HAI GAIZ. I really need your help. It's starting to get cold out but I only own one pair of jeans and one hoodie. Where should I go to buy new clothes? I don't want to look like a New Yorker yet I've probably outgrown my flannel hoodie California days. Help a brotha out?

[for kicks, see freshman year of high school football-playing long-haired josh in the photo...]

1. Jeans — Do that. Other guys in this branch will assumably have better advice about where to find them for dudes than I.

2. T-shirts — These double as undershirts under button downs and sweaters. Multitasking like a boss. Crew neck. White and light gray. Buy a bunch.

3. Sweaters — Crew neck or v-neck is totally up to you. Go first for basic colors: Gray, navy, and a brighter color of your choosing. You seem to like reds and greens so go for those if you want to, but pick darker shades rather than OMG CHRISTMAS JUST THEW UP ON YOU colors.

A good place to start is J. Crew's merino wool sweaters — merino is just a fancy name for a kind of wool that's thin (good for layering over, say, a t-shirt) but still warm. Not chunky/thick at all.

Thanks, Libby. Good call on the undershirts. Something about this (dl.dropbox.com) just doesn't seem true to me though. But maybe it's the new josh!

A good trick is to buy stuff that you think you marginallly "can't pull off". Like, for starters, a v-neck.
At first your inner style-guru will recoil, but this initial pain is necessary, it is the breaking of the shell that encloses your personal style/brand. Embrace it.

I hear that Aflock. I grew up with this: dl.dropbox.com gotta let that go at some point though. Board shorts and flip flops won't cut it in the real world.

Which "brands" do you like other than J-Crew?

"T-shirts — These double as undershirts under button downs and sweaters. Multitasking like a boss. Crew neck. White and light gray. Buy a bunch."

I'm not a fan of crew neck t's under button shirts. It looks silly with your shirt poking through there. Either wear a v-neck or don't wear an undershirt w/ your button up shirts.

It's less about the brand name and more about finding things that fit well. Go to a bunch of stores and just try on shirts and pants. Usually they have a few different styles from slim to "regular" so try on those and see what you think looks best.

Take someone with you who you trust and think has decent style to give you advice on what looks better.

@Josh - Well, yeah, the button down under the sweater is more aggressive and hence will be left for another time or another human. I was thinking more like the below.

Worth noting that a problem with wanting to feel like you're still being true to your "LA roots" while dressing for a New York winter is that people from LA don't ever need to wear sweaters, much less boots coats or scarves... so in some ways you may not be able to get the same visual :)

Adding Cameron Koczon who is a California transplant, too, and may be able to commiserate.

Cameron went through the California > Princeton > NYC transition too so interested to hear his perspective.

Growing up, kids from my neighborhood loved brands like Supreme.

I keep it real. Flip Flops til it snows. Then I transition to laceless vans. Been forced to do lean on some LL Bean boots at times. I usually pick up a jacket from O'Neill or something like that. Jeans from the same. Or maybe quicksilver at times. T-shirt + long sleeve, double pocket plaid ftw.

Step one: watch every episode of "Put This On" putthison.com

Step two: assemble your basics - boxers/briefs (pick one style, one color, buy 10 pair), socks, undershirts (white, v-neck, cut to fit, buy 10).

Step three: Jeans. Your mileage will vary, but start with the classics (501s) and cycle through Diesel, G-Star, 7 For All Mankind, etc. Try on some selvedge at Self Edge. Pick based on what fits, what's comfortable, and what you will wear. Not what you *think* you might wear. If you're denim is wrong, you will never be comfortable.

Step four: Slacks, chinos, etc. Life Beyond Denim is the answer to your prayers.

Step five: Sweaters? J Crew. No Gap. Ever.

Step six: Casual button-ups. G-Star makes some great shirts that go with jeans, as does Earnest Sewn. The key here is they need to look good without ironing. You need more of these than you need t-shirts.

Step six: Blazers? Side vents, two buttons, slim and stylish. Ted Baker is a good place to start. You need exactly one to start.

Step seven: For the holidays, you're gonna need some formal stuff. I like Ted's slim fit dress shirts, but you may prefer a different cut. Nordstrom is fine. Start with solid colors that work with your blazer.

Step eight: Um, suits. We'll need to do this part over a beer.

Oh my Joshua! I totally agree with Libby and others that J.Crew is a good place to start. Classic Americana with a twist, is a good look for you.

1. Sweaters - Wool or Cashmere (if you are on a budget go wool but cashmere will last longer and be warmer). You cant every go wrong with a good pair of jeans, sweater, belt.

2. Jeans - When we are in LA at the same time we need to go to American Rag. Jeans are worth spending $$ on because you will wear them all the time. A darker wash is more versatile because you can dress them up or down. Rag & Bone, Ernst Sewn, AG, Levis...NO SKINNY JEANS for you! Too hipster (sorry everyone who takes offense to this statement).

Ohhh...

3. Button Down - J.Crew is great, they have a huge selection of good plaids & solids at $65 a pop (or close)

4. Jacket - Woolrich!

5. Wallet - Mulberry ;)

WOW, so much advice already. I came here thinking I'd be able to spread some knowledge.

Thanks, guys :) This is actually super helpful. +1 to Ryan for putthison.com

As another Californian transplanted to the east coast, I think I've managed to keep my Californian style a bit, with less budget required than some of the options above. Definitely not formal and definitely more "street"/younger.

1. Lots and lots of t-shirts, both short and long sleeved. I'd try to find a t-shirt place that fits your body type. For others reading this: I have a skinny Asian frame and my best fits are H&M and Uniqlo.

2. Zip-up hoodies. You can find some nice ones at many places from American Apparel to H&M to Urban Outfitters. My style is super-bright colors.

3. Puffy down jacket. Get one that's matte without a tacky logo at the front. Mine is from yoox.com and is also super bright, but there're muted ones.

4. Jeans. Go to Levi's for an economic choice. The bargain bin is annoying but you can find something in there for super cheap if you spend the time. I have a pair that was $5 from there and they fit pretty well. Seconded everyone's opinions about trying on everything from straight to slim to tapered. Selvedge if you want to get fancy.

5. Shoes. Out of all of my clothes, my shoes are the most expensive. I invest in a high quality pair of sneakers all year around. I've been rocking Nike Frees this summer, but I'll bust out my leather Y-3 sneakers for the winter. They've lasted surprisingly long. I've also been tempted by tretorn.com rainboots.

6. Socks and underwear. Uniqlo. That is all. Get some long johns, too.

7. Scarves, beanies, gloves. H&M or Urban. Maybe Northface for gloves.

All in all, my wardrobe is super economical compared to many choices listed above, but are definitely less "adult" and more street. Maybe it's time for me to upgrade as well.

Other sites I enjoy shopping at:
frankandoak.com - nice dress shirts, tshirts, sweaters... the whole shbang. Hunt club is also an interesting monthly curated shopping experience.
everlane.com - good, cheap t-shirts.

Addition to my socks/underwear. Uniqlo has an amazing series of HEATTECH clothing. They are absolutely amazing and super helpful for Californians used to warm weather.

Frank covered a lot. But here's my thoughts:

You need a solid pair of great denim. Heavyweight thread. Selvedge is best. You'll buy one or two pairs, wear the absolute shit out of them and they'll be the best jeans you've ever owned. The secret is to not wash them for as long as possible. When they start to give off a faint odor, use Febreeze. Sounds nuts, but it's honestly the best way to break in raw denim. Then, when you're ready to wash them machine wash cold with Woolite Dark and then hang dry. DO NOT DRY THE JEANS.

As far as button up shirts go, find a brand that fits pretty well. Pay attention to the neck and shoulders the most. Can you button the top button and still fit two fingers there? Does the seam on the shoulders match?

Con't:

Once you have your shirt, take it to a tailor. Have them measure you up and adjust the shirt. I can't stress this enough. It's not expensive and will make your clothes look 1000% better.

Shoes: you're in NYC so there's a lot of walking. But don't be tempted to go back to sneakers. Hit up Cole Haan and check out their Nike Air soled wing tips and other shoes. They're a sure fire win.

If you're a fan of hoodies, try out some shawl collar cardigans. You might think you look funny at first, but they're super classy, warm and stylish.

For all the shit they get, GQ is still fantastic at giving great examples of men's fashion. Get a subscription on your iPad stat.

I would say go to these store with a "fashionable" guy friend or a girl whose not too pushy and has an opinion you trust. Just try things on in the store that you like & feel comfortable wearing.

Uniqlo - great for basics, not to expensive
Everlane - great for basics, not to expensive
J.Crew - great pants / bottoms, a bit more stylish, a bit pricier
Club Monaco - great pants / bottoms, definitely more stylish, a bit pricier
ASOS Online - has a huge mix of stuff, some of it is junk but some of it is gold. get someone to help you sift through it & you'll find affordable good stuff. also free returns!

(cont.)

As you get more comfortable with your new clothes, you can probably move down my list & feel comfortable taking more style "risks" away from your hoodies & jeans that you are use to :)

the problem with most men is that they buy shirts one size too big. Don't do that. What size shirt are you? Wrong. That's one size too big.

Odin is my favorite place overall, followed closely by Rag & Bone. Both are a bit pricey. Zara and Express have good price points and are worth checking out, but both can be very flamboyant. Despite that, they both have a lot of worthwhile basics at good prices.

for something custom, try Brooklyn Tailor, over on Grand street in Williamsburg.

don't ignore consignment shops. I've had some luck at INA Men in the past.

overall, the best hauls I've ever made have come from the Barney's Warehouse Sale, but that just happened so that's a no-go in the short term.

SOMEONE SUMMARIZE THIS FOR ME

J Crew and stop being scared of grown up clothes.