Dating: Not just for mating

[aceluby]

Unless attached to a proper tuxedo bow ties have this certain 'please punch me in the face and keep punching until all strength leaves your arm' look to them.

Which is weird since whenever I wear a bowtie I always get comments, 90% of the time they are compliments.  The other 10% of the time I'm being made fun of, but that's about average for just about anything.

 

Bowtie Tuesday, some nice fitted jeans, a good fitting sports coat, and a pressed shirt w/ some Allen Edmonds....  If I had a date walk out on me because of that outfit (or didn't want to pursue something because of it) then things wouldn't have worked out anyway.

[Littlefingers In The Air]

Mismatched socks are okay though, yes? 

Recommended, even.

[KiDisaster]

Mismatched socks I cannot do. That would drive me crazy. Only on me though. I don't think I've ever once even noticed another person's socks in my life. 

 

ETA: Unless they were knee socks and the person in question wasn't wearing much else.

[Faydra]

I realise this is going to come as a shock to you, but some people actually like giving pleasure to others. I like to only fuck people that are like that, and I'm like that myself.

I subscribe to this. 

[Littlefingers In The Air]

Mismatched socks I cannot do. That would drive me crazy. Only on me though. I don't think I've ever once even noticed another person's socks in my life. 
 
ETA: Unless they were knee socks and the person in question wasn't wearing much else.

Funny you mention the ETA. The only time I can remember noticing a ladies' sock is one time where the lady pointed them out to show me that things weren't intended to go as far as they ended up going that day. Lol.

[Yagathai]

Unless attached to a proper tuxedo bow ties have this certain 'please punch me in the face and keep punching until all strength leaves your arm' look to them.

People that can wear bowties with impunity:

Republicans
Creepy professors
Nation of Islam
Waiters
Anyone wearing an evening suit ("tuxedo")
Lesbians pulling off the tweed thing
Urkel

For everyone else, they are Advanced Topics in Pulling Off A Look. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it's really tough.

[Littlefingers In The Air]

People that can wear bowties with impunity:

Republicans
Creepy professors
Nation of Islam
Waiters
Anyone wearing an evening suit ("tuxedo")
Lesbians pulling off the tweed thing
Urkel

For everyone else, they are Advanced Topics in Pulling Off A Look. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it's really tough.

I guess I qualify as Urkel. Or Stephan Urkal.

[Littlefingers In The Air]

Actuaries can also pull off bow ties.

The key is to tie it yourself. NEVER a clip on. EVER.

Agreed.

[MercenaryChef]

People that can wear bowties with impunity:

Republicans
Creepy professors
Nation of Islam
Waiters
Anyone wearing an evening suit ("tuxedo")
Lesbians pulling off the tweed thing
Urkel

For everyone else, they are Advanced Topics in Pulling Off A Look. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it's really tough.

I accept your offer.

[KiDisaster]

I have a bright red, clip-on bow tie with dragons on it in my closet somewhere that I've never worn. 

 

I should dust it off and find some white socks and a black shirt for my next evening out. 

 

Red tie, black shirt is another huge no-go right? :P 

[Raja]

Mismatched socks I cannot do. That would drive me crazy. Only on me though. I don't think I've ever once even noticed another person's socks in my life. 

 

ETA: Unless they were knee socks and the person in question wasn't wearing much else.

 

I wake up at 5 am to get to work ( I know this is a bullshit excuse) - I grab the first pair of socks I see!

[Lily Valley]

I lent Hot Work Dude towel today when he went to the gym. I now find myself contemplating whether to take said (unwashed) towel to bed with me. :rofl: This has to be a new low point in my dating career. :bang: lolsob

:rofl:  Min, I stole Mr. Fling's shirt and huffed away.  Go for it.

 

Option 1 sounds like it could get way too messy.

 

 

Had a conversation with her, read over your posts and thank you all for your advice It's been great. She's open to doing Option 2 she says, and she's still holding out I want another kid in a few months or years. For now though we'll just keep pushing on because neither of us can support a young kid at this point. 

 

Oh Angalin, I changed the names just to make it easier to write.

 

I have a pal that went with option 1.  Her husband didn't want any kids, but her best friend did.  Her best friend is gay.  Now they have a beautiful baby and two families worth of resources at the baby's disposal.  It's working out great.

Now I'm not a fashion conscious man by any stretch of the imagination, but I can usually understand why certain things are no-go's. The one thing I've never gotten is the white socks are bad and you must never wear them thing.

Have you seen the condition of most men't socks?  Stains, holes, etc.  These are less obvious with colored socks.  There's something schleppy about wearing cotton socks with dress shoes.  Even I know this rule and I really have a hard time dressing myself.  

[Inigima]

Bow ties can look nice. I like bow ties and own several. I still wear them only rarely and for certain occasions, even though I wear a tie fairly often, because they are unquestionably an affectation given current style norms.

If you are going to wear a bow tie, yes, absolutely it should be one that you actually tied. The bog-standard pre-tied ones with the clips where you adjust the length of the strap are appropriate only for pro forma rental tuxedo use.

[Inigima]

Red tie, black shirt: this is the uniform of college students attending formals or semiformals who have not yet realized that they do not know how to dress well.

White socks: the problem is that for occasions where you care about how you look, as in "not at the gym or lounging around the house," they don't do any of the things socks are supposed to do:

1. Traditionally, the socks were supposed to match the shoes, or at least approximate. In modern style it is now more common to match the pants. (This is true even if the socks sport a loud additional color and/or pattern that matches and complements nothing.) In ether case, the idea is for the eye not to be arrested at the ankle -- it's supposed to contribute to a coherent look. This practice should be observed when dress pants are involved. If it's really such a hardship and you wear nice clothes so infrequently that you don't own socks that match, I suggest navy, gray, or black.

2. Athletic socks are typically thicker than dress socks. This will affect fit.

[Littlefingers In The Air]

Education is one hell of a drug.

[Disturber of Peace]

Bill Nye the Bow Tie?

[Ken Stone]

I was buying my first suit the salesman told me "The first thing people notice is your socks". I asked him how that was possible when the pants cover the socks. "Trust me, I've been doing this a long time. It's the first thing people notice. Try getting a job from someone who noticed your socks don't match your pants. Good luck." 

 

Relax, man. I'm interviewing for a job as a software developer, not a fashion designer. I'll be good. 

[lessthanluke]

The only thing socks are supposed to do for me is be comfortable.

[TerraPrime]

The only thing socks are supposed to do for me is be comfortable.

 

And that's perfectly fine. You do you and all will be well. 

 

The critique, though, is that if you're going to the trouble of putting on a nice shirt and a nice pair of pants and nice shoes, then you really should also pay attention to the socks (and belt). Otherwise, you sort of defeat the purpose of wearing a more dressy set of clothes. 

[lessthanluke]

 
And that's perfectly fine. You do you and all will be well. 
 
The critique, though, is that if you're going to the trouble of putting on a nice shirt and a nice pair of pants and nice shoes, then you really should also pay attention to the socks (and belt). Otherwise, you sort of defeat the purpose of wearing a more dressy set of clothes. 

That's fair :)
Good job for me I don't own a shirt or shoes!