I’ve been asked more than once to dish out some advice on men’s fashion, and to be honest, I never got around to doing it because I’m intimidated by the task. It’s a particularly daunting project for me because I don’t really know if I can dress a normal guy with normal but stylish clothing. I’m more of the gregarious, don’t-care-if-I-look-like-a-clown-to-you, type of person who is normally unafraid of mixing polka-dots, stripes, and checks all in one outfit. I’m afraid of having the guy vehemently refuse to wear an outfit I put together because he thinks he will look like a clown.

I suppose this is just insecurity and fear of rejection on my part. However, since I’ve had a lot of time to think lately and I realized that I AM a little old to be second-guessing myself and having these type of insecurities, I am just going to dive right in and just grab this topic by the balls (sorry, couldn’t resist). After all, those who know me and still approached me to ask for some advice wouldn’t have done so if they didn’t trust my sense of style, right?

So before we get right on to picking out the clothes and putting things together, there are certain things you need to know:

ONE: No matter how expensive your clothes are, if you don’t look clean, you will look like you bought clothes from the sale rack of a dollar store. Conversely, if you are wearing clothes from the sale rack of a dollar store and you look clean and presentable, you will look like you stepped out of the pages of GQ or Vogue Men.

“Clean” doesn’t automatically mean having short hair, or being clean-shaven. It means that if you have long hair, you know how to tie it back when the occasion calls for it. Or, if you have a beard, you trim it regularly so you don’t look like a Hermit. This is very basic, yes, but I still notice quite a number of men who don’t pay particular attention to the rules of personal grooming. Here are the top three offenses:

a. Peek-a-boo nose hair. I think this is worse than a cliffhanger (booger) because you can see this everyday and yet you do nothing about it.

b. Dirty nails / toenails. Unless you have a very good excuse to have black gunk under your nails (like you’re an auto mechanic by profession), you should always keep your nails clean, for aesthetic and hygienic purposes.

c. Bad breath. Sometimes it’s a medical condition, sometimes, it’s just pure neglect. This is a major, major turn-off. Unless you work or are in a class with people who will love you unconditionally, always always make sure you don’t have bad breath. All of us have a tendency to have this, so it’s important to read up on its causes and ways on how to prevent it from ruining your social life.

TWO: Always wear your correct size. Not a size larger nor smaller. Women are guilty of wearing clothes that are a size (or two sizes) smaller while men tend to choose clothes that are two sizes larger. Ok, I admit wearing a roomy t-shirt is super comfortable. However, other people won’t be comfortable looking at you. So please, know your correct size and dress accordingly. Again, if you are wearing an expensive suit that’s a little too big for you, you will look sloppy and someone will probably think you bought your suit from a low-end department store. And girls, don’t you think men who have the right-size suit on look EXTREMELY HOT?

THREE: Do not shower with your perfume. We all love guys who smell nice, but please don’t force us to smell you even when you’re 5 cubicles away. This tells us you’ve got some bad odor you’re trying to hide.

FOUR: Always remember putting a little more effort into how you look does not automatically make you gay, vain, or effeminate. I know that not ALL guys believe this but to those who DO think that guys who are “trendy” are gay or have a tendency to be gay… sorry but I personally admire men who make an effort to look nice and clean. They are all the more desirable, actually. BUT (and it’s a big BUT), don’t ever care more about your hair or your shoes more than you do your girlfriend. heehee! Oh, and wearing pink won’t make you gay.

I think these four basic tips should be kept in mind while dressing for any occasion, ANY time. I could think of other tips but then those would probably serve MY preferences rather than majority of the general population.

For the succeeding parts I will be dishing out some ideas on casual wear for school and work, formal work attire, and formal attire. Since I’m not really an expert on this matter, I will be referencing a lot to other websites/magazines for tips. Don’t worry, though… I promised myself not to suggest clothing that will only work for male models… I’m keeping normal people in mind heehee! BUT please, do keep an open mind!

Next up: Casual wear!

Photos courtesy of:

blog.thisnext.com

thisgardenisillegal.com

therabreathwarning.com

neimanmarcus.com

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 5th, 2008 at 2:50 am and is filed under Fashion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.