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Help dress me up, please.

#121
Joe Nerve said:
I hear ya, though I plan to buy a few pairs of shoes. I'm thinking each pair will be getting worn maybe 2X a month. Will probably drop some money on a pair I find that I REALLY like. The ones I bought I like. Don't love them though.



They were doing the black suit thing, and said they want to move away from that. I can also ask them for more help, but I think it's better to go this one on my own. I asked a couple of times and got the same kind of answers, so I let it go after that.



I guess you don't know me.

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WOW! Is that Howdy Doody on guitar?

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#122
Pumpkin said:
Note- Absolutely no cuffs on the pants. Socks match your pants. Flat front pants are fashionable, pleated front are the tried and true accepted formal wear.
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Liked your post except this part. Cuffs are a fine look on the pants, very classic, especially with flat front pants (my opinion/experience). Pleats are not my bag - maybe they are "tried and true," but if you are fairly slim, flat front is way more of a classic/old school look. This is all totally my opinion, doesn't make it valid - I tend to like more of a skinny suit/hipster type look. Otherwise, yeah, I think having a grey suit and a black suit is great advice. If you are lucky enough to fit in off-the-rack sizes, you might be able to find decent looking suits for not too much $$. I'd go this route if possible, since playing gigs will lead to spills, rips, etc. and you'll have to replace eventually anyway.
 
#123
Mechanical said:
Don't want to wear black? Try charcoal. ;)
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For real. One charcoal blazer, two dress pants that can go with it, a vest that goes with the pants in case you don't want the blazer, and then that leaves it all about the shirt. You can get hold on a few colors and then have the usual gray which is classy with charcoal.

As for shoes, it's tough to find comfy dress shoes. Except I got these Maddens that looked like they'd be very uncomfortable but are really the most comfortable things ever. Maybe sometimes you can get away with matching suede pumas on your dress shirt lol (maybe not).
 
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#127
Check out Nathan East's looks for some inspiration.

Steely Dan usually looks pretty sharp, too.

If you really know your clothing sizes and have time, josabank.com often has very good sales online. I picked up two of last season's $600 suits for $100 each, and will spend maybe another $50 each on tailoring.

If you go with suits, I'd suggest one in charcoal and one in medium gray "sharkskin," which has some depth to the cloth.

Any kind of coat you get, you want the arm holes cut high so that your shoulders can move freely. Otherwise, when you lift your arms, the whole comes along and bunches up around your neck.
 
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#128
For shoes try Timberland. I found a pair of nice Oxfords that are very comfortable. Very soft leather (waterproof too!).
They go with absolutely anything. Jeans, suit, business casual. Wouldn't hesitate to wear them on stage.
 
#130
Versatek6 said:
Check out Nathan East's looks for some inspiration.

Steely Dan usually looks pretty sharp, too.

If you really know your clothing sizes and have time, josabank.com often has very good sales online. I picked up two of last season's $600 suits for $100 each, and will spend maybe another $50 each on tailoring.

If you go with suits, I'd suggest one in charcoal and one in medium gray "sharkskin," which has some depth to the cloth.

Any kind of coat you get, you want the arm holes cut high so that your shoulders can move freely. Otherwise, when you lift your arms, the whole comes along and bunches up around your neck.
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Nathan East always looks really sharp at gigs. He's a great suggestion for this- look at some of his White Hosue/ Kennedy Center/ Grammy Appearances and you have a great example of how to handle the dressiest venues.

lermgalieu said:
Liked your post except this part. Cuffs are a fine look on the pants, very classic, especially with flat front pants (my opinion/experience). Pleats are not my bag - maybe they are "tried and true," but if you are fairly slim, flat front is way more of a classic/old school look. This is all totally my opinion, doesn't make it valid - I tend to like more of a skinny suit/hipster type look. Otherwise, yeah, I think having a grey suit and a black suit is great advice. If you are lucky enough to fit in off-the-rack sizes, you might be able to find decent looking suits for not too much $$. I'd go this route if possible, since playing gigs will lead to spills, rips, etc. and you'll have to replace eventually anyway.
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I've seen very few instances where cuffs look good. If the slacks aren't perfectly tailored, they are going to look off. Beyond that, I think the look is generally dated. As for pleats- yeah I'm with you. If the goal is "fashion" then ditch 'em, but few people are going to notice them and think they look bad.
 
#131
I'd do something like this for a dressy but not super formal gig. The key to a suit looking good is taking a little time with a respected tailor in your area. You can make a cheep suit look like a million bucks, especially if you're not wearing it all the time. Another route, go on eBay, find a quality used suit (brooks Bros. , Fitzgerald cut which is a more modern, slimmer but not too thin style) that your size and take it to a tailor.







Bullitt5135 said:
Grey suit (or vest) + Black shirt. For more casual gigs, grey vest, black shirt, black pants (or jeans). Kerchief in the pocket is a nice detail. Avoid pleated pants -- flat front, the slimmer the better. Maybe check the Express store at the mall? Their stuff is tailored for a younger, hip look.

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#135
Joe, once you get your formalwear sizes lined up, with any luck you'll be one of the standard off-the-rack sizes. If that size fits you consistently well off the rack, you can clean up at thrift stores, eBay, etc.

For example, I am a 44L suit jacket and about 90% of the time a 44L fits like it was tailor-made for me. I know my shoulder width and sleeve length. I can jump on eBay and buy very nice well-fitted 44L blazers for around $20-$30 all day, every day, and they fit with better than 90% accuracy. On the rare occasion I have to donate one to the thrift store, I still come out way ahead.

I also know my dress shirt size and dimensions, and my pants size and dimensions. Knowing the dimensions in inches and what off-the-rack sizes usually work for you is a big help when shopping on-line and bargain hunting.

If your band ever wants to have a tuxedo hanging in your closets for those ultra-formal events or ultra-picky clients (I usually book one or two a year where the client stipulates "band must be in tuxes"), formalwear rental shops clear out old stock once a year to make room for "this year's models." Those "clearance" tuxedos include beautiful James Bond-style basic tuxedos, and they mark them down ridiculous. They can be found in abundance on eBay and elsewhere. I have two full tuxes, excellent fits, including all accessories and patent shoes in my closet, and I didn't pay more than $75 for either one.

Forge a healthy relationship with a good tailor/seamstress in your area who you can talk to and who will take your needs to heart. My local tailor, a true genius who immigrated from Russia, is a miracle worker and worth every penny. Whenever I buy something that is close but not quite, or the sleeves need altering, she makes it right and I still come out ahead despite the nominal additional expense.
 
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#137
Joe Nerve said:
I hear ya, though I plan to buy a few pairs of shoes. I'm thinking each pair will be getting worn maybe 2X a month. Will probably drop some money on a pair I find that I REALLY like. The ones I bought I like. Don't love them though.



They were doing the black suit thing, and said they want to move away from that. I can also ask them for more help, but I think it's better to go this one on my own. I asked a couple of times and got the same kind of answers, so I let it go after that.



I guess you don't know me.

nerve%20unies_zps60ffqghg.jpg
Click to expand...



Nice work, bruh. I used to roll just like that at the dance clubs in Wildwood...

...like about 40 years ago. :dead:
 
#138
Fit. Fit. Fit. If you're going with a suit it's all about the fit. Nothing worse than some dude in an ill-fitting suit. You might as well not wear it, any "formality" you're trying to relay will be lost in the fact that you look like you borrowed your dad's suit for church.

If you don't have the luxury of a tailor, pants should slightly crease at the top of your shoes, your jacket sleeves should be about a half inch shorter than your shirt that should reach the hinge of your wrist. And DO NOT buy a jacket that's too long. It will make you look shorter and dumpier than you actually are. The ideal length for most is that it should fall about three quarters of the way down your butt. Ties? It's a coin flip. But if you do stay away from wacky stuff. No pictures of basses, or amps or any crap like that. Ideally, some solid understated color. Black, grey, navy. And most ties are of a thinner variety if not skinny these days. And a tie clip is a nice accent piece if you go that route. Go with stainless, not gold. Lastly with the suit, make sure you can get at least a thumb in the waistband of your pants and make sure they fit, i.e., not a ton of room in the seat or crotch.

Shoes. Don't buy cheap shoes with a suit. If you do all the leg work listed above, cheap shoes will negate all that effort. Johnson and Murphy and Cole Haan are favorites of mine. Yes, they're expensive and yes, they'll last longer and look better as they age. Go with a cap toe, oxford, or wing tip in brown or black. They're all super safe bets. And match your shoe color to your belt. And yes, wear a belt. Always. (there was some mention of JT which is synonymous, I think, with wearing sneakers with a suit. That's cool, but make sure they're all white and right out of the box. This is no time to be sportin' your new high tech gym shoes.)

Colors for the suit? Neutral. Grey, black, and navy, maybe a light brown or tan. White and linen albeit cooler, make you look like you're going to a Puff Daddy party. And they wrinkle like crazy. I say save those for when you're off the clock. If you want some color here or there? A pocket square is a nice place to start. You can also let your personality show there. You can usually get away with patterns and prints and bold colors there, if you just have to. Do not monochromatically match your pocket square to your tie.

Please feel free to ask any questions. Thanks for reading.
 
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#139
bolophonic said:
This is easy: instead of going to the store and buying the same black jeans and black t-shirts, head to a decent department store and steer yourself towards the basic designer gear that will look sharp for a long time. Perry Ellis, Kenneth Cole, etc. A fitted shirt and some classy pants will do you good. Avoid discount stores and cellophane-wrapped shirts with all the pins in them. (Also: that solid color satin tie pimp/fake mafioso look is already out of fashion.). A sale rack at Macy's or Nordstrom's will be full of inexpensive clothes that look awesome. Trust me on this, I dressed like an idiot 15 years ago.
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Only problem is neither of those stores offer men's clothes in sizes bigger than extra large. At 6' 240lbs I often need a 2xl shirt to fit my neck.
 

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