Gildshire Magazines’ look at New York Fashion Week a few days ago made us think about fashion on the everyday streets of this country. What makes up the perfect look? Does it happen as a result of good genes…or good jeans? Can fashion marry a middle-class budget, or is wealth a prerequisite? Today, we look at common fashion mistakes that men make in putting their look together. Oh. we will be back later with a critical eye on women’s fashion, but today let’s look at the men. What are their fashion mistakes, and are they fixable?
After talking to some fashion experts well-versed in men’s fashion, we found a few things coming clear. It isn’t that men don’t know what they’re doing when they get dressed. It is that they learned how to be fashionable when they were 19 years old, and never changed. Many of the mistakes are born of anachronism, rather than inability. In other words, they know GQ, but they haven’t read a new issue in over a decade. Let’s look at some common errors.
Fashion mistake the first time.
Loudly Colored “Message” Shirts: We understand that you were born to party. Wearing a shirt that says it makes us doubt you were born with working brain cells. Stripes, checks, solid colors, or a subdued print, but no words of wisdom. You’ll discover that the message on your shirt may sound stupid if you have to say it out loud. Don’t worry, it was dumb on the shirt, as well.
Pants Below Your State Line: You may not know that pants hanging down on your hips came out of the prison culture. You certainly don’t know what it was meant to say, at least if you’re still wearing your pants this way. Try something really daring, and buy clothes that fit.
Pleated Khakis: Sure, we’re all getting older. Why call attention to the number of birthday candles on our cake? Pleated pants were a bad idea from Jump Street because the pleat creates a funky fold in front. Pleated khakis say”I’m relentlessly ancient, and I may have an unsightly growth that needs medical attention.” Try chinos, instead, and flat in front, please.
Tucked-In Tees: We don’t mean to pick on tee shirts. Really, any shirt without a tail is designed to be worn outside casual pants. UnTuckit is a great resource for all kinds of shirts meant to be worn comfortably outside the top of your pants.
Not on our watch.
Socks With Sandals: You have to choose between warm (sandals) or cold (socks), and we mean it! Wearing socks with sandals is one of the Deadly Sins of men’s fashion, and we aren’t putting up with it anymore. If the outside temperature doesn’t lend itself to sandals or socks then wear a nice pair of white tennis shoes without socks. Who makes this mistake? Folks who put the top of the convertible down while wearing an overcoat.
Glasses Without Prescription Lenses: People who need glasses are wearing them to compensate for a handicap. Sure, the nearsighted and myopic want fashionable spectacles, but they would prefer not to need them at all. The reason why the 20/20s would want to wear glasses escapes us and even insults us a bit. Are they mocking the astigmatic? Please, use the perfect eyes with which God blessed you.
Amish only
Ungroomed Facial Hair: Here is a portent of the future. In ten years, clean-shaven will be the order of the day. Even now, fashion is skewing toward the tight look of well-groomed facial hair. We suspect that may be why clean-shaven is coming back into vogue. It takes time to finely craft a beard. Soon, men will say to themselves, “Why don’t I shave?”
Headwear for Headwear’s Sake: Your grandfather would have had his ears boxed if he sat in the parlor while wearing a hat. Headwear is meant to protect the head from the weather. The folks at the dinner table want to see that well-groomed head of yours. Which hat is falling out of favor the fastest? You might want to put that fedora away.
See what we mean? Fashion moves faster than the out-of-fashion realize. Your fedora over that perennial three day’s growth worked when Bill Clinton was in office, but that was a long time ago. Today and tomorrow is your fashion target, and we’re here to help.
