what does your man wear? are polo shirts ever ok?

[hatwoman]

dh wears very nice suits for work and t-shirt and jeans/shorts the rest of the time. but what's a nearly 40-year old to wear to a restaurant? to a friend's house if he feels like being a bit smarter than normal? and, if you wear a casual shirt is it tucked in or out? and shoes? there's a really fine line between looking a bit smart and looking like a middle-aged, smug tosser/straight out of a Boden catalogue -where is it?

I wish I knew, hatwoman. IMO (though possibly not in his), DH has the same problem - can do casual, or suit, but the in-between is very difficult.

Mine works on building sites, hence wears polo shirts for work and avoids them at any other time.
'Bit smarter than normal' for DH means casual shirt untucked and in all likelihood looking like a smug tosser from the Boden catalogue - probably this one or this one, though to be fair he isn't 40 yet and the look does suit him.
Tucking things in is rarely forgiving to the more mature gut, or indeed any gut at all. And you have to have really, really well-cut trousers.

Shoes are a minefield - DH is a flipflop aficionado but the inevitable boat shoes can work, or those suede desert boot things, or even just normal shoes but brown and matt rather than black and shiny.

dh worries that shirt out looks like he's on his way to a nightclub. shirt in and he looks like he's on his way to the Legion.

that stripey shirt's nice Mrs B. dh tells me he doesn't do patters. I might just have to take the plunge on his behalf

I know what he means re the nightclub look - stripes and rolled up sleeves help tremendously, also not being too vigorous with the iron - do the fronts and the button band but leave the collar and the sleeves soft.
Gap has some v good cotton and linen casual shirts in at the moment (some are 'slim fit' so check the labels) - cheaper than Boden but still not cheap cheap. We go once a year to the Gap factory outlet and stock up...

My DH wouldn't know 'smart' if it came and smacked him in the forehead. He's a freelance journalist/web designer so never has to dress up, and the suit only comes out for weddings and funerals (not our own wedding, it was t-shirt and jeans for that one!) So he lives in jeans and rather boring t-shirts.

However...he's starting to explore the possibility of shirts. While I love hideously patterened 70s style ones, I don't think he'd go for that at all. Stripes maybe, especially the linen-y type in Gap. He's really skinny though, so it'd have to be slim-fit.

It's hard, because I love clothes and although I want him to be enthusiastic about how he dresses, I don't want to force my opinions on him. I'd rather he be gently pushed to making more adventurous choices.

And polo shirts are only good for polo.

Dh wears a shirt if he's going out or to a friend's house and needs to be smart. He's got a Gant one, Ted Baker one, French Connection....that kind of thing - so they aren't suit shirts iyswim. He's got the second one of those Boden links - it's lovely. He's got a couple of linen short sleeved ones he wears in summer.

Shoes, depends - sometimes it's smart trainer type thingies and sometimes he wears boots - plain, pull on ones.

Where is it Mrs B please.

Ok hijack over, back as you were.

dh has this problem....agree re not too ironed (we don't own one so no problem there) and rolled up sleeves.

My dh has a pair of jeans which are quite smart and a pair of charcoal coloured cords from Gap outlet.

I think there are a few of them dotted about the country. We go to the one in Castleford in west yorks.
We were told by staff that all the stuff in those stores come straight from the US.
The jeans are normally £25.
Some good bargains to be had.

My DH is Malorytowers DHs twin
He'd go for the linen trousers/jeans and linen shirt look too

My DH has this problem too - he has good shirts - again similar to the links & his trousers are ok, but rarely seems to get the right tops with the right bottoms IYSWIM ?

He had a personal shopper a month or so ago - that was quite good - came away with some jeans (which I wouldn't have chosen) a shirt & jumper combo & another lighter v-neck-wear-with-a-white-tee look.

Gap is good, also check out some of the outlets Banana Republic range ( DH got a pale lime & co-ordinating shirt).

For a restaurant, good shirt with double cuffs, nice cuff links, wool (or wool mix) trou & good shoes. DH has a snazzy loafer collection

For smart friends, just well cut clothes - DH wore a t-shirt, shorts & sandals (he can't wear flipflops) last weekend at our BBQ.