My Inner Shallow Airhead
Dec. 2nd, 2004 01:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_gneechStealing a leaf from TygerMoonFoxx...
They seek him here!
They seek him there!
His clothes are loud,
but never square!
It will make or break him
so he's got to buy the best
'cause he's a dedicated
follower of fashion!
-The Kinks, "Dedicated Follower of Fashion"
It's time to go clothes shopping again! Not because I've shrunk out of more (don't I wish), but because the ones I bought after my last massive downsizing have started to wear out (or, in the case of today's trousers, have shrunk in the wash and leave a dorkily large amount of my calf exposed to the light).
When I was a lad, I wasn't allowed to have nice clothes. Seriously. Not because my parents disapproved of nice clothes, but because they are both incredibly cheap. While you don't have to break the bank to have decent clothes, you do have to spend some money -- and anything more than "the least amount possible" was considered "way more than is acceptable" in their view. This drove me crazy; for while I was something of an introvert and a social misfit, I did WANT to look good. I like to think I have a certain amount of savoir-faire, and what I don't have, I'd like to achieve. I have described myself as "vain." I don't know if I really am or not ... but after a childhood of perennial ugly-ducklingism, it would be nice to feel that I've grown into a marginally graceful swan. (Some of the finer points of hygiene were also not part of my repertoire until college; my parents were not and are not what you'd call enthusiastic on matters of cleanliness. What grace I've got, I'm sad to say, is largely self-taught, with some coaching by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lythandra.)
When I was in school, I made the mistake of telling my mother I wanted to be "elegant." Mistake, because she had no idea what I meant, and I had no idea that she had no idea. She, being permanently stuck in some weird alternate universe where it's stuck simultaneously in both 1949 and 1975, dressed me in bad polyester pants (bought from thrift stores) and mustard yellow shirts, and I didn't have enough of a clue to realize how bad they were. Nowadays I have a bit of a clue -- and am very particular about dressing myself. ;)
Hence, my business card's sobriquet of "dapper gent." My general policy is "dress slightly nicer than expected." I am the only guy in the I.T. department here who reliably wears a dress shirt and tie to work, for instance. Like Jeeves' advice that "there is always time for a necktie," I like to think that being a little spruced up adds a certain whatsit, and makes even a dull day at least a little bit of an occasion.
The problem is, I can't seem to reliably get clothes that look good, and keep looking good. The outfit I'm wearing today was fine when I bought it, but now the sleeves and cuffs are all too short by inches, giving me that dweeby high-water look. Maybe I just expect clothes to last too long (I can be pretty darn cheap myself).
Thing is, I like having nice clothes, but I hate shopping for them. I require 2XLT, which nobody carries in large amounts (not even big-and-tall stores). 2XL by itself, and all the limbs are too short; 3XL, the limbs are fine but everything fits like a tent. Therefore, shopping for clothes is a constant exercise in, "That looks nice! They don't have my size. That looks nice, too! They don't have my size. This is in my size but looks like crap." If I was something closer to average size, it would be easy ... just head over to Hecht's / Lord & Taylor / Banana Republic / L.L. Bean and go nuts. Even with my semi-esoteric tastes, it wouldn't be that hard to find stylish and fairly affordable stuff that I liked if I could shop in the land of S-M-L-XL.
Alas, 2XLT is the size I will always have. Even if, after two more years of Kung Fu, I finally do lose that last 80 lbs. and lose the love handles, I'll still be wearing 2XLT, just with a tighter belt. But still, knowing that I need to go shopping is an opportunity, yet another chance to go out and nurture my vanity. I just hope that "Casual Male" will be up to the challenge.
-The Gneech
They seek him here!
They seek him there!
His clothes are loud,
but never square!
It will make or break him
so he's got to buy the best
'cause he's a dedicated
follower of fashion!
-The Kinks, "Dedicated Follower of Fashion"
It's time to go clothes shopping again! Not because I've shrunk out of more (don't I wish), but because the ones I bought after my last massive downsizing have started to wear out (or, in the case of today's trousers, have shrunk in the wash and leave a dorkily large amount of my calf exposed to the light).
When I was a lad, I wasn't allowed to have nice clothes. Seriously. Not because my parents disapproved of nice clothes, but because they are both incredibly cheap. While you don't have to break the bank to have decent clothes, you do have to spend some money -- and anything more than "the least amount possible" was considered "way more than is acceptable" in their view. This drove me crazy; for while I was something of an introvert and a social misfit, I did WANT to look good. I like to think I have a certain amount of savoir-faire, and what I don't have, I'd like to achieve. I have described myself as "vain." I don't know if I really am or not ... but after a childhood of perennial ugly-ducklingism, it would be nice to feel that I've grown into a marginally graceful swan. (Some of the finer points of hygiene were also not part of my repertoire until college; my parents were not and are not what you'd call enthusiastic on matters of cleanliness. What grace I've got, I'm sad to say, is largely self-taught, with some coaching by
lythandra.)When I was in school, I made the mistake of telling my mother I wanted to be "elegant." Mistake, because she had no idea what I meant, and I had no idea that she had no idea. She, being permanently stuck in some weird alternate universe where it's stuck simultaneously in both 1949 and 1975, dressed me in bad polyester pants (bought from thrift stores) and mustard yellow shirts, and I didn't have enough of a clue to realize how bad they were. Nowadays I have a bit of a clue -- and am very particular about dressing myself. ;)
Hence, my business card's sobriquet of "dapper gent." My general policy is "dress slightly nicer than expected." I am the only guy in the I.T. department here who reliably wears a dress shirt and tie to work, for instance. Like Jeeves' advice that "there is always time for a necktie," I like to think that being a little spruced up adds a certain whatsit, and makes even a dull day at least a little bit of an occasion.The problem is, I can't seem to reliably get clothes that look good, and keep looking good. The outfit I'm wearing today was fine when I bought it, but now the sleeves and cuffs are all too short by inches, giving me that dweeby high-water look. Maybe I just expect clothes to last too long (I can be pretty darn cheap myself).
Thing is, I like having nice clothes, but I hate shopping for them. I require 2XLT, which nobody carries in large amounts (not even big-and-tall stores). 2XL by itself, and all the limbs are too short; 3XL, the limbs are fine but everything fits like a tent. Therefore, shopping for clothes is a constant exercise in, "That looks nice! They don't have my size. That looks nice, too! They don't have my size. This is in my size but looks like crap." If I was something closer to average size, it would be easy ... just head over to Hecht's / Lord & Taylor / Banana Republic / L.L. Bean and go nuts. Even with my semi-esoteric tastes, it wouldn't be that hard to find stylish and fairly affordable stuff that I liked if I could shop in the land of S-M-L-XL.
Alas, 2XLT is the size I will always have. Even if, after two more years of Kung Fu, I finally do lose that last 80 lbs. and lose the love handles, I'll still be wearing 2XLT, just with a tighter belt. But still, knowing that I need to go shopping is an opportunity, yet another chance to go out and nurture my vanity. I just hope that "Casual Male" will be up to the challenge.
-The Gneech
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-12-02 07:03 pm (UTC)B. I totally sympathize with the not being able to find the right size thing (as you well know). The only solution I can see besides just looking around constantly is to make our own clothes. The only problem with that is it takes time and, many times, more money than it takes to buy the clothes pre-made.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-04 03:27 pm (UTC)I know this is impossible with women's clothing, because nothing in women's fashion stays the same from year to year. :P But some men's labels don't change much.
And I think it's cool that the Gneech wears a dress shirt & tie to work. :)
GMLD DID make most of my clothes growing up....
Date: 2004-12-02 07:33 pm (UTC)my clothes tend to last forever for some reason---I have jeans from 1993 that I've been wearing throughout 2004. I generally do demos in my "lucky sweaters", bought between 1997-2002 respectively. I love it when I get compliments on a purple sweater I bought for $10 at Sears...(grin)
Casual Male seems like a good bet---the ones around here have a great selection of 2XLT items. Nordstrom (or a Nordstrom rack) might also be another option for both of you and they last longer. There are times when you just have to spend money on clothes!
Also, is the artwork for that card posted somewhere or am I spacing?
MLD
Re: GMLD DID make most of my clothes growing up....
Date: 2004-12-02 07:36 pm (UTC)As for Nordstrom, I haven't had a lot of luck there the few times I tried.
-TG
no subject
Date: 2004-12-02 07:54 pm (UTC)I went shopping a few weeks ago... spent two hours in a store with lots of clothes in all different sizes... walked out with ONE shirt that looks really good and felt like I'd gotten a prize for finding THAT.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-02 11:23 pm (UTC)Maybe tone it up even more by learning to be a professional wrestler? You could learn how to, no one said anything about really becoming one full time [/totally random]
Lizard Rat out.
Random in New Haven CT
no subject
Date: 2004-12-02 11:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-03 04:26 am (UTC)Lizard Rat out.
Random S'more in New Haven CT