Men’s Fashion Tip For July

If you live anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere summer is now in full swing.  That means it's time for less clothing, lighter colors, and a more relaxed look.  While that’s probably not news to most men, what may be surprising is that July and August are not designated as two months for looking like a douche.   

 

First, I’ve always felt that the hot summer months are the hardest to dress for.  Warmer weather means fewer layers, which means that A) even fully clothed, the body is more visible, which for most of us is a mixed blessing at best, and B) clothes are what they are (in other words, you can’t use a classy scarf to dress up some grubby shirt—in the summer its just going to be a grubby shirt).  Still, the summer offers a bounty of fashion possibilities, even if they do require some creativity and awareness of common faux pas.  Try taking a holistic approach to your look as you balance comfort with flattering clothes that tell the world what you want to be saying.     

 

Specifically, for this month’s fashion tip it might be most useful to concentrate on the lower body.  While most upper body clothing can go over well (or very badly, depending) in the summer or any other season, July is the month for shorts.  Unfortunately, however, most guys have hairy, spindly legs that, depending on your ethnicity, may also be astonishingly white.  (At least, that’s what my legs look like after a long cold winter.)  While one of the best things you can do for your legs is to exercise and tone them, the second most important thing is wear flattering shorts.  Given the recent popularity of guys slim/skinny jeans, I’m guessing we’ll be seeing more and more slim/skinny shorts this summer (and next) as men begin cutting them off.  Given that a sleek look is also still relatively fashionable, this is probably a safer bet than, say, khaki cargo shorts from several years ago.  (Quick tip: just don’t wear khaki.)  Indeed even if you aren’t Michael Phelps or Lance Armstrong, avoid shorts that are too baggy and hide your figure; unlike many women, men’s narrow hips can actually be emphasized by tighter clothing to make even heavier guys look slimmer.  On the other hand, shorts that are too baggy can make a guy look thick and out of shape, even if he’s relatively fit. 

 

When it comes to the kind of shorts you wear, I’d suggest avoiding cargo shorts altogether.  Like everything, this point is a matter of taste, but I know that I got my first pair of cargo shorts in 1997 which means they were probably out of style at least eight or nine years ago.  If you have a bunch of little things to carry around maybe you need them, but I can’t say I’ve met many people who use the extra pockets enough to warrant looking so passé.  What’s more, most cargo shorts I’ve seen simply aren’t flattering.  They hit at awkward places (like the middle of the knee, which is a terrible place for shorts to hit), and are almost always too baggy.  Wear them camping if you must, but when you return to civilization put on civilized clothing. 

 

The other big area for summer fashion is the foot/ankle area.  For many men, this is an area with great potential: low cut socks (or no socks at all), can flatter slim ankles and, consequently, make calves look more athletic.  If you don’t have great ankles however, avoid some of the more obvious summer shoe/ankle mistakes.  For example, if you wear tall socks with shorts, bring a sense of irony to the outfit.  Get socks with a retro stripe somewhere on them or that are atypically tall.  In any case what you cannot do is simply wear the same socks you’ve been using all winter with long pants.  Short socks with low cut shoes will probably be more flattering than tall ones, but if you go that route be aware that it’s a fashion statement.  If you aren’t wearing socks at all, you’re probably in good shape too (just deodorize your shoes now and then).  (I’m not going to get into sandals here, but certainly there is a lot of potential there.  Just don’t do obviously stupid things with them.) 

 

Finally, as I said in June, for a little money you can look a lot better.  Summer is great because less clothing means even less money.  And remember, your clothes really are a statement.  There is no fashion neutrality.

Men’s Fashion Tip for June

First, I realize that many, many men do not like to think about fashion.  I don’t know how many times I’ve heard them say “I just wear what is comfortable,” or “I don’t want to expend the energy thinking about my clothing.”  These statements seem to stem from the mistaken belief that something like “fashion neutrality” exists.  Well, men, it doesn’t.  Everything we wear is a statement.  You may not be thinking about that statement, or you may not want to, or you may not be capable of thinking about it.  I don’t know.  But if you refuse to put forth the effort to think about what you’re wearing (something that really takes almost no effort), you’re probably broadcasting to the world that you refuse to do other, more important things.  And while no one wants to look terrible all the time, mistakenly aiming for “fashion neutrality” is the surest way to achieve a disastrous image that will be prejudicial in just about any setting.  Also, remember that comfort is relative; it has to do more with being accustomed to an article of clothing than any objective cut or style.  (If you don’t believe me, switch styles for a month.  For the sake of experimentation, try wearing skinny jeans or something else radically different.  When the month is up I bet you’ll be more comfortable in the new style than the old one.) 

 

So, think about what you wear.  One way to start doing that, now that it’s late spring, is to not dress like an old man in 1995.  One of the most common articles of clothing I see on men at this time of year is the pleated pant.  Worse, I often see pleated khaki pants.  If you wear this type of pant, please STOP NOW.  It is hideous, and no matter how good you think you look, you’re wrong.  I understand that the dotcom boom of the late 90s made casual wear acceptable all over the place.  What I don’t understand is why that casual wear had to make everyone look fat and ugly.

 

Luckily, that was ten years ago.  Today it’s permissible to wear light, spring colors in relaxed cuts, without looking like you’ve got two hot air balloons around your legs.  So avoid pleats, as a pleat-less pant is slimming, professional, and athletic looking.  Also, be creative with colors.  Khaki is ugly.  It was designed, if my memory serves, for the British Army to wear in 19^th century India.  So if you’re in the British Military and stationed in India, go for it.  Otherwise, try something else.  I recently got a modern looking pair of brown pants that has a light pinstripe.  Those stripes make a huge difference.

 

Just remember, for a little bit of money at infrequent intervals you can look a lot better.  This translates into success in every field of life.  And remember, your clothes really are a statement.  There is no fashion neutrality.