Styling feedback: corduroy jacket, trousers
So today I tried to emulate another POPEYE style, this time this casual image. I didn't have exactly that brown jacket but I did have a button-on shirt that I felt matched the vibe. I also used a pair of Levi's 502 trousers which I felt closely matched the silhouette here.
What works here and what doesn't?
87 Replies
Needs fuller trousers imo
Less slim
I wouldnt be surprised if you've gotten this advice already - but generally when I see your outfits its the pants that let the sillhouette down for me
the style you've been posting inspo from generally has looser clothing that lets it fall and drape a lot more, and uses otherwise simple pieces to stand out with fit and sillhouette
jumping back to a previous waywt that you posted:
I think the jumper fits perfectly here!
whereas the pants look a lot messier in a way that looks unintentional and doesn't really match the inspo
the hard thing about this is obviously that finding things that fit well takes time and patience, especially when you don't have much to compare to in your wardrobe already
But it seems like you're doing well finding sources of inspo and once you have a couple of pieces that fit right it becomes a lot easier to understand what you're looking for!
Thanks!
Yeah, I did guess that the trousers would be the issue here :linkSweatSmile:
It's one of my favourite jumpers!
https://discord.com/channels/1116793467654381685/1116800072093532191/1292799509503676438
Really cosy.
I'll take a look out 🫡
I assume at this point probably baggy pants
they don't necessarily need to be baggy, even just something that fits straight through the leg would go a long way I think
Ok
https://universalworks.co.uk/pages/trouser-fit-guide this is actually quite a useful guide to different widths and cuts of trousers, and how they fall. None of them are what I would call baggy
Universal Works
The Universal Works Trouser Fit Guide.
Here at Universal Works, we believe that a good pair of trousers forms the foundation of any great outfit, which is why we offer one of the widest selections out there! From slim to straight, tapered to loose, we have something for everyone. We hope our Trouser Fit Guide helps you choose your go-to pair.
ignoring how close or how far your fit is from the inspiration, how do you feel about your fit?
sometimes in doing this you can find something of benefit even if or perhaps because it's not a direct interpretation
ex in the pic the guy is wearing an oversized or at least drop-shouldered pullover vs your button down; it's not necessarily bad, just different, and that might be useful for you
I think the fits alright, although there is obviously room for improvement.
I'm also trying on trousers to see if I can get a better fit.
(Ignore the wet hair. I didn't take a coat today) :derp:
obvious improvement such as...
This feels a bit more loose on the legs
:linkThink:
Looser jeans?
that wasn't a hypothetical; part of building up a base of inspiration is to train your eye on things that you like or dislike and this is another form of that, being able to see what you like or dislike about something physically on you
i would agree with looser jeans - probably a straight or relaxed fit
For reference, they're Polo Jeans, and they're asking ÂŁ40 for it
I think part of the reason the original trousers are looking slim is because they are bunching around the knee and ankle - which might actually be due to their length. I think a hem would fix a lot of that
Getting them shortened by 2 or even 3 inches might help
I think it would be useful to think about what you're trying to recreate: if just the colour scheme you've done that well. If it's more the overall vibes of the outfit there's a bit of work to do because the inspiration silhouette is so flowing and relaxed, whereas yours hasn't quite got that. Which doesn't mean it's bad, it's just not quite achieving the same things as the inspiration.
Tried on some more trousers at TK Maxx. These Calvin ones (image 1) are the closest to what I'm looking for.
It's somewhat more relaxed
still landing in the realm
of slim
Regular taper
:why_dissolve:
i think it might be worthwhile to find your waist measurements / inseam and look online - charity shops might be a hard spot to find looser pants
This is a vintage shop :linkSweatSmile:
But yeah
i don't believe the inspo pic is a tapered fit at all, probably a regular
I decided as a last ditch effort (looking in score) to browse the clearance aisle of trousers
I think these look better, but you’d probably have to consider the effect of shoes too
They might push against your pants, causing crumpling and stuff
getting closer in terms of fit imo, especially the black pair
the style is not the same but imo the width is more straight than previous efforts and the length is probably good (try on with shoes)
With the shoes :linkThumbsUp:
How does it look now?
The one on the left is definitely out as it is imo, unless it’s cuffed/hemmed, but I’m not sure if it’s worth the effort
Second one looks better I think
Err but take my advice with a pinch of salt I’m still working out how to get pants that drape well myself
These both look like waterproof hiking pants and if that’s the case you shouldn’t buy them
yeah
at the very least they look like casual joggers
(I didn't get either of them in the end)
Didn’t you have a one month buy ban
Puppy? :thonk:
I don't get it lol
https://discord.com/channels/1116793467654381685/1298359675124715642/1299440899398438952
I do have a pair of 501s so I'll try them with this when I get home
might be time to resume the buy ban 🥲
When you’re trying on pants I recommend tucking in your t shirt, not wearing another layer on top, and putting on your shoes
But yeah keep not buying stuff
I know it’s frustrating to be told that you need different clothes to achieve the looks you like but also being told not to buy things
But you still need time to actually parse the differences between what you’re seeing in pictures and what you’re seeing irl
501s good cut but these are a little long by the looks of things, and based on your inspo black probably isn't the best colour jeans for you.
yeah, these are 32x32, but i'd probably be more suited for 30x30, and I think something like a darker blue would be better here.
I think it could still work with something like this
how many pictures have you earmarked with black jeans so far
one trap i hit early (and often) is seeing something cool that wasn't specifically my style and trying to justify its inclusion in my wardrobe
not sure
i would go through and see to be sure; you want to find the distinction between "i want to wear this because it suits me" and "i want to wear this because it's cool/i already own it/it fits"
Ah, ok
Yeah, I've not found ways to incorporate the Burberry clothing I've got.
Not that it matters anyway, one of them is fake and the other is pretty small 🥲
The exception is the hat.
And also the Burberry Brit diffusion line shirt, but it's mostly a black shirt
This is the probably not fake but pretty small shirt
You're probably starting to run into the issue a lot of us had and we are warning about. It's really easy to buy stuff because in isolation it's nice/the price is good/it's a desirable brand or item etc. But without paying attention your whole wardrobe and having a clear set of goals those individually nice items don't build into a cohesive wardrobe that allows you to make good outfits.
It might be useful to think about themes of silhouette, colour pallette, pattern and texture across multiple items a bit. See if those themes exist in your inspo. What unifies items and makes them work together?
What unifies items and makes them work together?Outfits? :linkThink:
i think they mean "within your specific inspo, what unifies items and makes them work together"
I'm not sure
So work on working that out before buying more stuff đź‘Ť
Working on the overall outfit?
Yes, but in particular what is common across the outfits you've saved as inspiration. Not just the items themselves, but how they come together.
i also checked and theres about 9 photos of black jeans in 78
in my inspo folder on my Mac
Ok 🤔
Because I think examples are useful, these are 4 pictures from my personal inspo. Big themes here for me without focusing on individual items:
matching fabrics that play on the idea of a suit, but not in normal business suit cuts.
Big trousers in exaggerated cuts.
Patterns!
Texture!
All of them have pretty comfy and cosy vibes to me, whilst also being a bit silly and playful.
I can definitely recognise the patterns :linkHotCocoa:
The big trousers as well
I would also notice that generally the outfits are balanced. Note especially in the final three that the jackets have something exaggerated about them as well as the trousers. In the 4th the jacket is cropped to the trousers high waist. In the 3rd theres wide shoulders. In two the big coat flows like the trousers.
But you really should try to do this kind of exercise with your inspo in my opinion.
Ok
So what I could do is look at my inspo and pick out details? :linkThink:
More like overall themes
Than getting too fixated on details, I think
Think of it like a mood board not a shopping list
Like looking at old RL and PRL lookbooks what vibes do you get? Americana, worn in denim, blends of menswear and workwear, trad sporting gear, oversized and loose cuts, lots of layering, collars collars and more collars, everything is a softer fabric, you don’t see many hard creases
As an exercise, take a bunch of your inspo pics and try to sort them a little, but don’t sort by color or item, sort by feeling, does this feel more like this or more like that
Don’t define any categories just move them around, put them next to each other
i'll try it out tomorrow đź‘Ť
i'm thinking of how i could do it.
perhaps by opening a PowerPoint and putting the pics i've got into those categories of feelings.
I just wanna say this was a really awesome thread from everyone involved. Especially @mattw2, I really liked the explanation on how to break down inspo into themes. Really eloquent descriptions! I think it’s really easy to advise newcomers to collect inspo and figure out what they like before a purchase but you really do a great job in isolating how to evaluate inspo
:linkThumbsUp:
I've sorted them into serious rocker vibe (top), semi-serious streetwear vibe (bottom left), and casual vibe (bottom right).
oh wait they're in categories :why_dissolve:
i think it's a decent first attempt.
This is also freeform not PowerPoint :xd:
🤔
How well did I get on?
I'll try it again later :linkBow:
Don’t get distracted by stuff like “is holding a guitar” haha
Hah :xd:
:thonk:
What could I do differently?
i think you're focusing more on narrow forms of categorization than big picture themes and your own personal intuition
i think looking for additional sources of inspo would help, as locking into popeye means you're going off of that magazine's aesthetic
and in organizing them, like bishop said, go off of feeling. what do you feel this person is like - what do they like doing, where do they spend their free time, etc
try to avoid obvious cues like "they're all holding guitars so they're all rockers" because the takeaway would be "oh i need to carry a guitar everywhere"
:linkBow:
I took a quick look at the RL book and I could really resonate with the western looks
A part of the reason I mentioned RRL is that a lot of their clothes are really reminiscent of classic western styling but the best part is you can achieve the look easily on a budget with clothes from vintage shops
Assuming you enjoy the look that is
it seems like it, yeah
If you’re anywhere near London there’s insane vintage stores with great selection
I'm about an hour away from London
ATIKA London is probably one of my favorite vintage shops
There’s tons and tons surrounding it in the area too
Ok, so I've got a big Ralph Lauren book to use for inspo.
But how can I get those pictures in digital form to use for my mood board? 🤔
Scanning at university or just take pictures of the page
I've got a printer with a scanner at home
:linkBow:
Although the one at uni is larger
how can I make an excuse to go to London in general
Post exam treat or something like that
Once your cop freeze is up haha
i don't have any exams lol :xd:
all coursework
but yeah, after i'm done for the year
my cop freeze will be over by then
So at this stage, would it be better to focus on collecting more inspo?
Actually I know it’s yes, lol
I think i just wasn’t sure what to do next :linkSweatSmile:
Just keep paying attention to fashion, look for inspo when you can, look at what people are wearing irl or on here
Absorb absorb absorb
You have a ton of fantastic books and journals and podcasts that were recommended to you. The next step is to read those. While you’re out and about, bishops advice is fantastic in looking at what others are wearing
and also live your life in the process
our lives, our experiences, our passions shape our tastes and yes, our clothing preferences, and those come from living, and doing, and making connections between the things we do and what we wear (or what people wear) when doing them
Yeah this isn't something you can do once and learn it all in a week
Most people here have been "into" fashion in some form or another for years, it's an ongoing and pretty much lifelong process so long as you stay interested in it :)
So try not to get too overwhelmed by all the advice given, it's all very helpful just in terms of learning how to frame things and helping to delevop your own personal tastes and knowledge base
Which will undoubtedly change as you go through your journey!
Thanks
This is something I'll definitely continue to work on.
This morning I did some work collecting inspo from one of the RL books.
The inspo definitely matches the vibe I'm leaning towards atm.
i think we're a lot alike sam 🙂 not just in aesthetics (though there's overlap) but by having an enthusiasm for learning and for measurable improvement but also maybe wanting to be sure we're on the right track with this because there's a lot of things out there
i think you're doing the right things; it's hard because there's some things you truly will not know until it comes up (be they brands or what to shop for) and that not knowing can suck
the way to do it is to keep at it, like you're doing. keep finding inspiration that speaks to your heart, and keep engaging with and observing the world.
this will probably take time but the question becomes: what's the rush? you're doing what you can do to grow and that's an accomplishment, whether you make a breakthrough in ten minutes or ten years.
Thanks :linkSmile: