On Style: Reclaiming Shirts With Collars
Jan. 16th, 2007 02:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mishalakOr, Geek Look Number Two
(The previous installment, Geek Look Number One, was mainly about tee shirts and jeans for men. Most of my advice is for men because I simply don't know that much about women's clothing.)
Office casual. The phrase calls up nebulous images of men in pleated slacks (or trousers if you prefer) with some sort of shirt with a collar, sometimes with and sometimes without a tie. It is totally practical, especially when the outfit is mostly of stain resistant material and worn appropriately for the weather. After all few of us need to do the heavy work that calls for jeans on most days. The trouble is that the look can make the man wearing it look like something of a corporate tool and so is not worn by geeks outside of places of work that require it. With suitable modification, however, it could be a practical and attractive look for a geek out on the town or at a science fiction convention. Pick your jaw up off the floor and let me explain.
Let's deal with the base of the outfit, the slacks first. Slacks traditionally are supposed to fall all the way to a man's shoes with a bit extra to cause a dent or bend in the material where it hits them. The bend should be a slight one, there should not be so much length that the back of the slacks are in danger of brushing the wearer's legs are straight. The waistband should ride comfortably just above the hips. There are two looks you should know about, pleated and flat front. The pleated style is older and widely considered stodgy and flat fronts are considered more modern as well as having the reputation for being easier to care for.
Dress shirts are categorized by the material they are made out of, primarily, rather than the cut. So if someone speaks of an oxford shirt it is referring to a material that looks like a sort of classic basket weave on closer inspection rather than to if the shirt has two pockets or one, button down or collar tabs, etc... Broadcloth, twill, and pinpoint are some other common shirt fabrics. Note: twill is usually considered more casual. As with tee shirt the ideal is that the seam between the sleeves and body should fall somewhere near the middle of the curve of the shoulders. But with actual dress shirts they're going to be sized based on neck and arm measurements rather than into the broad categories of S-M-L-XL. The body and shoulders are usually sized based off the neck size, the larger the neck size the bigger the body of the shirt. This can be difficult for some men as their body/shoulder size doesn't have the typical relationship to neck size. The only two solution is to get a neck size that is comfortable and tailor the body down (for slim men), seek out slim or larger cuts with the same neck size (sometimes hard to find), or to get tailored shirts (expensive). It is worth the effort though. A shirt that fits with the right amount of room around the body will make a person look better regardless of his size. It is also critical that the collar be loose enough to be comfortable. Note: if you don't know/have the right tools to measure your neck size go to a men's wear shop and ask for help. Really. That's what they're there to do.
Right so now with the addition of a sensible belt and a pair of smart shoes the wearer looks like a corporate drone and might get asked where stuff is at Best Buy if he happens to have picked the corporate uniform colors for managers. This can get particularly bad if instead of an actual shirt he chooses a polo shirt or other knit collared item and looks a bit young. I can't recall the number of times I was asked this before I learned that I needed to break the standard look in one big way or several smaller ways. Most of these ways are in the accessories though a few are in cut, color, or personal appearance.
High Water- One minor way to break the outfit away from the corporate mold and to look purposefully geeky is to go high water with white socks. Particularly if paired up with suspenders it will become obvious that you're doing this on purpose as a look rather than from cluelessness. More on them later. It also will be a bit cooler in hot climates. By itself it won't say geek in a good way and it also looks rather 1980s, if this is a good or bad thing is a matter of opinion.
A Tie- Sometimes you can say, "I'm not a tool," by going up market. Wearing a tie when not necessary is almost a sign of rebellion. Particularly if it is a non-standard tie such as a black skinny one, a bow tie, or a cravat. Novelty ties are for the most part unflattering, but some of the subtle ones can be okay. It does, however, say "geek!" quite loudly to be wearing a tie with the Tasmanian Devil on it.
Earrings and Jewelery- Obviously don't go for a mass of gold chain or something, you'll just look like a wannabe gangster. But wearing a single earring is a nice subtle way to make an otherwise boring corporate outfit interesting. It doesn't get you out of retail helper territory though. Replica Battlestar Galactica dog tags might though. A tie pin or bar can also be a tasteful way to proclaim your geekhood. Necklaces of stone or glass can look cool with an open collar dress shirt, but it is a hard paring to make.
No Khaki- It is an excellent break from the usual black, brown, and gray trousers, but unfortunately it is the color of choice for a lot of retail uniforms. If you like khaki and it looks good on you you're going to have to try extra hard to proclaim your geek status.
All Black- Striking, rather goth, and a good choice for saying I am not a corporate drone. It will work for nearly anyone bold enough to pull it off. Though it is better with one splash of color. A tie, suspenders, a scarf, etc.
Hats- A hat can change any outfit. It doesn't even have to be as bold as a top hat, a simple porkpie will change the whole attitude of what you are wearing. A ball cap won't though. Not even a star trek ball cap. Because they're worn by so many sloppy people ball caps are ruined for anyone who wants to look at all sophisticated. My favorite hat to wear during the winter is a big furry Russian style one.
Suspenders- Also called braces they are a good geek choice, but mostly pants are not designed to work with them anymore. Proper suspenders, instead of clip on ones, attach to a button on the inside of waistband. The advocates of suspenders will loudly say that these are the only type that should be worn. I'm somewhat sympathetic to their cause, but for the average guy a couple sets of clip on suspenders are the only way to go since the search for old style pants will be a long one. But never, never wear it with a belt. Also note that some men find them more comfortable than a belt to keep pants where they should be.
Pattern- A printed pattern on a shirt will push away from the safe shore of the business casual look. It probably won't break any corporate dress code, but a shirt printed with leaves would definitely not be standard. I have also seen otherwise standard dress shirts with embroidered or ironed on things on the pockets or back like the Hogwarts crest. Don't get a polo shirt like this, it doesn't work as well, but a dress shirt with something other than a monogram? Very cool, very geek.
The Jacket- Put on a tweed jacket. Oh come on! This is a major geek look of the past. It is all professor like and intellectual, it is cool. Heck there are a variety of non-standard jackets out there that you could wear provided it isn't too hot where you live. Provided it isn't a standard suit jacket it will help to set you apart. I am going to build myself a jacket that looks like a modernized doublet. Either a mostly standard suit cut made with brocade or a more doublet like cut with modern fabric. I think either will look good, and geek, over pleated slacks and a white shirt.
Hair- Your beard or hair length can be a major or minor way to break the look without changing any of the items you are wearing. I have long hair. Unless I tie it back into a sensible ponytail it makes me look very different even if I am wearing a dress shirt and tie. My look doesn't automatically look very geek, it looks more like something out of a fashion add with those guys with long hair and otherwise impeccable suits. But a neatly trimmed beard would go a long ways towards geek. If you don't have long hair you could purposefully not shave for three days or keep your stubble trimmed to a nice even length for a slacker who knows what he's doing sort of look.
Footgear- It doesn't always stand out, after all how often do you look at a man's feet? Well unless you're shy. But wearing non-standard footgear will count as one more minor way in which you are different.
Color/Pattern- Wear a bright color. No, much brighter than that. I'm talking violet, yellow (if it works with your skin), orange (ditto with emphasis the yellow note), any of the electric shades, and teal. A bright shirt definitely is not corporate. Plus many, many things come in things other than solid. I love my herringbone weave grey pants for being more interesting than the standard flat grey twill. I've just about worn them out. It would not count in any way towards making an outfit geek, but it does make it more than just flat and boring.
Now you should pick one major and one-two minor ways to break the outfit or three-four minor ways. For example my long hair is pretty major so I'd pick one other thing to say geek like a hematite necklace and/or my belt with the buckle that looks like it is right off the Enterprise. If I tied back my locks I could go with another minor thing to say geek, like a walking stick or hat. Mix it up, find something that you like. And wear clothes that are comfortable, make you look good, and feel good about yourself.
Suggestions/comments?
(The previous installment, Geek Look Number One, was mainly about tee shirts and jeans for men. Most of my advice is for men because I simply don't know that much about women's clothing.)
Office casual. The phrase calls up nebulous images of men in pleated slacks (or trousers if you prefer) with some sort of shirt with a collar, sometimes with and sometimes without a tie. It is totally practical, especially when the outfit is mostly of stain resistant material and worn appropriately for the weather. After all few of us need to do the heavy work that calls for jeans on most days. The trouble is that the look can make the man wearing it look like something of a corporate tool and so is not worn by geeks outside of places of work that require it. With suitable modification, however, it could be a practical and attractive look for a geek out on the town or at a science fiction convention. Pick your jaw up off the floor and let me explain.
Let's deal with the base of the outfit, the slacks first. Slacks traditionally are supposed to fall all the way to a man's shoes with a bit extra to cause a dent or bend in the material where it hits them. The bend should be a slight one, there should not be so much length that the back of the slacks are in danger of brushing the wearer's legs are straight. The waistband should ride comfortably just above the hips. There are two looks you should know about, pleated and flat front. The pleated style is older and widely considered stodgy and flat fronts are considered more modern as well as having the reputation for being easier to care for.
Dress shirts are categorized by the material they are made out of, primarily, rather than the cut. So if someone speaks of an oxford shirt it is referring to a material that looks like a sort of classic basket weave on closer inspection rather than to if the shirt has two pockets or one, button down or collar tabs, etc... Broadcloth, twill, and pinpoint are some other common shirt fabrics. Note: twill is usually considered more casual. As with tee shirt the ideal is that the seam between the sleeves and body should fall somewhere near the middle of the curve of the shoulders. But with actual dress shirts they're going to be sized based on neck and arm measurements rather than into the broad categories of S-M-L-XL. The body and shoulders are usually sized based off the neck size, the larger the neck size the bigger the body of the shirt. This can be difficult for some men as their body/shoulder size doesn't have the typical relationship to neck size. The only two solution is to get a neck size that is comfortable and tailor the body down (for slim men), seek out slim or larger cuts with the same neck size (sometimes hard to find), or to get tailored shirts (expensive). It is worth the effort though. A shirt that fits with the right amount of room around the body will make a person look better regardless of his size. It is also critical that the collar be loose enough to be comfortable. Note: if you don't know/have the right tools to measure your neck size go to a men's wear shop and ask for help. Really. That's what they're there to do.
Right so now with the addition of a sensible belt and a pair of smart shoes the wearer looks like a corporate drone and might get asked where stuff is at Best Buy if he happens to have picked the corporate uniform colors for managers. This can get particularly bad if instead of an actual shirt he chooses a polo shirt or other knit collared item and looks a bit young. I can't recall the number of times I was asked this before I learned that I needed to break the standard look in one big way or several smaller ways. Most of these ways are in the accessories though a few are in cut, color, or personal appearance.
High Water- One minor way to break the outfit away from the corporate mold and to look purposefully geeky is to go high water with white socks. Particularly if paired up with suspenders it will become obvious that you're doing this on purpose as a look rather than from cluelessness. More on them later. It also will be a bit cooler in hot climates. By itself it won't say geek in a good way and it also looks rather 1980s, if this is a good or bad thing is a matter of opinion.
A Tie- Sometimes you can say, "I'm not a tool," by going up market. Wearing a tie when not necessary is almost a sign of rebellion. Particularly if it is a non-standard tie such as a black skinny one, a bow tie, or a cravat. Novelty ties are for the most part unflattering, but some of the subtle ones can be okay. It does, however, say "geek!" quite loudly to be wearing a tie with the Tasmanian Devil on it.
Earrings and Jewelery- Obviously don't go for a mass of gold chain or something, you'll just look like a wannabe gangster. But wearing a single earring is a nice subtle way to make an otherwise boring corporate outfit interesting. It doesn't get you out of retail helper territory though. Replica Battlestar Galactica dog tags might though. A tie pin or bar can also be a tasteful way to proclaim your geekhood. Necklaces of stone or glass can look cool with an open collar dress shirt, but it is a hard paring to make.
No Khaki- It is an excellent break from the usual black, brown, and gray trousers, but unfortunately it is the color of choice for a lot of retail uniforms. If you like khaki and it looks good on you you're going to have to try extra hard to proclaim your geek status.
All Black- Striking, rather goth, and a good choice for saying I am not a corporate drone. It will work for nearly anyone bold enough to pull it off. Though it is better with one splash of color. A tie, suspenders, a scarf, etc.
Hats- A hat can change any outfit. It doesn't even have to be as bold as a top hat, a simple porkpie will change the whole attitude of what you are wearing. A ball cap won't though. Not even a star trek ball cap. Because they're worn by so many sloppy people ball caps are ruined for anyone who wants to look at all sophisticated. My favorite hat to wear during the winter is a big furry Russian style one.
Suspenders- Also called braces they are a good geek choice, but mostly pants are not designed to work with them anymore. Proper suspenders, instead of clip on ones, attach to a button on the inside of waistband. The advocates of suspenders will loudly say that these are the only type that should be worn. I'm somewhat sympathetic to their cause, but for the average guy a couple sets of clip on suspenders are the only way to go since the search for old style pants will be a long one. But never, never wear it with a belt. Also note that some men find them more comfortable than a belt to keep pants where they should be.
Pattern- A printed pattern on a shirt will push away from the safe shore of the business casual look. It probably won't break any corporate dress code, but a shirt printed with leaves would definitely not be standard. I have also seen otherwise standard dress shirts with embroidered or ironed on things on the pockets or back like the Hogwarts crest. Don't get a polo shirt like this, it doesn't work as well, but a dress shirt with something other than a monogram? Very cool, very geek.
The Jacket- Put on a tweed jacket. Oh come on! This is a major geek look of the past. It is all professor like and intellectual, it is cool. Heck there are a variety of non-standard jackets out there that you could wear provided it isn't too hot where you live. Provided it isn't a standard suit jacket it will help to set you apart. I am going to build myself a jacket that looks like a modernized doublet. Either a mostly standard suit cut made with brocade or a more doublet like cut with modern fabric. I think either will look good, and geek, over pleated slacks and a white shirt.
Hair- Your beard or hair length can be a major or minor way to break the look without changing any of the items you are wearing. I have long hair. Unless I tie it back into a sensible ponytail it makes me look very different even if I am wearing a dress shirt and tie. My look doesn't automatically look very geek, it looks more like something out of a fashion add with those guys with long hair and otherwise impeccable suits. But a neatly trimmed beard would go a long ways towards geek. If you don't have long hair you could purposefully not shave for three days or keep your stubble trimmed to a nice even length for a slacker who knows what he's doing sort of look.
Footgear- It doesn't always stand out, after all how often do you look at a man's feet? Well unless you're shy. But wearing non-standard footgear will count as one more minor way in which you are different.
Color/Pattern- Wear a bright color. No, much brighter than that. I'm talking violet, yellow (if it works with your skin), orange (ditto with emphasis the yellow note), any of the electric shades, and teal. A bright shirt definitely is not corporate. Plus many, many things come in things other than solid. I love my herringbone weave grey pants for being more interesting than the standard flat grey twill. I've just about worn them out. It would not count in any way towards making an outfit geek, but it does make it more than just flat and boring.
Now you should pick one major and one-two minor ways to break the outfit or three-four minor ways. For example my long hair is pretty major so I'd pick one other thing to say geek like a hematite necklace and/or my belt with the buckle that looks like it is right off the Enterprise. If I tied back my locks I could go with another minor thing to say geek, like a walking stick or hat. Mix it up, find something that you like. And wear clothes that are comfortable, make you look good, and feel good about yourself.
Suggestions/comments?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-16 10:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-16 10:24 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-16 10:17 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-16 10:22 pm (UTC)