Style Basics

The 4 most common style mistakes men make (fall edition)

By on November 7th, 2016

Here in Colorado we have had an incredibly warm fall. Typically, we do have warm days in October and November, but this year feels completely different. Nevertheless, I’m sure there are some cold days that will be arriving in a couple weeks. So, we want you to be prepared. Here are four practical nuggets of wisdom to help you look your best this fall. I think these are some of the most common style mistakes men make, but fortunately, they are easy to fix.

Not knowing when it’s time to get a new coat

I know, I know. We all have our favorite coats and jackets and it can be difficult to part with them sometimes. In anticipation of the cooler weather, I took a quick peek into my coat closet the other day and discovered that my go-to jacket has seen better days. It’s now pilling pretty badly and the once black fabric has faded a bit. In fact, I didn’t really recognize to the extent that it had faded until I took a look at some peacoats in a store. These new jackets were pitch black, whereas mine was off-black. So, take a look in your coat closet this week and see if you need to make some hard decisions.

Layer up, the right way

Here’s a general rule of thumb: The thicker the fabric, the farther away from your body it should be. For instance, a T-shirt or button up dress shirt should be worn nearest your body, then a sweater, and then your sport jacket or coat. And ideally, the latter is something thicker like a tweed or corduroy.

You can play around a bit and carefully bend this rule, but just don’t take things too far like trying to compress a thick sweater under your sleekest modern suit.

Buttoning the bottom button of your jacket

In the fall, we are easily reminded that the clothes we wear serve a functional purpose. The blazer is a great example. We can fight off that cool breeze by flipping up our jacket collar and remembering that our blazers are still jackets first and foremost. However, it’s still a dress jacket and that means that you should never button the bottom button.

common style mistakes men make

No matter what you wear, keep it clean

We’re all guilty of wearing a slightly dirty coat or dull pair of shoes. But the simple act of using a lint roller on your winter dress coat or regularly shining your shoes can make a huge difference.

And don’t forget to wash those dress shirts.

Wrap up

Adopt just one of these fixes and you’ll be well on your way to correcting some of the common style mistakes for men. Then add some fun socks into the mix!