Any Clotheshorses Here?

[jyl]

Back in the day, like many decades ago, I was quite the clothes horse. Had all my suits custom made, shirts too, suspenders and tassels, white silk ties, spirited debates over martinis with other dandies about the merits of different knots and shades of cordovan.

Then I lost interest and spent 20 years wearing whatever was comfortable and durable. I found this company that made tough cotton pants, popular with rock climbers, and I wore those every day, in "dirt" and "rock" and "grease" colors.

Lately I find myself caring how I look again. Not that I'm out on the town in my double-breasted suits yet. Baby steps, just taking baby steps. Like, wearing shoes that lace up and pants that don't bag.

I wonder how far to go with this. So I'm curious, is anyone here a sharp dresser, a fashionable gent, given to an eclectic look?

Porsche track jackets don't count, neither do lycra bike jerseys - I'm asking about street wear.

And on the flip side - if you and nice clothes are complete strangers, why is that? BTDT, lifestyle antithetical to fashionable garb, horror of metrosexuality?

Pictures optional.

[cantdrv55]

I just bought three new suits. Not slim fits but close. Side vented jackets and flat front modern fit slacks. I'm not providing pics but my wife thinks I'm a sharp dresser. No, she doesn't pick out my clothes. I'm too heavy to be considered metrosexual, not to mention homosexual. I just like nice things.

[ckelly78z]

Fashion be damned, I live on a farm and work in a factory.

I live in Wrangler jeans, FTL underwear, sweatshirts, t-shirts, and either tennis shoes or dock sider shoes and occasionally a Porsche track jacket. I do like an occasional polo shirt, khaki shorts and boat shoes sans socks in the Summer.

For me, living out in the country on a farm with animals, and machinery, it's more about keeping warm, and not getting hurt, or filthy. The metrosexual style, and city life in general, is so foreign to me, it makes me uncomfortable, just driving through.

[Scott R]

Yes, of course. Ever day.

[Jim Bremner]

I have a Hugo Boss suit and one from Ted Baker. I've tried on a fine Italian suit. Wish I could say that I needed to spend big cash on fine clothes. The Ted Baker suit is my favorite. I wore it in front of a bunch of people in a trade show where I was one of 1% that had dressed well. One of the comapnies that I repped for had a partner in the design side of the biz that his comment of it was well worth it.

Sad thing is that to be honest if you don't need to wear a suit much it's a expense that's hard to justify.

[Maxim S]

I'm not obsessed with it, but I go beyond what the average guy these days does, I guess. I'd rather be remembered as the well-dressed guy than the fat guy, which is what I'd be if I threw on whatever I found at the store. People in general treat you a whole lot better if you look a bit more affluent, too. (Which is funny because the stuff I wear probably costs less than the stuff teenage skater punks wear or whatever.) Plus, people are a whole lot more forthcoming and welcoming at concours events and other high-end industry stuff if you look like you belong there, unlike the large portion of the press guys who show up in cargo shorts and t-shirts.

I have a nice Varvatos blazer and stuff, but I rarely wear it, and I never have reason to wear a suit unless it's a funeral, so I don't have any nice real suits.

[look 171]

Not me. My girl friend, now wife, and I traveled a bit when we were young. When we go to places like Hong Kong or Thailand, It was always suggested that I have a suit and some shirts made. I was dumb enough to give in. Problem is, I almost never wear them. I suppose this is a typical girl that want her man look good, fashionable and nice. But this one she found is a shorts and tee shirt guy 365 days out of the year. A few of our friends use to go our to fancy places that requires a jacket. Now, those places do not get my money any more. I dig out my monkey suits only when necessary.

[epbrown]

Originally Posted by jyl

So I'm curious, is anyone here a sharp dresser, a fashionable gent, given to an eclectic look?

I tend to be pretty well-dressed. I tend to wear wool slacks, dress shirts, and dress shoes daily, with khakis/dockers and a broadcloth or polo when I'm casual. I've got 2 pairs of jeans, a couple of pairs of shorts, and the few t-shirts I've got come from various promos., so I'm rarely below the level most people consider business casual. On the one hand, it helps with the ladies - on the other, I'm often asked "Do you work here? I'm looking for..."

That said, I've never gone crazy with it. I'm on some of the male clothing forums (styleforum, askandyaboutclothes, etc) so I'm up on the big designers and such but it's like cars as far as diminishing returns: the difference between a 997 Carrera and a 997 GT3 is big - between a GT3 and GT3RS, not so much. Spending a grand on a suit is one thing, but five grand is another; I don't often stand around discussing pickstitching and collar width. I'm more what could be called "mid-level traditional" - my wardrobe will work any period from 1945 to the heat death of the universe, rather than following this trend or that.

[kiwiokie]

If you want to save some bucks there are some amazing deals on eBay. Bought some hand made dress shoes, hardly worn, for 10% of the retail price. Some people might get hung up on wanting virgin clothing but I figure we live in a world of microbes.

[jwasbury]

Originally Posted by jyl

Like, wearing...pants that don't bag.

This...

The key is getting clothes that fit well. I happen to be very thin (5'8" and 135-140lbs), and I swim in most of the clothes made for average sized American men. On me, even slim fit Brooks Brothers or equivalent stuff ends up looking like I am a kid who borrowed from dad's wardrobe. The pricier stuff tends to fit better, and it also generally of higher quality, better fabrics, made in Italy or some other European location and lasts a long time.

I wear suits nearly every day to work (usually no tie though). If I worked on a farm or as a mechanic, I wouldn't have expensive suits. No reason to own this kind of stuff if you aren't going to use it regularly.

[recycled sixtie]

Good thread and good threads?! Well I used to have to wear tie and suit when I worked but now I am retired I wear t shirts, Costco and Eddie Bauer cargo pants etc - gotta have those pockets for the cell phone.

I admit that you should dress appropriately for your work. However I like to see a person relax on time off with relaxed clothes. Sometimes I am pretty outspoken and I
told an office worker that he was an anal dresser because his clothes were still snappy for when he was on time off. Perhaps that was his personality and I was imposing my values on his.

[ErVikingo]

Yes, i wear very nice fitted OMP (racing) suits

[Mo_Gearhead]

So sir....do you dress to the left - or the right?

[Gogar]

I wear a suit.


On halloween.

[fintstone]

I have to wear a suit most of the time. Unless you are quite fat or a pimp, you don't need a really expensive suit, etc. The key is to spend whatever it takes to make it fit properly and ensure it doesn't look like you slept in it. You can pretty much get a suit off the rack at a place like Men's Wearhouse that looks great for about $300. A plain black or grey single breasted, with a white shirt and red or blue tie will make all the statement you need. Simple black dress shoes from Florshiem or similar will complete the classic look. The mistake that most make is their shoes or their haircut. An expensive suit does not make up for an unkept appearance...unless you are a rock star or some other such "celebrity".

If possible get several pairs of pants for the same suit as the jacket wull not take the same beating as the jacket and it will save on suits and cleaning.

A nice dressy overcoat and umbrella really make a difference depending on the climate. Remember that it must be large enough to fit loosely over the suit and long enough to extend below (close to knee length is best because it make you look leaner and taller to offset the bulk of the suit.

Avoid the bling like the gold tie bars etc. That is so 70's.

[GH85Carrera]

I am the opposite. Shorts and a t shirts all summer jeans in the winter. I refuse to ever wear a tie again.

[epbrown]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

I admit that you should dress appropriately for your work. However I like to see a person relax on time off with relaxed clothes. Sometimes I am pretty outspoken and I
told an office worker that he was an anal dresser because his clothes were still snappy for when he was on time off. Perhaps that was his personality and I was imposing my values on his.

I get that a lot and I typically write it off as the speaker... well, not knowing what they're talking about - no offense. Most people's first exposure to dress clothes are as kids, crammed into whatever their mom picked out with little concern about drape, fit, comfort, or materials, and they associate it with restrictions about not getting dirty or wrinkled. Those early years, they're given the idea that you can't look nice and be comfortable.

A lot of guys reach adulthood with that attitude, not knowing how to choose clothes that work. So they see someone in a suit or wearing a tie and figure he has to be uptight to put himself through that, when well-chosen dress/dress casual clothes are often more comfortable than jeans or cargo shorts. More convenient to, imo - I don't have to worry about what I'm wearing if I go somewhere on short notice.

Women are similar, btw. An ex of mine worked in women's clothing and said she was shocked how few women knew how to pick clothes that fit (beyond the usual "I'm not that size!" issues); she said she almost never saw a woman wearing the correct size bra.

[fintstone]

Comfort is really important. The mistake I always used to make was to get a shirt that fit through the body that was tight around my large neck. Fixing that made wearing a tie almost comfortable.

Since I commute over 2 hrs each way and work 9-10 hours...most of my day is spent "dressed up". I rarely get into casual clothes during the week.,,and If I go out to dinner...it is on the way home. I can pull off the jacket and tie in the car and be somewhat casual.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

I am the opposite. Shorts and a t shirts all summer jeans in the winter. I refuse to ever wear a tie again.

+1...I just had to click on this thread because I'd never heard of the term "clotheshorse" before. Though I wore a "corporate uniform" many years ago (tie), I'm now a "garment donkey"...way more tie-dyes than ties (1)

[MRM]

I've always tried to dress modestly well, but in the last few years I've tried to make an effort to dress nicer - better quality, better fit, better taste. My sense is that the trend is coming back to nicer clothes. You don't have to dress stuffy to be well dressed, and you don't have to chase the latest fashion to be stylish. Now that I have a better appreciation of what is good quality and good taste, I really take pleasure in dressing well. I also like to lounge around the house on weekends in seatshirts and jeans. It's a matter of good quality clothes that are comfortable in whatever situation.

The most important part is fit. As Fint pointed out, a great suit, shirt, slacks, etc. will look bad if it they don't fit. Cheap stuff will always look cheap, but adequate quality anything will look good if it fits well. The second most important part is the material used. Cheap material will look bad no matter what. Next comes construction - how well the garment is made. A well made suit/tie/shirt/jeans will look better over time, will wear well, and will hold up to repeated cleanings. Finally, properly cleaning is important. A good clean and press of a suit, tie, or pants will make it look new.

If you know what to look for, you can buy extremely well made suits and quality business casual clothes for the same cost as Josepth A. Banks or Men's Wearhouse. Shopping at Neiman Marcus Last Call, Sak's Off Fifth, Nordsrom's The Rack, etc. can give you great value. You can also spend thousands on junk those places too, but unless you're stupid, $400 will get you a half canvansed suit with a fair amount of hand stiching, and if you watch the sales, it will get you a nice fully canvased Hickey Freeman that even our former resident clothes horse RPK Esq. would approve of. Although he would register his disaproval of ending a sentence with a preposition.

Here is the men's clothes counterpart to Pelican Parts:

Styleforum - mens style forums and reviews


They have several different forums that discuss everything from formal menswear to casual streetwear. They have several nice sticky posts that explain suit construction and the various levels of quality and price. They're well worth the read.