Stylin' the Male Way

STYLIN’

the Male WayGuys, if you are a bit flummoxed about creating your own personal fashion style, help has arrived. Embrace cleaning out your closet, getting a tailor and practice wearing a sports jacket. We're not here to tell you to throw away your hoodie — after all Polo Ralph Lauren and Gucci sell them — we're here to give you a few curated tips on creating a fashion comfort zone that will boost your self-confidence. Isn’t that what it’s all about? No. 1, you want clothes that fit — here’s where your closet and personal tailor come in. First, throw out anything that is overstretched or worn out, has holes or tears, has lost its original color or has unwashable stains. (Eww.) Take stock of what you do have that speaks to you and consider ensuring it fits you the best it can whether that means shortening some shirt sleeves, nipping a jacket in at the waist, taking up a pair of trousers, changing the lining of a blazer. Enter your tailor. Find one, make friends and know this person will help you and your old and new clothes fit smartly and comfortably. Communicate your needs — don’t be shy about assessing fit around your belly if you have one — and consider suggestions. No. 2, buy core pieces. You want to build an interchangeable wardrobe that mixes and matches when it comes to color pattern or texture. One core piece is a sports jacket. It can upgrade your style immediately. And, if you aren’t comfortable wearing one, pair it with jeans and practice wearing it around the house. Key to a good fit is how it fits on the shoulders (ask your new buddy, the tailor, as needed). Other core pieces include plain T-shirts, indigo denim, basic knitwear and Oxford cloth button-down shirts. Also consider wearing a nice pair of leather shoes instead of your running shoes and sneakers all the time — it will fashion you up in one step. As for what colors to choose, think monochrome, which means one predominant color for both top and bottom layers. It will show your style sense to have two to three monochromatic outfits in any of these colors: • Dark blues to give off a youthful vibe. • Darker grays for professional settings. • Medium grays for fair-skilled guys. No. 3, take care of your clothes. Regularly polish your shoes, treat any clothing stains immediately, properly wash expensive clothes and know when your suit needs dry cleaning.