Hey so I decided I want to start dressing better since I am now a sophomore business major in college and usually go to class wearing sweats and a hoody. Ifeel like as a respectable business man I'll have to dress the part, so although I do not want to start wearing suits to class or anything, I do want tostart "dressing up" a little more. The only problem is that I don't know where to start. My wardrobe now consists primarily of plain t-shirts,hoodies, a ton of Jordan stuff (sweatpants, hoodies, 60 pairs of shoes) and I want to gradually start wearing nicer clothes. At first I bought a few Burberrypolo shirts, because I want to dress nice, but not just fit in with everybody else. I also subscribed to GQ to try to get some fashion tips. I was justwondering what the next step should be....button up shirts? nice pants/jeans? My roommate said to start with one outfit and work from there, but I just wantedto see if anybody else had any opinions on what to buy, and any reccomendations about this subject at all. Basically, I just want to dress nicer and standout...where do I start? Thanks in advance!
Dress shirts or just casual long sleeve button-up shirts, lots and lots of sweaters, lots and lots of polos, a few ties, khakis or dressy jeans (minimal fade,no holes, etc.), maybe a few blazers, maybe some loafers I would start out with polo/nice jeans or dress shirt/sweater/nice jeans.
I think you should start with the basics and build your wardrobe from there. I'll come back with an example later
It is all about how the clothes fit, i cannot stress that enough. Anyways, you need to start with some khaki's or chino's, nothing baggy and no boot cut. Darker chino's are versatile as well. Real dark jeans, with a tapered bottom works too. You need some non-bulky casual shoe, ie: Jack Purcell's or Stan Smith's. I particularly like how versatile Clarks Desert boot are. Get some brown shoes, enough said. Invest in a quality white dress shirt and blue oxford. Trust me, it will get a lot of wear and just plain awesome. Striped sportshirts couldn't hurt either. Do not forget to tuck it in when appropriate. Some V-Neck sweaters or a cardigan, take a pick. A navy sportcoat is optional. Pea coats are a good option for cold weathers too. A nice belt to match the shoes wouldn't hurt either, although at times, a beltless chino could look real good. Don't forget the nice socks. Some nice knitted ties to keep it casual. I intentionally left out polo's to change it up a bit. Time to move up a bit from polos, trust me.
+1 on what RFX said. I would like to add by saying...buy quality items that fit you nicely, don't just go for the brand name. The only thing I can'trock from RFX's pix are the boots. Edit: For the jeans to be worn casually, I think it's best to get a pair with 'blank' back pockets. That means no designs or embroidered stuff atall. I'm not sure what your body build is, but try the usual stores to see which fits you the best...Express, Banana Republic, J. Crew, Macys. Dressing nice doesn't have to break the bank either. Getting 'regular' brands that fit you nicely is a 1000x better than having a Gucci polo thatfits sloppy.
Sweats are perfectly acceptable at school, but it's a good idea to start getting some nicer clothes. I recommend Banana Republic for clothing, and investin some nice shoes from Nordstrom or a similar store.
I'm going to rock them with plaid shorts and white v-neck t's in the summer so I can be doing it. As far as casual sneakers go,I'm also a huge fan of Rockport and Cole Haan. I had a pair of Rocky that I swore by when working at Circuit City. That pair was cheaper and outlastedany other casual sneakers I've worn in my 2+ years there. Diesels being the worst, they wear down so fast and not that comfy after several hours. The downside about dressing like this everyday is that if you don't dry clean your stuff, you're going to spend a lot of time ironing/steaming.
slacks, dress shoes, varieties of colored button up shirts, and varieties of colored ties, nice belt, few vests, etc..
If your a struggling college student like most people, Banana Repulic and Macy's will kill your pockets. Don't be ashamed to try Old Navy or Gap, theyhave cheap nice clothes.
Just wait for sales. Macy's often have ridiculously discounted sales. I went to get some wife beaters today at the local Macys and sawseveral pairs of slacks that were $98 discounted to around $25-30. Banana Republic also has a lot of good sales. They had that $50 off every $100 spent nottoo long ago. I have stuff from BR and Gap..the difference in quality is definitely noticeable. I haven't paid retail for 99% of my clothes since highschool personally.
To start off... assuming you are on a student budget. -1 pair of clae or clarks shoes. Use your discretion... keep in mind aside from your jays this is your everyday pair of shoes. so dark colors tend to fit withanything. -1 pair of adidas superstars or stan smiths (WHITE ON WHITE). this is casual classy at its finest and works with everything. -2 dark denim and 2 khaki. You shouldn't need to spend more the $60/each on your first khakis.. step your 'game' up after you have a foundation.dry denim works with anything, and you can wear almost everyday! - ~5-10 blank tees. You can look and feel sophisticated with a white tee, dark jeans and white stan smiths. I usually wear a black teeshirt 4/5 work days aweek. yes it's boring, but its neutral and cheap. eventually start purchasing: -long sleeve crew necks. I purchased a couple from Jack Jones for like 40 euros i think. classy..casual -leather dress shoes. COMPLETELY avoid square toe. don't be shy of getting pointed toe shoes. it's hella classy if you pull it off. it shows you are a'step' abover aldo haha -sport shirts. don't cheap out. I purchased 3 Hugo Boss sport shirts for ~$200-$300 each for when I have meetings or go out to clubs. I buy one a month ortwo months to keep it continuing. Just remember. be simple and don't try to 'stunt'. you ARE a student. begin with a foundation and build on that. I HATE when kids buy 1 polo pull over and gucci this and that but wear the same gear every day. tsk tsk you are not impressing anyone
I should also mention. GAP and old navy are your friends as previously mentioned. you can get quality, simple gear to start off with. black socks too. always
Great thread. Good looks on the Clark's desert boot. I've been looking for something similar for quite a while, while not breaking my bank.
So I'm infatuated with this shoe. I did some research and found a pretty solid sale on shoes altogether. Shoes.com Friday & Saturday 50% + Additional 10% Sale Shoes.com Friday & Saturday Sale Enjoy Up to 50% Off + 10% Discount Promocode: LOVE Remember, free shipping too! http://www.shoes.com/ContentSLN.a...90212SSPre I just ordered 2 pairs. Free shipping, no tax, 20% off coupon code "heart" Remember to size down a full size. I'm an 11 in Vans, a 10 in DBs. http://www.shoes.com/Shop...e%2Bmatchallany&Nty=1
Just got the email about the sale. (FROM Banana & Republic) Man, I still can't get myself to like the boots. They don't look too comfy and the lining looks like they can cut your skin if you don't wearthick socks. (I actually had this happened to me on a pair of Kenneth Cole loafers before).