teen boy - “casual but slightly nicer” clothes?

[Anonymous]

DS age 17 dresses almost exclusively in sweats and tshirts. If he needs to dress up, he wear khakis and a blazer, very traditional. In the summer, he wear khaki shorts and a polo type collared shirt if he needs to look nicer, say dinner with grandma. We have a few things coming up over the next few months that he should wear something nicer than sweats but not starched khakis and a blazer - e.g., dinner with grandparents in downtown Boston, dinner with girlfriend and her parents at their country club, June graduation parties. I’d appreciate suggestions of what clothing is appropriate. My husband will be wearing khakis and a sweater with button down underneath to the upcoming dinner in Boston, but teens don’t really dress as stuffy as that, right? My guess is for the grad parties he’ll wear khaki shorts and a polo, so I guess it is the two dinners I need advice for. Thanks a million.

[Anonymous]

Mine does khaki pants/shorts with a button down/no blazer/with the sleeves rolled up. He has some stripped/plaid/plain shirts to chose from. He also has a couple of quarter zip sweaters he can stick on top if needed (navy and light blue) that match several of the button downs. He typically wears Sperrys on his feet.

[Anonymous]

^ that sounds about right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS age 17 dresses almost exclusively in sweats and tshirts. If he needs to dress up, he wear khakis and a blazer, very traditional. In the summer, he wear khaki shorts and a polo type collared shirt if he needs to look nicer, say dinner with grandma. We have a few things coming up over the next few months that he should wear something nicer than sweats but not starched khakis and a blazer - e.g., dinner with grandparents in downtown Boston, dinner with girlfriend and her parents at their country club, June graduation parties. I’d appreciate suggestions of what clothing is appropriate. My husband will be wearing khakis and a sweater with button down underneath to the upcoming dinner in Boston, but teens don’t really dress as stuffy as that, right? My guess is for the grad parties he’ll wear khaki shorts and a polo, so I guess it is the two dinners I need advice for. Thanks a million.

What's wrong with the navy blazer for dinner at the country club?

[Anonymous]

Athleta men’s pants are the new metrosexual look for 20 something’s. Was on a business trip to major city recently and literally everywhere. They’re supposed to be very comfortable. The khaki and blazer look is so 2000s, light those clothes on fire OP

[Anonymous]

Lululemon pant.

Just do it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS age 17 dresses almost exclusively in sweats and tshirts. If he needs to dress up, he wear khakis and a blazer, very traditional. In the summer, he wear khaki shorts and a polo type collared shirt if he needs to look nicer, say dinner with grandma. We have a few things coming up over the next few months that he should wear something nicer than sweats but not starched khakis and a blazer - e.g., dinner with grandparents in downtown Boston, dinner with girlfriend and her parents at their country club, June graduation parties. I’d appreciate suggestions of what clothing is appropriate. My husband will be wearing khakis and a sweater with button down underneath to the upcoming dinner in Boston, but teens don’t really dress as stuffy as that, right? My guess is for the grad parties he’ll wear khaki shorts and a polo, so I guess it is the two dinners I need advice for. Thanks a million.

What's wrong with the navy blazer for dinner at the country club?

Because he looks like he is wearing a uniform for an all boys prep school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lululemon pant.

Just do it!

Go to the golf store too. Their pants are like lululemon

[Anonymous]

Lululemon commission pants and a polo or quarter zip.

[Anonymous]

My kids has to wear dress pants, jacket and tie whenever he goes out with the grandparents.
It was good training actually for Model UN. He now jazzes up his look with accessories and jewelry of the nation he represents and is usually voted best dressed.

[Anonymous]

My son wears dress pants, a button down without a tie with the sleeves rolled up. Depending on the event he wears black dress shoes or a nice pair of sneakers, which seem to be more in style now if it’s not super dressy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Athleta men’s pants are the new metrosexual look for 20 something’s. Was on a business trip to major city recently and literally everywhere. They’re supposed to be very comfortable. The khaki and blazer look is so 2000s, light those clothes on fire OP

Athleta sells men's clothes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids has to wear dress pants, jacket and tie whenever he goes out with the grandparents.
It was good training actually for Model UN. He now jazzes up his look with accessories and jewelry of the nation he represents and is usually voted best dressed.

That’s adorable! DH’s prents won’t expect DS to wear a blazer (nor will DH nor my FIL be), but sweatpants are a definite no.

GF’s mom told me dress at their club for dinner where they are eating is “casual,” which is why I assume no blazer there either, but again I am not letting him wear sweatpants.

I will look at athleta and lululemon pants - I never would have thought of that. But sounds like DS’s khakis and sperrys or sneakers would be fine, too, I just need to get him some kind of shirt and suggest he roll up the sleeves. Do your boys leave the shirt untucked or tuck it in? Also any suggestions where to shop for the shirt? DS’s “dress clothes” are from Brooks Brothers and he will NOT voluntarily wear his light blue button doen from there as he considers that “dressy.” He is a conservative dresser not fashion forward, but he will not want to look like a 40 yr old man .

Thanks from OP.

[Anonymous]

Your 17 year old isn’t a child anymore, they should be moving away from sweats and t shirts in public. Boston dress is also different from DC dress- less casual overall.

[Anonymous]

Your 17 year old isn’t a child anymore, they should be moving away from sweats and t shirts in public. Boston dress is also different from DC dress- less casual overall.