Whether right or wrong, women are groomed to love fashion and style from an early age. From magazines covers to TV ads to social media influencers, they’re constantly inundated with overt and subconscious signals regarding what to wear and how to look. Pushing the moral angle of this to the side, women are taught to care about how they look and the image they portray. This allows them to use fashion as an asset.
Men aren’t given the same advantage from an early age. On the contrary, young boys are taught that fashion isn’t cool. You just slip on an old t-shirt and pair of jeans and call it a day. And by the time men reach adulthood, they suddenly realize just how ill-prepared they are for managing their style in fashion-conscious world.
The good news is that you don’t need years of immersion in high fashion to look put together. All it takes is a few simple tweaks to what you wear and how you carry yourself. Here are a few pointers:
1. Purge Your Closet
Your closet probably isn’t doing your fashion any favors. If you’re like most guys, you have shirts, pants, and shoes that you haven’t worn in years — maybe even decades. You need to purge the items you shouldn’t/don’t wear and make room for the ones that you do.
Anything that is stretched, worn out, has holes, features stains, or hasn’t been worn in more than two years should be donated or thrown away. Don’t be shocked if you fill up several boxes.
2. Get Clothes Tailored
One of the big mistakes men make is wearing clothes that don’t really fit. Typically, men have the problem of wearing oversized shirts and baggy pants. Thankfully, this issue can be addressed with some simple tailoring.
Every man should have a good tailor in his life. Find one that can help you get that perfect fit that makes you look and feel good. For the few dollars it costs to tailor a shirt or pair of paints, you can get years of enjoyment.
3. Always Wear a Watch
The watch is one of the few jewelry accessories that’s widely considered to be acceptable in men’s fashion. Not only is it practical, but it makes a powerful statement about the wearer. “Watches can communicate a lot about the wearer’s personality. For those that prefer a bit of high-status bling on their wrist, a Rolex can be an understated, timeless and incredibly masculine accessory,” fashion blogger Antonio Centeno writes. “As the saying goes – boys look at their smartphones to check time – men look at a watch.” For a man of the 21st century, choose a stylish digital watch.
4. Unleash the Power of the Blazer
The key to being fashionable isn’t having the most options to choose from. The secret lies in purchasing adaptable pieces that allow you to create fresh and unique looks over and over again. The classic blazer continues to be one of these pieces.
Blazers are essentially a man’s secret weapon. They take an already good look to another level. They’re also extremely versatile, which makes for a useful addition to any wardrobe.
A blazer is always a good idea. You can wear it to the bar on Saturday night, church on Sunday morning, and work on Monday. (Though you should probably get it dry-cleaned in between!)
5. Improve Your Footwear Collection
Shoes aren’t just for girls. Every guy needs a collection of footwear for every style and occasion. At a very minimum, you need a pair of black dress shoes, brown dress shoes, boots, tennis shoes, and loafers. Most men will want a couple of different kinds in each category.
6. Break Some Rules
Finally, it’s okay to break a few rules here and there. If you have a boring and conservative style on the outside, it tells people that you don’t have much personality inside. Toe the line every now and then and embrace who you are. Some people will like it and others won’t – but that’s life!
Look Stylish, Feel Good
A stylish look can help you make solid first impressions, but it has an even more practical benefit. Research shows that when you look good, confidence skyrockets and you feel better about yourself on a fundamental level.
Whether you’re looking for a boost in your personal or professional life, sprucing up your style and enhancing your sense of fashion does nothing but favors. There’s no better time than now to introduce some positive changes into your wardrobe.
Photos by Andrew Neel and Joshua Reddekopp on Unsplash.
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