[Closed] Middle aged men - what do you wear?

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I want to know what the OP actually buys... IF, IF! he can be brave enough to post his purchases..

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As is, great thread, loads a giggles.

Its certainly built to last....

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John Lewis & the Fenwicks group all have personal shoppers.

The John Lewis one is free for a 2 hours session where a lady will gather clothes to your specification (e.g. smart casual, cocktail party etc) and tell you if it looks rubbish.

and tell you if it looks rubbish.

surely they just sell you the crap?

I don't believe for a second that any straight man* has done, or ever will take advantage of that service. Its all a bit....

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* men in denial, ie: the ones who buy Mens Health magazine, then feel uncomfortable reading it, without knowing quite why, possibly...?

surely they just sell you the crap?

Not at all - they want you to come back again.

men in denial, ie: the ones who buy Mens Health magazine, then feel uncomfortable reading it, without knowing quite why, possibly...?

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I'm a minimalist* 'uniform' wearer.

Work: casual blue or grey short-sleeved shirt (untucked), dark blue jeans, black Vans.
Casual: T-shirt, dark blue jeans, black Vans. (Swap the jeans for shorts if it's hot. Swap the Vans for DM boots if it's wet.)
Smart (for funerals, weddings, christenings): black leather boots, grey trousers, smart shirt.

* One pair of formal trousers, three pairs of jeans, two pairs of shorts. Five casual blue or grey short-sleeved shirts and one smart shirt. One pair of black shoes, one pair of DMs, one pair of black Vans. More T-shirts than I'd like, but only really wear three or four of them. Plus, two pairs of board shorts, a couple of merino base layers, one pair of cycling shorts, one cycling jersey, one pair of running shoes and one pair of approach shoes for running and riding.

I've collated the advice above and believe I have a picture of a typical STWer?

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OK Im back
Although after spending 90mins in my local precinct I now need either a drink or a bike ride or both

Hugo Boss was a pretty good call actually and my first stop
The bloke who came to chat was as knowledgable as bikebouy had suggested and very happy to give me a few ideas on what to look at
Unfortunately his ideas of a nice plain classic jacket and some grey trousers came to £700 which was a little out of my price range so I politely left to try and blag this kind of stuff elsewhere

As luck would have it Jaeger next door had a £400 blazer thing reduced to £100 (get in!) which fits perfectly and I then picked up a pair of Boss clone wool mix trousers from M&S for £40

With a couple of shirts from John Lewis I reckon Im now equipped for middle age

I totally get a flat stomach and the right attitude being the most important things but I have several functions coming up where Levis and Decathlon just wont cut it so Im now happy

Hell the jacket even looks good worn with jeans and a pair of Scarpa approach shoes so Im well pleased

Happy shopping old people - and thanks again 🙂

Isn't it a forum rule that those advocating M&S are required to post a pic of themselves wearing it?

This isn't just a fat, bald, middle-aged bloke. This is....

Well done OP. Glad some of my advice sank in and at least you took on board the advice and style route for your body type.

I did say they were expensive in my post so have to say well done for walking into the store.

All we need now are PIC's !!

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Pics?

As a great man once said "Yeah, and monkeys might fly out of my butt"

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dragon - Member

I don't think Nike Air of any kind are acceptable on an adult ever!! Non-Air Nikes are okay but only if participating in sport.

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While on my hols last week, I saw some adverts for this lot. They appear to pick an entire outfit for the hopeless bloke, including the shoes, and mail it out to him.

http://www.outfittery.at/

The upshot seems to be that men are useless, and should turn over all purchasing decisions to a bunch of women.

I wear the same dodgy outdoor tops/jeans/approach shoe combo I adopted when I wasn't middle aged. Don't all middle aged men simply wear the same stuff as they did in their 20s, just in 3 sizes larger?

deck shoes are for someone who wants to look like dick! Fact 🙂

...against all STW odds, I will still going to buy this weekend that Nike Air 90 trainers for my Roman holiday..lots of walking in cobbles you see 😮

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me, yesterday

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My Monday morning look

You've got it all wrong wanting comfy but ugly shoes for Rome. You need to smarten up your act when in Rome, a nice pair of English brown brogues for the look and then you needn't worry about sore feet as that's what all those plazas with cafes are for, sitting down chilling out and people watching, while letting your feet recover 😀 or as the Italians would 8)

"when in [u]Rome[/u]"

+

"as the [u]Italians[/u] would"

Oh dear. Tsk tsk tsk...

"I do have an issue with Nike Air as they have no sporting heritage"

Nonsense. The inclusion of an air pocket in the sole of sports shoes pretty much revolutionised that industry, with every major manufacturer attempting their own versions/alternatives, mainly in vain. Nike Air trainers have been around since 1979.

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And one famous basketball player was even named after the shoes, Michael Nike Air Jordan:

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When the clocks change in the spring they change to BST (British Shorts Time) and it's shorts and teeshirts till they change back in the autumn.
At 58 I'd rather be comfortable than worry about what others think I look like.

Well both the Jeff Johnstone (1st Nike employee and he came up with the company name) and Bill Bowerman thought Air was rubbish and a gimmick (a rather successful one mind). Air was never put in their serious running trainers.

Michael Jordan was an Adidas nut as he thought their trainers better and principally only went to Nike as they paid him more money, not that they had better products. (Plus no one in the UK cares about basketball anyway.)

House of Fraser. Just don't buy the younger set stuff but it's obvious what that is.
M&S is for when you're 60+ and have given up or the wife buys your clothes.

Just scrape in under 40 (6 weeks to go...). For work, it's uniform, literally, no other choice. In terms of dress sense, my last partner (who is other side of 40) dragged me in to being better dressed, having said I physically looked about 10 years younger than I am (easy paper round) but dressed about 10 years older than I am, wearing White Stuff, Fat Face (sorry WS and FF fans, but in hindsight, I thikn she was right)... I also paid a visit to Hugo Boss, in the same vein as bikebuoy's suggestion, to get the smarter casual look.

Outdoorsy slobbing about - well worn Levi's 527, t-shirt, 5.10s, Yeti hoodie and/or Rab or Montane soft/hardshell, weather dependant.

Casual - Diesel or Jack & Jones slim jeans, Sambas or Converse, Fred Perry or Pretty Green polo or decent t-shirt, Fjallraven Skogso Jacket in green. For slightly smarter (eg. going on a date) blue denim Boss slim jeans, plain white v-neck Hugo Boss t-shirt and dark green cotton v-neck jumper and Dune baseball-style leather shoes, Barbour limited edition Union Flag lined International jacket.

In between up there and down there - couple of nice shirts in the wardrobe, generally Paul Smith (all underwear also PS, and paired, so sock patterns match pants - OCD), that can be paired with jeans, minus tweed, or will even dress the grey suit down (eg. if attending a wedding evening do).

Smarter - Boss jeans from above, TM Lewin slim fit shirt (tucked in!), Harris Tweed jacket and lace up, square toe, nubuck ankle boots (and not those blimming high heeled ones from earlier...!). Last worn in the Paddock at Cartmel races.

Much smarter - either of tailor made 3 piece navy wool pin stripe city suit or 3 piece mid grey marl wool suit with black or brown oxfords, shirt and tie of appropriate vibrancy/colour to suit the occassion, Jaeger dark wool full length coat over the top in inclement weather.

When the clocks change in the spring they change to BST (British Shorts Time) and it's shorts and teeshirts till they change back in the autumn.

Amateur, I wear shorts May till December most years!

It's all about context though, if you are a farmer who works most days then has the odd village pub thing and a country show/shoot/hunt, an IT worker in Middle England who has to habitually visit B&Q/harvester 'restaurants'/out of town shopping centres/market town pizza chains or a nu-media hipster with a liking for Hoxton food pop-ups, BAPE sample sales in disused brewery spaces and secret cinema showings your attire requirements are going to be very different.

As I get older I don't care much what people think. I just wear something comfortable and maybe some basketball boots. Some of you worry far too much about nothing.

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Strong look.

I've read all the posts and produced an STW recommendation composite for what to wear...

Office wear / smart casual:

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I tend to buy from Reiss and almost always when there is a sale on. Had the occasional Hugo Boss shirt Ted Baker suit.
Armani, not today thankyou.
Shoes - Jeffery West but again, only when there is a sale on. Clarks outlet in Kendal most of the other times.
House of Fraser has sales and they have quite a range of brands. TKMaxx is also good.
I have also formed a hardened opinion of M&S stuff. The ones (casual tops) I have got are ill fitting and shapeless.
Uniqlo for the selvedge jeans.
I'm 52 next week.

Great fun reading this thread, in answer to the original question, whatever the **** I want to! In fact, I once made a promise to myself never to have a job where I'd need to wear a suit, and I've got close to retirement age without ever owning a suit, let alone needing to wear one.
As Dibbs says, BST = British Shorts Time, pretty much March to November, with jeans or combats if the weather turns foul, shorts are nearly always camo cargos, Fracture skate shorts for some years, or any that flectarn.co.uk have going cheap, or baggy bike shorts, jeans are likely to be Howies or Oakley, bought in sales, or Uniqlo selvedge, absolutely minimal or zero branding, worn with band or bike tees, with Uniqlo flannel shirts over the top if cooler.
I've got a pair of cheap black jeans from a skate shop with no branding that go well with a smart black wool M&S jacket and black brogues if smartness is really required, with a lightweight flannel check shirt tucked in.
Footwear is usually black Vans ot Meindle Desert Fox combat boots, so damned comfy they're like wearing slippers, outerwear depends on conditions, wet it can be a Belstaff Trialmaster, Barbour Stockman, U.S. Airforce Goretex camo coat, dry usually a Nomex CWU-45P pilot jacket, warm and comfy, work well with jeans and not bulky in the car, along with various fleeces, Uniqlo ultralight down, North Face Nuptse down, or combinations thereof.
Oh, and my Spyker leather bike jacket gets a look-in, black with white stripes down the sleeve and across the body, it looks pretty good with jeans and boots, with a plain tee.
No trend-setter, but, frankly my dear, I couldn't give a shit. 😀

T shirts shorts and a fleece or hoodie do for me all year round .Don't do dressing up as I have no need .Have loads of shoes but never wear them as they look wrong with shorts

sackcloth and ashes !

CountZero - Member
Great fun reading this thread, in answer to the original question, whatever the **** I want to!
...
[Seemingly endless description of what he wears]
...
I couldn't give a shit

I think the lady doth protesteth (like many others who just so don't care!)

My single most expensive item of clothing, and I still only paid less than 50% of the RRP; cost £150:

[img][url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/778/21233675401_20b5e1ab38_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/778/21233675401_20b5e1ab38_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/ymm8VK ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/countzero1/ ]Adrian Hillier[/url], on Flickr

I think the lady doth protesteth (like many others who just so don't care!)

Ooh, I didn't know Adidas did leather jackets...

Work - Paul Smith suits and nicely cut patterned shirts
Casual - Levis (511 and 514) jeans or trousers, shirt with a collar. Good shoes.

M&S is for underwear, although the quality is now much poorer than it used to be.

48 and a BMI less than half my age 😉

I'm way past caring what anybody thinks, especially you.

You care so little that you must tell everyone!