Step Up Your Game With These Style Tips For Men

Gentlemen, welcome to Fashion Club.

This is not going to be an article about the hottest and latest fashion trends of the season. We’re not going to tell you that you need to go out and start wearing pyjamas in public or drape yourself in monochromatic prints from head to toe because it hit some runway in Paris and is just “So IN right now” – even though that is in fact what is happening in the world of men’s fashion this spring…

If you’re the kind of guy who is totally into high fashion trends – that’s fantastic, but you probably don’t need any advice from us.

The average guy wants to look good, wants to look great, but isn’t interested in turning over his closet every few months and spending countless hours shopping for new duds.

The unfortunate counter-culture of men’s fashion is that the average guy has a personal style he knows and feels comfortable with (i.e. Jeans and T-Shirts), and he runs with that look 90% of the time – dreading the other 10%.

We’re not here to change you. But, we are going to take some of the mystery out of men’s fashion today and get you comfortable with making style choices that fit with your personality – and get you confident to start pushing your personal boundaries.

In this article, we’re going to cover some basic fashion “suggestions”, take a stab at the whole “Colors & Patterns” mystery, and break down three basic looks you should be familiar with.

Ready? You handsome devil, I knew you would be.

Guy Style Part 1 | The Take ‘em or Leave ‘em Rules of Style

1. What You Wear Should Express Who You Are

“Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way you live.” – Gianni Versace

So you’re not an argyle sweater and matching socks kind of guy. You like your jeans – that’s fine (Jeans are actually awesome!). But why is that?

Reasons like, “They go with everything,” or “I’ve always worn jeans” are not the answers we’re looking for here. In order to break away from your fashion anxieties you need to start thinking just a touch deeper.

Maybe you’re an easy-going, approachable, no nonsense kind of guy. You’re comfortable with who you are. You’re the Hands-On type and you like to express that to others – even if subconsciously.

Now we’re starting to get somewhere on why you love those jeans. Now we have some groundwork to help you push those boundaries.

The second part of this rule is that a man should look as though he has purchased his clothing thoughtfully, dressed himself with deliberate care, and then forgotten all about it. That goes for evening formal wear all the way down to casual Fridays. The devil is in the details after all.

Meaning, you don’t have to obsess, but you do have to give a damn.

2. It’s All About Quality

“The difference between style and fashion is quality.” – Giorgio Armani

You don’t need to break your bank just to look good, but remember that your wardrobe is an investment and you’re going to get what you pay for.

Buy the best quality clothing you can afford. You don’t need to spend $100 on a t-shirt, but you also shouldn’t be buying them in packs of 3 either.

Quality clothing will last longer and fit you better. Great quality clothing also feels and looks like quality which not only ties into our last point of dressing purposefully, but will help put you in the mind-set of thinking about your style choices.

3. Head To Toe

“A good trick as you get older is to get a thick pair of glasses that have a dark frame. Everything else can droop and slide but that pair of dark glasses stays sharp and crisp.” – Tom Ford

It’s time to go beyond the essentials. This doesn’t mean you need to spend an hour getting ready in the morning, but it does mean you need to be aware of your details.

We like to break this down into three core zones: Head, Feet, Accessories.

Head:

If the towel dry, forgot to shave look is what you’re going for – you’re done. If it’s just because you’re being lazy or “don’t care”, it’s time to run a little pomade or hair gel through that mess, and take 30 seconds to clean up that stubble before you leave the house.

Feet:

A lot of guys don’t know where to start here. This cool article by The Art Of Manliness goes into some great details about men’s shoes, but at a glance – this should help you out:

Accessories:

Four basic accessories men should think about are your: Wallet, Glasses, Belt, and Watch.

Is your wallet frayed, worn out, or overstuffed with garbage? Deal with it.

Your eyewear should speak to the occasion. If you require prescription lenses, having a good pair of causal frames and a more formal pair in neutral tones like black or metal go with everything and is a good starting point. A quality pair of sunglasses that suit your face is also an important staple.

When you’re ready to expand, you can start to play with new colors and styles.

While you can certainly take some liberties, your belt should generally match your shoes – meaning you should have at least three belts: Black, Brown, and Casual (i.e. a canvas belt).

And the Watch. “But I have my cell phone”. Fashion over function, my friend. Especially in this time of smartphones, nothing says class like a wrist watch.

4. That Splash Of Awesome

“If you’re going to play with colour, start with one. If you’re wearing yellow, everything else should be navy and grey.” – Nick Wooster

Most guys stick with neutrals or some basic colors they’re used to. Don’t be afraid to get a little daring. Stepping away from the Jeans & T-Shirt metaphor for a second, there’s no reason to fear playing with a little color.

5. Follow Your Gut

“If you’re not sure whether it looks good on you, it doesn’t.” – Scott Omelianuk

Finally – if you’re not sure about it, don’t do it. You clothing choices should make you feel good about yourself. Sure, maybe over time you’ll expand your comfort zone enough to try some crazier things, but for now, make choices that make you feel awesome.

Guy Style Part 2 | Colors vs. Patterns

Colors

Again, this is not something you necessarily need to obsess over. But, if you’re finding that you either always wear the same colors (and want to expand) or you just randomly stick colors together, you might find this article on color matching very interesting.

The main thing to remember is that too many colors can be clashing and make you stand out (in a bad way). Understanding color is literally a science. Adding just a little to a neutral outfit (black, white, gray, or even brown) can go a long way.

Patterns

This is something a lot of guys struggle with, especially in situations involving more formal wear when you’re not used to dressing formally.

Luckily, it’s quite simple.

Keep your patterns consistent. If you’re going for stripes, stick with stripes. This doesn’t mean everything needs to be stripes (shirt, tie, jacket, trousers). You can certainly have solids in here as well. But if you are wearing a striped shirt, don’t wear a checkered tie.

Get it?

The other thing is that with every new pattern you add, either the size or width of the next pattern should be different.

stylerug.net

Want to get a little crazy?

Okay, so – yes… you can mix patterns. By maintaining a tonal consistency (i.e. Different shades of grey, or Navy with lighter blues) you can wear those stripes and checkers together without having them be too jarring to the eye.

Guy Style Part 3 | Try These On For Size

Okay, now that we’ve covered some important style basics, here are three examples to get you started:

Keeping It (Real) Casual

Lookastic.co.uk

kinowear.com

Keeping It (Actually) Casual

www.scoopwhoop.com

giorgiobrutini.com

Suiting Up

Articlesofstyle.com

DHgate.com

Click Here For A Full Guide On How To Wear A Suit

Final Notes:

If you take anything away from this article, it should be this: Upgrading your style shouldn’t be a hassle, stressful or annoying. It should be fun and make you feel awesome. You don’t need to push your boundaries beyond comfort to start looking like a guy who looks great and takes care with what he wears.

Your style should represent who you are to the world, not what you think the world expects you to look like.

If anything, taking the time to say to yourself, “Yes – these are the things I’m wearing today. I choose them deliberately, I shaved my face (or didn’t on purpose)” will make you feel more present and set your day off on a great foot.

Two feet, even. With the right pair of shoes.