Perfectly Acceptable Menswear

  Shortly after reading our previous post, an aquaintance of ours looked a bit puzzled. He seemed to see a major flaw in it: we used a few pictures of white sneakers.

“But don’t they look bad?” he asked. He was under that impression, it seems, because he saw so many badly dressed young men who happened to wear such shoes.

We were quite baffled, really: what could be so hard about it? And then we blanked completely. For over a month. Therefore losing our right to bitch about bloggers not updating often enough forever.

Thankfully, after staring for hours at any guy wearing said shoes, our eyes crazed and our mouths foaming, we finally got a bit of an answer.

What we observed is simple: you should not wear a dark outfit with white sneakers. There is something about it ever-so-slightly casual douche, as we like to call it. See:

T-shirt H&M, jeans H&M, shoes Adidas.

 This particular outfit may be a tad cliché, of course. But overall, dark clothes + white shoes just don’t work well. Try to imagine a guy in a tuxedo with white wingtips. Naaaaah.

Now try the same outfit with lighter pants:

pants H&M.

That’s better.

Or with a white t-shirt (so daring):

t-shirt Urban Outfitters.

Like, wow, you guys.

There you have it, folks: white sneakers have to be worn with at least one light piece of clothing.
It is very encouraging that it took us a month to figure it out, isn’t it.

  The preppier version may also be worn with a dressier outfit. Be careful, though: unlike our first magical rule, this might be just a matter of opinions.

We actually disagreed on this with several of our fashion advisers; but a fight to death proved to be once again a wonderful way to settle an argument.

We are particularely fond of the white sneakers + light gray pants + light blue shirt + dark belt combination. Just look at this:

 This is a warmer weather outfit, of course. Now, about black, smart pants worn with those… You might be able to pull it off, but please don’t overdo it with the quirky-retro-but-like-so-cool vibe. So cool it with the bow-ties.

  And we’re done! Hurray! Of course, if you have any suggestions, please go ahead and enlighten us.

 Now off you go, come back next time for SHIRTS. How thrilling!
 

  We’ll try to keep this one as concise as possible, but we have so, so many           feelings about sneakers.

 We will however try to retrain ourselves and simply go over several styles of perfectly acceptable sneakers, neither too utilitarian nor too avant-garde. Fun fact about sneakers: the more old-school they look, the least likely they are to go out of style any time soon.

 If you feel like people always end up staring at your feet with half-amused half-sneering looks, do keep reading. And take those dumb shoes off.

 Converse All Star
 

Converse

  Goes without saying. Very comfortable, very sturdy, they fit men, women and timelords of any age. The hi-top ones even let you wear your silliest socks shamelessly. However, we are aware that few still furiously loathe Converse and whose eyes burn with hatred whenever they enter their field of vision. For these demented sociopaths, thankfully, many other options exist.

 Classics/Lo-tops

Nike w/APC, Zara, Adidas

  Gray or white ones with colourful details are especially versatile. You can even pair them with well-fitted straight fit pants for a dressed down look, as in “I don’t take myself too seriously, ain’t I cool” or “I don’t care about your wedding enough to wear more expensive shoes”. Prefer those in leather, and keep them at least a bit clean. Zara regularly sells really nice ones.

 Same goes for the Mid-tops, which ride slightly higher on your ankles.

Lacoste, Etnies, Supra

 Hi-tops

Nike, Keds, H&M

  The Dunks. Oh my, the Dunks. How we love them. They look good on anyone, really, and there is literally* a billion of styles for you to pick. These should only be worn with casual outfits (unless you’re Kid Cudi). While simple, clean designs are fine, you don’t have to be afraid of colour. Colours are your friends: you simply might want to wear somehow flashy shoes with neutral clothes. And you’ll look less boring! What’s not to like, really.

 Plimsolls

Topman, Vans, Urban Outfitters

   Typically made of canvas, those are a Very good alternative for warmer weather, especially if you’re allergic to flip-flops or ashamed of your toes. They look really nice and also happen to be very cheap.

 Chukka Boots Look-alikes

Lacoste, Zara, Fred Perry  

  (For lack of a better name) These may look a bit too unusual for the not fashion-forward; they still have a quite elegant, retro vibe. You might want to try a few pairs to appreciate how they look on you.

 Slip ons

H by Hudson, Vans, Clae

  The checkered ones look a bit dated, but are sill wearable if the rest of the outfit looks grown-up enough. The plain ones are great for a relaxed, easy (if a bit lazy) style. Still, your socks should definitely not be showing there. Also, the chance of losing at least one on a drunken night out are very high.

Now, for the nastier ones.
 
To be worn only on certain occasions, preferably never:


 Thak kind of Skate Shoes

  DC, Circa Combat

  Which make your feet look twice as large. Wear them if you are actually skating, and that’s it. They look like boats, and you don’t want that on your feet.

 Actual Trainers

 Asics, New Balance, Adidas

  Or “athletic shoes”. If they look like they were made for training, then that is most likely the only appropriate time to wear them (unless you’re the type that want to be able to outrun the imminent zombie invasion at any given time). With slightly pointed toes and thick cushioned soles, they really look quite dreadful when worn with day-to-day life outfits. As you’ve seen above, there are plenty other options.

 Those.

  Lacoste, Puma, Lacoste again

  Vile. Vile. Vile. These look like a mix between ugly sport cars and rock-climbing shoes. Not only are those are pretty oddly shaped to begin with, it seems like the manufacturer forgot the sole. They look like they should be worn with overly faded jeans, a gormless look on your face and too much hair product. Actually, they should not be worn at all.


Conclusion: Sneakers should never look like vehicles of any kind. 

*Not literally.

 Pants seem easy, don’t they? Put one leg in each hole, pull it up, zip and voila.

However, if you care the slightest bit about how you look, you should be at least a bit picky while choosing pants. If you actually don’t care, we definitely respect that, but you probably shouldn’t waste anymore of your time on this blog. You may go.

Now, a few simple rules:

•  Ideally, your pants should fall a bit on your shoe so that when you sit, your socks remain hidden. Although we must say, while showing your Charmeleon socks to the world is not appropriate, if you are constantly walking on your too-long pants you will look like a particularly undignified bum.
•  Your pants should not be worn down to your knee, of course, or right under your bottom. God knows it goes without saying, but it looks as dumb as it did ten years ago, and we still see it on actual people on the street.
•  Being able to squat is also a plus, as not having your nether regions completely squashed. Golden rule: you should be able to fit easily two fingers on the side of the waist of your trousers. If you can fit both arms and half of your extended family, they just might be too big.

  With all that being said, here are a few pair of straight slacks, mostly loose fitting and plain coloured, because let’s face it: you probably don’t look good in a pair of striped skinny jeans. It’s okay, no one does*.

Exhibit A:

Above: Dr. Denim, Jack & Jones, River Island. All available at asos.com.

Regular fitting chinos: always a good bet.

 These are a good example of how wide the leg ought to be. Most of the slim fit ones don’t really match the style we’re going for - that is, they look pretty ridiculous, even on the models.
 You can even pick slightly drop-crotch ones if you are particular about leaving, well, everything a lot of room to breathe.
Just pick the appropriate size for you (as in, your actual size). See also: Boot cut chino, or Relaxed fit chino.
 These mostly look relaxed though, and might not be appropriate in a stricter work environment.

Bonus: these might make you look a bit cooler than you are.


Exhibit B:

Asos Gray pindot straight fit pants, Asos Straight fit black pants, available at asos.com.

“Smarter” pants.

 These are a bit dressier, of course, and way more fitted. Very elegant, and you can also dress them down a bit for more casual occasions.
Don’t forget to iron them, thankyouverymuch**.

Bonus: so, so dapper.


  These two are definite essentials for the young, well-dressed crowd. Now go buy them.
If you are looking for a fair trade alternative, check http://www.peopletree.co.uk/ and http://www.ascensiononline.com/


*Again, totally respect it if you still choose to wear them. That’s quite impressive.
**You are only exempt from doing it yourself if you have no arms or under 12.

Dressing well, when you’re a man, is extremely easy.

So easy, in fact, that it leads us ladies to great frustration when we witness really great men wasting their wonderful looks by dressing like goddamn overgrown teenagers, leaving their potential for greatness dusty and shriveled in the gutter. Almost criminal, indeed.

Therefore, we will here try to establish a few simple tips for choosing nice, classic pieces of clothing that would look good on anyone.
It’s not about becoming a slave to fashion, wearing expensive suits at all time or giving up on your sweatpants forever. The goal here is to look like an elegant, mature young man. See Mr. Brando here, and Mr. Peck.

The idea appeals to you, but you don’t know where to start? Well, dry your tears and look no further.
You’re welcome.

S’habiller correctement, quand on est un homme, est chose facile.

Si facile que nous autres membres du ~beau sexe~ nous retrouvons dévorées par la frustration en voyant tant de merveilleux jeunes hommes se vêtir comme des ados attardés à longueur de temps, laissant leur fantastique potentiel tout rassis et rabougri dans le caniveau. C’en est presque criminel.

Pour contrer ce malheureux phénomène, nous allons ici tenter d’établir quelques règles simples pour choisir de beaux vêtements bien classes qui iraient à tout le monde.
Il ne s’agit pas de devenir une bête de mode, de se ruiner en costards et d’abandonner ses joggings pour toujours. Le but est de ressembler enfin à un vrai jeune homme, mature et élégant. Voir Mr. Brando ici, et Mr. Peck.

L’idée vous plait, mais vous ne savez pas par où commencer? Séchez donc vos larmes: nous sommes là pour vous. De rien.