Training and Fashion
Clothing-wise, wear whatever you think is comfortable to train in. I generally wear cutoff cargo pants and whatever T-shirt/long sleeve shirt I have on that day.
As for gear, the two biggest things that people need (other than gym equipment) are a belt and a good pair of squat shoes. Don't skimp on either of these things; they may be expensive but they'll last a lifetime. The belt I use is a typical powerlifting belt – 4 inches wide and only 10 mm thick; I don't particularly like a super stiff belt. I don't want to spend a year breaking it in before being able to tighten or loosen the belt. Also, always get a single prong belt as there's no need to have two prongs – it's just one more thing to fuss with. The number of prongs a belt has makes no difference in the strength of the belt. Lots of huge, strong men have lifted massive weights with a single prong belt.
As for shoes, I'm entirely convinced that Olympic lifting shoes are the way to go for squatting. Your feet don't squish around, the heel is elevated to provide great squatting position, and once you walk the weight out your feet are cemented to the ground. For deadlifting, I use the Metal Squat shoe. This is a flat-soled shoe that doesn't move around like a Chuck Taylor. But if you are in a money pinch, get Chuck Taylor's as they are going to be the best bang for your money. All of this stuff is expensive, but I'd rather buy nice than buy twice and then again after that.
For those of you that train in a garage gym, the winter time becomes a challenge. I always wear a long john top under my shirt and hoodie. And since I always wear shorts, regardless of the weather, I cut a pair of long john pants into shorts and wear them underneath my shorts. It keeps you warm and allows you some freedom of movement without making you look like you are wearing pajamas in the weight room.
All the other goodies; straps, wraps and sleeves are based on what you need. But the essentials will always be a great pair of shoes and a solid belt.
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