It started out when I got a job interview and I realized I didn't like how my suit fit. I decided to look for a new one on the cheap. I started reading up on men's fashion and professional suits. I ended up finding a nice fitting suit off the rack in Kohl's for $200. More on that in a bit. Trying on the suit at home, I get a nonchalant comment of having enough clothes to fill two closets. I realized it was true but I found myself only wearing a few pieces consistently. I went through and piled up clothes I hadn't worn in a while and clothes that didn't fit properly.
The first round got me two, 13 gallon trash bags full of clothes to donate but I kept going and was able to fill another.
I was running out of hangers but when I was done with the purge, I had a stack of them.
My closets now have mostly well fitting essentials that I wear or couldn't part with. I have two closets. I keep this one with dress clothes. Mostly pants, button downs, and polo shirts.
The second closet is for my sports and active wear. Mostly running shirts and t-shirts. I also cleared out a drawer and stuffed some less used t-shirts to clear up closet space. I keep my shorts on the rack above just out of photo range.
I have been wanting to dress better for a while. Not sure why, I just don't want to look like a slob, I guess. I started reading up on men's style. I found a few cool websites and YouTube channels.
The Art of Manliness is amazing. It has everything from style to grooming to all the manly things a man's father should teach him. In fact, a lot things which my dad has taught to me which is surprising because my dad isn't necessarily the manliest man but he is old.
Learning about style, I learned a seemingly obvious fact that the most important aspect is the fit. Since most of my clothes don't fit properly, I am able to donate even more. That will have to wait though because I won't have enough to wear. I have also learned that proper fitting clothes can most often be more expensive.
So now comes the effort part, if I want to look nice. I'm not sure if I'll stick to it. I noticed for my interview(s), it's difficult to dress nice because even though it's cooling down a bit, wearing a suit in 85 degrees causes a lot of sweat and discomfort. There are still ways to dress nicer without wearing a suit and/or jacket though and that's where I'll focus until the cooler months.
After my second interview, I decided to setup the camera on the tripod and a remote flash to play photographer/model since I was already dressed. I'm a terrible model and it's difficult to focus on one self. I tried a few things but couldn't get it working correctly before I started sweating so I just gave up.
About the suit: I like it but not without some downfalls. It is charcoal with a pinstripe. Since buying it, I learned that pinstripe shouldn't be the only suit to have because it is more noticeable than a solid charcoal or medium gray. It is also considered more business attire than solid charcoal. What I like most is the fit and price. It's Marc Anthony slim fit suit separates for $200. The pants fit perfectly. Although they are slim so I don't have much room for my huge thighs. The coat length seems good though possibly a little long in this photo.It's double vented which I like. The sleeves are also a tad long and the neck bunches up a little. From what I understand, they should be minor adjustments from a quality tailor.
I tried a few close ups. Again, the model is terrible and focus isn't great.
Another angle, same terrible model. I had my arm like this because I wanted to show some cuff. I think I'm going to get my suit jacket sleeves shortened a bit. I first have to find a proper fitting shirt. It's possible it happened because they're cheap shirts but I have two identical size, model and brand shirts of different color and the sleeves on one are shorter and puffier than the other. It's annoying. I also noticed on this photo that the back of the neck on the coat is a little high. It might be the shirt that is weird or the jacket not fitting properly.
I was looking for a sports coat and found this herringbone patterned, taupe colored (that's the color listed, I would've called it light brown) on the clearance rack at JC Penny. It was marked down to $29.99. It was a slim fit and I found my size so I couldn't pass it up. The only downside is the single vent style. Yes, I know I still have the tags on it. I'm wearing it with a white shirt and brown flat front khakis that actually fit although possibly a bit too long.
Here I have the same jacket with jeans and a salmon shirt. I might have the sleeves shortened slightly on this one as well but I think this jacket fits even better than my suit jacket.
So basically, I've overhauled my entire wardrobe and still have work to do. I have donated brand new, never worn, tags still attached shirts and pants because they just didn't fit. It hurts to have spent the money and I feel a bit irresponsible but lesson learned, I hope. I will need to replace some pants and shirts that don't fit properly but that will come with time because I can't keep spending money right now.
I hope you enjoyed my self-inflicted episode of What Not To Wear.
