Men wearing jean shorts.
With their shirts tucked in.
Wearing sandals.
With socks.
At 2 different locations.
The first guy looked like a "jean short" guy since his shirt was definitely from the early 1990's too and he was busting out of the shorts and his shirt like a sausage link.
The only guy I know that can pull off the wearing-old-clothes-routine is Marv. He's 86 and has been wearing the same wardrobe for at least 40 years....still comes into the office each day to give me the finger and call me an A.H. which is always followed by, "You know what that is." My stock reply is, "Yeah Marv, I'm looking at one now." Then he shakes his head, mutters something under his breath and wanders off. Groundhog day - this happens EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
Since Marv still wears clothes from the '60's, I believe the hip phrase is "That was once old is new again," is debatable. In his all brown polyester outfit looks like the UPS man, and the navy slacks and light blue shirt remind me of a garage mechanic. Back in the day gas stations actually repaired cars and just might have a soda machine. Nowadays, when you refuel, you can buy groceries, get a carwash, and in Nevada, play slot machines. The apocalypse must be near.
All this got me to thinking about my own dressing style. I use this phrase since "fashion sense" sounds so gay. In high school we wore levi's and t-shirts. The girls wore ditto's (pants) and halter tops/tube tops or flimsy blousey things. All were easy to take off and get to 2nd base. I digress.
The '70's were just plain bad in terms of dress and the '80's were marginally better. Only in the '90's did things start to shape up.Nowadays the term "metrosexual" has become synonomous with Ryan Seacrest and men who spend just a little too much time primping and getting dressed. I'm not a metro.
Fashions come and go, but style is always, well, in style. Here are a few dress for success tips passed down from my dad that still work today:
1. Always make sure your shoes are shined. This means the leather side soles too. Nothing worse that seeing a man in a suit or dress slacks with shoes that look like he just played soccer in. Cool fact - I have my father's shoe polish brush from when he served in WWII - still has the his name stenciled on it so whenever I'm shining up my shoes, it reminds me of my dad (who died in 1994).
2. Make sure you nails are clean and trimmed. There can be no debate here - nothing worse than seeing anyone with curled talons on their hands or feet. Ick.
3. Make sure your clothes are pressed - don't be sloppy. No one likes a slob.
4. If you wear a blue, gray, or black suit, DO NOT EVER where brown shoes at the same time. Black shoes are the only appropriate footwear here (unless you are a pimp and then go ahead and wear shoes that match your suit color).
5. You can never go wrong wearing a pressed white shirt with any suit.
6. A pocket square is always a classy touch.
7. A men's belt should match the color of his shoes (sort of like the purse/shoe thing women fight with each day). Luckily for us a belt is only like $50 bucks versus a Kate Spade, or Ferragamo purse. Whew.
8. Try and not get too crazy with patterns. The suit, tie and shirt should not all be patterned - if you get to work and look in the mirror, it will look like you dressed in the dark.
9. It's okay to wear interesting socks slightly darker than one's trousers. A light pattern is permissable - even a bit wimsy is okay.
10. 2010 means flat front pants are in and a return to the '60's in terms of a tighter fit.
Guys, better hit the gym.
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