Rules of Fashion for Men (without the defensiveness and arguing about "fashion")

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I would desperately like some advice on how to cheaply and easily pep up my clothes, but that other thread was too much. I want to know if white people can wear yellow t-shirts (i've heard they can't), what type of Levi to wear (I like 517s, but I'd like to branch out...are 501s or 505s or whatever okay?). So the jeans at the Gap are okay?

― Chris H. (chrisherbert), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 23:39 (twenty years ago)

What about belts? I have this weird old two-tone leather thing that I got years ago. It's super cool, in my opinon, but I need something new. What should I do? Are standard brown ones okay?

― Chris H. (chrisherbert), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 23:42 (twenty years ago)

haha "defensiveness"! you guys are amusing.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 23:43 (twenty years ago)

Well, i think the original poster from the other thread shouldn't have asked for advice if he was just gonna criticize everyone for being shallow.

― Chris H. (chrisherbert), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 23:45 (twenty years ago)

Make sure the color of your belt matches the color of your shoes.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 23:45 (twenty years ago)

Alex, does that rule hold true if you're wearing tennis shoes? i mean, obviously you don't have to wear an orange belt with orange shoes, but are black sneakers and a brown belt a problem?

― Chris H. (chrisherbert), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 23:47 (twenty years ago)

I think he really wanted to hear some non-superficial reasons behind fashion (fool's errand), which would allow him to follow its rules in good conscience, and was frustrated that no one could.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 23:48 (twenty years ago)

White people & yellow t-shirts don't tend to look good if it's a really bright yellow or a really pale person. A pale yellow looks fine, especially if you've got a tan.

― Maria (Maria), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 23:52 (twenty years ago)

Cool, thanks. I have an old faded "Raiders of the Lost Ark" shirt that's a real pale yellow. So that's probably okay. But a solid colored, say, kid's soccer uniform t-shirt might not be so good.

― Chris H. (chrisherbert), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 23:53 (twenty years ago)

So, my old yellow "Neil the Horse" t-shirt was a faux pas all those years. Whoops!

― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 23:56 (twenty years ago)

non-superficial reasons behind fashion

surely you can see what's wrong with this?

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 23:59 (twenty years ago)

yellow is my favourite tshirt colour, i have three and i wear them alot and am not particularly tanned.

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:02 (twenty years ago)

yeah. fool's errand i said! (i wasn't the maker of the other thread.)
xpost

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:03 (twenty years ago)

I have never heard that white people can;t wear white t shirts. Wear any color as long as it fits. I have 3 yellow t shirts and i am half yellow and half white.

― h0t h0t h0rsey (Carey), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:04 (twenty years ago)

i say ignore all those dull rules. if you think it looks good do it.

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:06 (twenty years ago)

isn't the secret question: "what will give me the confidence in what i THINK looks good to actually persuade others it looks good?"

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:07 (twenty years ago)

Alex, does that rule hold true if you're wearing tennis shoes? i mean, obviously you don't have to wear an orange belt with orange shoes, but are black sneakers and a brown belt a problem?

Nah, I think all bets are off if you're wearing sneakers/tennis shoes. Go crazy.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:10 (twenty years ago)

exactly, if you are worried about it then it won't wash.

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:10 (twenty years ago)

rules = sometimes you need trainer wheels on yr bike at first!

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:14 (twenty years ago)

confidence-wise

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:14 (twenty years ago)

this is quite hard for beginners to carry off, for example

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:15 (twenty years ago)

Msybe "advice" is better than rules. I've been wearing basically the same sorts of things since my sophomore year in college, when I did a huge and sudden wardrobe makeover. That was five-and-half years ago!

Are red shoes (of the saucony/new balance variety) still okay?

― Chris H. (chrisherbert), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:20 (twenty years ago)

they wouldn;t be to my taste but... hey, that's the thing!

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:24 (twenty years ago)

I know it's a joke, but still, the world of "make sure the color of your belt matches the color of your shoes" is the world of ugly people distinguishing themselves from each other, as opposed to a world where people are actually looking good.

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:27 (twenty years ago)

like colour coding? the only way you can tell between em is the colour of their belt-shoe combo? it's PRETTY ppl who all look alike EK

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:34 (twenty years ago)

nobody can even see my belt underneath my untucked shirts

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:35 (twenty years ago)

The opposite of ugly is not pretty.

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:40 (twenty years ago)

i'll say!!

― b-dum tisch s (mark s), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:42 (twenty years ago)

but what about when you're hitching your thumbs around your beltloops and leaning up against the bar to scope of the joint, hm? That's the "check out my matching belt and shoes" stance of fashion confidence.
xpost

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:42 (twenty years ago)

i'll say!!

This joke was there already!

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:44 (twenty years ago)

if you want a mark of confidence, wear a two-tone stripey belt and difft coloured shoes

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:45 (twenty years ago)

Okay, so what about my cell phone holster? Should THAT match my belt?

― Chris H. (chrisherbert), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:45 (twenty years ago)

that's SUPPOSED to match your bow-tie, silly.

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:47 (twenty years ago)

i think i could pull off a yellow shirt and red shoes, maybe

but as this thread isn't about me...as you were.

(though i did wear yellow shirts in high school quite a bit and i'm verrrrry pale, but they didn't look so bad on me if i say so myself)

― joseph (joseph), Thursday, 30 June 2005 00:56 (twenty years ago)

Don't wear a white shirt to an italian restaurant.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 30 June 2005 01:20 (twenty years ago)

Look, after all of this talk, do what we all did: find people who we'd like to look like, and dress like them. Whether it's a pop star, person on the street, a workmate...c'mon, easy! (and i'm not being facetious).

btw, alex, i still follow the belt / shoes thing. (it works)

― paulhw (paulhw), Thursday, 30 June 2005 01:37 (twenty years ago)

jeans at the gap are absolutely fantastic. its always better to be too dressed up than to look like a slob. have socks that are not white athletic socks. always match your shoes and belt. have a black one and a brown one at least. get button up shirts at a nice place, even though shirts seem to look the same, you will be able to tell the difference when you put them on. make sure that when you buy t-shirts, they are not too loose or long, it will make you look sloppy even if everything else looks nice.

i think that most of this is common sense.

― t0dd swiss (immobilisme), Thursday, 30 June 2005 01:44 (twenty years ago)

Okay, so what about my cell phone holster? Should THAT match my belt?

If you're joking, ha ha. If not, ewwwww don't ever wear a "cellphone holster", unless you are in dorkus maximus fancy dress. If you are a plumber on the job it might be acceptable.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Thursday, 30 June 2005 08:36 (twenty years ago)

Shameful confession: I wear one of those when I'm at work. As I am a professional dork, is it acceptable as a tool of the job?

(it is black faux-leather. I didn't buy it myself; it came with the phone.)

― Tech Support Droid (ForestPines), Thursday, 30 June 2005 08:44 (twenty years ago)

At work, dork it to the edge dude! Get a shirt-pocket pen-holder too.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Thursday, 30 June 2005 08:48 (twenty years ago)

No, Liz, I wasn't kidding. What about braided belts? Some people say that they shouldn't be worn with pleated jeans. It's just too fancy, makes you look like a prissy, shallow little dandy.

― Chris H. (chrisherbert), Thursday, 30 June 2005 11:54 (twenty years ago)

Liz OTM re: holsters

― sleep (sleep), Thursday, 30 June 2005 12:40 (twenty years ago)

didn't we put the pleated jean thing to rest on the other men's fashion thread?

― lauren (laurenp), Thursday, 30 June 2005 12:47 (twenty years ago)

Braided belts make you look like a yuppie circa 1993.

― elmo (allocryptic), Thursday, 30 June 2005 12:50 (twenty years ago)

Jeez, no cell phone holsters, no pleated jeans, no braided belts. Maybe I'm not on the cutting edge afterall.

― Chris H. (chrisherbert), Thursday, 30 June 2005 12:52 (twenty years ago)

... and absolutely NO tasselled loafers.

― elmo (allocryptic), Thursday, 30 June 2005 12:55 (twenty years ago)

(And jeans at the gap are good in my book)

What about shades? Is anything particularly in or out?

xpost haha elmo.

― sleep (sleep), Thursday, 30 June 2005 12:59 (twenty years ago)

Shades: whatever makes you look/feel hott. This has something to do with face shape and something else to do with current trends and how much you give a toss about them.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Thursday, 30 June 2005 13:53 (twenty years ago)

No rules apply (except maybe the white socks, cell pone holster and of course pleats, ugh. Ribbed sweaters, distressed jean, diesel sneakers, cargo pants) OK so maybe it's not that rules don't apply, it's just that once you've followed all the rules, you haven't gotten so far. And I'm sure someone out there could make all the nonos look fine.

The main thing people tend to not pay enough attention to is how well their clothes fit. They'll be all do you like this color? cargo pockets yea or nea? See how it fits, this is most important. And, you know, if your pants too long - get em hemmed.

― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Thursday, 30 June 2005 14:15 (twenty years ago)

You know, this thread is useful for the don'ts, but still not useful enough. Where does someone who wants to re-do his wardrobe and has poorly-refined fashion impulses and no convenient source of critique/advice begin? You know, I hate to say I want a how-to manual, but that's kinda what I'm looking for...

― mikef (mfleming), Thursday, 30 June 2005 21:35 (twenty years ago)

In that vein, I actually found these quite useful a few years ago:

http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/editorial/mens_fashion_part_1_suits.php

http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/editorial/mens_fashion_part_2_dress_shirts.php

http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/editorial/mens_fashion_part_3_pants.php

http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/editorial/mens_fashion_part_4_conclusion.php

...but not for day-to-day stuff...

― mikef (mfleming), Thursday, 30 June 2005 21:38 (twenty years ago)

Your request seems kind of icky, mike.. it reminds me of those seduction technique courses you can send off for.. if it's not coming from you it's not really going to work, I don't think.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 30 June 2005 21:43 (twenty years ago)

Alex, does that rule hold true if you're wearing tennis shoes? i mean, obviously you don't have to wear an orange belt with orange shoes, but are black sneakers and a brown belt a problem?

Nah, I think all bets are off if you're wearing sneakers/tennis shoes. Go crazy.

Nope - still a booboo. HOWEVER, if yr wearing those TRENDY kicks with, like, more than one color in 'em, and they've got some brown, then you'd be okay...

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Thursday, 30 June 2005 21:45 (twenty years ago)

omg i have so many normal fashion questions.

like those shirts that when you tuck them in, end up sort of coming out and bunching up so you look like you've put a balloon on. when you take those to the tailor to fix them, what exactly are you asking for? should they be shortened, or pulled in at the sides, or what?

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 30 June 2005 21:48 (twenty years ago)

p.s. i think the secret answer to all my fashion questions is "lose 20 pounds."

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 30 June 2005 21:49 (twenty years ago)

didn't we put the pleated jean thing to rest on the other men's fashion thread?

I skipped the other thread, but it concerns me that the notion of pleated jeans should even have to be put to rest.

Seriously. Just don't.

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Thursday, 30 June 2005 21:50 (twenty years ago)

pleated jeans are awful. pleated pants, only if you are humphrey bogart.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 30 June 2005 21:50 (twenty years ago)

You can also buy fitted shirts to avoid the balloon look, but they might not be appropriate for work. People might think you were vain.

― Chris H. (chrisherbert), Thursday, 30 June 2005 21:53 (twenty years ago)

Jesus christ, I was kidding about the braided belt, pleated jeans, and cell phone holster!

― Chris H. (chrisherbert), Thursday, 30 June 2005 21:54 (twenty years ago)

Your request seems kind of icky, mike.. it reminds me of those seduction technique courses you can send off for.. if it's not coming from you it's not really going to work, I don't think.

I can understand this concern in the extreme, but I don't think that's where I'm coming from. I mean, it's a language or an aesthetic that one absorbs from one's culture. I guess what I'm asking for is more an introduction or a reminder to the structure of this all, how I should think about it and what I should look for.

I mean, I dress OK. Mostly I've outsourced my fashion to a few boutiques that I like and have a few standard things that work well. But I'm not very adventurous, and I guess it hasn't been obvious what the first few steps to take are.

Think of it like introducing a friend to some music you think they'll like and them going from there and finding their own stuff. It's the first step that seems daunting sometimes. In this department, my friends are either way ahead of me and can offer little advice or way behind...

― mikef (mfleming), Thursday, 30 June 2005 21:54 (twenty years ago)

truthfully, i never knew that pleated jeans for men existed until this thread. or the last thread actually

― t0dd swiss (immobilisme), Thursday, 30 June 2005 22:39 (twenty years ago)

The problem with this thread is that the people dispensing advise should be posting pictures of men who they think look stylish. This will not only give the people asking questions a visual reference to see what you're talking about but it will also give a better idea of which posters are worth taking advise from or not.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Thursday, 30 June 2005 23:07 (twenty years ago)

ihttp://www.usdreams.com/photos%20only%20achievers/DeluiseDP39KS.jpg

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 30 June 2005 23:08 (twenty years ago)

One piece of advice -- don't wear colors that are "stylish" or "fashionable," wear the ones that look good on your skin tone. It doesn't matter that orange is hip one season if it looks like crap on you.

― Hurting (Hurting), Thursday, 30 June 2005 23:10 (twenty years ago)

For anyone here who has had tailoring done, how does it work? Let's say I want to get some clothes custom tailored to fit me. Can I just buy stuff off the rack or from a thrift store and get it tailored to fit? Are pretty much all tailors equal and if not how do I find a good one? Will it be easy to give tailors strange requests and have them follow them accurately or will I run into a bunch of stubborn old men who will just do what they think is correct?

I'm also curious about what is or isn't possible with tailoring. I have a little experience with it and know about hems and how to tell if sleeves or pants are able to be let out. But changing the shoulders of a jacket is impossible right? What are some other tailoring possibilities and impossibilities?

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Thursday, 30 June 2005 23:11 (twenty years ago)

See, now I'll take anything Amateurist says as gospel since he obviously has a keen eye for the debonair.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Thursday, 30 June 2005 23:13 (twenty years ago)

will I run into a bunch of stubborn old men

my tailor back in brooklyn was a middle-aged korean woman.

― the underground homme (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 30 June 2005 23:14 (twenty years ago)

So? What did you have her do? Simple stuff like hemming pants and coat sleeves? I had a friend in High School who would buy old suits with cool fabric and have a tailor turn them into 3-button mod suits with pegged trousers. Does anyone have experience and advice in that area?

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Thursday, 30 June 2005 23:35 (twenty years ago)

my tailor is a middle-aged serbian woman

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 1 July 2005 00:50 (twenty years ago)

which makes her a seamstress

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 1 July 2005 00:50 (twenty years ago)

i buy my suits from her, second-hand. $10 plus tailoring.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 1 July 2005 00:50 (twenty years ago)

So? What did you have her do? Simple stuff like hemming pants and coat sleeves?

last thing she did was she hemmed some suit pants for me and took the legs in to make them less balloony and mc hammer-like.

― the underground homme (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 1 July 2005 01:00 (twenty years ago)

I dunno. I think guys should just figure out a way to take a little pride in what they wear, whatever it is, and the rest will fall into place even if you look "weird" or whatever.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 1 July 2005 02:25 (twenty years ago)

Lose 20 lbs.

No pleated pants unless they've been carbon-dated 1947 or earlierr.

Three-button, thin collar suits--no! Way late 90s.

No shiny tie matching similarly colored shirt.

DO NOT wear a sportscoat over a hoodie. Ever. If your girlfriend insist you do so, break up with her; she's probably too young for you anyway.

If you insist upon wearing pre-stressed jeans, avoid any with actual holes in them, as you will appear a fool.

You can't buy Doc Martens anything for about 3 years--sorry, it just worked out that way.

Your belt must be black leather, with a buckle no larger than three inches square and with no discernable logo.

Do NOT, unless at work, tuck in your shirts.

If you must get a manicure--and be honest: do your finernails looks like Gollum?-- insist upon matte polish.

A plain, crisp cotton white or black formal shirt is your best fashion investment (pick a medium spread collar.) Try to get something of at least Paul Smith quality. Yes, it will cost about 300 bucks, but you'll own it and look sharp for five years with proper care.

A 1940s style silk tie cannot, by it's very nature, ever go out of style.

Unless your body looks like Iggy when he was 20, or you are female, do not, ever, wear anything shiny.

If you see David Bowie looking smashing in anything, do not under any circumstances purchase anything that looks remotely like what he's wearing because you will look terrible because you're not Bowie and that's just the way it is and shall ever be.

That covers some basics.

― Ian in Brooklyn, Friday, 1 July 2005 04:12 (twenty years ago)

in general, a good rule is to watch every clip of leonard maltin, and make sure never to replicate his fashion choices.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 1 July 2005 04:55 (twenty years ago)

300 bucks???

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 1 July 2005 04:59 (twenty years ago)

dude i have a rule against that.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 1 July 2005 05:00 (twenty years ago)

Do NOT, unless at work, tuck in your shirts.

we've dealt with this before, and i disagree.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 1 July 2005 05:01 (twenty years ago)

If you have a well-stached shirt or one with a blousy drape and are fairly lithe of body then wearing it tucked in is okay, and can even be dashing.

Also, if you have decent muscle tone, certain tee-shirt-like upper body garments can be tucked into your jeans. I was making a general rule of thumb there.

Three hundred isn't much if you take into account how many times you wear it over many years and how much money you piss away on crap shirts. I had one fine white shirt--200 bucks-- that lasted a decade.

― Ian in Brooklyn, Friday, 1 July 2005 05:32 (twenty years ago)

It's been my experience that women are leery of men who wear sports shirts tucked in. I don't know why it is--just reporting on this one.

― Ian in Brooklyn, Friday, 1 July 2005 05:34 (twenty years ago)

I think a problem with this question is the guys who most often ask it are thinking of the question in terms of questions like "how do I install Windows XP on a system with a SATA drive?" The answer is assumed to be arcane but ultimately quantifiable. But the people best suited to answer this question realize that it's a process and not a procedure, so they give what look like vague and useless answers.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Friday, 1 July 2005 05:36 (twenty years ago)

true dat

Ian in Brooklyn: the exception that proves the rule

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Friday, 1 July 2005 05:44 (twenty years ago)

yes, i'm taking notes.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Friday, 1 July 2005 05:49 (twenty years ago)

Yeah Ian and usually I would agree with you i.e. get a great stereo and get it ONCE kind of thing, but the "taking care of it" part is crucial, and that I actually believe would for me be a far more radical shift in "fashion" than anything being discussed so far

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 1 July 2005 06:52 (twenty years ago)

Like, I HAVE to get really cheap frames for my glasses because I lose them every few months, and then go without them for months more because I am far more fashionable without them. Yes I have a sickness. People tell me I look more "mature" with them on and that makes me want to throw them to the ground and grind them under my heel.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 1 July 2005 06:55 (twenty years ago)

I get that--my own frames cost next to nothing for the same reasons.

― ian in Brooklyn, Friday, 1 July 2005 12:19 (twenty years ago)

Instead of rules of fashion, which is by it nature ephemeral, and a somewhat pointless thing to follow. what about Rules of Style

― Ed (dali), Friday, 1 July 2005 12:32 (twenty years ago)

rule 1: you've got it or you haven't

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 1 July 2005 12:37 (twenty years ago)

I avoid dressing up whenever possible, but when I must I frequently observe "Take off the last thing you put on."

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 1 July 2005 12:37 (twenty years ago)

My freinds really like my recent compulsive tie habit, though this does require a solid, and occasionally spectacular collection of both ties and dress shirts.

― Negativa, True Believer (Sheryl Crow in a Britney costume) (Barima), Friday, 1 July 2005 12:47 (twenty years ago)

300 seems a little excessive ... what's a brooks brothers shirt go for these days? 80?

― Another Allnighter (sexyDancer), Friday, 1 July 2005 13:40 (twenty years ago)

Brooks Brothers is stodgy, very feh.

You can get a lower thread count but entirely presentable Kenneth Cole short for about $80.

― Ian in Brooklyn, Friday, 1 July 2005 18:05 (twenty years ago)

Brooks Brothers is stodgy, very feh.

You can get a lower thread count but entirely presentable Kenneth Cole shirt for about $80.

― Ian in Brooklyn, Friday, 1 July 2005 18:06 (twenty years ago)

That's actually good advice. K. Cole sales here in London are ridiculous when it comes to slashing prices - they may as well start giving their stock away next.

― BARMS, Friday, 1 July 2005 18:41 (twenty years ago)

(I actually switched to k cole as well)

― Another Allnighter (sexyDancer), Friday, 1 July 2005 18:57 (twenty years ago)

Do not ever, ever buy anything from Brooks Brothers. Just FYI, to men. Every. Single. Thing. Sold. There. SCREAMS "I bought this at BB!" It's extraordinarily unappealing and I've actually been physically repulsed when seeing men dressed in BB suit, shirt, tie...etc etc. Their trendier selections are like the most amazing type of ugly on the entire earth.

Just trust me on this. I don't have a female friend, I don't think, who doesn't secretly make fun of BB shit behind dudes' backs.

― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Friday, 1 July 2005 19:04 (twenty years ago)

oh relax, their sweaters are fine

― Another Allnighter (sexyDancer), Friday, 1 July 2005 19:05 (twenty years ago)

UGH. Go somewhere fashionable, or even go somewhere unfashionable, not the limbo that is Brooks Brothers. Please.

― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Friday, 1 July 2005 19:17 (twenty years ago)

Ally I am now worried because I buy BB's wool gabardine pants and pretty much live in them throughout the fall/winter. They are one of the few brands that has plenty of hem to let out (I R tall). Perhaps the ban on BB does not apply to women's clothes? I don't do anything except the pants, I promise!

― quincie, Friday, 1 July 2005 19:17 (twenty years ago)

Here's the thing, right. Now, from what I've seen in the women's clothing section, it's not that offensive! Or even really offensive at all. Kind of Ann Taylory. But the men's section has been full of, like, shiny suits and shirts and garish colors and all the worst of men's trends for, like, 3 or 4 years now at least! I don't understand this tactic, at all. I mean I'm sure there's probably some decent understated plain things there for men, I'm certain of it but how do men get past their window displays???? THE WORST I saw on a man was this awful shiny...not quite olive, not quite avocado...SUIT!!!! Not even the shirt, the suit!!! And the lime green shirt he put with it...OMG. That was the incident of near vomiting.

― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Friday, 1 July 2005 19:21 (twenty years ago)

hey hey does it ever occur to you that men might not want to attract the hopelessly neurotic?? BB is just for white or blue oxfords and shit you might want to wear to court.

― Another Allnighter (sexyDancer), Friday, 1 July 2005 19:23 (twenty years ago)

OK not the men who I personally know that shop at BB. I didn't mean to offend you about your impending court date.

― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Friday, 1 July 2005 19:32 (twenty years ago)

Apologies if I've made you ill ever.
Actually the only time I went to court, showed up in BB blue oxford and levis. The (female) judge instructed me to deny all charges even though I told her I was guilty as charged. I think she liked me.

― Another Allnighter (sexyDancer), Friday, 1 July 2005 19:39 (twenty years ago)

Have you ever worn one of those awful things they put in their window displays and all over the front of the store? If so, you have not made me ill. Like I said, I am totally certain you can go in there and find a bunch of blue and white normal person shirts. But OTOH you can do that in stores that don't have such affront-to-humanity things alongside the normal things, like aforementioned Kenneth Cole.

I'm telling you, if people stopped supporting BB they'd stop selling things like that awful avocado shiny suit. There are tons of other stores with similar/better quality items for similar prices (especially in NYC) so I really dunno, their storefront is a holocaust against fashion and art all at once 90% of the time.

I was kind of unaware that disliking a store and the majority of shit they're pushing made one hopelessly neurotic but I'm gonna use that on like every thread about corporations from now on dude! Unless you mind me stealin it!

― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Friday, 1 July 2005 19:50 (twenty years ago)

White button up shirts in general kind of make me ill.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Friday, 1 July 2005 20:01 (twenty years ago)

pay attention to the thread title, good people

― Another Allnighter (sexyDancer), Friday, 1 July 2005 20:02 (twenty years ago)

Yet another reason for Ally to despise me. I have quite a few ties from BB and a couple of jackets and whatnot. I have been getting my shirts, though, from http://www.ctshirts.co.uk/default.aspx?progrpcode=share , though my latest favorite shirt I bought for $20 at Ross.

― M. White (Miguelito), Friday, 1 July 2005 20:10 (twenty years ago)

To be fair the thread title was a hilariously lost cause from the word go.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Saturday, 2 July 2005 00:11 (twenty years ago)

both banana republic and (especially) j. crew have fantastic dress shirts for under 70 bucks. there is no way you should spend 300 bucks on a shirt, sorry.

― t0dd swiss (immobilisme), Saturday, 2 July 2005 02:49 (twenty years ago)

This is why we love you, Mr.White.

― Orbit (Orbit), Saturday, 2 July 2005 02:51 (twenty years ago)

Has ILX yet to find out about the Brooks Bros no-iron dress shirt? Get three of them during the frequent sales and get a discount. I've never been rich enough or trendy enough (or thin enough?) to buy anything at Paul Smith.

― k/l (Ken L), Saturday, 2 July 2005 02:53 (twenty years ago)

i have never stepped foot inside a brooks brothers; i have only the dimmest notion of what it is.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Saturday, 2 July 2005 04:05 (twenty years ago)

Dude, when Miles started out he was all about the Brooks Bros.

― k/l (Ken L), Saturday, 2 July 2005 04:07 (twenty years ago)

When Miles wore BB--I can't type the actual words for fear of a reculsion shudder--a black man wearing BB was practically punk rock.

Look, make it easy. Spend a day shopping in the gay section of your city. Make a list of items you like, then buy their analogues in a 'straight' strore.

You might want to avoid Banana Republic--we just dropped by and the clothes looked deaer than an American democracy in 2005 and the prices were still way high.

― Ian in Brooklyn, Saturday, 2 July 2005 06:02 (twenty years ago)

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