Mens Dress: The Look of Nonchalance

[Gene]

Also, take into account very few people were "immaculate" back in the days. We have the luxury of modern detergents, dry cleaning, ironing, and basic hygiene products they didn't have!

[1961MJS]

i'm also more of a "sprezzaturist" than an immaculately neat chap. i don't think i could even be immaculately neat if i tried. any of my 40s shirts that had celluloid collar stays have had them removed.
i favour the four in hand over the windsor. i roll my shirt sleeves up over the elbow and usually have stubble. i like to mix rugged with elegant.

Hi, you comment about stubble reminded my of a Chicago Greek named Nick that I went to college with. He pretty much got 5 o'clock shadow on the left side after he finished shaving it and moved to the right side. I too, wear the four in hand, I don't roll my sleeves up except to eat... I try to dress such that I don't appear to be the pig that I am. It was BBQ day, and I wore a red shirt, any guesses why??

Later

[Edward]

Case in point:

I recently watched a short film about a gentleman who was portrayed as having reached enlightenment (in a vaguely Zen Buddhist sense), and he was dressed like this:



I think they were going for this idea of nonchalance, that someone who had reached enlightenment would dress well, but carefree.

However, consider another character who seems (much more subtly) to be portrayed as having reached enlightenment; namely, Agent Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks. He dresses like this:



Note that Agent Cooper looks just as nonchalant--this is even more obvious when you watch the show. It's all about attitude.


EDIT: Changed picture for the first reference for a medium shot, to mirror the second.

Dale Cooper wore a suit and tie so well he looked absurd in those episodes in which he was out of them while suspended from duty. Of course, I believe this was deliberate: his identity was so bound up in his job that he really was not himself without it. I like to believe he had to buy his casual wardrobe in Twin Peaks to mark himself out as off duty, as he quite possibly owned nothing other than suits and such.

[samtemporary]

...Fussing with your tie or pocket handkerchief all the time betrays a lack of confidence.

This. I typically keep my barrel cuffs undone on my shirt, top collar button undone - but still "kinda" closed with the help of my tie, and my pocket square done in the most casual way possible. The look is easily tightened up if necessary without looking like I tried too much.

[GBREAL]

I still don't get it. I guess its one of those things I'll have to put on the shelf and take it out later.

[sproily]

i'm also more of a "sprezzaturist" than an immaculately neat chap. i don't think i could even be immaculately neat if i tried. any of my 40s shirts that had celluloid collar stays have had them removed.
i favour the four in hand over the windsor. i roll my shirt sleeves up over the elbow and usually have stubble. i like to mix rugged with elegant.

My sentiments exactly.








I never do a straight fold with my pocket hanky.

[Flat Foot Floey]

Yesss. The best of Sproily. Thanks for the cameo

[sproily]

You're welcome

[herringbonekid]

excellent outfits Sproily !

[dnjan]

I wanted to get some opinions of the idea that when dressing a man should arrange his outfit to give the appearance of nonchalance, that he spent no time thinking about his dress regardless of the actual time he spent getting dressed.

When I first read this, I immediately thought of the majority of the boys I see around a public high school. They have definitely achieved the "appearance of nonchalance".