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hey,
my brother's facing senior year in Harvard without ever having being kissed and needs major coaching!
I'm starting with a makeover and tips for his posture. We don't have much money and almost his entire wardrobe is unfashionable in my opinion.
He feels really insecure because of all the rich preppy kids.
What priorities in Style do you think we should set?
a) invest in a few preppy clothes and have him walk around in the same few outfits (like black, grey, dark blue basics, so it's not so obvious?)
b) invest in urban basics, cheap to mid price range so he has the full range of clothes (shirts, polos, sweaters etc. each in a few colors)
c) peacock - have bright colors or a totally individual style, so he stands out and doesn't fall into the same category as the other kids
this is a serious question!
thanks for your advice!
Hey,
I think value wise you'd be better off getting a well made (possibly tailored) suit jacket and trousers, aim for something tight fitting and modern, in black, which can be worn with any colour shirt. Have him wear this daily, whenever he leaves his room.
Look at brands like FCUK, BOSS for some mid-priced yet very awesome fitting suit jackets. Because of the nature of the suit jacket and trousers, it can be worn multiple days in a row, and that will be your 'recognized style' as such and if you continue, no questions will be asked, you will just be the style king. Italian slim fit, with shorter arms, tight under the shoulder is my preference, but I guess comfort is important too.
Never wear a tie, except on formal occasions. Attending lectures dressed smartly may even earn you some kudos from lecturers and will definitely set you at a higher level than your peers, in terms of style from onlookers.
Change shirts daily, vary between colours and have a somewhat wide spectrum of these, Black, White, toss in a few exotic colours, such as pink, possibly lime and even pinstripe/patterned shirts in colours like red, blue. Wear these in no particular order and aim to grow your collection of shirts by around 1 every month/3 weeks to keep a fresh collection.
Where other people will wear A&F, somewhat generic branding, which sometimes have no real design short of the name, you will just be remembered as the awesomely stylish suit guy. Just make sure you have some good black shoes too.
With this suit you will naturally have alpha male qualities, suit the style of a conscientious provider, demonstrate ability to look after your clothing (always make sure shirts are pressed, possibly starched regularly, clean.) and look after yourself (groom daily, make sure your skin is in good condition, you shave daily).
Suits naturally give confidence in my opinion, and can portray either businesslike seriousness, when worn in combination with certain shirts, and say, a tie.
Suits are also excellent casual wear, when worn with a more exotic colour as I said about before and without a tie. With the correct personality adjustment, confidence and willingness to open conversations with random strangers, you can establish yourself as the life of the party, become the centre of attention.
You'll gain respect from your peers and lecturers, looks from girls, but remember to keep your cool and not become needy of attention, just go with the flow and don't push it too hard from the start that your trying to get girls, just be cool with whatever and make friends.
It shouldn't be too expensive to put together such a combination, decent suits run $400 - $600 from FCUK, BOSS all the way up to hand tailored Savile Row masterpieces for £2000+ ($3000+).
The great thing about going with the aforementioned brands is if some douche comes up and asks 'oh what suit is that' you can answer respectively with the brand and have no worries that the guy is going to call it a shitty suit.
Also, get a really good haircut to match the suit, probably mid length, but make sure it retains neatness and can be kept tidy. Have it trimmed every 4-6 weeks.
Have your brother get tanning and working out too, it's always a good testosterone/ confidence boost.
Hope this helps!