Are there any golden rules for dressing classically and timelessly, whatever your age? If you have a sense of how to apply certain rules regarding combining colours and adapting clothes according to your body shape, you’re well on your way. Then you don’t need to know the latest trends in men’s fashion to dress in a timeless and stylish way.
We all have different talents here in life and this also applies to the ability to dress. Many men lack interest in clothes and fashion. Lacking a natural interest in clothes, it can be helpful to have some style tips along the way.
What exactly is timeless and classic men’s fashion?
In many cases, it feels like the term is misused and over-dramatised. Fashion and trends by definition indicate something contemporary and modern. However, as we have seen in recent years, there are also trends in classic style.
No one can say that they have not been influenced by the growing trend in recent years of double front pleats, turn-ups and higher waistlines. However, this is something that has always been around the corner in men’s fashion, so what exactly is classic men’s fashion?
A classic and timeless style should ensure that the garments in your wardrobe can be worn year in and year out, regardless of the trends that come and go.
However, you can never be completely sure that neither the fit nor the style will be completely contemporary no matter what garments you buy.
How do you want to be perceived?
Most people want to find a personal style, something that reflects their true personality. Although most people would never admit it, we often use clothes to signal different things to the world around us. How do you want others to perceive you? This is one of the most important questions to consider when choosing what to wear for different occasions.
Where to find classic menswear online
In today’s world, searching for men’s clothing online is more relevant than ever. If you are looking for classic and timeless men’s fashion, there are two online men’s fashion stores in particular is the one we can recommend.
At both Mr Porter and Farfetch you can find many exclusive brands with everything from Italian to British menswear. Here you will find lots of classic men’s clothing from a variety of categories.
Style tips – how to dress classic and timeless
There are some important questions to ask yourself before you start constructing a basic wardrobe of classic and timeless pieces.
1. Fit is everything
The most important thing of all when it comes to dressing nicely is the fit. It doesn’t matter how expensive your clothes are, they won’t look stylish if they don’t fit well on your body.
Every garment we wear has its own characteristics to pay attention to. Here are some of the most important ones.
2. Wear the right type of blazer
To a large extent, it is the shape of your body that determines the types of clothes you fit into. A classic silhouette of the suit, with well-constructed shoulders and traditional blazer length sounds like a safe bet for most people. However, it’s important to remember that those with disproportionately short legs in relation to their upper body will not show off their best features with a classic jacket length – just to take one example.
Here, it may definitely be worth keeping an eye out for a more modern design with a shorter jacket length and a slightly tighter fit. There are many comfortable variations in this area, as many fashion houses nowadays make suits in more flexible stretch fabrics.
Those with an athletic build should avoid the use of well-constructed shoulders on blazers, as this tends to exaggerate the effect. In this case, it is a good idea to keep an eye on Italian brands such as Lardini and Boglioli, as many of them produce unconstructed jackets.
In other words, there are many things to consider when it comes to fit. But most people know their own body shape and to a large extent it’s about not forcing clothes on yourself that you know aren’t suited to how you’re built.
3. Pay extra attention to your shirt
It’s also about much more than just jackets and suits. When choosing shirts, sweaters and trousers, it’s extremely important that they don’t fit too tightly or too loosely. A very common problem is that we pay too little attention to the details of our shirts.
Shirt sleeves should not be too wide and at the neck the collar should fit perfectly. It can be difficult to get all the details to fit perfectly on a shirt. Luckily, there are good guides from shirt specialists like Eton online to help you along the way. It’s also a good idea to stick with a familiar brand once you’ve found your favourite, as you’ll know the right measurements better.
4. Trousers – neither too tight nor too loose
There have been many improvements in this area in recent years. All the stretch materials have made it much easier to find trousers that are supple and comfortable whatever the fit. The most common mistake we men make is to wear trousers that are too wide. This is true on all types of trousers, in everything from jeans, chinos to suit trousers.
As a mature man, you should avoid the tightest of low-waisted trousers. But if you want to dress smartly and classically, your trousers should be the right length and fall naturally down the length of your leg.
We are often advised not to wear too short trousers if we are short in stature – and vice versa. This is outdated style advice. In fact, the jacket length is much more important than the trouser length in this context.
5. The right colour combination
There’s a thing called colour analysis, where different colours are said to suit differently depending on a person’s skin, eye and hair colour. Of course, it’s good to know which colours bring out your best sides, but even more important is to know which of your favourite colours go together.
In the end, you should use colours that you feel comfortable with and like. Then it’s just a matter of knowing which colours go together to create an attractive and stylish whole.
The easiest way to do this is to use shades of neutral colours on your base garments. These include black, grey, brown, dark blue (navy), beige and white. Then, 1-2 additional colours can be used to complement the basics.
This can be a difficult art to master if you don’t have a natural flair for colour combinations. Although neutral colours should, in theory, be easy to combine, mistakes can easily be made in this area too. There are colours that are better than others to combine to create an attractive whole.
6. Use patterns in moderation
As with colours, use patterns in moderation. The main rule here is to never combine several patterns in the same outfit. Stripes and squares over each other rarely make a good impression. It’s best not to use patterns on more than one basic garment. The suit can be said to be the exception that proves the rule.
If you have checked or striped trousers, the sweater and jacket should preferably have no pattern – and vice versa. The safest way to use more patterns in your outfit is to use them in accessories to your basic garments.
7. Tips for men with a big belly
Finally, we bring up an increasingly common problem when it comes to clothing and fit. Most clothes are designed for a so-called “normal” body size. This usually means that jackets or other garments are rarely made specifically for the overweight or those with large bellies.
To get around this problem, it is of course possible to have the garments tailored to your own measurements. Another solution is to opt for a more permissive style of clothing. In fact, there are several collections nowadays that provide a very stylish ensemble while hiding body parts we are less proud to show off.
In conclusion
This business of style is not easy. In fact, it’s too multifaceted and complicated to summarize in the form of a single article. A good tip is to study other people you look up to style-wise and then put your own personal touch on your attire.
As with everything else in this world, the more time and energy you put into mastering the subject, the greater your interest. In other words, the more time you spend studying yourself and what you want from your wardrobe, the better your sense of style is guaranteed to be.
