Another across-the-board Styleforum participant, @Cotton Dockers regularly shares outfits that run the spectrum from CM to SW&D and everything in between. His style is relaxed but put together, and he’s come up with a look that’s both consistent and all his own.

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Having a longtime interest in clothing never stopped me from consistently buying garbage. I remember a velvet blazer was heavily involved. A lot of “going out” shirts.  I did buy Iverson’s first iteration of “The Question,” and I stand behind that.

When I got to Styleforum, I spent most of my time in the thrifting thread. That place is chock full of knowledge and all the dudes on there are incredibly helpful. Thrifting is a great way to work toward finding your personal style. It doesn’t mean you won’t waste money on making terrible mistakes, it’s just that they won’t be quite as costly.

After noticing some fellow SFers on Tumblr, I decided I wanted to try and move beyond #menswear so I mustered up the courage to post on the HOF: WAYWRN board. I don’t remember my first post, but I cannot imagine many thumbs were farmed.

I’m a pretty simple guy when it comes to CM wear: blue blazers, knit ties, suede shoes, etc. but even that was really too much for my office. Working in-house for an entertainment company, I wanted to find something that worked more for my day-to-day needs, something without grenadine ties but without resorting to the blue gingham shirt (TM).

With the help of @KenP and others, and sites like PutThisOn, I started to get into Engineered Garments, along with sister brands like TS(S), Needles and Orslow. I began to take pieces I liked from their collections and integrate them into my business wardrobe, posting the results on the WAYWRN: CM Casual thread.

That thread gets a lot of shit, but the quality in the last few years has increased immensely. Posters like EFV, Gerry Nelson and Urban Composition are excellent examples of ways to dress for a business casual environment without looking like a typical office drone or try-hard peacock.  My standard uniform these days is an OCBD, rumpled EG fatigues, a pair of chunky shoes and some type of casual jacket (so not far from this).

A few years back, after PMing with recent SWD convert InStitches, I began to check out the other side of the forum. I loved that some of the best SWD outfits were like pieces of art, I didn’t always understand them, but I appreciated them for what they were. I looked to posters like Shoreman, Prurient and ManofKent for inspiration. I liked that they took pretty classic styles, but updated them with unique cuts, patterns and textures.

These days I try and take styles I like (and what I think I can actually pull off), and meld it with what I do each day and my environment. Living in a beach community where anything more than a t-shirt and slappers is considered dressed up, I wear a lot of flowy pants, lightweight cotton jackets (a ripstop EG bedford is my go-to) and, of course, Vans. Although I try and experiment (I’ve been wearing a lot more black than I ever did in my CM days), and I learn more each day, I’ve found a style that works for me and my lifestyle.