It’s the season of being casual, gone are the days where the suit is the only thing that would qualify a man as trendy. Right now it’s all about blending… not just any blending but blending fashionably.
Right now we will separate the boys from the men because fashion will tell whether you are a boy or a man depending on the trends that you pick in your favour.
It’s not about first impressions but your lifestyle impressions. Let’s take a deep dive.
1.It’s a man’s world not a boy’s world, so dress like it
Many men approach their casual style from the wrong angle; they aim to look youthful, but if you want to look well-dressed, you should always aim to look mature.
Because maturity is an attractive quality in men. Maturity, after all, is what separates the men from the boys. Maturity shows masculinity and commands respect, and it’s a quality you want people to see in you.
That doesn’t mean you have to dress like your dad. It doesn’t mean you have to dress old. It just means you have to avoid portraying yourself as a teenager… Unless you actually are a teenager.
Just to be clear, that means…
2. Give Up the Graphic Tees for a More Mature Look
First things first, clear all the graphic t-shirts in you closet. We ahve established that its a man’s world, so we cannot tackle the world with boy t-shirts.
Just look at the movies. You’ll never see a tough, masculine action hero or a suave rom-com heartthrob wearing a a graphic t-shirt. The only time you’ll see a graphic tee is when the character is either a man-child, an actual child, or a slacker.
Instead, opt for solid, one-color t-shirts, striped tees or henleys. Just look at these examples:
You might also consider wearing polo shirts or casual shirts. Just because you’re dressing casual doesn’t mean you can’t wear a collar. And a simple white shirt looks great with a pair of dark blue jeans.
3. Rock Jeans That Actually Make You Look Good
You can never go wrong with jeans, as long as you find the right pair. When I say the right pair I mean the right pair for you, not the trending one, because not all trends look good in everyone.
Avoid baggy jeans. You want to avoid having to pull up your jeans every two seconds. They should keep themselves up without a belt. Also, they should not pool around your ankles.
Also, avoid embellishments. That means: No excessive distressing, no ripping, and no bleaching, no big logos on your jeans back pocket or anywhere else.
Instead, keep your jeans simple. Go for a straight, clean, dark-blue pair that fits like it was made for you. Trust me; you’ll look awesome.
Dark straight-leg jeans look good on every guy. You can wear Faded jeans too but mind you, no embellishments or logos.
4. Change it Up Down Below
Add some variety to your wardrobe by investing in a pair of chinos. One basic pair in camel or grey. And get one colored pair to change things up.
And you don’t have to go for fire-engine red or lime green. You can go for subdued colors like burgundy or army-green.
5. Class Up Your Footwear
A good shoe is everything to a man. Your dirty, beat-up sneakers will ruin an otherwise excellent outfit. You’ll want to replace them with something more dignified.
Wear a pair of brown leather shoes instead of your everyday sneakers, and BOOM… You look sharper.
Simple looks elevated by brown leather footwear
You have many options for footwear so expand your horiziong beyond sneakers.
But if you’re used to wearing sneakers all the time and want to ease your way into something else like the dessert boots.
6. Decorate Your Wrists
Accessories are another good way to spruce up a dull outfit.
You can wear a watch, a leather bracelet, or both. Doesn’t matter what you wear, but wear something on there. It just gives your outfit a bit more personality.
7. Layer Your Clothes for More Interesting Outfits
Many guys feel a bit intimidated by layering because they don’t really know how to match clothes all that well. But you don’t have to know all that much about it. It can be done with very simple clothes too.
Imagine a guy wearing a plain grey sweater and jeans. Nothing wrong with that. It’s a fine casual outfit. Now imagine him wearing a simple white shirt underneath his sweater. Boom. Instantly more interesting.
And you don’t have to stop at one additional layer. You can wear two, three, even four layers at a time. So play around!
8. Wear a Jacket That Elevates Your Casual Look
Okay, so you don’t have to suit up to dress well, but that doesn’t mean you can’t smarten your casual look up a bit with a well-fitting blazer.
This favorite of business-casual men can easily be worn in casual outfits too. It’s called smart casual — which essentially means stepping your casual outfit up a notch.
A man in a blazer just looks good because blazers accentuate the male frame like no other garment.
It will give you an easy way to smarten even your simplest outfits up a bit. Plain white tee with jeans? Add a blazer, and suddenly you look pretty damn sharp
9. Stop Trying Too Hard, Keep it Simple
Many guys shoot themselves in the foot by trying too hard to dress better.
They hear they should wear accessories, and they end up wearing a gazillion bracelets and necklaces. Or they hear they should wear color and they end up looking like a bag of skittles with legs.
You stand out, but not in the way you want.
Shoot for subtle, simple, understated outfits and you’ll stand out in a good way instead.