<p>This time regarding the men in our lives. We went to a party last night. The dress was described in the invitation as Chic if your in the mood.
The women did a good job. But the men! My spouse included. He interpreted the dress code to mean he should wear pants! On went his 501 shrink to fit. The same jeans he has been wearing since I met him 32 yrs ago. Not to mention in the same size. He had a hard time deciding between a polo shirt or a Quicksilver microfiber button down shirt. Add to the picture on his feet were a pair of new skateboard style suede sneakers.
My D and I have decided we really need to update his going “out” wardrobe. My D hates the Levi 501 jeans. What jeans do you like for 45-55 yr old men? Shoes?</p>
<p>Amen, mom60! I’m married to a Kirkland Signature jeans guy who grabs and puts on the first thing that falls out of his closet. I finally made him “retire” his “dress” jeans into the garden clothes pile and got him a pair of Buffalo jeans (yup, at Costco): dark wash, relaxed fit, but not baggy. They look really nice with a dark brown belt, his Ecco sneakers and a long-sleeve knit shirt (and I finally got rid of all RL polos with horizontal stripes!)</p>
<p>I finally banished the faded nearly white jeans fr. DH’s closet. They went in the yardwork clothes drawer.<br>
He’s tried a couple of different jeans. Bought some Columbia jeans that look nice but he says the pockets are too shallow and something about the inseam is not so comfy.
His favorite jeans are Eddie Bauer jeans. He generally wears Merrell hiking shoes (not the clunky boot kind) and a long sleeve knit shirt. In colder weather, he’ll add on a lightweight fleece with the quarter length zipper.<br>
He really likes many things in the Eddie Bauer store. Some of it is pretty pricey but I have had good luck w/ sales/clearance.</p>
<p>Our Eddie Bauer store closed several years ago. I liked their clothes for men.
Merrell style hiking shoes are what my H wears for work. I did get him to get a couple of nicer fleece jackets for casual wear. (he still likes his hooded sweatshirts from the surf shop)
He really needs a new style of jeans and something to wear when we are invited somewhere more trendy. Granted he is perfectly happy with his wardrobe.</p>
<p>This isn’t going to help, but my H just discovered those Kirkland Signature jeans at Costco…he LOVES them! They fit well, and cost $12.99!</p>
<p>Would he agree to wearing black jeans? They seem a tad more dressy somehow. Oh and props to him for still wearing the same size jeans from 32 years ago. That is an accomplishment!</p>
<p>Maybe they all need gift subscriptions to GQ??</p>
<p>Calvin Klein makes really nice-looking clothes for men (and they are reasonably priced when they go on sale at Macy’s). My H has to wear slacks and collared shirts at work, no jeans and no tees. I got him a bunch of no-iron Calvin Klein shirts with a slightly slimmer fit - he loves them. Dockers no-iron khakis are his favorite work pants (and they truly need no ironing!)</p>
<p>I bought my H a black Ralph Lauren corduroy blazer a few years ago, the cushy kind with the big welts. It looks great with jeans. I even get him to wear a scarf with it on occasion and he does look pretty great.</p>
<p>He loves the outdoor men’s clothes, the old fashioned kind, not the performance clothes kind. Think Woolrich and Pendleton. You know, the wool plaid jackets and flannel shirts. Luckily for me, I actually think they’re kind of sexy. And those kinds of clothes actually look even better as they get older and frayed looking.</p>
<p>^^^Yeah, DH loves to look at all the cool jackets in REI even in the summer.
For some odd reason, he doesn’t care much about pants/shirts/sweaters/shoes but the man loves jackets…weird.</p>
<p>My husband is a khaki pants and button down collar shirt for going out and Gap jeans and a polo shirt for everyday wear (when not at work.) In the winter he adds a sweater or sweatshirt to the above; the sweatshirt is always a UNC or Formula 1, the sweater is a Polo brand. Shoes are Cole Haan for the khaki’s and Merrell slip on or hiking mid tops.</p>
<p>I try to get him to change it up a bit, but he is stubborn.</p>
<p>My husband also wears the same size levi 501s that he did in high school- for practically every occasion.</p>
<p>He does not go clothes shopping- sometimes I might get him to go on an errand and drag him someplace to give his approval.
I have bought Clarks Wallabys which he likes but he rarely wears, preferring converse or work boots, even though he says they are very comfortable he doesn’t want them to get dirty :rolleyes:
I did buy him a [light jacket at JCrew](<a href=“http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/MensBrowse/Men_Shop_By_Category/outerwear/cotton/PRDOVR~90876/90876.jsp”>http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/MensBrowse/Men_Shop_By_Category/outerwear/cotton/PRDOVR~90876/90876.jsp</a> ) when we went on a trip to Ca, but we didn’t get to do as much shopping as I wanted ( none actually)</p>
<p>I like JCrew, and I also buy him stuff at Costco- recently got a really nice heavy flannel loden shirt ( but he wears a medium and those go first)
He still wears a lot of the Patagonia that I bought fifteen yr ago ( and they still look pretty good)</p>
<p>In the summer I can maybe get him to wear some of the synthetic travel clothing I found at REI- which is dresser and looks like heavy silks or woven linen- but he doesn’t have a pair of winter dress pants- so this thread is timely- I think I will start looking for some wool pants that are slightly dressier than 501s or an updated ski type sweater.
( Ralph Lauren is doing the Olympic athlete clothing and was thrilled to be taken for an athlete in Bejing) 
</p>
<p>I have resigned myself that H is not going to cut his hair
( he has a blond ponytail, although in the past he has had shorter hair, and once even a perm when I was in cosmetology school and they were all the rage. He also had a very thick mustache for many years, that I finally convinced him to shave off because I thought it made him look older- although for a few years he grew a beard every winter. I think beards can be sexy, but only if they keep them very trimmed and the hair can’t be too wild looking.)
& I try not to roll my eyes at what he wears, but I do admit if he is always in jeans and flannel shirts, I feel odd if I am very dressed up. ( neither of our girls have ever mentioned what their dad wears- & he wears 501s- sweatshirt & leather jacket for work)</p>
<p>The style I really like on guys for casual is like what Mike McCready wears( Pearl Jam )- track or motorcycle jackets- nice close fitting shirts or tees- and my H would look really hot in them- but he knows if I bought him a motorcycle jacket I would probably just end up wearing it anyway :o, ( but maybe I could find him some boots)</p>
<p>My husband is a boring dresser and also a little older than many on this forum. He likes cords better than jeans, and seems to think wearing them year-round is acceptable. To me, cords are a fall/winter fabric. He also has (too) many horizontal striped polos from RL and Gap. He wears shorts whenever possible (carry-over from Texas days), even though I think he pushes it (would work in Colorado, perhaps). His feet have “issues” (too many years of running), so he always wears sports sandals, Keen-type shoes or light hikers, no matter how they look with the rest of the outfit. He does have loafers for church/dressier occasions. He’s retired, so doesn’t have a “work” wardrobe anymore. He wears t-shirts a lot, too, which I sort of thought we outgrew except for athletics. I just keep my mouth shut and endure lots of days of looking at the “Life is Good” wardrobe.</p>
<p>MomofWildChild-my husband wears shorts 99% of the time. Luckily he can wear them to work. T-shirts for after work and weekends. Polos for work. He thinks of khaki’s as what to wear if he has to go to meet with his banker or accountant. Or if he is going to a religious service.
Emeraldkity- if we lived in a colder climate my H would live in his 501’s and flannel.
I think my H would laugh if I brought him home a tight t shirt but it would look good.Like your H he hates to shop. He is also cheap. Price is his main criteria. I probably have the only spouse on here who owns more pairs of swim trunks than pants. (he plays beach volleyball)
I think I want to start by buying him a pair of more stylish jeans. Problem is going to be he only wears a 28 waist.</p>
<p>My husband is a better dresser than me. For casual he likes Lucky jeans and shirts, Michael Starr shirts. Our kids think he is too hip. He’ll wear polo type of shirt and dress pants if he is going to kids’ school event. All his shirts and suits are custom made from Italy with a little embroidered initials on his shirts (he travels to Italy for work, so he knows places to go to.). Our girls for the logest time thought all men’s shirts came with initials. H is not a big spender. He adds a little bit to his wardrobe every year, but he would only buy what he likes. For a guy it is easier, some nice suits, different shirts and nice looking ties, they are set. H told me from very early on to never buy him any clothes. He is still 40L with a small waist.</p>
<p>My husband, unlike me, still wears the same size jeans he did when he was young. My husband is a clothes horse. Serious clothes horse. He is also a tad vain about the way he dresses. Retired, so ties and jackets are only for “dress up.” Totally conservative dresser, think Brooks Brothers meets Nautica meets Ralph Lauren although he does love Cinch jeans which I had never heard of 'til I met him as I think they are “cowboy jeans.” He took over S1’s closet when S1 left for college. He likes to shop. He takes forever to get ready when we have to go somewhere. Now that he uses “readers” it’s always a huge panic when we go somewhere for him to find the “right readers” for what he is wearing. If it weren’t so tragic it would be so funny. I’m more of a whip an outfit together low maintenance type girl.</p>