Fashion Fails For Men Over Forty

How To Improve Your Style For The Over Forty Crowd

How you dress and choose to present yourself makes an incredible impression on people. Furthermore, it can say a lot about you and how you think of yourself, how you approach life. If you are a fashion-conscious person who is curious about how to improve their look, actively changing your wardrobe or fashion philosophy, or just scrolling at work — then consider our list of Men’s fashion fails. Now, to be sure, there are exceptions to every one of these. However, these are places where we often see men struggle.

1. Tie etiquette

Okay, this seems to be an area where most men seem to struggle. And, they seem to struggle in a number of ways. Many men do not like wearing ties, citing discomfort. To be sure, ties can be very uncomfortable, especially when you are wearing them wrong. First off, buy the right tie for your body width. If you are tall and skinny, do not buy a super wide tie. It makes you look skinnier than you actually are. Second, learn how to tie a tie — there are hundreds, if not thousands, of videos out there. There is no reason to not know how to tie a tie. Last, and this is adjacent to the tie — buy a shirt with a collar that is the right size. Fifty percent of men I see who are complaining about their tie are wearing a collar that is too tight. Get the right tie, learn to tie, and tie it around a properly fitting shirt.

2. Square-toed dress shoes

Nothing says fun like pilgrim shoes. But, seriously, there is something about a square-toed dress shoe that makes you look like a sixth grader attending their first formal dance. When buying dress shoes, go with a rounded toe like you would find with an Oxford. Stay away from the flat-toed boats that are so popular, for some reason. And while we love a good loafer, do avoid the especially egregious slip-on square toed dress shoe. It makes you look dopey.

3. Peacocking Syndrome

Many have tried, few have succeeded. We all know someone who wears outlandish patterns and it works for them. No matter the occasion, the peacock is often aggressively over-dressed, whether in terms of pattern or in clothing items. Not everyone can wear a Derby hat to a wedding or a three-piece plaid suit. If you are a peacock, no amount of convincing will make you stop your over-the-top ways, and that is fine by us — we support your peacocking. However, most of us lack the confidence or gravitas to wear big, bold patterns, let alone incorporate several loud, clashing patterns all at the same time. That is to say: if you want to go bold, do so in moderation: a vividly patterned shirt or tie, for example. Do not do too much. When it comes to outlandish patterns or outfits, remember that less is more.

4. Belts

Maybe consider wearing one. Once again, there are a lot of exceptions to this rule. If you are someone who has perfectly-tailored trousers or a mannequin’s waist on which your jeans hang perfectly, then I guess you can skip this part. Some people absolutely rock pants without a belt. Sagging as a practice deserves its own article and have its own rules. However, there are many people, including some of my best friends, who go around with your crack showing. This may be comfortable for you, but it is annoying to constantly be hitching-up your waistband. Turns out people made something to keep your pants from falling down — it is called a belt. Invest in a good one. Spend a decent chunk of change now and rest assured you will have a good belt no matter the occasion for years to come.

5. Ill-fitting suits

Wear the suit, do not let the suit wear you. Similar to the tie, I hear a lot of men complaining about wearing suits. These men are often the ones who have yards of fabric spooling around their ankles. If you throw in an ill-fitting shirt, a way-too-wide tie, and some square-toed boats, you have a recipe for a fashion disaster. If you buy a suit and it does not come tailored, do yourself a favor and pay to have it altered. This need not be expensive. Tailors do not cost an arm and leg. Chances are there is someone in your town who can alter your pants or jacket or both for not a lot of money. Once your suit is tailored to your body, you will be wearing the suit. The suit will not be wearing you. And that makes all the difference in the world.

Now, the important thing about these problems is that they are all fixable. A little time, money, and effort can fix them. Of course, the first part of improving one’s style is caring — care about how you look. If you care how you look and put a little effort in, that can carry you a long way. We appreciate your reading our list and we hope you continue to trust us for your fashion needs.