Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: We want you to present yourself as a man that people, whether they're in your sphere of influence or not, look at you and go, that's the type of guy I want to follow.
Run your home and your dough like a biblical boss. Welcome to the Abraham's Wallet Podcast. We are a podcast for those who have a desire to see what the Bible has to say when it comes to running your home and your money in a biblical fashion. And you might go, well, I saw the title of this episode. Why? Why are you talking about fashion? Today we're going to talk about the way that men dress, and I'm going to bring in an expert who spends all her time thinking about this question.
But before I talk to Ivy, who you're going to meet in just a second, I kind of wanted to give you guys some context for why we're even doing this. Aside from me being a curmudgeonly old guy who likes to shake my fist at the sky when I see young men dressed like slobs, I actually think there's a biblical precedent for why we should care about the way we dress.
There's a couple ditches, for sure, on either side of this issue, but that's what we're going to talk about today. And I just want to give you a few Bible verses, because that's what we do. We at the Abraham's Wallet podcast believe that the Scriptures contain everything we need for life and godliness. So that means that even on a question like, what should we wear when we take our wives out on a dinner date? That there is some. There's some scripture that. That speaks to that. Let me throw a couple verses at you. 1 Samuel 16, 7 says, for the Lord sees not as man sees. Man looks on the outward appearance.
The Lord looks at the heart.
Now, a lot of people would go, well, that verse seems to suggest, Mark, that we shouldn't care about what we wear.
The Lord looks at the heart. That is true. But the verse also says people do look at the outward appearance. So I would say we should just be aware people are going to look at what your outward appearance looks like and make some judgments. Now, there's some. Certainly a ditch that we can fall into here, but Jesus says in Luke 16:9 that we're supposed to use unrighteous money to make friends in the world.
And that that verse, we've talked about it here on the podcast a bunch. I think it's true also that we could basically X ourselves off of somebody's list of people who they will even Pay attention to whether that's professionally, whether that's spiritually.
By presenting ourselves in a way that just communicates something about us that like this guy doesn't really have things under control.
If I walk into somebody's house and it's a disaster mess, I kind of go, this person maybe not who I'm going to listen to for leadership.
So man does look at the outward appearance. We should just be aware of that.
I've been studying second or first Timothy lately. First Timothy two is actually Paul speaking to women. He says, likewise, women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel with modesty and self control.
Now the principle here is that I think there's a tendency for women sometimes to, you know, the next part of this verse goes on and talks about braided hair and gold jewelry and things like that. Um, that might be the, the tendency for women to have to put, put a check in their hearts when it comes to how they, they dress. Not to make it a big look at me show. I, I think for men, especially currently, which is something I'm going to talk about with Ivy, is we might have a little bit of a tendency towards the other side, which is respectable apparel. We sometimes go, I'm just gonna throw on a dirty old T shirt and some jeans and show up to the church meeting or show up to a date night with my wife.
And I actually think that our temptation probably lies on the other side of this issue. So a man, I'm gonna argue, should dress in a way that's appropriate to the setting, reflects a disciplined life, and avoids the extremes of vanity or carelessness.
It's interesting that these passages happen in the the chapters of scripture that are giving us instructions for how to appoint elders. But Titus 2 says, Urge the younger men to be self controlled. Show yourselves in all respects to be a model of good work. Again, I just think there's a dignified, self controlled, respectable man. That's the picture that Paul paints in his letters.
So I want to encourage you to think about the way you present yourself in public as a stewardship issue. So how am I stewarding not just my physical health? We've talked about that recently on the podcast, not just my money.
And that's certainly going to be a component of what we talk about in this episode, is how do you deal with the fact that climate clothes cost a lot of money, but also how do I steward the image that I present to the world just with the clothes that I put on my body?
So I think that that's a key issue.
I also Think we want you guys to be leaders, to be men who are in positions of authority, whether that's a small sphere, like you're. You're just a newlywed, and you're trying to lead your wife. Good job, dude. Or you've got eight grandchildren and four children, and you're. You're leading a big family.
I think whatever it is, we want you to present yourself as a man that people, whether they're in your sphere of. Of. Of influence or not, look at you and go, that's the type of guy I want to follow. So that's why we're talking about this.
And I'll. I'll rant a little bit in a minute about kind of the. The trends that I tend to see. But I thought this would be a helpful episode.
If you received this episode, somebody texted you and said, hey, man, you really need to listen to this, or your wife sent it to you. Hey, I listen to this podcast sometimes. These guys talk about money mostly, and sometimes they talk about home stuff. This week, they're talking about fashion. I have bad news, bro. Uh, maybe it's because whoever sent it to you thinks you need to level up that. That style game. But. But don't. Don't stress out. Don't turn us off right now. I think there's some good news in here with some. Some easy tips for any guy, regardless of budget, to start paying a little bit more attention to the way that he dresses and presents himself in public. So I'm hoping this episode is a blessing to you. Let's go. All right, I'm here with Ivy Costa. And, Ivy, thanks for joining us on the Abraham's Wallet podcast.
[00:07:16] Speaker B: Thanks for having me.
[00:07:17] Speaker A: Yeah, I. I want to tell a quick. Quick why I got this particular bee in my bonnet. And then I would love for you to just introduce yourself, Tucker, for a second about what you do professionally and why you are probably the most uniquely qualified person to help us with this topic. The either Steven or I had in our orbit, but I told you this in an email. I was out to a very fancy anniversary dinner with my wife, and I just happened to be sitting in the seat that was facing the entrance to the restaurant.
And this was the type of place where you spend two or three hundred bucks for a couple people to have dinner.
And every adult male that walked through the door kind of had dressed themselves like a slob.
There was a lot of just T shirts and cargo shorts and stuff. And I just thought, have we completely lost the art of presenting yourself well as a man?
I've noticed that that's kind of the case in a modern evangelical church house. That's no longer really a thing to dress up for that setting. I even notice it in the workplace, where a T shirt might be an acceptable thing to wear to work these days. So I don't want to sound too much like an old stick in the mud when it comes to fashion, but I do think guys are missing guidance. You know, it used to be that your dad would take in, teach you how to tie a tie. And I remember, at least back in the early 90s, being taught exactly how the knot was supposed to look. And. And I don't know if that's happening anymore. I don't know that. That most guys really even have that mentorship inside the home.
So I wanted to bring you in to see if you could just give us some handles for if maybe we're not trying to dress fancy, but we're trying to just present ourselves well, whether that's in a casual setting or more of a dressed up setting. I don't think many guys have a whole lot of guidance when it comes to that.
And you, like I said, are pretty uniquely qualified to help us with that. So I'd love it if you just told the listeners kind of what you do a little bit about who you are, and then maybe you can help us answer some of these questions.
[00:09:47] Speaker B: Yeah, of course. So I'm Ivy Costa.
I am a wardrobe stylist in Cincinnati, Ohio.
I. I work in a lot of different areas when it comes to styling, but personal styling is my main focus, and I've been doing that full time for 13 years. So I definitely took a leap when I turned 30 and changed my career trajectory.
I'm passionate about helping people, you know, really figure out who they are through what your style is, what is your body shape, what looks best on you, and that can change over time. So really building confidence. I love helping people, like, find themselves and build that up. So, you know, that's all part of it too. And, you know, I feel like sometimes especially.
And, you know, the growing up in church and whatnot, for me, sometimes it seems like thinking about fashion and what you're wearing a lot is kind of more of like, it could be vain, let's say. But it's really.
I think if you take it in the way of I want to find out, like, really figure out who I am and what makes me feel good and how I present myself the best every day is really the. A good way to look at it.
And in this Day and time. Having a stylist is a lot more acceptable now, I'm finding.
But, yeah, to talk about going to nice restaurants and things like that, there's definitely been a big change, especially since COVID I feel like even before COVID it felt like things were getting more casual and like, maybe there wasn't a thought put into dressing for the environment, but I always feel like, especially going to a nice restaurant or event that is like something that's special, and when you dress for it, it makes you feel good, too.
It's like the nice food, the atmosphere, like you're. You have a nice outfit on and you feel good about it. The more and more I work with men, especially, I am finding that they are starting to care more and recognize like you do. When I go to a nice place, I do want to dress the part, but I want to feel like myself. So how do I do that? It doesn't mean you have to be in a suit and tie, but it's like finding that balance between who you are and the environment that you're going to.
[00:12:38] Speaker A: You. You've.
I mean, your credentials are. Are clear. You've been doing this, you said, for 13 years. Just so that our listeners know. I think it. I may be wrong about this. Have you worked on styling our very own Steven Manual on occasion, or have you worked with their company Viva Bella?
[00:12:56] Speaker B: Yes, I have.
[00:12:58] Speaker A: So you've styled our host, Stephen, who's traveling today.
But yeah.
And then my impression, this may be completely wrong was that when you usually work with men, it's often kind of the executive or the guy who's looking to present himself maybe in front of an audience or on a stage.
Is that kind of the bread and butter customer who would call you up for styling?
[00:13:27] Speaker B: The funny part is that was the case years ago, but now I'm finding as again, like, working with the stylist becomes a little bit more acceptable. Like, and some. It's not a normal, I guess, but it's like something people think about.
I have worked with men that they're single and they're like, listen, I know I.
I dress like a slob.
Like, I want to look nice when I go on dates.
I've worked with guys that local breweries that they wear T shirts all day. Like, what am I wearing when I'm not at work?
I think, like, men are just thinking more about their casual as well. A lot of asks that I would get is, what do I wear if I'm not in a suit or athleisure? Like, what's that in between?
What's the elevated casual. How do I do that without looking like every other guy walking around?
[00:14:31] Speaker A: You're giving me some hope. Because I thought that we were just in a sea of guys the, you know, went and bought T shirts, whether. Now I also know that sometimes a T shirt these days can cost $250 if you buy the right stuff. So, yeah, doesn't necessarily mean they're not spending on their clothes, but you're giving me hope that people are at least thinking about this.
I would love to. To kind of start by saying a lot of our listeners, probably they. So it sounds like some of them may fit right into your typical demographic. Some of them, maybe they're just starting out either their careers, they might be just starting their family, and they hear something like a personal stylist and go, there's no chance that I can afford something like that. And that may even be true. They may not have the budget to do that and their clothing budget might be limited.
But my first kind of question is if a guy gets it in his head that I want to level up my appearance, my style, figure out what that style is and maybe start buying some clothing, where do they go? Because I know that they're for me. I mentioned to you before the call, I might have in the past gone and wandered around the mall and looked at what's on the mannequins.
I know my wife has tried the online stylist stitch fix type thing and had mixed results there. But where do you think if a guy maybe isn't quite ready to call you up and say, I'm going to do a personal stylist and enter the full program.
Where should guys start when it comes to thinking about leveling up their appearance? From a fashion perspective, I think going.
[00:16:17] Speaker B: Into a store definitely is a good idea. I think it's important when you do that to kind of understand, like, at least have an idea like what things that you like, like how you like to dress or what your needs are specifically.
I do think going to a local boutique is better than maybe hitting the mall at first because I know boutiques can be.
It can sound intimidating, but honestly, you'll get a more personal touch and help with the people working there.
And I would say, like most, most anyone working in a local shop, they will really look at you and do what's best for you.
You know, you can kind of tell when someone's trying to sell you. At least I guess I can. That might just be a me thing, but sure I think it's important that you can identify a shop and a person that can really take what you need into thought and perspective.
But even though if like you're a J. Crew. If you're a J. Crew guy, which J. Crew is coming back full swing again?
[00:17:32] Speaker A: Oh, really?
[00:17:34] Speaker B: I felt like there were some years we were in the dark, but, you know, there's the new designer back on. Is really amazing.
The. But I. I definitely think that you'd have to find people in those stores that are genuine, especially if you're going to the mall. And I think it's there, but it's kind of. Can be a needle and haystack. I hate to say it, but just be aware. And if you see things that you like and you.
And someone comes up to help you, just be open with what you're needing. Um, and.
And you know, hopefully in your. Right. In the right place, that person will guide you.
Um, because a lot of people will look at a man and can be like, I want it all.
Sure, the fit might be. Not be right for you, or maybe the style doesn't make sense for what your needs are. So I would come prepared with like questions and a list of things that you need.
[00:18:38] Speaker A: Got it.
[00:18:38] Speaker B: And someone's really take time to help you, like give them the list.
[00:18:42] Speaker A: Yeah. What kinds of. I mean, in my brain, you. I'll just stream of consciousness kind of tell you what I think maybe my questions would be. And you tell me not the answers, but like, are those the right questions? And to me it's like fit. I have a weird fit. Lots of shirts are too short on me. So like, fit is a big question. And my solution has always just been find brands that fit and shop their shops. But I don't know if that's right. There might be other ways to go about that.
Color has been something that I.
You know, there's certain colors that just don't look good on me. And then style wise, that's the one that I find hard because I just. I think I probably. And a lot of guys go, well, I'm kind of willing to wear what looks good on me, but I don't really know. And if you asked me what I like to wear, well, I like to wear a T shirt and jeans.
But I'm specifically headed out to shop because I'm trying not to just wear a T shirt and jeans all the time. But are those good questions to start with or what kind of questions would I come to a professional who's ready to help asking, what should I be asking them.
[00:19:54] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, I definitely think that it's, it starts with the best fit first and being guided to what that is. And some people that have kind of like crazy measurements you have to really put into your budget. Like you might need to use a tailor regularly if you're buying off rack.
The other thing is, this is probably going off topic, but just to keep in mind, when we're talking about fit, you might have to get a few button down shirts made for you.
If your measurements are really off, it's better to invest in a few and that way and spend a little bit more and then you'll just have them for years.
Unless your weight fluctuates a lot, you'll just keep those in rotation for a very long time. Steven knows that when we did our shop, I'm pretty sure he used everything we got for a pretty long time.
[00:20:52] Speaker A: But yeah, it was so interesting. I, I had a couple of very nice suits made when I was traveling. I was in New Delhi and I got a couple of suits made which I actually took to a tailor here in Utah. And they told me I would charge you $2,500 to make this suit. And I think I paid $300 for these suits.
They were really nice. Unfortunately, I was in the middle of running ultra marathons when I had these suits made.
[00:21:22] Speaker B: Oh gosh.
[00:21:23] Speaker A: So I've now tried to modify them to sort of fit and I look very European, stylish slash fat guy in a little coat when I wear them now. But yeah, that it is true. I feel like, which is the, the, the compliments I got on a custom made suit. Even if, if I did have the budget now, I would probably consider going out and paying that retail price to have a custom suit made.
That's obviously totally out of reach for some of our listeners to think about that level of customization, but is there. You kind of mentioned a tailor. So if I went into a Banana Republic and bought a suit, is that something a tailor could, could deal with or, or how do I approach that? Is it a big box or. That's the wrong word, but a department store?
[00:22:12] Speaker B: Yeah, no, I mean, I, Yes. Like, I think having. Finding a really good tailor and building a good relationship if you do have measurements that are a bit off is truly the most important thing. And sometimes I will even tell people if I'm not measuring them, I will send people to a tailor that I trust to get their measurements.
So that when you, when you do shop, then you have, you know, what your measurements are and you can go into different stores without having to track someone down in the shop all the time and really know what your sleeve length is, what your neckline, you know, what your neck is, truly.
Because you can go into department stores and you know, find shirts that are close to fitting you. At least if you can fit your neck and your sleeves and you need to have the waist tailored down, like that's fine.
[00:23:10] Speaker A: So fit.
And then other key questions that a guy should, should have in, in his pocket if he's headed out to, to start shopping. Anything that comes to your mind, you.
[00:23:23] Speaker B: Know, if, if, if he needs the basics, it's, or like maybe even asking what is. It's the what's in style Now.
My boutique store, we have guys come in and they're like, look, I'm seeing that things are, look a little bit more relaxed now. I'm seeing like the pant legs are a little wider, the T shirts are a little bit more relaxed.
Is that what is happening right now? Like, should I be dressing like that? And again, the answer is, you know, what is your lifestyle? I think it's good to have a little bit understanding of what type of clothes and style that you want. Are you traditional, classic guy?
Do you want to be a little bit more trendy?
You know, street wear is a big thing and like maybe some of the people that you saw coming into the Michelin restaurant, they could have been wearing thousand dollar sneakers and basketball shorts, you know what I mean?
[00:24:22] Speaker A: For sure.
[00:24:23] Speaker B: So yeah, I feel like the style is so different now and it's really about being who you are. So you kind of need to know yourself a little bit before if you want to buy the right items and not waste your money.
[00:24:39] Speaker A: Yeah. And that maybe is my second big, big question, which is once somebody's established a budget, whether that's a small budget or a huge budget, I have gone into boutique stores and seen the world of men's fashion enough to know that unless you're just truly on an unlimited budget, most of us have to make decisions on here are areas where we are going to spend and here are areas where we might be able to get away with something that's just more cost efficient. So I can't. Personally, I feel like I've allocated a chunk of money to a wardrobe refresh, but I can't just go wild on everything. I mean, I was shoe shopping the other day for a new pair of dress shoes and I have a hard time telling like, well These shoes are $150 and they look nice, but these are $700 and they kind of look the same, but I know they're not the same.
[00:25:37] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:25:37] Speaker A: So where are the places where a guy should spend and where are the places where maybe he could get away with saving on some more inexpensive pieces when he's starting to build a wardrobe?
[00:25:48] Speaker B: Well, you started at the right place. I mean, I feel like shoes, especially for men, the shoes and accessories is kind of where it's at because you could have on a pair of 25 jeans from Target, but if you have a really great pair of shoes on that you can tell are well made and that are. Even if you're going to spend, they're probably going to last you seven years.
[00:26:14] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:26:15] Speaker B: Or who knows how long, you know, but.
And I think like, the outerwear is a big deal having like at least one nice sport coat, a leather or suede jacket, like, because you can't forget about that nice casual part of it too. Not everyone is in sport coats anymore. I see men being dressing in suits and sport coats way more often now than I have in the last few years.
But having some of that really cool, elevated casual wear is really important because you could wear a pair of like nicer dress pants and have a leather jacket on and still a great or like a certain kind of down jacket.
And I wouldn't be shy about buying a few T shirts that are nicer because, you know, the collars get stained quickly on certain T shirts or like the colors fade.
And that's like some things I look at immediately. I'd rather you spend 70 to 100 on a few nice T shirts each than 25 on five T shirts. And maybe those aren't going to last more than six months or a year.
[00:27:37] Speaker A: Right.
[00:27:39] Speaker B: So it can be anywhere from elevated T shirts to shoes jackets.
I think. Of course, like, it's amazing to have a great pair of pants and trousers, but I think that there are places that you can find that type of pant and not have to spend a ton in the beginning if you're trying to balance it. And even button down shirts.
Again, if you're not like a crazy measurement, you don't have to spend a ton on those right away. So.
[00:28:12] Speaker A: Yep.
Yeah, I, I was getting ready for an event where I was speaking in front of a group. I had my, my fancy suit, had some nice shoes, and as I was getting ready, I dumped something all over my only white shirt that just stained the heck out of it.
[00:28:31] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:28:32] Speaker A: And I had about 30 minutes to, to do something. So I ran out and I think I bought a $45 off the rack white dress shirt, but I had a three piece suit and a nice tie and so you couldn't really see much of my dress shirt. I got lots of compliments on my outfit that night, even though the shirt was something I probably wouldn't have paired with that exact outfit. So. Yeah, that's kind of why I ask. It sounds to me like what you're saying is, except maybe the T shirts, the when you're gonna spend, spend on the items that you're gonna use over and over across a variety of outfits. Is that true? Is that kind of the point?
[00:29:07] Speaker B: Definitely. Yep.
[00:29:09] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:29:10] Speaker B: Yeah, I know. It can be so confusing.
[00:29:14] Speaker A: Yeah. And if a, if a person is truly on a budget, I know they probably haven't walked into your boutique or called you, but do you have any tips of like super value spots for guys to shop? Because in your world, maybe I'm making this up. My, my guess is that a place like buying off the racket, Nordstrom feels like kind of a budget option.
Most of the things you do.
But I know we have guys listening for whom walking into a Nordstrom that's like, wow, I'm going way up market.
[00:29:47] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:29:49] Speaker A: Are there places though where you would say if you're really on a budget, you're going to feel like you're spending a lot here, but this is value.
Anything that comes to mind.
[00:30:01] Speaker B: There's a designer. His name is Zach Posen and he is a huge high fashion designer.
He is now running. He's the designer for Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Inc. Like he's in charge of it all.
[00:30:16] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:30:17] Speaker B: And he's really changed the landscape of those stores, you know. So if you have a guy that I have noticed when I go into Old Navy, for instance, I've noticed that the menswear, the casual is definitely stepped up because a lot of things what I look for are like a cool polo shirt that doesn't feel athleisure. It has like texture and a nice fabric you can throw on with a pair of trousers or jeans and feel like you're comfortable, but it's elevated. I kind of like skim the Internet a lot.
I feel like there's so many online shops where the sales section, if you just find follow things, you can get a pretty good deal. Like waiting for the sales out there.
I like holiday weekends sometimes are my busiest. Like online shopping for clients because I'll just wait for the incentives. I'll put things in shopping bags and wait for it to come up with the Discount code and then buy.
So I'll, I mean if you're on a budget too, there's like different avenues you can take to make your money stretch if you're patient and have a little bit of time to wait for certain sales and incentives too. I would do that.
[00:31:40] Speaker A: Yeah, that makes sense. And I was shopping for some shoes the other day and, and I was using the old chat GPT to help me figure out what my options were and it said well if you're looking for kind of a shoe that's going to address shoe that's going to your while, check out Allen Edmonds. They're very well made and their shoes were five or six hundred dollars but they have the factory seconds options if you know where to look on their website that are $199 and they have the same basic construction. And the cool thing about that shoe is you can send it back to them after six or seven years and they will refresh and resole it for you for much less than buying a new shoe. So yeah, I think sometimes like you said, you could combine the looking for sales with maybe buying something substantially upmarket from what you might think of because I, I've gone into Nordstrom Rack and bought a cheap pair of dress shoes and like you said, I'm usually buying another cheap pair of dress shoes within a year.
So that makes a lot of sense. I, I wanted to kind of turn to.
You've hit on this a little bit. But my favorite scene probably ever from the old show 30 Rock is where Liz comes into her boss's office and says whoa, you're wearing a tux. And he says well it's after six o'. Clock. What am I a farmer?
So you can kind of tell that I just have a soft spot for maybe more formality than is is popular right now like we talked about. But what, what kind of are the guidelines that you would give a guy if he just came to you and said tell me what to wear for different occasions?
What are the guidelines for when it's appropriate to like not overdress for the scenario but, but when are we reaching for the suit? When are we going for maybe the elevated casual? And when is it truly like make sense to, to go with streetwear T shirt and fancy sneakers or things like that? Do you, do you talk to guys much about those decisions?
[00:34:01] Speaker B: Yeah, I do.
You know, it just, it really depends because let's say I'll have clients come to me and say I'm speaking in front of a corporate men's group. For the first time, what am I wearing?
And I always feel like it's important that no matter what, especially when you're talking about a work atmosphere, let's just be dressed a little bit better than everyone else. If you're not sure if everyone's wearing a suit but they're going to be in sport coats, like maybe just wear a suit. You could wear a loafer or like an, a cool sneaker and bring it down a little bit. But I think it's important to kind of level yourself up a little bit. If you want to, it's fine to stand out to be dressed up. I think that there's no problem with that.
But it just depends on the environment because with dinners and whatnot, I think wearing a sport coat with jeans is like really cool. And you'll see the Italian guys doing that with a T shirt and a loafer.
So it kind of goes back to like your style again and what you're comfortable doing.
Of course, like if there's a VP in the room, you kind of want to match their energy no matter what level you're at.
So I think going to a suit in that manner is great.
But you know, for weddings and events like that, it's all about the suits now. I think it's coming back and like they're fun in different colors and textures and styles.
[00:35:44] Speaker A: Yeah. The only thing I want to ask you about this is what part can you play, Ivy, in getting rid of this trend where I have a, I have a high school daughter. She has been taken to high school dances and guys show up and overall I'm like, yeah, you're a high school awkward guy, but you're dressed, you've worn a suit. Good job.
But then they're wearing sneakers with their suit and I hate it. I'm like, and this is coming from a guy who has way too large of a collectible sneaker collection. I like sneakers.
[00:36:18] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:36:19] Speaker A: But it drives me nuts when I see sneakers paired with a nice suit. Is that, is that because I'm just an old, a stick in the mud or is this something that we can can address together?
[00:36:34] Speaker B: I don't think you're stick in the mud.
[00:36:35] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:36:36] Speaker B: I think I might be wrong. Are you a little bit more of a traditional guy?
[00:36:43] Speaker A: I don't know. Because Steven's always bugging me to dress nicer, but he, he wants me to dress midwest nice. You know, he would like me to have a, you know, a zip up vest on right now or something like that. And I'm, I'm kind of in between here in Utah. We're in between Midwest and California where I would be thought of as just way too formal all the time.
So I think that I have gone through a lot of phases when it comes to what I try to wear. And so I'm a little probably multiple personality disorder with fashion. But um, I just know that when I put a suit on with a really nice pair of dress shoes, I think, well, this clearly looks better than if I was trying to wear Air Jordans with this thing.
[00:37:30] Speaker B: Of course, yes, it does look better.
I have come to realize that especially the younger generation, they just want to be comfortable and feel cool.
And I think that's the sneakers.
[00:37:45] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah.
[00:37:47] Speaker B: And I've even had it with some adult men that they're like done with the dress shoes. They'll wear suits and everything or their dress sho shoe is more of like a slip on loafer or even like in the summer like a nice leather espadrille rather than wearing a legit dress shoe.
[00:38:12] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:38:13] Speaker B: But I think that's kind of where you just come in and be confident with doing you and knowing like these kids probably are just want to be comfortable and wear their cool sneakers.
[00:38:27] Speaker A: All right, all right. You know, yeah, that makes sense.
[00:38:31] Speaker B: I get what you're feeling.
[00:38:33] Speaker A: But yeah, when it comes to anti guidelines or things that you common mistakes that you see, maybe you could just give us some.
What? Because I know we, we have a bunch of guys listening probably for whom this might even be the first time they've heard someone talk for this long about what they should be wearing. But what are the things that either you see walking around the street or even the people who come to see you are commonly doing wrong off the bat. And maybe we could try to avoid some of those.
[00:39:10] Speaker B: Yeah, I think I definitely find that some men are wearing things that are too big.
That's pretty common.
Not oversized in like a trendy good way, but just the button down shirts are like not fitting whatsoever.
Um, you know, like I've always said it goes back to fit number one.
Um, but it really is, I think it's important to take care of your clothes and the things that you're investing in and when they're getting worn out and faded out and you're just like, oh, it's worn in, it's comfortable. But I like it. It's comfortable.
[00:39:51] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:39:51] Speaker B: You have to know when it's time to move on and like let those go and reinvest again.
With almost every client that I've worked with, it's like the belt is so worn out, it's falling apart. But it's like their favorite comfortable belt. And I get it, but it's really updating those things and understanding when it's time to let it go.
[00:40:16] Speaker A: So I hear you saying maybe we tend to stick with our favorite stuff for too long.
I think I had been married for 16 years when my wife grabbed a polo out of our closet and said, I've seen photos of you in this when you were in high school.
I'm throwing it away. And she was right. It was a shirt I owned and wore regularly in high school.
[00:40:40] Speaker B: Yeah. That would go into an area, like, if it's so sentimental, you can't let it go.
One of my clients coined a timeout area.
Or like, I like to say, archive.
[00:40:55] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:40:56] Speaker B: And if you just can't let go of it. But we shouldn't be wearing it. Like, we're putting it away, taking it out of the normal rotation.
But I do see that a lot when I first work with clients. It's, it's. I, I feel bad sometimes because it's. Sometimes it can just be complete wash, starting over with new. So it is important to kind of keep looking at your items, even if you're not. If you're on a tight budget, totally fine. But again, going back to those items where you should invest in, and then the items that you're not really investing that much into, take care of what you're investing in the items that you're not. You know, honestly, like, even going to stores like Target, they have good knitwear and jeans, but it, again, it's going to last a year, so you have to be able to look at it and say, okay, that T shirt's really faded out. I shouldn't be wearing that anymore. Let's let it go.
[00:41:56] Speaker A: That makes sense.
That makes sense.
[00:42:00] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:42:01] Speaker A: And when it comes to things like accessories, how important is it for a guy to be wearing a nice watch? Like, what does that say?
Does that matter right now? Or in the era of iPhones in your pocket and Apple watches for people who want all the data, is that trend kind of gone, Man?
[00:42:25] Speaker B: I think nice watches as an investment, I think it's just so classic and like, something. If you are truly making an investment into a nice watch, you'll have that for the rest of, of your life.
And then maybe you give it to your kid, you know, even. But I don't think that's ever going to go out.
Yeah, I think. And certain, certain brands you'll.
If you need to sell someday you'll more than get your money back. You'll.
[00:42:58] Speaker A: You'll.
[00:42:59] Speaker B: You'll it. You'll make more money.
So there are a lot of. I feel like kind of like the retro watches are back too, and I. I'm seeing people wearing, you know, trendy to retro watches again, and I think it's kind of fun. I get tired of seeing the Apple watches on everyone.
So, like, I feel like if someone's wearing, like, a cool watch, it's like, oh, they thought about this and, you know, and I know I'm sure you've seen, like, wearing necklaces and, like, chains and bracelets for guys. It's like, all here.
So there's more and more thought into going into, like, jewelry and accessories now than I've seen in a long time. And I think it's kind of fun that really, when it makes. You know that when someone's truly thinking about the details and, like, cares about how they look like their full outfit and whatnot.
[00:43:58] Speaker A: Yeah. So, yeah, maybe it helps you understand. Kind of my personal vibe is that I'm. I'm kind of a watch nerd and cool. There's the.
My collection skips the middle that everybody likes the brands you've heard of. I've got very inexpensive but very interesting watches, and I've got stuff that only watch nerds know what it is. But whenever I, like, see a guy who goes, I know it's on your wrist, I kind of give him the fist bump.
We're both into it, but the dude in the Rolex next to us has no idea what this brand is. So that kind of makes me feel happy. And I think that's my vibe in general is I would rather be on the inside track than. Than kind of down the middle.
[00:44:43] Speaker B: But, yeah, you could have that watch, that watch on with a T shirt and jeans, and someone who knows is like, yes, that's what's up.
[00:44:54] Speaker A: Right, Right, right.
Well, anything else that we didn't hit that you're like, hey, man, you're gonna leave these guys just hanging if you don't give them this. This tip when it comes to styling themselves.
Did I miss anything, Ivy? When we're just kind of trying to give a basic lay of the land for guys who want to level up their fashion game?
[00:45:16] Speaker B: No, I mean, I think it's like, really identifying what your style is, having an understanding of what fits you. Well, spend a little time going through your closet and taking a good, you know, thought process on, how long have I had this? Does this look faded? Is it worn out? Does it need to go just, like, really going through everything you have and thinking that way and then, you know, building your budget for it. I always say, one of the first things I ask clients, because I see people from.
I could be at a school teacher's house one morning and then be at a $50 million mansion in the afternoon. And I always ask, what is your budget for this season or, like, for this shopping? And I think that is an important place to start. And then you can build from there and decide, like, what the important pieces are to buy.
[00:46:12] Speaker A: We. We pay attention to the metrics on our podcast. We have listeners all over the globe, but we have a lot of listeners in Cincinnati, Ohio. So you mentioned that you've got a boutique and that you work with individuals. If somebody wants to find what you're up to, whether it's on the one on one consulting side or on the.
I might like to stick my head in that boutique. Where can they find. Find what you do? Ivy.
[00:46:42] Speaker B: So my website is my name. It's ivycasta.com.
my email is my name ivyvycasta.com.
my shop is called Slam Boutique, and it's downtown Cincinnati.
We have. I do that casual, elevated, casual in between. It's a little funky sometimes, too, but it's fun.
And we have a website, and my Instagram is just Ivy Costa Style, and Sloan's is Sloan Boutique.
So we try to make it easy.
But, you know, you can find both of my businesses on the Internet pretty easily, I hope.
[00:47:29] Speaker A: Awesome.
[00:47:29] Speaker B: But we actually have some clients in Utah.
[00:47:32] Speaker A: Oh, really?
[00:47:33] Speaker B: I send clothes to Utah a lot.
[00:47:35] Speaker A: That's cool. We. Yeah, I do feel like. I don't know if it's the. The church thing that there's a lot of LDs people who dress up for. I mean, that's still the. The vibe that here is that if you go to Mormon church, you're gonna generally wear a tie, if not a suit. And I see every Sunday people walking into church wearing more and more like. Like exactly what you said. Funky suits or things that are maybe break the mold of just the black or gray or navy blue suit.
[00:48:08] Speaker B: And so also cardigans. I was kind of blown away at how many cardigans we saw. I was like, okay, here we go.
[00:48:18] Speaker A: If you want to find Ivy or if you want to go visit the boutique, click those links in the show notes. Ivy, thank you so much for just taking some time to help. I think that it's. It's great to, like I said, just have some handles on what we're supposed to be, even where to start when it comes to I'd like a refresh. And I think that it's one of those places, like so many things when it comes to money, where you can go cheap, but often you end up a year later looking in your closet and going, I just sort of threw a bunch of stuff in here. It doesn't work together. It may or may not be my style. It jumped out to me off the sale rack when I went in some, some big box store.
And I think that what I've heard from you mostly is approach it thoughtfully and don't be afraid to go a little slower if you have to, to buy items that are going to last, at least in those key categories where you're going to use them over and over and over.
[00:49:21] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:49:21] Speaker A: I think that's really good advice. And guys, here's me encouraging you to put some thought into the way you look if you're, if you're going to be a leader, and if you're listening to this, we think you're probably going to be a leader, whether it's leading a family, leading a business, whatever the Lord has for you in kind of your leadership roles in life, you should look like somebody who has put some thought into the way that they appear.
And just like Ivy said at the beginning, you can do that without falling off the ditch on the side of the road that leads to vanity and self obsession. We're not for that. But we do think that you can put some thought into this. So here's me encouraging you in this one little area of life, which is how you dress to keep on running your home and your dough like a biblical boss.
