Common Style Mistakes Men Make: Part I – Around the Office
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If you’ve ever Googled ‘what to wear to a job interview’ or ‘what to wear to a wedding’, the chances are you’ve read lots of the same advice over and over again; buy a tailored navy suit, accessorise in moderation, keep things simple, etc…And those articles are great - you’ll find lots of them on our blog too.But, as you’re learning to dress well, sometimes it’s easy to focus on the bigger picture and forget about the little details. For instance, let’s say you’ve bought a new suit, shirt and tie to wear to the your cousin’s wedding. You’ve made sure that the shirt, tie and suit all match - which is great. But have you thought about socks? Or shoes? Or matching your leathers? These little details can make a big difference to your entire look.At best, they can take a forgettable outfit and take it up a few notches, while at the very worst, they’re going to keep you looking tidy and presentable.This new series - which we’ve called Common Style Mistakes Men Make - looks at a selection of sartorial faux pas that are, sadly, all too common. We’ve decided to divide them up by occasion so that we can give really specific advice and help you look your best at all times, whether you’re next to the water cooler at work or best man at a wedding.Without further ado, let’s crack a bottle of champagne over the inaugural post of the series:
Common Style Mistakes Men Make Around The Office
1. Creased shirts
Look, we’ve all been there. The alarm goes off. You snooze it. It goes off again. You snooze it. By time you’ve got up in a panic, jumped in the shower, and gulped down half a cup of coffee, you realise that you didn’t iron your shirt.A quick glance at your watch tells you that it’s either an ironed shirt or you turn up late and face the disappointed state of your boss.So, of course, you rock up to work looking like you slept in your clothes.Now, once, that’s not so bad. (Although, we recommend skipping out at lunch to buy a new shirt.)But making a habit of it doesn’t just make you look dishevelled, it looks unprofessional. It screams ‘I don’t take this job seriously.’ Do yourself - and your career - a favour and take 2 minutes to give your shirt a once over.And don’t go kidding yourself with any of that ‘the creases will drop out if I hang it next to the shower’ business either. It never works.Keep an eye on our Facebook page over the next few months, we’ll be showing you how to iron your shirt in under two minutes. That should sort you out, even on those I’ve-snoozed-my-alarm-seven-times kind of mornings.2. Scuffed Shoes
What can we say about this one? It’s one of the most common style mistakes men make when they’re just starting to dress well -- probably because your feet rarely show up in the mirror when you give yourself the old you-look-good double-guns.But scuffed shoes weren’t acceptable when you got home to your mum after a kick-about, and they aren’t acceptable in an office either.Pair a really nice suit with a pair of scuffed shoes and you’ll kill the whole outfit.Get yourself a brush, some polish and take a few minutes every week or two to give them a brush, clean and polish.Not only will you look better, but your shoes will last longer too.3. White socks
Unless you’ve got a girl named Billie Jean who you’re pretty adamant isn’t your lover, then don’t even think about doing this.There’s no quicker way to ruin a nice outfit than channelling the King of Pop.4. Incorrect tie length
Look, we can’t really blame you for this one. If most powerful man in the world doesn’t know how to tie a tie to the correct length, then we can’t really blame you.But this is one of the most common style mistakes men make. They either go too long and end up with the tie poking out of the bottom of their jacket, or they look like they’re about to start singing ‘Hit Me Baby, One More Time.’The tip of the tie should touch the top of your belt. No shorter, no longer.5. Pointed or square shoes
OK, if you’re a Lego figure or an elf, then ignore this tip. If not, then pointy and square-toed shoes shouldn’t even be in your wardrobe.Dressing like a schoolboy with fresh Clarks shoes isn’t professional, and nor are shoes that look like they could have somebody’s eye out.*Invest in a decent pair of round-toed shoes, keep them scuff-free and you’ll be climbing that corporate ladder in no time.*If you work in Santa’s Grotto, we apologise. We know that pointed shoes are part of your uniform.6. Short sleeve shirt and a tie
There’s no easier way to go from ‘Have that on my desk by the end of the day’ to ‘the dog ate my homework’ than pairing a short sleeved shirt with a tie. Just don’t do it. It wasn’t a good look for Just William, and it isn’t a good look for you.7. Brown belt, black shoes
This is one of those subtle things that makes a huge difference. If you’re wearing brown shoes, wear a brown belt. If you’re wearing black shoes, wear a black belt.Mixing and matching leathers looks scruffy, unprofessional and like you’ve got dressed in the dark. Even The Wall Street Journal agrees with us.So there you have it, 7 easy ways to fix common style mistakes men make. Are you guilty of any of these? Or think we missed some out? Let us know in the comments or on social media - we’d love to hear from you.TAGS:
