Goodbye Casual - Hello Suits

[grimslade]

You can go a long way just by finding dress shirts that fit and wearing good leather shoes. Chinos and the like are a good midway point between jeans and dress pants or wool trousers. there's no single road map here; a lot depends on your situation and how you plan to wear the stuff. A lot of people here, for example, will frown on the tie-less suit look, but done right by the right person in the right context, it can look good. Cardigans are a very specific aesthetic choice. I don't own any, and you shouldn't worry if it doesn't work for you.

here's a suggestion though: Try finding a nice tweed sportcoat. Maybe thrift it. The idea is to find something comfortable and lived-in feeling. And wear it, weather permitting. Just having a sportcoat instead of a jean jacket or a parka or something can change your whole outlook. Get some decent shoes to go along with, and you're on your way.

 

[wannalooksmart]

Originally Posted by grimslade

You can go a long way just by finding dress shirts that fit and wearing good leather shoes. Chinos and the like are a good midway point between jeans and dress pants or wool trousers. there's no single road map here; a lot depends on your situation and how you plan to wear the stuff. A lot of people here, for example, will frown on the tie-less suit look, but done right by the right person in the right context, it can look good. Cardigans are a very specific aesthetic choice. I don't own any, and you shouldn't worry if it doesn't work for you.

here's a suggestion though: Try finding a nice tweed sportcoat. Maybe thrift it. The idea is to find something comfortable and lived-in feeling. And wear it, weather permitting. Just having a sportcoat instead of a jean jacket or a parka or something can change your whole outlook. Get some decent shoes to go along with, and you're on your way.

Looks like the secret is not just chucking the jacket on top of what you usually wear but to upgrade the whole package. Also to upgrade a bit at a time until you reach the degree of smartness that you want and not to expect an overnight transformation?

 

[DocHolliday]

Originally Posted by grimslade

here's a suggestion though: Try finding a nice tweed sportcoat. Maybe thrift it. The idea is to find something comfortable and lived-in feeling.

This is a very good distinction. A bit of wear will make it less obvious you're starting to wear dressier clothes. (And, in general, I really prefer when clothes look a bit worn rather than brand new.)

 

[grimslade]

Originally Posted by wannalooksmart

Looks like the secret is not just chucking the jacket on top of what you usually wear but to upgrade the whole package. Also to upgrade a bit at a time until you reach the degree of smartness that you want and not to expect an overnight transformation?

It depends what you wear now. The jacket on top of the t-shirt and jeans is a little ben sherman, boy band for me. But I agree with Doc about gradualism. You don't want people thinking you joined a cult. What I am saying, to echo those above, is, whatever it is, it should fit. A nice tweed sportcoat is extremely flexible. It can be dressed up or down depending on the ensemble.

What I was trying to suggest, though, is that a sportcoat can serve as a kind of first step. If it's comfortable, you'll get comfortable wearing it, you can wear it in a huge variety of situations without feeling out of place about it, and you'll have begun the transition to dressing better. When you no longer feel self-conscious about the sportcoat, you'll be well headed.

 

[wannalooksmart]

Cheers all you are helping lots. I reckon I need to go and do a bit of shopping.

Sportscoat, trousers (perhaps cords or chinos), shirts, ties, loafers, suit.

Any advice on colours. I am 5'9, 12st, 35 yrs but look younger, medium build, blue eyes, short spiky brown hair, pinkish complexion.

I reckon mixture of browns and reds for casual and blue or grey for suit.

Quite like the mod look. Tight fitting grey suit, white shirt, thin black tie.

I am definitely going to do this one way or the other. Still single and want to look my best for the few women left available.

 

[grimslade]

If you like the mod look, you may want to consider Get Smart's Thick as Thieves suits.

 

[wannalooksmart]

cheers. just taken a look. they look really cool!

 

[wannalooksmart]

just tried a few combinations of the sports jacket, jeans, shirt and tie look - not too bad - might give it a try!

 

[philosophe]

Don't forget to buy yourself some nice shoes. They'll make any outfit look spiffier.

 

[Harrydog]

Originally Posted by philosophe

Don't forget to buy yourself some nice shoes. They'll make any outfit look spiffier.


+1

 

[williamson]

Originally Posted by WN2

In many places in my experience wool trousers + sportcoat + tie = a suit. Showing up dressed like that will get just as many "how the interview went?" comments as a suit

I don't know about England, but I'd assume the ignorance is pretty much global these days.

I don't think this is true in the UK, though the look is becoming rarer and rarer. (It's been my everyday wear for very many years now). It's a lot better than the suit-with-open-necked-shirt look, which to me is sloppy, unfinished and incongruous. Please don't go down that road.

 

[epa]

Originally Posted by wannalooksmart

You've got a point there. As the jacket and jeans look is everywhere I don't feel that I look any sharper than anyone else. The next step up seems to be a suit but worn in a casual manner. Not sure if there is any half way house. Add a tie to the more casual look perhaps?

Wearing a suit instead of jacket+jeans will not automatically make you look sharper. There are sharp jackets, very sharp jackets, and very much less sharp jackets...

If you want to "improve" your style by adding categories like odd jackets, wool trousers and suits that you have not really used a lot until now, my advice would be to DO IT SLOWLY. I had to change my way of dressing rapidly about 13 years ago due to a change of job, and I bought a lot of things I thought looked great and that I later found out were horrible, including some DB polyester suits by Pierre Cardin (which "sounded" like a "very smart" label to me at that time).

I think that it is important to go slowly, to buy things of decent quality (without ruining your economy, of course) and to get a feeling about how you feel with these new types of clothes.

I am a great fan of sport jackets, by the way. Also, in my environment, you cannot really use suits for other occasions than for work. But that is my environment, of course.

 

[epa]

Originally Posted by philosophe

Don't forget to buy yourself some nice shoes. They'll make any outfit look spiffier.

And some nice brown or burgundy ankle boots. Carmina has many nice ones and at a decent price level. I like the ankle boot look a lot, especially with sport jackets but also with suits. Maybe it gives the outfit the more "casual" atmosphere you were asking for above?

(Maybe I should stop recommending Carmina, by the way; the last time I walked past their shopwindow I saw that their cordovans now costed EUR 475; the week before they costed EUR 430. A sudden increase in demand? Or a lack of horses?)

 

[epa]

Originally Posted by williamson

I don't think this is true in the UK, though the look is becoming rarer and rarer. (It's been my everyday wear for very many years now). It's a lot better than the suit-with-open-necked-shirt look, which to me is sloppy, unfinished and incongruous. Please don't go down that road.

I used to think that but after seeing Brad Pitt in Cannes I think that it can look nice, although maybe it requires a pocket square.

 

[lasbar]

Your road to Damascus revelation must lead you to your own sartorial desires....
The first step is to stop worrying about what your peers will think of your clothes and stop being a follower....
That's actually the most difficult one...Breaking the habit of years of trying to belong to a certain crowd to become an individual..
The second step is to look around you in the street ,the magazines,work to try to have a general idea of your sartorial style..
Do not be afraid of mixing colours ,styles ,shapes and learn how to play or ignore with the fashion etiquette...
I'm meeting too many people trying to be uber-Italian ,uber-British and so...
You can love John Lobb and also Brioni or Kiton,Berluti and Huntsman....
Do not worry because he all got throught a certain learning curve...
Your style is polymorph and will evolve with you,your cultural influences and social needs..Go in shops and look around...
The safest option is to stay in the Navy blue/Charcoal grey/Black triology for suits with some 2 or 3 buttons ....
After ,you will have to choose if you like tailored suits or more square cuts....
for shoes ,stick to black and brown and learn how to combi them....