Alright, 2 years later, 28yo, I look like crap and I want to reinvent myself fashion wise. I'm already getting back in shape and improving my food habits.

I'm looking for some kind of advice, I don't know much about fashion but I would say I can tell good from bad (maybe). Is it possible to dress cool with a reasonable/economical budget? One more thing, drying and cleaning. How do you 一人暮らし guys do it?

Dress simple?

I'm only in high school, so that's how I roll with my budget. lol

I am also a fashion-oblivious person. But lately, I have finally started to get it.
It was actually just a couple years ago when I started watching kpop music videos (particularly 2ne1 and bigbang) that I began to really notice fashion for the first time in my life.
And you know what? Fashion sense is not just something we are born with. You can learn it. I would say start out by picking out some people (could be celebs, or friends, or whoever) who dress in a way that you really like. Then analyze their clothing, see what it consists of. Think about why you think it looks cool.
When you go shopping, try on some things that are a little bit outside of your comfort zone. Have a friend or someone go along to give you suggestions. Or ask a store clerk for suggestions.

With most of the high priced fashion stuff, they do a lot of the hard work for you. A whole look can be ready for you, you just have to pay for it.
Once you start to get an eye for mixing different things together, you could probably go to a thift store and put together some nice outfits.

I haven't looked, but there are probably also a ton of youtube videos about stuff like this that you can learn from.

Try this site:
http://www.style-arena.jp/

It's broken down by area (Harajuku, Shinjuku, Omotesando, Daikanyama, Ginza).
The site scouts people on the streets of Tokyo and gives information about what they wearing (brand, price,etc).

Just look at what people are wearing and try to figure out what you like and don't like.
You need to come up with your own fashion sense.

Don't dress fancy just to get attention. Your fashion sense must become you and reflect your inner self.

Buy a Japanese fashion magazine and kill two birds with one stone.

What about the ironing part? Is it a necessary evil after all or you can live without it?

Growl Wrote:What about the ironing part? Is it a necessary evil after all or you can live without it?

For ironing, i'd recommend getting a Rowenta steam iron.
They make professional irons that are often used by businesses.

Recently, many of the cheaper Rowenta irons are made in China.
Stay away from them. Get one that is made in Germany.

I got my Rowenta DZ5080 Focus iron for $80 on Black Friday (retail price $140).

What makes an iron worth that much?
It perfectly irons clothes in one swipe.
That alone has saved me so many times.
Also, if you're running a cleaning/ironing business, time is money.

When I least expect, I need to go out in good ironed clothes.
Plug in the iron, set it to auto-steam and wait 1 minute, a few swipes and I'm done.
No need to go back and forth. I can literally iron anything at the last minute.

Once in a while use the "self-clean" mode.
I love it and it's worth every penny.

The 2 professional irons they have are the DW8080 and the DW9080 "Steamium" Iron.
The Steamium is the top-of-the-line. Pro Master is the next best.
Below Pro Master, there's also the "Focus Iron", which is what I have.
They also have an energy saving DW6080 iron.

I think the other cheaper Rowenta irons are probably made in China and you should
avoid those.

I know it might sound ridiculous to spend so much on an iron.
But irons last forever and you'll likely encounter situations where
it'll save you.

[s0apgun]

Buy clothes that fit. Invest in some nice jeans and several pairs of shoes. You can get away with blank t-shirts everyday. Invest in a nice technical winter jacket and some reasonably priced sweatshirts. It doesn't take much to appear fashionable to the average person if thats who you're trying to impress. Fashion killas will never be impressed unless you're a sufu japanese supreme goth ninja hypebeast IRAISEPRICE fashion god. (http://supremegothninja.tumblr.com/)

edit: 2nd that on uniqlo thats a pretty good start VVV

I find that the fit can be just as important as the look of the garment itself. A lot of the models for places like Gap and ユニクロ make pretty ordinary clothes look good just by having good posture/physique and a proper fit. So don't settle for something you really like or that happens to be cheap when it doesn't fit really well, and get rid of any gut blubber if you have any, since slim-fit everything is pretty fashionable now.

places like Uniqlo, H&M etc (fast fashion) are quite cheap and have decent quality and design.

Being in shape is generally the most important thing.

You made that infinity anki polar bear post.....


Slim, simple and sophisticated works

The more time you spend shopping the more bang you get for you buck. Go to a lot of places, try on a lot, don't be embarrassed to try on a lot at the same store, and only buy things you really love. If you are on the fence about something don't buy it.

Anyway, if you spend less time shopping, or if you buy things you are on the fence about, you end up buying things that you later realize weren't worth it, and were a waste of money.

If you're overweight, lose the weight first before you start buying tons of new clothes. Then when you do buy clothes, buy stuff that will last a long time. Quality over quantity.

http://i.imgur.com/UlboPFq.jpg

This is how the cool guys dress now

dizmox Wrote:http://img5.blogs.yahoo.co.jp/ybi/1/21/9...37339100_0

This is how the cool guys dress now

They dress like a broken link?

28? you are too old to want to care about fashion

If you're interested in the opinions of people who spend far too much time discussing fashion, you might get something out of the fashion boards over at 4chan.

http://boards.4chan.org/fa/

Last time I was on there (over a year or so ago), they had a "guide" type thing. Oh, they do, only it's an entire website dedicated to it. Here:

http://thefaggotstore.org/

It actually looks rather thorough. Can't comment on the value- "fashion" is confusion as theology to me.

It's awesome that you want to start looking good. It's amazing how much better you can feel when you learn how to dress yourself!

s0apgun Wrote:Buy clothes that fit. Invest in some nice jeans and several pairs of shoes. You can get away with blank t-shirts everyday. Invest in a nice technical winter jacket and some reasonably priced sweatshirts. It doesn't take much to appear fashionable to the average person if thats who you're trying to impress. Fashion killas will never be impressed unless you're a sufu japanese supreme goth ninja hypebeast IRAISEPRICE fashion god. (http://supremegothninja.tumblr.com/)

A lot of my guy friends ask me to help them reform their wardrobes when they decide they don't want to look like college freshmen anymore, and I usually tell them something like this. If you aren't used to putting together killer outfits, it's definitely best to start simple. A lot of guys (sorry, I'm assuming from your post that you are male) who decide to get fashionable go out and buy a bunch of flashy things they think are trendy (the dreaded fedora syndrome) before they've even learned how clothes should fit and how to mix/match colors. It's usually pretty obvious when someone who hasn't developed an eye for style starts piling on the "cool" clothes. It looks like they are trying too hard. Stick with nice but simple basics in modern shapes while you learn to pay attention to your clothes.

There are definitely plenty of places to get interesting clothing at reasonable prices, but something I wouldn't skimp on is a couple of pairs of nice shoes. They really have a huge impact on your overall appearance, and cheap shoes usually look/wear/feel like crap. I recommend getting a cool pair of sneakers or casual shoes and a less casual pair that look a little sharper. If you can stand wearing boots, a simple boot instantly looks pretty stylish for that second pair.

The Art of Manliness is a blog with tons of advice for guys that has great dress/grooming section

This article might be a good place to start: Dressing Sharp & Casual: The Comprehensive Guide for Young Men

If you are willing to shop online, I can recommend plenty of good places to start.

If you are actually female, not male... my apologies, and that's a different set of advice!

[RawToast]

Growl Wrote:What about the ironing part? Is it a necessary evil after all or you can live without it?

My washer/dryer has a 'hanging' option on the dryer. It seems to dry the clothes to the point where if you hang them straight after the cycle ends, you do not need to iron them. Still you have to be ready for it, if you take them out too late it won't work!

One thing I learned from my girlfriend is to wear clothes that fit your body. I used to wear whatever clothes I had, and I guess I looked kind of silly because I'm a really skinny guy and my clothes were too baggy. She says it was endearing, nonetheless she has essentially instructed me to not be so endearing.
So that's a big thing: dressing to your body type. Even if you find a really cool shirt you like, if it's doesn't fit you right, you won't feel comfortable and your shoulders may disappear in it or you're constantly tugging at the bottom to cover your happy trail.
Another thing I can add, is that it's not a good idea to go on a wild shopping spree and remake yourself in all new clothes. It's like that western marriage tradition: something old, something new. You don't want to look like a mannequin who bought everything from one store, unless you're a high school girl in ikebukuro.
My guitarist told me that Flea was inspired when he was young by something Anthony Kiedis told him along the lines of "Don't wear anything that doesn't make you feel beautiful". I have tried to stick to this philosophy since I heard that, even down to my underwear and socks.
To summarize:
take your time (some vintage shopping, some unexpected purchase made when you weren't planning to shop (I bought a backpack at a bookstore the other day and I'm happy with it/needed it/perfect size), and some essentials from uni-qlo like others have said)
dress to your body type
love yourself

i'm not really fit, but when i wear clothes that fit well, people think i've been working out. so find clothes that fit well.

if you've got money, consider getting a custom-fit dress shirt, there are a couple sites online for it. i bought one a few months ago and it really helps define what kind of fit is good for you.

mannequins are usually a good reference since they dress them well. presumably you could look like a mannequin and no one would really notice, i disagree with tashippy. (unless the clothes overuse their logo, in which case you might look like a corporate tool.) but also pay attention to the use of colors.

for the most part, focus on looking clean. high fashion is completely different so don't go looking there, and fashion magazines are good to reference for tips, but usually they wear expensive outfits that most people can't afford.