10 Men's Style Choices Women Wish Were More Common & 10 They're Happy to See Disappear
10 Men's Style Choices Women Wish Were More Common & 10 They're Happy to See Disappear
Effort Is The Whole Variable
Women don't all agree on how men should dress, but certain preferences come up often enough for a pattern to emerge. Looking like you've put some thought into your appearance tends to matter more than keeping up with fashion, and most of the changes cost little or nothing. The styles falling out of favor, meanwhile, often look like they haven't changed in decades. Here are 10 choices women would like to see more of and 10 they'd happily leave behind.
1. A Jacket Cut To The Shoulder
The shoulder seam is the one part of a jacket a tailor can't fix, which makes it the one part worth getting right in the shop. Sitting half an inch wide makes an expensive jacket look borrowed. Everything else can be taken in later. Plenty of men buy a size up and then wonder why nothing hangs properly.
2. Shoes That Aren't Sneakers
Sneakers have taken over every occasion including weddings, mostly reasonably and occasionally to everyone's regret. A plain leather derby or a loafer shifts the whole register of an outfit in a way no sneaker quite manages, however much it cost. The standard is low enough that one pair that isn't athletic puts a man ahead of most of the room, and a second in brown covers the rest.
3. Rolled Sleeves
A sleeve turned up twice reads as competence and as being halfway through something useful, and it costs nothing on any shirt with a cuff. The roll itself is the part worth doing properly, since shoving the fabric up your arm produces a different effect entirely.
4. A Knit Instead Of A Hoodie
A plain merino or lambswool crewneck is as easy to wear as a hoodie but looks like you've put a little more thought into getting dressed. Good wool can last for years with proper care, while cheaper fleece often starts looking tired much sooner. Nobody needs to give up hoodies. It's just worth having a decent sweater for occasions when you want to look a little more put together.
5. An Overcoat
Winter is when an otherwise good outfit disappears beneath a technical jacket built for a mountain its owner has no plans to climb. A mid-thigh wool coat is a more versatile option, looking just as good over a suit as it does over a sweatshirt. A well-made one is warmer than its clean lines suggest, since thick wool traps insulating air without needing all the bulk of a padded jacket.
6. Trousers Hemmed To The Right Length
Trousers that are too long bunch around the shoes, while ones that are too short can make the whole outfit look awkward. Getting the length right often comes down to an inch or less. Some men prefer a slight break over the shoe, while others like a cleaner hem, and either can work. A tailor can usually fix the length for less than the cost of a new shirt, yet plenty of men stick with whatever measurement came off the factory floor.
7. Any Color At All
Black and navy dominate men's wardrobes because they're easy to wear and almost impossible to get wrong. They're also a little predictable. A green sweater or brown jacket adds some personality without drawing much attention. Brown in particular has made a comeback after spending decades associated more with furniture than fashion. It turns out looking well dressed doesn't require avoiding color altogether.
8. A Plain T-Shirt That Fits
The T-shirt is probably the most worn item in a man's wardrobe, yet often the one given the least thought. A good fit makes all the difference, with shoulder seams sitting where they should and a hem that falls just below the belt. Heavier cotton also holds its shape better than thin, cheap fabric. Three well-fitting plain T-shirts will get more use than a drawer full of novelty prints.
9. Linen In August
Men spend summer sweating through heavy cotton and polyester shirts while linen, which has kept people cool for centuries, sits overlooked on the rack. The usual complaint is that it wrinkles, but that's part of its appeal. A slightly rumpled linen shirt looks relaxed rather than sloppy, and the fabric only gets softer with wear. Anyone ironing it perfectly smooth every morning is missing the point.
10. A Recent Haircut
A good haircut can make an ordinary outfit look sharper, but it doesn't stay fresh forever. The first signs of neglect usually show around the neckline and ears, even when the rest of the hair still looks fine. Most men don't need a new style or a more expensive barber. They just need to get the same cut a little more regularly, which is mostly a matter of remembering to book it.
That's the wish list. Now, here's 10 heading the other way.
1. Square-Toed Shoes
Square toes were the signature error of the early 2000s and they're still on sale in airport shops around the world. The toe finishes in a flat blunt edge that makes the foot look like furniture, and no outfit has ever been improved by a pair. The very pointed versions that replaced them aren't much better.
2. Cargo Shorts
Six pockets seem excessive for someone carrying little more than a phone and keys, but the pockets aren't really the problem. It's all the extra fabric hanging around the thighs that makes cargo shorts look dated. A simpler pair ending just above the knee is just as practical for everyday wear without the bulk. Proper cargo shorts still have their place on a hiking trail, where those extra pockets might actually come in handy.
3. Slogan T-Shirts
A joke printed on a T-shirt might be funny the first time, but wearing it regularly means making the same joke to everyone you meet. Eventually, you stop noticing the slogan while everyone else is still reading it. Band shirts and souvenirs are different because they mean something to the person wearing them. A novelty shirt picked up at a gas station rarely has much going for it once the joke wears thin.
4. Cologne By The Cupful
Fragrance works best when someone notices it up close, not from across the room. One or two sprays are usually enough, yet some men use five because they stop noticing the scent on themselves after a few minutes. The fragrance hasn't disappeared. Their noses have simply adjusted to it, while everyone around them can still smell it just fine.
5. Sunglasses On The Back Of The Head
Sunglasses pushed onto the back of the head aren't doing much good, yet the habit has stuck around since the mid-2000s. It might keep them out of the way, but it also looks like someone forgot where they put them. Hanging them from a shirt collar or slipping them into a bag works just as well without making them part of the hairstyle.
6. The Shiny Suit
A shiny suit can look cheap regardless of what it cost, and polyester is often to blame. It catches the light in a way that makes the fabric look artificial, especially under bright indoor lighting. A matte wool suit in navy tends to look more expensive and holds up better after hours of sitting. Even good tailoring can't do much to disguise fabric that's too shiny.
7. Flip-Flops Away From Water
Flip-flops make sense at the beach or beside a pool, but they've somehow become everyday footwear for restaurants and shopping trips. The slapping noise doesn't help, and the flimsy rubber design makes even a decent outfit look unfinished. A pair of sandals with proper straps offers the same comfort while looking more put together. There's nothing wrong with flip-flops, as long as the occasion suits them.
8. Bootcut Jeans
Bootcut jeans narrow at the knee before widening over the shoe, a shape that makes sense when there's a cowboy boot underneath. Without the boots, the extra fabric tends to look dated. Straight and relaxed cuts have made a comeback, but plenty of men are still wearing the same jeans they settled on twenty years ago. Sometimes a style sticks around simply because nobody thought to try anything else.
9. Hair Gel By The Fistful
The wet, spiky hairstyle held together with heavy gel was everywhere in the 1990s, but it hasn't aged particularly well. The biggest problem is how stiff it makes the hair, leaving it looking hard and unnatural. A matte paste or styling cream can provide similar control while allowing the hair to move normally. The result looks more relaxed, and nobody has to worry about running their fingers through a head full of crunchy gel.
10. Shorts That Stop At The Knee
Shorts that end right at the kneecap tend to make the legs look shorter, yet that length has been a standard in men's clothing for years. A hem an inch or two above the knee usually looks cleaner and gives the legs better proportions. Longer shorts can work too, especially with a looser fit. It's the awkward middle length, sitting directly on the knee, that often looks like nobody paid attention to where the fabric ended.
