Dress like a man

Yes man, I am talking about us right now. Girls out there can actually share this article if they found interesting with this topic. Still wearing hoodies and high tops in your forties? Maybe those wives can relate this when their husband are on dress dead end. Guys it's time to master off-duty dressing. My imperative approach is it usually feels good when someone wants to borrow your clothes: when you catch your girl wearing your old sweater or simply as your brother asks to borrow your dinner jacket for the party. It's less comfortable and it's hard to pretend that you are okay after a few days when suddenly you smell it sweat, stained with ketchup or having a tears drainage.


Middle youth has a lot of mess and questions to be answered. But it is usually the responsibility of men, mostly are fathers spending their weekends dressed in a standard bachelor uniform of low baggy jeans compressed with hoodies and instructors. The problem is just it's not appropriate: you haven't returned to people power times seeking for justice, or you else have to say, I am gonna go to highway Leganes.

 It is a common mistake made by so many Peter Pan men like Ronnie Wood for example. So why dress like this? It's high time for hip-hop batallion pulled their socks up, or atleast put some on rather than off.

It's a nightmare for teenagers, but guys admit it- it is also frustrating for us. As more youth today explore some of the best outfit suited for them and having much wrinklies appropriated, young generation have less option but to colonise other, more extreme looks.This can be the only explanation for the rise of emo.

Dressing appropriately for your age is no mean feat since the rules and boundaries became so blurred. We no longer arrive at key stages in our lives at the same time: you are just as likely to be a new dad at 42 as at 26; you could be the CEO of an internet empire at 23 or swap a job in the City to go bumming around India for a year at 38.

Role models are few and far between, too. There is no way we would dress as our fathers did at our age (with the exception of honking sloanes, of course, who dress like their parents as soon as they are out of nappies). And, at the other extreme, most of us would, I hope, feel a little uncomfortable dressing like the aforementioned ageing rockers, or like the chronically age-phobic Madonna and Michael Jackson do at 50. I say most, because at Madge’s Wembley gig a few weeks ago, there was an alarming number of middle-aged women — and a few men — dressed like the singer.

Movie stars tend not to be too helpful, either. The days of style icons such as Cary Grant and Steve McQueen are long gone. It's all beanies, combats and V-neck T-shirts today. Everyone looks as if they have just come off the set of a Judd Apatow movie. So to whom do you turn for guidance? Happily, there are a few real men out there — George Clooney, Hugh Grant, Guy Ritchie and Jose Mourinho, for example — who manage to look modern, masculine and age-appropriate off duty. These guys tend to rely on a few well-chosen staples (see right), so what you notice about them first isn’t their clothes, but the fact that they simply look good. They appear ageless and are living proof that there’s a middle ground somewhere between Russell Brand and Gordon Brown.

Ultimately, the easiest way to avoid the kidult conundrum is this: if one of your children compliments you on something you’re wearing, get rid of it. Sometimes it’s tough: I’ve had to say a sad goodbye to a charming pair of coloured Uniqlo jeans, a navy Gap pea coat and a very expensive pair of Pierre Hardy high-tops. This selfless sacrifice has, so far, paid off. Despite living worryingly close to Camden market, neither of my children has, as yet, shown any signs of impending gothdom. 1

JACKET

Richard James does a neat-fitting navy blazer and Kilgour has a great unstructured grey flannel jacket. Check out Reiss or Cos for less expensive alternatives.

SHOES

Avoid trainers, especially high-tops (fun, but too young). I suggest heavy-looking shoes this autumn, such as a brown Waterline pair by Church’s. Otherwise, invest in penny loafers (Tod’s are good) or brown suede Chelsea boots. If you want something more casual, opt for navy or grey Sebago deck shoes.

SWEATERS

This autumn, the best-value knitwear is at Uniqlo. Its merino wool collection has great-fitting V-necks, turtlenecks and polo necks. Go for navy, brown, moss green or, if you’re feeling brave, baby pink. If you want a pattern, look at the stripy sweaters in Gap or, for a little more luxury, try Pringle’s cable-knits.

CARDIGANS

These are still in fashion and can look great, if worn properly. For a preppy look, team with a shirt and tie: a look that works for any age, from eight to 80. However, avoid cardigans if you have a paunch: they will only exaggerate it. Marks & Spencer have a cashmere cardigan for £149.

SHIRTS

Don’t wear too formal a shirt at the weekend. Go for a soft collar and a loose shape: pale blue is a safe bet. Check shirts are back, but be careful not to look like an extra from Brokeback Mountain — Margaret Howell and Aubin & Wills do good versions.

CHINOS

Much easier to get right than jeans. Don’t go too baggy, or you will look like a sack of potatoes. I recommend stone-coloured chinos by Acne, cotton chinos from CP Company or a pair of Hackett’s moleskin trousers.(timeonline.co.uk)