In a slight change from my usual sort of posts I have decided to do a mens styling one! I have been with my boyfriend for nearly 4 years, and I would say that his style has evolved at about the same amount as mine - a lot! When Adam first met me I was quite the little rock chick, however I had a penchant for hoop earrings so large I could wear them as bracelets, it was an interesting look! Adam on the other hand pretty much lived in hoodies, trainers and jeans, whether he was at work or at home and dyed his hair jet black (he didn't like the fact he was greying). I'm so glad we have changed!
Adam's style now is now much smarter than it was, his everyday outfit is smart jeans, brown shoes and a shirt tucked in with a belt. I think this look is great, when he wants to dress it up he wears a smart shirt and sometimes a blazer, on more casual days it is a linen or checked shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
Fit
The fit of clothes is everything, you can be wearing designer brands, but if they are too small or if there is material billowing, you will not look good. However you can make high street clothes look great if you are careful to buy the right size and cut for your body type, or alternatively take them to a tailer.
A couple of tips to get the right fit:
- Shirts - you do not want buttons straining, and when you do up the collar button, please ensure you are not being strangled. However you also don't want any excess material, as it will interfere if you layer anything over it.
- Jeans - there are lots of different fits for jeans, however a classic straight leg will never go out of fashion. Make sure the waist fits comfortably, when you do up your belt, you don't want any excess folding. Conversely you also don't want the waist too tight, as it will not be comfortable, and nobody likes a muffin top! To determine the perfect length for a pair of jeans, wear your shoes to try them on, they should just hit the top of the heal.
- T-shirts - try it on and raise your arms, if you have more than half an inch of stomach showing, it's too short!
- Jackets/ Coats - your shoulder should lie flat, and when you do up the top button, you are looking to see if the two sides meet neatly without the lapels hanging forward, or the lower edges of the jacket flaring out like a skirt. Also the button should close without strain, and there should be no wrinkles radiating out from it.
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| A great example of good tailoring from John Lewis. |
Accessories
This is the area I think a lot of men struggle with - although you may put on a decent outfit in the morning, chances are you will then pick up a tatty rucksack and ruin the whole look. Another thing a lot of men don't appreciate enough is shoes; I think that just like women, shoes can make or break an outfit. To me it doesn't matter how much you spend on clothes, as long as they are well fitting and made of a decent material, they can be from Primark, Tesco, anywhere really and still look great! However, shoes are another story entirely, cheap shoes can usually be seen a mile off, and can ruin a great outfit. My top tip? Shop in the sale at the end of the season - i.e., buy classic boots in spring and keep them for the winter, buy leather boat shoes in September... you catch my drift? Also make sure you look after shoes, if you buy a nice set of Brogues or Oxfords, keep an eye on the soles and heals - getting them redone is a lot cheaper than buying a new set of shoes. Also buy some polish - look after that leather!
Top 5 Accessories
1) Watch
As many men don't wear a lot of jewellery a watch can be a great statement piece, and I think guys should have different watches for different occasions. This watch is great, it is the Trafalgar White from Lord Timepieces.
2) Cufflinks
When a man wants to look really smart, he should be wearing a shirt with a set of cufflinks, and no - they are not allowed to be novelty cufflinks! These ones are from
Lanvin.
3) The Holdall
I have already mentioned using a rucksack with a suit, however another repeat offender is the holdall, while using a sports bag is perfectly acceptable when going to the gym, you should not take it with you to an overnight work trip. It is time to buy some leather goods! This one is from
Mulberry.
4) Laptop Sleeve
Carrying technology is a part of life, however you can do better than a neoprene sleeve. This leather case is from
Mr Porter and is designed for an 13" MacBook, it comes with slots for document storage as well.
5) Tie
Every man needs a good quality tie, and this one from
Hermès is perfect. Hermès is one of the best silk manufacturers, and their hand rolled ties, are world renowned.
If you want to see some other ideas for menswear and accessories, why not check out my Pinterest board!
Do you agree with my suggestions in this post? Do you think I have missed anything?
If you like this style of blog post, comment below to let me know.
Lots of love
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