Semi casual clothes for guys

[Mr. Clean]

Originally Posted by Accumulator

Ditto for me, I don't like being anybody's billboard. Though OTOH, I do like the embroidered sleeve emblems on my old Willis and Geiger polos (and cap), especially now that W&G is no longer with us. As affectations go, I kinda like the "hey, I'm old-school" aspect of it, but I realize that it *is* an affectation

At least the leather logo tag on Filson coats is pretty small and subtle.

Is it me, or is visible "branding" commonplace these days. My shirts from Cinch, Levis, Lucchese and Wrangler all have some form of Logo around the pocket area. Others that come to mind:
Lacoste polos (my Son likes to buy me)
RL Polo dress shirts
Timberland

None of my shirts (polo/button down oxfords) from Land's End have a visible "brand". Niether do most of my older western shirts.

Back in the day, the only sleeve emblems were my initials on a few dress shirts.

[Inzane]

Originally Posted by JasonC8301

I like the 5.11 covert khaki's and have 3 pairs of them.

Covert Khaki Pants | Casual Pants | 5.11 Tactical

Hey, those are nice!

I'll have to see if they can ship to Canada.

[Accumulator]

VR8- Heh heh, never know what you'll find us discussing on these boards

Yeah, the ladies *DO* always notice And it can be surprising how *young* ladies can still appreciate rather "mature" clothing when it's done right.

Gotta watch the "best dressed guy" thing in some cases though...when in a room where everybody else is richer-than-God, being the (obviously) best dressed guy can be a bit "big hat, no cattle", so in those situations I dial it back half a notch- don't want my shirt and tie costing more than a zillionaire's suit.

Originally Posted by Lumadar

Allen Edmonds shoes are certainly nice, but I don't know if I would call them casual. Quite pricey too..

I have a *scad* of AE shoes and some of them are absolutely jeans-level casual. Others are chinos-level casual, which is probably what we're discussing on this thread. I could argue that anything with a rubber sole is a "casual" shoe, but I mean real "looks right with a pair of khakis" styling.

Note that one reason I go with AE is that they offer narrow widths and I find their shoes unusually comfortable *on MY feet*. Heh heh, I've covered a few miles at a good pace in AE *dress* shoes when the situation required it, and their casual stuff is as comfortable for me as a pair of running shoes.

Yeah, they do cost an arm and a leg. But since they can be rebuilt, I figure it's money well-spent in the long run; I have casual AE shoes from the early '90s that're still in great shape.

Originally Posted by Mr. Clean

Is it me, or is visible "branding" commonplace these days...

I dunno if it's newly prevalent or not My Levis always had stuff on 'em back in the day, and my old Willis & Geiger polos have the sleeve embroidery. IIRC it started with the LaCoste stuff, but I had a polo from Bean back in the '80s with one of their boots embroidered on the chest.


And heh heh, I'm old enough to remember YSL-logo-everything

My Bean polos don't have any logos and I wish my Orvis ones didn't, but I do like their little sunglasses-loop (would much rather have a pocket though).

[Inzane]

Originally Posted by Accumulator

Yeah, the ladies *DO* always notice And it can be surprising how *young* ladies can still appreciate rather "mature" clothing when it's done right.

I know a few women who "judge" men (first impressions) based on the shoes they wear.

[Accumulator]

Originally Posted by Inzane

I know a few women who "judge" men (first impressions) based on the shoes they wear.

Oh yeah...absolutely, women read shoes the way men read watches.

And don't forget topcoats this time of year (vicuna-colored cashmere makes 'em melt ).

[Mr. Clean]

Never did do the topcoat (wool/cashmere) thing. When I worked downtown I would wear an all-weather coat (Burberry or London Fog) when wet weather dicated. I did have a cashmere muffler that was gifted to me. That is the extent of my familiarity with that.

VR8, Agreed! Iron that shirt! Except for a period that I sent shirts to the cleaners along with suits/slacks/sports coats I have been ironing my shirts since I lived at home with Mom and Dad (and that's a long, long time ). Growing up in a period that preceded the "iron-free" products ingrained the need to press in me. I'll even iron my jeans if the occasion is dressy enough.

My Son and his roomates have one of those commercial clothes steamers, as used in various retail stores which they use to "press" their polos and woven shirts. While at home, beginning in high school, you could always find our ironing board in his room.

[Inzane]

Originally Posted by Accumulator

Oh yeah...absolutely, women read shoes the way men read watches.

And don't forget topcoats this time of year (vicuna-colored cashmere makes 'em melt ).

I am so far removed from the "metro-sexual" type it's not even funny. I have no idea what color you just spoke of. What is "vicuna"?

[hatrickstu]

im in college, i bum it lol. no problem with the ladies thus far

[Accumulator]

Originally Posted by Inzane

What is "vicuna"?

It's a critter about the size of a llama or an alpaca (IIRC), they make wool from its coat. The color is sorta reddish light brown, I think of red squirrels if that means anything to you. Sorta hard to describe and maybe that "oooh, that's different!" aspect of it is part of the appeal

Cashmere is a nicer material than *real* vicuna wool, so really nice coats are still made outa cashmere.

[JohnnyDaJackal]

My advice would be to 'mix up' your style as much as possible. Don't just get 4-5 dress shirts from Express or wherever and call it day. Try to vary your outfits as much as possible, while maintaining a certain look.

Myself, I like to go to the outlet malls especially Woodbury Commons in NY. You get marked down designer clothes for fairly cheap. Some notable places that makes nice looking, and comfortable clothes are Armani Exchange and French Connection. I have quite a few A/X dress pants and they are by far the best fitting, most comfortable pants I've ever worn. I also have a bunch of sweaters and cardigans from French Connection that have nice fit and finish.

As for the more casual stuff you just gotta be creative, and don't settle for something just to be done with shopping. There are many times I've been to the mall and not got anything, just because nothing there was really blowing me out of the water. Some of my favorite stores include Express, Macy's, Metropark, Banana Republic, Xios, A/X, French Connection and Le Chateau.

Lastly, don't feel ashamed to go to the clearance section, some of my nicest clothes and best deals have been found on clearance racks. Just make sure the fit is nice, and there are no visible defects. I like having nice clothes, but I like having money in my wallet more.

[jfelbab]

Two places I use extensively are L.L. Bean (llbean.com) and Lands End (Lands' End | Outerwear, Swimwear, Casual Clothing and more). For me, the nod goes to Lands' End but they both are excellent. Lands' End has outstanding quality clothing for men and like L.L. Bean, the best guarantees in the industry.

The Lands’ End guarantee has always been an unconditional one. It reads: “If you’re not satisfied with any item, simply return it to us at any time for an exchange or refund of its purchase price.” We mean every word of it. Whatever. Whenever. Always. But to make sure this is perfectly clear, we’ve decided to simplify it further. Guaranteed. Period.®

You can return any Lands' End merchandise you are unhappy with to Sears.

[gle_helle]

Johnston & Murphy has some casual shoe styles that are really nice. Their models with sheepskin footbed and padded tongue are extremely comfortable as well.