I've read : Esquire the Handbook of Style : A Man's Guide to Looking Good (2009, Hardcover) on and off over the years...typically each fall when I'm thinking about my own style more. I'm in Seattle and we get all four seasons here, but especially mild winters with hardly any snow. Rain I can deal with.
One of the most memorable lines in this book :
"A guy looks better in a suit than anything else in his wardrobe. Just ask the nearest female. "
I have about a typical off-the-rack size large body shape for most clothes out there. Believe me : I know exactly how lucky I am in this regard.
Whats kind of maddening is- none of these manufacturers talk to each other about size. 'Old Navy' large is a 'Bonobos' super huge xtra xtra large.
I gave up on some stores altogether because they carry extremely short lived fashion pieces. ZARA and H&M have about a 5 min shelf life.
Every suit I found at ZARA was a polyester something that was extremely cheaply made. Zero %% wool. Kept on looking.
Some people would shy away from SuitSupply but I have had some great luck with them.
Really like Topman kiosk at my local Nordstrom. Really like Bonobos. Dropped quite a few dollars at Banana Republic.
Even in the same store- a Grant fit shirt size L at Banana Republic fits way better than a Camden regular fit size L.
I'm 46 and at this point in my life I'm more relaxed than I was in my 20's.
I can wear a black turtleneck and nobody is going to think I'm suddenly French.
I'm also at this level of wanting to look good and be very comfortable - without looking sloppy - without giving a damn about what others might think.
I would say that there is no rush. Slow it down. Take your time. Think about adding just one key piece to the wardrobe a month.
Maybe wait two months for the $$ for a really nice piece.
What's also something strange that I didn't expect to happen was the comments I would get from coworkers and people in public.
The first couple comments were " Job interview? Or... court date ? " "Your'e looking sharp...what happened?" Har. Everybodys a comedian.
But I also noticed women in the office would pause a bit longer to check me out. Not a bad thing!
Like I say though - slow down a bit - and think about one piece in an overall larger wardrobe. Avoid cheap stuff.
Maybe revisit some pieces that you think wouldn't work a few years ago.
One of the most memorable lines in this book :
"A guy looks better in a suit than anything else in his wardrobe. Just ask the nearest female. "
I have about a typical off-the-rack size large body shape for most clothes out there. Believe me : I know exactly how lucky I am in this regard.
Whats kind of maddening is- none of these manufacturers talk to each other about size. 'Old Navy' large is a 'Bonobos' super huge xtra xtra large.
I gave up on some stores altogether because they carry extremely short lived fashion pieces. ZARA and H&M have about a 5 min shelf life.
Every suit I found at ZARA was a polyester something that was extremely cheaply made. Zero %% wool. Kept on looking.
Some people would shy away from SuitSupply but I have had some great luck with them.
Really like Topman kiosk at my local Nordstrom. Really like Bonobos. Dropped quite a few dollars at Banana Republic.
Even in the same store- a Grant fit shirt size L at Banana Republic fits way better than a Camden regular fit size L.
I'm 46 and at this point in my life I'm more relaxed than I was in my 20's.
I can wear a black turtleneck and nobody is going to think I'm suddenly French.
I'm also at this level of wanting to look good and be very comfortable - without looking sloppy - without giving a damn about what others might think.
I would say that there is no rush. Slow it down. Take your time. Think about adding just one key piece to the wardrobe a month.
Maybe wait two months for the $$ for a really nice piece.
What's also something strange that I didn't expect to happen was the comments I would get from coworkers and people in public.
The first couple comments were " Job interview? Or... court date ? " "Your'e looking sharp...what happened?" Har. Everybodys a comedian.
But I also noticed women in the office would pause a bit longer to check me out. Not a bad thing!
Like I say though - slow down a bit - and think about one piece in an overall larger wardrobe. Avoid cheap stuff.
Maybe revisit some pieces that you think wouldn't work a few years ago.
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