So I decided for this posting to address a few problems I’ve been noticing when it comes to men and their fashion sense. This posting is directed at everyone, but no one person in particular. If these tips are taken into consideration and implemented, I believe a man will find himself much further along in becoming stylish. Also, this list is in no way all-encompassing. Just a few tips.
Tip #1: Well-fitting clothes makes a HUGE difference. All too often I see my male counterparts wearing clothes that are baggy, loose, tight, too short or too long. I don’t care how much has been spent on the clothes in question, the quality, etc., if the clothes don’t fit properly it drastically affects the way you look. My tip: invest in clothes that fit properly and to take it a step further consider taking your clothes to a tailor to get them altered. Clothes that fit go a long way to improving the way you look. You will look more stylish, polished, presentable as well as enhance only the best of your physical qualities.
Tip #2: The length of your tie is important. A tie that is too short or too long just looks odd. A good tip for the length of your tie: the end (or tip) of your tie should be to at least the top of your belt buckle and no lower than the bottom of your belt buckle. Somewhere in the middle is ideal, but your belt buckle should be your target. Although, this whole concept is based upon the fact that your pants will be sitting on your waist and not somewhere close to your ankles or up around your neck.
Tip #3: Your accessories (a.k.a. your tie, socks, etc.) count. Before leaving the house, every man should make sure his tie, socks, etc., match and fit with the outfit. The basics: your tie should compliment your shirt, your socks should match your pants, a pocket square (which you should invest in) should never match your tie. There are so many ways to go with this. But the basic principle is to pay attention to your accessories. Just because black socks are usually considered dressy does not mean you can wear them with your navy pants, and so on and so forth. Once you become a little more fashionable and stylish you can find ways to play with color, patterns and textures that still fit with your outfit without necessarily following the basic guidelines.
Tip #4: The style of your pants matters. Now this tip isn’t precise in any way, but there are some basic principles a man should usually follow when selecting the style of his pants. The basics: pleats and cuffs usually look the best on heavier men, while flat-fronts and no cuffs look the best on average to slim men. Cuffs are one of those areas you can go back and forth with, but when it comes to pleats vs. flat-front pants I’d suggest staying within these basic principles.
Tip #5: Pay extremely close attention to your belt and shoes. Very important rule: your belt should match your shoes. In other words, a black belt goes with black shoes and a brown belt goes with brown shoes. Never disobey this rule. I can not count the numerous times I’ve seen men wearing mismatching belt and shoe combinations. Believe me it is noticed. My advice is to invest in a black belt, black shoes, brown belt and brown shoes.
Tip #6: Shoes can make or break you. While many men consider shoes to be unimportant, as long as you have on dress or casual shoes in the right colors, your shoes are very important. Most women pay close attention to men’s shoes. Which, I’m guessing, most men would consider important. And it’s not just women who notice shoes. Now I will admit, I own a lot of shoes, but I am in no way suggesting that a man should have a lot of shoes. What I am saying is that men should put more thought into the purchase of their shoes. Advice: take a woman with you the next time you go shoe shopping. Most likely she will have a good eye for what will look good on you and what is a fashionable, stylish shoe.
Tip #7: Explore the color palette. I understand that certain colors look great, but you don’t need to wear those colors all the time. There is nothing wrong with wearing colors such as pink and purple. Of course, you should always be aware of your skin tone, hair color and eye color and choose colors that look good on you. But there should be no reason not to introduce colors of different varieties into your wardrobe. People will think you have a condition, or just don’t care about the way you look, if you are always wearing the same colors. Advice: introduce colors such as red, orange, purple, pink, and yellow into your wardrobe for some variety. Believe me, it will be noticed and in a good way.
Tip #8: Never button the bottom button on your suit jackets. There isn’t much more to say on this one. It’s simple. Tip: for two-button suits, the bottom button is always unbuttoned and the top button is buttoned. For three-button suits, the bottom button is always unbuttoned, the middle button is buttoned and the top button can either be buttoned or unbuttoned. When sitting down, you should unbutton your jacket completely.
Tip #9: Always wear an undershirt when wearing a dress shirt and tie. An undershirt will keep your dress shirt fresher and cleaner. Plus, an undershirt will help keep certain body parts hidden. Advice: if the collar on your dress shirt doesn’t quite fit or you like to keep in unbuttoned I’d suggest going with a v-neck undershirt.
Tip #10: Take care of your clothes and you don’t need to spend a lot of money to be fashionable and stylish. You can make your clothes last so much longer by taking care of your clothes. You don’t need to wash every single item of clothing after every wearing. If it smells or is dirty then by all means wash it. When you remove your clothing, hang your ties, jackets, dress shirts, etc., rather than throwing them down. Keep your shoes clean and organized. By just taking care of your clothes in the proper manner you can make them last longer while also saving money that would otherwise be spent replacing clothing that could have been saved. Finally, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to be fashionable and stylish. There are certain items you are better off spending a bit more money, but otherwise be wise about how you spend your money. Make sure your money is being spent towards items that fit, look good on you and will last based upon the amount of money.
So there you have it. A few tips to get you started on the road towards being a fashionable and stylish man. While I will always admit that looks are not everything and only go so far, the reality is that looks are important. You should always pay attention to the way you look and the way you are presenting yourself to the world.
davidmhendrick 