Title pretty much sums it up.
I've dressed like a bum all my life. Clothes that don't fit (too small, too big).
So I've decided to change my life around. I'm currently 5'7'' and 325 lbs. I have a gym membership and have lost 8 lbs. so far. I have a long way to go in the weight loss regards, I want to start dressing better now.
I want to look good when I walk into my English class on Monday and Wednesday's, and not look like everyone else in there. I don't want to be different for the sake of being different but I want to start holding myself to a higher standard than I have in the past and the way I dress is one of the ways to do that.
I know I don't want to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe right now, especially since I plan on losing a lot more weight. At the same time I do want to dress more manly now.
Any advice on where to start? I'm thinking 1, maybe 2 outfits. Most likely will be shopping at Goodwill or Salvation Army in order to not spend a whole lot of money, especially since these won't be fitting in a couple of months.
Permalink Reply by Davis on Keep at it, Man. You can change and not just your clothes. Good start.
Davis
Permalink Reply by Ricky Joseph Cairns on Thanks Davis!
I'm just not sure what I should go for. Whether I should get a couple of button up shirts and some slacks. Or possibly some polo shirts (dressier than t-shirts but not as much as button ups).
I go to a small community college, so I don't need to be super dressed up. But maybe some ideas to get me started, so as I loose weight, I can learn what I like/don't like.
Permalink Reply by Rick Shelton on 
Permalink Reply by Sander on You can't go wrong with a pair of good, more classical shoes in my opinion. When I stopped wearing sneakers I also felt a lot better and manly. You can be wearing a nice shirt everyday but if you're wearing boys sneakers you'll still look like a bum imo. Plus, when you get good shoes the ladies notice, I can assure you that!
Aside from that a nice pair of jeans and a few shirts should do it. just make sure the items are a bit more neutral I'd say so you can change them, that way you don't end up with two specific outfits but you can mix it up a little. Just keep it classic with the first items, can't go wrong there and later, when you're at your weight you want and you're confident you can swing in some more 'fashionable' items
Permalink Reply by The Dutch Dastard on Good for you! Keep up the good work! It would be helpful if you described the shape of your body (or uploaded a photograph). Shapes are very important, as is the understanding that wrapping your, well, large frame can drastically change your appearance for the best.
Reasoning about your weight and height, wearing a jacket will probably be most becoming as it broadens your shoulders, reconstructing that manly V-shape. Make sure you get a 2-button suit, definitely not a double-breasted jacket. Get it in a dark color and make sure it's quit tight.
Permalink Reply by Native Son on Dude, speaking as someone who is working his own way down from heavy, a tight jacket is not going to camouflage anything. It only emphasizes things. The only true solution always amounts to "Eat less, work out more."
Permalink Reply by The Dutch Dastard on Native Son, normally I hold you in the highest respect, but your above reply makes no sense. The OP is asking for clothing-advise. "Eat less, work out more." does not fall in that category, and therefore does not counter anything I've said.
Further, it's my opinion that nothing can be camouflaged anyway. Dressing right is not about camouflaging things, but emphasizing things. A loose jacket will only make you look larger, and will not look good on the shoulders.
It's just like a pregnant girl in a baby-doll. It does not camouflage anything by being loose. The bloody thing can make a super-model look preggers.
In clothing almost nothing is more important than a good fit, and a good fit is always a teeny bit tight.
Permalink Reply by Native Son on Your first reply spoke of buying a suit jacket or sportcoat (implicit in your description) that attempted to impart "that manly V-shape". Sorry, but trying to alter the apparent size of one's physique through clothing is an attempt at camouflage.
My own experience has shown me the only way to get "that manly V-shape" is to "eat less, work out more." I've also found that for the rotund among us, "tight" is not your friend when it comes to clothing.
Permalink Reply by Native Son on Keep up the physical work. The tough part of getting there is the eating less part (boy, do I know about that!)You shouldn't be thinking in terms of "outfits". What you want are pieces that can be coordinated. And example whoudl be a couple of pairs of pants, darker khaki and navy blue in color, and maybe a couple of polos (say a navy blue and teal) and a couple of oxford cloth dress shirts with button down collars. Avoid horizontal stripes on the polos!
At worst, you'll look a little "too conservative", but this will give you enough variety to get through your "public week" without looking like you're wearing a uniform.
Permalink Reply by Tom Knighton on First, congrats on your decision. It's not always an easy one, especially when you're trying to lose weight. On top of that, you're a relatively short guy (I'm 5'8" myself, so I know what I'm speaking of).
Thrift stores are a great place to start, especially since you won't want to spend a bunch of money on a wardrobe when you plan on none of it fitting after a while. In addition, there are some tricks that I've found will help put together your appears. One is to keep a straight "gig line". I have a thread about it here as well, but the long story short is to create a straight line from your shirt, belt, and fly. It's a subtle thing, but it can make a difference.
Also, if you have a shirt that "bunches" along your waistline, then try smoothing out the look and moving the "pleats" to the back. I'm a big guy myself, but it makes the shirt look almost fitted, but a lot more comfortable.
Rick Shelton's advice about natural fibers and learning to iron is also excellent. You also want to get as good a quality in your clothing as you can manage. Despite your plan to lose weight, you don't want them coming apart before you're done. Besides, you can have an easier time selling quality clothes you can't wear as opposed to cheap stuff.
I'm sure there are some tricks I've used that I'm just not thinking about right now. If I think of them, I'll share them as well.
Best of Luck!
Permalink Reply by Sean Grogan on as for clothes, I would say keep it simple and inexpensive. (I assume you're not looking for a suit)
in my case i found wearing plain (black, grey) long sleeved t-shits was a big step up from the odd shirt I'd get from a tournament or from my grandparents. you could find
(my understanding) anything with a collar is better looking than no collar (even flannel shirts).
As far as pants, well fitting jeans (generally straight cut, like Levi 501/505) should go well with any shirt.
Keep it up and good luck!
Permalink Reply by Chuck Knight on Camouflage is everything. The idea is to emphasize what you want, de-emphasize what you don't, and generally ac-centuate the positive.
What not to do...break up the vertical line of your body, at your belt. Happily, this is easy to avoid, with current fashions, and especially the current trend of untucked shirts. Yes, I'm suggesting that your shirt remain untucked...and here's why.
You are a big guy. Frankly, you're a very big guy. And, a visible belt is going to make you look like the number 8. That's a weird silhouette. You need to smooth out the line of your clothes, and a well fitted pair of pants and a well fitted shirt will "flow" together naturally. Do not tuck in your shirt. You want the smoothness of that line. It will make you look, not thinner but, at least, less obviously fat.
If you do need to tuck in the shirt for some reason, be sure to keep the tones of the pants, shirt, and belt similar. Like, as an example, jeans and a chambray shirt. You don't want a black leather belt cutting a horizontal line around your waist.
Think also about your shoes. I'm a big fan of heels...cowboy boots and cuban heels both add height, which help you look at least a *little* thinner. And, again, keep that visual line smooth and flowing. You don't want white pants and black shoes...the contrast will make you look shorter, fatter, and stumpy.
But, unlike many here, I do not mind athletic shoes. They're comfortable, and some are actually quite stylish...for casual wear. But, keep out a separate pair that remains clean and nice looking. Nothing looks worse than a nice outfit with the pair of neon-colored Nike moon-boots that you wore, playing football, in the mud. YUCK!
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