Mens Fashion

[theanimal]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

I have a pair of Levi's 541 on the way. There's not many options in terms of physical retail up here so my options are limited in terms of local selection and ability to try things on. I have a very similar ratio to C40 though so I'm thinking the 541s will be a good fit.

[Kriegsspiel]

If you do decide to try the Lee ones, be aware that different colors have different amount of material (according to Amazon).

Maddox: 98% Cotton, 2% Spandex
Cougar, Black: 97% Cotton, 3% Spandex
Maverick, Radical, Apex: 69% Cotton, 20% Polyester, 8% Rayon, 3% Spandex

[jacob]

I'm totally expecting most guys to show up in Levi's and slim-fitted t-shirts at the next ERE meetup.

[C40]

ERE uniform. You forgot the replaceable sole boots.

[bigato]

Standard bike rider legs

[jacob]

https://gearpatrol.com/2019/04/17/levis ... ing-guide/ <- Guide to all the numbers (501, 505, etc.)

[platypus]

I was disappointed with the Levi's 541s. They fit better than other jeans, but still had to get a pretty loose waist to get a comfortable fit around the thighs. I fit a size 34 waist, but my thighs are 28ish inches.

The best fitting jeans I've found are Urban Star jeans from Costco. They fit comfortably on both my waist and my thighs, and are stretchy enough to squat in. They're around 10 bucks a pair. There's no Costco where I live, so I ask my mom for Costco jeans each year for Christmas.

[theanimal]

541s ended up being a perfect fit for me. They're now my default pants.

[niemand]

There a Levi’s outlet store in walking distance for me. I’ll go check out the 541 next time I’m nearby. I’ve always felt Levi’s don’t fit me well. Also couldn’t understand all their numbers, so gave up on them. Thanks for the link @jacob that’s useless/useful information

If the 541 does fit, I’ll look out for when they go in sale.

This could be the dawn of the cross-continental wannabe ERE uniform

[theanimal]

For anyone who can fit in 511s in size 30x30..I happen to be looking to get rid of a pair. For $10 plus shipping (probably around $10?) you can obtain the look of the quintessential male EREr. Order now and get a free bag of lentils with your purchase!!

[Jin+Guice]

Update:

I've got my mostly full wardrobe which consists of: 3 dress shirts; 2 polo shirts; 2 nice t-shirts; 2 pairs of jeans; 2 pairs of shoes; 2 sweaters; 1 hoodie and 2 peacoats (different colors, had them before I started doing this) and 10 pairs of nice socks (socks didn't last long and are down to ~4 pairs), 1 pair of fancy boots (black), 1 pair of oxfords (technically oxblood, but look pretty brown under most light), 1 pair of running shows (black, fashionable for running shoes), 1 pair of walmart sneakers (burner shoes for the O.R. only, grey to look o.k. with scrubs).

Additional clothing: My additional clothing outnumbers my nice clothing. I have 3 sets of scrubs plus two pairs of shorts I wear under my scrubs. I have a bunch of giant t-shirts I've gotten for free either from a friend who was pruning his closet or from doing live sound (mostly jazzfest) gigs. These shirts are mostly black with a few white ones, I wear them under my scrubs or for when I'm doing live sound. I also have 1 pair of running shorts, 3 synthetic running shirts that I got for free and one old beat up sweater I wear to run in when it's cold. I also have a bunch of slacks and matching suit jackets I've either been given or thrifted. The slacks are all o.k. but most of the suit jackets are ill-fitting. I'll probably eventually turn most of the jackets into costumes and eventually get some tailored suits. I don't have a pressing need for suits and I'm working on changing my body composition, so I'm going to wait on that.



I'd intended to get 1 more dress shirt so I'm still looking. I'm trying to thrift it. Dress shirts are the most complicated to buy, it's tough to find a shirt with even correct shoulder placement and sleeve length, in a color I like that's not made like fucking trash. I'm also adding one more polo shirt and one more nice t-shirt because it's summer half the year here.

My wardrobe is minimalish instead of minimalist, but I can easily double the amount of nice clothes I have in my closet without running out of room. I've found it's helpful to buy backup clothes from thrift stores when I find nice clothing because it prevents me from buying less than ideal clothes when one of them suddenly fails (looking at you crotch holes). It's difficult enough to thrift well-fitting clothes that it's worth doing this.



One challenge of thrifting everything is getting everything to be the right length. This matters most for matching stuff together. Like you don't want to wear a slightly too long dress shirt and a slightly too short suit jacket. On their own they look pretty good, but together they look goofy.

The made to measure shirt I bought was expensive and too big (sleeves too long and shirt too long, but only slightly) and I was too lazy to send it back to get adjustments so now I'm stuck with it. It does seem to be really high quality and fits well enough, but not better than my thrift store/ off the rack shirts. I might try adjusting the measurements and not being lazy one more time once that one wears out, or I might just go for the expense of getting tailored dress shirts.

An added annoyance from wearing nice clothes is that they get dirty and it's super fucking noticeable. I got peanut butter on my white dress shirt and let it sit (stupid) and it took me more than a month of hand/ spot washing and letting it sit in the sun to get the stain (mostly) out.

Another problem has been shoes. I really like oxfords, but I walk a lot. Oxfords wear out easily and the seams are also fragile. I got shoes with a goodyear welt so the soles are replaceable, but I've spent several hundred dollars replacing soles and getting the shoes sewn back together (thankfully I have a great cobbler). I bought boots (redwing), which I like less, but which are much more durable. I bought them used, have had them for 8 months, walked in them a ton, and could restore them to like new condition with some shoe polish in 15 minutes. I wear the oxfords much less frequently now, but I'm still glad I have them.

I am definitely not doing this efficiently. While I'm not keeping up with any fashion trends, there are a few looks and a specific style I'm going for which is very limiting. I'm also trying to learn about stuff, so making annoying mistakes is still useful. I probably spend a total of 4 to 5 additional hours a year researching, dealing with and shopping for clothes, now that I'm trying. The "buy-in" was about 2-3 hours of internet research and 1-2 hours of discussion with friends who sew/ know a lot about clothing.

[classical_Liberal]

Completely agree that dress shirts are almost impossible to thrift. If you are going to wear them, they need to fit or you just look like an ass, IMO. When I used to need these for work, I found a size in a certain off the shelf brand that fits me perfectly, so I have a "go to" off the rack I can always count on. Luckily, if you don't wear them for work, you really only need a couple. Dress shirts are also one thing that I pop a couple of bucks to have dry cleaned. I wear them so rarely it doesn't really add up, and the look of a perfectly pressed and starched dress shirt is multiple levels of style above what an OK iron job can do at home.

Wrt to socks and wearing out. I can not recommend Darn Tough Socks enough. They have styles that are perfect for wear as both casual and dress, so no need to get different kinds. They are not cheap, $16-20 a pair. However, they are BIFL. I've had other wool sock brands that do not hold up nearly as well. I got a couple more pair of DT for christmas and after one wear, I could not tell the difference between the new ones and pairs I've had for multiple years. I accidentally burned a hole in one pair this winter by placing them on a heating register while I was showering to warm them up (it's the little things in life ). They fell down and touched the heating element. I filed a warranty claim, explaining the burn hole and that it was my fault. Darn Tough honored the no questions asked warranty and gave me a website credit for a new pair and free shipping within a few days. Truly superior product and company!

[horsewoman]

This is an oddly interesting thread, probably because of my past in tailoring.
My husband rocks what I lovingly call "the baggy hobo style" and still has a lot of the clothes he wore when we met 17 years ago. He dresses 100% for function and comfort. I tried to sneak in some fitted shirts to show off his fit & lean figure, but they languish in his closet.
Coincidentally, he looks a lot like Jacob (not in face, but in overall figure and style). Both seemed to have attracted ERE minded wifes :) signaling gone right?