I consider myself a bit wise in the arena of menswear. I love dressing guys, all styles of guys, and have had lots of experience having grown up with three brothers and attempting makeovers of boyfriends and my husband (which was a feat, let me tell you). I myself was kinda bummed to be the only girl as a little kid and did my best to fit in with the boys- rocking OshKosh B’Gosh overalls nearly everyday while playing out the adventures of He-Man at Castle Greyskull, building forts and the like. Because I wouldn’t let my mom brush my hair, I also had the exquisite opportunity to rock a mullet for many years of my life. Needless to say, I wasn’t exactly the “essence of femininity” as a kid. But because of all that quality male influence, I “get” guys. I love my guy friends, have been accused of “acting and thinking like a guy” and sometimes relate to them better than women. Sometimes. :)
I spent a semester in college working for Joseph Abboud’s headquarters in NYC as a stylist and PR intern so men’s fashion is something I developed an interest in. Men have a bit easier than women in that their choices are more limited than ours, but that doesn’t mean that guys can just throw on any ol’ thing and look good. So I put together a few outfits that might help you with suggestions for your man (or you yourself if you are of the 2% of my readership that is male)- and I made sure they are “guy friendly”. Look, I can pontificate on the genius of slim fitting jeans and bright pink shirts all day, but I know that some men won’t even consider it (ahem!). So these tips are very middle of the road- not intended for the super fashion forward (Matthew, I’m talking to you) or the super hipster.
First, my top picks for men (click pics for links!):
1) Plaid shirts- done and done. Something about plaid shirts-western style, military detailed, preppy- just get me all hot and bothered. And right now they are HUGE.
2) Military Inspired Jacket- LOVE. Can’t get enough. Instantly up’s a guy’s “hot” factor by a trillion. I’ve seen it in action, it’s a FACT.
3) Good Jeans- Note I didn’t say expensive- Gap and Banana have fabulous men’s jeans, but every guy needs to make sure they have a dark wash pair that looks good with a blazer for dressier nights out and a casual pair that are loose but not super saggy. For super tall guys like my 6′4″ husband, Lucky Jeans makes extra long inseams and cost under $125.
4) COLOR- Add a pop of color this spring- purple, pink, coral, green, yellow, just don’t be shy. Polos are an easy way to do this.
5) Cool footwear- I love Chuck Taylors or some other kind of cool sneaker, great brown leather boots and a nice pair of slip on leather shoes that can go from day to night (Cole Haan makes tons that look great and have Nike Air soles.)
6) Is it just me or will baseball tee’s forever be super attractive on any guy and make their bodies look somehow better? Swoon.
7) Impeccably fitted suit- Every guy needs to have a suit that fits. Nipped in at the waist, fitted on the shoulder and a slim fit in the pants. It makes every guy look taller and thinner and Bond-like. :) Buy a suit from Banana, Gap or Brooks Brothers and take it to a tailor if you can’t afford to have a bespoke suit made.
8) A fabulous wear-everywhere blazer- another fail-proof outfit- jeans (see above)+ white dress shirt+ blazer= handsome.
9) The zip front cardigan sweater- looks awesome with casual shorts and a white tee or over a dress shirt with pants. In black or navy, ideally.
Three (well, four really) looks that’ll help get your guy through anything this spring looking classic yet on trend.
