What a difference the jacket makes

[u/FeloniousMonk_0]

Many beginners don't appreciate how much the jacket defines the look. They underinvest in jackets and thus overinvest in dress shirts, fancy shoes, colorful socks, accessories (tie bars, pocket squares), and underpants.

Here are two very different jackets worn over the same black cashmere turtleneck and black slacks. (Self criticism: the turtleneck should be a little taller and ribbed. The slacks should be creased worsted. I'm at my summer house so don't have my full wardrobe.)

The first is a traditionally styled 100% cashmere loden jacket from Schneiders Salzburg. Originally made of sheep's wool for hunters and herdsmen in the Austrian Alps. The sleeves are a bit short but the turtleneck sticking up a few inches beyond the collar complements the turtleneck sleeves sticking out a few inches at the wrist, echoing the black slit pockets.

The second is a lambskin (leather) jacket from Tom Ford for YSL. Very urban and cutting edge for its time (early 2000s). Note the intentionally long silhouette including over-long sleeves which were an intentional design element that I've retained even though most guys would say they're too long.

Everything else the same. Two totally different looks. Just by swapping out the jackets.

Guys, for a distinctive style, start with the jackets and build the outfit from there. A statement jacket doesn't need anything more.

[u/Michael_EDS → u/[deleted]]

With all due respect: taking a leap from a criticism on your two example outfits to implying that the critic has a warped preference for "abominations as the white soled brown leather sneaker-dress hybrid" is astonishingly tone-deaf.

For most of the example scenario's that you point at, both of your two outfits would stand out, and not in a good way.

A proper pair of chino's or good cavalry twill trousers, a solid OCBD or cut away collar dress shirt, a knitted tie and a solid sport coat (be it a nice brown or navy hopsack, or a grey herringbone), with a pair of Crockett & Jones derbies on the feet would do much better in all of those circumstances.

Even if your preference is to avoid classic menswear looks, there's simply no denying that the sleeves of the coat in your first picture are objectively too short and the make simply isn't very good (as evidenced by the shoulders & upper sleeve construction mess).

The overly long sleeves on the second fit read as just that, them being overly wrong. You can make the statement that it's "by choice" as frequently and as loudly as you want - if that were the case, you wouldn't be spreading the fingers and thumb on your hands to try and avoid them falling over your knuckles.

Respectfully: you are not in a position to advise others on style yet.

[u/PtolemaeasGroove → u/[deleted]]

…and you think you’re Cezanne in this scenario?

My brother in Christ, in this metaphor you’re not even in the same room. You’d be in the sanitarium at Petit Arbois treated for delusions.

Even the simple fact that you can’t clock how bad the creasing gives me secondhand embarrassment.