Fashion & Beauty

Life After College

  • Last Updated:
  • Jun 1st, 2019 6:39 am
Newbie
May 7, 2019
2 posts

Life After College

Just graduated, still looking like the an out of shape dude in the American Eagle catalogue.

How do you transition from shitty looking turd to an adult ready to tackle the world. Where do you guys shop, what style do you guys go with and tips etc.

Male, 25.
15 replies
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Aug 10, 2011
9598 posts
2225 upvotes
Somewhere
The overarching key is to buy clothes that FIT. That means no more baggy, poor fitting clothes. Donate those poor fitting clothes.

Shirts that you buy, make sure the shoulders line up and there's no excess material flapping around. The retailer doesn't matter as much as the fit. Everybody has their own preferred retailers based on how their clothes fit them.

Invest in a couple of nice slim fit jeans and/or chinos. Get a nice pair of casual leather shoes. Polos, casual button up shirts (plaid or otherwise), v necks.

Try to stay away from clothing that is overly branded (e.g. no shirts with ABERCROMBIE labelled over the chest or that gigantic Polo logo).

Also, keep yourself well groomed. Nails tidy. Hair maintained regularly.

Hit the gym. Not because you need to be jacked. But developing the habit makes you subconsciously care more about how you project yourself in public and at work.

Others can feel free to chime in or disagree. These are just my two cents.
:confused:
Deal Addict
Mar 1, 2008
1203 posts
371 upvotes
Toronto
I would say depends on the career?
Deal Addict
Oct 18, 2014
2050 posts
925 upvotes
HK
Being in good shape + bespoke suits = positive attention.
Deal Guru
Dec 11, 2008
13064 posts
3754 upvotes
iEyeCaptain wrote: The overarching key is to buy clothes that FIT. That means no more baggy, poor fitting clothes. Donate those poor fitting clothes.

Shirts that you buy, make sure the shoulders line up and there's no excess material flapping around. The retailer doesn't matter as much as the fit. Everybody has their own preferred retailers based on how their clothes fit them.

Invest in a couple of nice slim fit jeans and/or chinos. Get a nice pair of casual leather shoes. Polos, casual button up shirts (plaid or otherwise), v necks.

Try to stay away from clothing that is overly branded (e.g. no shirts with ABERCROMBIE labelled over the chest or that gigantic Polo logo).

Also, keep yourself well groomed. Nails tidy. Hair maintained regularly.

Hit the gym. Not because you need to be jacked. But developing the habit makes you subconsciously care more about how you project yourself in public and at work.

Others can feel free to chime in or disagree. These are just my two cents.
I agree with all of this except for polos and v-necks as I dislike them lol.

I would also add to buy merino wool sweaters to help you layer in the winter or a decent night out if dress shirts are not your thing.

And yes to avoiding logos, I am all about colour blocking and just plain shirts with a good variety of colour. Use that to your advantage to add interest. Or patterns/materials etc.
Sr. Member
Jul 31, 2008
500 posts
318 upvotes
Markham
First comment... good for you OP!

Some recommendations:
  • Get a tailor. There are some who do it out of their home for low cost. Much better option than mall stores. I have a great one, but they are expensive.
  • Get this: https://www.amazon.ca/Esquire-Handbook- ... way&sr=8-1
  • Shop here (some similar places, but I love this place): https://www.fendrihan.ca/
  • If you use a multi blade razor, dump it and go single blade (see above for options).
  • Don't let a woman dress you.
  • Get rid of old wardrobe items. The Esquire book will show you how to build a low cost wardrobe that is super versatile.
Deal Guru
User avatar
Feb 10, 2007
13938 posts
5435 upvotes
But are you actually out of shape?

If so, get to the gym.
bigGirlsDontKawhi wrote: Just graduated, still looking like the an out of shape dude in the American Eagle catalogue.
The sweetest gyal
Deal Guru
Mar 14, 2005
13811 posts
2516 upvotes
That viewpoint is just blatant sexism. There are plenty of male designers designing for women. There are plenty of female stylists working on men's looks, etc.
Deal Addict
Oct 6, 2015
2759 posts
1122 upvotes
Edmonton, AB
Male designers are artist by trade. They know what to look for and understand a lady's form to design beautiful clothes. If a wife ask her husband what he thinks of her dress, most of the time he doesn't quite know what makes it beautiful or not so his best bet is to say it looks great on you honey.
Becks wrote: That viewpoint is just blatant sexism. There are plenty of male designers designing for women. There are plenty of female stylists working on men's looks, etc.
[solicitation removed]
Deal Addict
Oct 6, 2015
2759 posts
1122 upvotes
Edmonton, AB
Best advice here. It's time to be in control of your lifestyle. Keep your physical and mental health in check. The gym is a great place for networking. I've made new friends there and even been invited to parties and gotten job offers. Don't be cheap on the membership either. Pick a good gym where you can actually connect with good people who can not only help you train but advance your personal development.

Once you subconsciously become more aware of yourself and your surrounding, you will blend in with your peers. I never understood the whole Lululemon craze until I notice like 80% of the people at my gym work out in them so I gave the brand a try and now i'm obsessed with their style. The brand is not just for yoga or running, but versatile enough for street wear and office commute as well. If Lululemon is not within your budget I would check out GapFit or Under Armour. Stay away from Nike, Champions or Adidas because there is too much branding on them and it looks like what a parent would pick out for their teenage kids for back to school.

Banana Republic is a solid brand for business casual attire. They are a bit pricey but they always have huge discount sales.
iEyeCaptain wrote: ...
Hit the gym. Not because you need to be jacked. But developing the habit makes you subconsciously care more about how you project yourself in public and at work.

Others can feel free to chime in or disagree. These are just my two cents.
[solicitation removed]
Deal Fanatic
Mar 21, 2010
6737 posts
3998 upvotes
Toronto
iEyeCaptain wrote: The overarching key is to buy clothes that FIT. That means no more baggy, poor fitting clothes. Donate those poor fitting clothes.

Shirts that you buy, make sure the shoulders line up and there's no excess material flapping around. The retailer doesn't matter as much as the fit. Everybody has their own preferred retailers based on how their clothes fit them.

Invest in a couple of nice slim fit jeans and/or chinos. Get a nice pair of casual leather shoes. Polos, casual button up shirts (plaid or otherwise), v necks.

Try to stay away from clothing that is overly branded (e.g. no shirts with ABERCROMBIE labelled over the chest or that gigantic Polo logo).

Also, keep yourself well groomed. Nails tidy. Hair maintained regularly.

Hit the gym. Not because you need to be jacked. But developing the habit makes you subconsciously care more about how you project yourself in public and at work.

Others can feel free to chime in or disagree. These are just my two cents.
I agree, but don't overdo it in terms of slim fit... don't be that guy who wears skin-tight shirts while standing up, so that all the buttons pucker when he sits down. Or the one in my office who literally looks like he threw his suit in the dryer by accident. That's not an exaggeration.
Deal Guru
Mar 14, 2005
13811 posts
2516 upvotes
The Bachelorette, Mondays 8pm on ABC/CityTV. Lotsa guys in the OP's age range to check out what they're wearing.
Sr. Member
User avatar
Feb 16, 2016
937 posts
494 upvotes
Casselman, Ontario
TOrapsfan wrote: Find a good barbershop to begin with and keep going regularly. If you're like me and don't want to go too often but want to look neat, just ask for a 0-3 fade on the neck and sides and trim the top and either comb it forward, back or make side parting. that will last at least 2 months in between cuts and do a buzz cut once a year that should 3-4 months at least. Get a beard trimmer if you plan on sporting a beard (they are also good for manscaping, hehe). Otherwise, get a razor, shaving gel/cream, after shave and shave your face regularly. Buy some cologne too, you can find cheap designer ones for $20 at Shoppers.

The key to building a men's wardrobe is buying a few basic items that you can combine into a whole bunch of different outfits for different occasions and also to layer up or down with depending on weather.

Pants - 2 pairs of jeans (light and dark wash), 2 pairs of khakis (black, grey or navy for work or formal occasions), 2 sweat/track pants (for exercise and loafing around at home), 2 shorts (cargo or plain, for summer)
Shirts - get a bunch of button down shirts and short sleeve shirts. solid colour or plaid pattern. polos are ok too. if you're thin or v-shape, get slim fit otherwise get regular fit. for dress shirts, measure your neck and add 0.5" if you plan on wearing a tie.
T-shirts - crew or v-neck. solid white or darker colours. if the fabric is thick, you can wear them both as underwear or alone.
Sweaters - 1-2 plain hoodies with zipper or cardigan, 1-2 plain v-neck or crewneck to wear alone or with shirt underneath and layer up with during winter
Shoes - white sneakers for summer, dark colour sneakers for fall/spring, black leather/dress shoes for work or formal occasions
underwear - boxer briefs. comfy cheap ones for everyday wear. nicer designer branded ones for when you go out on dates
socks - tube socks, black and white. don't wear them with your dress shoes, get dress socks, and don't wear white socks with black shoes

As for stores, I prefer Bay (sale only), Amazon, Costco, H&M, Walmart, Winners, Shoe Company. Should be able to find decent clothing for under $20-30/piece at these places. For shoes and jackets expect to spend more, at least $50-100. As for barbershops, I recommend the Terminal Barbershops on Bay & Dundas ($30+tip) or the Barber Shop chains in shopping malls $25+tax+tip).

Hope this helps. This might not get you on the cover of GQ magazine or on the Bachelorette TV show but will get you employed and laid.
+1 Veryyyy solid advice right there.

Top

Thread Information

There is currently 1 user viewing this thread. (0 members and 1 guest)