Stages of my fashion preferences. Maybe when I have some time I’ll explain more thoroughly.

1. What mom bought me.
2. Plaid and birkenstocks (yes, I went to Lewis & Clark).
3. Jeans, abused blue dress shirts, and birkenstocks.
4. Jeans, less abused dress shirts, motorcyle boots, and the occasional leather coat.
5. Cords, sweaters, and square-toed dressy shoes.

I’d like to make the transition into a little more classic look. I have no intention of wearing a suit every day (nor of ever having a job that requires it), but now that I’m 26 years old (sage ou fou) I feel a rather strong need to fill in the gaping lacuna between the casual stuff and the tuxedo that only comes out for concerts.

A combination of principle and indolence has denied me the essential knowledge of fashion that I need, however: I won’t read Maxim, FHM, or anything else with ads for hair color, and if I have free time I tend to spend it doing anything but shopping. God bless the Internet, where I have found the following guides to dressing.

• The Morning News’ excellent guide, in four parts. They really won me over with their hatred of chinos.
• Paul Fredrick has something resembling an FAQ and some–less opinionated but more biased toward the business dresser–guides. They also, of course, want to sell you their clothes.

More later.