Dressed to Impress for Summer 2011 Forum

[Capitol A]

Why is there a trend toward white/light-colored shirts? I like dark-colored shirts, but I've heard that's considered not conservative enough?

ughh i haaaate dark colored shirts. its so.... high school dance.

+1. Awful.
Beachbum-You're buying vinyard vines polos-you belong at duke, or if you look like your avatar maybe you belong in Provincetown, on the Cape? Either way, you're way beyond 'dooked,' or trying to look nice. You are a full blown preppy at this point. Might as well embrace those boxy BB shirts, and get some madras bow ties while you're on this shopping spree!

[camelcrema]

Why is there a trend toward white/light-colored shirts? I like dark-colored shirts, but I've heard that's considered not conservative enough?

Um, white/light colored shirts are classic shirts - it isn't a trend. If anything, the colored shirts are a trend (and by colored I'm thinking dark solid colored shirts). I can tell you that most lawyers, at least in NYC, do NOT wear colored shirts.

Colored shirts look best with light colored pants and since most lawyers wear dark pants/suits, a light colored shirt will look best. The colored shirt/dark pants combination just looks to guido in my opinion.

Sorry, reading back on it, I should have said 'bias', not 'trend'. I appreciate the education, though, I'm clueless in fashion.

[Capitol A]

Why is there a trend toward white/light-colored shirts? I like dark-colored shirts, but I've heard that's considered not conservative enough?

You know, when i first read this post I thought you said white collared shirts (ie contrast collar) so let me take this opportunity to say that I HATE those too. They inevitably make you look stupid or like a preist, or like a stupid preist.

[Capitol A]

Why is there a trend toward white/light-colored shirts? I like dark-colored shirts, but I've heard that's considered not conservative enough?

Um, white/light colored shirts are classic shirts - it isn't a trend. If anything, the colored shirts are a trend (and by colored I'm thinking dark solid colored shirts). I can tell you that most lawyers, at least in NYC, do NOT wear colored shirts.

Colored shirts look best with light colored pants and since most lawyers wear dark pants/suits, a light colored shirt will look best. The colored shirt/dark pants combination just looks to guido in my opinion.

Sorry, reading back on it, I should have said 'bias', not 'trend'. I appreciate the education, though, I'm clueless in fashion.

I think the darker shirts are common at night in certain parts of the country. They just don't look as clean/crisp, which is really want you want to go for when you are working in a profession where most of the public thinks you are sleezy, and you are trying to convince them to trust you so that they will give you money.

[traehekat]

Why is there a trend toward white/light-colored shirts? I like dark-colored shirts, but I've heard that's considered not conservative enough?

Um, white/light colored shirts are classic shirts - it isn't a trend. If anything, the colored shirts are a trend (and by colored I'm thinking dark solid colored shirts). I can tell you that most lawyers, at least in NYC, do NOT wear colored shirts.

Colored shirts look best with light colored pants and since most lawyers wear dark pants/suits, a light colored shirt will look best. The colored shirt/dark pants combination just looks to guido in my opinion.

Sorry, reading back on it, I should have said 'bias', not 'trend'. I appreciate the education, though, I'm clueless in fashion.

I think the darker shirts are common at night in certain parts of the country. They just don't look as clean/crisp, which is really want you want to go for when you are working in a profession where most of the public thinks you are sleezy, and you are trying to convince them to trust you so that they will give you money.

hahaha i actually think this is a legit reason for not wearing them.

[beachbum]

Beachbum-You're buying vinyard vines polos-you belong at duke, or if you look like your avatar maybe you belong in Provincetown, on the Cape? Either way, you're way beyond 'dooked,' or trying to look nice. You are a full blown preppy at this point. Might as well embrace those boxy BB shirts, and get some madras bow ties while you're on this shopping spree!

meh, you're probably right. No use in fighting it now.

--ImageRemoved--

[Capitol A]

Beachbum-You're buying vinyard vines polos-you belong at duke, or if you look like your avatar maybe you belong in Provincetown, on the Cape? Either way, you're way beyond 'dooked,' or trying to look nice. You are a full blown preppy at this point. Might as well embrace those boxy BB shirts, and get some madras bow ties while you're on this shopping spree!

meh, you're probably right. No use in fighting it now.

--ImageRemoved--

If you're not familiar with http://www.unabashedlyprep.com you should definitely check it out. i also take a lot of inspiration from http://www.streetetiquette.com especially their "Black Ivy" shoot. I have shamelessly copied many of the looks from that project.

[Patriot1208]

Beachbum-You're buying vinyard vines polos-you belong at duke, or if you look like your avatar maybe you belong in Provincetown, on the Cape? Either way, you're way beyond 'dooked,' or trying to look nice. You are a full blown preppy at this point. Might as well embrace those boxy BB shirts, and get some madras bow ties while you're on this shopping spree!

meh, you're probably right. No use in fighting it now.

--ImageRemoved--

I actually really like those shorts, but I generally only wear button down shirts with pants, i'd wear a polo instead.

[Capitol A]

Beachbum-You're buying vinyard vines polos-you belong at duke, or if you look like your avatar maybe you belong in Provincetown, on the Cape? Either way, you're way beyond 'dooked,' or trying to look nice. You are a full blown preppy at this point. Might as well embrace those boxy BB shirts, and get some madras bow ties while you're on this shopping spree!

meh, you're probably right. No use in fighting it now.

--ImageRemoved--

I actually really like those shorts, but I generally only wear button down shirts with pants, i'd wear a polo instead.

Oxford with shorts is classic. If beachbum lives in Chapel Hill he probably thinks its a daily uniform.

[beachbum]

Beachbum-You're buying vinyard vines polos-you belong at duke, or if you look like your avatar maybe you belong in Provincetown, on the Cape? Either way, you're way beyond 'dooked,' or trying to look nice. You are a full blown preppy at this point. Might as well embrace those boxy BB shirts, and get some madras bow ties while you're on this shopping spree!

meh, you're probably right. No use in fighting it now.

--ImageRemoved--

I actually really like those shorts, but I generally only wear button down shirts with pants, i'd wear a polo instead.

haha, I actually like those shorts a lot too. I'll wear an occasional button-down with shorts; actually, just yesterday I wore an oxford with shorts. The blazer is a little much for me, though.

[Capitol A]

actually, just yesterday I wore an oxford with shorts

Seriously, I thought that was the school uniform form undergrads at Duke and UNC, no?

[beachbum]

I'm in the midwest, so the bro/preppy fashion is just starting to catch on around here. And a lot of people are still figuring out that Abercrombie is best left in high school.

[Capitol A]

I'm in the midwest, so the bro/preppy fashion is just starting to catch on around here. And a lot of people are still figuring out that Abercrombie is best left in high school.

You're buying vinyard vines in the midwest? i don't think they have a retailer down here in the southwest.
i actually like abercrombie for their shorts, and for the polos. Not the polos with the massive logos, but the others. They come in tons of colors, the fit is perfect for me, and i like the material that they use-the collar is nice and stiff-perfect for popping!

[dougroberts]

--ImageRemoved--

Is this what you guys wear on the East Coast? Blazers on shorts!!?!?!
Man, that's even worse then the clowns we got here wearing Hoodies on Shorts in Midwest winters!

[Capitol A]

--ImageRemoved--

Is this what you guys wear on the East Coast? Blazers on shorts!!?!?!
Man, that's even worse then the clowns we got here wearing Hoodies on Shorts in Midwest winters!

i don't live on the east coast so I could be wrong, but i think this is more of a mid-atlantic/southeast coast look. and it's not for every day. This is more for garden parties, lunch at the club, brunch with mummy and daddy, etc.

[Patriot1208]

I think most people wouldn't actually wear the blazer

[beachbum]

I think most people wouldn't actually wear the blazer

+1, like I said... the blazer is a little much. If you're going to a party/gathering that requires a blazer, you're probably gonna want to wear pants. The rest of the outfit is fair game for everyday use, though.

[Mike12188]

I'm in the midwest, so the bro/preppy fashion is just starting to catch on around here. And a lot of people are still figuring out that Abercrombie is best left in high school.

You're buying vinyard vines in the midwest? i don't think they have a retailer down here in the southwest.
i actually like abercrombie for their shorts, and for the polos. Not the polos with the massive logos, but the others. They come in tons of colors, the fit is perfect for me, and i like the material that they use-the collar is nice and stiff-perfect for popping!

I understand the preppy look and I think the oxford with shorts is a classic look, and some people can pull it off, but I hate to break it to you but Abercrombie isn't preppy and if you're still poppin your collar on any shirt (especially Abercrombie) you got problems kid.

[Capitol A]

I'm in the midwest, so the bro/preppy fashion is just starting to catch on around here. And a lot of people are still figuring out that Abercrombie is best left in high school.

You're buying vinyard vines in the midwest? i don't think they have a retailer down here in the southwest.
i actually like abercrombie for their shorts, and for the polos. Not the polos with the massive logos, but the others. They come in tons of colors, the fit is perfect for me, and i like the material that they use-the collar is nice and stiff-perfect for popping!

I understand the preppy look and I think the oxford with shorts is a classic look, and some people can pull it off, but I hate to break it to you but Abercrombie isn't preppy and if you're still poppin your collar on any shirt (especially Abercrombie) you got problems kid.

I was joking about the collar pop (although I definitely did that in college-7 years ago).
Now...I know this could start a bigger debate than the latest USNWR rankings, but...I know Abercrombie is not preppy anymore-it was at one time. but the "traditional"/"real" preppy brands such as Vinyard Vines, Brooks Brothers, and even Polo's classic fit tend to fit much worse. The fit from Abercrombie is perfect for me, and honestly...while I tend toward preppy style, I am not an actual preppy in the true sense of the term. My Dad worked in construction, and he wasn't a developer. Hell, he wasn't even a block layer; he was a block carrier. I went to a crappy public high school (not a 'prep' school as the term preppy refers to), and I went to a big state university for college. So "authentic" preppy is not a concern for me. I take inspiration from traditional preppy style and modernize it and make it my own. That's why I love http://www.unabashedlyprep.com and it's why fit is more important to me than labels.

[beachbum]

I'm not a prep by your definition (public high school, mediocre private undergrad), but I'm a huge label whore. And when I see that little moose, I instantly think of high school. Same goes for the little seagull and the little eagle.

If you're buying anything with logos/brands that are visible (i.e. polos, sport shirts), it might be wise to err on the side of the little pony, little whale, or little sheep in law school. The little pony in particular makes some pretty good slim/custom-fit shirts and polos.

[Patriot1208]

I'm not a prep by your definition (public high school, mediocre private undergrad), but I'm a huge label whore. And when I see that little moose, I instantly think of high school. Same goes for the little seagull and the little eagle.

If you're buying anything with logos/brands that are visible (i.e. polos, sport shirts), it might be wise to err on the side of the little pony, little whale, or little sheep in law school. The little pony in particular makes some pretty good slim/custom-fit shirts and polos.

I legitimately couldn't tell you which brand had which animal except for polo

[beachbum]

I'm not a prep by your definition (public high school, mediocre private undergrad), but I'm a huge label whore. And when I see that little moose, I instantly think of high school. Same goes for the little seagull and the little eagle.

If you're buying anything with logos/brands that are visible (i.e. polos, sport shirts), it might be wise to err on the side of the little pony, little whale, or little sheep in law school. The little pony in particular makes some pretty good slim/custom-fit shirts and polos.

I legitimately couldn't tell you which brand had which animal except for polo

Moose = Abercrombie
Seagull = Hollister
Eagle = American Eagle

Pony = Polo
Whale = Vineyard Vines
Sheep = Brooks Brothers

[Capitol A]

I'm not a prep by your definition (public high school, mediocre private undergrad), but I'm a huge label whore. And when I see that little moose, I instantly think of high school. Same goes for the little seagull and the little eagle.

If you're buying anything with logos/brands that are visible (i.e. polos, sport shirts), it might be wise to err on the side of the little pony, little whale, or little sheep in law school. The little pony in particular makes some pretty good slim/custom-fit shirts and polos.

I guess I'm just not like that. I agree that buying into the whole 'Abercrombie lifestyle' is very high school, and I am certainly not going around with "Fitch" written across my chest, or wearing flip flops all the time and big holes in my jeans, and I'm not even saying that I primarily wear Abercrombie, I think I have maybe 2 or 3 of their polos. I actually prefer Rugby for all casual wear. The point though is that fit and quality are my 1 and 2 priorities when shopping. I honestly pay no attention to labels beyond knowing which ones work for me. If something looks nice, then it looks nice regardless of what store it came from or what animal is on the chest.

Edit: I think this is the difference between fashion and style.

[Capitol A]

I'm not a prep by your definition (public high school, mediocre private undergrad), but I'm a huge label whore. And when I see that little moose, I instantly think of high school. Same goes for the little seagull and the little eagle.

If you're buying anything with logos/brands that are visible (i.e. polos, sport shirts), it might be wise to err on the side of the little pony, little whale, or little sheep in law school. The little pony in particular makes some pretty good slim/custom-fit shirts and polos.

I legitimately couldn't tell you which brand had which animal except for polo

Moose = Abercrombie
Seagull = Hollister
Eagle = American Eagle

Pony = Polo
Whale = Vineyard Vines
Sheep = Brooks Brothers

Don't forget the skull and crossbones of Rugby. Coolest logo, and coolest brand.

[Capitol A]

[quote="beachbum"]I'm not a prep by your definition (public high school, mediocre private undergrad), [quote]
I know it's not the point, but that's not really my definition. It's more the root of the term. Check out "The Official Preppy Handbook" written by Lisa Birnbach (I think that's how you spell her last name). It will let you in on all the secrets of prep history.