Here we are ladies and gents, my first foray into menswear. Ok ok, it's not like I'm designing it, so it really wasn't that hard, just merely giving my biased opinion on what I believe works best for a male in today's world. First off, let me start with a quote from my recently purchased book, WhoWhatWear;
"The detractors see fashion differently: they think it's all a ridiculous pageant, frustrating puzzle, or, even worse, a preening and pretentious exercise for the vain. However, regardless of whether you love it, hate it, or fall somewhere in between, one thing is certain: personal style is important. The way you present yourself to the world is crucial to success, the plain fact of the matter is that you are judged every single day, by the way you dress".
That was my little lecture for all my male friends who would, and have vehemently argued with me that they don't care about how they dress, and no one but girls like myself would even notice. Untrue, dear friends, untrue. To further elaborate, I am not condoning that you all go buy skinny jeans, Louis Vuitton manbags and get frosted tips. But there are many EASY ways guys can improve their style, to convey a better impression and dazzle some ladies in the process. First off, I am going to start with some celebs who I feel get things right in the clothing department. Guys. take notes.
First off, my favorite dressed celebrity out there; Kanye West. While Westie may be a touch too egocentric personality-wise sometimes, his attention to what he wears is what renders him respectable stylewise. Not afraid of color, Kanye consistently uses accessories to his advantage. Whether it's a bold bowtie, neon graphic tee, or bright hoodie, he adds unique touches to his outfits through normal items in bright colors. Is he wearing crazy, out-there, oh-my-god-what-a-poser fashion? No, he looks like he cares about what he is wearing, goes for the punch, and wears it with confidence. He even makes a scarf look manly with a leather jacket and sweet shades. Seem do-able dudes?
Moving on- two more celebs that have their own style going on, and it is a little less extreme than Mr. West. Justin Timberlake, another musican, sticks to pulled together looks, with a nod to the prep factor. He favors jeans in a dark wash- both slimming and easily dressed up to wear out, and adds basic tees and shirts. Ok I'm going out on a limb here, but guys for this fall/winter, I know it's hard, scary and you might not be enough of a man to do it, but I'm still gonna throw it out there- CARDIGANS. They aren't new this year, I've seen them in Urban like three years ago, but seriously, get one. As you can see Justin is wearing his with a simple tee and jeans; he looks pulled together with the belt and sunglasses, without being too youngster at church on a sunday. Another sweater item to try- the vest, also seen on JT, with a belt and tucked in tie. It might also be a little bold for some, but if you can rock, mad props. Another male who looks fashionable without being lame, Jeremy Piven. Like Timberlake, Piven keeps his style classic, whether it's a well fitting suit or jeans. Why not follow his lead and dress up your lighter denim with a vest and button down shirt? Its not hard guys, really.
Finally, my number one piece of advice for dudes on dressing; FIT IS CRUCIAL. The main thing is, it's not so much that you need to dress in a certain way, girls are very open to new things, as you should notice by now with how much we buy new shoes. So if you have some crazy pair of sneakers, or prefer to wear tee shirts every day of your life; what matters is how your clothes fit you. I would
maybe put money down on the fact that the majority of men out there are not wearing their correct size clothing. An amazing thing happens when a guy wears clothing that fits him correctly; he looks a million times better! As you can see from my final examples above, all these men are wearing very different items, and all fit them perfectly, and all look like they have style, aren't trying to hard, and makes them look slimmer! Why the hell would you not want all those things?!
So to close things off, here are some notes of wisdom to consider next time you're sifting through that pit of a closet I know you all have; COLOR- even if you don't want to go for the pink or neon yellow, color does a lot for your look, so find one you like and get a jacket, shirt or even a belt in it. Worn with jeans and a white tee, color makes things instantly looks like you thought about it. JEANS- try the jeans you already have with a belt, or nicer jacket to keep things less sloppy and more pulled together. FIT- the most important of all; if you aren't sure what fits and what doesn't, ask a female friend, or you probably have my number, I will give my honest opinion if you look like crap. Hopefully these pictures inspired you a little and my wonderful words of wisdom with save you from listening to your girlfriends complaints, or maybe even find you a girlfriend; maybe.
