Do Irish males dress well?

Ilyana 2.0 · 08-01-2013 10:46PM

I think younger Irish men in their late teens to early twenties are more style savvy than before, and I think it's partially down to the One Direction effect. Young guys probably feel a bit more confident in buying more stylish clothes; it's not such a foreign thing to them anymore.

Sometimes, down the country especially, you do see some awful sartorial choices among men. Black shoes with pale jeans, ill-fitting jeans that make backsides disappear, dated white checked short-sleeved shirts etc. This is usually seen in men aged 25+. Maybe this will fade out in time if the younger generation stays somewhat fashion-conscious

gillapino · 08-01-2013 11:21PM

Ilyana 2.0 wrote: »

I think younger Irish men in their late teens to early twenties are more style savvy than before, and I think it's partially down to the One Direction effect. Young guys probably feel a bit more confident in buying more stylish clothes; it's not such a foreign thing to them anymore.)

I completely agree with this. my younger brother is 19 and up until about a year ago, he just lived in tracksuit bottoms and plain runners and would wear jeans about once a month at the most and they'd be bootcut ! He'd consider the like of slim fit or skinny jeans for gay or camp guys or hipsters or whatever, But now since the whole one direction/ Justin Bieber thing he's been wearing slim fit and skinny jeans, nicer fitting t shirts and hoodies and now vans or converse. Noticed it with him and a lot of his friends similar in age.

EdenHazard · 08-01-2013 11:55PM

That's just like me. I was part of the tracksuit mafia until like 3 years ago. Some of the things I wear though at times can be stupid, as I tried to experiment and see what works and doesn't.

tommmy · 09-01-2013 01:31AM

Hi,

So just want to say thanks to all who replyed, I didnt think I would get such good feeback.

There is alot of good points there made by people.

My opinion is that we as males are getting better to dress ourselves, 10 yrs ago or so people would not care but I think we are becoming more fashion aware.But that being said we are still stuck in the past, we tend to still have flared jeans and those Hollister t shirts are everywhere..to be they look awful but thats just my opinion.

I dont agree with the point that because certain shops are more expensive it is difficult to dress well, you could easily get a pair of jeans, plimsoils, a plain t shirt and cardi for a good price in Primark..and yes I said plain t shirt, foreign to many but plain is more classy, it doesnt have to have some ridiculous statement or a variety of numbers.

I do agree with many that tracksuits should only be for home or use in sports.I for one would'nt be able to go into town wearing a tracksuit i would feel embarrased, I dont agree with the opinion of save your best clothes for a good day,no your best clothes should be worn every day that of course does not go for people who work on building sites..as that would make no sense.

But you may laugh but in Ireland we have a saying good clothes are Sunday clothes..I do not agree.

But i think our main problem is and I think women maybe the same too, if other people are not wearing a certain item then I will not be wearing it.
But i think we are getting better as a nation, but that being said we are always behind in fashion for e.g. American Apparell I dont know if many of you are aware of the brand but they design some rather nice clothes, but there most popular and most recogiseable item would be there zip hoddies

http://store.americanapparel.eu/f497.html?cid=210-246&c=Red

Now these hoddies have been out for quite a while made popular by American actors and singers such as Justin Bieber and Chris Brown
but recently many retailers have jumped on the brand and started making their own copy, now pretty much everyone is wearing them..

The same can be send about chinos I started wearing them around 2 and a half yrs ago, and I was laughed at for wearing them fast forward two yrs everyone is wearing them, but it's only now in Ireland where they have really taken off, but the problem is many retailers have stopped making them as chords will be here in the next season..

I guess its only right that I should share my style with you all, I tend to where alot of skinny jeans or spray on/super skinny and i usually wear a shirt with a cardi,and possibly a pea coat.That tends to be my style.But skinny jeans are not for everyone, I just wear them as they suit me.I find alot of pepole will snigger at my skinnies but you can't get offended by that it is just narrow mindness

But bottom line if we can get rid of flared jeans and dodgy shirts we will be onto a winner and it does'nt have to be skinny just go with a simple slim jean, a nice plain hoddy add a nice scarve with a nice satchel and there you go a perect outfit of a walk about but that is just my opinion..

Once again Thank you all for your info much appreciated and remember always wear your best...

Peace

pitythefool · 09-01-2013 08:57AM

Marsden wrote: »

I'm glad someone finely clarified what exactly dressing well entails.

It is a fairly popular choice in Limerick though along with t-shirts a size too small

Any straight guy who tries to set themselves apart is considered to be trying too hard

Its like a form of discrimination

padi89 · 09-01-2013 08:59AM

Sugar Free wrote: »

And my pet hate - sh*te shoes. Rubbish, corrected grain leather and glued sole shoes from the likes of Aldo, River Island and others are almost ubiquitous from what I can see.

An investment in a decent pair of English made shoes from Fitzpatricks or various online stores for about 250E would be money well spent. Certainly better than spending the same amount on 3-4 crappy pairs of shoes from the highstreet

Shoes in that price bracket are going to be corrected grain eg Barker and Loake the only option from Fitzpatricks in Crockett and Jones around the €400 mark.
River Island, Aldo etc will be pleather of some awful excuse for leather.

meeeeh · 09-01-2013 09:35AM

I'm not to bothered if men's shoes are not perfect. Not everybody will be able to afford shoes for 250+ Euro (in that range I'd go for Italian but that is just my personal taste)but they should be well kept and not overly scruffy. I hate thick soles and clunky fronts on dress shoes. I'm old fashioned regarding suits and think they are the piece of wardrobe men should spend money on and buy proper suit and have it fitted.

But it just shows how old I am when I saw Justin Bieber or One Direction listed as influences on how men dress. Nothing wrong with their style but in my opinion nobody over 13 should know what their style is or listen to their music. Then again I'm not sure anybody should follow Nirvana style either whe I was young.

I miss more coats on men and chunkier knits which can be a lot more figure flattering than huddies.

Sugar Free · 09-01-2013 10:24AM

padi89 wrote: »

Shoes in that price bracket are going to be corrected grain eg Barker and Loake the only option from Fitzpatricks in Crockett and Jones around the €400 mark.
River Island, Aldo etc will be pleather of some awful excuse for leather.

In Fitzpatricks' brick and mortar store maybe but online, Pediwear and Herring sell both of the above as well as Herrings own line (made by Loake I believe) which have plenty of full calf uppers for that price. I myself have a pair of Loake 1880 which retail for about 250E.

Granted C&J shoes are another step up on the quality and craftsmanship scale but for 250E you'll get decent entry level shoes.

padi89 · 09-01-2013 12:08PM

Sugar Free wrote: »

Pediwear and Herring sell both of the above as well as Herrings own line (made by Loake I believe) which have plenty of full calf uppers for that price. I myself have a pair of Loake 1880 which retail for about 250E.

Are you sure they aren't corrected grain? Any pair I have held the leather seemed plasticy, i returned a pair of Herrings for this reason, they didn't come across as value for money. I'd much rather pic up something better, used or slight seconds on a menswear forum or ebay for €250.

mood · 09-01-2013 12:11PM

pitythefool wrote: »

It is a fairly popular choice in Limerick though along with t-shirts a size too small

Any straight guy who tries to set themselves apart is considered to be trying too hard

Its like a form of discrimination

I disagree. The best dressed guy I know likes and works in Limerick.

tan11ie · 09-01-2013 12:17PM

enda1 wrote: »

Irish men do not dress well. But Irish women also do not dress well. Not everyone of course, but most. It is not gender specific, it's a national trait.

I think that's more down to girls not knowing what suits their shape.

pitythefool · 09-01-2013 12:42PM

mood wrote: »

I disagree. The best dressed guy I know likes and works in Limerick.

I just said it was a popular choice

3rd in mr world lives in Limerick, now that guy can show you how to dress

enda1 · 09-01-2013 12:51PM

tan11ie wrote: »

I think that's more down to girls not knowing what suits their shape.

That's certainly one issue. But there is also the horrid race to the bottom in the sense of well sluttiness that Irish girls seem to fall into. Look at comparable big cities in countries like Germany, France, Italy and you see no such attempts to dress like the latest Essex "celebrity".

Individuality has creeped out of the Irish sense of fashion and its so evident in the negative mentality that men take to fashion and group-think that women have towards their dress.

By negative approach I mean men dress in order to not look like whichever stereotype they hold ("I'm not wearing pink or skinny jeans, they're for hipsters and gays!").

By group-think among women, ask yourself how many times have you seen three girls walking down the road with each wearing sweatpants with Hollister across the arse? There is a certain fear of not conforming to a stereotype, and unfortunately that stereotype is founded by what appear to be fashion retards in California and Essex.

shoos · 09-01-2013 12:53PM

If you compare the streets of London to the streets of Dublin, I think Dublin is seriously lagging behind and that goes for both men and women (but... particularly men

sorry lads!)

To be fair though, I've gone out shopping with my boyfriend and Irish men have such a tiny choice when it comes to clothes.

Like if they wanted to dress well, you've got your specific tailor shops (cost a bomb), designer men's shops (cost a bomb), Topman and Jack & Jones.

Even the Topman stores are crap here in comparison to England! Half the collection is made up of overly priced t-shirts with stupid pictures on the front and a bunch of coloured hoodies. That's about as far as we've got.... Coloured jeans and hoodies

Irish guys don't really have their selection of Forever 21s, New Looks and Miss Selfridges like us girls do. If they want to be stylish they've gotta pay a hefty price! Only other option is more tshirts with the Jack & Jones logo on them.

And men, if you're listening, pleeeeease stop wearing them. You'd swear half the Irish population are Jack & Jones sales assistants.

mood · 09-01-2013 12:56PM

enda1 wrote: »

That's certainly one issue. But there is also the horrid race to the bottom in the sense of well sluttiness that Irish girls seem to fall into. Look at comparable big cities in countries like Germany, France, Italy and you see no such attempts to dress like the latest Essex "celebrity".

Individuality has creeped out of the Irish sense of fashion and its so evident in the negative mentality that men take to fashion and group-think that women have towards their dress.

By negative approach I mean men dress in order to not look like whichever stereotype they hold ("I'm not wearing pink or skinny jeans, they're for hipsters and gays!").

By group-think among women, ask yourself how many times have you seen three girls walking down the road with each wearing sweatpants with Hollister across the arse? There is a certain fear of not conforming to a stereotype, and unfortunately that stereotype is founded by what appear to be fashion retards in California and Essex.

I hate to agree but on a night out the amount of flesh SOME women have on display is crazy. I think a more sophisticated look is more flattering. However, the women who wear very little get the male attention so I'll assume that is why other follow suit.

mood · 09-01-2013 12:58PM

shoos wrote: »

If you compare the streets of London to the streets of Dublin, I think Dublin is seriously lagging behind and that goes for both men and women (but... particularly men sorry lads!)

To be fair though, I've gone out shopping with my boyfriend and Irish men have such a tiny choice when it comes to clothes.

Like if they wanted to dress well, you've got your specific tailor shops (cost a bomb), designer men's shops (cost a bomb), Topman and Jack & Jones.

Even the Topman stores are crap here in comparison to England! Half the collection is made up of overly priced t-shirts with stupid pictures on the front and a bunch of coloured hoodies. That's about as far as we've got.... Coloured jeans and hoodies

Irish guys don't really have their selection of Forever 21s, New Looks and Miss Selfridges like us girls do. If they want to be stylish they've gotta pay a hefty price! Only other option is more tshirts with the Jack & Jones logo on them.

And men, if you're listening, pleeeeease stop wearing them. You'd swear half the Irish population are Jack & Jones sales assistants.

Disagree. the best dressed guy I know doesn't spend loads on clothes. He just has good taste.

Sugar Free · 09-01-2013 01:04PM

padi89 wrote: »

Are you sure they aren't corrected grain? Any pair I have held the leather seemed plasticy, i returned a pair of Herrings for this reason, they didn't come across as value for money. I'd much rather pic up something better, used or slight seconds on a menswear forum or ebay for €250.

Yep, quite sure for at least the ones I own. Sadly I do not yet own a pair of C&J, though I agree there is a noticeable difference in the quality of leather when I physically compared a pair with a pair of Barker and Loake.

I wanted to get a foundation of non-sh*te shoes basically which is why I went with Herring and the like! Next step is to upgrade to some C&J, Carmina or maybe Alden if I'm over in the states some time.

Edit: I should add though that I generally only purchase Herring/Loake and similiar when on sale. The Loake 1880 pair I referred to were purchased for about 150, which makes them more worthwhile.

dienbienphu · 09-01-2013 01:04PM

shoos wrote: »

.

And men, if you're listening, pleeeeease stop wearing them. You'd swear half the Irish population are Jack & Jones sales assistants.

what is it with some women that they care so much how men are dressed? We don't care how women dress, so why are women different? I think the attitude of these women stinks, theres some expectation that men conform to how fake boy bands such as one direction dress (who by the way are a bunch of muppets). how are men expected to dress like these guys when they can't even be taken seriously?

mood · 09-01-2013 01:13PM

dienbienphu wrote: »

what is it with some women that they care so much how men are dressed? We don't care how women dress, so why are women different? I think the attitude of these women stinks, theres some expectation that men conform to how fake boy bands such as one direction dress (who by the way are a bunch of muppets). how are men expected to dress like these guys when they can't even be taken seriously?

I'm in my 30s and don't think grown men my age should dress like One Direction or whatever boy band. These are little more than boys not men IMO and those clothes are only suitable for guys of that age.

As for why women care how men dress - dressing well can make a huge difference to a mans appearance and makes men more attractive. Surely that's a good thing. I think men do care how women dress but may not realise it. They tend to see the over all picture rather than individual things like shoes etc. Oh, on one 1st date the guys asked me if I wear dresses ( I was wearing jeans) - so some guys do care what women wear.

enda1 · 09-01-2013 01:14PM

dienbienphu wrote: »

what is it with some women that they care so much how men are dressed? We don't care how women dress, so why are women different? I think the attitude of these women stinks, theres some expectation that men conform to how fake boy bands such as one direction dress (who by the way are a bunch of muppets). how are men expected to dress like these guys when they can't even be taken seriously?

I care how women dress.

shoos · 09-01-2013 01:16PM

dienbienphu wrote: »

what is it with some women that they care so much how men are dressed? We don't care how women dress, so why are women different? I think the attitude of these women stinks, theres some expectation that men conform to how fake boy bands such as one direction dress (who by the way are a bunch of muppets). how are men expected to dress like these guys when they can't even be taken seriously?

Whoa. I honestly meant no offence by my post or the Jack & Jones t-shirt comment, but sorry if you thought it was dig.

I don't expect men to dress exceptionally well, be forever suited up, know the ins and outs of which brand of shoes are handmade in Italy or any of that jazz. Nor do I expect, or would ever want, all men to feel like they've to copy One Direction. And I wouldn't want men to think the same of me with.... Girls Aloud? (are they even around anymore

)

I more skimmed through the other posts on this thread so maybe I missed it, but I hadn't really noticed any women expecting any of that from men either. It's mostly been wishing that men cared more for their appearance in that they have more than one pair of shoes so they're not worn into the ground, wear a pair of nicely coloured jeans that flatter their bodies instead of trackies or pale, worn jeans all frayed around the ends, or have a few nice shirts in their closet. I hardly think that equals a bad attitude or having too high expectations. Having a smart appearance is valued all over the world.

H3llR4iser · 09-01-2013 01:48PM

Never really post here but decided to chip in this is interesting.

Irish men dress...ehrm...like a sports department sale assistant; Alternatively, you'd swear they just finished their daily training session. Seriously, too many sports clothes used as daily attire, when it's not a hoodie is a tracksuit, or a Man U/Chelsea/Liverpool/Munster Rugby jersey. A nicely ironed shirt and a pair of jeans or suit trousers (depending on the occasion/setting) would work so much better; For winter add either a jacket (formal) or a jumper (more casual and make sure the colour doesn't clash with the shirt). Trainers, in general, should be for what they're called after - training.

As for women, apart from the attempt to dress like somebody from the reality shows, the biggest offender has to be the flat shoe. They make any average sized woman look thrice the size they are, especially when paired with skinny jeans or leggings. They are clearly uncomfortable as any woman you see wearing them walks like a duck, and can't even be justified by the weather...what kind of protection do they offer against rain?

Mind you these issues are not exclusively Irish; I am actually form Italy and while you do see a bit more well dressed people down there, you also see a LOT of this:

http://lannifriends.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/s-r-tamarro.jpg

Not to mention all Italian women obsessing about low waisted jeans, with the obvious muffin-top effect.

dienbienphu · 09-01-2013 01:50PM

mood wrote: »

I'm in my 30s and don't think grown men my age should dress like One Direction or whatever boy band. These are little more than boys not men IMO and those clothes are only suitable for guys of that age.

As for why women care how men dress - dressing well can make a huge difference to a mans appearance and makes men more attractive. Surely that's a good thing. I think men do care how women dress but may not realise it. They tend to see the over all picture rather than individual things like shoes etc. Oh, on one 1st date the guys asked me if I wear dresses ( I was wearing jeans) - so some guys do care what women wear.

do you have a certain guy in mind and imagine secretly dressing him so he would look more attractive becasue i dont understand where your coming from? what doe more attractive mean? if i were to say if a certain woman loses weight she would look more attractive> is that what you mean?

shoos wrote: »

Whoa. I honestly meant no offence by my post or the Jack & Jones t-shirt comment, but sorry if you thought it was dig.

I don't expect men to dress exceptionally well, be forever suited up, know the ins and outs of which brand of shoes are handmade in Italy or any of that jazz. Nor do I expect, or would ever want, all men to feel like they've to copy One Direction. And I wouldn't want men to think the same of me with.... Girls Aloud? (are they even around anymore )

I more skimmed through the other posts on this thread so maybe I missed it, but I hadn't really noticed any women expecting any of that from men either. It's mostly been wishing that men cared more for their appearance in that they have more than one pair of shoes so they're not worn into the ground, wear a pair of nicely coloured jeans that flatter their bodies instead of trackies or pale, worn jeans all frayed around the ends, or have a few nice shirts in their closet. I hardly think that equals a bad attitude or having too high expectations. Having a smart appearance is valued all over the world.

but why is that a woman's concern?

tommmy · 09-01-2013 01:54PM

mood wrote: »

I'm in my 30s and don't think grown men my age should dress like One Direction or whatever boy band. These are little more than boys not men IMO and those clothes are only suitable for guys of that age.

As for why women care how men dress - dressing well can make a huge difference to a mans appearance and makes men more attractive. Surely that's a good thing. I think men do care how women dress but may not realise it. They tend to see the over all picture rather than individual things like shoes etc. Oh, on one 1st date the guys asked me if I wear dresses ( I was wearing jeans) - so some guys do care what women wear.

I think people are forgetting is that boy bands and every other star we see in the spot light, have stylists , all of them have one.So trying to copy that exact style may not work all of the time.

And no I would'nt expect a guy over 30 to wear what one direction wears, but that does not mean you dont make an effort, and yes the poster a while ago was right, those Jack Jones printed t shirts are awful.

longhalloween · 09-01-2013 02:01PM

tommmy wrote: »

those Jack Jones printed t shirts are awful.

If Jack and Jones isn't paying you to advertise for them, then don't wear those ugly tshirts.

shoos · 09-01-2013 02:04PM

dienbienphu wrote: »

but why is that a woman's concern?

I'm getting the distinct feeling we're not going to find common ground of this

It's not our "concern" as you put it, it's not keeping us up at night.

It basically comes down to the fact women are attracted to men and we appreciate a man who looks good and is dressed well (again, not the 6th member of One Direction dressed well, just dressed in clothes that flatter his body).

Is that so bad

dienbienphu · 09-01-2013 02:08PM

shoos wrote: »

I'm getting the distinct feeling we're not going to find common ground of this

It's not our "concern" as you put it, it's not keeping us up at night.

It basically comes down to the fact women are attracted to men and we appreciate a man who looks good and is dressed well (again, not the 6th member of One Direction dressed well, just dressed in clothes that flatter his body).

Is that so bad

no i have no problem with that but what i have a problem with is that you expect certain individuals to dress accordingly to group trends which undermines the individuals whole sense of individuality. if you don't like how someone dresses then don't date them?

how someone dresses is very much an expression of who you are

mood · 09-01-2013 02:09PM

dienbienphu wrote: »

do you have a certain guy in mind and imagine secretly dressing him so he would look more attractive becasue i dont understand where your coming from? what doe more attractive mean? if i were to say if a certain woman loses weight she would look more attractive> is that what you mean?

but why is that a woman's concern?

No I don't have a certain man in mind but I have dated men whose dress sense (or lack of) put me off. If a grown man of 35 for example dresses scruffily or in badly fitted clothes it makes them less attractive.

Examples:

mood · 09-01-2013 02:13PM

dienbienphu wrote: »

no i have no problem with that but what i have a problem with is that you expect certain individuals to dress accordingly to group trends which undermines the individuals whole sense of individuality. if you don't like how someone dresses then don't date them?

how someone dresses is very much an expression of who you are

No. The majority of us women are saying it's good to make an effort. That doesn't mean following trends but wearing clothes that fit properly and suit the occasion etc.

And I don't date guys if I really don't like how they dress. I have gone on a few dates with guy who dressed badly but it didn't work out as I didn't find them attractive and I'm not the type to try to change someone.

tommmy · 09-01-2013 02:15PM

longhalloween wrote: »

If Jack and Jones isn't paying you to advertise for them, then don't wear those ugly tshirts.

Your missing the point, I was'nt saying I like them clothes

Anyways moving on

Do Irish males dress well?

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