Flutterby™! : Dan & Fashion 2002-11-18 17:22:22+00

Dan & Fashion

2002-11-18 17:22:22+00 by Dan Lyke 10 comments

Hell has officially frozen over. Dan's gone shopping at Nordstrom. I love the feel and look of good fabric, and I could get used to real service, having people run around the store to get me stuff is cool, but I wish fashion would change a little bit. How about "sportswear" that's a little more casual, something where the collars aren't quite so pronounced? How about more casual shirts in some of the great fabrics that dress shirts come in? I'd love to wear some of those colors, but damn I don't want to look like a cell phone salesweasel. Excuse me: "wireless communications specialist".

Of course the various other stores I've been to recently have been even worse. Sigh, what's a yuppie hippy to do?

I don't know dan, but lets us know if you figure it out. Inquiring minds want to know.

Nordstrom's wins because I can run in, ask a saleslady what size of undershirt I wear, buy six and be back to my car in less that five minutes. And have them fit correctly when I get home. (and have no idea how much I just put on my credit card)

But I keep looking for the secret stores that has all three. My poisons of choice right now is Kavu Outlet, Ex Officio outlet, Banana Republic (mostly sale) My next retail outlet may be LLbean online as they make tall sizes for everything and I am tired of shirts that are two short.

I'm surprised you're having trouble in San Fran finding casual wear in alternative fabrics. I've found one of the best sources to be International Male - a retailer with a fairly obvious target market! It's one of the few places you can get silk t-shirts. Their undergarment co-brand, UnderGear, is about the only place you can get men's undergarments that aren't white hip-huggers or baggy boxers. And again, there's a wide choice of fabrics.

I've always had good luck at TJ Maxx as well and the prices really are good. It's a little like shopping at an upscale second-hand shop (don't expect service and you literally have to dig to find stuff sometimes).

I just want to find a store that understands that one's legs don't get shorter as one's waist expands. :-(

I always stop at Marshalls, which I believe is the west coast equivalent of TJ Maxx. They're both TJX companies. The problem with Marshalls

is that they're basically a seconds shop, so sometimes they have great stuff, and the prices are fantastic, but I've gotta dig through a lot of clothing that's... not my demographic.

I'd forgotten about International Male, actually I hadn't forgotten about them as much as written them off as not my demographic, but I did find a thing or two there that might be worthwhile. And their prices are reasonable. Although the necessary gym membership might offset that...

Carl, this trek I didn't find anything I liked at Banana Republic, although they used to be a favorite, but one of the other things I liked about Nordstrom

was that rather than some gawdawful semi-techno semi-pop soundtrack (ala Banana Republic

and even Macy's) they have a pianist. Shopping with out that driving sense of unease is so much more pleasant.

I wish International Male

had some better colors for their Silk Noile Henley Shirt. Okay, now I really really need to get back to work.

Warning: the Fashion General has determined that employement in the fashion/clothing industry may change your values, sense of style and outward appearance.

and, more seriously, I always liked tom kunesh wearing the cleric collar style shirts... but even I like some of the shirts at international male.

Larry, I've been very happy with my experiences and the selection at Casual Male Big & Tall. Both stores I've been to here in the greater Seattle area have employed friendly, helpful, easy-going (and larger) guys. I don't know if their styles run to the tastes that Dan is describing (I think the only thing I've ever bought at Nordstrom was a sweater for my Dad one christmas) but they've got both dress clothes as well as a small stock of stuff vaguely resembling the Hot Topic-ish styles I tend to prefer.

I can tell you haven't been in Wal-Mart in a while. Whenever I go into that place I swear I can sense some red neck testing out the new hunting rifle he got in the back of the store - thinking I'm the deer!

As far as the gym membership goes to shop at IM, it does make you realize what women talk about when they complain about the fashion industry taking a toll on their self esteem! You have no idea what those clothes might look like over a pot-belly, a 36-inch waist, and no $200 coiffure (at least, not one in the last 6 months).

Shawn, thanks for the pointer, I haven't tried Casual Male Big & Tall yet but there is one fairly close to my house. The biggest problem I have is that my waist size is just under the size to be considered Big and my inseam is just a tad shorter than what is considered Tall. I wear 42wx34l pants. The people in the Big & Tall section of the stores tell me that my size in in the normal section but the normal section never carries my size. I'll be stopping at Casual Male Big & Tall on my way home today, though.