Men's fashion advice

Klopp

I need some fashion advice and tips where to shop online for quality jeans, shoes and shirts and on the colour matching clothes which. I once told having 3 items, shirt, jeans and runners all different colours didn't work so now i try to at least match 2 out 3 items with the same colour. At the moment I'm looking to buy a couple of pairs of jeans in black and grey but I'm unsure if black jeans will go with a new pair of grey runners? I'm very bad with matching clothes for nights out and in general. i need some advice.

Any tips on the do's and don''s with matching colours, where to shop online for nice straight jeans, shoes ( don't currently own a pair ) and shirts.

speedboatchase

Klopp wrote: »

I need some fashion advice and tips where to shop online for quality jeans, shoes and shirts and on the colour matching clothes which. I once told having 3 items, shirt, jeans and runners all different colours didn't work so now i try to at least match 2 out 3 items with the same colour. At the moment I'm looking to buy a couple of pairs of jeans in black and grey but I'm unsure if black jeans will go with a new pair of grey runners? I'm very bad with matching clothes for nights out and in general. i need some advice.

Any tips on the do's and don''s with matching colours, where to shop online for nice straight jeans, shoes ( don't currently own a pair ) and shirts.

I mostly shop on ASOS, but if you have a bigger budget you could go to Mr Porter. The outfits that are put together on Mr Porter are excellent, and they match clothes and colours together in a very understated style. Even if you don't buy anything from there, it's worth seeing how they match items, to get some inspiration.

In general, I think you're better off going with clean styles that don't rely on too many different colours or patterns. Don't overthink things and stick to classic matching - e.g. white shirt, black jeans, and brown footwear is hard to mess up.

Personally I'd suggest that black shoes, brown driving shoes or plain white runners (fairly neutral colours, basically) will always go well with black jeans, and white runners will go well with grey jeans, as do brown boots. Bear in mind that the style of the jeans could dictate the footwear - a skinnier silhouette won't led itself well to chunky runners.

Jeans options
Low-range - Zara, ASOS brand
Mid-range - Diesel, Levis, G-Star
Higher-range - Saint Laurent

Shirts options
Low-range - Zara, ASOS brand
Mid-range - Farah, All Saints, Reiss, Polo Ralph Lauren
Higher-range - Acne Studios, Burberry Brit

A few examples of black and grey jeans mix-and-match, from Mr Porter (ignore the prices, just look at the matching of items)
Black jeans w/ white runners: http://www.mrporter.com/en-qa/mens/acne_studios/max-slim-fit-overdyed-denim-jeans/670758
Black jeans w/ brown boots: http://www.mrporter.com/en-qa/mens/rrl/slim-fit-selvedge-denim-jeans/608117
Grey jeans w/ brown boots: http://www.mrporter.com/en-qa/mens/canali/washed-denim-jeans/567375
Grey jeans w/ black/white Converse: http://www.mrporter.com/en-qa/mens/rag_and_bone/two-slim-fit-washed-denim-jeans/662373

eviltimeban

Why black jeans in particular? Navy jeans would be a better choice as they would be more versatile. Not a believer of brown shoes / black trousers, so navy would help you out with this. Also with white runners navy would be a better option.

To get decent stuff, you've got to spend the money. So get decent jeans (Diesel, or Levi's). Get a decent coat or jacket (depending on your style), and decent footwear. Things like t shirts and shirts you can get for cheaper in places like TK Maxx, or H&M / Topman do decent cotton t shirts. Tribe in Stephens' Green has a good selection of printed t shirts.

The best thing is to go for subtley - clothes will look good if they fit you and are decent quality, no matter what colour they are. You'll find yourself slipping into a uniform, which is fine, you can tweak it and add to it slightly as you go along. So 2 or 3 pairs of decent jeans (regular fit, one dark navy, one mid navy, and perhaps lighter colour, or grey if you really want them), a pair of chinos (beige or brown); match that with plain t shirts - white, navy, black, even red or light blue you can't go wrong with. Get a few plain shirts - Reiss do nice smarter ones, Penguin do decent check or more casual ones (though don't only have check shirts in your wardrobe). Get a few polo t shirts - Pretty Green, Penguin (again), Ben Sherman - avoid the Ralph Lauren ones and also look in Zara for cheaper plain ones.

Get some knitwear - TK Maxx for a good price - if you like cardigans then sure, even look in M&S as they have a good range of knitwear (though I always find the fits a bit weird). Get some plain sweaters (no hoodies), plain jumpers - light grey, navy, maybe a stronger orange for fun - Benetton usually have a good range.

And before you say "hang on - what'll I wear with an orange jumper?" - well, if you have nice navy jeans on, you could wear plain white converse, or beige casual shoes, or even a darker grey pair of trainers (Adidas Tobacco for example).

Top it off with a coat of your choice - coming into winter you should have a few options. It depends on what you like, you might prefer a more formal overcoat style (look in second hand stores and you might find something decent for little money), or you might like a parka (I got a great one in the Vans store last winter). I would say one big bulky coat for the freezing weather, one smarter fit coat for when the occasion suits, and then maybe some kind of a bomber jacket for when you need a coat, but it isn't freezing (like a lined harrington jacket).

And we haven't even started with suits and ties yet.

Klopp

speedboatchase wrote: »

Don't overthink things and stick to classic matching - e.g. white shirt, black jeans, and brown footwear is hard to mess up.

Thanks you rfor your advice and tips. If i overthink on anything it is clothes shopping.

eviltimeban wrote: »

To get decent stuff, you've got to spend the money. So get decent jeans (Diesel, or Levi's). Get a decent coat or jacket (depending on your style), and decent footwear.

Great post thank you. I am struggling to find a nice fitted formal jacket and shoes for nights out with work and social events with friends. I currently just wear a pair runners which isn't ideal for someone who is 30+.

eviltimeban

You mean dress shoes? Why not try these in burgundy. Would go well with grey trousers, or a navy suit. Burgundy strikes the right balance between the formality of black and the casualness of brown.

For a jacket, you just need to get a normal sports coat / blazer that fits well on the shoulders and is long enough - a tailor will do the rest. It'll never be truely "fitted" to your satisfaction unless you get it tailored. You could try TM Lewin, or if you have money to spend, Hackett. Look for wool trousers as well for this outfit, a step up from jeans and again a little more formal but you won't feel as formal as you would in a suit or trousers.

terrarev

Regardless of what your style or what you buy the most important thing you need to do is make sure the clothes fit.

I know that sounds a bit silly but a lot of people out there wear clothes that don't fit properly, usually too big, and no matter how nice the clothes you buy if they don't fit they won't look good.

For someone just starting out it can be tough because clothes that fit properly might feel or look too snug/tight (bet on to ya) to your eyes if you're not used to it.

If you don't know your measurements get a tailors tape and find out. Every online store has their clothing measurements as a guideline so this will help. It won't substitute going into a bricks and mortar store and trying things on though.

Also, sites like these are good for getting a basic understanding. Look up "capsule wardrobe" for a starting point:

www.fashionbeans.com
www.effortlessgent.com
www.esquire.co.uk/style


One last piece of advice, for my point of view anyway, is when starting out stick to the lower price range side of things until you settle on a look/style. If you spend big money on pieces at the start when you don't really know what you want/are doing then you might end up feeling obliged to wear them when they don't really look good.

mynameis905

To be honest I'd stay away from black jeans. They don't go well with brown shoes and black shoes don't really work all that well in a casual context. As eviltime mentioned, get one pair in mid-blue and another in dark navy and a pair of chinos and you'll have your casual trousers sorted.

As we're going into winter at the moment, one of my favourite looks is a navy vneck jumper, white oxford shirt with beige chinos and brown suede boots. Wore this exact combo for a night out last weekend and got tons of compliments.

Klopp

mynameis905 wrote: »

To be honest I'd stay away from black jeans. They don't go well with brown shoes and black shoes don't really work all that well in a casual context. As eviltime mentioned, get one pair in mid-blue and another in dark navy and a pair of chinos and you'll have your casual trousers sorted.

As we're going into winter at the moment, one of my favourite looks is a navy vneck jumper, white oxford shirt with beige chinos and brown suede boots. Wore this exact combo for a night out last weekend and got tons of compliments.

I am currently wearing pilmsolls runners with jeans and chinos on nights outs. I have being looking to find a nice pair of brown boots or shoes but so far i haven't seeing any.

mynameis905

Casual brown shoes and boots are probably the easiest thing in the world to find.

How about a pair of desert boots ?



Or deck shoes?



I'm probably a bit biased in that I really only wear suede shoes but you can get the above in brown leather if you prefer.

eviltimeban

I find Vans Rata Vulc a good casual shoe, OK they are very light but they actually wear pretty hard and have done me through winters as well (though they have no grips so don't wear them on icy days):

Klopp

Thank you for your suggestions so far, some nice suggestions, one or two i will go looking for this weekend.

keane2097

CDBs are the nuts but those vans look very nice also

Jim Stynes

Bumping this thread for some ideas!

ongarboy

Why not avail of eviltimeban's really helpful recommendations above? The advice still stands. Mens fashions have not changed in the 5 months since it was posted!

Swiper the fox

ongarboy wrote: »

Why not avail of eviltimeban's really helpful recommendations above? The advice still stands. Mens fashions have not changed in the 5 months since it was posted!

Indeed, that was a great post, hard to think it has so few thanks

Useful.Idiot

It was a great post but I'm still scratching my head at the orange jumper suggestion! any example pics? I'm a darkish ginger so when I try to imagine it on myself I picture a giant carrot man.

mynameis905

Useful.Idiot wrote: »

It was a great post but I'm still scratching my head at the orange jumper suggestion! any example pics? I'm a darkish ginger so when I try to imagine it on myself I picture a giant carrot man.

Don't wear orange if you already have red hair. Go with navy, blue and just about any shade of green.

eviltimeban

Jim Stynes

Jim Stynes wrote: »

Bumping this thread for some ideas!

Surf the clothes retailers sites for a look you like or do some window shopping, take a picture of a look that you like the look of.

I'm not a huge fan of buying clothes online but I've bought several pairs of shoes online.

There are a few items that are wardrobe essentials imo...

...... a nice jacket that fits you, goes with a nice shirt & jeans, can make a casual look quite smart easily while remaining informal... could get a good one over the next few months. I got a nice one in Debanhams last Summer in the sale, didn't wear it until Autumn



Someone every so often will pass a Colin McGregor "joke" :eek:

Jeans obviously, a nice pair of well sitting straight cut navy jeans, I got a fantastic pair of Nudie jeans in Brown Thomas in the Summer sale, great yokes & very reasonable in the sale.

I'd stick my head into TK Maxx to pick up a great quality pair of shoes for the right money too. Good shoes are an investment.

Chinos or appropriate jeans can be very adaptable outfit wise, can be worn with shoes or smart trainers/Converse.... I don't wear Cons myself (personal taste).

If you had a nice pair of Jeans, Chino, shoes, runners, shirt, polo shirt, jacker all x 2 you'd have a decent wardrobe that you could complement with T shirts, polo shirts, scarves etc as items catch your eye.

Timberland do decent combat style trousers and casual boots too .... the likes of these are now a no no imo (I had a pair years ago but they're boot cut jeans territory now as far as I'm concerned)


These are nice..


Important to keep ones eye on fashion to an extent, I would have worn chords and boot cut jeans say 10 years ago, I wouldn't wear either in a fit now to be honest.

eviltimeban

^ No offence, but that jacket looks awful. It doesn't even fit the model.

eviltimeban

eviltimeban wrote: »

^ No offence, but that jacket looks awful. It doesn't even fit the model.

None taken, I just used the first pic that came to hand on the net

Hollister11

eviltimeban wrote: »

Why black jeans in particular? Navy jeans would be a better choice as they would be more versatile. Not a believer of brown shoes / black trousers, so navy would help you out with this. Also with white runners navy would be a better option.

To get decent stuff, you've got to spend the money. So get decent jeans (Diesel, or Levi's). Get a decent coat or jacket (depending on your style), and decent footwear. Things like t shirts and shirts you can get for cheaper in places like TK Maxx, or H&M / Topman do decent cotton t shirts. Tribe in Stephens' Green has a good selection of printed t shirts.

The best thing is to go for subtley - clothes will look good if they fit you and are decent quality, no matter what colour they are. You'll find yourself slipping into a uniform, which is fine, you can tweak it and add to it slightly as you go along. So 2 or 3 pairs of decent jeans (regular fit, one dark navy, one mid navy, and perhaps lighter colour, or grey if you really want them), a pair of chinos (beige or brown); match that with plain t shirts - white, navy, black, even red or light blue you can't go wrong with. Get a few plain shirts - Reiss do nice smarter ones, Penguin do decent check or more casual ones (though don't only have check shirts in your wardrobe). Get a few polo t shirts - Pretty Green, Penguin (again), Ben Sherman - avoid the Ralph Lauren ones and also look in Zara for cheaper plain ones.

Get some knitwear - TK Maxx for a good price - if you like cardigans then sure, even look in M&S as they have a good range of knitwear (though I always find the fits a bit weird). Get some plain sweaters (no hoodies), plain jumpers - light grey, navy, maybe a stronger orange for fun - Benetton usually have a good range.

And before you say "hang on - what'll I wear with an orange jumper?" - well, if you have nice navy jeans on, you could wear plain white converse, or beige casual shoes, or even a darker grey pair of trainers (Adidas Tobacco for example).

Top it off with a coat of your choice - coming into winter you should have a few options. It depends on what you like, you might prefer a more formal overcoat style (look in second hand stores and you might find something decent for little money), or you might like a parka (I got a great one in the Vans store last winter). I would say one big bulky coat for the freezing weather, one smarter fit coat for when the occasion suits, and then maybe some kind of a bomber jacket for when you need a coat, but it isn't freezing (like a lined harrington jacket).

And we haven't even started with suits and ties yet.

Why, I live in these

eviltimeban

Hollister11 wrote: »

Why, I live in these

Cheaply made and over priced, and some people may shirk from wanting logos on their clothes. Various tests have proven that cheaper high street polos actually wash and wear better than the expensive RL ones.

mynameis905

Honestly I've never found any brand of polo shirt to wash particularly well. I just buy 3-4 of them at the start of the summer and toss them come September/October once they've started fading and the collars get all pilled and collapsed.