[CaliforniaSupreme]

Does anyone know why Zara's clothing is generally "short?" Is that the general style or is it for smaller guys? Even their extra large is too small for me.

[WestIndianArchie]

(10-13-2013 11:18 PM)CaliforniaSupreme Wrote:  

Does anyone know why Zara's clothing is generally "short?" Is that the general style or is it for smaller guys? Even their extra large is too small for me.

It and H&M are designed for European/Fit bodies.

And add in the poor quality and super seasonal look, it's basically about wearing what's cool right this very second. They have a really good trend spotting and turn around process.

WIA

[CaliforniaSupreme]

(10-14-2013 12:10 AM)WestIndianArchie Wrote:  

(10-13-2013 11:18 PM)CaliforniaSupreme Wrote:  

Does anyone know why Zara's clothing is generally "short?" Is that the general style or is it for smaller guys? Even their extra large is too small for me.

It and H&M are designed for European/Fit bodies.

And add in the poor quality and super seasonal look, it's basically about wearing what's cool right this very second. They have a really good trend spotting and turn around process.

WIA

I am in decent/good shape, but the actual length of the shirts is nothing! I could barely tuck in an XL!

[WanderingSoul]

Try their upmarket brand Massimo Dutti if there's one around. Much more classic styles. Not sure about length. I'm not a big fan of Zara though. Uniqulo is good for basics. For dress shirts check out one of the online MTM shops like Ratio Clothing.

[CaliforniaSupreme]

Don't think we have any Massimo Dutti. I've been shopping at Armani Exchange and gotten my hands on some pretty cheap Armani Collezioni (deal hunting.)

[Mike5055]

I always have a problem with Zara because the sleeves are too small in the bicep. Fits great everywhere else too unfortunately.

[CaliforniaSupreme]

What's your take on Banana Republic? Some pretty nice stuff but kinda bland. I have a hard time swallowing a $60 price tag for a basic dress shirt, just seems like glorified Gap.

[DaveR]

(10-13-2013 11:18 PM)CaliforniaSupreme Wrote:  

Does anyone know why Zara's clothing is generally "short?" Is that the general style or is it for smaller guys? Even their extra large is too small for me.

If you're talking about the pants length, it's because Europeans wear their pants shorter, especially casual ones. Pic of Euro trouser length attached... looks very gay in England, the US or anywhere else.

I would avoid Zara... most of their styles are kind of skinny/gay and not a good look, IMO. As previously mentioned, they cater to the 'fashion' crowd which buys into whichever trend is currently in the magazines.

If you want to look sharp, you really need to go for custom shirts and suits. Try this one for shirts in the US: http://propercloth.com or the one RioNomad suggested.
For casual, you can get away with store-bought pants, and there's nothing wrong with Gap. Don't think you're getting better quality by paying 3 times the price for Ralph or whatever... basically all store-bought stuff is trash in terms of quality. All you're paying for is the brand. It's worth spending a bit more on jeans, because the trends change quickly and they're more of a trend item... personally, I don't wear jeans.

[WestIndianArchie]

(10-14-2013 12:19 AM)CaliforniaSupreme Wrote:  

What's your take on Banana Republic? Some pretty nice stuff but kinda bland. I have a hard time swallowing a $60 price tag for a basic dress shirt, just seems like glorified Gap.

BR (and J. Crew) is what I aspired to dress in when I was in college 20 years ago.

BR is better quality and the style is more sophisticated. (you're not gonna find Fair Isle Sweaters @ the Gap)

But it's also everywhere. BR is the gateway to better mall brands, maybe a step up from the typical department store stuff.

If I was a young player in the game, I'd live in the clearance and sales racks of my favorite stores. I'd probably spend time going to Off 5th (Saks 5th Avenue), Last Call (Neiman Marcus), and The Rack (Nordstroms). Throw in the occasional "date shirt" from Bloomingdale's or Barney's and call it a day.

If you're really trying to kill it, IMO you've got 3 options
- business wear downgraded for social purpose
- specialty shops, fashion labels, and designers
- creating a "look"

I wear business stuff all the time, so I go with option 3. But i'm also a professional in my late 30's, rocking a sports coat or a custom dress shirt is not out of the ordinary. Most of the stuff I obsess about fashion wise are things that women will never notice, and only the clothes horses of men would.

Specialty Shops and Fashion Labels - think the casual stuff you'll see in GQ or Esquire. Places like Odin or Nepenthes. Doesn't have to be all "streetwear/hundreds/bapes", but the kind of thing that will have you wearing form fitting jeans and sneakers that aren't Nike, Puma, or Adidas. I'm not skinny or young enough or urbane enough to some of that stuff.

Creating a look - if you've got time or money, basically reading a lot about men's style and #menswear and going for something like Street Etiquette, or Wooster, or Pesko, or any of those guys that really have a look down that they stand out in a crowd.

WIA

[DaveR]

WIA, I see you've posted some killer outfits in other threads. Do you come up with them yourself, or find inspiration from somewhere else?

A lot of the colours you posted (pastels) won't work for me because of my extremely light skin, so I'm looking for ideas. I've perfected my fit and pattern with a tailor whose work I'm very happy with, now I just need to find some more great shirt/suit/shoe/tie colour combinations to replicate. The Sartorialist used to be good, but I think he's really lost his touch in the past 1-2 years and failed to branch out from the classic Italian colours.

Any tips?

[evilhei]

For me also the Zara clothes do not fit. The trousers are ok in waist but too strechy on the legs. The shirts are too small for chest and biceps. Last time I went there and tried to buy a winter cap it was too small for my head.. maybe im a giant, who knows..

[DaveR]

(10-14-2013 11:38 AM)evilhei Wrote:  

For me also the Zara clothes do not fit. The trousers are ok in waist but too strechy on the legs. The shirts are too small for chest and biceps. Last time I went there and tried to buy a winter cap it was too small for my head.. maybe im a giant, who knows..

Do you have a Gap or Banana Republic store in Estonia? If not, you could try ordering online. You can probably return them for free if they don't fit, but don't quote me on that. I'll let you in on a secret - trousers aren't very important to your overall look, just as long as they aren't weird. I wear Gap and BR trousers with bespoke Zegna Trofeo sports jackets and they look fine.

Their trousers come in various widths:
Relaxed - something like a '40s zoot suit look
Straight - wider than normal
Slim - close to a 'normal' fit in European terms. Maybe slightly slimmer than normal, but that isn't a bad thing.
Skinny - avoid these unless your legs are like toothpicks or you want the Zara look.
Ultra skinny - these are for homosexuals.

[WestIndianArchie]

(10-14-2013 10:51 AM)DaveR Wrote:  

WIA, I see you've posted some killer outfits in other threads. Do you come up with them yourself, or find inspiration from somewhere else?

A lot of the colours you posted (pastels) won't work for me because of my extremely light skin, so I'm looking for ideas. I've perfected my fit and pattern with a tailor whose work I'm very happy with, now I just need to find some more great shirt/suit/shoe/tie colour combinations to replicate. The Sartorialist used to be good, but I think he's really lost his touch in the past 1-2 years and failed to branch out from the classic Italian colours.

Any tips?

Thanks!

1) I've been into clothes for a minute. Right now my eye and tastes are more advanced than my wallet. I want to move to all custom, but I can't justify it other than to feed my own ego and vanity.

2) Any rule about skin color, face shape, body shape - I don't agree with at all.

That being said, if you don't think it looks right on you, don't wear it. But if you see some tight pastels that you think look good on the mannequin, i say ROCK THAT SHIT.

3) In terms of developing your eye for what goes to together get a tumblr account and spend the time following and reposting what you see on other men's wear blogs.

Color
- contrast - white and black
- complement - olive drab and khaki
- tonal - navy blue suit, light blue shirt, blue tie

If you're really into that Italian Industrialist look, Gino Agnelli, Lapo Elkann, etc - I consider Italian steez to be "contained flamboyance." aka sprezzatura.

http://italianindustrialist.tumblr.com/

But the real key to tumblr, is if you find a pic that you like,
1) see who posted it first
2) see who else likes it, and look at what they have on their blog.

It'll open your mind in terms of style.

WIA

[Christian McQueen]

Zara is made for European body styles: lean cats.

I like their clothes. The deal with being in clubs a lot is that I go through suits like a hooker goes through condoms. Cig burns, drink spills, girl's makeup stains etc.

Zara has suits that fit me pretty much perfect and the low costs keep me from running through thousands on suits for the club.

[scandibro]

Almost all european brands are slim fit except those aimed at middle aged people like certain collections of Boss, Armani etc. Zara, H&M and those shops though mainly sell to teenagers who are even skinnier and shorter. I can't fit in most of their clothes either.

I'd rather have a couple of good quality stylish shirts than a lot of those cheap ones. I like brands like Tiger of Sweden for shirts or J.Lindeberg, both Swedish. They're expensive but look great. Slim fit, but not anorexia model skinny.