Mens fashion has for a long time been one of those things that are often neglected and misunderstood. Up until recently fashion experts seemed to pay more attention to womens fashion, leaving the everyday man to his own devices. Fashion should be an expression of ones individuality and style, although it goes without saying that style and fashion does have some unwritten rules, However as men become more free to experiment with fashion some of these rules become less relevant.
As with anything, you need to learn what works for you before you can break the rules. If you miss this step, you will most likely end up with a wardrobe mess of epic proportions. lets start by breaking down some of the most common misconceptions that keep men in the dark when it comes to style
1 Men's clothing is more expensive than women's clothes.
Although there is a small amount of truth to this, this myth can still be contested. Men can find great deals on good quality clothes if they invest a fraction of the time and effort that most women do. When shopping it is very important that you look for quality rather than quantity. Having a few classic pieces in your style arsenal will do you better than having a closet full of clothes you can not wear. When shopping, take the time to visit some vintage stores and thrift stores. You will be surprised at just how far you can stretch your buck if you really try.
A tailor is your best friend. shop around for a reputable tailor and have all your wardrobe staples tailored to your body. Contrary to popular belief, one size does not actually fit all. Having your clothes tailored will ensure that you embrace the things about your body that you like and camouflage those that aren't so great.
If you decide to try something that is trendy, don't be afraid to go cheap. After all trends come and go so it really would not make sense to invest a lot of money in something you probably wont wear the following season.
2 Wide cut pants make your legs look bigger.
If this myth were true, then glasses would make you smart and track pants would make you fit. When it comes to pants, fit is important. The bottom half of your body needs to balance with the top half. if you are tying to make your legs appear larger find pants that are straight cut. make sure that the width of the seams combined is approximately the same as the width of the waist. Chino pants are are great option to achieve this look too. Make sure that they just skim the top of your shoes and do not bunch at the bottom.
3 Any button down shirt can be worn as a dress shirt.
The same way you would not wear any pair of sneakers to the gym, the same can be said about shirts. The question to ask your self when you want to decide if you can dress a shirt up is, " Can i wear this to a bar?". If the answer is yes then put it back in the closet. A dress shirt is intended to be formal, either worn with a tie or a bow tie and a jacket. When it comes to a dress shirt, less is more. Stay away from large prints, shinny synthetic fibers and overly embellished styles. Basic is best, particularly for evening attire.
If you want jazz up a your dress shirt collection. Invest in natural fiber shirts in navy blue and slate grey. Add bursts of color with a colorful tie or a pocket square. Keep your shirts neatly pressed to ensure that stay looking dapper.
4 Quality clothes are expensive.
Just because you paid a lot of money for a garment, does not guarantee that it will give you value for your money. Good quality clothes are not always expensive. Be a smart shopper, look for things like durable textiles like denim, corduroy and check the stitching and make sure there aren't any loose buttons the next time you are shopping at a department store. Usually really good clothes can be found at the most unsuspecting places.
Make the most of sales and clearance sales at your favorite designer store. Take the time to do some research on up coming clearance sales and make sure you are there before all the good deals are gone.
Make friends with some good vintage stores. Most vintage stores will gladly notify you when they get you stock. Invest in timeless pieces that you can incorporate into your present wardrobe. Be sure to get your clothes altered to fit your frame. Most men make the classic Mistake to thinking one size fits all. Your clothes should fit comfortably but most importantly, fit well.
5 Fashion looks better on fit/ skinny men.
Despite what you may see on Fashion TV, this myth is completely false. In order for clothes to look good you have to take into account the way the the clothes fit your body and make sure that the proportions are well balanced. Bigger guys may find this a little bit more challenging than skinny guys, however with some practice and a keen eye, anyone can learn to dress their form. The trick is to balance your lower-body to with your upper-body. Bootleg pants, tailored chinos and dark wash jeans are a must have in order to achieve this. Another trick is to invest in some slimming under-garments. If you hit the beers a little too hard on the weekend and the waistline is seeming wider than usual, spanks will take care of all that. Add a vertical striped shirt of jacket and you are all set.
6 Clothes fit tall men better than short men.
Contrary to popular belief whether or not clothes look good on you have very little to do with your height. Sort men and tall men alike have to find clothes that are suited to their proportions.
The challenge with tall men is to find clothes, particularly pants that go all the way down to your ankle and shirts that reach your wrists comfortably. Sometimes tailoring might be the best solution to achieve the perfect fit. You may also have a hard time int he shoes department because along with the generous height, you probably have rather large feet which limits the variety of shoes you can choose from, However its not all doom and gloom.
Some of the perks of being tall is the you are able to try chunky prints, plaid and horizontal stripes without looking stumpy, tall men can also wear things like trench coats and bomber jackets with better ease than their more diminutive counter parts. If you are a tall guy, use you height to your advantage, experiment with prints and patterns and pay special attention to fit, the last thing you want to do is look like your clothes shrunk in the dryer.
The misconception that tall men wear clothes better than short men is completely untrue. Short men have the opposite set of pro's and con's to think about. With short men clothes can have the tendency to look boxy and ill-fitting.
To avoid looking like a man sized toddler invest in vertical stripes, smaller prints and lines that elongate the torso. Short men also wear formal shorts, ankle boots and cardigans with better ease than tall men. The key to dressing for a small frame is optical illusion. Wear patterns that elongate, choose your prints and patterns wisely and don't be afraid to show off your legs.
7 Your belt should match your shoes
This rule is not not set in stone. matching your belt with your shoes is a safe rule to follow, however not always possible. For example, you can wear a bright blue belt with a suit but the same can not be said about shoes. Rather than matching your belt with your shoes, try keeping them in the same color family instead. For example a beige belt works just fine with light brown shoes. Keep your color choices modern and stylish to avoid looking dated.
One rule to remember is dark suits dont go with with shoes, in fact white shoes are quite tricky to wear correctly. Rather wear classic black shoes and a brightly colored belt.
8 Your pocket square and tie have to match
Matching items is quite an out of date way of dressing, rather coordinate colors, textures or patterns. For example; if you are wearing a bold red tie with a basic black suit, you can complement it with a red and white polka dot pocket square. The most important thing to focus on when you accessorize is that there is a common thread through out your entire ensemble. Pieces do not necessarily have to match but it is important that they all speak the same language.
9 Socks don't matter, They're hidden anyway
The way you look at socks could change the way you dress completely. Bright funky socks set the tone for the rest of your outfit. Even something as traditional as a business suit can be jazzed up with a pair of interesting socks and who says socks have to be hidden?. The age of the full break pants is long over. Give your socks a little bit of room to pop. Wear your pants no more than 3cm above the shoe with a pair of funky socks to keep your look modern and exciting.
10 One pair of formal shoes is enough
Shoes are an important part of your suit, Having just one pair of shoes for all your suits is not a good idea at all. Your shoes are more that just functional, they tie your whole look together.If you are not privileged enough to have a pair of shoes for every suit, rather invest in a few good pairs that you can alternate between suits. Buy classic black, grey and brown shades that will easily go with one or two suits in your closet. When buying formal shoes it is important to explore your options in terms of styles and designs. Owning more than one type of shoe will give you a flexible and dynamic wardrobe.
When it comes to fashion, opinions will always differ but these are ten misconceptions we can safely throw out the window. There is no one way to dress well but there are certainly a couple of ways get it wrong. Your style is your own outward expression of an inward feeling. Dress for the body you have and not the body you want. Experiment with with different looks. and pay attention to the details and always remember there is no one way to dress well but there are certainly a couple of ways get it wrong.