Manliness Guide to Updated Style For Less
As Summer slowly approaches and you’re shedding the remnants of winters, along with saying goodbye to one of the worst winter ever, you’ll start to notice that women are doing the same. In place of leggings and wool sweaters, there are tanktops and mini-dresses. It’s good to finally be in Spring. However, girls are not going to be impressed with your hole-ridden jeans or favorite baseball hat. This may be the best year to step up your game and command attention.
Some magazines go too far, and try to insist a manly style is wearing pink with a “man bag.” For guys who love baseball and camping, a no-frills style update will do the trick, without breaking the bank.
There are a number of areas you can focus you attention to update, but for the sake of options, focus on the three main areas: day, night, and work.
Having good taste in clothes is not about spending a lot of money. True, clothes are an investment, but there are areas where you should splurge – jeans, shoes, ties, and areas where you should save – hats, watches, t-shirts. Browse stores that are low-cost but high-end in style first, such as H&M or Forever21, to get a better idea of what you need. There’s no need to walk the mall for hours, since most stores now offer online shopping.
For Day
There are essential item for any manly closet that can be mixed and matched for different looks, such as slim cut cotton jackets, plaid or chambray shirts, slim cut t-shirts, cotton shorts, neutral colored belt, slim cut or skinny jeans, and lightweight shoes, such as boat shoes by Sperry. Just because this is an update doesn’t mean you throw the baby out with the bath water. Online stores, such as Crazy Dog T-shirts, offers slim t-shirts with every theme from plain to comic book related. Pair the t-shirt with slim cut khakis and boat shoes, and you have an instantly updated, summer appropriate look.
For Work
Tapered dress shirts, and smart suits are perfect for the office, and won’t age you like some work styles tend to do. Also, pick basic suit colors, such as black, blue, or tan. For color, pick ties that work with the suit, which is more subtle than overwhelming suit colors. Find a nice watch to pull the suit together. You don’t need to wear Rolex for the watch to be nice. Instead, find watch styles that are inspired by the classic watches, but won’t clean out your savings account.
For Night
A lot of items for day can be used for night with some tweaking, such as trading lightweight shoes for boots or dress shoes. Army surplus stores are a great place to find neutral belts and boots for ways less than designer stores, but you have to be willing to search the array of Rambo-style gear. Shoes, especially dress shoes, are one area where it’s definitely ok to splurge. They will last a lifetime, and add a touch of class to a night outfit.
Finding the clothes is one things, but adding special touches, like tailoring, can make the clothing unique to your body shape. A good tailor can make a cheaper suit look high fashion by narrowing sleeves, slimming the torso, and narrowing the pant leg. This avoids the boxy look that comes with wearing a suit off the rack, and also has a slimming affect on your appearance. Tailoring isn’t limited to suits. It can be used for the cool t-shirts you found in a thrift store or on the shorts and pants you are now to small to wear, since you would have been working out to prepare for Spring.
Photo credit:vintagedressup.blogspot.com
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Glenn, this is astounding. We are both talking about clothes (or sort of clothes in my case). I agree with you on most of what you are saying. One thing, I think you have to wear good shoes. Always. I won’t skimp on shoes. Alex (my husband) must have 20 pairs of dockers for work and tee-shirts (colored, and black and white) that he wears under his Eddie Bauer cotton shirts. He doesn’t wear a suit for work and only has one for weddings and or funerals. His one suit is navy blue and perfectly tailored (because he has to do that as he is built like a sumo wrestler on top and a ballet dancer on the bottom). Jeans with holes are fine for yard work, but not anyplace else.
Kilts are nice for a “look at me” event. Think about it!
MOBster
Had no idea that you are so stylistically aware. You really can’t beat The Carey Grant look. Manly without the whole Metrosexual tone.
Somehow being chubby and balding just doesn’t give off the same vibe.
Oh well I guess I’ll stick with the Shorts, shirt, and flip-flops look. It may not be stylish, but it’s damn comfortable.
Aloha brah, you and yours have a Sunday brunch on me.
I love this article! I am huge on fashion and started my own men’s line based in North Hollywood, CA. I’d love to hear your comments on my line. It’s very affordable, unique, and stylish!
I agree that shoes are EXTREMELY important. I think for males they are very underrated. Basically can be the difference between a grown man looking like a grown man or looking like a boy.