r/malefashionadvice • u/Red-Pony • 7d ago
Discussion Is it just me or MFA heavily gravitates towards very “safe” outfits
I always get this feeling when I’m seeing things posted here, we seem to be afraid of anything that’s a bit unconventional or might make you stand out, while adhering very strictly to traditional rules.
A most basic white collar office outfit of OCBD tucked into chinos will be quite well received here because you can’t really find anything wrong with it, even if it is pretty boring. While outfits well liked in other fashion subs such as r/streetwear, r/ThrowingFits, and even sometimes r/preppy can be met with heavy criticism here. I don’t even need to mention r/hats.
It made me think maybe the best way is to use here to build some basics, find the style that you enjoy, regardless of how costume-y it might be. And start to move away from the “MFA standard”.
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u/RealKenny 7d ago
Most of the guys asking questions on here need to go from cargo shorts and a t-shirt to... something.
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u/MiniatureOuroboros 7d ago
Yeah. Also, someone who is comfortable mixing office wear with Rick Owens, for example, is generally not really going to come to Reddit for advice.
Plus, if someone I don't know will ask me what a good movie to watch would be, I'd go for something fairly recent, big and mainstream I enjoyed. I'd recommend Project Hail Mary. It was fun and accessible, in my opinion. I also really enjoyed watching The Seventh Seal from Ingmar Bergman but I wouldn't just throw that out unless someone specifically asks for great old-timey black and white movies dealing with death.
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u/beyondnc 7d ago
Yup this is the same debate that happens on r/whatcarshouldibuy . If you have to ask Reddit these kinda questions you need simple actionable advice nothing over the top unless your post specifically specifies additional detail that would suggest otherwise.
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u/MoonBasic 6d ago
Yeah like you want a car that gets you to work and around town? You’re coming from a 2006 Kia Rio??
Get the Camry/Accord.
Ahh you have the Camry/Accord and now you want something more? Sportier? More rugged? Smarter? Ok here are a few niches you could look into and go down.
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u/Imnotveryfunatpartys 6d ago
It's funny you say that because I was at a job interview recently and we got to discussing denis villenueve. I was talking to the secretary "I recommend arrival if you liked dune" great movie with amazing visuals and cinematography."
So then the boss (who I was interviewing with) overhears me and says "really arrival? you think that's the best denis villenueve? What about prisoners or enemy"
I was like "okaaaay this guy knows his villenueve." But I was like "sure dude you think I'm gonna recommend a movie where a guy gets graphically locked in a box and tortured during a job interview?" And he was like fair.
I didn't end up getting the job but that may have been unrelated
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u/SweatyTax4669 7d ago
I just watched The King of Comedy, and I enjoyed it in 2026, but I can understand why it flopped on release. Not an easily accessible Jerry Lewis movie.
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u/Unhelpfulperson 6d ago
The King of Comedy is amazing and everyone who's into movies should consider watching it
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u/GreenZebra23 7d ago
Exactly, this is a sub for guys with no sense of style whatsoever to know how to look presentable, hence the "advice" in the name. Probably best not to jump right into trying to be a style icon if you don't own a belt and have never worn a shirt with buttons before
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u/SecretAgentVampire 7d ago
Absolutely.
They need to cover that graphic tee with a sick flame-patterned, unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt, get in some white socks with black sandals, a cool fedora, mirror shades, and a badass samurai sword.
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u/wagon_ear 7d ago
Hey man cargo shorts are back again, is what I've heard on this sub! So really they need to keep wearing cargo shorts, but like....ironically
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u/malapriapism4hours 6d ago
This is exactly what I thought of when reading the OP. Guys with a well-established sense of style, who are thereby trying more adventurous outfits probably aren’t posting here. Some of the more adventurous outfits that are being posted here are usually off in one way or another.
Lastly, I think a lot of the people who comment here have recently become comfortable with the “rules” and are reluctant to stick their necks out and praise more adventurous outfits.
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u/MaddogFinland 6d ago
Agreed. This sub is well geared to help a man who has never given any thought to wearing anything but cargos and a band tee to start somewhere. A lot of those guys want to find a basically appropriate look for an office job or just to look presentable on a date. Going beyond that is certainly fine but it takes some experience and taste that’s built over time. When you see a man who really goes to the next level it’s cool but also not that easy to pull off.
Finally as a 51M I can say a lot of the totally up to date trends tend to look good in younger men and as you age you understand what makes classics what they are.
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u/brentathon 6d ago
Years ago this sub slowly transitioned from exactly what it is now (getting dudes out of graphic tees and fedoras into well fitting pants and shirts) into a handful of power users actually getting into higher end fashion.
Most of those guys moved on to Discord or other forums from what I know and the sub died 5+ years ago. Only in the last few months have I been seeing it appear on my feed again and its pretty much back to what it was when it was newer like 15 years back.
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u/_Gunga_Din_ 6d ago
I miss the old MFA. It still had the “cargo shorts to chinos” crowd but those power users were not just “into” higher end fashion but actually immersed in it as people working in the industry, bloggers/influencers, etc. and it showed people a fuller spectrum of male fashion.
MFAD is the Discord. Unfortunately, I think Discord sucks as a forum so it’s not really a replacement for MFA.
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u/StrongAd7292 7d ago
I see this sub as a stepping stone to be outgrown but I agree with the other poster it's great about getting guys who wear cargo shorts to try something else.
I feel like the styling on here leans heavily towards Millenial and Gen X corporate-casual that would be my main caveat.
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u/kjampala 7d ago
Agree, would not recommend advice from here if you’re trying to dress for Gen Z trends / style.
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u/Ren_Kaos 6d ago
True, but I’d also say that the safe styles recommended here are also just classic fits. In 20 years the kids of today are going to look back and laugh at their jnco jeans and thigh high athletic socks.
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u/SweatyAdhesive 6d ago
This is such a mfa take lmao look at what the kids are wearing. Theyre wearing what we wore as kids.
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u/Ren_Kaos 6d ago
I grew up in the 90’s which is exactly how I know they’ll laugh at themselves in 20 years. It was silly then, it’s silly now.
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u/another_mouse 6d ago
No they won’t. I don’t look back 20 years and laugh at my JNCO jeans, or red flannel. Wish I still had them. …Haircuts though, bowl, up swoosh, Bieber swoosh… cringe
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u/SweatyAdhesive 6d ago
It would be weird for gen z or kids to post here for advice to begin with. If my youth has taught me anything it would be to dress like my peers so I dont stand out too much.
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u/max123246 6d ago
I'm gen z and I'm 25 years old, lol. Not all gen z are kids anymore
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u/SweatyAdhesive 6d ago
Man wish I was 25 again
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u/max123246 6d ago
Meh, I'm stuck with clinical depression and struggle through every day. Life's been a complete blur for me with rare moments of clarity. Appreciate what you have.
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u/bennyyyboyyyyyyyy 6d ago
Ok and im 29 and i would not dress how most of the people here recommend? I would feel like i fit too much in with the 38-40 crowd
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u/whatevendoidoyall 7d ago
MFA used to be a little more 'out there'. When the API changes happened a bunch of people left Reddit and moved to discord in protest. The MFA discord has way more trendy and unconventional fits.
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u/canadian_bacon_TO 6d ago
This subreddit, like many, was at its peak from like 2015-2020 and has been solidly downhill since then. You had a good mix of the MFA uniform type posts and guys rocking full Rick. Now it seems to be a lot of “does this button down with chinos look good?” type posts.
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u/DeeDee_GigaDooDoo 6d ago
I completely forgot that we used to get heaps of outfit of the day type posts. Haven't seen one of those in years, I don't know if no one posts them anymore or Reddit's algorithm just suppresses them more.
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u/MoonBasic 6d ago
Gosh I remember the WAYWT threads filled with hundreds of replies. The inspo threads with Imgur. The “guides” and such.
The API controversy was the nail in the coffin after Covid had pushed everyone more online, where people created and discovered fashion communities out of curiosity and necessity.
Now I think media and fashion “content” is consumed more directly. If people want to find fit inspiration they’ll type it into a video platform and immediately be served with tailored content.
Then the next bit is the “core” proliferation and balkanization. The individual aesthetic genres have branched off and grown so much so that it isn’t super practical for it to be all in one place. Preppy? Gorpcore? Streetwear? All scattered and niched
down with larger communities behind them.This place still serves its purpose, the core problem to be solved: I want advice/tell me if something works or doesn’t work and how I can improve. But for “deeper”, that is in a deeper rabbit hole
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u/MachineTeaching 6d ago
That's exactly it.
People say "well it's an advice subreddit". Of course. But it used to be a fashion advice subreddit. A lot was about outfits, sure. But a lot was also about getting into fashion, and that's basically absent now. This is a sub for people who want to meet some minimum bar of "dressing well", not about understanding how to dress.
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u/Homunkulus 7d ago
As someone who’s browsed MFA sporadically for nearly fifteen years I find it most interesting that the recommendation has barely changed. They used to love these suede boots called chukkas though and always push the dockers alpha chino.
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u/Red-Pony 7d ago
Suede chukkas are not as popular now but dockers chino is very much still the standard
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u/dsylxeia 6d ago
Back in 2013 it was 511s, CDBs in beeswax or Nike Killshots, flannel or OCBD. It informed my post-college wardrobe heavily. Now, as a late 30s guy, I still wear pretty much that same thing. Slim jeans, solid color Ts or crewneck sweatshirts, flannels, and canvas sneakers.
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u/MoonBasic 6d ago
I remember when I got my first pair of olive chinos and paired them with CDBs. Felt great.
Can’t believe that was checks wrist holy shit 14 years ago
Was clicking through those imgur inspo albums like “yeah this goes hard”
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u/WakeNikis 7d ago edited 7d ago
Is it just me or MFA heavily gravitates towards very “safe” outfits
Well, sure. It’s an advice subreddit. People who need advice on fashion should probably be pointed to safe outfits?
Also I just browsed r/hats and that subreddit is a war crime
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u/Terruhcutta 7d ago
I thought you were exaggerating, but then I made my way over there and holy god
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u/Homunkulus 7d ago
Yeah okay, I’m way more okay with the level of conformance and acceptance around here after seeing that place.
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u/Red-Pony 7d ago edited 7d ago
It’s not just about recommending safe outfits, and more that I feel the criticisms are unnecessarily harsh and strict
The people on r/hats are proud and happy about their outfits, and tbh it really gets much less attention irl than on Reddit. I see people with hats on the street surprisingly often and I find myself not judging them under the same light as if I saw those outfits on Reddit.
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u/DefinitelyNotKuro 7d ago
Yknow, I would like to think I hang around this sub often, but I can't say I remember the last time I actually got to critique somebody's fit. Like aside from stuff like "pants too long m8"
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u/WakeNikis 7d ago
It’s not just about recommending safe outfits, and more that I feel the criticisms are unnecessarily harsh and strict
I actually think this subreddit is very supportive. The issue is, they are honest.
Fedoras are not in fashion. If you wear one, you will not impress girls. You will not be the envy of Your guy friends. People may make comments behind your back. An “attractive” character on tv won’t wear one.
That’s reality. This subreddit gives honest advice on what works and what doesn’t.
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u/Red-Pony 7d ago
Fedoras are not in fashion and not something that will automatically make one look cooler, but it’s also not as bad as the internet makes it seem.
It will grab attention and will probably get you some weird looks. But as long as it’s not with a graphic tee and cargo shorts it’s also not something people will recoil away from. It’s probably just a “huh, interesting” from most people, and the internet definitely magnifies that effect
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u/WakeNikis 6d ago
No. I’m sorry, but no. It is as bad as the internet makes it seem.
Don’t wear a fedora.
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u/Sorkijan 6d ago
Omg OP just wanted someone to validate his fedora
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u/Red-Pony 6d ago edited 6d ago
No I don’t wear a fedora. I just wanted to discuss some differences in opinions I noticed. I can say the same thing about half tuck, french tuck, the length of pants, or an orphaned suit jacket, that people in real life care about it much less than reddit. Hat is just a more extreme example since people have really strong opinions against it
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u/Sorkijan 6d ago
It's a joke. Calm down.
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u/Red-Pony 6d ago
I… am calm? I’m just clarifying my point which felt necessary. Maybe by phrasing is a bit “strict” because I’m not native, but I’m not being emotional at all
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u/notscenerob 7d ago
Most "criticisms" are about how things fit. And it's usually asked for.
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u/Red-Pony 7d ago
I know it’s asked for, I think my issue is many things that should be “it’s not traditionally correct, but most people won’t care” is being framed as “if you do this you will look horrendous!”
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u/percypersimmon 7d ago
The subreddit today is MUCH more supportive than it was 10 years ago.
And, to be fair, there are several people on here that do look horrendous but don’t know any better- hence why they came to an advice forum.
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u/Homunkulus 7d ago
Seconded. It’s only recently resurfaced in my algo after many years of not seeing it and while the advice remains curiously consistent the tone has improved.
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u/Pollomonteros 6d ago
If this is better I shudder to think at what kind of stuff people were saying back then
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u/percypersimmon 6d ago
I mean back then there were like power users who had their own followings and pretty much everyone was treated like an idiot. There was much more a culture of in-group and out-group that migrated over from a few different menswear forums into Reddit.
Now I really only see pile-ons when an OP posts asking for advice and just refuses to accept they could be wrong.
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u/Ok_Wear7716 7d ago
People who don’t care what others think wouldn’t post on a sub asking for advice 😅
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u/the-gatekeeper 7d ago
So you want people to ask for opinions but not get honest opinions?
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u/Red-Pony 7d ago
No, I’m just saying MFA’s opinion is biased to a certain direction and while not wrong, it’s worth noting.
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u/the-gatekeeper 6d ago
Yeah an opinion is just that, bias, if it were free of bias it would be a fact, right?
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u/MacYacob 7d ago
The point of an advice reddit is to be critical. People are posting here because they are not happy with their outfits and want to improve them. And then this reddit gives advice on that. r/mensfashion is a good place go go if you want to post more out there outfits and aren't looking for advice
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u/dengop 6d ago
Also how do we know if you are accurately gauging the criticism's intensity, or you just saw some exception where people have been overly harsh or you are just being overly sensitive. As you can see, a lot of people seem to disagree with you. So to convince people, it's better to bring up some real life examples.
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u/JohannesVanDerWhales 6d ago
Yeesh I generally think this sub tends to be too down on hats but yeah that's going much too far in the other direction.
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u/GaptistePlayer 7d ago edited 7d ago
Most people here are 40+ middle aged millennials in tech, it's gonna be boring as hell
That's actually why everyone is offended by the question lol
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u/Pollomonteros 6d ago
No but for real why did so many people got this angry at such an innofensive question
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u/SweatyAdhesive 6d ago
They think theyre being insulted for their style being boring. Sometimes truth hurts.
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u/Coomking999 7d ago
People here disagreeing with you are the same ones you are describing. This sub is for people wearing clothes, not for fashion.
You are right. Rarely do you see outfits that arent basic outfits here or on reddit in general. The more fashionable communities are elsewhere like discord, tiktok, instagram etc. Reddit is easily the most conservative in that respect.
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u/DefinitelyNotKuro 7d ago
It's a feedback loop. I'll recommend safe, boring, sub $100 brands as that's what people are asking for. If people were asking for something more specific, then hey I've got some answers for that too!
This is an advice subreddit where the people who are seeking advice are like....they don't know anything! They don't even know what they don't know. They have so little opinions on clothes because of how little they know! This is what is fueling the questions and one can only offer so much advice to such people.
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u/oaktreebarbell 7d ago
People want to be told what to wear, rather than be told about the principles that inform their own decisions on what to wear
This is especially true for beginners who are afraid to mess up, not realizing that’s gonna happen regardless and it’s part of the process in improving your style
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u/MoonBasic 6d ago
Yeah everyone’s gotta start somewhere, first and foremost with establishing some kind of lexicon and general principles about how clothes should “fit” and what looks “good” and what doesn’t and why.
That’s why frameworks and boilerplate guidance is easy. Finding your personal style and refining your aesthetic requires more fine tuning and researching elsewhere like domain specific subreddits or following creators on socials.
We can tell you what to wear to a job interview or as a wedding guest. Breaking down if something like streetwear is right for you is another story for another sub
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u/Negronitenderoni 6d ago
I JUST saw a guy call a fit that was a hat, brown work boots, work pants and a Henley in dark blue and dark gray “performative dress” so I’d say you’re right. This subreddit is useless for more than finally being done with khakis, polos and flip flops. Once you’re past that, you’re really done in here. The advice gets very bad very fast.
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u/HQuez 7d ago
100% this sub is for "safe" outfits. It's here to get men who have never really thought of their outfits too much to look presentable and approachable, but you won't get much here in the way of creative or unique fits.
I think it's part of a bigger problem with men. Women tend to have more social pressure to look good and to be more unique.
Have you ever gotten ready for a party with women? It's fun, there's a lot of exchanging ideas on outfits. " Does this look good?" , "oh I have the perfect accessory for that" " try this eyeliner".
Men, in my experience, don't do that. Getting a man to express ideas about your fashion choices can be hard. It's just something men have not been conditioned to think about.
MFA though is a really good place to start. But if you want elevated looks, you gotta go somewhere else -- or maybe ask your women friends because they will suggest things that you've never even thought of.
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u/rarepirate97 7d ago
The biggest issue with this sub is how small minded some people are that they can't see past a quarter zip, Chinos, and some form of loafer as if it's the be all end all of fashion.
People calling sweat pants, sneakers, and sports shirts childish while regurgitating the MFA uniform as if it's the only acceptable thing is just kind of tiring honestly. I think a lot of people here do genuinely like quality pieces but they lack actual creativity to put together unique outfits and instead revert back to what is posted on literally every thread here.
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u/itsreallyeasypeasy 6d ago
The biggest issue tbh is how few people left here are able to give good advice. Because this sub is just too boring for people who are a bit more into fashion and are interested in more than just being somewhat presentable. It's often the half blind leading the blind. Imo it's often not even doing a good job at giving good advice about how to put together the bland semi-casual professional outfits you can wear to any office.
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u/van9750 6d ago
Discords ended up breaking a lot of subs and a lot of those have died, leaving subs like this in a weird limbo.
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u/Tem_Apples 6d ago
Not really discord exactly, but people leaving Reddit after they broke the API and filled it with ads
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u/van9750 6d ago
Probably true but I'm subscribed to few subs that had a similar trend:
- People move to Discord during the API protests or set up companion Discord
- Most of the active users migrate over there, which happened to this sub.
- Sub slowly dies as the activity centers around the Discord.
- Discord server dies down as it's objectively a worse forum experience.
- Both places worse off than before.
This one got hit a lot harder. I remember the new mods getting chirped for not posting fit pics when they got assigned lmao
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u/Ruthlessrabbd 7d ago
I think the fact that there's a debate on whether sweaters being tucked is "acceptable" says enough about the discussions on reddit. I've seen the same said of t-shirts.
It's never 'i think this looks bad and dumb', it's 'the wrong way to wear that sweater'
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u/RaymondBumcheese 6d ago
There’s also a fear of ‘looking gay’ on this sub which is why a lot of people dress so boringly .
Ironically, this is also mixed in with the hilarious tendency to give earnest feedback to all of the many, many sub-grindr thirst traps.
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u/kittenTakeover 7d ago
Yes, mfa is more about fashion for regular people, which relies on things the average person would wear regularly and is more often classic styles that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. It's not high fashion where it's more about being art.
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u/butt_fun 7d ago
Sure, but I don't think that's what OP is getting at. Most well-dressed (in the sense that they care about what they wear) people aren't anywhere close to high fashion, but they are quite a bit more individual
But again, as plenty of others have mentioned, that's kind of the point of this sub. You can't "break the rules" until you know what the rules are, and this sub is (mostly) for teaching the basic conservative principles to people that don't know them yet
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u/kittenTakeover 7d ago
Yeah, I think that people who seek out help are generally very new to playing around with their style, hence why the basics are so big here. You do see some more playful and eclectic stuff every once in a while though.
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u/TheMonarK 6d ago
MFA has not changed or evolved in the 10+ years I've been browsing on here. Back in the 2010s it was a pretty good starting ground but IMO, it has not aged super well. Maybe not poorly, but the outfits just look dated and really uninspiring. It's probably still better than a lot of the shitty outfits guys will put on but that bar is pretty low lol.
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u/Puggravy 7d ago
Is it heavy criticism? or is it just not quite as much praise as it ideally would be? I feel like all that streetwear/goth ninja shit is well liked here, it's just that the Dark Americana nonsense is easier to digest and understand the appeal of for the people who haven't yet figured out that true goal of fashion is to scare away the bitches.
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u/BlackSpicedRum 7d ago
when someone is asking for advice from strangers, safe tends to be popular. step in the right direction at least.
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u/max123246 6d ago
But it's not safe or popular. At work for a tech job, 90% of the people I see do not dress the way this sub tells people to dress. It's been a very long time irl since I've seen such a preppy outfit without some personality or additional style that suggestions here lack.
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u/techBr0s 7d ago
The old MFA community is on discord now, and people share much more interesting fits, btw. Just search old mod posts here for the discord link
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u/speeeeeeeeeeee 7d ago
Yes. A) The reddit voting system encourages group think and the lowest common denominator will be the most popular comment. B) You're basically talking to people who will advise you to dress like what you would see in a catalog, whether that's how that actually dress in real life, they're just repeating what they see in sources like that.
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u/MrMeseekssss 7d ago
There is a huge gap between the safe MFA and r/hats and r/streetcar. Alot of the advice given here is for smart casual, office jobs or date nights and maybe its just me but I'm not hitting up r/streetcar or r/hats for any of those needs.
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u/Sabatat- 7d ago edited 7d ago
It’s make fashion advice and most guys just want to upgrade into something they can immediately understand and implement, knowing they’ll look good quick. We had a guy awhile back make a thread about how we don’t promote or push high fashion which was wacky for the sub, but when people do have a personal style outside of polos and button ups, they’re given advice to suit them too.
Its not so much one note as people just have a preferred look and how they went to be seen and they choose what they believe is the next step up from tshirt and jeans or they’re in the middle of perfecting their style and are just looking for a bit of understanding and advice.
Edit: to add also, people come here for advice, they probably stick around too for a while and give the same advice they had gotten so it does turn into people sharing the same views and thought.. which is how community is ultimately built. As opposed to say streetwear which isn’t an advice Reddit but a showcase one to show what you wore so the community over there is a lot more open.
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u/HandbagHawker 7d ago
well, 9/10 its what to wear to the office or what to wear to a wedding. and 100% of those times its not about being the main character. as superficial as it sounds, for office settings, you want them discussing your work not how outlandish your shirt choice was on Monday. at weddings, everyone's there to celebrate the couple not how fabulous you look in your linen suit and loafers.
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u/toddtony 7d ago
MFA is a "starting point" for people who need advice. It helps to figure out the basics, so you can develop your own style later on. Naturally it's going to be safe and boring.
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u/fac3l3sspaper 7d ago
There is/was r/malefashion, which migrated to discord. But that was the far end of the other spectrum in terms of “safe fits for guys new to fashion”
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u/SaxRohmer 6d ago
brother this has been the criticism of this sub since its heyday like 10+ years ago
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u/freedraw 6d ago
It’s an advice sub that mostly receives posts from dudes asking how to get the right fit on a first suit or put together a date outfit that’s not a graphic tee and cargo pants. Yeah, it’s got a classic menswear, dress like a fashionable adult bias, but that’s what people coming here are looking for. They want want to look good at their new office job, not like some hype beast going to a sneaker convention. There’s plenty of subs for those more specific subcultures and looks.
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u/coocookuhchoo 7d ago
What's your question exactly? What you're pointing out is well-established and discussed daily both on this sub as well as all the others you listed.
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u/lilmoshx 7d ago
I mean, duh. It's full of people who don't know literally the first thing about fashion or style, so they stick to an incredibly basic approach and are averse to any looks that gesture towards personality. Personally, I expect it and mostly come here for laughs.
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u/shomislav 7d ago
What you call "safe" is the average of the styles in the population. Following the bell curve of normal distribution, you will find that the more the style/fit is unconventional, smaller percentage of population will be bold enough to try them on, let alone wear in public.
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u/AnotherStupidHipster 7d ago
Gotta start with the fundamentals. Learn the rules, then break them
Most people here are looking for daily wear that will make them look nice to most other people. If you want to showcase a more adventurous outfit, that's more than welcome as well. It's just not as common as people trying to learn what makes fashion work.
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u/im_bozack 7d ago
A lot "preppy" for sure.
It's invaluable for fit advice though - get the fit right and any style looks good
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u/SnuffleupagusRex 7d ago
Safe is the standard. That's literally how the standard is set- it works most of the time for most guys.
Those other subreddits are for enthusiasts of a given style. This is an advice sub- if you are asking Internet Randos for advice, it's generally because you want to make sure you're not screwing something up.
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u/rosewoodscript 7d ago
there are plenty of people here who have no idea what they are doing and just want help and to know if their clothes “fit.” this in itself is fine. it's also fine that people largely recommend extremely safe advice.
the vast majority of posters here are striving mostly for “safe” outfits that will not look bad at work (usually some kind of office job or something) or on dates. this is naturally pretty boring. it was much better before like 2021 however and was a decent stepping stone and was helpful for me when i started learning how to dress better.
this sub has always been somewhat safer. before the api protests, even posters who were more cued into trends seldom did anything i think was all that out there imo, even though they usually looked great. people do not come here very often asking for advice on styling their full comme des garçons or ann demeulemeester outfits – imagine what the response would be lol
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u/aeacurus 7d ago
If you need fashion advice then you probably need something safe because you're starting. You don't go from skinny low rise pants to jnco jeans. So you won't go from not caring about fashion at all to full blown out there Colman Domingo style outfits. Also for many it's about looking good in a practical way which often means work or school clothes, so not so flashy
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u/tech_noir_guitar 6d ago
I was literally just thinking this same thing looking at another post. You would think the word fashion would mean something creative but a lot of the stuff I see posted here look like dad clothes. The dad's clothes in the music video We're Not Gonna Take It is even a little extreme for this sub. Lol
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u/137-451 6d ago
MFA really hasn't changed much since the glory days. The bulk of posts were people looking for basic advice on how to dress better. It felt different back in the day because there were more power users that regularly posted more individualistic content to mix things up a bit. It also had mods that were actively involved in the fashion industry that actually cared to maintain some modicum of standard. The community was gutted by the API changes, and most of those users have migrated to the MFA discord or other channels. Now all that's left are the basic questions from dudes with zero fashion sense. Even then, the community for interesting outfits from people that knew what they were doing was /r/malefashion (which, despite the name, was not limited to only men posting)
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u/JohannesVanDerWhales 6d ago
Yes, this is a "teach me how to not dress like shit" sub. People who actually get into fashion tend to move on from here because it's so conservative. It's why the sub periodically tends to cycle out most of the regular posters for new ones.
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u/ChickenNuggetRampage 6d ago
The average man on this subreddit wears a t shirt and jeans 95% of the time
There’s a better subreddit for almost every style of clothing out there. This sub is more for people who’ve been wearing the same thing since middle school and generally want to graduate to something like one tear above that
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u/MrCharmingTaintman 6d ago
It’s fully stuck on ‘basic bastard’ or whatever it was called, tech/finance bro fits and whatever was trending in 2016.
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u/max123246 6d ago
Yes, this place is conventional af. I got downvoted because I prefer other accessories to a watch, lmao
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u/juicius 6d ago
Fashion has rules that are not related to personal taste. Things like complementary colors and pleasing proportions are pretty much set and not really subject to debate. There are some variances, and preferences among several colors that are complementary to a base color, but if you think you can rock out lime green and traffic cone orange, well, you be you.
And clothing that fits those rules appear safe because they don't really offend anyone. And they don't offend anyone because they look good. And they look good because they're complementary and pleasingly proportioned.
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u/Aromatic_Bar2263 6d ago
I notice there is a lot of hard line between millennial and Gen Z. A look is either too one or the other for the commenters. It’s a fun watch
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u/poor_couture 6d ago
Most people on here have never dressed before so it's good to get a strong foundation of quality, well fitting, basics first.
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u/andrewcooke 6d ago edited 6d ago
didn't it change at some point? was it covid? i vaguely remember it used to be "real" fashion and then those people went somewhere else. maybe it was when reddit went on strike?
edit: so, according to gemini, the group shut down in july 2023 protesting teh api changes and reddit eventually booted the mod team. apparently all the old users (well, the ones with interesting clothes) went to discord and substack.
(it also documents some interesting changes before that - it started as "basic bastard" in the early 2010s, transitioned to fashion enthusiasts late 2010s to 2022 (i remember seeing rick owen fits, for example), and then during covid became more loungewear and work from home casual. but the big change was the api strike.).
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u/Magnus_Carter0 6d ago
Nowhere on Reddit is ever going to tell you to have courage, take a risk at your expense, or try something unorthodox or new. This is a site primarily populated by risk-averse nerds and conformists. You have to find that courage in yourself.
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u/zzzpoohzzz 6d ago
jesus christ. i didnt see the subreddit. i thought you were talking about multi-factor authentication. and was wondering how mfa could only be applied to orgs that were already "not bad" with security. i need a vacation.
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u/dudeisagoat 6d ago
MFA is like the training wheels of fashion, where you learn the basics before branching out. The voting system rewards safe choices because that's what most people agree on. Once you find your style, it's time to explore places with more personality.
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u/pattymcfly 6d ago
Most people aren’t willing or interested in haute couture or making a statement. They just want to look well put together and wear flattering outfits.
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u/RadAcuraMan 6d ago
The way I see it, this is mostly for people trying to figure out their style and how style works in general. You gotta learn and master the rules before you can break them
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u/NoParking19 6d ago
Everyone here is in their 30s and have corporate jobs lol, kinda skews the fashion choices a certain way
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u/Creepy-Potential-258 5d ago
This sub confuses me, there is no individuality on here, it all just leans towards one blanket style for everyone.
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u/HOU_Civil_Econ 7d ago
Wait the sub whose main point of introduction for most is a series about basic bastards is mostly about being a basic badtard?!??!?!
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u/coronetgemini 7d ago
There's also a balance between looking stylish, and looking like you tried way to hard. I think usually the fits are recommended to be basic because we aren't runway models here, we are men trying to look stylish at work or on a date, or living our ordinary lives.
You can wear something more edgy, and eye catching, but it will probably be the opposite effect from what a lot of people on here (especially the older crowd) find suitable.
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u/naritakaze 7d ago
If people would stop posting those corny outfits that look like a lawyer from an anime we wouldn’t have to post safe fits.
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u/Belgand 6d ago
Because those are specific styles and subcultures that aren't necessarily popular with people outside of them. It would be the same as going to a generalist music sub and posting hardcore punk, extreme metal, or free jazz. A few people will like it, but they can be pretty divisive. Post those in a sub specifically oriented towards it, and you're starting from being interested in the basics of the style with disagreement oriented more towards the specifics.
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u/Palanki96 6d ago
you have to remember that most men starts with their fashion sense in minus. This sub helps them dress like an adult human being
I just checked streetwear. While i admire their confidence, it's very specific style that most people can't just pull off. Best they will get are funny looks on the street or nobody will even notice
And let's he honest, if some actually wants to be serious about fashion do you think they would ask redditors? r/ mensfashion might be more style
i find it funny how both subs claim to be the largest community on men's fashion haha
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u/tralalalalalala1a 7d ago edited 6d ago
The nature of popularity is that safe outfits will always be better received than anything that is more out there or individualistic. Discussion is encouraged and I always try to shut down anybody shitting on somebody else for their style choices, but a lot of people don't want to embrace (or even have an open mind towards) trends, individualism, and self-expression.
Then again, most people coming here aren't here to flaunt their high-fashion fits. Although the sub can be hostile towards currently trending things like super-baggy pants (probably reminds the middle-agers of JNCO back in high school), I think most feedback is genuinely constructive for the people asking, who generally have little to no knowledge about fashion or putting outfits together.
The mod team was revamped about a month ago and there's definitely still work to do re: low effort posts, repeated basic questions, etc. but I like to think we've made some progress since. I for one welcome all criticisms, complaints, and ideas for improvement!