Style and article archetypes?
I saw a women's pdf once that had general names for every type of clothing article and style. E.g.... headless, skirt, cardigan
Does anyone have resources on the archetypes of men's fashion? I especially like info graphics
Am archetypes is like a blueprint that can be used for various different kinds of construction
42 Replies
Hi @Zectra! For better answers, include:
- Reference pictures
- Budget in numbers
- Specific measurements
- Openness to buying secondhand and/or online
- Location: country/continent is fine
- Timing/urgency
I wouldn't be surprised if something like this exists but I wouldn't know where to find it and don't think it would be especially helpful
Resist the techpilled urge to file everything into categories and labels and just look for things you like and say ‘oh I like that’
You must live somewhere with a diversity of fashion or had the opportunity to travel a lot. I feel happy for you. Outside of culturally diverse areas, fashion has one architype: t-shirt and denim jeans.
If all you ever google search is "t shirt and jeans" that's all you'll ever find.
You need to be able to actually see all the different types to be able to select from them.
thats what the internet is for
Don’t google t shirt and jeans then
Then what do i google
go to any web page that sells clothes
see what the clothes are called
im very confused by the dilemma here
So Target where they only sell t-shirts and jeans?
What do you Google to find the web pages that have diverse fashions
Look in #waywt
Look at #waywt and #inspiration and any other accounts or places you see clothes. Post pics of stuff you like here and people will help you find it
"famous clothes brands"
type ‘men’s outfit’ into Pinterest and scroll until you see something you like and save it
Repeat until your algorithm has picked up on what you like
"Names of styles and silhouettes in fashion"
"Clothing style categories"
go to ssense dot com, click menswear, click refine, search by category
repeat for any website that sells clothes
Sweet. Thanks guys. That's what I was looking for.
also like. i mean. cmon.
idk if this is closer to what you're looking for
there's a fashionpedia guide with just terms and pictures
it's not really meant for specific aesthetics though it's just broad pieces
these also feel skewed towards western cultures
Are shirts and pants all mens fashion is?
your location may dictate what is considered basic archetypes
Yeah im looking to branch out beyond just western modern fashion
I am happy to look through time and location
look im gonna say this with no grace or charity whatsoever. you gotta try shit out yourself. Even using your target example, click into those categories and you'll find a half dozen subcategories for each one.
Mens fashion is as beautiful or as boring as you are.
okay well start by going to #waywt and seeing any fit that looks interesting and then saying "hey this is cool ID on the top/bottom/everything?"
I mean the definition of both is incredibly broad
there's pants that look like skirts, shirts with like a dozen diff collar/sleeve combinations
it really is kinda just bashing your head against a wall with looking at pics until you find the names for the specific stuff you like
If you just want to just have something to read through then the permanent style articles might help
https://www.permanentstyle.com/building-a-wardrobe-capsule-collections
Or Derek’s “Excited to wear” articles helpful
https://dieworkwear.com/2025/06/03/excited-to-wear-this-spring-6/
But really just go and try stuff on and figure out what you think looks good on you and what feels good to wear!
That makes sense. I'll keep digging.
It's just with girl's fashion you have so many more layers and diversity.
I'm not saying men's doesn't, it's just you typically don't see much diversity outside of big cities.
I'm stuck in a rural area for another year so I don't have much of anyone to see/talk to.
ah I see
Sweet ty!
I can play devil's advocate and agree that men's fashion tends to be much more uniform below a certain price point
they tend to get boxed out more as far as the larger US retailers are concerned since a lot of guys just buy clothes for the functionality
again that book might actually be what you're looking for if you're just looking to develop your vocabulary before looking for inspo
it's quite dense
inside is like this so it just shows you the basics of different cuts
Is this the right book?
https://a.co/d/5OC5j6b
yeah
you can probably get it for cheaper secondhand
Sweet. I'll check it out.
Thanks for the quick replies and helping out a noob guys
I will again preface that it's more like a dictionary than a style guide bc they don't pair anything but GL! :catthumbsup:
That's what I need. Ingredients. Appreciate it!
if/when you start translating these ideas into a fit i highly encourage posting it, either in #waywt or
#questions-and-advice depending on if/how much feedback you want
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