Q. I have a few colleagues who generally know how to dress professionally in our firm, but they wear cheap suits or sneaker type footwear. They certainly make enough to afford better choices but do not do so, and I am certain it reflects poorly to our clients. With one of them in a position above me, I am not comfortable pointing this out, but perhaps if you do I can accidentally leave a copy of your column in a conference room.
A. Your concerns are very valid, and here’s hoping they read the following. Bargain-basement thinking is false economy; it prompts men to spend too little for their clothes. Besides the fact that the lack of quality shows, sometimes bargains are not bargains. The old theory of CPW (Cost Per Wearing) is useful. When one buys a classic garment that seems expensive, but that can be worn over and over again for years, you are making an intelligent investment. Divide the cost by the possible number of times you might wear that item over the coming years; the number you arrive at is the CPW. It is certain to be a lower number than the one you get by dividing the cost of something that you think of as discounted or a bargain but you might be embarrassed wearing.
Unfortunately, that is just one of the mistakes that men I encounter frequently make. Spending a few hours seeing men shop these holidays, here are a list of others that I encountered.
Ignoring fashion change. Although men’s fashions don’t change as often or as radically as women’s, they do change. A smart modern man pays attention to the swing of the fashion pendulum and knows that he should make a few changes in his wardrobe from time to time. These changes are most likely to be connected with changing widths. For example, as suit jacket lapels get wider, neckties also get wider. As silhouettes get trimmer, everything else follows to some extent. Returning to the CPW above, take care not to buy anything that is going out of style or that is too trendy to still be in style and wearable a few years from now (and that is likely to never return).
Ill-fitting clothes. Even the finest clothes you can buy won’t make you look good if they don’t fit you correctly. Do not make the mistake of deciding that the clothes you buy will fit you exactly well without some help from the tailor. You are unlikely to lose weight or become more trim so you fit into the exact smaller size you have purchased or look good in clothes you meant to have tailored and did not. Even small adjustments can make a big difference in how good you look.
Accessories to a fashion crime. The wrong accessories (shirts, ties, shoes, belts, jewelry) can distract the eye and ruin the effect of a man’s outfit. Simplicity is of the greatest importance; it marks the wearer as a man of taste. A quality bright tie may work well, an excellent watch may also be a fine look, and in certain limited settings certain reptile/skin belts MIGHT work, but generally it is always smart to avoid showy, flashy, and gaudy accessories. Colorful pocket squares that are noticeably/poorly color coordinated with the man’s outfit are much worse than no pocket square.
Additional small, and not so small, mistakes men make when dressing often relate to ignoring certain flaws and subtleties. Trousers that are too long, that puddle around the ankles, look like hand-me-downs on adolescents and embarrassments on adults. Similarly, shirts with frayed collars and cuffs or polyester pilling on collars, show a lack of care. Clothes eventually move past their prime; shabby belts are another example. Stains and spots on ties mean they need to be professionally resolved or scrapped. Some parallel issues can be easily remedied: for instance unpolished shoes or those needing repair can be set right by a professional at a small fraction of replacement and loose or missing buttons are usually easily sewn,
Other mistakes relate more to ensuring you know the rules that I often write about and following them. Back to buttons, of course they need to be correctly buttoned, and this includes knowing that the bottom button on a single-breasted jacket should not be buttoned. And the man who chooses to wear a vest should know that the bottom button is always left unbuttoned. Ties need knots that are not askew and, when possible, that include a “dimple.” Above all, there should not be a gap between the bottom of the tie and the top of the trousers. (Any amount of shirt showing between the two draws unwanted attention to a man’s belly–not his best feature!) If you are in a position where you should or want to wear a suit, it should be well pressed.
Finally, as you mentioned, inappropriately casual shoes worn with dressy clothes is a recurring problem. This is a no-no for anyone short of celebrities . . . and I’m not a fan of their wearing them either. That means a well-dressed man does not wear any form of sneaker with a dressy dark suit. Shoes are called for . . . leather ones . . . of good quality (and their CPW will also be worth it!)
Please send your men’s dress and grooming questions and comments to MALE CALL: Lois.Fenton@prodigy.net
