Man needing serious fashion makeover

rgdrfgdf

That’s right folks, I’m mid 20’s bloke who has evolved into slob like appearance clothes wise and woke up this morning and realised I need to spruce up the wardrobe.
I threw a heap of stuff out tonight and this is what im left with…

BTW Im tall and rangey, darkish complection but my wardrobe needs a major change and ladies, I could do with some advice...

I’ve stocktaked and this is what I’ve got few pair of jeans, only one of which I should really be wearing.
and
10 nice t-shirts
25-30 t-shirts that are oldish/sports gear
Five fleeces/hoodies
Three shirts
One suit and four shirts to go with it
Dicky bow
One tie
Black shoes
Brown shoes
One blue jumper
Brown trainer shoe
One belt
White runners
One jacket
And one exceptionally nice, expensive and stylish jacket
Loadsa socks and jocks

I’ve recently entered the working world and I am trying to get away from the whole student/scruffy hoody look with something a bit more smart but still casual..not going for the cardigan jumper look yet.

So what do I need?
Ladies, what catches your eye on a bloke?, clothes wise.
Going by my specifications what should suit me?

This is what I’ve come up with

Blazer style jacket that is semi-smart-I’ve seen blokes wearing them, and they are smart but semi-casual.Ladies what do you think of them?
Where would I get them? Colours, styles etc? price range?

Cords/jeans/trousers
Basically im starting from scratch, what should every man have in his wardrobe minimum
3 blue jean
3 black jeans
3 cords
3 other/smarter again

If I don’t need a suit for my job is there much of a need for me to stock up further?
What types/styles of suit is there should I go for.

Moving onto shirts, I’m talking clubbing and carousing wear..
Again need some direction
Colours
Blue, black, white, red 2 of each?

Jumper
Again black, blue, green?

Belts?
What colours, how many of age to get.

Ties
How many? How much? Where and what colours?

What sort of functional but cool jacket can I get?

And what of the above can be picked up in likes of penneys?

(Is it that obvious that I hate clothes shopping and I’m a functional male who will be probably be taken to pieces by girlfriend for having 2 of everything!)

And finally where can i get all the above under one roof Dundrum, Blanch, Liffey Valley?

Stark

Wow, judging from this and your other posts in your short posting career, you really are dedicated to putting your life in the hands of boards.ie aren't you?

The elite ruling class must now go away to deliberate on what to do with this miraculous gift of raw clay that's been dropped on our doorsteps.

tSubh Dearg

Do you not have any female friends that you would trust to go shopping with you? I've been asked to help a couple of male friends on occasion.

With the ones that really hate shopping I plonked them in a nearby cafe and made a prelimanary look round by myself. Then took them back and showed them the items I thought they would like. In return I got lots of cake and coffee

cianr

In return I got lots of cake

Is that what you kids are calling it these days?

Rb

If your willing to spend a good bit of cash then go to the Dundrum Town Centre and book a few appointments with personal shoppers(they're free), they'll pick out stuff that suits you well.

Harvey Nicks, BT2, House of Fraser have them, I'm sure other shops do too.

Japonica

If I were you, I would build up my wardrobe slowly. Try different styles and colours and see what suits you. Cut out various pictures of the look that you are trying to achieve and you can ask sales assistants in many of the high street shops on days that they are not too busy, on how you can achieve the look in their store and what they feel is the latest fashion and what they feel would suit you. They are looking at guys every day so therefore know what shirt or jeans will suit who. Try Jack and Jones or River Island etc.....

Let us know how you get on..

The Troll

tSubh Dearg wrote:

Do you not have any female friend

rhetorical question?

The Troll

On a more serious note, if you're looking for a look thats "in" at the moment, you just need to look around.

Smart casual suit style jackets have been in for a good while now. Can be worn with T-shirt or a shirt.

for overcoats, this seasons in thing is duffel coats and large overcoats with a bit of fur around the hood.

Hoodies are always good for smart casual look. Dont get sporty ones though - ie reebok, nike etc. If you're going for a more trendy look, go into Raidar or G-Star. Check out Diesel and Replay hoodies.

same with jeans. Dont go for mass-produced crap that everyone buys like Unique or Jack and Jones, go for something a bit more expensive. Again for me, I actually dont have any jeans other than G-Star(currently about 14 pairs). They have the nicest jeans on the market and the most individual. A pi of there jeans doesnt look like the bog standard garbage that is worn by most guys. Diesel also have a nice range of mens jeans, but they can go up to €250ish for a pair.

Energie is also a nice brand(the male version of Miss Sixty).

other looks that are big this season are knitted jumpers with stripe patters. They come in a range of colours, so there'll definitely be something you like.

I'd say Dundrum Town Centre would be worth your while.

house of Fraser is a great shop if you've got a bit of cash to spend. Check out the Paul Smith range. Pricy, bu some really nice clothes.

fdevine

With the likes of Penneys stocking quite trendy clothes at throw away prices, its not hard at all to build a decent capsule wardrobe.

With the exception of the odd item the stuff in Penneys is under €20.

Jeans are a steal at between €15 and €18.

Pick up a fashion mag, like FHM Collections, which is out this week and have a look at what is supposed to be the latest trend/s.

The Troll

fdevine wrote:

With the likes of Penneys stocking quite trendy clothes at throw away prices, its not hard at all to build a decent capsule wardrobe.

With the exception of the odd item the stuff in Penneys is under €20.

Jeans are a steal at between €15 and €18.

Pick up a fashion mag, like FHM Collections, which is out this week and have a look at what is supposed to be the latest trend/s.

If you want to look "trendy" avoid the above advice like the plague.

hardtrainer

It really doesn't matter how much you spend on the clothes or where you buy them so long as they look well.
But a good thing to remember is that you usually get what you pay for. Penneys is great (apparently) for womens clothes, but they don't last long at all.
I think you'd be better off getting some well made classic pieces for your wardrobe that you can then combine with the more affordable versions of the 'in thing's that you can pick up in the likes of jack and jones, top man etc., if thats what you want. I certainly wouldn't go buying two and three of anything. Build it up slowly and see what you like wearing most and what gets you some compliments.

Good advice above on getting a female friend to help you, but make sure she's knows what she's doing! You could also get the opinion of a male friend, presuming all yoru friends don't hate shopping as much as you do.
A personal shopper could also be a good option, if only to get an idea of what kinda things are going to suit you.

SexyD4Lady

Well, my dear, let's start by saying clothes speak to people. Do you want to live up to a certain image or stereotype? You can create a persona by wearing a particular type of clothing.

If fashion or style is the only factor, then I suggest you go into a moderately priced mens' high street store where there are female employees, ask for help and opinions- I know for a fact they would be more than delighted to help. If you have a sister, preferably around your age, she'd be good as well.

A look that goes down well with all girls is the slightly scruffy smart-casual. To carry of this look you need:

a) A relatively lean physique
b) "I just got out of bed hair" (to achieve this put a little bit of gel on the top of your hair, put a towel over your head and manouvre as if you're towel drying)
c) Stubble
d) Good hygiene, please
e) A good pair of jeans. I suggest a classic brand like Levis, perhaps the Anti Fit ones
f) A nice blazer/sports jacket, preferably brown. Diffney do a nice selection, as do Gant. If you're looking for a cheaper version, try the likes of Zara, H&M, M&S
g) A few nice t-shirts, in plain colours (green, blue, white, red, black are all you need. NEVER pink. If you want writing or a logo, go with the Varsity or Vintage style ones)
h) Shirts. At least five. White, blue, black, 2 pinstripe. One with French collar and cuffs (these are the ones where cuffs and collar are white, rest of shirt is a different colour). Pick one where the body of the shirt is a light to medium blue or red and white pinstripe.
i) Shoes. VERY important. Runners should never be glowing white. Go for a vintage style trainer, no shell toes. Or Converse. Shoes should be simple, real leather, and not have any buckles on them. Buckles scream cheap. A pair of brown or black classic slim line leather shoes are timeless and an investment. Spend a bit extra on these.
j) Belts. You need three. One black leather, one brown leather, one canvas in red or green
k) Avoid jewellery as much as possible. If you feel "bare" without it, one silver ring, gold rings should only be signets and preferably worn on the little finger. Simple silver chain with small crucifix or no pendant.
l) Sportswear should be of the brands Russell Athletic, Canterbury, O Neill, Ripcurl, Quiksilver.
m) Aftershave- classic and understated: Carolina Herrera for men or Polo Sport for day wear.
n) Watch- classic. Can't go wrong with a classic brown leather strap, simple face.

Makaveli

Shell toes got mad old skool flava, what choo talkin 'bout?

hardtrainer

Hmm D4lady got awful specific there...as for the French cuff and collar shirt...eh that is in no way scruffy/smart casual. Very few men can pull that one off well and they tend to look a bit naff. Plain t-shirts are always a good buy because they'll go with anything. I don't see why you should have exactly three belts, a black and brown leather and a canvas in red or green..again, WAY too specific considering she has no idea what you look like. Any colour belt can work, depending on what you wear it with and how confident you are. Black leather belts are fine for formal wear, but never with jeans. When wearing denims black leather (belts and shoes) should not be worn. The only colour of leather that should be worn with denims is brown, dark brown if you don't want it to contrast too much.

Best thing you can really do is go into a couple of shops and look at what they have on their mannequins and see what the male staff are wearing. If you see a look you like, ask the staff for help, they'll be delighted to give you some help. Otherwise, get a mate (male or female) to give you some help. I don't think any girl would turn down the chance to go shopping with someone elses money, even if they're not getting anything for themselves.