Why would I want to comment on manly attire, you ask?
Reason One: I know at least two men read this blog and figure I should include something that's not almost exclusively female-oriented.
Reason Two: I have (self-proclaimed) good taste. I know what I like...and don't like...when it comes to what guys wear.
Here are a few cardinal rules (based on my own personal philosophy on life):
A. Houses, cars and men should never be in pink. Period. Ok...unless it's a priest on one of those few days a year when he's stuck wearing pink...fine, rose. We'll call it rose, but everyone knows it's pink. :)
B. Men shouldn't wear skinny jeans. It makes them look slight and girly (exhibit A and exhibit B). That's our (women's) job, thank you very much! There's nothing manly about jeans giving you a girl butt...I'm just sayin'.
C. Guys should not wear deeper v-neck shirts that I do (exhibit C). Again, it looks too girly. There's a reason stereotypical gay men wear v-neck tees. Ugh, or those awful tank tops (exhibit D and exhibit E) that I've already seen too many men walking around in this year. Not mention I'm not a fan of guys trying to show off chest hair. So don't, ok?
Reason Three: Due to my extensive meandering around cyberspace, I have run across some great examples of fantastic men's apparel. Below are some examples from specific venues, like Express or Target...and others are just examples I've run across on Pinterest.
Disclaimer: You're going to notice a general theme...I'm a big fan of dressy casual for men. :)
Converse® One Star® Men's Short
Sleeve Button Down from Target - $22.99
Croft and Barrow Philadelphia Plaid Tie in Navy from Kohls - on sale for $19.20
- I'm also a fan of it in green and orange, but the navy was my favorite. This would look great with a white dress shirt, jeans and a black vest. Me gusta mucho! :)
Lived-in tonal plaid shirt in Tile Blue from Gap
Express can be insanely expensive, but if you hit a good sale or have a coupon, it's totally worth it (in my humble opinion). They have great quality, sharp concepts and sexy styles. I'm a huge fan.
Fitted Striped Military Shirt from Express
- Celestial Blue is my favorite!
Super Skinny Silk Tie - Stripe (Pitch Black) from Express
- This would look great with a white shirt, a black shirt...the Celestial Blue. So many options!
- Classy and casual...what's not to like?
Micro Stripe Photographer Suit Jacket from Express
- Why yes, I am a huge fan of men wearing vests in casual and formal situations. However did you guess?
Some favorites from my "Men's Apparel" Pinterest board:
~ Katie
It seems more and more like the "cool thing" is for guys to be waifishly thin and wear expensive "high fashion" clothes. I really don't understand it. It all seems like people want to take the testosterone out of men. Even some of the pictures you posted here made me think of that trend.
ReplyDeleteYeah, some of the models aren't the most manly men ever, but that's not necessarily the clothes fault. I like masculine looking clothing...military cut shirts, ties, etc. Even the casual baseball tee has an essentially masculine virtue emblazoned across it...making it more fashionable, sure, but not at the cost of depleting the wearer testosterone level. :) I do think it's important to dress well and not like you're on your way to a tailgate or backyard bbq all the time. It shows a certain amount of consideration for the people around you, that you've taken the time and effort to look presentable.:)
DeleteMy quintessential "manly man" is Booth from the show Bones. Tall, broad shouldered with a great smile and sense of humor, he's former military, an impeccable dresser (with the healthy exception of his belt buckles & socks...no one's perfect, lol), thoughtful and crazy loyal. If we were old schooling it I'd say John Wayne, though he'd lose points in the thoughtful/caring category. ;)
Oh no, I wasn't criticizing your choice (I don't know anything about fashion... I just wear what people buy for me or whatever I buy that looks exactly the same... haha), it just reminded me of the trend toward the emasculated "man".
DeleteI almost always wear slacks, cowboy boots, and either button-down shirts or polos. Unless my wife tells me otherwise... hahaha
I'm glad to see your tastes haven't gone the way of the crowd. :)
I agree that the trend seems to be to emasculate men...the metro-sexual look has really taked over. Call me old fashioned, but I like my men to look & dress like men (and women to look/dress like women). We each have our own assets...why not run with them? Ok...maybe not run...but walk briskly? :)
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