Fashion TIPs for a lost fellow.

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John_Rock

Member
Jan 13, 2007
6
0
My name is John and I do not have a sense of fashion. And this is sort of my cry for help/confession.

So I am in college right now and the hectic life and what not really really really totally threw me off loop. I dress like a hobo on the street. I would wear stuff/colors that would totally not match at all. I wake up every morning; threw my self into the shower and come out 10 minutes later and slap on a t-shirts and drag out a pants out somewhere and go to classes.

I want to dress better and now I am ready for a change. I donated all my old clothes to the Salvation army and I am ready to start at zero. :jammin:

I am 6 feet tall, Asian, 205, and I captain rugby now and use to play lax and football in high school.

So any links/suggestions/advices would be awesomely appericiate it...and oh college life is pretty money-struggling so I cannt really afford anything super fancy....:yes:
And I have no perferene in style but I do not like to wear emo-ish clothing and really bright color stuff....(like LIME Green, i look like a human highlighter):supacool:

So the things I need most right now is some new shoes, some pants since well my old ones are gone and i only have my last pair of levi last and i have some lacoste polos left over from somewhere, i actually didnt realize i had them......so yeah.....

Thanks!:P

JOHN
 
hmmm......not thinking straight since it's past my bedtime :P but i'd check out abercrombie, american eagle, all that stuff.....and lacoste (which you seem to have already) which is classic...i'd just stock up on lotsa denim (my boyfriend likes sevens, diesel, etc and he's about your height/build i think) and then you can just buy a bunch of long and short sleeve polo shirts in different colors/stripes/etc and throw one on with a pair of jeans and add flair with unique sneakers :yes:

that's my two cents and now i'm dragging my tired body to bed :Push:

okay i'm back just to say you should check out urbanoutfitters.com they have some cute stuff for guys....and also you should check out diesel's hoodies....they're great to just throw on over whatever ur wearing for those days when u don't wanna deal with choosing a decent shirt....they can get a bit pricey but they're having a huge sale lately my bf got a great one for like 70% off....so my tips are so vague
 
aww. i give you props for being so driven to take control of your life where you see fit and improve it!

i agree with the polo variations - can't go wrong with lacoste or ralph lauren, paired with an ace pair of sandblasted jeans (probably good idea to get a dark pair for dressy and light pair for casual). my boyfriend swears by express jeans, and thinks they fit the best, and they're gentle on the budget too. i would also recommend getting lots of dress shirts - solids, stripes, different colors. deep red works really well with asian skin, imo. You can pair these with jeans for a casual dressy look, khakis for a country-club type look, dress pants for a dressy look....list goes on! dress shirts also make a guy look very well put-together when they're layered, so it'll probably be a good idea to grab a few sweaters and maybe one awesome, versatile blazer. For these, i recommend banana republic or jcrew - really classy, pretty high quality, and guaranteed to make any guy look really clean and well-dressed with barely any effort. for really lazy days, probably a good idea to invest in a hoodie that you can throw on over any old t-shirt.

also, for shoes, dunno if this is a stereotype, but i see a ton of asian guys wearing timberland boots...they're pretty hot, and generally work with most outfits, imo, so maybe a good idea to invest in a pair :yes: or, depending on your taste, you could go for a pair of loafers or dress sneakers...PONY makes some cute men's sneakers that aren't like "athletic" sneakers, and Banana Republic/JCrew make some relatively cheap but super soft, high quality, comfy loafers.

really, if you have a pair of hot looking jeans with a hot looking pair of shoes, guys can generally pull off any top - graphic tees, a simple hanes white tee, tee and hoodie, dress shirt, sweater, tee under blazer, etc etc!

sorry for long reply - hope i helped!! :P
 
Alrighty mate. I'm in college as well, and have got a pretty big frame too. I'm about 6feet tall.. My personal style is one that is more classic with loads of edginess. What you need most is basics that can make you super stylish.
They are:
jeans that are true blue and make sure they fit well (no baggy/flare)
basic tees (v-neck and round neck)
polo tees (ralph lauren is my bet. also see fred perry)
shirts (white/black and one with a fancy pattern)
(i'm assuming this is for spring/summer, so im ignoring the thicker jackets and such. but if you want advice on those, just shout)
a great watch (chain strap is great, but i'm very into the dressiness of a leather strap now)
accessories (a fancy dogtag/pendant that exudes a manliness and says that you're stylish, a leather cuff you can wear on your wrist to make yourself look more edgy)
bags (i like totes/carryalls...and loads of asians particularly hk-ers love this look. it gives a totally different twist to the outfits you wear.. and trust me, it looks fantastic.)
Khaki berms that go well esp with leather sandals or havainnas
Black pants to make you more sophisticated

as for shoes, i personally don't like trainers-except for the gym. i like sneakers from 96Hours by Puma (designed by neil barrett), Kenzo and Aldo boots. Timberland boots are far too heavy and don't go well with well fitted jeans and i don't like it.

Here in the UK, wearing trackpants/hoodies out of the house means you're a CHAV (a street gangsta- a look one should ALWAYS avoid). I reserve the hoodies for home use and trackpants for gymming.

Depending where you're located, maybe you can PM me or something, so I can recommend you places.. I buy all my basics from Armani Exchange and ck Calvin Klein. The latter being a favourite choice for items that tend to be a tad more dressy.

All in all, I would say a resounding NO to the following: hoodies of any sort, timberland boots that are clearly too huge for any bottoms you're wearing, ungroomed face/hair/nails (just make sure the nails are not dirty with dirt stuck under them), ill fitting tops/bottoms.

Hope this helps mate!
 
^^^
Great advice! I'd stick with a classic, dressier look. Definitely go with Pumas or the like rather then regular trainers/sneakers. No hoodies or timberlands IMO.

To the above I'd add a great pair of sunglasses - you'll need them in the summer and a stylish pair will add alot to your look.

I also think a pair of stylish black shoes that you can wear around as well as out at night plus some stylish long sleeved button down shirts to wear at night - I would get a good fit on these, something not cut too big for your body. No loud prints but something nice.

Also match your shoes and belt, even if your shirt is untucked.

Another site you can check out is thefashionspot.com.
 
^^ aww, you guys don't like timberlands? i really like them for guys' casual looks - kind of rugged, hot look ;) on the other hand, only con is almost every asian guy i know wears them, so they're kind of stereotyped. AND they are really heavy! :yes:

and vogue, i think that's hilarious that guys w/hoodies are considered CHAVs in UK....that's kind of strange, actually...the AF hoodie look seems to be really popular here amongst asian guys, particularly those in college. i kind of like it :shame:
 
^ haha! no, i can't stand timberlands any more...used to wear them, but a style evolution came with age.. Anyways, asian guys who're in UK (the more fashionable ones) wear really classy stuff...even if they're wearing hoodies (which is VERY rare), it's not like the chav-like ones.. they wear hoodies from Junya Watanabe, Junk de Luxe and designer ones... That said, they pair it with skinnys and leather shoes = it makes them look sleek and rugged!


John: yes! i forgot sunglasses as well. You won't go wrong with wraparounds and aviators..just hunt down the perfect pair. I took a whole year to find the perfect pair of sunnies, and got mine from Gucci a month back.
 
No, I really don't like Timberlands, but I'm a little older and when I was in college I prefered the Doc Marten look or perhaps an old school pair of converse high tops (which btw. in addition to Pumas everyone seemed to be wearing in Paris when I was there a couple of months ago). I really think guys who wear dressier shoes just look better - more sophisticated.

Oh you can also check out the Satorlialist's blog for inspirations - the looks there tend to be more upscale though. The Sartorialist
 
To add on to what's already been covered:

Buy your basics (button down shirts, t-shirts, etc that Vogue so kindly added!) from places like Target. Check out local consignment stores too (Crossroads Trading has a number of stores, type them into google). It's kind of hit-or-miss, but I've found a lot of cool pieces for not a lot at all (like a pair of D&G jeans for $22!!!). Spend more on accessories and a couple of bold pieces to work into your wardrobe. And invest in a good jacket, depending on your climate. Good luck!
 
^yeah, I also agree that you should have some bold pieces in your wardrobe. I like having some bright colored tees, vintage, graphic tees and some interesting pieces. If you dare, wear stuff like vests on top of tees- I think it's a fantastic look if worn with fitted jeans and leather sneakers.. =)
 
sweet tips guys!

I have begin my hunt in searching for polos and etc. I bought a few just this weekend and I think my style points just increased tenfolds and awesome work. And I also bought 2 pairs of really nice sneakers that i like and definitely is looking into timberland boots. Not a lot of asians wear them around here actually, but they are definitely hot.

anyhow, money is tight in college so i am going to take it one step at a time and if anyone of kind strangers have extra clothes, u should definitely donate it to the Save-John-Fashion foudation of america with all its proceeds going towards me. :biggrin:

haha, anyway, thank u so much guys and cheers.

John
 
Well it looks like you already got some great advice on this, but I want to pitch in my $0.02:

Focus less on fashion and more on developing a sense of personal style that is both comfortable and fits your personality.

You should at least start by trying on a few of these things, which I consider classic hallmark styles for men:

- Dockers
- Penny Loafers
- Polo Shirts
- Button up collared shirts
- Cabled sweater
- A nice high quality leather wallet (think goatskin or some other smooth and soft to the touch leather)
- A nice watch. For a younger look think Swatch. For a bit older of a look, swiss army sells reasonably priced watches, or for more $ go for a Rolex.
- A pair of jeans that does nice things for your butt.

As for fashion, the designers for men I like right now are:
- Perry Ellis: Perry Ellis - a photoset on Flickr
- Rag and Bone: Rag and Bone - a photoset on Flickr
- John Bartlett: John Bartlett Fall/Winter 2007/2008 - a photoset on Flickr
- Lacoste: Lacoste - a photoset on Flickr