Help me dress my age

hairyslug

For the past 15 years, I've been getting away with going out in a decent pair of jeans and fitted t-shirt, I've been comfortable in them and felt that it suited me.
However, as I approach 40 (37 now) I want to move away from that look to something a bit more mature but my fashion sense is still stuck in the past. Can anyone advise please, I've asked my wife but her sense is as bad as mine, my friends are no better.

Hazys

Somebody posted a very similar topic in Fashion & Appearance, below is my response there like 5 seconds ago before I came to this forum. Personally I think how you wear something is more important than what you wear. These stupid rules about what clothes to wear at what age are a bit ridiculous like as soon as you turn 40 you have to stop wearing jeans. Like the day before your 40th birthday you are wearing a leather jacket and jeans and the next day you are wearing khakis and a sweater, its so stupid. Its about finding what you look well in and what you feel comfortable in.

Hazys wrote: »

Learning about how to wear clothes that fit properly is one of the biggest things I feel in dressing well. Being able to identify when clothes are too loose or too tight makes any outfit you wear look 100x better. You could be wearing a cheap pair of jeans and a cheap polo but they fit you well and be standing next to a guy in an ill fitted Armani suit and you will look 100x better than him.

Very rarely will any clothes fit you 100% perfectly off the rack so going to a tailor is a must (especially suits they are designed to be tailored). It takes time to learn what looks good on you, to find brands that fit your body type well and to find a good tailor, so take baby steps until you are comfortable.

Basic guides showing how clothes should fit:

http://www.realmenrealstyle.com/visual-suit-fit-guide/

https://ashleyweston.com/mens-clothing-fit-guide/


This is a bit of an exaggeration but it emphasizes the point of fit (the guys on the left is wearing a comically large suit):

Mr Bloat

How would you define a "more mature" look?

Jeans and a decent t-shirt are a classic look that can be worn by any age group, imo. I'm heading for 47 and that's what I wear when I'm not in work. If you are comfortable in that, why change? You don't need to conform to whatever you think society expects of you, just because you have reached a certain age.

lazybones32

Keep your eyes open to what you see other men wearing - on tv and when out and about. Borrow, mix and match ideas accordingly.

Go to debenhams or similar. They have nice stuff.

hairyslug

Maybe mature wasn't the right word, while my dress sense has stayed the same, so has my fair and facial hair, now it's not a midlife crisis yet (yeah I'm back on the motorbike, going back to the gym and have embraced my whitening hair) but I feel like a change

begbysback

The only other option is a shirt and chinos, but you're 37 dude, not 57

arayess

i'm 39 and when I go out it's 90% tshirt and jeans with a jacket.

I'm not ready to look like my dad yet

johnnyskeleton

begbysback wrote: »

The only other option is a shirt and chinos, but you're 37 dude, not 57

Is a shirt and pants not the standard dress of drunk 20 somethings "out on the pull"?

OldRio

begbysback wrote: »

The only other option is a shirt and chinos, but you're 37 dude, not 57

'Dude'? Seriously?

Nothing wrong with good fitting jeans and a t shirt. Also nothing wrong with good fitting chinos and a shirt. Or heaven forbid a crisp white Oxford shirt and dark jeans.

You need good quality basics first and build from there.
Plain coloured T's, Shirts, Chinos and jumpers.
Good quality boots, brogues and derby shoes. Trainers should be worn at the gym only.
Black and brown colored belts to match your shoes.
Don't forget a nice watch and aftershave.

Check out 'Esquire' website along with others. 'SuitSupply' is another good website. There is plenty of advice on the web. As mentioned earlier the fit is everything.

Wear what you want but wear it well.

Wanderer78

Wear whatever's comfortable, ignore everybody else, life's too short

_Brian

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Ware whatever's comfortable, ignore everybody else, life's too short

This is it.
Wear what you like and are comfortable in, not some uniform foisted on you by public opinion.

Far too many are like sheep these days, just wanting to do what they're told and conform to what others think they should be doing.

Tshirt, polo shirt, casual shirts, jeans, nice trousers, it's all acceptable providing they fit reasonably well they all look good.

SozBbz

I don't think theres any problem continuing to wear jeans and a tshirt most of the time, but fit and style changed over time, so once you're not still wearing the exact same jeans as back then, you should be grand.

You could invest in a blazer and some smart casual shoes if you've been wearing runners up to now - maybe something like this or this - to smarten up the look?

Ragnar Lothbrok

As I approach my birthday each year, I tend to ask myself the same question as the OP, wondering if I should finally start to dress a little more age-appropriate.

I'm in my early 50's now and still dress similarly to when I was a teenager. Basically it's a skinhead look: shaved head, jeans, Doc Marten boots and almost always a soccer jersey. I dress like this at home, in the pub and at work. Everyone that knows me says I look young for my age, which maybe helps.

I have a fairly responsible job in the civil service, and fortunately I don't have any face-to-face dealings with the public, so I can dress as I please (within reason, obviously) at work.

I imagine most of you reading this would probably pour scorn on my dress sense, but the most important thing is I feel totally comfortable dressed this way, and TBH I don't particularly care what others think. (Having said all that, I do realise too that there are certain times I need to dress in a more appropriate way - and I have no problem wearing shirt, tie, suit, etc, when I think it's appropriate.)

Occasionally I ask my partner & children (all in their 20s and 30s now) if it's time for me to "grow up" and start looking more conventionally acceptable for my age, but they always tell me that they wouldn't want to see me any other way - how I look is a part of my character and they don't want me to change just because others might think I should.

I think that's the most important thing OP - wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. It will make you far happier than changing the way you dress just to conform to what others may think - the days of having to reach for a pipe, cardigan and slippers once you reach a certain age are long gone.

begbysback

It's reported to hit 26 degrees over the weekend - best of luck feeling comfortable in doc Martin boots 😧

TheBlock

Ragnar Lothbrok wrote: »

As I approach my birthday each year, I tend to ask myself the same question as the OP, wondering if I should finally start to dress a little more age-appropriate.

I'm in my early 50's now and still dress similarly to when I was a teenager. Basically it's a skinhead look: shaved head, jeans, Doc Marten boots and almost always a soccer jersey. I dress like this at home, in the pub and at work. Everyone that knows me says I look young for my age, which maybe helps.

I have a fairly responsible job in the civil service, and fortunately I don't have any face-to-face dealings with the public, so I can dress as I please (within reason, obviously) at work.

I imagine most of you reading this would probably pour scorn on my dress sense, but the most important thing is I feel totally comfortable dressed this way, and TBH I don't particularly care what others think. (Having said all that, I do realise too that there are certain times I need to dress in a more appropriate way - and I have no problem wearing shirt, tie, suit, etc, when I think it's appropriate.)

Occasionally I ask my partner & children (all in their 20s and 30s now) if it's time for me to "grow up" and start looking more conventionally acceptable for my age, but they always tell me that they wouldn't want to see me any other way - how I look is a part of my character and they don't want me to change just because others might think I should.

I think that's the most important thing OP - wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. It will make you far happier than changing the way you dress just to conform to what others may think - the days of having to reach for a pipe, cardigan and slippers once you reach a certain age are long gone.

Bang on...Mid 40's and still wear Jeans and Polo shirt or nice jumper. I dress as I did in my twenties.Clean shoes though, hate to see a man with dirty or scuffed shoes/boots.
Whatever makes you comfortable is the correct answer.