Some thoughts about budget clothing/shoes.

It might be helpful to understand what you get/don't get in lower quality clothing.

shoes - when you buy lower quality shoes the best they will ever look is the first time you wear them. After that they will start to deteriorate every time they are worn. They aren't fixable. If the sole spilts or the leather cracks, they are finished.

sportcoat/blazers - fwiw a jacket doesn't have to be a solid colour to be considered a blazer. One of the main differences between higher and lower quality jackets is the interlining used. Higher quality will have a canvas which is made up of natural materials and sewn into the jacket. This method helps give and preserve the shape of the jacket. Lower quality will have a fusible interlining. Probably polyester, it is bonded to the jacket and provides some of the support of canvas but will feel stiffer and will not "mold" to the body of the wearer.

Any opinions on To Boot New York shoes by Adam Derrick? I just picked up a pair of these at Bloomingdale's for $225 and am wondering how their quality matches up vs. other designers around the same price point.

I guarantee you a cobbler will be happy to resole or repair cheap shoes. I'm not saying spending $50 to resole $80 shoes is wise, but it can be done.

As for blazers/sportcoats ... what do you thik the difference is?

On a coat hunt. These are what i narrowed it down two, 2 of them i'm going to get, one i'm undecided on. Some i liked and now dislike. Thoughts on them all and which do you think made the cut.

Maybe you should tell us what kind of budget you are on and how honest you want us to be. If I had to pick two, I'd go for 3 & 4.

I like the first leather one and the last one. The 2nd to last has too much of the military feel for me. Probably the extra button thingies near the armpits and the double breasted look.

Actually I really like the last one.

No budget really. Just whatever amount before i feel it's a disgusting amount to spend on a coat. FWIW those range from £65 - £350. Brutally honest please!

I like 1, 3, 6. I want one street wear and one weekend semi-dressy to wear over whatever i'm going out in then put in the cloak rack. 3 would be streetwear, 1 would be a little of both and 6 might fit the bill for weekend wear but i'm not completely sold out that.

the 1st leather one is the best lookin imo, sorry but i really dont like the rest

Okay, here are my thoughts...I don't love any of them. You only have to have a few coats in your wardrobe so I want to love the ones I get.

#1 - If it weren't for the collar I would like this one the best. The collar is so "Starsky and Hutch" that it makes it a dealbreaker for me. Maybe it's just me. Other than that, it's simple and classic and I like all of the lines and the pockets.

#2 - I hate this one. Tries to be fashiony, but is just ugly IMO.

#3 - Don't like the arm logo, but I guess that's an American flag and that's part of the classic moto jacket? Not really sure. It would be easy to look like a poser in that, so can you pull it off?

#4 - Meh, nothing special about it but nothing wrong with it either. The sleeves kind of flare out and the orange stitching isn't attractive, but whatever. It's a classic denim jacket.

#5 - Overdesigned a bit and too much of the military style

#6 - At first I thought this one was kind of boring, but I guess it's okay. I have a feeling it just looks okay compared to the others though and would look boring next to some better options.

Have you looked into Temple of Jawns? There is a thread on Styleforum and it's about the best bet for a leather jacket right now. Not sure if it fits your price range though.

^ I pretty much agree with everything Sly Caveat said about those coats.

What do you guys think of corduroy? I have a couple pairs of corduroy pants (with narrow wales) that I like to wear with sweaters during the winter. One pair is charcoal-colored; the other is medium-to-light gray. They're very versatile and comfortable.

I've also got a black corduroy jacket from J Crew that I like a lot.

But some people seem to be adamantly opposed to corduroy. Am I committing a fashion faux pas here?

Fk that. I roll with cords in the winter all the time. I probably should buy more since its actually cold here.

I love flannel, moleskins and corduroy for autumn/winter.

really like the first one sly and even considered purchasing it but i thought it wouldn't be long enough. i'm 6'3, a large will probably be too short for me right?

My definition of a cheap shoe is one that has corrected grain leather for the upper and a glued sole. A cobbler can't do anything with those shoes.

The difference between a blazer and a sportcoat is it's provenance. Blazers were originally part of Cricket Clubs and were often decorated in stripes in the club colours. The sport coat was for, well, sports. It evolved from hunting and riding. The jackets tend to be made in rougher materials than the blazer and will often have different detailing e.g patch pockets.

The blazer is considered a little more formal than the sport coat.

These are all blazers


Sport coat


Reasons to like cricket

Holy **** are they twins? That ass to waist ratio is phenomenal.

I think it would be okay. Probably fit you about like the model in the photo. I'm 5'10 160 and the medium is perfect. It comes down over my belt and lands a bit lower than the one on the model. The fabric is really awesome and has a great texture. If you need me to take a photo of how it fits me I will. Just let me know.

Relwen Combat Jacket, yes/no?

Yeah, looks good from here. Would like some better photos like a closeup. Would you wear it with the collar up like that?

I had never heard, i searched and found the thread but i'm still none the wiser. I really don't like any of those jackets, yet there's pages and pages of people going wild. What am i missing?

I thought saw a moto jacket in that thread that was really great, but I don't want to look through the whole thread. To be honest, your style (and mine) probably clashes with what that guy is doing and that was a poor recommendation by me. What he is doing he does really really well, but it's not something I would expect a lot of 2+2 users to identify with. Have you looked at Belstaff? Now they make some killer jackets I could see myself in.

Edit- Belstaff is probably out of your price range. I think they are usually over $500. J Crew has a couple of models on their site right now.

Here is the ToJ moto. Pretty sweet:
http://graphr.net/toj/2.1/

This thread needs more personal pics of stuff people own. To that end, here are my new Rachel Comey boots.

what kind of situations do you guys wear all this stuff in?? i like the way a lot of it looks, but it doesnt seem right for anywhere that i go except for out to eat on weekends. i would wear this kind of stuff, but i would stick out like a sore thumb among the other college kids decked out in sweat pants, running shoes, and hoodies. does anyone have any suggestions that might fit my everyday life (school, general around town shennannigans)? i mean classy and looking good, but not too dressy or over-the-top so that the other people at my college would conciously notice it?

generally i wear some kinda tshirt (plain white or grey usually) some kind of hooded sweatshirt or button down shirt, a north face jacket in the winter, some levi's 505 jeans, and either running shoes or work boots; all of which i think look alright in some situations, and are certainly functional, but i would like to try and make my everyday look a little classier.

i suppose i feel like i just need an update for my wardrobe, mostly in the shoe and pants department

I guess you saw this on Stel's? I just happened to see it on sale there. Looks great in the other shots.

adizzle- What do you mean by "all this stuff?" Site some examples. There are a lot of dressy clothes in this thread that would apply to you, but the casual stuff can work great for someone in college. Just because every other guy is wearing a hoodie and sweats doesn't mean you have to. That's kind of the point. It's not like a college girl is going to look at that model wearing the Relwen jacket and go "OMG he is so out of place here. What a loser. Doesn't he own a hoodie?"