[gework]

I'm looking to spend about $1,300 on clothes, max $200 per item; also a pair of shoes and trainers.

Spent some time online recently and did pick up one item I like then went to the nearest large town and found only clothes for 50+, dandies and cheap high street chain stores.

What labels or specific items do people like themselves?

I am after clothes that might fit into any of the following:

smart-casual
subtle
modest sophistication
sporting casual
sporting trim

i.e. not the type of clothes someone that is trying to be a Casanova would buy. Ideally something that would not stand out particularly on a night out, but if focused on would be seen as a cut above most else. Anything that adds a bit of an air of dark mystery would be good.

[The Beast1]

With your budget, I would stick to outlet stores. They're a bitch to get to, so make a day trip out of it.

[monsquid]

Don't spend all your money at once. What I mean is to buy a few items at a time. Try one or two pieces of an outfit over time to see how the fit and style work for you. You don't want to drive to an outlet and blow all your money at J-crew/Banana Republic/Bonobos/whatever else.

Remember most important thing is fit. Make sure the clothes fit your body porportions well.

If I were I would start with the following for basic foundation and then build on it with more interesting and higher quality pieces.

-- Pair of olive or navy blue chinos. Can be had from J-crew/Banana republic/Bonobos. This is pretty standard place to start. Avoid tan or khaki colored chinos as those are overplayed by American men and are too safe. Navy blue chinos can be worn during the day or even at night and will always look smart. Also allows for a variety of tops.

-- V-neck t-shirts (2-3) of a different color but the same style/fit/brand. Make sure to pay a little extra for high quality fabric. Make sure there is no branding. I would go with at least one black and maybe light blue or salmon or even all white. Depends on your skin tone. You can throw a leather jacket/varsity jacket/denim jacket/blazer over a v-neck and quickly become smart casual. Best investment IMO. For guys with a slight belly the black v-neck also makes you look slimmer.

-- Oxford button downs. Many different styles. Get a light blue for the safest. If you can find them on sale the Brooks Brothers ones are nice. But lately I've been moving away from collared shirts for a more casual and artsy/younger look of long sleeve tees with interesting design. The buttown down chino look is kind of a "nice but boring" stable white guy look.

-- 1 Pair of high quality jeans. Go for a slim or straight fit. I would recommend Nudies or Naked and Famous for a good brand within your 200 limit. Buy these online or sometimes you see them at Nordstrom/Barneys etc... Going with raw denim with a nice fit will give you an awesome piece of jeans that are unique to you over time. Plus it feels good and gives you confidence to be wearing something like this that's yours over long time. But gotta take care of it. Personally I own two pairs of Momotaros and a tweed fill Naked and Famous in the winter. Probably cost about 700 dollars for all three but I've owned them for over 6 years and I always get compliments on them.

-- For shoes go with Clark's desert boots for beginners. Don't skimp out on cost. Sperrys are good for summer and with the chinos.

-- For trainers the holy grail is Common Projects all white sneakers, but that will run you 400 dollars. Similar but much cheaper is Adidas Stan Smiths for around 50 dollars. There are other brands out there. Nike Killshot 2 with gum sole is also popular because it looks very clean and can be worn casually or even in a more dressy way. Avoid basketball shoes. Always go for slim/clean silhouette.

-- Avoid overbranding. Talking to female and male friends who are quiet classy and fashionable, wearing heavily branded stuff is the mark of an ignorant. Wearing high quality nicely fitted clothes with one or two pieces that have slight edge to them is the hallmark of a well put together man. Of course all this is my opinion. If your confidence level is high then you can experiment with bolder patterns and colors but I don't think that's what you are asking for here.

-- Need I say again: FIT FIT FIT is the most important.

[gework]

(06-17-2017 12:46 AM)monsquid Wrote:  

-- Need I say again: FIT FIT FIT is the most important.

I agree.

Thanks for the suggestions. The chinos and Oxford button downs are two of the type of things I had in mind, so will look into them now.

Looking for shoes more like a pair of bulldozers, not the like feminine bubble shoes that seem to make up most of the market. Best seen so far:

[Veloce]

Fit will always be key.

Lately I rotate between 3 pants:
white linen I bought from Barney's
brown denim I bought from Joe's Jeans
blue denim I got from some unheard of brand in L.A.

I really love Aldo for shoes. They always have up to date styles and at a very reasonable price. Only issue is they fall apart faster than more high end brands.

Been rocking Scotch and Soda shirts lately. It's a fashion house from Denmark so there's plenty of ultra gay shit that libtards would wear, but their button downs fit me very well (tall skinny with a long torso)

Calvin Klein V necks. Be aware that these shrink like a mofo. I normally wear a large but buy XL for CK.

Briefs from Kronis. These are the best I've ever owned.

[aeroektar]

(06-17-2017 10:41 AM)gework Wrote:  

(06-17-2017 12:46 AM)monsquid Wrote:  

-- Need I say again: FIT FIT FIT is the most important.

I agree.

Thanks for the suggestions. The chinos and Oxford button downs are two of the type of things I had in mind, so will look into them now.

Looking for shoes more like a pair of bulldozers, not the like feminine bubble shoes that seem to make up most of the market. Best seen so far:

Since your asking for advice, I'll say don't buy those ugly shoes.

The recommendation for Clark's desert boots is good, they're a classic, cheap and versatile.



If you want something a bit more rugged there's the heritage lines from companies like Chippewa, wolverine and thorogood, and higher end boots from companies like Viberg and Alden.

[Sebastian]

I dont know what other shoes have to do with Feminine.
I honestly dont know who wears those unless they are over 50.

[Repo]

For the love of god, please don't buy those shoes gework, they are hideous.

+1 to clarks or Aldo, decent shoes at good price. Also, if there is a Saks Off 5th or Nordstrom rack you can sometimes pick up good shoes there for a discount.

[HermeticAlly]

Yeah, Clarks DB, Red Wing Iron Rangers, or Wolverine 1000 Mile are all much better boot options. Much more versatile and classic styles.

I'd suggest brands like:

Rogue Territory and 3Sixteen for jeans, shirts, jackets, chinos. Very high quality flannels and other shirts that fit well. Raw denim made with proprietary fabrics and nice details, but nothing gaudy or too trendy looking.
Aero Leather and Falcon Garments for leather jackets. The former for a more classic military/biker style, the latter for a more contemporary/fitted kind of look.
For sneakers, I really like my pairs from Common Projects. Can be had for decent prices on auction sites. Greats Brand makes a very similar sneaker that's much cheaper and appears to be very high quality (unlike most knockoffs.) New Balance made in USA models can look very clean and versatile for casual outfits as well.

For tees, I really dislike V-necks at this point. Absolutely everybody wears them, they've completely lost the distinctive edge they had ten years ago. I prefer tees with a scooped neck - one that is about as deep as a regular V, but curved. I have some from a California shop called Lone Flag that are very nice, and US-made. Looks great with a necklace and draws a woman's eyes to your chest. This is a bit subjective, but I think this style makes my chest shoulders look broader as well. Usually these have a longer hem and can look good untucked for a more streetwear-influenced style, or cleaned up by tucking in and wearing under jackets or shirts.

[Sebastian]

Hm those are all feminine, gay items by his standards.

(06-17-2017 03:43 PM)HermeticAlly Wrote:  

Yeah, Clarks DB, Red Wing Iron Rangers, or Wolverine 1000 Mile are all much better boot options. Much more versatile and classic styles.

I'd suggest brands like:

Rogue Territory and 3Sixteen for jeans, shirts, jackets, chinos. Very high quality flannels and other shirts that fit well. Raw denim made with proprietary fabrics and nice details, but nothing gaudy or too trendy looking.
Aero Leather and Falcon Garments for leather jackets. The former for a more classic military/biker style, the latter for a more contemporary/fitted kind of look.
For sneakers, I really like my pairs from Common Projects. Can be had for decent prices on auction sites. Greats Brand makes a very similar sneaker that's much cheaper and appears to be very high quality (unlike most knockoffs.) New Balance made in USA models can look very clean and versatile for casual outfits as well.

For tees, I really dislike V-necks at this point. Absolutely everybody wears them, they've completely lost the distinctive edge they had ten years ago. I prefer tees with a scooped neck - one that is about as deep as a regular V, but curved. I have some from a California shop called Lone Flag that are very nice, and US-made. Looks great with a necklace and draws a woman's eyes to your chest. This is a bit subjective, but I think this style makes my chest shoulders look broader as well. Usually these have a longer hem and can look good untucked for a more streetwear-influenced style, or cleaned up by tucking in and wearing under jackets or shirts.

[Drazen]

Buy everything at Uniqlo even down to the socks and underwear.

I buy everything there, it's cheap, modern fit and everything has been quality and versatile. Everything is like 1/4 the price of J Crew and fits great.

With the money you save get an awesome pair of Longwing Dress shoes or Gucci loafers and a pair of Adidas Ultraboost sneakers.

[Drazen]

I had those Ecco gore Tex boots, the soles crumble randomly. I've had like 3 pairs, I like them but they fail prematurely. Check out Danner shoes.

[rudebwoy]

Are you based in the UK?

If you are, then the type of clothes people are suggesting I would ignore. For example, wearing linen in the UK is pointless and a waste of money.

Chinos are very North American and a bit out of style in Europe.

I would purchase a nice pair of dress shoes, the style would depend on what you feel comfortable in. A nice pair of Chelsea boots can be worn casual or dressed up and you have different labels to choose from.

I have bought a lot of clothing from ASOS.com.

My suits I use to buy from AustinReed until they went under.

Casual and dressy shirts I like TM Lewin or any Jermyn street shirt manufacturer.

[monsquid]

I second Uniqlo recommendation, but the only thing is that it's not available nationwide.

They eveb offer free henning if the item costs ovr $30, which is a pretty good deal.

Their v neck t shirts and underwear are amazing.

[gework]

(06-17-2017 04:46 PM)Sebastian Wrote:  

Hm those are all feminine, gay items by his standards.

Likely the case, a lot of this 21st century fashion looks beyond dandy to me.

(06-17-2017 10:11 PM)rudebwoy Wrote:  

Are you based in the UK?

Yes, but soon Serbia, Montenegro or Ukraine, Hong Kong; thinking of The Philippines or Thailand after that. Not likely to be in the UK much on current trajectory.

[Sebastian]

That's a runway. If a girl dress like she's on runway, she will stand out too much too.

What's the point of uploading a picture of shoes that will sit at a thrift store for a while because it's so ugly?
I don't think you are seeking an advice.

(06-18-2017 09:55 AM)gework Wrote:  

(06-17-2017 04:46 PM)Sebastian Wrote:  

Hm those are all feminine, gay items by his standards.

Likely the case, a lot of this 21st century fashion looks beyond dandy to me.

(06-17-2017 10:11 PM)rudebwoy Wrote:  

Are you based in the UK?

Yes, but soon Serbia, Montenegro or Ukraine, Hong Kong; thinking of The Philippines or Thailand after that. Not likely to be in the UK much on current trajectory.

[Jetset]

I don't know the first thing about dressing for the Balkans, but "won't stand out, air of mystery, cut above" says a lot. I try to stick with classic items that are still acceptable in a reasonably dressy office today but that would have looked fine fifty years ago, too.

White shirt with an open spread collar and charcoal pants (cotton for more casual, wool for a little dressier) is a popular easy one for me on a night out. Women seem to notice, and sometimes specifically ask what I was doing today. If you maintain the right frame, it looks like you had something important going on, ditched your jacket and tie after you crushed it, and went out for a drink and a bang.

If you're going extremely casual, like "jeans and a t-shirt" casual, get the jeans fitting properly and match with a good pair of Italian-style dress loafers. It will bump the whole thing up about two notches. This is how I dress to fly, and again, it works to get flight attendants to notice. They're used to seeing tourists in baggy pants and cheap sneakers, a polished leather toe on a well-made shoe signals to some people that you're dressed comfortably because you can afford to.

Brooks Brothers used to be a great brand for some of this in the United States, but I've found they really stepped down the quality after the recession. I've had to send pants back because the pockets were fraying in a month. I haven't bought anything from Scotch & Soda but they do make some good-looking products.

[Ringo]

OP, honestly the main takeaway from this thread so far should be monsquid's advice - do not buy everything at once.

The shoes you posted are terrible and couldn't go more against your goal - "be seen as a cut above most else", "anything that adds a bit of an air of dark mystery".

No offense but from your posts you seem to have terrible aesthetic sense so the best recommendation is to study your body type, look at images online for references and then start looking for interesting brands.

If you shop for new clothes, don't remove the tags - take pictures blurring your face and post them here. Use the feedback to keep exploring or to exchange the items for something else.

Post pictures of styles you like - we can help you find the companies featured or at least similar.