How to figure out ones style

[inertxenon]

Hello,

I posted in the introduction thread but will basically be posting the same thing here.
I am 25 years old and finally decided to improve certain aspects of my life. I am at a point in my life where I want to finally settle down and do better. One of those aspects is my wardrobe. I have essentially been wearing the same kind of attire for the past seven years without much change.

I like the look of classic menswear but do not know where to start. I am a very simple person who does not currently wear complex patterns. Most of my current clothing is solid colors. Any kinds of information/reading is greatly appreciated as I really want to learn everything I can.

I have been told I have weird measurements which has put me off towards shopping for clothing as well.
Measurements (if they matter, I did them myself and I know isn't the best but it's all I got)
Height: 6' 1"
Weight: 165 lbs
Neck: 15.5"
Shoulder: 19"
Chest: 38.5"
Sleeve: 22.75"
Jacket: 29"
Waist: 35.5"
Inseam: 31.5"

My budget is probably like $200 max per piece of clothing. I just got a new job that pays double what I used to make so I have some spending money.

Anything will be a huge help, thank you.

 

[breakaway01]

I don't think your measurements are super unusual. Have you noticed anything in particular about your build that is different?

When you write "I like the look of classic menswear", ask yourself very specifically what you like about it. Pick out some outfits that you like and try to copy them. It's totally okay to copy outfits -- just as most people learn to play instruments from sheet music instead of improvising from nothing.

Where do you live? When I was first starting to learn about menswear, I learned a lot from just trying things on. Thrift shops can be especially good for this, depending on where you live. Try things on as outfits, not as individual pieces. Since you're just trying things on, don't be afraid to attempt outfits that you're not sure will work. At first, just learn how to recognize if something fits or doesn't fit. Then try to pay attention to whether the different pieces go together and make a coherent silhouette. This requires patience and practice.

Don't buy things too quickly, and don't buy too many variations of the same thing. Your tastes will almost certainly change over time.

Maybe this is a lot to digest all at once, but I highly recommend reading these articles:

How To Develop Good Taste, Pt. 1 — Die, Workwear!

Marcel Duchamp once noted in a 1968 interview with Francis Roberts, “If your choice enters into it, then taste is involved—bad taste, good taste, uninteresting taste.” For those fortunate enough to live in post-industrial societies, where choices are now nearly limitless, taste is everything...

dieworkwear.com

How to Develop Good Taste, Pt. 2 — Die, Workwear!

Style is still something of an art and has not, in Bruce Boyer’s words, “descended to one of the sciences.” The process of developing taste is akin to developing a worldview or personal philosophy—it’s a highly subjective process not easily given to hard rules. But over the years, I’ve noticed...

dieworkwear.com

How to Develop Good Taste, Pt. 3 — Die, Workwear!

It has become fashionable to discuss classic clothing with the same cynicism once reserved for topics such as capitalism or the media. Across menswear message boards, posters frequently type out terms such as classic or timeless with alternating caps (cLaSsIc) or recurring spaces (t i m e l e s...

dieworkwear.com

How To Develop Good Taste, Pt. 4 — Die, Workwear!

Bespoke tailoring and the restaurant industry share something in that they both use the terms “back of house” and “front of house” to describe how their businesses are structured. “Back of house” refers to the behind-the-scene activities that customers typically don’t see, such as the cutters...

dieworkwear.com