Ladies, for a change... put my clothes ON.

[Jabr]

As I get older (let's just say past mid-thirties) I find that I appreciate wearing nicer clothes. You know, something beyond a polo shirt for "dress" occasions. Trouble is, I have zero trust of my own fashion sense. The men's magazines or websites with their repetitive and sometimes contradictory "top tens" lists and ads for thousand-dollar shirts do me no good. Too much of it seems overly effeminate or pretentious for my tastes anyways.

So, ladies, what do YOU like to see on men? What stores are best? In this case, for a slim to muscular-built single man, fairly well-off but not rich, either, for every-day and evening date wear.

[katee]

I find nothing sexier than a man in a nice fitting suit, the cut depending on his build. Being fitted by a professional tailor will insure it fits well. A crisp white shirt with a tie always gets me. Day or night. Whew.
I don't buy men's clothes but I am quite the fashionista.
Dressing age appropriate is also a must for male or females. ( does not mean dress like a grandma or grandpa.) I would say if you are 40ish or over, it's time to move on from old Navy. There's nothing wrong with a nice shirt and good pair of jeans from the buckle to wear on a Saturday afternoon outing. My biggest peeve in men or women dressing is... SHOES. Althletic/tennis shoes are just that.. ATHLETIC shoes. I don't know how my being so adamant about this comes from, and I'm sure I will get slack for this, but I've never seen a man or a woman who looks well kempt wearing jeans and athletic shoes. Nice shoes say much about a persons attire, and sense of style. Please invest in a nice pair of leather shoes even for everyday. Trust me, a nice looking pair CAN also be confortable.
I don't know your age however there are websites that carry designer brands (like the ones you see that you like in the magazines) such as Norstrom Rack or Haute Look, at a deeply discounted price.
I believe the key is to at least go into the high end stores, try on what you think you like, find your size, write down brands and sizes.Once you've done this you can easily shop on line for same quality but lower prices. Finding your own style is really what will suit you best. Once you've found it... Everything you choose will look sexy on you, as you will exude confidence. The way a man carries himself and walks, is about 80 percent of looking good in the clothes. I've always believed it better to be over dressed than under dressed.

[SA Angel]

Invest in your staples like good jeans, slacks, sports coats and suiting. Get them tailored and you will be amazed how much of a difference that makes. There are "casual" leather shoes that pair better with jeans and daytime attire.

Judging from your OP you might be best served by just going into a Jos A. Banks and having a sales clerk pretty much outfit you out. Preferably find a woman whose age fits into your target market. Let the salesperson walk you through outfits and layering. I do recommend going to buckle for your jeans and T-shirts though. Since you say you have problems trusting your own fashion sense I would stick to solids or VERY subtle prints. That way mixing and matching your clothes will be as low-risk as possible. The prices in both stores are pretty reasonable and no one can claim you are trying to be pretentious with the brands they carry.

[Missy Mariposa]

Tailoring is key.

I like Lucky Brand Jeans on a man too. There's just...to me at least, nothing better.

[CaSoutherner]

I agree with Katee.... a suit is hot. For more casual occasions a sport coat with some jeans is such a hot look too. Well fitted should be the rule. Of course, it does always depend on situation and location. Shoes should always be polished to complete the look.

[atlcomedy]

Wear clothes that fit you & flatter your body type.

If your closet is full of crap designed for you (or your wife) to never have to use a dry cleaner or iron* (e.g. wrinkle free this or that) just fill up a couple big Hefty bags with all of it and donate it to the homeless shelter. Fabrics and thread count matter

Beyond that the sky's the limit depending on your budget & or the amount of time you care to spend on all this.

If you just want a quick fix to "dress up" or look a little more mature a (well-fitting, nice) blazer can go a long way to dress up a pair of jeans or wool slacks. Just don't wear it with Jim Harbaugh Dockers.

*you (or your wife) don't have to actually iron anything. Your dry cleaner will "launder" your shirts for a dollar or two.

[ohwhyn0t]

Hmmm... I've got my jeans and my $100 Nike running shoes on... I've been doing it wrong. lol

in my defense I really do run :P

*looking up websites Katee was talking about....*

[Jabr]

Originally Posted by ohwhyn0t

Hmmm... I've got my jeans and my $100 Nike running shoes on... I've been doing it wrong. lol

Me too. When Katee said "no more Old Navy", I thought about what's in my closet and thought, 'well, crap'. But I'm loving the advice, ladies, thanks!

[Sidewinder]

And I'll add this.

If you factor in all the costs, it is EASY to justify combining a vacation trip to Bangkok, Thailand with a tailor visit for suits (plural). I buy full-custom tailored suits in Bangkok for considerably less than I pay for off-the-rack in the US, and I get considerably better quality, not to mention they FIT properly.

At the same time, I'll plead guilty to wearing black walking shoes (New Balance, to be exact) all the time. I haven't YET gotten around to getting custom dress shoes (and my feet are such that, if I want the SHOES to fit properly, I'll have to do that as well).

On the gripping hand, I spend more of my time at work and after hours on my feet than I like to admit. Occupational hazard, I guess.

[Cheesecake7]

This is a great thread and thanks for all the input. I grew up a hippie and style and fashion was "bourgeois" so I am completely style impaired and my wife (s) have always dressed me up and I just went with it. Now that I am divorced I have to do this on my own and this is hard as I don't want to look like a moron in my late 50's.

I friend gave me a book "Details Men's Style Manual" which I found quite helpful. At least now I know how to match the color of socks to the color of the shoes and pants....

I had never even heard about Buckles and Jos A Banks stores but I will check them out (I hate malls and shopping as I had to do it with my ex-wife all the time...).

Thanks for the input on shoes. I have been wearing Ecco (almost wrote Eccie LOL) shoes for a few years and they seem to look nice and are comfortable and they are very good quality. I agree sneakers look dumb in a guy my age.

I like jeans and I found some nice (if expensive) ones at the REI store (don't laugh...). They are Patagonia brand and are very good quality and are comfortable. I also got some nice compliments on my butt from ladies in them (although I have to say that my butt is "cute" to begin with....LOL).

Keep it going any input on this subject is appreciated.

[Cheesecake7]

Originally Posted by SA Angel

..... having a sales clerk pretty much outfit you. Preferably find a woman whose age fits into your target market.

Now this is an interesting if hilarious suggestion. I never thought about that. I have to figure out what to do when upon entering the store the eager middle age male sales clerk starts following you like a magnet. Can I say "I would like to be helped by this really hot sales person over there....?.

I guess I have to go through a course "How To Survive The Shopping Mall".

Are there any other recommendations on clothing stores where they have really knowledgeable sales clerks? In most stores they don't seem too helpful.

[awl4knot]

Originally Posted by Cheesecake7

Now this is an interesting if hilarious suggestion. I never thought about that. I have to figure out what to do when upon entering the store the eager middle age male sales clerk starts following you like a magnet. Can I say "I would like to be helped by this really hot sales person over there....?.

I guess I have to go through a course "How To Survive The Shopping Mall".

Are there any other recommendations on clothing stores where they have really knowledgeable sales clerks? In most stores they don't seem too helpful.

Brooks Brothers. Their stuff is like Joe Banks but better and generally more expensive, but if you shop during sales (don't be a sap and pay regular retail) it will be worth it.

I have some suggestions based on 30 years of buying clothes at nicer stores. The first item you need to buy is a classic navy blue blazer, two button style, 10 month weight. You then need to buy two pair of dress pants to go with your snappy blazer, a grey and beige/tan pair. Get them with cuffs and without pleats if possible. Since I assume you have khakis and blue jeans you now have eight different combinations, four with shirts and ties, four without. A blazer with dark grey slacks and a nice tie and shirt combo is almost like a business suit. Beige slacks are a little more casual, followed by the khakis and jeans.

The key to a good fitting coat is how it fits your shoulders and upper back. The jacket should not be too tight or loose in this area and if you have an athletic build, the coat should flow over your back muscles and then narrow at the waist. You should be able to see this in a three way mirror.

And remember, a nice jacket or suit is the foundation for a nice shirt and tie combination that people will notice.

After Christmas sales are a good time to start shopping. A blazer, slacks and a couple of shirts and ties may cost $1500 or more, but you will have an investment that will last five years for the jacket.

And nice, expensive leather shoes are a must. Girls look at shoes and watches to gauge a guy's wallet, so go to the shoe outlets (DSW) and buy classic Cole Haans or Johnson & Murphy styles at reduced prices.

We can talk about a suit later.

[lookingforfun55]

I have a hard time finding shirts that fit me, makes me crazy. I dress business casual for work and wear collared 2x shirts, I am a larger guy and lift a bit and my arms are always busting out of my sleeves.

[Gotyour6]

Stay away from Mens warehouse
They have ok looking suits but they don't last.

They are good for a quick one wear if you had something come up and need something cheap (500 or under) but they fall apart on a daily wear.

If you are on a budget but want a real nice suit then go ebay route.
You can get a very nice suit for a few hundred bucks and then have it fitted to your needs.

Have someone help you that is a professional.
I wish three piece suits were in style I kind of liked them.
Only a few can pull them off now though.

The show The Mentalist, that guy looks good in a vest.

[SA Angel]

Originally Posted by Cheesecake7

Now this is an interesting if hilarious suggestion. I never thought about that. I have to figure out what to do when upon entering the store the eager middle age male sales clerk starts following you like a magnet. Can I say "I would like to be helped by this really hot sales person over there....?.

I guess I have to go through a course "How To Survive The Shopping Mall".

Are there any other recommendations on clothing stores where they have really knowledgeable sales clerks? In most stores they don't seem too helpful.

Haha. When I say "target market" I mean the age that he realistically would want to date seriously in the RW. I forget guys haven't been taught how to select the salesperson of their choice. Just politely decline help from the ones that approach you that you don't like....maybe their attitude is off-putting...maybe they are dressed so poorly you wouldn't want their opinion on clothes to begin with....whatever the reason unless it's a furniture or vehicle sales you have much more control or who gets your custom.

The easiest and least creepy way to ask a woman for her help is to say you want her opinion because she reminds you of your SO. Go with the story that you tired of your SO picking on you about your clothes so you want to make sure you get things that a woman like her would choose. Or say that your SO is such a good dresser that you feel frumpy/sloppy next to her. It makes it obvious that you are just a man looking for help and not trying to hit on the saleslady. Yes, these stories were used on me during college breaks to good effect. I must stress do NOT try to hit on the saleslady if you want her help. They get hit on all the time and most likely have a Rolodex worth of business cards from men they will never look at again.