There is a lot to be said of a well dressed man. It shows he has regard for himself and those around him. It shows confidence and its a reflection of who the man is. Dressing well doesn’t mean wearing designer clothing or having to spend a lot of money. The man evolved is fashion conscious but not obsessed. Here are five simple fashion rules to help you dress a little better.

1. Make sure the clothes fit. This is a fundamental problem with most guys. They don’t spend the time to try on clothes. They grab the first size and if they can get it on with little effort, it fits. Take the time and try on different sizes. Pants should just give you enough room to breathe but not so much room the crotch of your pants is close to your knees. There are different styles of pants (regular, relaxed etc.) and shirts (fitted, regular, tailored etc.) to fit all body types. My advice is for you to go to a store with professional sales people who can help you determine the fit. Even if can’t afford the clothes, you can get a feel of what fits, then buy it some where you can afford.

2. Dress appropriate for your age and occasion. A forty year old man wearing his baseball cap backwards, with his boxers sticking out and his pants down to his knees just doesn’t look cool. Not that this looks cool for a teenager either, but my point is dress appropriate for your age. It is equally important to dress according to the occasion. There is already a lot of latitude in today’s dress code, but it is important not to stretch it. Make sure you get a sense of what the occasion is and dress accordingly. It is always good to be a little over dressed, then a little under dressed. At work, if the dress code is casual, it doesn’t mean wearing ripped jeans, a t-shirt that says “I’m too sexy for my shirt” and red Crocs.

3. Make sure your clothes are clean, crisp and pressed. You can have the most expensive suit on, but if your shirt collar is not pressed, you just look sloppy. It still surprises me to see men wear shirts with armpit or food stains on them. And I am not talking about fresh stains either. It takes a minute in the morning to check your clothes. If it is dirty, don’t wear them. If the stain is permanent, get some new clothes. A lot of men don’t like ironing their clothes and there are simple ways around it – get the clothes pressed at a laundromat or purchase wrinkle-free clothing.

4. Go easy on the colours and patterns. There are some men who can pull off an attire combining bright, vibrant colours. For the majority of us, that’s not the case. If you know how to combine colours properly, then go for it. Otherwise, stick to simple tones and patterns.

5. Don’t overdo the cologne or accessories. Scent is meant to be subtle and the litmus test for applying the right amount of cologne (and perfume for that matter) is that you should only be able to smell it when your nose is close (inches) to the skin. In other words, one dab on your finger applied to each side of your neck is more than enough. In terms of ‘Bling’, less is more. The rapper look only looks good if you are a famous rapper.

In today’s World, where we are bombarded with media and therefore advertisements, I am blown away at how clueless men are when it comes to fashion. You don’t have to be a trend expert to figure out what is ‘in’. Watch any recent TV show, pick up any magazine or surf the web and its all there. Why some men still have mullets or wear excruciatingly tight Levi’s is beyond me. If you follow these five simple rules, you will be further ahead. My advice for keeping in the fashion loop is check out men fashion magazines from time to time or watch the latest James Bond movies.

clothes · dress well · fashion

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