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Ask HN: How do I dress better?

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Re: Ask HN: How do I dress better?

#31
- Start with the philosophy of having a few clothes of high quality rather than a lot of clothes of low quality.

- Fit is the most important thing. Get a few shirts and a basic suit made to measure. You can do this fairly inexpensively via sites like https://www.indochino.com/. I charcoal grey suit, a white shirt, and a light blue shirt are a great way to start.

- Understand the differences between style and fashion. Fashion is a never ending treadmill of mindless consumerism, constantly prompting you to buy new clothes. Style is about dressing timelessly.

- It's hard or go wrong with a nice pair of brown, leather soles shoes. I like Allen Edmunds: http://www.allenedmonds.com/.

- Read PutThisOn: http://putthison.com/tagged/Best_Of

Re: Ask HN: How do I dress better?

#33
- Get the basics/staples.

- Don't get any fad/trend items—i.e. ripped jeans are in (again) right now, but don't bother, just get a good pair.

- Fit means everything.

- Go for the 'uniforms' in the style you like (prep, street, or whatever).

- Quality over quantity (this is often related to fit).

- Dress to your body (not too tight or too loose).

- Honestly, just go to https://www.reddit.com/r/malefashionadvice/ and go through the sidebar.

- You can be incremental. Jeans are fine, just get ones that fit well, and get a pair in black. Swap the hoodie for bomber jacket or denim jacket. Get rid of your graphic t's and t's with slogans and 'funny' things.

- It doesn't have to be expensive at all. You can go to H&M or J.Crew for your basics (white/black/grey t's), maybe a button-down (oxford) or two, and a pair of navy chinos. Don't ever get jeans from brands that do lots of things (like H&M, Zara, etc.). Even if you do this, jeans don't have to be super expensive—Levi's have good fits, then there's other ones like Nudie's, Cheap Mondays, etc.

- Have some fun and experiment a little, but often you need to know the basics first to do this well (same for everything whether it be fashion, programming, art, or writing).

- You can completely skip getting someone who dresses well to help you out if you just aim to build a solid, basic wardrobe, and can shop by yourself.

- Always wear a belt. Get a simple tan leather one—you can wear it with navy chinos and shorts, black and dark blue jeans, etc. Get a simple watch. Go digital with a cheap Casio or analog.

- Don't overthink it. Just go for solid basics.

Re: Ask HN: How do I dress better?

#34
Added an up-vote for previous comments about quality and fit. Both points are absolutely critical. To expand on those points:

1. Dress for who you want to be (and what you stand for) - I've found it helps to approach fashion the way you do your career. It's all about investing in where you're headed next. Your clothes are the first layer of who you are and if you think about it, it's awesome that you get to invent that every day. Pick a few things that feel like they reflect your identity (both current and aspiring) and go all out. Even if you don't dress like anyone else, you'll dress like you and more likely than not, that level of comfort will evoke a sexy kind of confidence.

2. Gather top-notch basics first - Grab yourself a nice pair of jeans and a white t-shirt that fits just right. Do a good job on this and already, you'll look better than most people.

3. Those basics will take you a long way - Stepping up your style game isn't about volume, it's about quality. Unless you're going for a dandy look or something to that effect, your approach to fashion should be aligned with the owner of a minimalist Tiny House. Everything you buy, from basics to accessories, should be beautiful, functional, comfortable and long-lasting (e.g. quality).

4. A versatile blazer or good looking jacket will take you everywhere - Find one or two that look sharp and feel comfortable. You want something that's as easy to turn to as your favorite hoodie. Speaking of hoodies, grab a nice sweater or two.

5. Eliminate barriers - Everything you buy should be as easy as possible. For example, buy non-iron dress shirts. That way you don't have the "I don't have time to iron" excuse for not dressing up.

6. Shoes maketh the man - Someone once told me every good man needs two things. An excellent bed and an excellent pair of shoes. If you're not in one you're in the other. Get some good comfortable oxfords and a pair of nice leather low-top sneakers (think Common Projects) for the weekends. Keep them clean, unless you're specifically going for a worn look.

7. Nice workout clothes make a difference - Odds are, you'll go somewhere before or after the gym. Invest in nice workout clothes. I spent years wearing my college athletic gear to the gym and thought it made me an "authentic athlete." Really it just made me messy, and the second I started investing in good-looking athletic clothes I realized it makes a difference. My new gear made me realize I should invest thoughtfully and opt for quality in everything I do.

If you're interested in learning more and want to talk menswear, message me. I'm obsessed with men's fashion and have done some makeovers for friends. Not selling anything here, just happy to help a fellow person who wants to be better.

Re: Ask HN: How do I dress better?

#35
What I found helpful was watching videos by Antonio Centano https://www.youtube.com/user/RealMenRealStyle

I'm going to presume you are male... not trying to be sexist, it's just a guess. If you are female I don't think this advice will be helpful (women seem to have it a lot harder when it comes to these choices, esp. with what is suggested by Antonio, which is largely ignoring current fashion).

He teaches the difference between classic style and fashion, and focuses on the former. While many of his community are probably interested in dressing way more formally than you are (and frankly seem to long for time when it was more socially acceptable for men to wear suits everywhere), he teaches principles, which can be applied to many different styles of dress.

The older videos are more fundamental and tend to be better IMO.

Re: Ask HN: How do I dress better?

#36
post #31

- Start with the philosophy of having a few clothes of high quality rather than a lot of clothes of low quality. - Fit is the most important thing. Get a few shirts and a basic suit made to measure. You can do this fairly inexpensively via sites like https://www.indochino.com/ . I charcoal grey suit, a white shirt, and a light blue shirt are a great way to start. - Understand the differences between style and fashion…

>You can do this fairly inexpensively via sites like https://www.indochino.com/.

Are there similar shops but EU-based?

Re: Ask HN: How do I dress better?

#38
This is hacker news so take it all with a grain of salt but I found that buying clothes that fit, and just buying and trying a lot of stuff to see what worked over a few years led to a massive improvement. I think if you just follow a guide that tells you specific things you will feel weird and get stuck. I'm not saying you should ignore the "rules". I just mean you have to put in some effort and try a lot of stuff. Imitating people you think look cool is an easy way to start and will get you half way there

Re: Ask HN: How do I dress better?

#39

This is hacker news so take it all with a grain of salt but I found that buying clothes that fit, and just buying and trying a lot of stuff to see what worked over a few years led to a massive improvement. I think if you just follow a guide that tells you specific things you will feel weird and get stuck. I'm not saying you should ignore the "rules". I just mean you have to put in some effort and try a lot of stuff.…

Don't overdo the Reddit male fashion advice
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