Fashion Tips for Men – Part 1

It was inevitable – eventually, I’d have to forgo lecturing ladies on what to wear, and give some thought to all the would-be male fashionistas out there. So, I’ve decided to do a series of entries on Fashion Tips for Men – that’s right gents, you’re not off the hook! In fact, there may be much more for you to learn than there is for the ladies.

Fashion for Men has always been highly traditional and rule-bound. It can be intimidating at first – After perusing my first male fashion magazine, it made me want to slouch back into my blissful high school world of hoodies and jeans. However, all is not lost!!! (In fact, you can get away with wearing hoodies and jeans from time to time. You just have to do it right.)

Fashion for Men is really simple. We have much less variety of clothing than do the ladies, meaning if you throw on something random, there’s a higher chance of matching (wait WAIT don’t do it! wait. ok.) Er. What I mean is, you just have to choose something from all applicable categories, make sure all articles go together, fit properly, and you will look like you know your style.

Fashion Tip for Men #1 – How to wear your Pants

Major male faux pas (especially on the part of us North American breeds): wearing oversized clothing. I’m not saying you have to dress in skin-tight pants to look fashionable, but the following tips should be taken into account.

Pants come in a variety of cuts – most of us are accustomed to the ‘relaxed’ baggier cut of pant, with a loose thigh and low-cut waist. The classic ‘boot cut’ is fitted above the knee, but has a small flare at the base to accomodate shoes that rise above the ankle. A rising trend are ‘straight-legged’ (slimmer fitting pants that do not flare at the base, but otherwise similar to boot cut) and ‘skinny’ (the name says it all… there is almost no room in these ones).

- fashion tip: Length. When standing, your pants should fall to your ankle, buckle once above your shoe, and come to rest just above the sole of the shoe. This rule may be bent for jeans, but is a must for dress pants. The looser the cut, the longer your pants may fall.

-fashion tip: Play to your strengths. If you’re a big guy, skinny jeans may not flatter you (or possibly cause people to run away). Instead of following trends, wear a cut of pant that suits your body:

-slim, smaller thighs: Wear skinny and straight-legged cuts. Avoid anything too baggy. Don’t wear your pants too long – you may want to err on the shorter side if wearing these slim cuts of pants. If you’re going to wear boot cut pants, make sure they are fitted around the upper leg.

-average legs: Straight-legged is ok, but skinny pencil pants may be pushing it. You have the best of both worlds – you can wear the classic boot cut, or even a somewhat baggier pant… but if you need to look professional and well-tailored for a special occasion, you may opt for something slimmer-fitting.

-larger thighs, larger legs: You do not want to wear anything but the average-to-looser cuts. This means no skinny jeans. Ever. If you want to make your legs look toned (and you want to look well-put-together) I recommend a boot cut with more room in the thighs. You don’t want them to look like girls’ jeans. If you choose to wear the relaxed fitting ‘skater’-look pants, make sure they aren’t too big… or else your legs will look completely shapeless.  Make sure to get the length of your pans spot-on if you fall into this category:  if you wear them too long or too short, your thighs will really be emphasized.

I myself have had to work the the latter 2 categories my entire life, so I know what I’m talking about. You can hide short, stout legs with the right cut of pants.

-fashion tip: How to wear the Seat. When buying your pants, keep in mind that the higher the pocket is, the more the pants will show off your rear. This may not seem like something a guy should worry about, but trust me, ladies love it when mens pants betray a hint of a toned butt beneath. If you’re wearing skinny pants, it’s pretty much guaranteed the pockets will ride low on your butt (probably on your thigh). This is why I don’t really recommend them .. they make it look like you have no butt. Heroin chic, anyone?

Boot cut pants should have their pockets planted firmly on your butt, and anything baggier should hand down just a tiny bit. There’s nothing worse than a tightly-fitted pant seat that plunges into gaping, billowing, sail thighs. This will make you look like you’re 80.

-fashion tip: Tailoring. If you find a pair of pants that is otherwise perfect but has one minor flaw (usually length), I strongly recommend coughing up the extra $6 to $10 to get them hemmed. If you’re going to be wearing thesepants 50 to 100 times, it’s a matter of pennies per wear, and you will look and feel that much better. Tailors are gifted judges of how your pants should fit to best suit you, and you won’t regret shelling out for alterations.

Well, that’s all for pants. Coming up next… How to wear your shirts, guys! Over and out!

-Fashion Hobo.