders follow your shoulders. The last 2 things are where most people mess up, even with very expensive jackets/suits. Avoid too skinny or too wide lapels. It is nice if the buttons from the cuffs are functional
-pullover-cardigans- add 1,5-3,5 to what I said on shirts. DON'T wrap these like a cape over your shoulders or waist.
-overcoats- add 2,5-3,5 to what I said on suit jackets


COLORS
The second thing after fit is color. This will also make or break your look. The main idea here is subtly. Not too plain as to look washed-out, not too strong as to look like a red fire truck. You also want to make your face stand out, not to have clothes that visually override your face.
Learn a bit about colors, what are their attributes (hue, saturation, brightness).
Try to have some contrast between your clothes (note that it can be between any color attributes, not only between hues). Try to "balance" any strong colors with plainer shades in the rest of your outfit. Google "colors for skin tones" as a staring point, but after you have understood the color attributes you will know for sure what works and what doesn't. You don't really need to be born with an eye for this stuff, it can be learned.
A good training is to try to explain yourself what attributes are present on someone whose image you like.
It's important not to just emulate a style you like, but to understand what makes it work and how you could apply that to your personal instance.

SHOES
The plainer the design the better. The less bulky the better. I like cap toe oxfords the most, but there are also other styles. To make them last longer don't wear a pair sooner than once every 2 days, and keep shoe trees in them.

Accessories
Don't really do it. A watch OR cufflinks is enough. Ties- only to be worn with button shirts. Width on ties from 2,5 to 5 finger widths depending on preference and face/neck/lapel width. The hat-tie-tshrit or other similar combos only look cool if you're under 12. Regarding watches- some might argue with this- skip the el-cheapo, if it's not at least a Tissot or similar, leave it at home. Only wear a hat or scarf if it's very cold. Don't do the "gigolo italiano" necklace cross showing from the shirt thing. Skip the bracelets, rings (ok, wear 1 if you're married), and the god-knows-whats. For anyone that argues, I'll repeat what he said:

trying to move on to being someone who externally presents themselves as being a competent professional

Less is really more
Also, try not to over do it (trying to stand out by mixing many colors or wearing to bright colors, fabrics, accessories, mixing styles etc). You will look lame and try-hard. I've only seen (and know) one guy who pulls the dandy style without looking lame, though I've seen lots of failed attempts.
I'll guarantee you that if you follow the above you will stand out any way. Even more so if you're fit.

Never wear in public (ok, some you can wear if you're during a sports activity, some at the beach):

-sweat suits, running shoes or any items designed for sports activities
-tank tops
-hoodies
-any kind of graphics, jokes, etc printed on yourself
-short sleeve shirts
-flip-flops, sandals etc
-three quarters pants
-snap backs, large plastic sunglasses etc

Price
You DON'T need to burn a bank of cash. If you got the right fit (which can most times be altered by a tailor) and color, the only visible difference between "regular" and expensive clothes will be that the cheaper ones might break easier.
Now, of course, if you work in a place like a big law firm mostly everyone there will tell the difference between a hand made canvassed suit with an S200 wool+cashmere fabric and a $169 suit both with identical fit, but otherwise most people won't be able to. Also stay away from designer names, if you don't like throwing away money.
You could also save a lot by altering some of what you already own.

Good luck!

[TPW Senior Member Member of the Month Oct 2013 Find all posts View Profile Close TPW]

You know W4I and Candyman...isn't it ironic that the mushroom man makes fun of the redheads when he is sporting a big red head (with a few white spots) himself?

Who rattled the glorified mushrooms cage? Can't believe I'm getting abused by someone who's kept in the dark and fed on BS.

Us gingers are a proud people and we're multiplying!

FYI - There is a secret plan among us gingers, I shouldn't really tell you about! -We are all getting milk rounds! While the working man works, we are getting up to no good with your ladies! Ginger babies for everyone! , Wu hu ha ha (evil laugh)

Sing it loud, I'm ginge and I'm proud!

Sorry aBone

Don't let Toad fool you. He loves gingers.

Or he just says that so we don't steal his soul.

Okay, sorry too AB2P. Couldn't help myself.