College student here, could really use some feedback

[tailoreverythin]

Zara has its final sale going on right now, you can possibly pick up a blazer there. They arent the best quality but they have a pretty good variation of style and will do you well for the next couple years. Other than that, ebay and thrift stores can be great. If its tailored right then fit trumps name brand in my book. (I am also a college student graduating soon)

 

[GntlemanFighter]

If you want to wear a grey dress shirt with jeans, no problem. Just don't wear it with the blazer/sport coat. While I am not sure about this "RealMenRealStyle", I have to agree on mostly light color dress shirts. Also, a white dress shirt does not inherently make you look older or younger. The Allen Edmonds Provo can be found for $100 from the Allen Edmonds shoe bank.
My favorite belt to wear with jeans: http://www.express.com/square-buckle-leather-belt-5579-38/index.pro

Can you post the link to the "Allen Edmonds shoe bank"? I can't find any information on it on the website.

Thanks for the link to belt, too. Simple is good.

The problem is, at your budget it's hard to get a "nice" blazer in addition to everything else you posted above. It's possible - you can find a good used jacket in a thrift store or on eBay or in the Buying and Selling forum here - but it's not easy if it's your first. You might not be totally sure what fits you, or you might not know how to distinguish something nice from something, well cheap. And even if you know exactly what you're looking for, it might take some time before you find it...
I'm just saying, it sounds like you don't need a jacket or blazer or suit, so DON'T BUY ONE. You'll regret it. At your budget you can get a few good shirts, a good pair of shoes on eBay, and a good pair of jeans. Stick with that, you'll look great at church.
(Actually, I'll say - if every other college student at your church is wearing a suit or a blazer, then go ahead and buy something cheap to fit in. But I'm guessing that's not the case.)

You're right. If I can get a pair of shoes for around $100, a pair of jeans for $50, a few dress shirts for about $25 each (JCPenney), maybe a few nice polo/sweaters for $11-12 each (JCPenney), $30 belt, I should have what I need minus the jacket for roughly $315. The jacket isn't the essential piece of the outfit, although it would be nice. I will wait for a good opportunity to get a nice medium grey blazer some other time.

[Edit: I could also get this one here, here, or here and get it tailored for a few bucks. Could be good...]

Does anyone here have any personal tips on selecting good fitted dress shirts? Particularly regarding the material selection, because I really dislike those paper thin dress shirts that are so thin that you can see every stitch in the wearer's undershirt (if they're wearing one...... if not...) ? I'd like to get a few that are thickish so that I can wear them without my undershirt showing if I'm wearing one.

I appreciate all the feedback.

 

[tailoreverythin]

Hey, I have a lot of very nice button up shirts, mostly bought for $1-$25... I buy from thrift, goodwill, tj maxx, and big sales. Basically I find the shirt I want and then take it straight to my tailor. $10 for a polo oxford shirt on clearance and $10 at my tailor and I have a $100 shirt that fits me as well as it possibly could for 20. So really if you find a material you like dont worry too much about fit, just find a tailor you like.

same with polos, go to goodwill, pick up a few ralph lauren polo's without color fading. (usually they will be $3 at my goodwill) and then pay the $10-$15 for a tailor to fit it to you.

 

[GntlemanFighter]

Hey what size shoe do you wear? I have a couple pairs i dont wear that would be great for you. Also Zara has its final sale going on right now, you can possibly pick up a blazer there. They arent the best quality but they have a pretty good variation of style and will do you well for the next couple years. Other than that, ebay and thrift stores can be great. If its tailored right then fit trumps name brand in my book. (I am also a college student graduating soon)

The shoes i have are To Boot New York Adam Derreck Lace up (Black), and Cole haan wingtip laceup dual tone (browns)

Hi tailoreverthin,

I wear a 10.5 but it really depends on the shoe. Sometimes I wear an 11, sometimes 10.5 wide, sometimes 10.5. Thanks for the offer, but those shoes look a bit too fancy for me.

I agree that fit trumps name brand! And thanks for the suggestions about the shirts. I definitely intend to get them tailored if possible!

 

[tailoreverythin]

ahh, all of my shoes are size 9's or some 8's that im selling for a family member.

dont be afraid of a two tone though, they go great with jeans and can be dressed up too

 

[Gauss17]



Can you post the link to the "Allen Edmonds shoe bank"? I can't find any information on it on the website.

Thanks for the link to belt, too. Simple is good.

There are several Allen Edmonds shoe banks, but you either have to go to the store or call them

Allen Edmonds Shoe Bank
18900 W Blumnd Rd
Brookfield, WI 53005
(262) 785-6666

There is another in Port Washington.

 

[GntlemanFighter]

There are several Allen Edmonds shoe banks, but you either have to go to the store or call them
Allen Edmonds Shoe Bank
18900 W Blumnd Rd
Brookfield, WI 53005
(262) 785-6666
There is another in Port Washington.

Great. Thanks!

 

[jshastings]

OP, where is your college?

 

[GntlemanFighter]

In south Mississippi, U.S.

 

[Mandres]



Can you post the link to the "Allen Edmonds shoe bank"? I can't find any information on it on the website.

Thanks for the link to belt, too. Simple is good.

You're right. If I can get a pair of shoes for around $100, a pair of jeans for $50, a few dress shirts for about $25 each (JCPenney), maybe a few nice polo/sweaters for $11-12 each (JCPenney), $30 belt, I should have what I need minus the jacket for roughly $315. The jacket isn't the essential piece of the outfit, although it would be nice. I will wait for a good opportunity to get a nice medium grey blazer some other time.

[Edit: I could also get this one here, here, or here and get it tailored for a few bucks. Could be good...]

Does anyone here have any personal tips on selecting good fitted dress shirts? Particularly regarding the material selection, because I really dislike those paper thin dress shirts that are so thin that you can see every stitch in the wearer's undershirt (if they're wearing one...... if not...) ? I'd like to get a few that are thickish so that I can wear them without my undershirt showing if I'm wearing one.

I appreciate all the feedback.

Don't even consider buying one of those blazers. They're made of polyester, and cut for middle-aged overweight men. A decent sport coat will easily consume your entire $400 budget, unless you get lucky on e-bay or the FS forum here. And you don't want to spend a single dollar on anything less than decent, trust me.

A sturdy, 100% wool blazer will last you for decades, but right now you can't afford one and really don't need one. Focus on high quality, well-fitting shirts and pants for now.

 

[SMatthews]

Back in college, I never wore suits..unless absolutely necessary. But it's different now that I'm working and the office requires me to wear one. So my take on it is this, don't take your wardrobe too seriously yet. You have the rest of your life outside of school to do that. Just enjoy the learning experience and college life that you will eventually miss later on.

 

[Fred G. Unn]



There are several Allen Edmonds shoe banks, but you either have to go to the store or call them
Allen Edmonds Shoe Bank
18900 W Blumnd Rd
Brookfield, WI 53005
(262) 785-6666
There is another in Port Washington.

Just email them: [email protected]

Try a pair on somewhere (Nordstroms carries them) to be sure of your size. When you email them, they'll email back a complete inventory of what they currently have in your size. They have a different sale just about every month so if you're patient whatever you're looking for will eventually be on sale.

 

[GntlemanFighter]

Don't even consider buying one of those blazers. They're made of polyester, and cut for middle-aged overweight men. A decent sport coat will easily consume your entire $400 budget, unless you get lucky on e-bay or the FS forum here. And you don't want to spend a single dollar on anything less than decent, trust me.
A sturdy, 100% wool blazer will last you for decades, but right now you can't afford one and really don't need one. Focus on high quality, well-fitting shirts and pants for now.

You're probably right, but I don't intend to buy the best I absolutely can. I don't even need the absolute best. If I can make a $100 blazer look good by getting it tailored and combining it properly with other clothing, that's just fine. Nothing I buy can probably be considered really decent by high standards, but I'm a college student and I don't have a lot of money. I can only buy within my budget.

The $65-100 that I don't spend on a "cheap" blazer and getting it tailored would be spent on... dress shirts? I've already budgeted around 3 dress shirts and 2-3 polo/sweaters! I don't need any more shirts. On jeans? Sure, I could do that, but I'm athletic and a blazer looks good on me. I think a tailored cheap blazer could look good enough to be worth the money...

 

[GntlemanFighter]

Just email them: [email protected]
Try a pair on somewhere (Nordstroms carries them) to be sure of your size. When you email them, they'll email back a complete inventory of what they currently have in your size. They have a different sale just about every month so if you're patient whatever you're looking for will eventually be on sale.

Thank you, Fred. I will do it right away.

 

[mensimageconsultant]

Polyester is likely to look bad, no matter how well tailored and how good-looking the wearer is. Places like Target sell very cheap jackets that are made of natural fabrics, albeit many of those are made for thin young people.