jonathan8883
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- Apr 10, 2017
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This is my first post here, but I took the time to look through the primers and a few pages on the "What are you wearing right now" threads. I see lots of clothes that fit more snugly than I am used to.
I am looking for advice about casual/semi-casual style, and possibly about upgrading my business dress a little bit as well.
My Context:
I'm 33, married with two kids under the age of four, and I live in Texas. A blazer or suit coat is weather-appropriate only 4-5 months per year.
My idea of a fun party involves either the shooting range, Settlers of Catan, or a bunch of three year olds, but not alcohol - clubbing/street/etc. type clothes are not on my radar, and never have been.
I have a set pattern for my work (business) clothes that works okay, but I'm not happy with my non-work clothing options. I've been out of college for over a dozen years; T-shirts are not something I want to wear out of the house unless I am going to the grocery store or planning to sweat a lot.
I work from home most days, and I'm in sales in the logistics industry. It's rare that a customer is as dressed-up as I am at a meeting, even when I'm just in a dress shirt and tie.
What am I working with?
5'10"
I weigh around 190#, with a bit of extra fat on my stomach. I have bulked up a bit in the last couple of years, but starting from a low base. I'll get back to lifting weights once I start getting more sleep regularly (baby is limiting factor). I think I'm about 3-6 months of 3/week lifting away from being able to chest press my own weight. I've been trying to cut back on calories some to reduce fat.
I have wider hips and a butt that sticks out instead of being flat. My wife likes it, but it means that many off-the-rack pants are uncomfortably tight around the entire hip area.
I have a long torso; shorter shirts will ride up above the belt line frequently, and mid-length shirts come untucked often.
I carry, typically a Springfield XD 9 subcompact at about 4 o'clock. I use a Remora holster that uses friction to stay in place, so there are no concerns with anything having to hook on to my belt. However, this introduces two challenges.
(1) Shirts that ride up easily go from "nobody wants to see my hairy stomach or kidneys" to "Texas allows open carry, but I'd rather not" territory. Once a shirt is up high enough, it'll catch on the butt of the gun and stay there.
(2) Super-tight shirts will print to a certain degree also.
Sizing, using an ArtofManliness article for a how-to
Chest: 39"
Neck 16.5"
Sleeve: 23"
True waist: 39.5"+gun
Waist I wear at: 37.5"
Inseam: Still ~32". Dickies and some other work pants require a 31" or they end up too long.
Current style
Work:
White dress shirt, "classic" fit. It's very easy to simply stretch a bit, and end up with enough material loose around the waist to completely cover the gun outline. I am currently wearing Arrow shirts from Kohl's because they are reasonably priced and I know they fit. I consider trying new dress shirts a PITA on a level with shoe shopping due to the dozens of pins involved. The shirts are around $30, $20 if I catch them on sale. Something that was a bit more tailored inwards at the middle (floating rib) level would probably make my shoulders look broader and thus better.
I do have one blue shirt that I occasionally rotate in for variety, but it's usually worn without a tie.
Dress pants from Dillards, Roundtree & Yorke. Black or dark grey. Pleated front (I used to carry in a belly band). Not a lot of choices with this brand. Pants are around $50/ea
Tie - I have a stable of about a dozen ties that I like. I could probably do with a few more, but I've got enough variety for now.
Shoes - black Bostonian Flexlites. I have a pair of nicer Oxfords that require a couple of bandaids to prevent blisters. I only wear them with my suit for customer meetings. The yearly suit-required corporate sales meeting gets my regular dress shoes so that I have less luggage; besides, most people have had "this many" drinks by the time we sit down. I have no brown belts or brown shoes, and I'm pretty sure I don't need them.
I wear a suit less than 3 times a year for work, on average; I have a black one (wedding suit) and a recently acquired blue one from SuitSupply that's in my avatar picture. This year may be an exception... I may need to wear a suit 7 times!
I work from home most days.
Casual:
This is where I'm struggling.
Button-down collared shirts: The only place I have found any is Kohl's. The Medium shirt was snug and a bit too small, but simply too short. The Large shirt was too bulky, and my attempt at getting it tailored simply produced an strange-looking pleat down the back (not using that tailor again). I have a couple of polo shirts with pockets that work okay, but I wore polo shirts all through high school and I really don't like them. I do not know where to go to get a long-torso button-down casual shirt that will fit well. These are for "go to church" and "hang around with friends" wear, so I don't want to spend more than $30-$40/shirt (I have kids, stains will happen).
Pants: Tight pants don't usually work (per above). I could go with slacks/dress pants like I do for work, but that seems like an odd combo for me. Carhart pants flat out do not fit at all. I have a couple of pairs of Dickies that fit okay, but the cargo pockets are poorly designed (ripped one out on a cabinet handle just walking past the cabinet). The one really good Dickies pair that I would wear all the time (cell pocket, good fit, etc.) is of course a discontinued model. I don't really know what to do for pants.
Shorts (summer): I'm not sure if these are acceptable adult style or not. I suspect they are for outdoor activities (picnic, bbq, etc.). I don't really know where to look for good ones.
Socks: Right now, just using basic black or white socks. I have a couple of pairs of ankle socks to use with shorts in summertime.
Shoes: Using a pair of all-black New Balance walking/running shoes. They go with everything except shorts.
Budget
It's not a matter of "can't afford," it's a matter of "don't want to spend." I don't mind spending a few hundred dollars, but I won't be buying any $100+ shirts or pants. I'd rather stay under $50/item, if that's a reasonable number to hit. If it's not, then I will need to adjust my expectations.
Thanks in advance for feedback and advice!
I am looking for advice about casual/semi-casual style, and possibly about upgrading my business dress a little bit as well.
My Context:
I'm 33, married with two kids under the age of four, and I live in Texas. A blazer or suit coat is weather-appropriate only 4-5 months per year.
My idea of a fun party involves either the shooting range, Settlers of Catan, or a bunch of three year olds, but not alcohol - clubbing/street/etc. type clothes are not on my radar, and never have been.
I have a set pattern for my work (business) clothes that works okay, but I'm not happy with my non-work clothing options. I've been out of college for over a dozen years; T-shirts are not something I want to wear out of the house unless I am going to the grocery store or planning to sweat a lot.
I work from home most days, and I'm in sales in the logistics industry. It's rare that a customer is as dressed-up as I am at a meeting, even when I'm just in a dress shirt and tie.
What am I working with?
5'10"
I weigh around 190#, with a bit of extra fat on my stomach. I have bulked up a bit in the last couple of years, but starting from a low base. I'll get back to lifting weights once I start getting more sleep regularly (baby is limiting factor). I think I'm about 3-6 months of 3/week lifting away from being able to chest press my own weight. I've been trying to cut back on calories some to reduce fat.
I have wider hips and a butt that sticks out instead of being flat. My wife likes it, but it means that many off-the-rack pants are uncomfortably tight around the entire hip area.
I have a long torso; shorter shirts will ride up above the belt line frequently, and mid-length shirts come untucked often.
I carry, typically a Springfield XD 9 subcompact at about 4 o'clock. I use a Remora holster that uses friction to stay in place, so there are no concerns with anything having to hook on to my belt. However, this introduces two challenges.
(1) Shirts that ride up easily go from "nobody wants to see my hairy stomach or kidneys" to "Texas allows open carry, but I'd rather not" territory. Once a shirt is up high enough, it'll catch on the butt of the gun and stay there.
(2) Super-tight shirts will print to a certain degree also.
Sizing, using an ArtofManliness article for a how-to
Chest: 39"
Neck 16.5"
Sleeve: 23"
True waist: 39.5"+gun
Waist I wear at: 37.5"
Inseam: Still ~32". Dickies and some other work pants require a 31" or they end up too long.
Current style
Work:
White dress shirt, "classic" fit. It's very easy to simply stretch a bit, and end up with enough material loose around the waist to completely cover the gun outline. I am currently wearing Arrow shirts from Kohl's because they are reasonably priced and I know they fit. I consider trying new dress shirts a PITA on a level with shoe shopping due to the dozens of pins involved. The shirts are around $30, $20 if I catch them on sale. Something that was a bit more tailored inwards at the middle (floating rib) level would probably make my shoulders look broader and thus better.
I do have one blue shirt that I occasionally rotate in for variety, but it's usually worn without a tie.
Dress pants from Dillards, Roundtree & Yorke. Black or dark grey. Pleated front (I used to carry in a belly band). Not a lot of choices with this brand. Pants are around $50/ea
Tie - I have a stable of about a dozen ties that I like. I could probably do with a few more, but I've got enough variety for now.
Shoes - black Bostonian Flexlites. I have a pair of nicer Oxfords that require a couple of bandaids to prevent blisters. I only wear them with my suit for customer meetings. The yearly suit-required corporate sales meeting gets my regular dress shoes so that I have less luggage; besides, most people have had "this many" drinks by the time we sit down. I have no brown belts or brown shoes, and I'm pretty sure I don't need them.
I wear a suit less than 3 times a year for work, on average; I have a black one (wedding suit) and a recently acquired blue one from SuitSupply that's in my avatar picture. This year may be an exception... I may need to wear a suit 7 times!
I work from home most days.
Casual:
This is where I'm struggling.
Button-down collared shirts: The only place I have found any is Kohl's. The Medium shirt was snug and a bit too small, but simply too short. The Large shirt was too bulky, and my attempt at getting it tailored simply produced an strange-looking pleat down the back (not using that tailor again). I have a couple of polo shirts with pockets that work okay, but I wore polo shirts all through high school and I really don't like them. I do not know where to go to get a long-torso button-down casual shirt that will fit well. These are for "go to church" and "hang around with friends" wear, so I don't want to spend more than $30-$40/shirt (I have kids, stains will happen).
Pants: Tight pants don't usually work (per above). I could go with slacks/dress pants like I do for work, but that seems like an odd combo for me. Carhart pants flat out do not fit at all. I have a couple of pairs of Dickies that fit okay, but the cargo pockets are poorly designed (ripped one out on a cabinet handle just walking past the cabinet). The one really good Dickies pair that I would wear all the time (cell pocket, good fit, etc.) is of course a discontinued model. I don't really know what to do for pants.
Shorts (summer): I'm not sure if these are acceptable adult style or not. I suspect they are for outdoor activities (picnic, bbq, etc.). I don't really know where to look for good ones.
Socks: Right now, just using basic black or white socks. I have a couple of pairs of ankle socks to use with shorts in summertime.
Shoes: Using a pair of all-black New Balance walking/running shoes. They go with everything except shorts.
Budget
It's not a matter of "can't afford," it's a matter of "don't want to spend." I don't mind spending a few hundred dollars, but I won't be buying any $100+ shirts or pants. I'd rather stay under $50/item, if that's a reasonable number to hit. If it's not, then I will need to adjust my expectations.
Thanks in advance for feedback and advice!