Men's Fashion Advice for Trends to Avoid at all Costs

By Tl Kleban

Let's face facts here. When it comes to picking out the best clothes to wear, men are considered, and rightly so, to be less fashion-conscious of the two sexes. Now for the good news, that is starting to change with more fashion designers showing off all new designs and collections on their runways. It doesn't hurt that men are beginning to realize that looking good doesn't exactly hurt their chances with women or their careers either.

Unfortunately for some guys, fashion is something that happens to other people. Expecting a guy who less than marginable fashion sense to know why a Hawaiian shirt is the best thing to wear to a job interview or a high school reunion is likely to end in disappointment and probably a few more than embarrassing looks and stares.

So, for the benefit of bad dressing guys reading this, here are a few of the most basic of mistakes guys make when entering the frightening sphere of fashion.

• Sandals with socks - Stay away from this fashion no-no at all costs. It is an all together fashion mess. No women will find you attractive. You'll begin to notice that your friends call you less and less and strangers won't even want to stand near you with this foot fashion faux paus. If your love for sandals is this strong then move somewhere warm that you can wear sandals year round.
• Novelty Ties, shirts, or boxers - This is another fashion mess that men just don't seem to notice or maybe not care. Why would you sacrifice your dignity for the sake of making someone laugh from a "funny t-shirt"? It isn't worth it, in my opinion. I would much rather be known for being stylish and a good dresser than the guy who wears shirts with funny sayings on them. So with that, throw out all those clothes with smiley faces, hearts, reindeer, shamrocks, and animal prints and buy something nice.
• Shiny shirts and suits - Come on...for real? Unless you are going to be a backup dancer in a musical then there should be no reason why you should even own a shiny shirt or suit much less wear one out in public. I can think of about a hundred different fashion choices you could go to the club in than a glittery, shiny and REALLY tacky shirt. What's wrong with a simple form fitting black t-shirt or black dress shirt? Pair it up with some nice jeans or trousers and you'll have no problem being noticed in a good way.
• Ugly colors - You can look like Brad Pitt with the fashion sense of a George Clooney but if you're wearing some ugly colored clothes no one will care who you look like. That great looking new suit you bought for you Christmas party this year may have been expensive but if it makes you look like one of the staff or something from the 70's, then I'm sorry but you paid too much. The color of your clothes needs to compliment your best natural features like eye color, skin tone and body shape.
• Overly loose fitting clothes - Clothes that are really loose or baggy make you look sloppy and like a bum. Unless you rap or own your own hip hop label, which you probably don't, then you need to stay away from this fashion mistake. Instead buy clothes that actually fit you. You've been working out so why not buy some clothes that show it off. Try experimenting mixing and matching certain cuts and styles until you comes across the perfect fit and look.

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Men's Shirts - A Fashion Staple Since Time Immemorial

By Andrew Regan

There are as many different types of shirts as there are hours in the day; and with summer fast approaching, the latest styles and fashions of that long time staple of menswear - the shirt - are sure to cause a buzz in the fashion scene all over the country and across the globe.

Whilst the American usage of the term “shirt” generally refers to any garment other than a jacket worn on the top half of the body, in Britain the term normally refers to a garment with buttons up the middle and on the collar, and long-sleeves with full cuffs – an item of clothing known as a “dress shirt” in America. Whilst more formal men's shirts are often associated with special occasions and restrictive job-wear, young men in particular should not make the mistake of overlooking the fashionable men's shirt!

The variety of garments that this definition can provide stretches is both wide and far-reaching. At one end of the spectrum, you'll find the extremely informal white sleeveless shirt which has long been popular in punk and alternative fashions; while at the other end of the scale, people will find the only shirt that was officially recognised in mainland China for many years - the double breasted shirt with four pockets known officially as the ‘Zhongshan suit’, but long referred to as the ‘Mao shirt’ or ‘Mao suit.’

Thankfully these days our clothing range isn’t quite so restrictive. New fashions in men’s shirts this season show that stripes, checks and grand-dad collars are back in fashion in a big way, with inspirations taken from the indie college rock scene of the mid to early 1990s along with thrift-store chic showing in the latest lines of short sleeved men's shirts. Think fashion shirts from Weezer circa 1994 to artists such as the Kaiser Chiefs today, and you'll be someway towards comprehending how shirts should look this season!

Long sleeved shirts are also changing to keep up with the times. Shirts with deliberately pre-rolled up sleeves are proving to be popular, with long vertical stripes and a comfortable but fitted look winning through. Let’s not forget as well updates to the classic smart work shirt - and of course the ties to go with them! With the increasing popularity of worryingly skinny boys in indie bands with expensive and complicated haircuts, the skinny tie has exploded in popularity again, and is one of this seasons must have mens fashion items.

Andrew Regan is an freelance, online journalist.

Men's Fashion Tips: Matching Mens Shoes with Suits or Pants

By Leroy Fong

I have received many queries by readers on how to match their shoes against their other mens clothing, like suit or pants. Actually it is not as difficult as they think it is since the choices of colors for men's shoes are quite limited. Unless you have a taste for extraordinary colors, otherwise there should not be much problem coordinating dress shoes.

Always remember that formality of dress shoes begins from the darkness of its color. For example, black is always the most formal color while light brown is the least formal. So you should match your shoes against your suits or pants based on the occasion. If you are attending a formal business dinner, then naturally black shoes are your ultimate choice rather than brown shoes.

Of late, there are more men wearing light brown or camel colored dress shoes against their dark colored suits or pants. These high contrast creates a very trendy style which I personally like. However, we should also note that this combination gives a more casual feel toward it.

What if the suit or pants are brown-based colors like olive or chocolate colors? Must we definitely wear it against brown shoes? Not necessarily, black shoes are just as fine. Of course, brown shoes would let the color flow very smoothly but black is still a color that can fit nicely. Remember that black is the color for formal.

Lace-up shoes are one step better than slip-ons for their formality. At the same time, lace-ups are split into Balmoral and Blucher types. Refer to Mens Dress Shoes Styles for their differences. The latter is always considered less formal because of its open throat design.

So remember that whether you want a formal or casual look would depend on your choice of two criteria: the dress shoe style and its color. My brother actually has a gray shoe that is blucher styled with pointed tip and polished patented leather. Due to these various combinations, his dress shoe actually looked almost formal against dark colored pants and yet with a tinge of stylishness.

To find out the best dress shoes available, visit Men's Shoes Review to learn more.

Copyright 2006, Leroy Fong and Mens-Fashion-Tips.com

Leroy Fong
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