
Newbie Fashion Tips for Grown-up Men - nathanh
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/newbie-fashion-tips-for-grown-up-men.html
======
iron_ball
Almost all of this is solid. One small quibble:

"Black tie" means tuxedo. If your host doesn't _really_ mean black tie, that's
their mistake, not yours. Don't get a black suit. Everything a black suit can
do, a charcoal suit does better.

I only bring this up because people seem to think black suits are essential.
They aren't. You won't get funny looks, but you won't look as good as you
would in charcoal.

BONUS TIP: Match your socks to your pants, not your shoes. You want to draw
attention to the shoes/leg boundary, not the sock/trouser boundary.

BONUS LINK: <http://www.styleforum.net> is where I learned what I wanted to
know about tailored men's clothing. Scour the stickies; dip into the daily
threadpiles only with caution.

~~~
kyro
I'd also add the askandyaboutclothes.com forums.

~~~
dtegart
also <http://www.throughtherye.com/flusser/index_current.html>

for one of Alan Flusser's excellent books on the matter

~~~
isleyaardvark
Particularly Flusser's "Style and the Man" and "Dressing the Man". I can't
upvote you enough, he literally wrote the book on men's fashion.

The main problem with this article is it doesn't stress proportion nearly
enough. Proportion/fit trumps all.

------
InclinedPlane
This is why I like the tech industry and the west coast so much. Because I can
wear jeans and a geeky t-shirt to a 6 figure salary office job and nobody
thinks there's a damned thing wrong with that.

I have a suit, I wear it extremely rarely and only because I want to, not
because I feel forced to do so by society or office culture. I disagree that I
am thus not a "grown-up" by some absurd definition. Some people take fashion
seriously, others take a more relaxed attitude, that doesn't make either
better or more mature than the other.

~~~
stse
Fashion is one of those things (like etiquette, social norms and maybe
religion) that you need to understand to willfully ignore. You're making just
as much of a statement by wearing jeans and a t-shirt as someone wearing a
suit. For me a truly relaxed view on fashion is when, while other peoples view
of you might change with your appearance, your view of yourself never does.
Insight over ignorance.

~~~
yummyfajitas
Revealing information is not the same thing as making a statement.

Richard Stallman deliberately tells you his website/etc is powered by free
software. You can infer from the http headers of my homepage that it is
powered by free software. Stallman is making a statement, my host (NYU) is
just not bothering to obfuscate headers.

Similarly, a person who wears comfortable, easy clothes is just revealing
information. A person who actively selected their clothes based on the message
they send is making a statement.

~~~
stse
English is not my first language and I find it very frustrating when people
nitpick on words. The first year of my fashion studies was (more or less)
devoted to the meaning of the word 'fashion', but I still manage to understand
what people mean by using it.

What I meant was statement in the sense of fashion[1], which is the
connotation of your clothes, 'reavealing information' as you put it. But if
you are deliberately buying geeky t-shirt or 'easy' clothes, you are still
making a conscious statement, for example "I'm a geek" and "I prefer comfort
over fit". In the event that the selection of your clothes is not deliberate,
there's still the connotation of them. For example, with 'easy' clothes some
may look at you as a slob, while others sees you as laid back.

While you can be outside of the 'fashion system', your clothes still have
meaning, to you and to others. If you want to read a proper simile regarding
fashion, i.e. not with http headers, I can (almost) recommend the works of
Roland Barthes [2].

[1]
[http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_561533193/fashion_statemen...](http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_561533193/fashion_statement.html)
[2] <http://books.google.com/books?q=roland+barthes+fashion>

------
kyro
I'd add a few more things. Make sure your shirt and jacket fit. The most
common things I see are men with collars too big for them so there's this huge
gap between the front of the neck and the knot of the tie. Make sure your
shirt fits snug, along with the suit jacket. The suit jacket should follow the
contour of your sides, not hang straight down. It should look tailor-made for
your body shape, and those with jackets that drop straight down on the sides
look as if they purchased a one-size-fits-all suit. Also, ties should reach
mid-buckle, and the knot should be appropriate for the occasion. I see lots of
guys at weddings who tie their knot using the simplest method and it looks too
casual. Look up various tie knots like the half-windsor, etc. And as he said,
your pants should reach the floor, but they should also drape nicely around
your shoes. I see lots of guys with bulky dress shoes that cause scrunching of
the pant leg at the ankle because there's not enough room for the pants to fit
over the shoe and drape; so pick slim fitting shoes.

I disagree with him on the shinier the shoe the dressier and that they should
be made of leather. I've got slip-on black suede shoes that work really well
when dressing up.

------
grandalf
The most important thing is that the clothes actually be comfortable. There is
nothing less flattering than a person wearing clothes that he'd obviously not
be wearing.

This has the following implications:

\- If you are overweight, maybe a button down shirt is just going to bunch up
and come untucked and look untidy. If so, you'll look better with a quality
t-shirt on underneath a suit than with a button down.

\- Shoe quality is among the biggest signals of your overall wardrobe quality.
Don't skimp on shoes. A high quality pair of shoes will not require much break
in and will be extremely comfy.

\- All suits (and jackets, and most pants) need tailoring for comfort and
appearance. You are slightly asymmetrical and having it tailored by a skilled
tailor will make it look 10x better.

\- Suits are made to be as comfy as pajamas. There is a reason investment
bankers tolerate them. If yours isn't, it's either a lousy suit or it needs to
be tailored.

Also,

\- Do not have your suit dry cleaned more than once every two years unless
something catastrophic happens. Just hang it on a quality hanger after you
take it off and let it air out.

\- There are probably some types of clothing that just don't look good on you.
Figure out what they are and avoid them.

~~~
eru
> \- Do not have your suit dry cleaned more than once every two years unless
> something catastrophic happens. Just hang it on a quality hanger after you
> take it off and let it air out.

My mother-in-law swears on hanging your woolen suit in the bathroom while you
take a shower. The steam helps with the airing out.

~~~
wyclif
Not airing out; but it does get the _wrinkles_ out.

~~~
eru
Yes. And it's supposed to help with smells, too. (As far as I know.)

------
defen
Good advice; I'd like to add rule 0: Lose some weight, and wear clothes that
fit.

------
matrix
I would rate this article as very basic at best. I became very interested in
fashion after I needed to learn about it (long story). One thing you'll see a
lot of -- and this article is guilty of this too -- is that clothes should fit
well. Duh. The thing is, it's very rarely explained what that actually means.
Part of the reason is that a lot of people writing these things simply don't
know, beyond a few basics (listen to a tailor or a fashion designer who
understands drape, etc). The other part is that the definition of "good fit"
changes with time. Currently, the trend for mens fashion is for slim fitting
garments. In two years that might change.

Dressing well is not about wearing certain types of prescriptive clothing
("thou shalt wear a slim-fitting button-down oxford, slim chinos, and
expensive longwings") but rather, is about dressing appropriately for the
context, and choosing your clothes with a little care. This means fit, but it
also means making sure the colors and patterns work well together (I can
expand on this topic a bit more if anyone is interested).

~~~
andrewcooke
i absolutely agree on context. you are participating in a kind of
conversation; the statement you make takes its value not from the absolute
measure of what you wear, but how it contrasts with the assumed standards of
your particular environment.

it might be worth emphasising that for many "nerds" that probably means that
taking more care over your choice of jeans + t shirt is better advice than how
to pick a suit. (i say this because i asked my american co-workers if they had
any sense of what "well dressed" meant and all their answers focussed on
formal wear. that's missing over 50% of the point).

------
blasdel
A fedora is one affectation that a man can't truly pull off unless they're old
enough to have fought in the Korean War (Vietnam if Black). Don't be that guy:
<http://m.assetbar.com/achewood/uua4Mm6Fp>

~~~
subwindow
I disagree. I wear a fedora somewhat frequently, and everyone says it really
suits me (not lying/puffing- just trying to convey that it's not just me). I
think the key is venue. Don't wear a fedora to work or every damn day. Wear it
out occasionally, and match your outfit to it carefully.

------
tsally
As the author describes, one reason technical people don't dress well is
because they never learned how. Another reason is that techies are
unconventional and don't place a high priority on mainstream standards. That
being said, I've been fashion hacking for half a year now and the results have
been great. Here's some concrete advice based on my experience. Note that I'm
20; people who have been professionals for 15 years and have kids probably
dress differently. I'm also average height and average weight, so you'll have
to make adjustments if you are tall/short/whatever.

Tshirts. Fitted solid color shirt with jeans that fit and shoes that impress =
coffee shop, homework at the library, class. Easy as pie, and if you get the
fit right and are in decent shape you look good.

Casual collared shirts. For general wear get bright, solid color fitted ones.
Bar, restaurant, class, whatever. It's a very flexible look because you can
switch in/out jeans and slacks. Express's 1MX shirts are a solid choice
(<http://bit.ly/cXBvxS>) and very popular for this type of role.

Collared shirts for your suit. Go to a tailor. Get measured. Go to a store
that sells suites like Men's Warehouse. Get two white shirts, a powder blue
shirt, and a light gray shirt and you are done. Don't complicate things with
strips or harder colors if you are just starting. If you want to add
personality to your shirt you can do it with a tie You're going for these
kinds of looks: <http://bit.ly/bwI7zG>, <http://bit.ly/16mDVK>, and
<http://bit.ly/97P8ld>.

Hoodies. Buy two solid color ones, one navy and one grey. No branding, no
weird details, no nothing. Solid color only. You can't really improve your
look with hoodies, but you can really mess it up by buying one that isn't a
solid color. Example (from JCrew): <http://bit.ly/bcG2uB>.

Graphic Tees. These are hard. You have to be younger to pull off a graphic tee
and even then the single to noise ratio in terms of nice/ugly graphic tees is
really high. You're probably better off avoiding them

Polos. it's very tough to find ones that fit well. I've had decent success
with the custom fit from Raulph Lauren (<http://bit.ly/clGtz5>). But please,
don't buy a polo with a huge logo on the front. Examples: This one from Raulph
Lauren (<http://bit.ly/arvbbg>) and this one from Express
(<http://bit.ly/9VX3oB>) are both BAD choices. A big logo just doesn't look
good, and it makes it seem like you are brand dropping.

Something for parties. Something that's a little different. Do not buy this
until you are ready. Go with your graphic tee or a regular collared shirt
until you are confident enough to pick something cool. Example (from Express):
<http://bit.ly/9AOupm>.

Jeans. Don't get designer jeans. Don't get them torn. Don't get them baggy.
Regular or slim fit only. Get them in colors ranging from dark blue to
blue/gray. Do not get light blue. Do not get jeans that are too long. They
should never, never touch the ground and they should cover 1/4 to 1/2 of your
shoe laces when you are standing.

Casual Shoes. Women notice shoes. Seriously. It's really interesting how much
they look at your shoes. You can have everything else right, but if your shoes
are big blocky white gym shoes, you have failed. I say this as someone who
bought big blocky white gym shoes from freshman year in high school to
sophomore year in college. The good news is that you can crowd source style
selection by looking at Zappos's most popular (<http://bit.ly/bep8vN>). Once
you have the style selection, just make sure you get a decent color. I own a
pair of these (<http://www.zappos.com/multiview/126799/14074>).

Boots. Get something that looks good but does what it is supposed to do (stand
up to the elements). I've had a good experience with Red Wing. The company
used to make the shoes for the US Army during WWI and WWII, so they make a
quality, durable product. I own a pair of these ([http://www.amazon.com/Red-
Wing-Shoes-Gentleman-Traveler/dp/B...](http://www.amazon.com/Red-Wing-Shoes-
Gentleman-Traveler/dp/B0018E0RPA)) and they are awesome (but really expensive
:-/ ). I've used them constantly in the snow and hold up great, plus they look
good too.

Coat. You should get a wool pea coat. You should stop wearing your Northface
that is the side of a small tent. Example (from J Crew):
<http://bit.ly/cVNqg2>. Peat coats are a proven style that have been around
_forever_. A nice coat is a really expensive investment and you don't want to
buy one that will look bad when your style changes as you get older.

Sunglasses. Authentic aviators that have frames that fit your face. Done. Like
the pea coat, aviators have been around for a long time and there are only a
few people who truly don't look good in them.

Also, a few general tips:

Fit is the key to everything. It doesn't matter how much you spend on clothing
or how well you match your colors. You will not look good if your clothes
don't fit. Period. Everything you get should be slim fitting. Odds are 10 to 1
that the jeans you are wearing right now are far too baggy. Loose clothing was
one of my most difficult habits to break.

Do not accept anything less than exactly what you want. Settling for clothing
is the worst thing you can do. The legs on the pants you just bought half an
inch too long? Return them. The collar of the shirt a little too tight? Return
it. There are billions of styles and billions of fits out there. Taking a
shortcut to save some time is not the road to success. You have to keep
searching until you find a fit and a brand that you really, really like.

Focus first on making choices that don't look bad. It's actually really
difficult to develop this skill. Once you can consistently make choices that
aren't bad, you can start being more risky and shoot for things that look
good.

\--- Yesh, that turned out to be longer than expected. It was kind of a brain
dump, so I apologize if there are parts that don't make sense.

EDIT: One more thing. The first rule of fight club is you don't talk about
fight club. Wearing nice clothes is something you do, but it's not something
you brag about. Your clothes and brands don't define you and they don't change
who you are. The only things clothes do is get in the way (if they are bad) or
complement what you already have (if they are good). It's like being rude or
polite in a conversation; it doesn't change the content of the conversation,
but things can be really ugly or really pleasant depending on the choices you
make.

~~~
sown
This all feels ... overwhelming.

And the point about fit is nice but I am not fit. I, like many, perhaps most
americans am overweight. clothes are made for normal, maybe slender and fit
people and it just seems like fatties need not apply.

as a result, i _hate_ going clothes shopping. in fact, i haven't done so in
many years. it just feels like it is for the physically elite and i feel like
i'm back in middle school getting stared at. this is my own problem but it
doesn't change it.

~~~
sambe
It's not just overweight that's the problem. I'm normally a bit overweight.
This is offset by being somewhat stronger than average in build - a t-shirt
that fits snuggle around my chest but falls quite wide around the waist will
hide a lot of my excess weight. But these are generally pretty hard to find.

The bigger problem is trousers - generally it doesn't matter how fit I am, the
size of my thighs (muscle again, played rugby from a young age) will stop any
trousers from fitting me properly. Anything that fits around the thighs is
guaranteed to be several inches too big around the waist (no, a belt doesn't
solve this all the time: ruins cut and comfort).

The problem is as much with the attitudes & economics of high street fashion
as it is with you. I don't get as frustrated and depressed shopping when I'm
in better shape physically but it's still a very unpleasant experience - and
that's without even thinking about style.

Most people say "go tailored" with all the obvious expense and silliness of
asking for tailored jeans etc. Buying and adjusting is more realistic if you
or someone you know can sew or wants to learn (or maybe affordable
professionally). But again, sadly, many high street clothes don't have
sufficient build quality or extra material (at least one tailor refused me on
that basis).

Always seemed to me that there is a business opportunity for providing web-
ordered clothes. If the fittings were better than a single number, and were
consistent, it would be a great service from the consumer point of view.
Perhaps difficult to get started from the business one though, before the
volume is large enough/process easy enough?

~~~
kingkongreveng_
Same problem. 30 inch waist, but my thighs are bursting out of 30 inch pants.
I typically buy 32 inch and have them taken in for $6 at the dry cleaner.

~~~
sambe
Unfortunately most conventional stores don't stock any sizes large enough. The
three sizes on the rack is what you get, and if you move to a country with an
average size smaller than you (or like something in a shop that treats male
fashion consumers as rake-thin models just like the females), you're basically
out of luck nearly 100% of the time.

I generally don't find anything larger than 36" waist where I am and that's
already got room to spare at the actual waist. Of course leg length is also an
issue - anything bigger than 34/36 and you must have 2m legs, right? And then
adjustment prices are high too :S

------
amohr
My favorite line came in the comments: "business casual is a trick foisted on
Gen X & Y by the baby boomers to make us look like dolts and keep us from
taking over their corner offices! Just say no!"

~~~
RK
Keep it casual. Start your own business. Problem solved.

------
yason
This is all good if you intend to either impress people you're sure you want
to impress or you're sure you actually to want to dress like this even if you
were the only person on this planet.

Not really objecting to good-looking clothes selected with class but do it for
the right reasons.

------
davidmurphy
Anyone want to dare venture an opinion why women place such stock in judging
men by their shoes?

As a guy, I enjoy dressing nicely when I can except it irks me people care so
much about (men's) shoes. I don't get why they matter so much - they're on our
feet near the floor out of sight mostly and serve an impt _functional_ purpose
to cushion and protect the foot.

And it angers me our society makes it fashionable for women to hurt themselves
with really painfully uncomfortable shoes.

~~~
cynicalkane
It has partly to do with that most men buy terrible shoes. Particularly dress
shoes, but they also tend to buy ugly sneakers.

Shoes are actually the easiest thing to understand, to the point many newbies
on StyleForum start out by expanding their shoe wardrobe. It's hard to tell an
expensive suit from a cheap one, but easy to tell a good shoe from a bad one,
if only men would spend any time at all thinking about it.

A pair of Allen Edmonds dress shoes is $325 or so. Seems like a lot, but 1)
they look ten times better and 2) they last ten times longer. In an office
environment where the "best-dressed" men wear hideous $200 KC glue-jobs that
fall apart after a few years, you can one-up them while saving money. Pretty
neat. Most dress shoes have hard leather soles, but this isn't a big deal
unless you walk several miles in them every day.

I can't explain why women love foot-destroying heels. It makes no sense to me.

~~~
scott_s
_Most dress shoes have hard leather soles, but this isn't a big deal unless
you walk several miles in them every day._

Funny you mention that. A friend of mine works at the State Department, and
walks to the Metro every day. In total, he walks about 3 miles a day. The
State Department is suit-and-tie, every day. He goes through suit pants and
dress shoes like I go through gym clothes.

~~~
cynicalkane
Then he is the best candidate for resoleable leather shoes. Either that, or a
pair of walking shoes to change into and out of.

------
xiaoma
> _White socks are for sports. Only._

White socks are a lot more versatile than that, unless the scope of "sports"
is so broad as to include hikes, walking in the park or even having a
barbecue. Wearing dress socks with sneakers is just odd.

------
mhb
The Sartorialist is great:

<http://www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com/>

~~~
sown
Neat photos...

...but I think this demonstrates my main problem about fashion: only the good
looking can do this.

Not a single fat person in these pictures. I'm not saying that they _must_ out
of some sense of equality or some kind of obligation. Clothes are not made for
fat people probably because they just don't look good in anything. I should
just lose weight if I want to look fashionable.

I speak from personal experience. I'm quite overweight -- like most americans
-- and nothing I wore had any affect on how well I looked. So i just gave up
on fashion years ago.

~~~
dtegart
Churchill was overweight and he wasn't too bad of a dresser. If you want to
see more realistic examples than on the sartoralist then checkout the
styleforums thread "what are you wearing today", mentioned elsewhere. Suits
work best on someone who is around 5'9". I am quite tall, which means I can
look a bit goofy if I wear the wrong things, but just like with being
overweight, it is possible to put together a combination that looks good.

~~~
io
_Suits work best on someone who is around 5'9"_

Nonsense. Tall guys look great in suits. I'm 5'7" and I always feel a bit like
Tatoo from Fantasy Island (The Plane! The Plane!) when I put on a suit.

------
isamuel
Anyone who enjoys this will enjoy "Put This On," a collaboration between "the
Sound of Young America guy" and "the You Look Nice Today guy." It's a video
series (season 1 is about to launch, & there's already a pilot available) and
tumblr.

<http://putthison.com/>

------
apsec112
I don't know how accurate these are for people who dress this way, but I would
guess that very few people on this site do dress this way. The style he's
describing is as formal as that of a New York City investment banker when he's
at his office ([http://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-
war...](http://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-wardrobe-
men/)).

------
rokhayakebe
The styliest guy in the room is also the simplest. If you do not know what to
buy, keep it simple: get 1 pair or Rock and Republick (they always fit), and 1
7 for all mankind, get 2 white shirts and 1 black one from J crew. Pack up on
Hanes t-shirts. Add a simple stainless silver watch, you are done. Do not
worry about the shoes, just keep them clean, and no square toes.

------
sown
3 Suits?!

That's like asking me to own three cars.

~~~
mseebach
He says that you _eventually_ want to own three suits. Once you start wearing
suits for different occasions, it's pretty obvious, at least IMHO.

A black suit is good for formal use. Church-business, meetings with executives
etc. You're conveying the message that you're dead-serious. A charcoal suit
works well, also, as mentioned in another comment.

A lighter suit, maybe grey with a very light pattern, no color, goes well for
anything non-dead-serious. The message is that you respect and take whomever
you're with seriously. Lower level meetings, fancy restaurants, conferences. A
black suit don't go well here, because the situation just isn't dead serious.

The third suit is for when you're used to wearing suits and like it (if you
don't like it, don't go there) - something more playful, something like a
color pin-stripe is popular. Generally not for business-use, but for going
out. If you show up at a post-conference cocktail reception in a suit like
that it says "let's enjoy ourselves" and shows another side of you.

~~~
alaithea
Upvoted for your mention of dressing to signal your respect for others. It
seems many geeks rarely think of this. To many geeks I have known, their down-
dressing is about their comfort and desire to buck mainstream culture. That's
fine, but it would be nice if they realized that dressing nice at work or out
with friends can also mean you think those around you were worth some effort.
After all, you don't have to look at yourself all day, but everybody else
does.

~~~
tommorris
I respect you enough to think you are a person who can find more useful
signals of respect than the ability to memorise and abide by arbitrary rules
laid out by the unseen gods of menswear. ;)

~~~
shard
Then you are a better person than I. If someone speaks too familiarly, acts
too familiarly, or dresses too familiarly in a serious or business setting, I
will not be thinking that he respects me enough to think that I am a person
who can find more useful signals of respect than the ability to memorise and
abide by arbitrary rules laid out of the unseen gods of grammar, social
conventions, or menswear. I will be thinking that he _has_ no respect.

------
jokull
Don't buy anything that says anything on it. Perhaps a small Lacoste badge
logo or something but no messages. Don't wear pink and yellow. When in doubt,
copy everything from Tom Ford's A Single Man movie. And it's more important to
look fit then wear the right fit, although both are important to look good.

~~~
jgfoot
> When in doubt, copy everything from Tom Ford's A Single Man movie.

Great; now I can look forward to male hackers wearing bright white angora
sweaters everywhere.

~~~
jokull
Don't copy the lost teenager guy (obviously).

------
nsrivast
I'd like a site like crowdspring, except I upload pictures of my clothes and
people tell me what tie/shirt/pants/suit go with each other.

~~~
agentq
Though not quite what you're looking for, StyleForum (mentioned in another
comment) has a "What are you Wearing Right Now" thread in the Men's Clothing
section... you can actually try out different combos and receive (mostly)
constructive feedback.

------
davidmurphy
Anyone want to dare venture an opinion why women place such stock in judging
men by their shoes?

As a guy, I enjoy dressing nicely when I can except it irks me people care so
much about (men's) shoes. I don't get why they matter so much - they're on our
feet near the floor out of sight mostly and serve an impt _functional_ purpose
to cushion and protect the foot.

And it angers me our society makes it fashionable for women to hurt themselves
with really painfully uncomfortable shoes.

~~~
aaronkaplan
_it angers me our society makes it fashionable for women to hurt themselves
with really painfully uncomfortable shoes._

Me too. Unfortunately, I also tend to like how women look in high heels.

I have a lot of cognitive dissonance about fashion in general. It disgusts me
that people buy new clothes even though they have old ones that are still
perfectly functional, but despite this disgust, I am sometimes one of those
people. When I'm dressed well (which includes, among other things, being not
too far out of date), I feel better about myself, but then I feel stupid for
letting myself be manipulated for profit by the fashion industry.

I know a couple of women who have such a strong aesthetic sense that they can
look good without being trendy. I have a lot of respect for that.

~~~
philwelch
High heels aren't about making the _feet_ look better....

------
jackfoxy
That does it. This weekend I am definitely buying the kangaroo skin Vibram
Five Fingers!

------
Radix
There were some comments on the blog asking about tucking in your shirt
without a belt. I believe it's okay if you do not have belt loops. My brother
has an old suit from the 80s which has no belt loops and as long as the shirt
is tapered it looks good.

Of course you have to walk like you intended to wear a suit from the 80s.

~~~
holygoat
IMO (and this seems to be supported by modern American culture), if a man
isn't wearing suspenders he should be wearing a belt.

------
hristov
What about a cane? Can I have a cane as my affectation? I was just outside and
it is gorgeous cane weather.

~~~
jff
You'll look like a tool with a cane unless you: a) genuinely have a limp, b)
are wearing some sort of impeccable reproduction of Victorian men's wear (and
not some silly steampunk crap), or c) are over 50.

------
njs12345
Watch Mad Men and copy Don Draper?

------
parbo
> 4\. You can unbutton the top button always (provided you’re not wearing a
> tie), the second button usually, the third button only on disco night at the
> Rollerama.

The version I've heard is that you need to see the Mediterranean to unbutton
the third button.

------
scotty79
> Dress Suits

As soon as they make suits incorporating Polartec and Goretex I'll think about
wearing suits. Until then I prefer my comfort over pretty much anything. I
make exception only for funerals and weddings.

------
warfangle
For those of you in NYC - take a peak at mysuitny.com. Design your suit, pick
the fabric, then go into the store to get measured. Suit arrives later in the
mail.

It's where I'm going for my next suit, at least..

~~~
jodrellblank
I thought I'd try that with <http://www.leftfootcompany.com/> a while ago -
you go to a store and get your feet scanned and then order online and they
machine make shoes to fit your feet.

They emailed me to say my feet are too large/small/different/whatever and
their process cannot make shoes to fit me. :/

------
abalashov
Yeah, I may get around to considering some of these things someday if I make
any money. Broke-ass entrepreneurs rolling their own out of pure cash need not
apply. Most clothes I have are left over from high school or first year of
college and suit just fine.

------
kscaldef
Personally, I would skip the loafers. IMO, grown men tie their shoes. Instead,
have a pair of wing-tips and a pair of unadorned or cap-toe oxfords.

------
mkramlich
Today is the day I realized Hacker News has jumped the shark. Plus, I realized
just how many more readers it has that are either women or are homosexual men.
:)

Seriously, this whole thread reads like Cosmo magazine. (Oh, do dish! You go
girl, tell it! I only wear Gabana. Yellow goes bad with red. Hoodies are to
die for. Anyone that matches a Denillo with a Gucci something-or-rather is a
fashion disaster! I'm going to tell all you people how to dress because I have
mastered it -- did I mention I'm only 20? OMGBBQ!!!)

~~~
csytan
I disagree.

I think this is a perfect topic for HN; Dressing well is important in
improving self confidence, and it is vital in making good first impressions
(useful for VC funding ;).

If this doesn't make sense to you, think of how you perceive a website on your
first visit. Would you use a service with a design that had been slapped
together in a few hours? It's the same with people. Being sloppily dressed
conveys an image of laziness and carelessness.

One thing I enjoy on HN is discussions which may not be related to programming
or start-ups. It's interesting to hear how hackers approach problems in other
areas of their life. That being said, I'll gladly listen to fashion advice
from those who have the experience to offer it, even if they are women or
homosexual men.

------
adnam
Soon on Hacker News:

How to eat with a knife and fork!

How to do "number twos"!

How to brush your teeth!

Sheesh

~~~
stse
Don't know about the last two, but some people would definitely benefit from
learning table manners and fork etiquette.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_manners>
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_utensil_etiquette>

------
seldo
This is "Fashion tips, as long as by fashion you mean what 19th-century
British aristocracy wore".

If you asked a woman to wear an uncomfortable and restrictive item of clothing
designed in the 1800s you would be a crazy sexist. But apparently men are
supposed to do just that.

~~~
philk
Women wear uncomfortable and restrictive items of clothing _all the time_.

For instance, high heels.

~~~
eru
And the expensive stuff for men is usually quite comfortable. (Though you have
to put down a lot of money on a suit to get as comfortable as you get with
even very cheap T-shirts.)

