Fashion, in the words of Muccia Prada, is instant language. Unfortunately, some people say all the wrong things just by dressing a certain way. So to start off the year, here are 15 top fashion sins men commit that should be left in 2018.
1. Wearing Short-Sleeved Shirts for a Typical Corporate Look
No brainer, right? Everyone should know this. Unfortunately a lot of men are guilty of this crime. You see it every day; from students going for presentations to jobseekers going for interviews. Everyone seems so at home with this fashion sin. A typical corporate look should never include a short-sleeved corporate shirt. Leave the shorties for a more casual look.
2. Neck Ties With Tuxedos
Another unholy marriage that breaks our hearts. In case you didn’t get the memo, tuxedos are those fancy-schmancy jackets that come with satin lapels. They are not suits and as such should not be worn with a necktie but rather with a bowtie. So the next time you feel like walking on the dangerous side of things by pairing a tux with a necktie, please do us all a favour and just stay home.
3. Pairing Native Wears With Lace-Up Shoes.
Thanks to Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and his show-stopping agbada, native outfits made a huge comeback and with it some terrible blunders. A surefire way to arrive at tacky-ville is by pairing your native wears with lace-up corporate shoes. It’s always better to go with loafers or trendy sandals.
4. The Deep V-Neck T-Shirts
Once upon a time in the late 90s and early 2000s, this was an indispensable part of the male wardrobe. Now, this article of clothing is solely reserved for urban thugs and inked-up biker dudes. Yes, we understand you worked on your pecs and want to show off a teensy-weensy amount of “heavage” but somethings are better left unseen. If you can’t resist the siren call of V-necks, invest in some scoop necks and V-necks that are not so deep and revealing.
5. Bulky Wallets or Bulky Pockets
While we get the urge to show off the fact that you stacked money till your wallet looked like a bible, bulky wallets in your pocket are huge no-no. If your phone is creating the bulge, put it in your inner breast pocket, briefcase or hold it while you walk. So unless you’re gunning for wider hips and a more pronounced (and odd looking) derrière, bulky pockets and wallets should be avoided like the plague.
6. Mismatched Belt and Shoes
Another faux pas that shouldn’t tiptoe into 2019. Although this can be ignored when one is going for a more casual look, when going for a corporate look, ensure that your shoe color and shade matches that of your belt. Brown shoes to brown belts and black shoes to black belts.
7.Improper Tie Length
First rule of the sweet boys’ association: A sweet boy should wear a tie that touches the middle of the belt buckle. This is what separates the men from the boys. A tie is the centerpiece of any corporate look and can make or mar your appearance. Ties that stop at the nipple line and extra-long ties should be left in 2018. Amen?
8. Buttoning All the Buttons on a Suit
Only one button should be buttoned on a suit. If it is a suit with a 3-button design, button the middle button and leave the other two open. For suits with a 2-button design, button the first only. The rule is also the same for double-breasted jackets, only one button should be buttoned. Also buttoning single breasted jackets while sitting is highly forbidden.
9. Wearing a Backpack on a Corporate Attire
We can hear all the excuses right now.
“But where would I put my laptop?”
“Backpacks are awfully convenient”
Yes, they conveniently ruin your outfit. Backpacks are strictly for casual getups and should never be worn with a corporate outfit. There are office bags and briefcases that not only go splendidly with corporate ensembles but are also roomy enough to fit all the bric-a-brac you might want to carry on your person.
10. Pairing Black Suits With Brown Shoes and Vice Versa
Black suit and tan shoes. No
Brown suit and black shoes. Don’t even think about it.
While navy blue suits can be worn with brown shoes, for a classy look, black suits should always be paired with shoes of the same colour and shade. The same goes for brown suits. Remember that your black shoe that goes with almost anything? Please keep it away from your brown suits.
11. Jeans in the Gym
Repeat after me: Denim has no place in a gym. The fact that they are durable doesn’t mean they should be worn for exercise. Workouts should be done in comfortable clothing that would give the boys enough room to breathe and not in denim. Period.
12. T-Shirts Tucked into Jeans
Unless you’re Alan Cooper from the series Two and a Half men (which we hope you are not), please don’t tuck your T-shirt into your jeans. Yes, it’s Friday and you want to look relaxed but dependable. Most of us have been there. Wear a well-cut blazer over your T-shirt instead and leave the T-shirt untucked. This is as a la mode as it gets.
13. Belts and Suspenders
One word for this: horrific. It’s only suitable if you’re auditioning for the remake of a Charlie Chaplin movie or some other retro comedy show. Other than that, this combination should never be thought of. You either wear suspenders or you wear a belt. Never the two.
14. Fitness Leggings Sans Shorts
Please for the love of everything holy, this has to go. He who refuses to wear shorts over his gym leggings has forgotten the face of his father. There’s nothing more disconcerting and unnerving than seeing a guy jogging towards you with his particulars jiggling all over the place. Decency is still fashionable. Please wear shorts over your gym leggings.
15. Excess Jewelry
A simple ring here. A chic neck chain there. The right jewelry can add a dash of pizzazz to even the most boring of outfits. But a line should be drawn while doing this. Simplicity is the very soul of sophistication. Excess and over-the-top jewelry should be left for music videos and upcoming artists.