# So I want to start dressing nicer



## Cabinet (Jun 26, 2011)

For real.

My closet is too full of clothes that don't really look that great, and I still have some from that teenage "Idgaf what I look like" era. I've got some nicer shirts now, and some traditional dress shirts, but I'm not sure where I should go from there. I want to start looking more clean cut and professional.

Help me SS.org, you're my only hope.


----------



## Sephael (Jun 26, 2011)

polo shirts are a great place to start. Dickie pants or any slack type, get them with cargo pockets to maintain a nice but not 100% conformed look. More khaki. If you are not going to cut your hair, keeping it pulled back helps. Ditch any chains on your wallet and if you want to keep any facial piercings try to get jewelry that isn't flashy.


----------



## The Grief Hole (Jun 26, 2011)

As above plus decent pair of shoes and a good metal watch. Plus, keep your hair trimmed and shave. essentially everything I don't do.


----------



## Solodini (Jun 26, 2011)

Definitely disagree with cargo pockets. Emphasise your natural shape: cargo pockets don't do that. You have hips (yes, even as a bloke) and you have an arse so pockets there look fine but cargo pockets stick out from the sides of your legs weirdly, even when they're empty. 

Clothes should skim you, not cling nor envelope you. It's not the 70s and you're not Arny so no skintight trousers or shirts. Collared shirts (or whatever you choose to call formal/semiformal shirts) should come loosely over your shoulders, chest and back (as well as your belly if it's particularly sizable). Short sleeved collared shirts look terrible on everyone, T shirts excluded. Again, they don't emphasise your natural shape, especially when your shirt has a collar to emphasise the top of your body and you have your waistband to emphasise the bottom. Shirt sleeves should come down to the top of your thumb (the wrist end of where it joins your hand). Collars should fit so that you can hook the front of the collar with two fingers without impeding your breathing.
Jacket sleeves should come down to 1/2"-1" shorter than your shirt sleeves. Your collar sticks out the top of a jacket so your sleeves should mirror that subtly.
The body of a jacket should be at the length where, if you loosely close a fist around the bottom, it just touches the bottom of the inside of the fist (provided that you don't have really freakishly long/short arms). When buttoned, jackets should be fitted so that you can fit an open hand inside but very little more and no less.

Trousers should come down to just above the heel of your shoe. No higher, no lower. Waistbands should fit snugly yet comfortably. A belt should be a precaution, not a necessity.

A good thing to heed is contrast, primarily combining light colours with dark colours so you're not swathed in one colour. It may sound corny but see how nature does it: muted tones such as browns, olive greens et c with bright colours works fine; too many colours in one outfit doesn't really work, generally speaking. Contrasting colours should be in ratios of 2/3:1, generally. An equal balance of black and white will make you look like a mime. With other colours in equal balance, you'll look like a clown.
My colour rules are:
1) Dark colours do not go with black, be they navy, brown (even lighter brown isn't great with black), dark purple, maroon et c.
2) Grey goes with everything but pay attention to contrast as you're better to combine lighter grey with dark browns and blacks et c. Find some medium grey items. They'll help. Coats are good to have in grey.
3) Match the colour of your belt, shoes and other smaller items together, paying attention to things like the colour of your glasses, if you wear them.
4) Try to create more emphasis on the smaller items by adding other items of that colour, such as a red T shirt peeking out from under your collared shirt or a red pin on your jacket if your buckle has red on it. A single small item of a colour makes itself look unwelcome if it doesn't have friends to help it out.

There are the usual rules of vertical stripes make you look taller and slimmer, horizontal stripes make you look shorter and rounder. If you're quite stocky/largely built then don't wear narrow stripes. Your size will be emphasised by there being twice as many stripes on you than on a smaller person and, honestly, you'll look like a freak. Conversely, if you're smaller then don't wear wide stripes as you'll look lost in them.

With things like stripes, if combining with other striped items, make sure that the patterns are factors of each other i.e. 2:1, 3:1 et c. It is good to contrast similar patterns but contrast doesn't mean clashing. If you're really geeking out about it then think of fibonacci numbers as a good basis for these ratios.

Your feet are not square so don't wear square shoes, vaguely foot shaped shoes are good. A slight point is fine, too even a curve on round shoes looks like hooves. If you don't want people to jump on your back and shout "GIDDYUP!" then stay away from overly round shoes.

Also, overall, NOTHING SHINY IF IT'S NOT A PIECE OF METAL!


----------



## Explorer (Jun 26, 2011)

Cabinet said:


> For real.
> 
> ...I've got some nicer shirts now, and some traditional dress shirts, but I'm not sure where I should go from there. I want to start looking more clean cut and professional.
> 
> Help me SS.org, you're my only hope.



Serious suggestion: define where you want to go. 

Look at those fashion magazine, movies, etc., where the people you think of as "professional" are displayed. Are they wearing cargo pants? Workboots? Polos? Or are they sporting something else entirely?

When workers are out having lunch, or going home after work, you know how you can look at groups and tell generally who is professional and who isn't? Take note of those things which scream "professional" and those which scream "not professional." 

Now, look for that on a budget. 

I don't know about thrift stores like Goodwill in Germany, but I've been places in Europe where they have open air markets and such where some vendors have clothes. Look for clothes that fit your target look. 

Remember to have matching shoes and belts which look good. A decent watch makes you look more professional as well. 

Avoid clothes which are ill-fitting. A good fit is a HUGE sign of being professional, as opposed to just getting started. Look for the kids in the shirts which are too big or too small, and you'll know what I mean. 

Go for a decent haircut. Really short hair can make one look like you just got a haircut for a court date, whereas a little length makes it look like a lifestyle. 

Sorry to say, facial piercings and plugs in your ears aren't professional. I'm not saying that people with them are not capable, just that when you looked at the people in your research, you undoubtedly noticed that as a stratification line. 

Good luck!


----------



## gunshow86de (Jun 26, 2011)

There's quite a few helpful tips on here => Dress & Grooming | The Art of Manliness

I think this one is most relevant to your question => 5 Steps to Upgrading Your Business Casual Clothing | The Art of Manliness


----------



## Explorer (Jun 26, 2011)

Cabinet, out of curiosity, are you looking to upgrade your work clothes, or how you dress for casual things?

There are definitely good tips in those links, but as I suggested earlier, you'll have to decide where on the professional/casual spectrum you want to reside. 

Good luck!

If it's for work, you might consider aiming a little higher than business casual.


----------



## Blind Theory (Jun 27, 2011)

You want to look more professional? It is quite simple. All you have to do is ask yourself why you want to look better. Is it for a job? Better social presence? Whatever it may be, there are thousands of examples. 

For instance, if it is for a job, look at what the competition for the job is wearing or look at people's style who have a job similar to what you want. Then go out, spend money on a few nice pairs of pants/slacks/whatever and shirts and go get the job.

Example two would be better social presence. I know that the metal community has a big stigma as far as how they are perceived socially. Due in part to the fact that A LOT of the metal community has the attitude of, "I'm an outsider! GGRRRR! I can't be like normal man over there!! DOUBLE GGRRRR!" My point here is, look at what you are wearing now and then look at the guys that hit the clubs and have very active social lives. I'm not saying you need to bro up and turn into the jersey shore cast, that would be retarded. What I am saying is, those guys aren't wearing their All Shall Perish shirts with the giant "YOUR GOD CAN'T SAVE YOU" on the back or the Belphegor T shirt with some satanic man goat carrying upside down crosses. They are wearing regular T shirts. V necks are really popular now. They wear jeans that aren't too baggy but they don't asphyxiate your nuts either. They wear normal clothes.

Moral of the story would be think about your reasons for changing your look and then go to a store. I did this same thing (mind you, I still wear my band shirts every now and then, I didn't burn them or anything) and it isn't very hard. Hell, go to your local Kohl's or what-have-you, find a female sales clerk and ask her what she thinks would look good on you. I did that. It worked. Simple.


----------



## Explorer (Jun 27, 2011)

Blind Theory said:


> Hell, go to your local Kohl's or what-have-you, find a female sales clerk and ask her what she thinks would look good on you. I did that. It worked. Simple.



Repped! This is an excellent suggestion!

Incidentally, although I can speak about business matters all day, my coworkers know that I occasionally toss up the horns, in spite of how I'm dressed. I even have one of my coworkers, close to retirement age, who will now toss them up and say, "Rock on!" in her chipper sunshine way, which rocks even harder.

You don't need a t-shirt to be metal... but it does take first establishing one's bona fides in order to be taken seriously at work. *laugh*


----------



## Solodini (Jun 27, 2011)

Buy an issue of GQ or Men's Health. They each have some good advice. At least check out their websites. There's a Men's Health article I read a while ago on different collar types for different body types but I can't find it, annoyingly.


----------



## jymellis (Jun 27, 2011)

i wear khakis or some sort of baggy cargo pants or shorts (considered nicer than my huge jeans or baggy ass jean shorts). i ALWAYS wear doc martens, i have several styles from suade dress shoes to 20 eye steel toe grill breakers. as for shirts. i have a variety.


----------



## Solodini (Jun 27, 2011)

Not meaning to sound bitchy, and apologies if I do, but there's a BIG difference between nicer and nice.


----------



## jymellis (Jun 27, 2011)

Solodini said:


> Not meaning to sound bitchy, and apologies if I do, but there's a BIG difference between nicer and nice.


 
i dont think he was wanting to pull a full 180 degrees and be an ambercrombie model. i think he just wants to dress a little better than an early 20s metal band member.


----------



## Solodini (Jun 27, 2011)

He did mention wanting to look professional.


----------



## nojyeloot (Jun 27, 2011)

Join me


----------



## signalgrey (Jun 27, 2011)

i mix banana republic with a band t-shirt every god damn day.

Nice pants, Cave-In shirt, nice shoes. looking great.


----------



## Solodini (Jun 27, 2011)

signalgrey said:


> i mix banana republic with a band t-shirt every god damn day.
> 
> Nice pants, Cave-In shirt, nice shoes. looking great.



1) Zappa/Skindred T-shirt 
2) TM Lewin shirt
3) nice jeans 
4) nice shoes 
5) pierced face with simple jewellery. 
6) ???
7) Profit.


----------



## avenger (Jun 27, 2011)

I think looking stylish is finding your style and being confident in your clothes. You don't have to go wear the top item in this months GQ to look nice and be stylish.


----------



## Overtone (Jun 27, 2011)

Another thing to do is identify "looks" and try to get clothes for the looks you like. E.g. the professor look with some corduroys, warm, natural colors, check shirt, maybe a nice grey sportcoat, that kinda thing. Or maybe the stylish city boy look w/ a military jacket, some good quality denim jeans. The golfer (beige slacks, polo). The professional (collared shirt either a light+bright solid color or some stripes, dark slacks). If you flip through just about any catalog you'll see all these looks and know what to buy. But if you need here's a starter kit in my opinion:

dark slacks (black or charcoal)
beige slacks
good jeans
polo shirt
dress shirt
some shoes or loafers

This is assuming you want to spiff up a bit and look like an adult but are not trying to be flashy.


----------



## Cyanide_Anima (Jun 27, 2011)

I'm with Blind Theory. Go to a decent clothing store and ask a female employee. She'll have fun 'getting' to dress you up. Just have a welcoming smile on your face when you ask her. I do it all the time at shoe stores and at macy's getting shoes and slacks. If you have no sense of fashion whatever find a girl who does!


----------



## xiphoscesar (Jun 28, 2011)

Blind Theory said:


> Example two would be better social presence. I know that the metal community has a big stigma as far as how they are perceived socially. Due in part to the fact that A LOT of the metal community has the attitude of, "I'm an outsider! GGRRRR! I can't be like normal man over there!! DOUBLE GGRRRR!" My point here is, look at what you are wearing now and then look at the guys that hit the clubs and have very active social lives. I'm not saying you need to bro up and turn into the jersey shore cast, that would be retarded. What I am saying is, those guys aren't wearing their All Shall Perish shirts with the giant "YOUR GOD CAN'T SAVE YOU" on the back or the Belphegor T shirt with some satanic man goat carrying upside down crosses. They are wearing regular T shirts. V necks are really popular now. They wear jeans that aren't too baggy but they don't asphyxiate your nuts either. They wear normal clothes.


EXACTLY!
i mean im a metalhead but that doesnt mean i cant dress nice either,i was starting to get tired of wearing black all the time also 

what im doing is buying different colored V necks and getting shoes that match the color


----------



## avenger (Jun 28, 2011)

xiphoscesar said:


> EXACTLY!
> i mean im a metalhead but that doesnt mean i cant dress nice either,i was starting to get tired of wearing black all the time also
> 
> what im doing is buying different colored V necks and getting shoes that match the color


I stomp my band shirts even in clubs and stuff. Its about how you wear it. Nice pair of jeans , razor shirt, hair done nice, decent shades, a few bracelets that compliment the look, tidy up any facial hair, nice belt, decent pair of shoes or boots = stylish avenger.

I think people get to tied up in dressing "up" and forget that style is about expression of yourself. You can be whatever you want to be and still look clean and stylish. If we are talking dressing up as in suits and such while that's a totally different thing.


----------



## xiphoscesar (Jun 28, 2011)

avenger said:


> I stomp my band shirts even in clubs and stuff. Its about how you wear it. Nice pair of jeans , razor shirt, hair done nice, decent shades, a few bracelets that compliment the look, tidy up any facial hair, nice belt, decent pair of shoes or boots = stylish avenger.
> 
> I think people get to tied up in dressing "up" and forget that style is about expression of yourself. You can be whatever you want to be and still look clean and stylish. If we are talking dressing up as in suits and such while that's a totally different thing.


Thats true
ill also wear my band shirts and wear other nice things to go with it


----------



## gunshow86de (Jun 28, 2011)

The other day I went out in a Black Dahlia Murder T-shirt, some bright green seersucker Brooks Brothers shorts (proper, high-cut shorts too), and a pair of Tom's. I made an impression, to say the least.


----------



## Explorer (Jun 28, 2011)

From the original post:



Cabinet said:


> I want to start looking more clean cut and professional.



I have to note that a lot of answers betray a complete unfamiliarity of dressing professionally. 

I didn't think this topic was about stating that any of you insist on wearing band shirts, or other ways you show how individualistic. I thought it was about someone asking how to actually look professional.

Today at work, we were talking about several candidates, some of whom definitely came across as professional, some of whom displayed attitudes similar to what I'm reading in this thread. The ones who couldn't manage to fit in, just for the length of a job interview? Who needed to make a display, instead of being able to be straightforward? They lost out, because if if one can't imagine being able to put that all on hold to get a job in this economy, we couldn't imagine them being able to put it on hold if our business required it. 

Sure, if only we had given them a chance to prove themselves in the work environment, they might have surprised us, right? But we *did* give them that chance, and they couldn't do it. It was their choice, and they were adults. 

Anyone else work in management, and know what I'm talking about?

----

And now, back to the OP's actual question!


----------



## MFB (Jun 28, 2011)

You can still be casual AND be nice/professional looking. I have some pairs of Jeans that I keep nice, albeit they aren't designer or anything, as well as shoes that are kept clean and only for going out in, and along with a solid colored undershirt and a button-up you're good to go.

However, when I "clean up" I look fucking swag as shit. Just ask my sweatervests


----------



## Murmel (Jun 29, 2011)

As a man (I'm 17 but what the fuck ) that is very keen on how is hair looks, I would recommend googling and searching different sites for hair styles. I usually keep my hair medium long and use it to broaden my face by styling it to look a bit rough. There are lots of cuts that manage to look professional, but still have a casual edge to them.
I do want to try short hair, but until I've gained more mass I will stick to something about the length I have now. I'm incredibly skinny and also tall, so with short hair I'm afraid there won't be much left 

You could always ask your hairdresser too, and don't be afraid to try new stuff, hair grows back. Usually 

Edit: And also, if you wan't to have a beard/keep it if you have one, look into different styles that might suit you that look neat.


----------



## theperfectcell6 (Jun 29, 2011)

I love getting the "Wow, I would have never thought you listened to metal music..." 

Nothing wrong with dressing nice and throwin up the horns!


----------



## CD1221 (Jun 29, 2011)

Solodini said:


> If you're really geeking out about it then think of fibonacci numbers as a good basis for these ratios.



Mind blown. I approve of this. entirely. 



Blind Theory said:


> ... find a female sales clerk and ask her what she thinks would look good on you.



...or a seriously well dressed guy (usually they are gay. get over it. they dress better than you). 

There are several clothing shops that I just don't go to because the sales guys are dressed reall badly. Generally the girls give great advise. The guys are hit and miss. If they are dressed really well (ala Mr Pitt or Mr Clooney) they give good advise. If they aren't....stay clear. They will make you look the same.


----------

