For the Men: WHat does your sense of fashion/appearance say about you?

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

Ok.....so I recently started reading...and I mean really reading GQ magazine as of May (Jessica Alba issue) and they pack a lot of insightful and informative articles about how men can take care of themselves as far as dressing to impress and altho some of the stuff I agree with, a lot of it I either 'knew' growing up or some of it is new and stuff I would like to try....like for instance, types of watches ....and I own like 4....when I was a kid I was a watch nut who liked digital Timex asio glow in the dark tell time all over the planet kinda watches but as I got older, I came back to wearing analog watches as they were just....classy. As we get older, wiser, and deeper pockets our mode of dress and taking care of oneself should change...

So...a few questions to the fellas (and I know some of you ladies will chime in too)

1. How has your fashion sense changed within the past 10 to 15 years?

2. What colors do you prefer to wear, what colors for you are a no...and what have you found that works best? (sidebar: when going out with a signficant other, is there a need to color coordinate with her too?)

3. Is there a big difference between boxers and briefs or do we just blow this up for no reason?

4. Shaving......simply discuss....

5. Any preference for soaps

6. How do you do for smell goods (colognes)

7. Any guys get mani and pedi's?

8. What are some on the spot things that you keep with you when you go out that may keep you at the top of your game when in good company.

9. How are you about shoes? Large collection small collection how much do you spend on a pair?

10. How important is it for men to get a haircut....

I will answer a few to get it started.

1. For me, within the past 10 years I can say that I have finally come to terms with having a well balanced closet. By that I mean, I can geek up in shirt and tie in the morning, dress it down with a jersey or short sleeve polo in the afternoon and I own not just one, but 3 suits. One thing my mother taught me was to make sure you always own a suit because you never know when you will need to really make that impression.

When I was in my 20s I was all jeans all the time and at least 2 or 3 of slacks...now I have about as many slacks and khakis as I do jeans with decent combinations of how to dress them up and down

Some of my particulars: Since I have a slim to medium frame, I try for loose fitting clothes because they are comfortable, I have to really be careful when it comes to pants is altho the waist may fit, it's the length that gets me.

Over the last 2 years, when it gets warm, I have really started enjoying waering linen and I am still trying to find that 'perfect' linen blazer like one I had 5 years ago.

What made me laugh was one article I read stated that pants should be long enough to show off the shoes but not so long as to hide your feet....that is so true as I see a lot of guys whose pants are so dayum short... not everyone can get tailor made pants but you should know when u are feeling that breeze on your ankles...hehehe


3. I think we make a big deal out of the whole boxers briefs thing...really it's just a matter of comfort, however I do believe that when you get a certain age (when you start buying your own clothes dammit!) tidy whities are a no...I am boxers type of guy but what I also like are boxer briefs because they are a biy more comfy some days and they keep all the equipmnt tucked just so....but bottom line people is that some of us gotta do better with the clenliness thing..I was watching an episode of blind dates and this guy had gotten this girl to give him a massage....sad part was he was close to getting some...and he had skid marks....instant buzzkill. Sure, the last thing anyone may ever see are our undies but, just like the outer is the first impression, the undies may leave a lasting impression...and some women can attest to this....

8. I have gotten in the habit of carrying hand gel, and small tube of cocoa butter, altoids and on occasion, toothbrush and toothpaste (yeah you heard me right!) Nothing worse that looking dressed to kill, you get to where you going and dayum...you got cracked hands, or you ate all them onions and now your breaf is rank. Fellas, it's ok to carry this stuff...you don't need ALL of them simultaneously and for less than 5 bucks you can get it at CVS. They are just as important as having that condom u wanna use and just think....if you didn't have them altoids to freshen your stank ass breaf you may not ever get to use the condom!

9. Unlike women, we men should have a utility collection of shoes....aint no way in hell I need to have a collection that would put Imelda Marcos and DSW shoes to shame. My closet contains the following: 3 pairs of sneakers ( 2 hangin' out pairs and 1 raggedy pair,) 2 pairs of dress shoes (Kenneth Cole black patent leathers and Stacy Adams brown) 2 pairs of Timberland casual oxfords, 2 pairs of Timberland boots, 1 pair of sandals. YOu need shoes for every occasion and since some of us pay a lot of money for our shoes, some of us need to relearn the art of keeping shoes clean. But come on now, no sense in having 10 pairs of black shoes!!!!

Now, I know for myself since I have sensitive feet, I can't go cheap on shoes. I will spend 70 to 125 for shoes as long as they fit and long lasting. 2 of the shoes I have now I have had for the past 3 years and as long as they stay maintenenced, they may last another until it's time for a new pair. Best advice on shoes...if they feel too snug, get them a 1/2 size higher because every shoe is not cut the same and when your foot fluctuates between a 14 to 15 like mine do, it counts.

4. Shaving - Days I know I need to shave, that is about at least another 20 mins I gotta get up earlier or do the night before. WHen I was younger I didn't really pay attention to the whole bad shave thing, but then I learned about steaming the face to make the hair more pliable, stopped using disposable razors and then washing and moisturizing when done. I have been using a Sensor razor since about 96. I got a Fusion last year and I like it a little better....I just hate that the daymed blades cost almost 10 bucks but the quality of the save is better


6. Cologne - My collection is 1/2 and 1/2..... 1/2 cologne (Issey Miyake, Kenneth Cole Black, Armani, Polo Blue) and 1/2 oil of whatever I am feeling during that time....when it comes to oils I vary between fruit scents (believe me if you smell like food, she may get hungry for you...hehehe) and musk scents. I also try like a regular scented oil to see if I really wanna get the cologne because sometimes u go to the store, smell the colonge, wear it a few times and hate it..mad that you spent 50 bucks on it!

10. Since I have dredds, kinda moot unless you count getting a shape up...but as far as that is concerned, my s.o. maintains my loqs. I wash it and then she takes about 2 to 3 hrs to do the maintenence....and a lot of folks who have dredds really miss out on maintaining thier hair...it's a whole lot more to it than simply having hair that you dont have to brush or comb....nothing worse than seeing someone with unkempt dredds

[OneTimeSBX]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

6. Cologne - My collection is 1/2 and 1/2..... 1/2 cologne (Issey Miyake, Kenneth Cole Black, Armani, Polo Blue) and 1/2 oil of whatever I am feeling during that time....when it comes to oils I vary between fruit scents (believe me if you smell like food, she may get hungry for you...hehehe) and musk scents. I also try like a regular scented oil to see if I really wanna get the cologne because sometimes u go to the store, smell the colonge, wear it a few times and hate it..mad that you spent 50 bucks on it!

i think males and females should try the oils. i was strictly a perfume/body spray girl until i met my fiance, who is allergic to colognes. something about the alcohol...anyway, i also noticed that the sprays change with my body chemistry. it runs in the family, my mom actually has to be careful what brand watch she buys because it will quit on her! oils to me last sooo much longer, more variety...i am a fan for life! besides, who cant shell out 5 bucks for an oil and the parfum version is damn near 60 bucks????

[LaneSig]

1. How has my fashion sense changed?

I used to wear clothes baggier. About 6 years ago, I started working out and eating healthier. I dropped 20 lbs.(went from 200 to 180) and went from 21% body fat to 12%. I have a bit more confidence now, so I wear clothes that fit better. I don't wear very expensive clothes to teach school.

2. Colors I wear?

Mostly blues and greens. I have sandy blond (turning white) hair and blue/green eyes. I will wear some light pink. I won't wear yellow. I hate the color and it looks bad on me.

3. Boxers vs. briefs?

I settled that problem with boxerbriefs. I do wear boxers to sleep in or if I'm wandering around the house.

4. Shaving. Yes, every day. I don't like feeling scrungy.

5. Soap.

Non-perfumed. Not because of allergies or anything. My ex-fiancee told me not to wear Irish Spring or other scented soaps if I was going to wear cologne. The smells clash.


6. Cologne

I switch back and forth. I use Carolina Herrera for Men and when it runs out I use Cool Water. (Two of my 2nd grade girls used to come up to me, stick their noses into my shirts and take big whiffs. They loved how I smelled.)

7. Mani and pedis?

Again, ex-fiancee (what didn't I do for her????) had me go get a manicure before a wedding we were going to. I will never do it again. I cannot stand the sound of the file on the nails. It makes me grit my teeth and leave the room if any of my female relatives are using one.

8. Emergencies?

I keep a little shaving kit in my gym bag and leave it in the car. It has all the necessities for an overnight stay. I also keep a cap in the car just in case I don't get to shower.

9. Shoes?

4 pairs of dress shoes, 1 pair hiking boots, 2 pairs of workout shoes, 2 pairs of flipflops. I have bought a pair of $150 shoes, but they were on sale for $60. Does that count as expensive?

10. Haircut?

I think it depends on the guy. I have had longer hair, total buzz cut, and short preppy. If it is cut properly and kept cleaned, I think it is alright. I do have to admit that I had more women make comments about my buzz cut. They said that they liked the clean, neat look of it.