This thread is specifically focused on my experience upgrading from what I would deem a college wardrobe. Whether you went to college or not this is basically the casual, generic male wardrobe of the early to mid twenties Western male. There are really two main variations of the college wardrobe that I see a lot. The most prevalent would be the t-shirt and jeans or t-shirt and untucked cheap button down. The other would be the frat boy variation which consists of bright colored shorts, pastel shirts and loafers or boat shoes.
Without getting too Freudian let's examine what both of these general wardrobes say to the world. The first, the t-shirt and jeans variety indicates you are young, somewhat immature, probably lacking significant net worth, and are partially support by debt or family, and therefore can choose comfort over style.
The second, frat boy fashion indicates you have generational wealth and no need to pursue fashion for the sake of career or social connections. The bright shorts, visors, loafers are borrowed from nautical fashion and the idea of a boat or a yacht is a powerful symbol of consumerism out of reach to most working stiffs.
In both cases the clear trend is comfort over style.
I was of the t-shirt and jeans variety. The last time I really bought clothes, besides a few items here or there was my junior year of college. My wardrobe consisted of a few pairs of jeans, tons of graphic tees, casual shoes, and cargo shorts. Dressing up meant replacing the graphic tee with a patterned button down, untucked.
There's nothing wrong with wearing casual clothing except for the fact that it will not set you apart from others in any way, and the older you get, the more you are sending a signal that your are unambitious and complacent, whether true or not.
I think a main reason I see many older men holding onto the college wardrobe is the lack of milestones after this time. You start picking your own clothes in high school, and then again at college age is the first time you really buy them with your own money. But then you slowly drift into the working world, and with the stagnating economy of the last 8 years many do not have a reason to purchase higher end clothing. I believe that a good milestone though, for lack of any others, would be age 25. At that age you should begin ditching the beer pong t-shirts and buying some real adult clothing.
I recently went through this process and this post marks some of the lessons I learned. Most men have a hard time with fashion, and there really aren't a lot of good, simple sources for help. The high end fashion stuff like the classic magazines and their websites are really out of touch with the common man. Unless you are navigating the higher circles of NY or LA you are going to look severely out of place. On the flip side, looking at retailer websites is going to give you too much choice. They simply are content to sell you anything and everything, the common man is lost.
First, a few basic rules or trends that I learned. Must have missed the memo on some of these for the past few years.
- It's impossible to upgrade your wardrobe in a day or two. If you try to do it all at one you will not only get discouraged but end up wasting a lot of money. The whole process for me took about two months.
- Don't buy anything unless it fits perfectly. The difference between an adult wardrobe and a college wardrobe is that you are showing off your perfected body (in theory) instead of logos, funny graphics, and college mascots. If something is too loose, or too tight, just wait, you will find something better. You can also note the size and brand and order online, with free returns there is very little downside.
- For younger men, slim is in, but there is a big difference between slim and tight. Also a big difference between masculine slim which shows off the form of a well-maintained body and skinny which is effeminate and ridiculous looking. The effeminate skinny stuff is being pushed by fashion designers and should be avoided.
- Checkered patterns, plaids, and pastels are in. But I can see these being out of style as quickly as they appeared. Avoid going "all in" on this stuff and being stuck with it for years. Avoid the really effeminate pastels as these fall into the same category as the really skinny stuff the fashion designers are pushing on young men.
- Cargo shorts are out. Do not buy them and get rid of the ones you have.
- Avoid stuff you know you are not going to wear often. I was tempted to buy a lot of blazers and jackets just because they look good, but I knew for my circumstances I would hardly ever wear them.
- Mind your budget. Not everything you own has to be expensive. Some low end stores sell almost identical products as high end stores, but the high end stores will love to take your money for them.
The Process:
I first started by cleaning out and organizing my closet and drawers. Anything that was stained or discolored I threw out, this included white shirts that were trending toward beige. Anything that could be salvaged went in a pile for thrift store donation. The thrift store pile included all my cargo shorts, shirts I couldn't remember the last time I wore, anything that didn't fit correctly, and some of the goofier graphic tees I had. If you are hesitant to throw things out, because you "might wear them sometime," at least segregate them into a separate pile, out of the way so that they don't interfere with your daily wardrobe. Another thing I did was throw out a bunch of socks. I now only have one style of black crew socks and one style of black athletic socks. There is no need to look through piles of them every morning. Sounds insignificant but is a nice time saver.
Next I developed a plan for what I wanted, quantity and type. I came up with, roughly:
2-3 pairs of slim, pocketless shorts
2-3 pairs of nice jeans
5-10 pairs of slacks, varying colors
5-10 dress shirts, varying colors
4-6 more casual, button down shirts
4-5 V-neck t-shirts
2-3 long sleeve t-shirts
2-3 polos
5-10 ties
2 belts
3-4 pairs of shoes
1-3 suits
These are the basics for what I would consider an adult wardrobe. In general, slacks and slim dress shirts are now my standard fair. For casual stuff I can throw on the jeans and a more casual shirt, or jeans/shorts with a V-neck or polo, long sleeve t-shirts in the colder weather. Alternate classic black and brown belts as needed and black dress shoes, brown boots, or casual shoes as well.
As stated the idea behind this wardrobe is that you are showing off your body, not your clothing in and of itself. In high school, it's all about brands and which brands identify you into a certain clique. In college, it's mainly about comfort, comedy, or (gag me) irony. But from about 25-40 you are dressing for the prime of your life. Comfort should take a bit of a backseat to displaying full-formed masculinity. The idea is to wear form-fitting shirts, pants, etc., and what's important is not who made the clothing or where it came from. The important thing is who is wearing it.
Now the hard part is where to get this stuff. You don't want to overspend in either time or money. I really didn't have a plan as I haven't been to many different stores over the past few years, but having largely completed this task I know how I would do it differently.
First recognize that some of these items you can get very inexpensively for virtually no drawbacks. For instance a black belt is pretty much a black belt; a V-neck is pretty much a V-neck. There are stores that will sell you a $10 V-neck and stores that will sell you a $50 V-neck. The only difference is probably how long they will last, but this is rather insignificant for a t-shirt.
So in general you want to spend less on:
T-shirts
Belts
Socks
Polos
Shorts
so you can spend more on:
Suits
Dress shirts
Ties
and somewhere in the middle you have:
Jeans
Dress pants
Shoes
I would recommend starting with the cheapest stuff first and working your way up. That way, if you don't find it cheaply, you will still find it, but you won't overpay for it.
The Actual Buying Process
Believe it or not, Walmart is great for the cheapest stuff I listed. T-shirts and shorts are not going to be the bulk of your wardrobe, and they aren't that important. Most of the stuff is $10 or less and virtually indistinguishable from the same stuff you will get at higher end stores like Banana Republic. It might wear out faster, but you might rip or stain a more expensive item just as quickly. The only criteria here should be how well the stuff fits you. If it doesn't fit perfectly, don't buy it. Move on to something else.
After your cheap stuff you move on to dress pants, shirts, and ties. I hit up the Express Outlet store for this stuff. One reason I like this store is that it is geared toward younger men who are not overweight. This is pretty much the opposite of department stores nowadays. I bought most of my ties here for the same reason, they have a limited selection but they are all cutting edge. You can go to a department store and be overwhelmed by the selection, in addition to wasting time you will end up selecting out of date ties as well. This store is expensive though so you have to follow your deals you will pay through the nose.
For the middle of the range stuff I mostly went to department stores. This would include for jeans and more casual button down shirts. Avoid the off the rack jeans and go for some higher end ones. Two brands I found that I liked were Guess and INC. These are both geared to higher end purchasers instead of guys looking to go fishing all weekend. You can also find cheaper dress pants here, the only problem being you have to wade through so many out of date and oversized versions. You can also try stores like Banana Republic, J.Crew, though their margins are higher. Another option if you are cash strapped at this point is to try stuff on in the store and then find it cheaper online. I deliberately avoided Gap, Old Navy, American Eagle, anything that specifically caters to the college crowd. If you can only afford that stuff I believe you are better off saving your money for some nicer options.
For the higher end stuff, you definitely want to do some price comparisons. Every man should own a basic black suit. After that, if you have enough money/need, you can go with blue and a khaki summer suit. Jos A. Bank and Brooks Brothers are good options but expense. JAB usually has a sale twice a year where you can get two suits for the price of one. Men's Warehouse is a more affordable option, so is Express if you wait for their suit sales.
I hope this thread is of some utility in helping others to upgrade to a basic adult wardrobe. These are really my opinions and experiences and are by no means definitive or even correct. I realize styles, options, and prices vary greatly by region so any other advice is encouraged.
Without getting too Freudian let's examine what both of these general wardrobes say to the world. The first, the t-shirt and jeans variety indicates you are young, somewhat immature, probably lacking significant net worth, and are partially support by debt or family, and therefore can choose comfort over style.
The second, frat boy fashion indicates you have generational wealth and no need to pursue fashion for the sake of career or social connections. The bright shorts, visors, loafers are borrowed from nautical fashion and the idea of a boat or a yacht is a powerful symbol of consumerism out of reach to most working stiffs.
In both cases the clear trend is comfort over style.
I was of the t-shirt and jeans variety. The last time I really bought clothes, besides a few items here or there was my junior year of college. My wardrobe consisted of a few pairs of jeans, tons of graphic tees, casual shoes, and cargo shorts. Dressing up meant replacing the graphic tee with a patterned button down, untucked.
There's nothing wrong with wearing casual clothing except for the fact that it will not set you apart from others in any way, and the older you get, the more you are sending a signal that your are unambitious and complacent, whether true or not.
I think a main reason I see many older men holding onto the college wardrobe is the lack of milestones after this time. You start picking your own clothes in high school, and then again at college age is the first time you really buy them with your own money. But then you slowly drift into the working world, and with the stagnating economy of the last 8 years many do not have a reason to purchase higher end clothing. I believe that a good milestone though, for lack of any others, would be age 25. At that age you should begin ditching the beer pong t-shirts and buying some real adult clothing.
I recently went through this process and this post marks some of the lessons I learned. Most men have a hard time with fashion, and there really aren't a lot of good, simple sources for help. The high end fashion stuff like the classic magazines and their websites are really out of touch with the common man. Unless you are navigating the higher circles of NY or LA you are going to look severely out of place. On the flip side, looking at retailer websites is going to give you too much choice. They simply are content to sell you anything and everything, the common man is lost.
First, a few basic rules or trends that I learned. Must have missed the memo on some of these for the past few years.
- It's impossible to upgrade your wardrobe in a day or two. If you try to do it all at one you will not only get discouraged but end up wasting a lot of money. The whole process for me took about two months.
- Don't buy anything unless it fits perfectly. The difference between an adult wardrobe and a college wardrobe is that you are showing off your perfected body (in theory) instead of logos, funny graphics, and college mascots. If something is too loose, or too tight, just wait, you will find something better. You can also note the size and brand and order online, with free returns there is very little downside.
- For younger men, slim is in, but there is a big difference between slim and tight. Also a big difference between masculine slim which shows off the form of a well-maintained body and skinny which is effeminate and ridiculous looking. The effeminate skinny stuff is being pushed by fashion designers and should be avoided.
- Checkered patterns, plaids, and pastels are in. But I can see these being out of style as quickly as they appeared. Avoid going "all in" on this stuff and being stuck with it for years. Avoid the really effeminate pastels as these fall into the same category as the really skinny stuff the fashion designers are pushing on young men.
- Cargo shorts are out. Do not buy them and get rid of the ones you have.
- Avoid stuff you know you are not going to wear often. I was tempted to buy a lot of blazers and jackets just because they look good, but I knew for my circumstances I would hardly ever wear them.
- Mind your budget. Not everything you own has to be expensive. Some low end stores sell almost identical products as high end stores, but the high end stores will love to take your money for them.
The Process:
I first started by cleaning out and organizing my closet and drawers. Anything that was stained or discolored I threw out, this included white shirts that were trending toward beige. Anything that could be salvaged went in a pile for thrift store donation. The thrift store pile included all my cargo shorts, shirts I couldn't remember the last time I wore, anything that didn't fit correctly, and some of the goofier graphic tees I had. If you are hesitant to throw things out, because you "might wear them sometime," at least segregate them into a separate pile, out of the way so that they don't interfere with your daily wardrobe. Another thing I did was throw out a bunch of socks. I now only have one style of black crew socks and one style of black athletic socks. There is no need to look through piles of them every morning. Sounds insignificant but is a nice time saver.
Next I developed a plan for what I wanted, quantity and type. I came up with, roughly:
2-3 pairs of slim, pocketless shorts
2-3 pairs of nice jeans
5-10 pairs of slacks, varying colors
5-10 dress shirts, varying colors
4-6 more casual, button down shirts
4-5 V-neck t-shirts
2-3 long sleeve t-shirts
2-3 polos
5-10 ties
2 belts
3-4 pairs of shoes
1-3 suits
These are the basics for what I would consider an adult wardrobe. In general, slacks and slim dress shirts are now my standard fair. For casual stuff I can throw on the jeans and a more casual shirt, or jeans/shorts with a V-neck or polo, long sleeve t-shirts in the colder weather. Alternate classic black and brown belts as needed and black dress shoes, brown boots, or casual shoes as well.
As stated the idea behind this wardrobe is that you are showing off your body, not your clothing in and of itself. In high school, it's all about brands and which brands identify you into a certain clique. In college, it's mainly about comfort, comedy, or (gag me) irony. But from about 25-40 you are dressing for the prime of your life. Comfort should take a bit of a backseat to displaying full-formed masculinity. The idea is to wear form-fitting shirts, pants, etc., and what's important is not who made the clothing or where it came from. The important thing is who is wearing it.
Now the hard part is where to get this stuff. You don't want to overspend in either time or money. I really didn't have a plan as I haven't been to many different stores over the past few years, but having largely completed this task I know how I would do it differently.
First recognize that some of these items you can get very inexpensively for virtually no drawbacks. For instance a black belt is pretty much a black belt; a V-neck is pretty much a V-neck. There are stores that will sell you a $10 V-neck and stores that will sell you a $50 V-neck. The only difference is probably how long they will last, but this is rather insignificant for a t-shirt.
So in general you want to spend less on:
T-shirts
Belts
Socks
Polos
Shorts
so you can spend more on:
Suits
Dress shirts
Ties
and somewhere in the middle you have:
Jeans
Dress pants
Shoes
I would recommend starting with the cheapest stuff first and working your way up. That way, if you don't find it cheaply, you will still find it, but you won't overpay for it.
The Actual Buying Process
Believe it or not, Walmart is great for the cheapest stuff I listed. T-shirts and shorts are not going to be the bulk of your wardrobe, and they aren't that important. Most of the stuff is $10 or less and virtually indistinguishable from the same stuff you will get at higher end stores like Banana Republic. It might wear out faster, but you might rip or stain a more expensive item just as quickly. The only criteria here should be how well the stuff fits you. If it doesn't fit perfectly, don't buy it. Move on to something else.
After your cheap stuff you move on to dress pants, shirts, and ties. I hit up the Express Outlet store for this stuff. One reason I like this store is that it is geared toward younger men who are not overweight. This is pretty much the opposite of department stores nowadays. I bought most of my ties here for the same reason, they have a limited selection but they are all cutting edge. You can go to a department store and be overwhelmed by the selection, in addition to wasting time you will end up selecting out of date ties as well. This store is expensive though so you have to follow your deals you will pay through the nose.
For the middle of the range stuff I mostly went to department stores. This would include for jeans and more casual button down shirts. Avoid the off the rack jeans and go for some higher end ones. Two brands I found that I liked were Guess and INC. These are both geared to higher end purchasers instead of guys looking to go fishing all weekend. You can also find cheaper dress pants here, the only problem being you have to wade through so many out of date and oversized versions. You can also try stores like Banana Republic, J.Crew, though their margins are higher. Another option if you are cash strapped at this point is to try stuff on in the store and then find it cheaper online. I deliberately avoided Gap, Old Navy, American Eagle, anything that specifically caters to the college crowd. If you can only afford that stuff I believe you are better off saving your money for some nicer options.
For the higher end stuff, you definitely want to do some price comparisons. Every man should own a basic black suit. After that, if you have enough money/need, you can go with blue and a khaki summer suit. Jos A. Bank and Brooks Brothers are good options but expense. JAB usually has a sale twice a year where you can get two suits for the price of one. Men's Warehouse is a more affordable option, so is Express if you wait for their suit sales.
I hope this thread is of some utility in helping others to upgrade to a basic adult wardrobe. These are really my opinions and experiences and are by no means definitive or even correct. I realize styles, options, and prices vary greatly by region so any other advice is encouraged.
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