Classic footwear is just as important as classic clothing
Tip #2 for Sharp-Dressed Young Men: Dress to Look Older
The way you dress is the way you are
perceived. If you’re still wearing clothes that scream “student days”
you’re going to be treated like a boy with no experience in the real
world. Buck the trend, age your look a little, and get the respect you
deserve from older men. That means raiding your wardrobe and getting rid
of the majority of your ultra-casual clothes: T-shirts, cargo pants,
jean shorts,
sweatshirts and sweatpants, baseball hats, and athletics.
Save a few for yard work and exercise — but donate the rest of it to
charity and start replacing it with dressier clothes that speak to your
maturity.
Mark Zuckerberg’s not hurting for cash, but it’s still hard to see him as a grown-up in jeans and performance fleece.
Tip #3 for Sharp-Dressed Young Men: Ignore Fashion Trends.
Main-stream fashion trends change too fast
to make useful wardrobe staples. Most young men don’t have the budget to
buy new pants every month or two — so stay away from pants that are
only presentable during an “in” season. Distressed or bleached jeans are
a great example; several different designer labels briefly managed to
sell the image on the public, and then the fad changed and left a lot of
people with very expensive jeans too beat-up to wear in public. Stick
to classic clothing staples for the core of your wardrobe and avoid
anything that’s too far out on the cutting edge — even if you see
something that makes it look good.
Models get paid to make goofy clothes seem reasonable. Don’t fall for it.
Tip #4 for Sharp-Dressed Young Men: Take Care of Your Clothing.
Generally speaking, being young means
having less money to throw around. That means making your investments
last. If you’ve shelled out for a few pieces of good, quality clothing —
a custom suit, a pair of expensive dress shoes, what have you — it’s
worth a few bucks more to keep the clothes in good shape. That means
using good hangers for your suits, shoe trees for your shoes, and a
little tender loving care with the washing machine.
A good hanger is way cheaper than a new suit. Spring for it.
Some of your clothes can come from thrift
shops, if you’re lucky enough to have a reasonably common body type and
some well-to-do neighborhoods nearby. A few adjustments from a tailor
can turn a five dollar thrift-store suit into your dress wardrobe
staple. Just take care of it and protect your bigger investments with
some proper maintenance!
Tip #5 for Sharp-Dressed Young Men: Have at Least One Good Suit in the Closet
 No matter what your job is, you’re going to need a decent suit
at some point. If you’re in a field where you’re going to wear one
regularly you should look for a variety of colors and styles; if you
just need a single suit for infrequent dress occasions stick with a
classic single-breasted, two-button suit in charcoal gray or navy blue.
If you’re buying off the rack take the time
to have the suit adjusted. A few department stores still offer the
service, but you’ll more than likely need to find a tailor
independently. It’s worth the effort — sized suits are made to general
measurements, and not all of them are going to be a perfect fit for you.
A good tailor can make the small changes that take your suit from
looking mediocre to perfect for you.
Tip #6 for Sharp-Dressed Young Men: Build from White and Blue Shirts
 White and light blue cotton dress shirts
are the backbone to a sharp wardrobe. Much of this lies in the fact
both of these colors make up approximately 90% of the dress shirts sold
worldwide and that either color looks good on most complexions and body
types. Being so popular, these shirt fabrics are also available in a
wide range of style and sizes anywhere int he world, making acquisition
at a value price likely for the man on the lookout for sales and
discounts.
Patterns can liven up the basic white and
blue color palette, and there’s nothing wrong with branching out into
some other colors as your personal style evolves. Just have a good core
of white and blue dress shirts. As long as you have one clean and hanging up in the closet, you’ll never be completely out of decent-looking things to wear.
Tip #7 for Sharp-Dressed Young Men: Have Some Dark, Fitted Jeans — and Know When to Wear Them
 Jean styles are always changing: rips, tears, acid and bleach washing, distressed, stone washed, boot cut, wide leg, low rise, skinny; baggy. Keep it simple with and stick to fitted jeans in a dark color, sans
fading or rips. You can wear them with a fitted T-shirt for a relaxed,
casual look or dress them up with a buttoned shirt and a sport coat for a
business-casual style.
Tip #8 for Sharp-Dressed Men: Look beyond Denim
Well cut and classically styled trousers will make you look a little
sharper at social occasions than jeans. They’re less common in a young
crowd, so you’ll already be standing out, and a good pair of slacks
has a drape and crease that looks much crisper than denim. You can also
get wool or cotton trousers much lighter than blue jeans, which is a
blessing in any kind of warm weather.
Tip # 9 for Sharp-Dressed Young Men: Replace T-shirts with Polo s and Sport Shirts
Wearing T-shirts to the gym or when you are performing house chores
is fine. But wearing T-shirts to social events or to work is a no-no,
especially when the shirt is too big and made from a shoddy fabric
advertising the company who gave it to you a decade ago. A good polo
in a simple, dark color is always presentable and always flattering if
it’s fitted well. You can also opt for buttoned short-sleeved shirts in
the summer, ranging from Carhartt work shirts to seersucker dress shirts. If you do wear a T-shirt, make sure it’s new, clean, close-fitted and in a solid, dark color.
Like the list? Got a tip of your own for young men? If so, leave a
comment in the comment box below and help strengthen the community of
sharply-dressed men!
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