300+lbs 5’5” guy trying to improve wardrobe
Hello people, I’m new to the fashion world. Let me share a little about myself. I am 5’5” 300+lbs. Yes, I am already losing weight, but I want to improve my style now. I am a broke university student with limited funds. Where can I ask for options on what I should look into getting to improve my wardrobe?
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If you are currently going through a period of rapid weight change and are also on a low budget, thrifting is a good idea. Just get stuff that fits you now and then donate it back when it doesn't fit anymore
https://twitter.com/dieworkwear/status/1615828613731078146?lang=en
I can’t find clothes in my size at thrift store
this gets linked a lot but it's a good twitter thread by Derek
have you given it a real shot? my local goodwills have abundant XXL, XXXL sizes etc. might just be a location dependent thing tho
Yes, I have. I have been to every thrift store in each of the 4 cities and towns frequent. They never have anything in my size. I have tried multiple times each month. I never find anything
copied from #mfa-general
a few random big guy thoughts that are usually shared: - thicker material drapes better (even though I wasn't a fan/sweat, it's true), easier said when it's not summer - bigger/wider patterns usually help - form-fitting can actually help (tucking in a certain way, even though it doesn't feel that way); by trying to hide your size, you're creating more size
darn, that's a shame. eBay is definitely a possibility still - most mall brand stuff can be found super cheap on eBay
honestly for temporary clothes while you're losing weight I feel like you could do a lot worse than target
super budget friendly basics, and from what I've seen they're very plus-size friendly
I can’t speak from experience but I do think this is a good time to be into fashion as a bigger person, big silhouettes are very much in and you should be able to find a good amount of inspiration and resources
I still really am not good at knowing what to wear. I thought what I was wearing in my photos were fine, but apparently they aren’t appealing to women.
A friend in another server is on the larger side and he dresses really well, better than me most times certainly
There's honestly nothing wrong with what you're wearing in those pics!
They fit, which is crucial. I think a lot of bigger guys over correct and try to hide their shape which just looks sloppy, bu everything you're wearing there is fitting how it should. You can always step up the style thing but first just find stuff that you feel comfortable.
Yeah they’re not bad, the outfits skew a little more dad/a little older than average but not offensive certainly
My best woman friend told me to get rid of my cargo shorts 🤷🏿♂️
What do you want to say with your fits, what vibe do you want to present
Yeah that’s probably the first move if you want to look like you’re giving it some more thought
Well I’m just 27 😓
There are plenty of good cargo short outfits but it’s not the default for just “looking good”
we kinda like cargo shorts around here, but they can be a very polarizing article of clothing. But they're easy enough to swap out for a pair of chino shorts
This is what she said
see if you like these. if you know your waist measurements and are comfortable sharing that helps narrow down our suggestions 🙂
Men's Regular Fit 9" Tech Chino Shorts - Goodfellow & Co™
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They were, now they're kinda not? They're different now, than the huge pocket cargos of whenever-that-was
52
I'd caution against just asking your female friends about men's fashion unless they for some reason spend a lot of time talking/thinking about men's fashion. For some reason there's an expectation that women know how to dress men, but it's really not true
I lover her like a sister, but I honestly think she didn’t want to be bothered yesterday
https://instagram.com/bigfits1?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
GQ
The Bigger Guy's Guide to Buying a Great Suit
Four foolproof tips for mastering tailored clothes with a larger frame.
in general, a lot of people have bad ideas of what fashion should be if they don't actively partake
if you asked men they'd probably try to dress women in exclusively skintight clothing
for example
I think Matty Matheson has great big dude inspo too
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I will support any Matty matheson content
Unfortunately, both Matty’s and David’s styles don’t really work for what I like
This look fucks imo https://www.instagram.com/p/CsL4oXvuM5F/?igshid=YmM0MjE2YWMzOA==
Post some pics of what you like
regardless of size
It’ll help us guide you
I don’t know
That is why I am here
I’m not good with fashion
take a dig through our WAYWT thread and see if there's anything there you like
Go through #waywt and #inspiration
I used to dress like this
you gotta put in some work. we can't tell you what you like
look through #fashion-guides , #waywt (I wouldn't worry too much about #inspiration because it's a bit more avant garde tbh) - see what speaks to you and what kinds of things you want to wear
once you know what you're looking for, we can help a lot more
I’m scrolling through and I still don’t see anything I like
Honestly I think the way you dress is just fine, and if youre on a tight budget then I’d suggest investing in some more flattering shoes
https://imgur.com/a/Hd69nWZ you don't like any of these?
Imgur
Untitled Album
Fortunately new balance / asics comfy shoes are really in right now. So switching out the white shoes you have on in your third pic for a pair of 990’s in either a neutral or more fashion forward colorway could really elevate your fits
Unfortunately no
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i honestly think in addition to figuring out what you like, work on finding clothes that make you feel good. focus on the basics before you start worrying about elevating into "fashion". confidence is going to be a huge part of what looks good
Well clothes don’t make me feel good. Active wear made me feel good because it was quick and easy to put on
Also if you want to move away from the cargo shorts then try to find a basic pair of flat front chino shorts at like a jcrew factory
like the pics you posted up top, you look like a confident guy. as far as desirability or whatever, that matters a lot more than dressing a certain type of way. what's appealing to people is someone who looks comfortable in what they're wearing and also looks like they put some effort into it
That's what i mean though, start small with finding clothes that do. Like, oh, this shirt fits me nicely. Don't stress what's fashionable because that shit is entirely made up.
I'd say just try not to rush it. Like anything, finding your style takes time, and it's always evolving.
Then I would revert back to my old attire. Which didn’t work for me. I received nearly 0 matches before I changed my wardrobe
are you able to express why you don't like it?
you gotta give us some stuff to cook with
Nothing you're wearing in those first pictures is egregious in any way. Like, I don't necessarily look at them and say "this dude is so stylish!" but I also don't look at them and say "Wow, bad style" and honestly? Not looking like shit is a huge hurdle for most dudes. You look fine.
Too stiff and unappealing to my eye. Also too gloomy
So just try to spend some time immersing yourself, if you see someone wearing something you like, find out what it is. Take screenshots.
So you like bright colors, that’s a direction to start at least
does anyone remember that dude chops on r/streetwear who had the 'all my homies cute' line? I feel like his style would be worth looking at but I can't remember his insta handle and streetwear is private lmao
Orange, red, yellow, purple, blue, a little green, sprinkle in some white, grey, and black
Orange is my favorite color
I hate to say this, but it isn’t for me
I have scoured the web and I don’t really see any style or clothes I would like 😓
If you don’t like anything it’s going to be hard for us to help tbh
I’m not trying to dislike everything
Like I said, I think you need to spend a bit of time just figuring out what you want your style to be. It's not permanent. You can always change it.
And it's not a race. Just start noting things you do like.
But I only have limited funds
No I know, I just mean we need to have somewhere to start
So I have to make every purchase count
You can dress well on a budget but if you are picky you really want to know that you’ll be happy with stuff before buying it
I just don’t know what women will like
Do you want to dress for yourself or for women
Because being confident and happy and basically not wearing gym clothes everyday is more important than fashion fashion
For the latter
Frankly, I don’t care what I wear. I would he find wearing active wear everyday
This was all about improving my style because women thought I was dressing like a bum/slob
I thought my new clothes fit
Your clothes in the first post here do fit. You look fine.
You don't look like a bum or a slob. And if someone is telling you that you do, I'd honestly try to surround yourself with people who don't make you feel that way.
unrelated to clothes, but you have a great smile bro @sammyray4445
People were talking about this
so infectious
I get that a lot for some reason
Thanks
taking an interest in something just to attract women is more of a red flag than not dressing well imo. and you look fine, so dw
But you've improved from that picture. And even then, nobody should be saying that shit to you. That's uncalled for.
Also seconding -- great smile.
only issue I see here is that the material for the shirt doesn't look very good. try looking for shirts that are thicker and more structured, as a chubby guy myself, I find thicker materials are much more flattering
Think they were just being brutally honest
the neck looks a bit worn out because of the material
But now people say I look too preppy or too nerdy
Nothing wrong with looking preppy or nerdy though.
Women don’t like that
And I think like we've said, a big part of this is figuring out how you want to look, what sort of vibe you want to give off.
I'm a nerd/am married.
Women judging you that harshly for wearing a collared shirt and jeans aren’t worth dating in any case, that’s a totally normal outfit
The style is different though. I’ve gotten feedback from women that the style is ok, but probably why I am not getting many matches
These people giving you a hard time about what you wear, or telling you women don't like this or that... have they told you what you "should" be wearing?
honestly if you want to dress good you can just shop at uniqlo and you'll eventually accidentally figure it out. they have bigger sizes online and everything goes on big discounts every few months
Those all look great! And are super attainable.
this style would look great on you. it seems like you have the right idea on where to go
Awesome, glad you found something you like
No this is what my women friends suggested
Ope well
What do you think of it
🤷🏿♂️ I don’t know.
I guess it is fine
But where do I find the article of clothes for these outfits?
if you don't mind me asking, what size are you? I can try to look around for things similar
Just get a plain casual button front shirt and layer it over a white tee and jeans and see how you feel about it
3X-4X
52 waist
11.5 wide US men’s shoe
ok I gotchu I'll look and send some links in a bit🫡🫡🫡
Appreciated 👍🏿
this dickies jacket is very versatile and is fairly affordable. comes in lots of sizes too
https://www.dickies.com/coats-jackets/unlined-eisenhower-jacket/JT75.html?dwvar_JT75_color=YT9#start=1
cant go wrong with literally any colour they offer
get a bunch of these tees in any colour you like. the material is thicker and more structured and gives a very flattering and put-together look. you can literally just wear these with some jeans and sneakers and it will be a good outfit https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/products/E422992-000/00?colorDisplayCode=00&sizeDisplayCode=003
UNIQLO
U Crew Neck Short-Sleeve T-Shirt | UNIQLO US
Heavyweight fabric gains character the more you wear it. Flattering roomy fit.
another versatile jacket https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/products/E458182-000/00?colorDisplayCode=34&sizeDisplayCode=003
UNIQLO
Utility Jacket | UNIQLO US
Casual workwear-style jacket. An easy throw-on layer with a relaxed cut.
i love wearing a flannel like this over a tshirt with some jeans. its super comfy, casual, and easy, plus it looks good https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/products/E462400-000/00?colorDisplayCode=07&sizeDisplayCode=003
UNIQLO
Flannel Checked Long-Sleeve Shirt | UNIQLO US
Flannel shirt with a thick yet airy feel. Brushed on both sides for extra warmth.
honestly you can just go through uniqlo and get what you like and it would be hard to go wrong
@e30ultra some of these aren’t in my size or are too expensive. I’m not a fan of flannel
Thank you still for doing this research for me
uniqlo's stuff usually fits around a size bigger than they label. I wear XL, but have many shirts from uniqlo that are labeled as medium but are bigger than some of my XL stuff
you're welcome! I hope that it at least gives you an idea of things to try out
This shirt?
@e30ultra would this shirt do well on a man my size?
I'm not personally a fan of that style of shirt, but you should try it out and see how you like it!
Well, I guess not 🤷🏿♂️
Thanks for your opinion
I found henleys to be hit or miss when bigger (still do), because of the way they usually fit. Very flattering, or very not. I also preferred them in darker colors. My caveat to this is I like soft henleys, so they didn't always have structure and would just highlight things I didn't want highlighted.
I do think they're worth trying on though because you can use them in so many ways. It's a great thing on its own or layered, and in different situations. A good one could be worth the hunt
it's just a personal thing for me. I prefer crewnecks or full button ups. its the same reason I don't personally like wearing polos hahaha
I was thinking of this, but it unbuttoned with a white T-shirt under it
Definitely
But it’s a layer typically so you gotta wear something on top. Maybe like a cotton plaid button up
More overshirt I guess
under a short-sleeved shirt, i'd suggest a tank top rather than a t-shirt underneath, but you're definitely on the right track!
Tank top? Can fat man wear tank tops?
Yes
Hell yeah you can dude! You can literally wear anything as long you find the right fitting item
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Dunno if it help but this guy dresses very cool
Have you thought about overalls? I think those can be done pretty cool.
I already live in the South (U.S.). I don’t want to further the stereotype
Overalls with converse and a fun t shirt can go a long way
I’m from california and we wear overalls all the time!
I think they can be a bit tricky to style though, especially if he has concerns about fitting a stereotypes and also is worried about looking “sloppy”.
Especially as a shorter dude. But I do agree they can look rad
I forgot about the sloppy discussion!
Oh yikes. I was thinking more of the odd future vibe
yeah overalls def not the vibe in south US
lots of good recs in here my dude - even if you aren't in love with it when you see it, you might change your mind when you wear it and see yourself in it.
I see what your friend was talking about with the cargo shorts - I do typically think the baggy/big pocket cargo shorts are often worn by people who don't pay much attention to what they wear - so there is a certain connotation to it
the Target rec is probably your best bet. you can get super affordable stuff. I took my brother there a few years back after he initially lost some weight. We just picked up some basic Ts, a field jacket, some jeans. Chucks for shoes. simple stuff- don't over think it if you're just getting started. Find simple stuff that fits and you'll already be leaps above the average fella
Yeah target has some decent stuff where you can try out a style and then upgrade if you love it