I trust your advice because you do not offer a quick and easy solution. You emphasise the importance of building knowledge and you point out reputed books as a starting point. Your honesty honesty has earned you a sub :)
i realy like that this man gives content for the sake of content and doesnt try to sale his or his partners stuff. so many style chanels watered down to commercial BS with repetitive content.....
They do advertise Raphael’s company Fort Belvedere quite a lot, but at the same time it’s not universal in most aspects (all the socks are FB for instance, but Preston commonly wears other brands of cuff links) and I believe that it’s simply because FB is high quality and Raphael owns the company so he has a lot of those products.
I recently purchased my first suit, a grey check with navy blue stripes I love that suit it’s better than anything I've ever got in my whole life, this channel has really helped me, I never knew suits had this much meaning until I watched this channel, keep up the good work
I'm obviously not a man but I REALLY enjoy watching this, so much that I subscribed. I think it's because the tips are generally applicable to everyone wanting to have a timeless quality wardrobe. AND it helps that he's well spoken and has a calming voice
I wonder if there's an equivalent channel for classic ladies clothes. That must be harder to pull off because it seems like women's fashion changes faster.
This channel contains good advice for anyone who wants to dress classic - that's a choice to begin with, as some people want to dress fashionable or comfortable or don't think about it at all. I've watched so many of these videos in the last week or so and I can't wait to apply the advice. I think the emphasis on finding a good tailor is really great advice for looking good on a budget - women's bodies are much more variable than men's so fit is even harder to achieve off the rack, if not impossible.
There's a recycling center close to me, they have racks full of all kinds of clothes for the equivalent of like 1,50 to 3,00 dollars per piece (including sports jackets and even suits among other things). I lost a ton of weight and built a pretty good wardrobe on a very tight budget, of course there's a lot of very outdated stuff but with patience you find a lot, might not apply to other parts of the worlds but I'm in the EU myself. Clothing stores also have pretty decent clearance racks and I've picked a lot of those up as well, they're often the weirder sizes and/or colors but again, with patience I often find something I need
Others have said it and I agree. In the States, you can buy 5-6 outfits of high-quality, high-end name brand clothes for $100 or less at thrift stores. It is really amazing what you can find. I have walked out of thrift stores with 3 large bags of clothes for $30.00. Clothes that would have probably cost me $500+ at full retail price.
Wow. And I mean WOW. I'm a 25-year-old man who has just now needed this kind of advice, and let me tell you. This is a BLUEPRINT for how to look good. Much thanks to you.
I just want to say thank you, for all that you do to educate us on great style. I agree that the most important thing I have learned is to know size and stick with versatile (read plain and timeless) items. Then use your accessories to pop. this will save you tons of time shopping because you can skip the things that don't work and you can shop online with more confidence. since i started watching you and Antonio and Aaron I have trimmed my hair, have a better shave, moved from uniform pants to brand name that fit, had my work shirts tailored and started wearing a bow tie on a regular basis. I am already being courted by other companies. soon I hope to support fort belvedere!!! with more than just thanks.
My tip without watching the video is thrift stores. I'm a retired disabled Vet and I have found high end items at them. Some examples are a Burberry coat for 10$ that goes for 2000$ and Ferragamo shoes for 20$ that go for 600$ and the shoes might have been worn once.
Ok, while I admit that the way these guys dress is too rigorous for my taste, I really appreciate their passion and gentleman-like way of behaving. A pleasure to watch the videos, keep them coming with the same quality. Cheers from Romania!
Wonderful video with lots of important tips and good explanations. Especially the part about salesman. People in Germany need to hear this. Some think: "If I just spend 800€ for that Hugo Boss suit and a salesman agrees, then it has to be good for me." My personal opinion: If you do not have the knowledge to buy from a vintage/second hand store, then you should not buy off the rack suits. Save that 800€ for your Hugo Boss Outfit and get a suit for 200€ more from a tailor instead.
Very interesting and useful. One thing stood out for me, and that was the comment about variation is sizes - how very true that is: a 44" chest from one manufacturer will fit well, whereas from another it can be too tight to do the top jacket button up. A trouser with a 40" waist will fit with room to spare IF it's a high-waisted cut, but would generally be quite impossible to fasten in the lower fittings that are now so common (I read with envy of the young man below who has a 34" waist: I had once - around 40 years ago!). Even shirt collars vary by a vital half inch or more - so that whereas a 16 1/2" will fit comfortably from one brand, it has to be 17" in another or I should be strangled. For those of us who do not have access to high quality tailoring, or even an alterations tailor, shopping for clothes by mail is fraught with problems: I have to remember which of the three or four shirt makers I use have easier fitting than others; as for jackets and trousers, there's no real alternative other than to visit a store and try them on, or a second-hand clothes shop - or made to measure. And the last of these is now extremely expensive (although worth the money) when you have to factor in travelling to the tailor. The high street tailor is virtually extinct outside of the major cities in the UK - small wonder that so many men are so badly dressed, in ill-fitting polyester or the ubiquitous saggy jeans.
All good advice, esp. buying used. Most of my favorite jackets are from estate sales, sometimes still with the tags. Also yes to buying for the long term. Among other old stuff, I still wear a pair of charcoal gray wool flannel dress pants that I bought over 32 years ago.
Shoulder width is especially important. I don't like it when I put on a jacket and it almost feels like I will dislocate my shoulder or tear the jacket. This is a problem with old, forgotten jackets that people outgrow and they forget that these things might not fit after all those years while it was in the closet.
@@kingblue71 I was able to get a pair of ox blood bostonians and black dockers for 18.99 each. A few more dollars on a creme polish and a wax polish has these competing to for the spot of favorite shoe
As a salesman, I agree that you shouldn't always trust a salesman. I have seen countless uneducated salesmen that sell customers items that don't fit, look good or suit the occasion. They simply lack passion and simply are only in it for a job. I try to do my part to change this however so I have educated myself so that I can provide a service rather than simply gain a sale.
Man, you are an amazing inspiration for us aspiring to be well-dressed gentlemen in this free-spirited era. Great job in all of the videos; all are filled with useful information of just the right amount. Keep making more! God bless you, man!
I was really liking your whole wardrobe and then you showed those cufflinks WOW!!! I was blown away.I must find a pair of those, they are something else.Enjoying your videos and learning so much from them, thank you sir.
Hello! I would like to thank you for this useful tutorial, and would also like to compliment your suit this video. The unique mix of color and patterns really make me appreciate your knowledge on this subject.
Amazing video, Sven. Hopefully you'd consider making a video for the outdoorsy, rough-around-the-edges gentlemen out there. You've advocated for practicality and appropriateness throughout your videos. It would be very profitable for us outdoors types to hear you opinion on the matter!
Ah, you are German. You are a perfectionist when speaking. That explains your peculiar accent and rhythm. I hear the German slur now. Confusing me is fairly impressive.
He didn't missed not a single one , hopefully, the younger men will follow these tips and will save lot $$$$$$ on the long run. It cost me lot $$$$$ (most wasted money) not following these tips, now that I'm 38 I burned lot of cash . if I has listen these tips when I was 21,I will have now like 20+ expensive quality shoes(My passion and hobby)
The scripts in these GG videos crack me up. Are you poor but go to the opera a lot...here's what to look for when shopping for secondhand evening wear. Love it. Fun videos, thanks!
@@michallabus96 I think he was referring to the us. Most think that those types of places are inaccessible for the average person even though most tickets are subsidized by donations or subscription of more well off people.
that is why i only use Oscar Jacobson suits, coats, and merino/pure wool sweaters, ties, hanky's and Stenstøms shirts. Swedish prime brands are really underrated!
Great Tips and love your vibrant personality. I would love information on winter wear if convenient. You and your good friend Antonio should do at least one show together. Your veiwers would love it. You two guys complement each other so well that it would be a shame if you didn't. Finally, if you ever open a store in Perth Australia please let me know. Perth has the best designers. Yet sadly there are no clothing stores of style for men. Perth is crying out for good clothing stores for gentleman in 2020.
I have two questions. Are vintage shops the same as thrift stores like goodwill? And I've lost a lot of weight but I still have a bit of a belly; should I wait until I am fully slimmed down to get my clothes tailored or is it better if I do it now and then adjust them again later?
i´ve bought off the rack jackets and suits which almost fit me perfectly except for minor alterations . E.G sleeve length on jackets occasionally and obviously trouser length. A good seemstress can do these alterations easily, no need to pay through your nose at a tailor's.
One thing about sale is that they want to get rid of things in sizes they weren't able to sell. I'm super small and skinny so I find like "left over" clothes
It's a bit surprising, but I play a videogame - Wolfenstein (The New Order, The New Colossus, The Youngblood). And there I usualy found the magazines of this kind as cool artifacts of the age. From one side - I'm glad! From the other side - I'm confused.
Hello Sven, great video. I have to disagree on one of the points and I would like to hear your opinion. For someone like me who lives on a budget and needs to be respectably dressed, buying not only good looking clothes but also high quality garments can be difficult if not impossible. Most of the people I know who dress sharp on a budget tend to recommend in the beginning buying from cheap stores until you save up for an expensive piece of clothing. However, and if what you say about outlet stores is true and the quality of the pieces sold there are is lower than that of the main stores then wouldn't outlet products bought during outlet sales (when everything is incredibly cheap) still be of much higher quality than clothing from cheap stores? Case in point: I started buying shirts from H&M, then moved up to Zara and Cortefiel. Nearby the local shopping centre there is a Retail Park with a Sacoor Brothers Outlet Store. Most shirts from that brand are very expensive (for my wallet at least, we're talking about shirts which the cheapest costs 100€), when there is a sale going on I can get those expensive shirts for 30€/40€. The quality of those shirts is much higher than Zara's or Cortefiel's. In that case, woudn't Outlet stores be a good thing and a must for a gentleman on a budget trying to get good clothes for minimum amount of money possible? Thanks in advance.
i'm 18 years old and love timeless menswear but I have a serious problem getting suits and jackets to fit me properly. I find it very very hard to gain weight so I am a skinny guy with a 34'' chest and small waist ect. The only clothes that I can find that ''fit'' my size are awful high street brands that don't look good at all. I've looked at made to measure online suits but not found exactly what i'm looking for at a budget of around $600. I've slowly started to give up because every time I look for a suit that has good sized lapels, great fabric, that is not too short on the jacket, it never has my size. Do you have any ideas?
TheXtremesoundz go to the tailor, ill do the same im slim and 19, they will measure you and makr suit for you, what i will do is same more than 1000 dollars(euros for me), that i could afford good quality, good looking and timeless suit. what i think if i dont have the money its not the time. thats for the Suits. still you can buy other clothes and boots and look more casual
I had the same issue all the way before I was 18. You know what you have to do man, get into a better shape. Not only will you find clothes that fit, but when they do fit, it will look great. Now, I know some of us are rather hard gainers, but you have to put some effort to it and you will eventually see results.
While my problem was and still is that I am short, slightly overweight and additionally blessed with slightly random measurements (especially my neck is short and wide, making off-the-rack shirts a nightmare) I think in essence it is comparable. We both have unusual bodies. A month and a half ago I decided to finally go made to measure. I went to a brick store in Frankfurt that is part of a made to measure chain. While it is not as luxurious as bespoke it caters to my needs much more than the ardour of finding something that remotely fits and then having it altered off the rack. Bespoke I just can not possibly afford right now, even if I wanted to. Pure virgin wool two-piece-suits start at around 400 to 500 € there but you can spend up to two thousand on a three-piece-suit in a luxury material. Shirts start at 60 and go up to 150 for sea-island-cotton. That inculdes any tailoring until it fits you and also any tailoring that is not necessitated by a change in your body for six months. What I got was not as perfect as I hoped it would be but considering that it fits me a lot better than anything I had ever before and everything about the suit, from the buttons to the lining, from the pockets to the extras, was my personal choice, I am quite content. The shirt they made me is the first shirt I ever had that fits me in the arms and body without choking me to death or allowing me to breathe without being as wide as a sack. I also went for a slightly lower collar style. The additional comfort of being able to fully close the top button without suffocating or having my jaw touch my collar is beyond words. Two weeks into owning that three-piece and single shirt I am quite happy with them and think I was just disappointed it did not meet my slightly too high expectations of perfection. I since ordered two more shirts. Personally I envy everyone that can buy something off the rack and have it fit with slight alterations. But If I think about the hours spent searching for something that fits well enough a tailor might even start to think about changing it I gladly trade that in for the hours spent at the made-to-measure-shop. And I only had to be there that long and often because I had a certain dead-line for when I needed my suit and they had problems fulfilling it unless I came in for the shirt and suit at seperate dates. Long story short: Go for a brick store if you can because they employ tailors that are adept at taking your measurements (and if they mess up they can change it or are responsible for any mistakes), they will help you with decisions and you can actually look at the fabrics and base patterns they offer. Considering a solid off-the-rack suit costs at least 300 and you will have alterations made for about 100 you might as well spend 400 to 500 on a made to measure suit and get your personal piece that fits better, if you have a little bit extra.
As a 22 year old young man like yourself, I'd honestly advise waiting a few more years before investing higher amounts of money on quality pieces. I don't know about you, but from 18-22 the only thing about my body that didn't change was my shoe size. Pant size went up from 28-32, chest from 36-40(42) so I'd wait it out and let the tailwind of puberty take its course before throwing lots of money in to higher end clothing. :)
When I was 18, I was looking for a tux to wear to prom. I had never owned anything more than hand-me-down suits. My mother decided we would go to a nice thrift store where she said she had "good luck." We walked in, looked around for 5 minutes, and there it was: 39 extra long (I'm 6' 4"), amazing condition, $85 US. Sold. 7 years later, I still own it and wear it. Always try thrift stores first.
Amazing video as always! I just wish there was some vintage stores in my area where i live. There is not really lot of places where to find really good clothes so i always have to travel somewhere just to go shoping :D
When I shop on a budged I go to Primark. Very cheap clothes and the modules they use are perfect for me. So I save a lot of money from not going to the tailor
Shortening suit jacket is actually easy. And it wont mess up the buttons on the cuff. Pin it, take the sleeve off, shorten it in as pinned and put it back.
Sven, any great tips on how to google good vintage shops/thrifts stores near me? i have been to some but i'd like to go to some that are more selective or with better garments. Thanks and great video as always!!!
Could you help me out? I'm a college student of agriculture, I spend a lot of time in greenhouses, crop fields and classrooms; I want to look my best without compromising practicity. Could you help me with some recomendations?
Be careful with wearing your suit jacket or pants separately. If you do it too much they won’t match anymore because the sun and other elements will slightly change the color.
Like you, Raphael, I'm from a small German town with a..let's say 'limited' amount of thrift stores in its vicinity. Are there any trustworthy online thrift stores that you or anyone in the comments could recommend to me?
I was just thinking that I was hoping you'd put up a video for this. Now I just have to see what I can find in my area, lol. Anyone have any good recommendations for Vancouver?
Hello Sir, I would have loved to drop an email through to you, although I don't think that is possible. As a 17 year old I m keep to start wearing suits casually rather than what the majority of my age group range. I would welcome your advice on where to shop. Fantastic video. Harry
Dear Gentleman's manager, compliments for the video. Can you suggest a name of a place or of an ebay user in which I can find beautiful used garments? thanks
