I’m looking at my local news online this morning and the internet is now trying to sell me LL Bean pocket polos and white NB sneakers! 
I admit to a certain fondness for a bit of dorkiness in my 55 yo suburban husband :-). He wouldn’t be him if he were dressed super- current.
Now my FB ads are offering me black NB sneakers in both a tie and velcro model.
H is not into fashion and truly doesn’t care. He doesn’t dress terribly - but polos, dad jeans and sweaters are ok with him. I did buy him a few nice sweaters from Nordie’s for Christmas.
I think I was happier before I read this thread. Unless I can read a logo, I have no clue what people are wearing and nor do I care. I think I speak for at least 50% of Americans.
Well, the whole premise of the thread is that both the OP and his wife care - they just have different views. If nobody cared it wouldn’t be a thread. If the OP didn’t care he would just wear the jeans that his wife bought him and move on.
I guess these aren’t hip, then. Clodhoppers, sheesh.
http://m.llbean.com/product.html?skCatId=87347&bc=#87347
Ah well, it was fun being hip for a few minutes. 
Any shoe with velcro on it screams geriatric to me. The shoes linked in #137 are straight up awful.
Good point. I’m moving on…
There’s art and design sensibility in all sorts of areas, not just major cities.
And I don’t think the example of young folks is exactly what we should be looking at. It’s more who wears what, not just that something’s “popular.” Except for real sports, I don’t like big advertising logos, so none of the NB do it for me. Surprised we haven’t noted Topsiders yet.
Go to Gap or Banana Republic–find something YOU like–she can’t have an objection if they’re “what all the kids are wearing.” OR look at your friends, and see if you like some of the jeans (other than Levis) that they wear–ask them where they got them.
I think Gap, Banana Republic, Eddie Bauer are fine for “middle-aged man” clothes. Nothing too flashy, nothing too grampa.
“When I ask where he got the jacket he’s wearing, or the great looking shirt, or can-I-touch-sports coat he looks at me like a pea pod hatched from under the bed and asks, “Don’t you remember? You bought it!””
Reminds me of a couple funny conversations with W. About 10-15 years ago we’re at the mall walking by a Lucky store. She says to me, “I hear Lucky jeans are nice, maybe you should try a pair.” To which I replied, “You mean like the pair I’m wearing right now?”
We had a repeat of that conversation about 7 jeans a few years ago too 
Plain black running shoes are popular in our house and often get worn as business casual. No one wears pleats any more, but they do like cargo pants - especially dh. Younger son is more fashion forward, older son lives in khakis/chinos. I’m always telling dh to untuck his shirt.
My husband gets his jollies by wearing a jacket like this: http://www.alpenwahnsinn.de/herren/jacken-janker-strickjacken/stockerpoint-trachten-herren-janker-maximilian-braun/7091-0-0-7091-0.htm?cat=3&subcat=50&subsubcat=&produkt=8658&sortby=&sortmethod=&groesse=&limit=108&page=1 It’s always good for a conversation.
This is kind of my walking around town look once the weather gets cooler, better jeans (though darker) and long sleeve pullovers. It helps that I’m built about like this guy, too - all those years of bike racing. I do own Levis for working around the house.
I bought four pairs of Johnston and Murphy shoes at the outlet last year, including a pair of brown waterproof oxfords (Pacific Northwest weather) that I wear with jeans. I own running shoes for running.
I went to a restaurant with a friend and he wore a pair of loose fit acid-washed Levis straight out of the 80s. He really should upgrade those.
@mathmom - that jacket is the male version of what I see a lot of in the Gorsuch catalog - they carry Lanz Trachten Couture for women. I like this which is goat suede:
https://www.gorsuch.com/product/britta+navy+jacket.do?sortby=ourPicksAscend&page=3&refType=&from=fn
Not sure my H could carry off your H’s jacket, but I like it - very European look.
New fashion trend: Star Wars attire–orange flight suit, anyone? My husband is a fan all things Star Wars. I think I’ll choose to be thankful for classic Levis and white shoes
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/22/fashion/star-wars-force-fashion.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur
I bought a pair of WHITE Adidas Adizero Adios Boost running shoes (my usual brand) and had to retire them early because they instantly aged me 10 years and reduced my mile running pace by at least one minute!
@HarvestMoon1 he likes it because he doesn’t have to wear a tie. I like your female version too.
My husband spent part of Saturday in Nordstroms personal shopper area trying to “hip” up his business wear for his new(ish) job. He cannot get over how all the clothes seem “too small,” Pants look too short, fit too close, the jacket sleeves are too short…etc. And the stylist said he HAD to go get some brown shoes. Johnston Murphy was our next stop.