Something many men face when deciding to up their fashion game is the desire to buy an entirely new wardrobe. You may look at the clothes you have been rocking for the past ten years and feel a little ashamed. Some of your old favorites seem, in retrospect, like trash.
The problem is that most of us can’t afford to throw out all our clothes. At best, we can add a few items to our wardrobes. But that’s all you need to exponentially grow your number of fashionable outfits.
You can make (almost) anything fashionable if you use a few simple tricks. Try some of the following.
Make it fit
The problem with most ugly clothing is that it fits poorly. Pants are too baggy, and shirts too boxy. Merely altering the shape of the outfit can make an enormous difference. Cargo pants can look great if they’re brought in at the right places. This can even be done with a stylish pair of boots – tucking the pants into the boots allows them to slim down rather than hanging over your shoes.
Talking about shoes…
Up your shoe game
Shoes can be a game-changer in an outfit. They can ruin the best outfit and save the worst one. This is because shoes bring it all together. They are the item that states loudly and clearly what brings all these clothes together. When you want to rock a particular color scheme, wear shoes of that color. When you want to wear military chic, use fashionable but appropriate shoes to show that it’s fashion, not laziness.
Shoes are expensive, but they are made to last, and one pair can save so many outfits.
But shoes aren’t the only item that can level up any piece of clothing in your closet.
Throw on a jacket
A jacket is another item which screams “This Is Fashion.” Your worn out, boxy shirts can be transformed by a classy jacket. And I mean classy. Just because a jacket is leather does not mean it will earn you any style points.
Look for jackets that make a statement and the clothes you wear with them will make a secondary statement. When you’re wearing a jacket with a beautiful cut and quality fabric, anything that fits its general theme will look like it belongs.
Rip it up
Sometimes, all an item needs to look good is to be destroyed. That might sound crazy, but the truth is that adding strategic rips to your jeans can make them look so much better. (Incidentally, don’t just cut with a scissors. Use sandpaper to wear an area down and then rip it with your hands.)
The same can be true with a sweater. Use your imagination. You can turn an ugly sweater into a sort of crop top which you can pair with a plain white shirt. You’ll be surprised how many compliments and questions it will earn you. You could also rip the sleeves off of a hoodie to make it into a sleeveless version.
Ask for second opinions
As I said, use your imagination, but ask for second opinions as well. Something that is great in theory might not work in practice. By getting a second opinion, you can feel more at ease with your idea of how to level up an item of clothing, knowing that the ones that can’t be salvaged have been thrown out.
