A male friend asked me “what do women like
men to wear?” last night and I admit I gibbered a bit then spluttered something
about cologne. It’s a tricky question for lots of reasons:
1.
Obviously I can’t generalise
about all women
2.
If I liked a guy, I expect I’d
cope with whatever he wore (within reason!)
3.
If I didn’t like him, no amount
of snappy dressing would help
4.
I’ve only been in England for
about a year and don’t entirely understand the cultural subtleties
However, I thought I’d see what I could
come up with. My context is a 30ish bloke trying to attract a girlfriend.
Firstly, fit is important. I think it’s
particularly important for attracting a mate because in some way you’re trying
to entice someone into making the sex with you. That means you want to
highlight your attractive bits, whether it’s a firm bottom, clear skin, muscled
forearms, your eye colour or whatever.
A well fitting pair of jeans can make you
look like over 20% better than usual (that’s science!). Take time to try on 15
pairs in different styles. Take advice from the shop assistants. Take a
knowledgeable friend with you for advice. HEM THEM if needed. Then apply what you
learn to other pairs of trousers.
With t shirts and shirts – I’d generally
think a touch snugger than usual. Show off what that lucky lady will be
getting.
If you’ve got a bit of a tum, a well cut
shirt is your best friend. A structured jacket or coat is also good. Don’t
succumb to a thin, clingy t shirt or a bomber style jacket (it’ll make you look
the same shape as a tomato).
If you’re slender – don’t think that buying
clothes a bit loose will make you look bigger. It’ll just make you look like
asparagus wrapped in bacon (are you liking my vegetable metaphors?). Buy
clothes that skim your body but don’t cling. Again, well cut shirts and
structured jackets are all good. You can enjoy thick scarves and chunky knit
jumpers in winter.
If you’re not as tall as you’d like –
again, pay attention to fit. Also, streamline your look to lean the viewer’s
eye up and down for example, black biker boots, a well cut (hemmed!) pair of
dark jeans, a fresh white t shirt and a dark coloured blazer. Mmm... sounds
good to me.
Learn what colours suit you – try this Colour analysis site
to give you some ideas. I know that site is aimed at women, but just
ignore the gender-specific bits and pick up the main ideas. Those who are confident can break the rules as
needed, but it’s helpful to have some ideas to start with if you’re choosing from a rainbow of t
shirts. Hint: navy looks good on almost everyone, yellow looks good on almost
no-one.
Dress like a grown-up. If you’re 30ish and
wearing the same outfits as the local 16 year olds, it may be time for a
re-think. Also, don’t dress like your Dad. It’s a fine balance.
If you haven’t changed hair style in 10
years, you should! Men’s fashion doesn’t dramatically change, but it does
shift. Keep up. You probably should be spending a bit more money on a good
hairstylist. Think about it this way; you wear your hair every day so
cost-per-wear is pretty low for a good haircut.
There’s a load more to say on the topic of
style of course and these are just my opinions. What would you suggest? Anything
you particularly hate a guy to wear? If you’re a guy, what do you think of
these suggestions?
