I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit reading online clothing forums and men’s style blogs. Each site has something different to offer, but one thing that I have noticed is that there is a significant amount of repetition between them. From the stodgy trads at Ask Andy About Clothes to the tech-savvy noobs at Reddit MFA, it’s not uncommon to see the same products, the same people, and – most notably – the same questions.
One of the most common questions I see in these places is readers asking for “in-between” items – that is, items that are versatile and can be worn with dress and casual clothes. This makes perfect sense, as most of us want to get as much as we can out of every clothing purchase we make. On top of that, the American lifestyle has become increasingly casual so there is less need for a strong division between dress clothes and casual clothes.
Learning how to dress formally is relatively easy, if you put in the time; there are many rules and guides that help minimize the amount of decisions you have to make. On the same note, dressing very casually is not too difficult once the basics of fit and function are understood. It’s this middle ground – the “in-between” – that tends to trip guys up.
Over the next few weeks I will be putting out a series of articles looking to address this issue, one clothing item at a time. It will be a companion to my Business Casual Basics series, but with a more specific mission to discern and locate items that can pull double duty. Look for the first article later this week.
