An Idiot’s Guide to Dressing Right

By Blake August 18, 2010 1:30 pm Posted in Lifestyle, lifestyle, Style Blake g+ page

Let’s face it–figuring out what to wear for important situations can be next to impossible for guys. From interviews to weddings and even to funerals, each situation requires a different style. And if you don’t guess your outfit right, you can miss your opportunity to land that big job or even the hot bridesmaid. You only have one shot to impress, so use these guidelines to make sure you stay classy in every situation.

First Date

Only rarely will you wear something besides a button down on the first date (that is, if you don’t want to get laid), but the way you wear it says a lot about you. There are five different ways to wear it broken down into two categories.

1) Tucked vs. Untucked

Now this variation is the least of your worries. Anyone can rock the button down tucked or untucked so don’t stress out over this. But, if you are wearing anything other than jeans, tuck your shirt in so you don’t look homeless. Nothing looks worse than khakis or slacks covered with a button down mess. If you do tuck your shirt in, make sure you wear a belt. It’s simple, but if you forget a belt, you might as well not show up.

2) Sleeves vs. Rolled Sleeves

This may seem pointless to many, but the way you roll (or don’t roll) your sleeves puts out very distinct vibes. The only reason not to roll the sleeves is if you are wearing a tie, blazer, or suit. If that’s the case, keep the sleeves buttoned and congratulations to you for having that much class and that little game to be taking a girl to such a fancy place on the first date. Obviously, you are setting your date standard too high, but that’s a topic for another conversation.

For those of us who keep it fun and relaxed for the first dates, make sure you roll the sleeves. There are two options for this–the forearm roll or the elbow roll. These options are pretty self-explanatory because the names refer to where the rolled sleeve rests when your arms are down. The forearm roll is the go-to for first dates. It screams classy yet relaxed, and it keeps your sleeves unrinkled and nice. On the other hand, the elbow roll makes the girl think you are confident and comfortable. Be careful with the elbow roll as it can project an arrogant, too relaxed vibe depending on the situation. Also, you’ll have to get the shirt drycleaned afterward which just adds money to an already expensive adventure. The sleeves say a lot about you, so make sure you figure it out before you go.

Wedding

For those of us unlucky enough not to be in the party and get our outfit picked for us, here are some simple things you need to keep in mind for a wedding. Wear a suit, preferably a darker one, and a colorful shirt and matching tie. Avoid the simple white shirt because it makes you seem lame and boring. Spruce it up for the wedding, and the girls will respond. Three important things though–make sure you match your belt color with your shoe color, don’t wear brown shoes with a blue or black suit, and wear black socks. These three things may seem like common sense, but many guys overlook them and go home emtpy-handed.

Funeral

The goal to this is to blend in. You shouldn’t stick out at a funeral, unless of course, you are heartless. No trick here, just wear black shoes, belt, tie, and suit. If you don’t have a black suit, wear any dark color you have. Try to avoid a navy suit, though, because you’ll look awful with a navy and black combo. Also, do not wear a black shirt or else you’ll look stupid and like a maskless Darth Vader. White shirt, black everything else, and you are set.

Interview

The interview is a simple thing to dress for if you are smart about it. Wear your nicest suit, your nicest shoes, and your nicest shirt and tie combo as long as these all match. You may have to budge on the shoe or shirt category, but the default should be to go for your nicest stuff. For the shirt and tie, it should be treated like a wedding. Don’t go crazy, but make sure not to be bland with a white shirt. Definitely do not wear a contrast shirt, however. If white is your only option then color it up with a nice, colorful yet conservative tie. The interviewer isn’t going to notice if you are dressed nice, but he will notice if you look like a slouch.

Note: For all of these situations, make sure your clothes are drycleaned and wrinkle free. There’s no reason to get dressed up if your clothes are as wrinkled as your grandmother’s skin and smell like a lockeroom.