What would you suggest for someone of my body type and age looking to build a capsule wardrobe inspired by classic menswear?

[breakaway01]

Some general advice:
1. at this stage it is very tempting to buy quickly (or as quickly as your budget will allow). Go slowly. It is very likely that your tastes will change as you develop your own style.
2. think in terms of coherent outfits. Never buy anything without knowing how it fits into your wardrobe. Sometimes people post here asking what to wear with, say, a pair of green shoes -- it means they didn't really think before purchasing.
3. try to think beyond "I need a pair of tan chinos" or "grey flannel trousers" or a "blue OCBD shirt". "Chinos" encompasses a whole range of formality and styling from something you'd wear with a blue blazer to an Ivy League reunion weekend to something you'd wear on a ranch. The item needs to fit coherently with other items you already wear, or else you need to have a deliberate plan to build a look that's different from anything else you already have.
4. never settle for something that only fits OK, or buy something that you don't know how to wear, just because you got a good deal on it. You'll end up giving it away or selling it.

 

[jko]

Great advice in this thread already. I want to add a few points.

Context is more important than fit or color or side adjusters. People your age are generally not interested in classic menswear. If people in your social circle are wearing jeans and t-shirts and you show up in a suit, you’re going to stick out, and not in a good way. Some people can get away with it, but if you’re asking for advice on a discussion forum, you’re not one of those people. I know it’s easy to have this feeling of superiority, “those schlubs just don’t know” or whatever, but having friends is more fulfilling in life than nice clothes. You can have both of course, but dress for context.

What’s your motive? Why do you want to dress better? What are you trying to achieve? Ask yourself these questions and you’ll have a better understanding of what the end result should look like and how to get there.

Create a mood board. Save photos of outfits you like. Analyze them. Why do you like them? Is it the product, or the way they’ve combined it with something, or because it just looks cool? This will train your eye, and again help you understand the end goal. It can also save you a lot of money when you find out that something wouldn’t work for you after all.

And lastly, it’s going to be a lot of trial and error, so better get used to it. Good luck.

 

[Father Style]

You’re in the inevitable stage where there will be a lot of trial and error. That’s ok. We all went through that and it’s necessary to find what YOU like and what works for you. For business casual, I like Oxford shirts, chinos, loafers, and a tweed sport coat or navy blazer. But that’s what I find works for me. Since you’re in the stage of trying to find your footing, slow down and don’t buy a ton of stuff. For pants and shirts, grab stuff on sale until you find a brand/cut/style you really like. For stuff like suits and sport coats, don’t scrimp but also don’t dive right into the deep end. Go for a company like Brooks Brothers or Charles Tyrwhitt. The quality will be just fine for what you need and won’t cost a ton if you decide it doesn’t fit with your wardrobe in a few years. For proportions (trouser break, lapel width, etc) just go middle of the road so that you can wear the items for years to come. You’re not going to get everything perfect straight away so just start off slow. You’ll find what works for you along the way. Best of luck and remember to have some fun with it as you go!

FatherStyle.com

 

[Ddubs]

Great advice in this thread already. I want to add a few points.

Context is more important than fit or color or side adjusters. People your age are generally not interested in classic menswear. If people in your social circle are wearing jeans and t-shirts and you show up in a suit, you’re going to stick out, and not in a good way. Some people can get away with it, but if you’re asking for advice on a discussion forum, you’re not one of those people. I know it’s easy to have this feeling of superiority, “those schlubs just don’t know” or whatever, but having friends is more fulfilling in life than nice clothes. You can have both of course, but dress for context.

What’s your motive? Why do you want to dress better? What are you trying to achieve? Ask yourself these questions and you’ll have a better understanding of what the end result should look like and how to get there.

Create a mood board. Save photos of outfits you like. Analyze them. Why do you like them? Is it the product, or the way they’ve combined it with something, or because it just looks cool? This will train your eye, and again help you understand the end goal. It can also save you a lot of money when you find out that something wouldn’t work for you after all.

And lastly, it’s going to be a lot of trial and error, so better get used to it. Good luck.

I would say I have always been known as someone who dresses well and slightly above the formality level of my peers, which I enjoy doing. I still very much fit in with my peers (I still wear t-shirts, jeans, sneakers etc), but I've noticed people have commented on the way I dress in a positive way, usually alluding to how put together I am or 'smart' in the modern sense of the word, which admittedly isn't saying much. I don't regularly wear blazers or dress trousers though, but I think my current job and my potential trajectory, which I won't divulge, is a good ground for dressing a bit more formally.

I understand your point about asking people for advice on a discussion forum. I don't really come from a background that dresses this way, and I probably don't posses an innate sense of style of taste. But why can't I try rather than be left wondering. Maybe I'll find it isn't me. But it's certainly possible it's someone who I may perhaps evolve into, or could be one day. I am only 24. I think it would be naive of me to delve into it without consulting people more knowledgeable than I, although I guess the point you make is the counterpoint. If it's not who am I now, will it ever be?

Thankfully I am more than fulfilled with my current friendships, and I trust my friends enough that they would not be weirded out just because I decide to dress a bit 'differently'. There probably is an element of feeling like people dress like 'schlubs' as you put it, but that is more in reaction to and more a reflection of the state of modern fashion, which I am increasingly at odds with admittedly. I don't look down on my friends for it, or anyone for that matter. It's not the fault of regular folk and I respect how people dress.

I think my main motive for delving into classic menswear, is simply that I'm outgrowing my wardrobe and feeling increasingly dissatisfied with it. In that sense, I think my clothing is increasingly occupying a directionless middle ground of mismatched items that bare little correlation to each other. It's more like a collection of someone else's ideas, much of which is not true to me. Ultimately this is where inspiration comes from, and is no bad thing and perhaps this is another 'idea'. I do tend to get hung up on ideas. But the point is, I don't wear a lot of it and I don't think think much of it will age well due to no small amount of wasted money chasing trends. I could see myself sticking with this, I can't chase trends forever.

Another motive is wanting to dress in a more well put together more coherent manner because that's what I enjoy about clothes; the messages and ideas they convey. In part, that is why classic menswear appeals to me. But I also think I have admired it from afar to some extent since for a number of years, and I always admired my Grandad who retained his sharp dressing from his days in army and as a police officer in decades gone by. Whether or not this is is a coincidence, most of my casual stuff that I actually wear is related to military surplus and workwear, but I've never had the balls to delve into classic menswear for fear of appearing out of touch however.

I have saved a lot of what inspires me, some of which includes suiting, but I'm certainly not looking or ready to wear a suit in daily life at this stage, if ever. A lot of what has interested me thus far has been related to a relatively more casual approach inspired by Ivy, including Japanese interpretations of it, and also the juxtaposition of ruggedness and sophistication offered by the English elite from my home country. So think (and correct me if I'm wrong) sport coats/casual jackets in hopsack, tweeds, herringbones, with odd trousers and a shirt is primarily what led me down this rabbit hole and is what appeals to me most at the moment.

As regards to my point regarding wasting money on trends, I am under no illusions that, rather ironically, classic menswear is in many ways similar. In that it also requires an investment of trial and error and money, as all forms of dressing do when taken seriously. I do however think it has much less of a propensity to change over time. It has already been 'figured out', if you will, but still does have room for innovation. As I understand it, the devil is in the smaller details that fall in and out style at a more glacial pace, rather than gigantic overnight changes. I would agree if you think that is a rather tasteless basis for some of my interest in the style, but personally I feel more at home with that coupled with the notion of presenting myself well.

I'm not necessarily one to harken back to 'the good old days' of when people 'dressed better'. Who is to be the judge of that? I simply find value in the ways generations past dressed, and take inspiration from it. I know the world has moved on, and younger people don't give classic menswear a second thought, but I enjoy presenting the best version of myself through dress.

Apologies, it seems I had to rather a lot more than I expected to say!

 

[jko]

I understand your point about asking people for advice on a discussion forum. I don't really come from a background that dresses this way, and I probably don't posses an innate sense of style of taste. But why can't I try rather than be left wondering. Maybe I'll find it isn't me. But it's certainly possible it's someone who I may perhaps evolve into, or could be one day. I am only 24. I think it would be naive of me to delve into it without consulting people more knowledgeable than I, although I guess the point you make is the counterpoint. If it's not who am I now, will it ever be?

My point is that people with great sense of style can get away with what us mortals can't. I was half-joking, and didn't mean to discourage by any means. Asking for advice is always a good thing.

I think my main motive for delving into classic menswear, is simply that I'm outgrowing my wardrobe and feeling increasingly dissatisfied with it.

You're at that age where you are transitioning into adulthood — leaving studies behind, starting a career, moving out on your own, etc. That is a great time to think about how you dress. It is a sad sight to see men in their 30s still dressing the same way when they were 18.

 

[DorianGreen]

A lot of good and sensible advice in this thread.

I would just add:

Develop your own style, something flattering your figure and expressing your personality; watching, reading and getting inspiration is useful, but only you will know what really suits you.

Try to combine your clothes with coherence, keeping a constant level of formality.

Avoid excesses, a gentleman will always prefer to be noticed for his understatement than for his flamboyance.

 

[Peak and Pine]

...I enjoy presenting the best version of myself through dress.

That's a wonderful line. I would like to borrow it, just to say to myself, not aloud.

 

[TimothyF]

I would say I have always been known as someone who dresses well and slightly above the formality level of my peers, which I enjoy doing. I still very much fit in with my peers (I still wear t-shirts, jeans, sneakers etc), but I've noticed people have commented on the way I dress in a positive way, usually alluding to how put together I am or 'smart' in the modern sense of the word, which admittedly isn't saying much. I don't regularly wear blazers or dress trousers though, but I think my current job and my potential trajectory, which I won't divulge, is a good ground for dressing a bit more formally.

I understand your point about asking people for advice on a discussion forum. I don't really come from a background that dresses this way, and I probably don't posses an innate sense of style of taste. But why can't I try rather than be left wondering. Maybe I'll find it isn't me. But it's certainly possible it's someone who I may perhaps evolve into, or could be one day. I am only 24. I think it would be naive of me to delve into it without consulting people more knowledgeable than I, although I guess the point you make is the counterpoint. If it's not who am I now, will it ever be?

Thankfully I am more than fulfilled with my current friendships, and I trust my friends enough that they would not be weirded out just because I decide to dress a bit 'differently'. There probably is an element of feeling like people dress like 'schlubs' as you put it, but that is more in reaction to and more a reflection of the state of modern fashion, which I am increasingly at odds with admittedly. I don't look down on my friends for it, or anyone for that matter. It's not the fault of regular folk and I respect how people dress.

I think my main motive for delving into classic menswear, is simply that I'm outgrowing my wardrobe and feeling increasingly dissatisfied with it. In that sense, I think my clothing is increasingly occupying a directionless middle ground of mismatched items that bare little correlation to each other. It's more like a collection of someone else's ideas, much of which is not true to me. Ultimately this is where inspiration comes from, and is no bad thing and perhaps this is another 'idea'. I do tend to get hung up on ideas. But the point is, I don't wear a lot of it and I don't think think much of it will age well due to no small amount of wasted money chasing trends. I could see myself sticking with this, I can't chase trends forever.

Another motive is wanting to dress in a more well put together more coherent manner because that's what I enjoy about clothes; the messages and ideas they convey. In part, that is why classic menswear appeals to me. But I also think I have admired it from afar to some extent since for a number of years, and I always admired my Grandad who retained his sharp dressing from his days in army and as a police officer in decades gone by. Whether or not this is is a coincidence, most of my casual stuff that I actually wear is related to military surplus and workwear, but I've never had the balls to delve into classic menswear for fear of appearing out of touch however.

I have saved a lot of what inspires me, some of which includes suiting, but I'm certainly not looking or ready to wear a suit in daily life at this stage, if ever. A lot of what has interested me thus far has been related to a relatively more casual approach inspired by Ivy, including Japanese interpretations of it, and also the juxtaposition of ruggedness and sophistication offered by the English elite from my home country. So think (and correct me if I'm wrong) sport coats/casual jackets in hopsack, tweeds, herringbones, with odd trousers and a shirt is primarily what led me down this rabbit hole and is what appeals to me most at the moment.

As regards to my point regarding wasting money on trends, I am under no illusions that, rather ironically, classic menswear is in many ways similar. In that it also requires an investment of trial and error and money, as all forms of dressing do when taken seriously. I do however think it has much less of a propensity to change over time. It has already been 'figured out', if you will, but still does have room for innovation. As I understand it, the devil is in the smaller details that fall in and out style at a more glacial pace, rather than gigantic overnight changes. I would agree if you think that is a rather tasteless basis for some of my interest in the style, but personally I feel more at home with that coupled with the notion of presenting myself well.

I'm not necessarily one to harken back to 'the good old days' of when people 'dressed better'. Who is to be the judge of that? I simply find value in the ways generations past dressed, and take inspiration from it. I know the world has moved on, and younger people don't give classic menswear a second thought, but I enjoy presenting the best version of myself through dress.

Apologies, it seems I had to rather a lot more than I expected to say!

As intellectual as your hopes and dreams are, the art of dressing well is more about praxis than navel gazing. So while you can consume dissertations worth of smart content on Ivy style, and possibly be able to regurgitate that content as eloquently as ChatGPT, you won't really know if that style is for you, or how to appropriate it for your life, until you actually try out those articles of clothing. And not just standing in front of a 3-way mirror in a store, but sitting, running, crouching...all the activities you do in all the social settings you are a part of

So as you probably guessed, this involves a good amount of experimentation and thoughtfulness. No offense, but asking strangers online essentially to figure this out for you comes across a bit entitled (especially as you didn't even want to divulge something anodyne as your occupation). Sure there are people who can do the work for you, they are called stylists and consultants, and they cost GBPs. And then you'd be following an over-confident d-bag

 

[Ddubs]

As intellectual as your hopes and dreams are, the art of dressing well is more about praxis than navel gazing. So while you can consume dissertations worth of smart content on Ivy style, and possibly be able to regurgitate that content as eloquently as ChatGPT, you won't really know if that style is for you, or how to appropriate it for your life, until you actually try out those articles of clothing. And not just standing in front of a 3-way mirror in a store, but sitting, running, crouching...all the activities you do in all the social settings you are a part of

So as you probably guessed, this involves a good amount of experimentation and thoughtfulness. No offense, but asking strangers online essentially to figure this out for you comes across a bit entitled (especially as you didn't even want to divulge something anodyne as your occupation). Sure there are people who can do the work for you, they are called stylists and consultants, and they cost GBPs. And then you'd be following an over-confident d-bag

Fully agreed. Unfortunately excessive thinking coupled with inaction are undesirable personality trait of mine, but I digress.

I'm not asking people to figure this out for me, and your point about lifestyle is very true, but I was just looking for some pointers. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that one of the core uses of this forum is it's use as a place where people can come to to ask for and receive advice. In any case, I was simply seeking the help of people far more knowledgeable than I. As an example, up until recently I've been wearing a lot of wide leg pleated trousers which, whilst they work, as someone on here pointed out they are far less flattering on me than flat front trousers with a smaller leg opening. I really don't think I have an innate eye for that kind of thing, at least not yet, and sometimes you need people to tell you these things for you to notice.

Not to get all secret service on you, but I can only vaguely say what my job is for contractual reasons, so apologies but I guess I'm out of the habit of divulging. But for the record, it is an office based job in the field of law.

And then you'd be following an over-confident d-bag

I'm not entirely sure I fully understand what you mean with this one, if you wouldn't mind explaining?

 

[TimothyF]

I'm not entirely sure I fully understand what you mean with this one, if you wouldn't mind explaining?

I was merely pointing out that a lot of "consultants" are full of s***. People paying so-called style experts to tell them how to dress are idiotic, IMHO

Based on the information you provided, that you are thin, not tall, and work in an office where people still dress rather formally, there is not enough information (and perhaps there never will be enough) to nail down the right aesthetic. You have to ruminate and try for yourself; whereas if you ask strangers like me, I'd just be telling you what I like and what I think is best

I suggest you observe how others in your office, especially more senior partners, are dressed, and find the prevailing style. Decide if you like it completely right now, in which case just emulate it. Or make one tweak and see how you like it. You might only be thinking of what looks right on you, but what about comfort? Have you given that aspect much thought? (I can say for me comfort is more important, and difficult to find in off-the-shelf trousers)

As to your assertion that you don't have an "innate eye" for the right look yet, you will get it, by doing a lot of reading and research (luckily in 2024 the web is a cornucopia of such knowledge, just need to sort the wheat from the chaff). And at some point it will click for you. In fact I find it is more important to know what you don't like, so you'll probably figure out what is for you when you have a long list of things you cannot stand. That is called discernment which you can only acquire through introspection and experience

 

[NadalRG]

OP, I am 5'6" and 130lbs. So, around your build.

I've also been bit by the classic menswear love bug for a couple of years now, only recently seriously considering building my wardrobe around the way I want to dress. The main obstacle I've found is that it is practically impossible to find RTW clothes that fit me well. I have purchased trousers and denim from S&M because they offer hemming service and it's one less hassle for me. I tried 5 dress shirts from Proper Cloth and never got the right fit. I like the fit of Pini Parma Sport Coats but the sleeves are super long for my arms and they have working buttons, I pretty much botched my latest purchase for that reason.

I'll be venturing for the first time into the world of MTM with Lanieri when I visit Madrid next month. So, I would suggest for you to find a good MTM program or tailor in your city and go slow, don't buy a lot in one go.

 

[msimon]

I can't give much with the fine advice already given. I consider myself new to the game and I would take things very slow adding pieces deliberately and slowly, I have only this summer moved from jeans to chinos after a slow process of 3 years trying to dress better.

I'm wearing extra thick brushed chinos today which I would've rejected last year, I wouldn't of had the confidence to pull it off but now I have the entire formality of chinos at my disposal and now eyeing some needlecords (winter is coming).

The one thing I do know, I have learned to dress for the area im in, so I'm never in shirting unless needed and as soon as a shirt goes on you look overdressed in a sea of logo tshirts then I become uncomfortable and have changed tastes accordingly.