Nothing against the man who can go his whole life without packing his own lunch or picking out his own outfit. For all we know, he’s an astronaut who spends his spare time getting clean water to remote mountain villages. And no shade need be thrown at the bro who spent the entirety of his middle school allowance on JNCOs back in 1997 and has rolled with that ever since. If his knees and his denim are still holding up, we can admire the commitment.
We’re talking to the kinds of guys who anxiously fussed about prepping for a job interview all morning, only to realize later that evening that they missed a belt loop, a buttonhole and a spot shaving. The guys who honestly aren’t that into Thomas the Tank Engine anymore, but don’t know how to move on from locomotive-themed pajamas. Trains are sweet, but because the way they look communicates so much to their colleagues and even affects the way they think about themselves, they’re scrambling to dress like a grown man. Here’s a list of style tips for guys who want to look like men.
1. Handle Mornings Like You’ve Been There Before
When Trent was a lad of 15 and he stayed up until 4 a.m. playing video games, he was absolutely astonished that he looked and felt like he’d fallen out of a troll’s armpit the next morning. We’re talking legitimately flabbergasted. A decade later, Trent still stays up late, but it’s harder to excuse him for still being surprised by the consequences. It’s a bummer to learn that there is no magical threshold of adulthood that makes mornings easier, just like it was a crushing blow to have to put up with men’s adult acne. Men just have to learn more about handling their business. So instead of trying to push that pimple back in and hoping he can solve for fatigue by napping in first period algebra, Trent knows a bit more about how to get rid of dark circles under eyes. He also did the math on getting everything laid out the night before so that he has the time to restore a semblance of humanity with a cup of coffee and a shower.
2. Build from the Ground Up
Ladies get tired of guys teasing them about the number of shoes in their closet, especially because there’s nothing unmanly about making sure you have the right pair of shoes for the task at hand. You don’t want to bring those house slippers to a rodeo. Don’t miss taking out the trash because you are busy lacing up the steel-toed boots you wear to the job site. When you outgrew a pair of shoes in a week, it made sense to focus your shoe collection, but once you settle into a shoe size, it’s time to spread out a little. It’s hard to walk like a man when you have blisters.
3. Tailor Your Approach Along with Your Clothes
Todd may have settled into his shoe size, but the rest of his wardrobe measurements remain a mystery. In terms of pants, for example, the two closest sizes just represent two different options in feeling uncomfortable. Wearing clothes made for his body, instead of a mannequin, is a game changer. But there’s more to a tailored approach than a customized waistband. Mannequins get to stay in the same pose all day. They don’t have to bend over to pick up the tiny plate of food they dropped after making the strategic error of entering the buffet line with a drink. Don’t spend a bunch of money on fitted clothes that can’t handle the stresses of the real world. That doesn’t mean that Todd has to choose between his beloved tie collection and the mouth-watering soup of the day, but maybe he starts wearing tie-clips to keep his style and his stews separate.
4. Think Suitcase, Not Just Suit
Being well-dressed isn’t just about learning how to pick out clothes. It’s also about learning how to pack them. Take the gauntlet of a destination wedding, for example. It’s just a three-day trip that somehow requires like five different outfits – and not even in a high maintenance way. Turns out the groom is a spelunking enthusiast and the bachelor party is mostly a cave thing. Pile on a church wedding and a beach reception and the clothing requirements start to stack on top of each other.
Perhaps Trey doesn’t mind punishing his seat neighbor on the plane ride home by rewearing the cave dive jeans or being the only person in bermuda shorts in the group photo at the fancy steakhouse rehearsal dinner. But even that kind of selfish simplification doesn’t get him off the hook for costume changes. Learn how to pack a bag, and make sure there are some interchangeable options in case your toiletries leak into that pair of dress pants. Reduce the chance of that happening as well by slipping in a sturdy dopp kit for men.
5. Be Confident
The way a guy takes care of his appearance can boost his confidence, but his confidence can also boost his appearance. Nobody is going to notice that tiny stain on Tad’s linen pants unless he keeps staring at his own kneecaps for another 20 minutes. And if Tad occasionally wears those train pjs now and again, that’s fine, too. He’s doing it because he knows what he wants, not because he doesn’t know anything different. And that’s a man’s move.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
