Reader Questions: Fleece Jackets, Male Grooming, and Old Skool Bros

Today, I tackle a few reader questions all in one fell swoop. I’m falling behind so I’ve got to start busting through these faster! Send me your own questions – I’d love to help – just be patient! I’ll get to you eventually, I promise!

Liam asks:

Megan, I live in Texas. What do you think of guys wearing outdoor brand fleeces (like a North Face or Patagonia) with jeans and boots?

I think that sounds like a perfectly acceptable outfit to wear in Texas! My problem is when you start moving those fleeces indoors or when the jeans are light-wash and/or a bootcut style.

But if you’re wearing that outfit to go rope cattle (the only occupation I imagine guys in Texas holding down, apart from high school football coach or star quarterback), or down a few beers at the local honky tonk bar, then what’s the problem? Style has so much to do with where you’re wearing what you’re wearing. Would that outfit fly in NYC or Los Angeles? Maybe not, but you’re not wearing it there, so who cares?

Also now I have Drake’s “HYFR” stuck in my head. “All my exes live in Texas…” does that happen to you a lot, Liam? Just curious.

 

Jacob asks:

Hey Style Girlfriend,

So I started to give a hoot about the way I dress and not just wear sweats and I was looking for some button-down shirts. When I try them on though, they look really awkward (boxy I guess) on me. Any ideas on what I should do?

Giving a hoot is the first step to dressing better, so congrats Jacob! You’re well on your way to being the best-dressed dude on the block. When shopping for dress shirts, always look for “Slim fit” or “extra slim fit” on the label. Since you’re just getting started with your grown man wardrobe, I’ll keep my recess on the less expensive end of things: I like the ones from Zara, h&m, and Banana Republic. For the shirts you already have in your closet, a tailor should be able to take in the sides for ten or fifteen bucks – totally worth it if it means you’ll actually wear them.

Beyond that, when you get to a place where you can spend a bit more money, I think getting clothes made custom for you is definitely a great way to go. Sites like Proper Cloth aren’t *all* that expensive, and once you have your measurements down, you can worry just about the style and color, which is the fun part anyway.

Geoff queries:

First off, thank you for being the best resource a young single guy could ask for.  You are my new favorite Chica! I’m headed on a beach vacay with some old skool bros.  60% chance of malo weather…what do I bring knowing it’s gonna be hot but will probably rain as well. I need to cover all my bases. I’m hoping to meet my next, ‘friend with bennys’ ifyaknowwhatimsaying?  Trying to look good but be extra comfy, right?  That’s the Caribbean style, no? I was originally thinking a 2 button blazer but I don’t want to sweat like Patrick Ewing in the 4th quarter. What about a loose fitting Oxford with boat shoes? Would that be drab or fab? Hook a brother up!

I literally have no idea if this is a real question, and, if so, what you’re asking. I like guys in both Oxford shirts and boat shoes, so…go for it? And say hello to those old skool bros, yaknowwhatimsaying?

Rome ponders:

Hi there, SGF!

I love your blog and have picked up some nice style tips and tricks from your musings on men’s style. My questions is more of a grooming/”"male cosmetics” (did I just say that?). What are your thoughts on bronzer? I mean, is rocking a tan (synthetic or otherwise) always superior to embracing the paste? Obviously, I’m asking about a judicious applications of “”tan in a can”" and realize the particular shade of “”Jersey Shore Orange”" is always a mock melanin mistake.

No bronzer, sorry. If I find that in your bathroom cabinet (and yes, I’m looking – at least eventually) there will be judgment passed down. Just go outside!

And finally, Nilay asks:

While normally I don’t wear a t-shirt underneath a regular casual button-up shirt, when it comes to those Western-style snap shirts, I’m at loss at what to do. A friend of mine gifted me one of these shirts, and while it looks great, I don’t know if I should wear a shirt underneath.

On one hand, I would be more comfortable with less layers during this time of year, while on the other, I’m afraid that if my shirt gets caught on something, all the snaps will unsnap and I’ll be left  shirtless. What do you think I should do?

Hmm, I don’t know that I ever would have thought about this before. Do you often bump or rub up against hook-like objects that would pull apart a shirt, if not for the safety a hole-closure button provides? If this isn’t a daily fear of yours, I’d say wear whatever you’d wear underneath a dress shirt. If that’s usually nothing, but you’re worried anyway, I’d throw a Hanes v-neck under that sucker and go about your business unconcerned.