All About The Readers...

[Jay]

Over the last 18 months or so I've lost 3 1/2 stone and went from a 36" waist to a 31/32" so pretty much none of my old clothes fit me any more. I decided that if I'm going to have to buy a whole new wardrobe I might as well learn how to make the most out of the stuff I buy.

Congratulations!

I'm very similar in that regard. I've always had an interest in clothes (and design stuff in general), but at the beginning of this year I lost 2 1/2 stone and went from a 34" waist down to a 29" so nothing fit whatsoever. I had to buy (and still am in the process of doing so) an entirely new wardrobe that didn't hang off me.

I realised that for quite some time, I'd been choosing clothes that covered up the bits I didn't like (the gut pretty much) and dressed more to hide the 'orrible bits, but now I don't have to and can wear and look good in whatever I like, wear things that are slimmer and more tailored and feel great about myself in clothes that I want to wear and enjoy wearing. And that's really resparked my interest in fashion.

In many ways it's been a real gift, the whole weight loss thing. It's not often you get to start an entire wardrobe from scratch and I've really enjoyed putting it together.

Now I just have to stay this size so I don't have to rebuild the wardrobe all over again!

[Danny]

I'm a seventeen year old College student at current, studying Art, Photography and Business A levels, living in Lincoln (a fairly culturally tame place, not at all 'hip'). I suppose you could say I have a mod/rocker influenced look which is pretty contradictory I suppose but I really do like both styles separately.

It all started when parties became a regularity for me, I never wanted to where the same thing all the time so I'd buy more clothes not really thinking about fashion, just dressing how everyone in my social circle did. As I got more outgoing and sociable I started to try to develop a style in order to make me stand out from the group, become an individual if you like; sculpting myself into a more 'sophisticated teen' as a BBC 4 documentary would suggest or at least aesthetically. Being an art and photography student, I'd like to think I could one day leave a lasting image in someone's mind just from them seeing me, like a painting, or photograph in their brain... maybe that sounds a little crazy but you can always dream, ay?

I shop everywhere with an exception to high street shops like Topman mainly because it seems a little too easy to be labelled as a TopmanMan, especially when it's one of the only fashion shops in my town, though the odd thing like a nautical striped tee with no hems. I use eBay a lot, I'm a bit of an eBay Pro if I do say so myself, I recently got a bomber jacket in brown leather for £6 which I'm pretty pleased with, probably my favourite piece of clothing right now!

Oh and I believe I stumbled upon the site when I searched for 'Mens Fashion' in Google.

[Jack]

My name's Jack (I was obviously feeling highly creative when I chose my username), I'm 20 and I live in Sydney, Australia. I'm currently studying Art History at university, and filling the rest of my time as a Fashion & Editorial Assistant for ACP Magazines (who publish most of Australia's magazines, including Harper's Bazaar AU etc.), and slaving away in retail to feed my expensive clothing habits.

I've been into clothes and fashion probably since my mid-teens, but it's probably been in the last three or four years that I've really taken an interest in my own dressing and Men's styling (as opposed to being obsessed with the latest Vogue/Harper's and women''s fashion).

I'd describe my style as quite preppy/smart casual. I really dislike looking and feeling too casual, and I like to put effort into dressing and accessorising, and it's not something I find easy when I'm dressed casually. I'm in the process of attempting to simply my wardrobe a bit - stocking up on a lot of basics and trying to get the most out of what I already have. I entertained the idea of a capsule wardrobe of say 25 pieces of clothing, but I enjoy shopping and clothes way too much for that =P
I really invest a lot of money in accessories, particularly scarves, neckties, and all kinds of jewellery. I'm attempting to expand my shoe collection because I seem to always neglect it for some reason, and I'm way too picky when it comes to shoes.

From memory, FashionBeans may have been an ad on the sidebar on Facebook that caught my eye. I've been reading since mid-year, and I really enjoy the articles posted. Learning more about Men's Fashion & Styling is something that I love, and I'm looking forward to chatting with everyone about it!

[Rich]

I don't really have much to say apart from. My name is Rich, turning 22 next month.

For years my wardrobe has been the same type of boring clothes, average tops and jeans with no real imagination into an outfit that i was trying to create. Behind all of this i guess you could say i've had an interested in fashion but have always been too lazy or poor to create styles and outfits.

I've been out of full-time work for ages since leaving college apart from a few months temp work at Harvey Nichols which i loved, 30% off of designer is pretty nice. Only just recently managed to get myself an apprenticeship to set me up into a career.

Its now ive decided that its time i changed my boring, basic style and actually made the effort with my wardrobe, and more importantly be more confident in the way i dress. Along with this i want to change my hairstyle which ive had since i was 16. (Basically a life-style change!)

I've found this site fantastic and very interesting/informative. The articles and suggestions motivate me and excite me to explore different styles i would have never thought of wearing previously (or have wanted to but never knew how to pull them off!)

Up until now when i have been shopping the usual stores are All Saints or ASOS, no longer a big fan of river island or topman. (i find with topman the clothes are way too tight fitting, which doesnt suit my frame - from gyming and eating too much, haha) Like others have said previously, i want to have a smarter, more mature style especially with having to wear a suit to the office everyday. ("How to dress down a suit" - Very interesting!)

Anyway that is me really, so much for a short and brief introduction which i intended on!

I have the opposite problem in that if I find an outfit that I think works I usually wear it too often.

I'm exactly the same. Due to my limited wardrobe and outfits, like you if i find an outfit i really like il over wear it, my girlfriend hates it!

[Abby Normal]

Hey I've yet to properly introduce myself.
My name is John & I live in southern California, just outside of LA.
Anyways I didn't become serious about my wardrobe until a few
years ago, really. I poked around online & came across this site
& the advice here is top notch. I was always a t shirt & jeans guy
but career & middle age has prodded me in a new direction.
Changing your image can be a daunting effort for sure, but
books are judged by the cover rather we like it or not.

My run down:
I'm a Graphic Designer & a mediocre guitarist.

[Loki]

The name is Juhan and I live in the Eastern European country of Estonia.

Until my twenties, I used to pay absolutely no attention to fashion or style. Back then, my personal "style" reflected my taste in music, which is to say most of the time I was sporting random black jeans or military pants paired with a t-shirt with a logo of some obscure extreme metal band. Then gradually, I discovered the benefits of dressing well. It made me feel more confident, and it also had a huge impact on my relationships with the fairer sex. It`s not that I care much about the very latest trends or fashion shows now, but the way one dresses is important to me.

I guess right now my style would be best described as some kind of mixture between heritage, preppy and goth chic. Really don`t know how to put it into words. What frustrates me the most though, is the utmost lack of choice when it comes to menswear in this corner of the world. You can literally shop for hours, and still find nothing, because everything`s either ugly, ill-fitted (I`m 194 cm tall and have a rather slender frame), or ridiculously overpriced. So I`m mostly into thrift shopping and some cool local brands, occasionnally I pay a visit to Zara or M&S.

Don`t even remember how I discoverd Fashionbeans, but it`s proven to be the best advice on style I`ve found so far.