60 DoD - Style

black_jack_davy · 2017-04-24T19:20:25+00:00

Shoes

Keeping it simple. Shoes are the most expensive part of your outfit. Even cheap shoes are expensive.

A $400 pair of shoes, $40 inserts and $40 weather strips will last a decade. a $70 pair at Aldo will last a year. Over the decade, you can either have a cheap pair of shoes for the decade at 700$, or a good pair for 500$, you're paying either way.

Regular care extends this indefinitely.

A proper shoe kit. A stiff and soft brush, shoe leather, and a toothbrush.

Welts hide grime and crap. A toothbrush with the shoe lotion does wonders. It's 20 seconds every month.

I suggest two different shoe leathers. a black, and a neutral/clear colour. Black shoes tend to need blackening often, and all other shoes will be fine with a clear colour, as their eventual patene will give them character.

Apply with the small round stiff brush, then give a good brushing with the large soft one, think painting and buffing.

Wear and tear can be managed. If you spend the proper amount on shoes, you won't get rubber soles, you'll get strips of leather/wood, and cobblers can remove worn sections, and put new sections back, so that inevitable wearing pattern can be fixed. If you want to get ahead of the game, get some shoe taps which take the wear and tear for you, ten bucks for a year is cheap.

I still remember the old crusty SGT's. They were banned from parade shoes years ago, but they still wore theirs, in a nice shiny metal. You could hear those guys cliking at you from across the parade square, in the same pair of shoes they were offered in the late 80s when they joined.

In the late 80s, decades ago

Lacing

Lacing your shoes formally is a lost art. You're proably used to cris crossing, if you're into details, this is a good one. I prefer this style, as you can pull you laces tight, and both top and bottom would tighten simultaneously. If you want to get extra fancy, you can put a set of captains-bars, just loop a second line on the bottom loops.

Weather stripping is another good one. Leather absorbs water, and streets tear it up. another 12 bucks you can add the replacable rubber sole and toe pieces, get grip, extend your life of shoes.

Finally, never get overshoes. If you're willing to wear them, then you're willing to fuck up your shoe shine (Don't spit shine? Do what you like then) Just clean them when you get in. Have a kit at work, you're not an animal, are you?

Absolute Basics

First thing, colours. If you only get one, get a nice medium brown. Brown works with everything but black, but black works with many things. If you get two, get brown, then black. I'd suggest less shine, it correlates with formality, and I doubt anyone here is formal enough for patented leather 100%

What kind of shoes to buy? Depends on where you live, and what you do for a living, but here's a good starter pack:

Work

Oxford - Ditch all the broguing, wingtips etc. Keep it basic. Society is at the point where the foundation shoe stands out.

Chelsea/Chukka/Laced

These are more casual with jeans or pants. You can play with the different types here.

Walking shoes

Boat shoe and Chucks

Very casual shoe, I strongly suggest err on the side of boat shoes (good for shorts and pants) But I have a gay friend who rocks Chucks, so fill your boots.

Nightlife

I got nothing specific here. Just know, people and booze will stomp the shit out of your shoes, get something tougher, or easily replaceable. Canvas and suede gets dirty, stick with leather.

In conclusion

As you get better, you can play with this, start getting fancy with colours and styles. Just don't go practicing going fancy until you have the basics down.

gettingmymojoback · 2017-04-24T15:34:37+00:00

This may go in hygiene but I do believe it's more appropriate for style: if you are loosing your hair - shave your head. Don't look like George Castanza. It's not an attractive look . Don't do a toupee.

Avoid the "nice old man " haircut as well which leaves some hair above your ears and on the back of the head only.

Shave it or keep it super close.

2gunsgetsome · 2017-04-24T22:33:21+00:00

I’ve posted a lot of this before, but in scattered threads. Since finding MRP two years ago, I’ve really taken a shine to dressing well and like to encourage other men to do it too. A lot of dudes are just plain lazy about what they wear, but it’s important to GAF about the value you project through your personal presentation. It's often said that you should be one step better dressed for the occasion than the rest of the crowd. It's pretty easy to do this just by wearing leather shoes instead of trainers, sneakers, or hiking boots, and it’s impossible to NOT do if your clothes actually fit!

If you do nothing else, at least consider this:

Your shoes should be leather
Your jeans should be dark and not baggy
your shirt should not billow
your haircut should be sharp

Picking your identity

A lot of us on here are in our 30’s. As a guy in your 30s, what you'll want as far as style is "classic but not dated". If you can filter out all the stick-boys and Asians and focus on the congruence of formality level in the styles shown, /r/malefasionadvice has some pretty good guidelines as far as which styles are classic and persistent rather than trendy. From there, you can pick your spot on the “punk-to-prep” spectrum and work with that.

My style is about 2/3 to the GQ prep side, with a little country grit. What I did was think about the situations I frequently find myself in and made sure I had a palette of interchangeable items appropriate for each situation.

Gym / strenuous activity: trainers or lifting shoes, gym shorts, compression shirts.

Warm weather casual and moderate activity:

Shoes: top-siders (no socks), western boots (not with shorts of course...), Redwings if I’m hiking.

Pants: slim-fit chinos, chino shorts or dark blue slim-fit jeans.

Shirts: tailored patterned short or rolled sleeve button-up (with the top two rakishly undone), fitting V-neck solid color T-shirt, barely-not-tight tanktops. Depending on the setting, sometimes a rolled-sleeve dress shirt. It it’s brisk, I’ll layer up a V-neck sweater.

Work (shop) or home projects:

Shoes: Redwing 604's.

Pants: medium blue rugged jeans (straight-slim fit).

Shirts: tailored and tucked-in "Dickies" style button-up work shirt in black or dark blue, sleeves cuffed rockabilly-style.

Carhart jacket if it's cold.

Work (office), cool weather, active casual, and most social functions This is my baseline "style".

Shoes: Walnut wingtips or dark chili double monk straps (with gay-man socks), western boots, dark brown lace-up cap-toe boots.

Pants: dark indigo jeans, chinos, sometimes gray wool trousers.

Shirts: tailored solid or plaid long sleeve button-up shirt with sleeves master-rolled. Most times I'll pop the second button when I leave work.

Jackets: canvas café racer, gray tweed blazer, black wool peacoat.

Professional presentation and adult-oriented social function:

Shoes: Black captoe oxfords or dark chili double monkstraps (with black socks).

Pants: charcoal wool trousers, dark tan or olive chinos, dark indigo slim-fit jeans.

Shirts: tailored solid color or subtle checked dress shirts.

Top layer: solid V-neck sweater or gray tweed blazer, sometimes a tie.

Formal:

Shoes: Black captoe oxfords (with black socks).

Suit: tailored black or charcoal single breasted. Tie and complementary pocket square

Shirts: tailored oxford cloth dress shirts.

Always:

My belt leather matches my shoes.

Clothes are clean and ironed. Fabric that gets ratty is discarded. Protip- washing your jeans will fade them fast. If you can keep dirt and food off them, they don’t need to be washed. Put them in a big zip-loc in the freezer for a day every two weeks and they’ll stay dark and un-stinky.

Boxers aren't comfortable with slim-fit pants and they ride up when your shirt's tucked in (which it should almost always be). Boxer-briefs or jockey shorts are more comfortable and generally more flattering to your junk when you undress.

Stop wearing flip flops unless you’re in the shower at the gym. Wear boat shoes when you would otherwise wear flipflops. Men’s feet just aren’t nice to look at.

What about short sleeve shirts?

I frequently go with an untucked-but tailored short sleeve plaid button-up for activities when others would wear a T-shirt (hiking, camping, beach)- think "prAna catalog". Whatever short sleeve you wear, make sure they hit your bicep midway or higher; cuff or hem them if they don't.

Composing Outfits

I can put together a look without busting out a color wheel, but at first (and still every once in a while), I need new ideas or just to check if something really does look right. Often, I just browse Google images for a look I like, or specifically search for one piece or combo I already have and see what other stuff could go with it. For example, "oxfords with dark jeans". Really, the important things are formality congruence and complementary colors.

Tailoring

Someone always says:

I plan to revamp the wardrobe following my cutting phase

They say it on MFA and I'll say it too- FIT IS EVERYTHING so find a tailor, hopefully one with an opinion. Even fat guys look put-together in tailored clothes. Buy clothes that fit you now, or get the stuff you have tailored (my tailor uses a single-stitch when I might need the piece re-altered), then get them tailored again when you lose weight. My tailor charges $15 to “slim and dart” a shirt.

Your skeleton probably won’t change dimensions, so buy shirts that fit you around the neck, have long enough sleeves, and are the right width across your shoulders. Pay attention to the the arm holes- you want 'em high. They might be too long in the tails but that's OK.

Find a tailor or alterations shop (the Vietnamese tend to do really nice work) and have them "take in the sides" and "dart the back". If the tails are too long, they can hem them.

Here’s how it’ll go: You'll try on the shirt, they'll pin up the seams on the sides and probably the sleeves, then pinch and pin where the darts will go in the back. You'll come back in a week to pick up your finished shirts. My tailor keeps my measurements on file so I can just drop off shirts, but if it's a new brand or type of shirt, I always get fitted the first time.

Slimmed-and-darted shirts make you instantly look sharper than 95% of dudes anywhere. A $60 shirt that gets tailored twice for $15 each time is half the price of three of the same shirts.

For pants, the hem length and taper is really the only thing a tailor should mess with.

Timing

You don't have to do it all at once. Upgrading your style gradually will help you become more comfortable (and therefore have a congruent attitude) with your new look. Nothing says "poser" like a guy who moves stiffly in new clothes.

Start with the items that are most versatile like a pair or two of great jeans in dark indigo- you can wear them for all situations except the most active and the most formal. Then get a couple shirts that can be configured for the same categories. Then get shoes. You can trickle all this out so it's only a couple hundred dollars per month. I like to use an upcoming occasion as a reason to buy a new piece. Big customer meeting? Get a new shirt. Funeral to attend? Get a pair of black shoes. Kids' school having an auction party? New pair of jeans.

That said,

Shoes are King

Especially to women. Women fucking notice your shoes, almost before they look at your face. Recently, I watched "Crazy Stupid Love" (the one where Ryan Gosling red knights Steve Carell) with my GF and some other dudes and chicks. When the first scene in the bar comes on, they show RG's black bluchers before they even draw the camera up to show his suit and face. I mentioned how sharp those kicks looked and all the hens started clucking about "Of course you'd say something about that, 2guns! Your shoe game is tight… that's what we all talked about after the first time you came over." I’m a shoe addict and I dig 'em all. I have fun deciding what to wear with different looks for different situations. Now that I know how sharp (and how fucking comfortable!) great shoes can be, I can't imagine dressing any other way.

There’s already plenty of info about shoes in this thread, so I don’t have much else to add other than this: Figure out your actual shoe size (by someone who knows how to use a Brannock Device) and buy shoes that fit your feet, particularly the correct width. I had persistent knee and gait problems for the last 10 years. A year ago, I figured out that I’d been wearing D width shoes instead of the Bs that I should have. Bought the right width shoes, knee problems disappeared.

2gunsgetsome · 2017-04-24T18:57:56+00:00

Just got an overt mention by the wife about how she likes how good I look now (referencing clothes). Spring is here and pastel colors / chambray patterns are wearing well on me. Im feeling an aversion to polos and going with casual button downs more often. On the downside, cant wear boots all spring. Gotta find classy summer shoes. Thinking brown so looking for brown belt too.

Am working on finding a bracelet for wrist instead of going the watch route. Inspiration comes from Mystery Method's advice to wear at least one piece a woman can comment on to open you. TFA mentioned this in last year's post. Since the foot is healing, the walking boot has been taken off (and with it, the easy open girls were very much using before).

Started to last year but need to ditch cargo pants for all but down an dirty jobs.

Finally, wondering if anyone has opinions on any other accessories. Head gear, rings, piercings, etc. Don't think I could pull those off in the look I'm going for but /u/JDRoedell keyed me into a good bracelet find and I'm always looking for inspiration.

sixdownsevenup · 2017-04-24T16:36:16+00:00

Since I am presently around 22% bodyfat I don't think that I will get to purchasing any clothes. I do need an additional pair of well-fitting jeans so will probably look at getting one of those while I am cutting BF.

Instead I will be focused on regular haircuts, and working on accessories and shoes. My shoe game is not terrible, although I could add one pair of lighter brown dress shoes to the rotation. During hygiene week I tried coloring my hair to get rid of the gray, and it worked pretty well. If I decide to keep it up I will go one shade lighter next time as it is just a little darker than I was hoping it would turn out. So - if you are in the US and considering using the leading brand of men's hair coloring, find the shade that you think most closely matches your original non-gray color, and go one shade lighter!!

For accessories, thanks to another poster from this forum, I am going to be trying to get some of these accessories on the cheap from a Chinese wholesaling website. I will be getting 2 new belts (brown & black real leather), one additional pair of sunglasses, and a couple of fashion watches. I have a pretty nice watch which looks nice, but would like a couple other colors as accents.

In getting ready for purchasing shirts - when shopping for something like a fashion T-shirt, how snug should I go? In the past I got t-shirts that sort of draped over me, but will be wanting to show more of my developing musculature this summer. Any thoughts?

Thisismyusername1100 · 2017-04-24T16:38:20+00:00

I have plenty of nice stuff but I'm lazy with it. My nice dress shoes are scuffed and dirty, my work shirts are stuffed into a drawer, and my slacks are wrinkled.

Im going to create a dry cleaner routine. Work shirts, slacks, suits, and my general dress shirts are all going to be dry cleaned and pressed on a schedule rather than just thrown in with my laundry. It'll be an immediate upgrade for my style.

Shoes all need to be cleaned and powdered. I need to purchase suede cleaner and waterproofer, as well as clean and shine all of my regular leather dress shoes. Gym shoes need to be magic eraser'd once a month.

I will purchase a couple pairs of new jeans, and have them hemmed. I'm somewhere between a 30 and a 32 inseam, so all of my 32 inseam jeans are a little too long. Hem my existing pairs as well, and at the cleaner I can drop off a couple pairs that need to be repaired.

I need to purchase new belts as well. Current ones are going to be too big in a week.

CaptJohnLukeDiscard · 2017-04-24T18:06:26+00:00

My style upgrade will be focused on two things:

Buying quality pants which match my current dress shirts. I need new ones as I'm dropping weight and my waist is shrinking rapidly.
Posture. I slouch a lot and have anterior pelvic tilt to a degree. I'm working on correcting this and it makes a subtle yet significant difference in how I look, feel, etc.

bogeyd6 · 2017-04-24T18:38:06+00:00

Shoes:

I am going to invest in another pair of custom made western boots. I am going to get a pair of Paul Bond's and have them fit for my feet and legs. My calves are a bit meaty and always gives the impression that my boots are saggy. My current pair is Ariat Square toe's and pretty much wear them for everything except black tie. Still deciding on material but I think the shark skin looks damn good. Gator is a close second. I generally wear new balance for casual.

Pants:

Stone has pointed out that my 47MWZ jeans are basically grandpa jeans. He is right, and even wrangler stopped carrying them. I am going to upgrade some of my jeans to the 36MWZ series. They are a slim fit jean but still go over my boots. I won't be going for the preworn, as I do like breaking in a good pair of jeans. Will also invest in some more stylish belts that are brown or going for dress style belts that go with my footwear. Very rare occasion I ever wear dress pants but I have some in the closet for black tie.

Shirts:

Big embarrassment here. 99% of the time at work I am wearing the Stafford Travel Performance super shirt and take it in for alterations. Yes, I wear them even in the summertime. No, you don't understand why. Going to pick up some Charles Tyrwhitt shirts and probably some Lauren Ralph shirts. I do want to see how Eton fits. I will also try some more form fitting t-shirts and get some more polos for the casual days. Still looking for some casual shirts. I have a sizeable wardrobe as it is, but to be honest its mostly work wear and some beach going stuff.

Outerwear:

Time to ditch the Carhartt vest and the columbia rain jacket. At a real loss of where to go here. Every jacket I own is some sort of BIL jacket. Need a jacket that can fit my shoulders and still trim down to my waste. Won't lie, the v shape looks good but no six pack. Most of the times I buy in the store because I can try it on. If any of you have some sort of advice on jackets that you know can fit larger guys like me, that would be perfect to get a baseline.

My carhartt rancher is also up for recycling.

Office clothes and weekend clothes should be shored up with that. When I travel to the field I dress like everyone else so not a huge deal.

As for a watch, I wear g-shock. Anyone got any good suggestions for a very nice stylish watch that can hold up to the elements?

[deleted] · 2017-04-24T18:53:27+00:00

This one will be somewhat of a challenge for me. I've got my style pretty much locked down. Started getting my clothes tailored years ago. Shoe game is on point. Watches....well, let's just say that's what my user name refers too.

So, I went to a county fair this weekend. I looked around and for the most part, all the guys looked the same: Thong sandals, cargo shorts; Jeans with tennis shoes and a T-Shirt, or some combination of the two. My goal is to not look like that when I go out. I want to be comfortable in the summer, but I am finding creative ways avoid that look with my current wardrobe, and looking for new things to add/replace so I stand out without looking like a peacock.

black_jack_davy · 2017-04-24T19:30:13+00:00

Style.
- Fill basic gaps. I know what I'm missing: v-neck tees, a couple of good casual henleys. Know what I'm going for in casual wear.
- Finish needed tailoring. Shoes to cobbler, jacket to tailor.

I wear a nonironic moustache.

FistFullOfBitches · 2017-04-25T12:40:14+00:00

I used to wear jeans and baggy XL t-shirts 90% of the time. The other 10% was jeans with baggy XL sport shirts/cotton dress shirts. And a 50/50 split of sneakers and real shoes.

Proud to say I haven't worn jeans in probably a year. And t-shirts are an occasional deliberate attempt to look casual, in fitted tight ones. The pants I have are still mostly sport/casual, but are a mix of different colors and styles for variety to punch things up. Kuhl Outkast, Prana cords, Banana Republic stretch denim, whole mixed bag of stuff.

Have had to purge a lot of nice shirts. Bought a bunch of properly fitting ones a couple years ago and now they're too tight in biceps and arm-holes (thanks, weighted pullups!). Plan is to drop a few more lbs and try to get some tailored ones.

Question about shoes. I'm a bit of a minimalist there and wear one pair black oxfords alternating with one pair brown chukka boots. I was shopping for nice shoes, and saw some beauts (two tone, black patent), but why the hell do they make dress shoes with slippy ice-rink-smooth soles? if I want decent soles (e.g. for winter in snow and ice too) it tends to limit how "nice" of a shoe I can get. Any thoughts on decent all-weather durable daily wearers?

And how will I create my identity? Based on physique, clothes to show it off, casual but leaning toward the GQ side (without all the overly gay stuff, of course).

tim_rp · 2017-04-24T22:22:47+00:00

I posted this the other day to /r/redpillworkplace but there doesn't seem to be the traffic there, so cross posting here. ...

I'm starting a new job in a week and am in the process of updating wardrobe. Though both the old and new environments are officially "smart casual", the new job requires decidedly more "smart" attire.

My old work uniform involved slim, dark jeans; fitted dress shirts, untucked; no tie; polished black leather loafers; plain v-neck knits and a grey peacoat for the colder months.

I want to build on my current wardrobe as much as possible, but I think the key differences will be:

lose the jeans, buy some slim chinos
tuck in my shirt

I plan to replace the loafers, a hangover from my days living in a "shoes off indoors" country, with a pair of simple, black Oxfords. (And some dressy desert boots I have.) Longer term, I'm thinking of adding a couple of blazers to replace the peacoat and v-necks.

Any tips, advice or resources for navigating a "smart casual" dress code?

Other salient points: In the new role I'll need to build respect and approachability with a range of clients and internal stakeholders and it's expected I'll be a little bit creative. I think I've been brought on board to go against the grain of the existing culture - but not by too much.

The_Litz · 2017-04-25T08:40:00+00:00

I buy a new item of clothing every month. Initially I was thinking along the lines of waiting untill my body is ideal and then go shop, but noticed I will look like a slob untill then.

Each month, a new item of clothing. I have a buddy that I told about this and we are both on the same mission of upgrading on a monthly basis. We hold each other accountable.

Slightly off topic, but related is what to do with the old clothes. I identified a shelter that takes in whole families at a time. You are helping no one by passing on old shitty threadbare clothes. I throw away torn and shitty stuff and take decent clothes to the shelter. My wardrobe is thinned down to clothes that I wear regularly.

[deleted] · 2017-04-25T12:37:11+00:00

Hair - undercut hairstyle. Showed a pic of the tank commander in the movie "FURY" to the stylist and asked if she could do that. The hair came off like a sheep being shorn, but I look good now.

Shoes- need to get a nice pair of leather work shoes. Now I just wear all black tennis shoes as they work for the gym and my semi-formal office.

Pants- need newer styles in smaller sizes, as Muay Thai is sweating off the fat.

Need advice on a good raincoat or inclement weather coat. I have work logo'ed windbreakers and Carharts, but a gentlemen coat is needed to step it up.

Sports Jacket- bought a newer one as my older jackets are just dated.

notdeadyet2050 · 2017-04-25T16:58:46+00:00

I have a lot of weight to lose, so I am not at the stage where I want to buy new threads. This week, I am going to go through my clothes and get rid of everything that is threadbare. I may buy some new pants that fit as a stopgap. I am also going to go through my shoes and pick up a proper shoe kit to make sure they look good

[deleted] · 2017-04-26T16:17:22+00:00

I have a hard time to find a clothes which fits me well.

Few comments down there is a very good comment/guide with "Fit is everything" statement. I can not agree more therefore my goal is:

I will find a tailor in my city who can make or at least adjust the clothing to my body. I am going to order first piece there. A shirt or pants.

Title	60 DoD - Style
Author	SorcererKing
Upvotes	10
Comments	64
Date	April 24, 2017 3:21 PM UTC (6 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MarriedRedPill
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/marriedredpill/comments/679p5j/60_dod_style/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MarriedRedPill/60-dod-style.198883 https://theredarchive.com/post/198883