Striking the right balance with your fashion can be tricky when you are a guy. If you’re struggling to pick the perfect clothing and accessories to suit your desired style, don’t worry, because we have put together a list of some of the things that you should be wearing to really make your outfits stand out from the crowd.
Remember that there are lots of ways to save money on men’s clothing and accessories like those that we have suggested below. You could sift through local charity shops for bargains, save on clothing at major retailers like John Lewis through online discount code portals like MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, or focus on buying a smaller number of quality items that you will wear all of the time, rather than novelty pieces that won’t be fixtures of your wardrobe.
Socks
Gone are the days of men always opting for plain black socks. Even in some professional settings, you will now see some men wearing brightly-coloured socks with smart shoes and suit trousers. Nowadays it’s also common to see spotty, striped and tonal socks, but you should be careful about the style that you choose for yourself, because you could disturb the fine balance between business-like and unprofessional in just a matter of seconds.
To really enhance your look, textured socks look great with jeans, while block-coloured socks like yellow, red and blue are a nice complement to black, white and grey suit trousers. Although it’s a great idea to experiment, some patterns and colours will clash with certain styles, so you should make sure that you always have a wide selection of socks from which to choose.
Hats
Hats are becoming an increasingly common phenomenon. Headwear can be great for adding a more casual look to your outfit, as well as – of course – catering for the practicalities such as keeping your head warm or the sun out of your eyes. However, choosing the wrong type of hat for your outfit will really damage your look, so it’s important to get it right.
For example, a woollen or beanie hat is perfect for topping off a casual look consisting of a lumberjack shirt, jeans and work boots such as Timberlands, while a boater hat will look great when paired with a light, airy summer look of chino shorts, a striped T-shirt and trainers such as Converse.
However, as with the socks, some experimentation will be required. Not every type of hat will suit every type of head – a hat that goes well with a thin, long face may not suit a wide, square face so well. You might also swot up on how to choose a hat for your outfit and/or season, as in this article from Shappos – you don’t want your style to jar with everyone else’s, after all.
Ties
A tie can be brilliant for adding a touch of chic to the standard shirt and trousers look, and there are now lots of styles from which to choose, for pretty much every season and setting. You may draw upon a bit of inspiration from Pinterest to experiment with woollen ties for providing a warm, casual twist on colder days, while a narrower tie that’s thinner at the bottom is sure to give your outfit a fun, light-hearted look without compromising on professionalism.
Fatter, heavily-patterned silk ties are slowly becoming more and more traditional, so the options listed above will help to bring your outfits into the 21st century.
Bracelets
When pulled off correctly, these handy little accessories will bring a touch of shine or a dash of colour to your outfit. However, you should try not to buy a bracelet that is too shiny, as this will take the focus away from the main components in your outfit. One style that is particularly popular at the moment is the surfer look.
These corded bands can be found on the shelves of virtually any high street clothing shop, and give your outfit a casual, subtle look. When chosen correctly, bracelets can sit behind a watch or look imposing enough to rest by themselves.
Be careful not to take it to another level, though. Having too many bracelets on one wrist will look silly and dominate your arm, which is probably not what you will want them to do. Nonetheless, when used in moderation, bracelets are ideal for adding a splash of colour and an extra dimension to your look.
Remember that accessories for outfits are no longer reserved for women. Men are now experimenting with their style more than ever before to stand out from the crowd, which is where accessories can come in useful – at least if you pick ones that are genuinely suitable for the environment in which you work.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with your personal style by following the aforementioned tips on men’s clothing and accessories – after all, there are many ways to be a man, and there are certainly many ways to dazzle on the urban catwalk without compromising your masculinity.