I was thinking today about how I’ve been very pleased with my most recent set of work boots today and thought it could be interesting if anyone else had any particular favorite clothing items that they have really been enjoying.
Clothes are a very personal choice, as we’re all built differently and do different things, but I’m curious to see if any trends show up in what we like.
I got the Keen Braddock Low Tops almost a year ago. I had a previous pair of Keen’s imported boots a while back, and my new job makes us go through their provider instead of me getting reimbursed for buying my own boot of choice, and I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of buying safety toes without getting to try them on first, as some can be pretty uncomfortable. I saw they had the US made Braddock though, which I had been wanting to try to see if it was an upgrade from the now discontinued boots I had from them.
I like Keen’s because my old ones held up tremendously well. The thick rubber toe may look a little odd, but it doesn’t scuff up like a leather cap boot, and it’s asymmetrical so it fits my big foot better than many safety toes where both caps are the same shape. They feel very sneaker like, which is nice since my feet don’t need serious protection from a super stiff and tall boot. I like the design is enough to be interesting, but nothing too wild.
These have been holding up very well, though I have 3 pairs in my rotation now, I also have a pair of leather CAT steel toe low tops and a pair of Carhartt composite toe fabric low tops. They each have their ups and downs, but the Keen is my all-arounder. It’s not as light as the comp toe, it’s a little bulkier than the leather boot, but it’s the most comfy and feels to be the best built of the 3.
Edit: Just noticed the rules say the post needs to end with a question mark…
What is your favorite clothing item and why?
Your mom.
Wait, that doesn’t make any sense.
Wait, it not masking any sense has never deterred anyone from making a your mom joke, so it’s fine after all.
Wait, that’s actually a pretty grim appraisal of the state of what is considered to be humorous.
In that case, I’ll go with my sweatpants instead, if I may.
Bought an old navy denim jacket when I was 8, I desperately wanted one but they only had men’s large and I decided I’d grow into it. I did, 6 years later. Now is 22 years later and it still my favorite jacket. I’ve dyed it every 10 years to a match my current style and it still fits me like a glove. Doesn’t even look a year old, I guess old navy used to be a lot better quality.
You know, I came into this thinking I didn’t particularly like clothes, but now I think it’s just clothes shopping I don’t enjoy.
I got a Starter windbreaker type jacket around 98-00 and I still wear it every spring and fall. I got a new and upgraded zipper on it a few years back and I just rewaterproofed it last year and it’s still awesome. That is probably the oldest clothing item I have and it’s something I enjoy at least as much, if not more, than when I bought it since it’s been through so much of my life with me.
All of my hoodies. I love having a hoodie with a zipper down the middle of it. People say I’ve lost weight because it sort of hides my belly 😂 but I like the feeling and the cool weather that comes with wearing one.
It’s a shame I can’t always wear one.
That’s nice that it gives a tangible feel to the seasons changing. I feel that way when I switch the flannel sheets in/out.
And anything that makes you look better while also being comfy is a major win.
ItemLabel Big Shirt.
Simple. Roomy. Big. Comfy. Has fantastic embroidered fish on the pocket.
10/10.
Oh, I have seen this somewhere before! I remember the fish very clearly! It is indeed fantastic.
I bought a massively oversized NASA t-shirt the last time I had to go to JCPenney’s and it’s so fucking comfortable that I’ve literally worn holes into it.
My ex-girlfriend complained that so many of the pictures that we had taken together had me in this shirt. It was just a comfy shirt and I still have it but it’s probably time for me to find a new one.
My ex-girlfriend complained that so many of the pictures that we had taken together had me in this shirt.
I always got told by my ex it looked like we did everything in one huge vacation since all our travel photos had me in the same few comfy shirts! 😁
Compression leggings for my ashtanga practice. I have had them for years and the texture, grip and colors are still great.
I like how they don’t roll down at the waist and how their length is a tad above the heel of my foot while still covering the ankles.
They have a Wide range of sizes and designs. luleåmindulf is the brand.
You really nailed what kind of description I was hoping to hear: that specificity. A lot of things that make something great can be hard to put into words, but in your case it’s very clear what these leggings do that you love about them.
My cashmere sweater from Nadaam. I have several and they’re comfy, stylish, and super warm. Their OG sweater (of which I own 3) are under $100, but the one I’m talking about is a recycled cashmere (made from leftovers of other products) which is thick and soft and fuckin amazing
Those look nice! I’m surprised the OG one is in the somewhat reasonable splurge price range. I was expecting closer to the price of the recycled one.
When I saw you say it was made of the leftovers, I was picturing something like the Cotopaxi Del Dia stuff, but it probably makes more sense what it actually is where it’s normal colors. 🤪
Thick wool socks are pretty great, very comfy when it gets cold out (so like a month or two from now for me)
I want to pick up more pairs than just the Walmart cheapies I’ve had. I’ve really started loving wool the last few years. I have a thin wool blanket on my bed all year now on top of the top sheet, and it keeps me the perfect temp all year. I toss a second one on top in the winter. I’m typically very hot all the time, and the wool keeps me at that just right point.
Carhartt makes really good wool socks if you want recommendations
Always appreciate a recommendation!
My combat boots were the first thing to come to mind, along with the socks. Bought both 3-years ago and none show any real wear.
I’ve abused hell out of the boots, and they’re stained with oil and god knows what else, but they fit perfectly and don’t have any “mechanical” wear, only cosmetic. I was a little leary of the low price, but damn, they’re a steal. I’d buy them again but I’d have to drop the original pair in a wood chipper to fuck them up.
The socks are still elastic and warm, cushiony, never popped a hole. Wish I could afford another set and I wish I hadn’t looked that up. Just too broke ATM, and will be for some time.
Lately I’ve been on a kick wearing stretch pants. Like yoga pants for men? What are those called? Got a pair at TJ Maxx, went back the next day for another.
I had a pair of the Reebok Comp Toe Duty Boots when they had the contract for those. They were probably the first boot that felt like a sneaker I had and it really changed how I looked for an everyday boot. The socks look pretty nice as well.
Are these stretchy pants that look like regular pants, or more form fitting like the ladies’ yoga pants? Searching mens stretch pants give me a lot of things that look like traditional pants, but I wasn’t sure if you meant like when jeans have elastic in the fabric or something else.
My frill strap tiered aquamarine dress. I’ve had it for years. It’s very comfortable and fits great for larger cup sizes!
I have an old light green neck Buff made from bamboo fiber. It’s like three times the normal size so you have to wrap it multiple times around your neck which is great in cold weather.
And it’s so soft! I love wearing it the moment autumn turns cooler.
It’s getting a few holes so I hope it’ll still last a couple more years. They don’t sell this design anymore 😞Are you able to darn it to fix up the holes? I learned to darn my socks, and I just do it while I watch tv since it doesn’t need to be pretty since no one will see it. I do it in random colors for some fancy wabi-sabi and it reminds me of how long the items have been with me. I’m a person of simple pleasure… 😜
I don’t know if this can be darned, the threads are very very thin. I might give it a try if one of those holes becomes too big.
When I do, I’ll definitely use different colors. I like your idea :)The distinct colors make anything look intentional, so it’s a good way to pass off imperfect repairs and uneven stitches as intentional if anyone asks. 😅
I made the mistake of taking on a DIY construction project when the outside air temperature was 105℉ (40 C) and the UV index was incredibly high (no cloud cover, very direct sunlight, and an elevation of 4200 ft (1.2 km)). This meant that I was sweating like fucking crazy, which is bad for sunscreen. I got this moisture wicking UV blocking hoodie and it fucking saved my ass. I didn’t wear sunscreen once but never got sunburned, even though I was doing 12 hours days of digging 36" (91 cm) deep foundation footings, mixing and pouring concrete, digging out a shitload of turf and dirt for a gravel foundation, or moving 3 tons (2.7 metric tons) of gravel into that foundation. UPF 50 fabric is dope.
I fucking love that shirt. I bought two more of them since I was washing the one I had multiple times a week.
Honorable mentions go to my work pants and Red Wing boots. I don’t know the brand of the pants rn, but they were so good. They’re really thin but didn’t get damaged when I scraped the shit out of them on rocks, and they had lots of useful pockets. They were much cooler than denim and also gave me much more mobility. I got them while shopping for work pants with my partner who was very dissatisfied with the options available in women’s sizes. She saw them and was so happy with them that I felt the need to get some as well.
The boots were also fucking great. They’re expensive and are made from leather, but I got some that can be resoled so I should be able to wear them for decades. As a bonus, the soles are oil resistant so they won’t get all weird and fucked up out in my machine shop.
Oh wow, the hoodie is much less expensive than I was expecting. My brother is a concrete precaster, so this might be something nice to get him. I think I have a couple REI bucks to spend anyway.
I really love mine. It’s probably not the hardest wearing material out there, but my shirt held up well. My only gripe is that you’re not supposed to use any form of bleach (even non-chlorine) which can make stains a bit hard to remove. Stains on a work shirt don’t really matter, but I try to keep my shit looking clean if possible. No oxiclean makes that tough sometimes.
EDIT: and yeah, the price really isn’t too bad. There are also frequent sales. Lemme look up what I paid for mine.
EDIT: Looks like I paid $35 for the two shirts I got later on. I paid the full $50 for the first shirt I bought.
I’ve bought several fake-leather jackets. The last one was probably the cheapest but it has lasted a lot more than the others and is the most comfortable by far. Pockets with zippers, waterproof and light enough to carry around. Living in a warm country I’ve gotten away with wearing it throughout winter without using a warmer coat.
Fake leather seems to have such a wide range of quality levels and it’s hard to tell what you’re going to get, especially when you can’t feel it ahead of time. I’m somewhat surprised no brands of leather have emerged so people can say an item is made out of such-and-such and not just any old pleather material.
Pajama pants. I have many pairs, but only 3-4 have characteristics that make them a pleasure to put on. Cuddl Duds makes some really nice pjs.
I have Cuddl Duds flannel sheets, and they really surpassed my expectations, considering how inexpensive they were. If the PJs are as comfy, I may have to get the girlfriend some for Christmas this year!
I prefer to be nude as much as possible, but when I’m forced to wear clothing, my favorite is definitely a nice sarong, as it’s as loose as possible while also being secure.
Our skin is the only covering we have coming into the world, and it’s with us the whole time, so we may as well enjoy it!
