CEB Style Tips: Style Rules For Men

 

 

    There is no single list of men’s dress rules that is comprehensive and absolute. A man of style should just dress to impress and know how to make ladies drool over him,

 

• Let metal match: Match the metal of the bit on your loafers, belt buckle, suspenders, blazer buttons and cufflinks. You need not match the metal on the wristwatch with the other metals.

 

• Embrace black: Wear black shoes with a navy suit/trousers and only wear black, brown or oxblood (burgundy) leather shoes for business dress. Blue, green or any other coloured shoes are inappropriate.

 

• Socks should match trousers: According to www.askmen.com, match the colour of your socks with the colour of your trousers. As an exception, socks can be matched to something worn above the waist such as a man’s shirt, tie, pocket square or suspenders.

 

• Let belt match shoes: Match the colour of your belt with that of your shoes. You don’t need to match the leather on your watchband with that of your shoes and belt, however, it is preferable.

 

 

 

• Watch belt loops: Wear a belt when wearing trousers with belt loops. If trousers do not have belt loops they should have side tabs and/or buttons for use with suspenders. Never use your belts to hold accessories like beepers, phones, ID tags and/or keys.

 

• Watch tie and pocket square: Never wear a tie and pocket square of the same pattern.

 

• Mind patent leather: Wear patent leather shoes for black tie (semi-formal) and white-tie (formal) occasions. Patent leather is never acceptable to be worn in a dress or causal setting.

 

• Shirts do the tricks: Do not wear a crew neck undershirt when the top button of a shirt is left unbuttoned. When leaving the top button unbuttoned wear a v-neck undershirt.

 

• Waistcoat buttons: Leave the bottom button of vest (waistcoat) unbuttoned. However, except when wearing a double breasted or flat bottomed vest, the bottom button should remain buttoned.

 

• Jacket buttons: Never button all three buttons of a three button jacket. Sometimes, button the top, always the middle but never the bottom.

 

 

• Shoes should nail the looks: It is impossible for a man to be considered well dressed if his shoes are of noticeably poor quality. Any good ensemble is built on a fine pair of shoes.

 

• Emphasise fit, not brand: There should be no presence of logo or branding when wearing a suit. An example is wearing a Polo shirt with the Polo logo on it under a suit jacket! Or a Burberry tie with the Burberry tartan! It’s awful! The emphasis of a suit should be the fit, not the brands it is worn with.

 

• Back packs, not for suits please: Wearing a back pack/book bag when in business dress, especially when in a suit is improper. Book bags are reserved for casual wear and students

 

@punch