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Men's Fashion: The Wardrobe
In the 1980s, rock band Z. Z. Top sang about the benefits of being a "sharp-dressed man", and they were
on the money. One of the first things women notice about a man is the way he's dressed, and a man's appearance says a lot about the man,
whether it's true or not. If you see two men out at a restaurant and one's wearing a suit and tie, while the other is in torn jeans and an
old football jersey, you're likely going to think of the man in the suit as being more successful. Conversely, you're going to think of the
man in jeans and a jersey as being more laid back and easy-going.
Some men, however, don't fully understand the nuances of clothing. They generally find a look they like
and it becomes something of a uniform. That's not to say that there's really anything difficult to learn. It just becomes easier to stick
with something simple. Here are some examples of what I mean:
Uniform Man #1 - The Professional:
This man goes to work in a suit and tie everyday because it's his company's policy. His closet probably
contains at least four different suits,
a dozen or more dress shirts, a rack of ties, and at least two pairs of dress shoes. Because
he's always so dressed up for work, he overstresses his casual side on the weekends. On the weekends he wears jeans or sweats,
t-shirts
and loafers - everywhere. They are usually well-pressed and look very neat, but are still jeans and t-shirts.
Uniform Man #2 - The T-shirt Guy:
The t-shirt guy believes in being casual. He usually has a job with a reputation for attracting people
who march to their own drummer. He's taken this to heart. He wears jeans and t-shirts to work as a matter of course. On "casual days" he
can be found wearing shorts and sandals with his t-shirt. He may wear clothing appropriate to a specific activity, but outside of that
activity, his clothing style is the same. The t-shirt guy's closet is full of jeans and sweats, with a small corner of button-up shirts and
slacks that rarely see the light of day. His dress shoes look brand new, and unless they are years old, still have immaculate soles. He may
even own a suit, but as likely as not it is either a hand-me-down, or is more than five years old.
Uniform Man #3 - The Lifestyle Man:
The lifestyle man's wardrobe reflects that facet of his life with which he most closely identifies.
Maybe he's into motorcycling, or western wear, or outdoorsy activities. Whatever the lifestyle, it has permeated his whole persona. This
man may be hard to recognize among other lifestyle men with different interests, but if the guy is always wearing two or more items bought
from a specialty store (leather riding jacket and jack boots; cowboy hat, western belt, cowboy boots; hiking shoes, cargo shorts, etc) you
can be fairly certain you have a lifestyle man on your hands.
There are many other "uniform" types, all based on the individual's specific style preferences. They
all share the common thread of being too focused on one style of clothing, and being ill-prepared for settings that require any other
clothing style.
The main problem with the 'uniform man' is that he either finds himself over- or underdressed in
certain situations because he lacks sufficient variety in his wardrobe (and in the case of the 'lifestyle man', often tries to incorporate
accessories that are simply inappropriate to the setting). Having variety in your wardrobe is important. Naturally, there will be certain
types of clothing you will have more of, depending on the type of job you have and other factors, but you should never let your wardrobe
become so single-minded that you are ill-prepared to attend those important functions life brings your way.
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