I don't know about you but in preparation to head out the door with my dude I always forget to leave time to assist him with his attire. I usually estimate just the right amount of time to be ready myself to head out the door in a timely and calm manner. But like clockwork, my dude asks 2 minutes before we head out the door, what tie should I wear? Do you know where those pants are? And the panic sets... I have left no time to help my dude and the look that he has prepared himself is always a bit off. That is; brown socks, black shoes, tan pants, etc... a stylish ladies nightmare. Now of course not all dudes need their ladies help but the majority probably do and will rely on it.
Making matters worse, I tend to spend the majority of the time focusing on what I want to wear, what I want to look like, asking myself if I look fat, and this list could go on if I wanted to be really honest (but nobody needs to know how neurotic I am). I do acknowledge that I care about what I look like and that is why I put time and energy into my style.
This leads me to a few; conclusions...
ONE- Maybe I am too vain and self involved about my style and fashion? ... Probably but that is not going to change because, fashion is my passion!
TWO- I know the basics and what I instinctively like and don't like but sometimes I lack the confidence to reassure my dude that yes in-fact it is alright to wear black with brown or black with blue. What I do know is that with women's fashion color blending works but I wonder if it applies for men's fashion? An what about those patterned ties with stripe shirts? When it comes down to it, I don't pay enough attention to men's stye and trends.
THREE- It is time for me (and you) to learn some essential style tips to make the dude's dapper!
The Basic's:
Tailoring is a must!
If money is an issue (and who doesn't have this issue?) then buy a slightly less expensive suit and get it custom tailored. Unless you are made of equal width from your neck to your hips and your hips to your ankles, you need to get it tailored anyway. Tailoring is where you should invest your money. A good tailor can transform an inexpensive suit into looking like million bucks and you won't look to shabby either.
Please no front pleats!!!
I am not sure who decided this was attractive but regardless your size, front pleats on pants and shorts are Not Attractive.
It seems so counter intuitive to me. Men dislike and get confused with women fashion trends like the harem pant. Why? Because it makes women's hips look larger. This is exactly what front pleats do to men, it make them look larger!!!! And not in the "bigger package" way but more like; I have a fat ass just like my lady does in harem pants way. Flat front pants having a slimming effect trust me.
Cuff Length:
The cuff of a man's shirt should be 1.5 inches longer than the suit jacket's sleeve.
Pant length:
If you hem your pant too short, it tends to make you look wider, shorter and all around apathetic. The cuff or hem of the pant should be resting on the top of the shoe showing a slight crease above what tailors call the "break". Key thing-is always bring a basic suit shoe when getting pants tailored. Socks should only be showing when sitting down.
Tie LENGTH/Size:
The bottom of your tie should touch the top of the belt when standing. On average the tie should be about 3-3.5 inches wide. A good guide is the wider the body and the wider or larger the head, the more he can pull off a wider tie. Same goes for the opposite, the thinner he is the skinnier the tie.
Can I wear this tie with this shirt?
Nothing has to be matched perfectly. I think men have a harder time being ok with this but he does not have to wear a blue tie with a blue shirt.
Rule of thumb:
1. If the shirt pattern is large, then the tie's pattern should be small and intricate and vice versa. Same goes for stripes, small striped shirts go with larger striped tie.
2. Do not match a pin stripe shirt to a pin striped shirt.
3. Never match patterns, just focus on the shades of color.
Houston, Texas Stores specializing in the "Dapper Dude"
Located in Uptown Park. Designer brands such as; Etro, John Varvatos, Paul Smith and tons more. Made-to-Measure garments and they also have clothing for women. The owners are an adorable married couple and are super active in all aspects of their store and are always having fun.
Located in The Woodlands and Upper Kirby. Custom tailoring, Big & Tall designer wear. Check out their "Library of Dress" tab, it's like a men's clothing style 101.
Since 1883, Hamilton Shirts have been making custom hand cut, hand sewn shirts and they are Houston's very own. Any way you like it they can make it, and love the personal touch option of adding a monogram.Try their "Bespoke" or "Made-to-Measure" shirts.
Located in the Upper Kirby, River Oaks area. Billy Reid designs with a true southern gentleman in mind with a modern twist. Choose from casual sportswear and outwear to suits, shoes basically a one stop shop for all things to complete the modern southern man's style.
And my last advice for now on men's style is......... When in doubt just do it like Beckham!
