Let’s face it, we all need help sometimes. And like it or not, we’re judged by how we look and how we handle ourselves in social and professional settings.
The 15 style tips below aren’t meant to turn you into a metrosexual—none, for instance, will instruct you to blow $600 on a pair of shoes. These tips are for the everyday guy. They’re meant to help you gain confidence when you walk into a meeting or the next cocktail party, and they’ll help make your wife or girlfriend feel proud to stand next to you. You’re a grown man—it’s time your wardrobe grew up too.
But, remember, it’s not about being trendy, it’s about looking good. Just follow these tips to looking better.
1. Match your belt and shoes. If you’re wearing black shoes, put on a black belt. And brown shoes demand a brown belt. A good, general rule is to never mix the color of your leathers.
2. For crying out loud, pull your pants down. You may be pushing 40, but you don’t need to hike up your pants like you’re ready to start walking the mall. And it’s even worse if you tuck in your shirt like Napoleon Dynamite.
3. On the flip side, pull up your pants. Seeing some 19-year-old’s boxer shorts is bad enough; we don’t need to see your tighty whities. You should have stopped buying “baggy cut” jeans years ago.
4. Pay attention to your shoes. You could be wearing $100 jeans with a sharp-looking shirt, but you’ll still embarrass your wife or girlfriend with those old loafers that should have been pitched in the 1990s. Buy quality shoes that look smart and stylish. Remember, people check out shoes. Potential employers often will look at them to judge a candidate’s attention to detail. Good rule of thumb: Spend your money on shoes, not shirts and pants. Also, make sure your socks are a nice “bridge” from the shoes to the pants. If you’re dressing up, match the pants. If you’re wearing nicer shoes with jeans — match the shoes. And save the tube socks for the gym and lounging on weekends.
5. Wear clothes that fit properly. At this age, trying to look trendy is a cry for help. And just because that fitted (another term for “your nipples are showing”) medium T-shirt looks good on Jake Gyllenhaal, that doesn’t mean it looks good on you.
6. A side note to No. 5; if you’re short and stocky, don’t wear horizontal stripes—you’ll look 3 feet tall. (My wife has to remind me of this once a year).
7. Don’t worry if you’re a little chunky; just wear what looks good on a guy with a little heft. You can’t go wrong with black. It’s slimming, classy and makes you reek of confidence.
8. Put away the tank top—even at the gym. You’re not 12 years old anymore, and no one wants to smell your pits.
9. If your woman’s not happy, you’re not happy. After getting ready to go out, if you see concern on her face when she looks you over, change your clothes. There’s a 98.9 percent chance she’s right.
10. Man boobs are our kryptonite, and we have to fight back. They’re an immediate turnoff to women, even though most don’t mind a plump guy. Attack the problem head-on: Go to the gym, and wear clothes that don’t cling to your body. We have Phil Mickelson to thank for officially raising this to a national emergency. We’re at Defcon 1.
11. If you wear glasses, remember they’re a window into who you are. Update them at least every other year and consider style when choosing them. And don’t skimp. Expensive glasses are infinitely better than those $50 specs on special at the local mall.
12. Drop the baseball hat. Yes, it was standard issue in college, but those days are gone. The only exceptions to this rule: Working in the yard, casually hanging out, or playing drums for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
13. If you have to wear cologne, tone it down. You get points for wanting to smell good, but those points are immediately taken away when your co-workers can smell you in the break room—10 minutes after you left. Just spray a small amount into the air and walk through it. Less is more.
14. If you have a hairy chest, you cannot wear a V-neck without an undershirt. This is not 1977 and your name isn’t Smokey. Or Simon Cowell, for that matter.
15. No socks with sandals. And if you do wear open-toed sandals, keep your feet groomed. Have you even looked down there since last summer? Trust us on this one.
Craig Playstead is a freelance writer, husband and father of three living in the suburbs of Seattle. In the past he’s also been a sports writer, a game writer and a talk show host.
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