Any suggestions for smarter alternatives to tshirts while still being firmly in casual territory?
I've lost a lot of weight this past year and I'm learning to dress in accordance with my new body type, as well as investing in pieces that are a little more fitted. I've noticed a lot of fashion bloggers divide their outfit into pants, top and shoes, and have two of those pieces be formal, and one casual, or the reverse, to balance their outfits. I really like that idea, since my favourite clothes right now are a pair of nice boots, and one of my pairs of nicer pants I've had tailored. Problem is they feel quite formal and the whole outfit very easily slips into business casual if I pair them with anything even the slightest bit formal, like a button down.
I also really like tucking in my top. It just suits my body type so much better, and untucked tops feel really sloppy on me. Tshirts, even nicer or newer ones, still feel a bit too casual and look a little jarring with my outfits though, unless I layer them, but at that point it feels excessive.
Does anybody have any ideas? I'm thinking waffle knit long sleeve crew necks for the texture aspect, or maybe henleys for the interesting collar? I basically want an option for an interesting top I can use to dress down my outfit a little, that's still in casual territory. Any ideas that I can check out are welcome!
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do you have pictures of the boots and pants?
henleys will never not look like underwear to me but that's subjective ig.
realistically, formality is more than the sum of a top + bottom + shoe.
Check out some of these recent best of waywt posts to see how people here are playing with formality a bit.
I am also not a henly fan. As you can also see in some examples that zeo posted, there are more casual collared shirts out there. Flannels, denim (or chambray) shirts, or anything more western leaning will read as more casual than a poplin or even oxford shirt. The way you style the shirt can also help, think about not ironing it too much, showing undershirt, etc. Art is a master at this. You can also look into popovers (like the green one in franki is wearing), which to me read a bit more casual than a regular shirt, rugby shirts, or nice polo's. Imo a polo is nicer without buttons, such as the one malti is wearing here (with the leather jacket).
How about a rugby shirt?
I feel like the fit is super important with these though
Hey! I oddly enough, do not! I'll take a picture as soon as I'm home, but here's a link to the boots: (https://www.peterjacksons.com/products/massimo-black-semi-brogue-boot?sku=18064589696595633212862990&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopline-feed&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw782_BhDjARIsABTv_JBLd6vqwVQ9fOTZIRGgCQZR3ZjPtx4780XkxBDNPKQlur6AhUSKUdwaAuePEALw_wcB)
For the pants, they're basically just black wool or wool blend suit pants or smart pants. I have a few pairs I've collected from op shops then either had tailored or tailored myself to fit in the waist, and often brought up slightly to show off the boot. I realised a while ago that I quite like simple pants that fit well, and focusing on fit has improved my outfits a lot.
Peter Jackson
Massimo Black Semi-Brogue Boot
Introducing our Massimo Semi-Brogue Black Boot, a sleek and versatile choice for your footwear rotation. With subtle brogue detailing along the toe cap, these boots offer a touch of sophistication to any ensemble. Crafted from premium black leather, they exude timeless style and durability. Whether you're dressing up for a formal event or keepin...
I totally get it. I think a lot of people think of henleys as underwear. I personally feel how you feel about henleys about ribbed tanks. Some people will happily wear them by themselves; I instantly just think "underwear".
And thanks for the images! I definitely understand what you mean by formality being more than the sum of it's parts, but I suppose you could say that I'm trying to avoid the trap of dressing more formal instead of dressing better. I think dressing more formal out of a lack of knowledge is such an easy pitfall that I, and just about everybody else, have fallen for in the past, but now that losing weight has given me such a great excuse to just overhaul my wardrobe, I'm trying to avoid it this time around!
I think layering is gonna be key for me here; the images you shared absolutely reinforce that. I've already started playing around with it, and I think I'm on the right track.
I hadn't thought of a popover, but I feel like they're pretty much perfect for what I'm looking for. I'm not necessarily sold on the henley idea, so don't worry! I think I just have rose tinted glasses from my last henley I wore often, which I'd altered to fit me quite well and was just a really nice shirt.
I'm not in America, so Western style clothing isn't quite as accessible here, but I'll definitely have a look at it. I think that previous attempts to integrate it have caused a bit of a formality clash between my upper and lower half, which pushed me away from it. Might be worth giving it another go.
I do quite like the showing undershirt or tank top underneath your shirt though. I wear that combo often, and I think it suits me really well. Might be that that's the way forward for me. Experimenting with different fabrics and textures for the top shirt is very much why I made this post; trying to find options I hadn't thought of that might suit!
I actually hadn't even considered these, but that might work. What do you think about the fit? And would you wear it by itself, or over a tshirt or tank top? I often tuck in my shirts, but I feel like that might not work with a rugby shirt. What are your thoughts?
What if I told you it has a (droopy) button
Need to get it fixed tbh
My world is shattered :nooooo:
Still looks great though, nice texture
Full cashmere ✨
oh oops I forgot to reply. I think for rugby shirts it's better to err on the side of baggier, fitting ones look kinda dorky in a not great way. I personally just don't like the side vents on the bottom of a lot of rugby shirts so I would probably tuck it in if it had those. essentially I like it when rugby shirts are treated more like sweatshirt replacement than a t shirt replacement. thicker material would also be nice