Week of January 14, 2008

This Weeks Article:

The Ten Most Common Men's Fashion Mistakes

Why should you be concerned with your appearance? Is it really that important to your career, romance, or influence over others?

YOU BET IT IS!!!

It's a scientific fact that people who don't know you make up their minds about you on a subliminal/prehistoric basis in 30 seconds or less. This evaluation of you by others takes place so quickly and is so entrenched in the human brain that it is not usually conscious thought.

Behavioral scientists tell us that we notice the following about another human being and in this order: Skin color, Sex, Age, Bearing (height, body language, etc.), Appearance, Direct Eye Contact, and Speech. The first three we can do nothing about, but we can take advantage of this knowledge to enhance and control how to present the best image of ourselves.

Since 80% of what others see is our clothes lets look at some basic mistakes:

1. Never wear a short sleeve shirt with a tie. Short sleeve shirts are perceived as lower class apparel. Fine as part of a uniform or if you aspire to be a fast-food manager, not if you want to project a professional image.

2. Shoes are one of the most evaluated elements of men's wardrobes. Your shoes should be clean, shined, in good repair and appropriate for the occasion. If you are wearing a suit, wear lace-up shoes. Don't wear the same shoe on consecutive days and keep shoetrees in your shoes when you're not wearing them.

3. Trousers should be long enough to cover your socks, and socks should cover your shins even when you cross you legs. Pants are long enough if they have a slight break in the front. Pleats and cuffs are traditional and functional. Pleats let you sit down comfortably and cuffs add weight to the bottoms allowing for proper drape.

4. Never wear both a belt and braces (suspenders). You'll appear insecure.

5. Socks should match your trousers.

6. Belts should match your shoes.

7. Ties should reach your belt line. This is neither arbitrary nor negotiable. Too short of a tie makes you look like a dork.

8. Properly knotted ties have a dimple under the knot. Clips and tacks are not cool.

9. Suit and Sports jackets are symbols of authority. However the bottom buttons of men's jackets are not designed to be buttoned, since King Edward VII gained weight, and started a fashion trend.

Single Breasted suits can have one, two, three or more buttons. Two and three button jackets are classic, one or more than threeget you into the fashion forward arena, which is more suitable for social events than business. With two button jackets only the top button is fastened.

With three button jackets, you can close the middle, or middle and top button. Some suits are made so that the lapels roll to the middle button. On those suits you leave the top button unfastened. Some East Coast hipsters fasten only the top of three buttons!

Double Breasted suits are the more formal of the two styles and can have four to six buttons with one or two to button. They are often identified by a two-number designation such as 4/2, 4/1 or 6/2 (also four to two).

10. Suit and Sports jackets should fit properly which includes showing of linen or shirtsleeve at the jacket sleeve.

We live in a complex, crowded society where considerate people dress appropriately for various places and occasions. Dressing appropriately is about respect for your fellow humans and our institutions.

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