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=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: sonickteam2 on January 29, 2009, 09:25:33 am
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Ok, so I haven't started a thread in months and I am very upset right now so bear with me.
So my current job is ending next week and starting 2/9 I will have to start reporting back to the office everyday. Its ok because i am at a chemical plant now and its kinda stinky and dangerous, but thats not important right now.
I have been informed there is a dress code at this office. No jeans. This disturbs me because I really have 2 modes in life: Jeans and Suits. If i can wear jeans, I will and if I want to dress up I wear shirt and tie or suit, whatever. I have no in between and here is why. Slacks are the most uncomfortable, unflattering, always wrinkly article of clothing ever invented. I have rarely EVER seen anyone look "good" in slacks. I am convinced they were invented by either a) a man hating woman whos goal in life is to humiliate all men by offering them ugly pants in 3 colors. or b) a frumpy out of shape short dude who was tired of looking like a slob in jeans.
Perhaps I am wrong, and in fact, I am sure I am. I need help with slacks and casual trousers. I dont want to spend $300 a piece (Julian, ahem) because I am going to wear these pants for a few months and only to work probably, but any help with buying some affordable, flattering and at least semi-stylish pants that are neither jeans, nor suit pants.
any help out there (or smart ass comments, either way)??
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I have one suit which I wear maybe once a year. I also have jeans, but wear them at most once a week. So the rest of the time, I wear "slacks".
Now I do have a favorite thrift store that has 50% off sales on holidays and 25% off every Monday. It has the usual collection of crap, but it does have it's fair share of good quality, not completely out of style clothing. I'm not saying where it's at.
I alway manage to find good stuff there. Flat front slacks with a regular cut. Flat front with a boot cut for casual Fridays. Banana Republic and Brooks Brothers seem to work well. I have tan, gold, greenish brown, navy, olive, black, light gray, charcoal gray., and probably more. That's more than three colors right there.
One of the great things about being married (which you are) is you don't have to worry as much about shallow things such as style and fashion. Especially once you turn 40 and have a kid. That doesn't mean you have to turn into a style loser, it just means you don't have to be a prick like Julian's character.
I'm not sure how much good advice random people will be able to give you. Different clothes do different things for different people. It's just a matter of trying things out, of trial and error.
At least you're not on the dole.
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i'm the same, sonick. i have to wear slacks when i go meet with customers maybe once a month, and jeans the rest of the time
just dont do pleats
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At least you're not on the dole.
waste water treatment is a pretty recession proof industry!
I like the Brooks Brothers idea, I have bought a couple suits from them and theres one within walking distance to my house. :) I have thought about just dress pants and a tie everyday but people look at you strange when you do that.
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My brother is a hydrogeologist. I guess in some ways that makes him your cousin.
At least you're not on the dole.
waste water treatment is a pretty recession proof industry!
I like the Brooks Brothers idea, I have bought a couple suits from them and theres one within walking distance to my house. :) I have thought about just dress pants and a tie everyday but people look at you strange when you do that.
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A third on the flat fronts... I personally tend to stay away from the Khaki and Tan colored pants because well everyone wears them. I prefer to find nice black, grey and the darker shades of green.
Since Todd Oldham has been hired by Old Navy, that stores clothes have become much more classically styled especially in the Men's department, before that it was boring Frat House "chic". Whats great about Old Navy is they are always having some sort of sale. Costco has also been the source of good purchases as well of late. Express for Men has good items they tend to run on the more expensive side.
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Wow, one of my best friends works at a wastewater treatment plant. Wouldn't that be so weird if we were, like, friends? Okay, let's think about something else.
My office is business/casual and my particular job requires a bit more emphasis on the business than the casual. I'd say 2-3 times a week, I wear a pair of Levi's cords, brown and tan. Comfortable, cheap-ish, and they pass the dress code. Old Navy has some cargo-ish pants that don't have all those douchy accrouterments like the hammer loop but they're also easy on the legs. And in the winter, I have these black pants that are made of some kind of faux velvet -- they don't look like velvet to the outside observer, but they feel like it and wearing them is like walking around a pool of pudding. Only works in the winter though obvs.
Ultimately though, if you go to Old Navy and look at the racks in the middle or back, you should be able to find some regular ol' pants that are cheap and functional.
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At least you're not on the dole.
waste water treatment is a pretty recession proof industry!
I like the Brooks Brothers idea, I have bought a couple suits from them and theres one within walking distance to my house. :) I have thought about just dress pants and a tie everyday but people look at you strange when you do that.
Ugh just a shirt and tie is far too much used car salesman for me, it should be all or nothing... but it's fine to take off the jacket when at ones desk....
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Julian is rolling over in his grave :(
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oh course slacks truly are the devil on women ;)
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At least you're not on the dole.
waste water treatment is a pretty recession proof industry!
I like the Brooks Brothers idea, I have bought a couple suits from them and theres one within walking distance to my house. :) I have thought about just dress pants and a tie everyday but people look at you strange when you do that.
Ugh just a shirt and tie is far too much used car salesman for me, it should be all or nothing... but it's fine to take off the jacket when at ones desk....
i call that "catholic school uniform'
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oh course slacks truly are the devil on women ;)
Question: "Should Christian women wear pants?"
Answer: The question about whether Christian women should wear pants or slacks is an issue that is raised about externals when the life of the child of God should rather be about a spiritual relationship based upon our position in Christ as believers. The obedience of a child of God is not measured by what clothing we wear but by our walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16).
When looking at ?doubtful things," we need to use Scripture in context for the principles that will help us walk as believers, which means considering the dispensation and the whole counsel of God and not taking passages out of context. There is a passage in the Old Testament that speaks about a woman wearing men's clothing: "A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this" (Deuteronomy 22:5). The context of this passage is the second giving of the law to the nation of Israel as they were poised to enter the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 22:5 is an admonition not to live as a transvestite. This has to do with more than just clothing; it also speaks of a life that emulates in every way those of the opposite sex. Transvestitism was a practice of the Canaanites, and Israel was to consider it an abomination. We take a principle from this and apply it to our lives as believers, but we must use it in the context in which it is given and do so in relation to the dispensation of grace.
The Apostle Paul wrote extensively on the difference between the law and grace in Romans. We are not justified by our adherence to the law, but we are justified by faith in Christ (Romans 3:21-28). The believer in Christ Jesus is "dead" to the constraints of the law. "But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code" (Romans 7:6). Therefore, a believer does not live by legalism, nor by license, but rather by grace.
What has that to do with a believing woman wearing pants? There is no biblical law that says what a woman should wear or not wear. Rather, the issue is one of modesty. Paul addresses the modesty of women in his first letter to Timothy. "I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God" (1 Timothy 2:9-10). The Greek word translated "modest" is the Greek word kosmios, which is translated twice in the New Testament, once as "modest" in this passage and once as "of good behavior" in 1 Timothy 3:1. It came to mean "well-arranged, seemly, and modest."
The word clothes is the Greek word katastole. The meaning of the word was "to send or to let down or lower." It was primarily a garment that was let down and in that day referred to a stole or a loose outer garment worn by kings and persons of rank. Since we know that Paul was not speaking to people of rank, the context here is simply modest attire, and it does not specify what that entails. Paul addressed this issue here because the women in the church were trying to outdo each other in how they dressed, and the flashier the better. They were losing sight of the things that should adorn a godly woman?humility, sobriety, godliness, and good works. The words "dress modestly" are not used here in the context of specific garments, but rather to being clad in a modest covering. It should not be used to prove a prohibition against wearing pants (also see 1 Peter 3:3-4).
So, the issue is that a woman should wear modest clothing. Whether or not that includes a pair of slacks should be a matter for the woman's own conscience before the LORD. If a woman allows her outward appearance to be the measure of her inward relationship with Christ, she is living under the constraints of legalism. Born-again women are free in Christ to wear whatever modest apparel they choose, and the only judgment they should be under is that of their own conscience. "Everything that does not come from faith is sin" (Romans 14:23). We are not to allow our consciences to be dictated to by legalism and the consciences of others, but by our own relationship with Christ. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). God will take care of the outward woman if we walk in obedience in the inward woman.
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At least you're not on the dole.
waste water treatment is a pretty recession proof industry!
I like the Brooks Brothers idea, I have bought a couple suits from them and theres one within walking distance to my house. :) I have thought about just dress pants and a tie everyday but people look at you strange when you do that.
Ugh just a shirt and tie is far too much used car salesman for me, it should be all or nothing... but it's fine to take off the jacket when at ones desk....
i call that "catholic school uniform'
yeah little boys can get away with that going to church look, but not so much for adults
also to be avoided at all costs is the tie + windbreaker/members only jacket/jacket in general look... talk about looking like a car salesman...
i also find the sweater + tie a pretty awkward look that's a bit to high school
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As someone who is always chronically 10 pounds overweight, slacks are just plain and simply the most comfortable thing for me.
Anything goes at my work I guess. Velour sweatsuits and Redskins apparel seems to be very popular work attire. Also lots of heavy women showing too much cleavage.
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At least you're not on the dole.
waste water treatment is a pretty recession proof industry!
I like the Brooks Brothers idea, I have bought a couple suits from them and theres one within walking distance to my house. :) I have thought about just dress pants and a tie everyday but people look at you strange when you do that.
Ugh just a shirt and tie is far too much used car salesman for me, it should be all or nothing... but it's fine to take off the jacket when at ones desk....
really? I sometimes go with the jacket, but truth is, I have some dress pants that dont have matching jackets. Plus, wearing a jacket makes my bosses uncomfortable because I would dressed nicer than they.
I have a few blazers but i usually wear jeans with them. I will check Old Navy, too. Its just that by summer I will be at a new dirty plant so I wont wear these but for a few months.
Now a tie with slacks and a short sleeve shirt, thats used car salesman to me!
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At least you're not on the dole.
waste water treatment is a pretty recession proof industry!
I like the Brooks Brothers idea, I have bought a couple suits from them and theres one within walking distance to my house. :) I have thought about just dress pants and a tie everyday but people look at you strange when you do that.
Ugh just a shirt and tie is far too much used car salesman for me, it should be all or nothing... but it's fine to take off the jacket when at ones desk....
really? I sometimes go with the jacket, but truth is, I have some dress pants that dont have matching jackets. Plus, wearing a jacket makes my bosses uncomfortable because I would dressed nicer than they.
I have a few blazers but i usually wear jeans with them. I will check Old Navy, too. Its just that by summer I will be at a new dirty plant so I wont wear these but for a few months.
Now a tie with slacks and a short sleeve shirt, thats used car salesman to me!
should clarify that i meant a suit jacket in that scenario... unless it was blue blazer, i've never been much of a dress jacket + dress pants combiner... it was usually just suits
also based on some of what was seen at inaugural events the three piece suit is making a comeback, although the vest seems to more stylish then in the past.
here's hoping they never bring back the five piece suit...
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When looking at ?doubtful things," we need to use Scripture in context for the principles that will help us walk as believers, which means considering the dispensation and the whole counsel of God and not taking passages out of context.
OFF TOPIC: this passage is one of the funniest things i've heard a christian "scholar" write in quite some time. as if christians have ever interpreted scripture out of context... ::)
back to the topic of slacks... a few months back i needed to stock up on work pants and bought several pairs of J. Ferrar's at Macy's. i have no idea who this person is, but his pants are perfectly functional, un-pleated, relatively cheap standard-issue slacks that are machine-washable. that last point is a big plus.
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Yeah, no shit on the machine-wash. I hate it when I find a great pair of pants, they fit great, they're on sale, the stars are aligning, and then the needle scratches over the record when I see the "DRY CLEAN ONLY FUCKER" tag.
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now we're really gonna make Julian mad!
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dude, at this point he won't even dignify this thread with a response. we are waaaaay below his radar.
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I dunno, the dry clean only pants last longer and look nicer. Especially when they put that nice crease in it for you.
Dry cleaning denim is dumb, but I give the dry clean only pants the thumbs up. It's not like you have to dry clean them every time you wear them.
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True, if you're homeless or a meth head
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dude, at this point he won't even dignify this thread with a response. we are waaaaay below his radar.
can i rename this thread, "Sonick's Canada"?
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dude, at this point he won't even dignify this thread with a response. we are waaaaay below his radar.
can i rename this thread, "Sonick's Canada"?
Only if you pledge to adopt the dress slacks + tie + hockey jersey look
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We do "business casual" at my office, which basically means, no jeans, t-shirts or sneakers.
I almost always wear cords or khakis of varying earth tones, lately by J Crew since thieir cuts fit me the best these days. Always flat front, never boot cut, usually in whatever they are calling the "slim fit" that week.
When jeans are not an option, cords (please not wide wale they make you look like an asshole) are then next best casual pants and will usually fly in most dress code scnearios that draw the line at jeans.
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FLAT FRONT is a MUST.
Also, I agree on dry clean. The pants look nice. Quite a few of the washable pants need to be ironed, which is a pain in the tuckus and why very few guys do it and then look messy.
I have to say, though, Rhett/Charlie's first post has me cracking the hell up. He's definitely defined a category:
Dad slacks = Mom jeans (I'm just assuming y'all are familiar with "mom jeans" http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mom+jeans (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mom+jeans))
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Interesting discussion. From god knows when until the start of this year I was a suit only guy at work, jeans only away from work.
My colleague and I discussed going business casual for 2009 for both cost savings and to be a little more environmentally friendly. So I went to Ben Sherman (we have a store here locally) and bought a few pairs of slacks that were on sale (flat front of course, one light gray, one dark grey with pinstripes and one navy - like Kosmo, I stay away from tan/khaki). They look great the first day you wear them, but as sonick points out, they wrinkle very easily and are dry clean only (my bad on that one). The problem with non-dry clean is I'll be damned if I'm going to iron...
So we switched it up pretty quickly. Jeans are now OK for days when we don't have meetings if you wear them with a blazer/sportcoat of some kind (I have a medium gray seersucker blazer from Guess and the most bitchen dark brown felt blazer that I picked up in Poland) and a button down - no t-shirts. Friday's are whatever you'd like days.
It sucks that you can't wear jeans because a nice pair of designer jeans and a blazer (just don't buy a "yacht blazer") is not a bad look. Our boss has actually preferred it to the slacks and button down.
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I am torn on the dry clean thing. I mean, I have to dry clean my suits and cashmere, and my wife dry cleans many of her items.
Also, there is a dry cleaner on the next block from my house so its ultra-convenient.
Ironing is out of the question. It just wont happen.
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I actually ENJOY ironing my clothes. I mean really, how much easier of a household chore is there?
But please don't bother sending me yours.
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my J Ferrars are wrinkle-free/no-iron. i've been wearing them for 3-4 months and they still look good. now that i think of it, i need to go back and (hopefully) grab a few more pairs - too many times i've found great pants once and was unable to ever find them again.
on color: what are people's feeling on black? about half of my slacks are black, which might be a function of my button-down collection that goes well with black pants (or, alternately, my misplaced belief that black will make my fat ass look slimmer).
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But please don't bother sending me yours.
Did you not me to send you my ironing or did you not want to know what my favorite household chore is?
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I think navy trumps black.
You can wear a white shirt with navy, but with black you look like a waiter.
Yes, there are other button down colors you can wear with black, but may of them you can also do as good or better with navy (gray, lighter shades of blue).
About the only thing the black is good for that doesn't work with navy are light colored pastel type shirts.
But I suppose if you want to channel your inner Eurotrash or goth, black pants are the only way to go.
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I don't want your ironing. But if you care to share your favorite household chore, I'm fine with it. But it is num's thread.
But please don't bother sending me yours.
Did you not me to send you my ironing or did you not want to know what my favorite household chore is?
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the waiter thing has been a concern, but it's avoidable if the shirt isn't white.
But I suppose if you want to channel your inner Eurotrash
guilty :-\
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I don't want your ironing. But if you care to share your favorite household chore, I'm fine with it. But it is num's thread.
But please don't bother sending me yours.
Did you not me to send you my ironing or did you not want to know what my favorite household chore is?
i like vacuuming
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Your wife is that good at it too?
I don't want your ironing. But if you care to share your favorite household chore, I'm fine with it. But it is num's thread.
But please don't bother sending me yours.
Did you not me to send you my ironing or did you not want to know what my favorite household chore is?
i like vacuuming
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hahahaha
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i'm about as far from the office world as you can get, but i wear dickies almost exclusively. they are obviously perfect for the kind of work i do, but on the rare occasion that i need to look a little bit nicer, they do the job too. they don't wrinkle, and as long as they are clean and not faded, they work as basic slacks too.
i've never tried to get away with them with a coat of any kind, but have definitely pulled off shirt and tie, or a nice buttonup with a mandarin collar. cheap, too. they might be too casual for your work, but any time i wear anything other than a t shirt or jersey with them, i get complimented. maybe my friends just have low standards for me.
my other "dress up" option may or may not work for you, depending on your confidence, how liberal your office is, and whether or not you have nice legs. i have a couple of kilts that dress up pretty well. not for everyone, but they sure as hell aren't slacks. www.utilikilts.com has styles that vary in dressiness.
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my other "dress up" option may or may not work for you, depending on your confidence, how liberal your office is, and whether or not you have nice legs. i have a couple of kilts that dress up pretty well. not for everyone, but they sure as hell aren't slacks. www.utilikilts.com has styles that vary in dressiness.
come on!!! how many times have you complimented me on my legs???
Dickie's are a good option, though.