It's a common misconception of some that men can't be fashion conscious. Some may not trust their own taste or the taste of their male friends and old fashioned parents. Others just need a quick review. It helps to know something about colors, fabrics and styles, but when you're dressing to impress girls, the most important thing you can have is confidence.
Steps
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Remember the 4 C's! !! To understand how to impress women with your clothing you must consider four things:
- Color
- Cut
- Context
- Cleanliness
- These four elements are the cornerstones of male fashion. Note that cost does not factor into this list. Some of the most tacky, inappropriate and unattractive fashions are expensive. Cost does not mean class. Now let's address color.
- These four elements are the cornerstones of male fashion. Note that cost does not factor into this list. Some of the most tacky, inappropriate and unattractive fashions are expensive. Cost does not mean class. Now let's address color.
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Know that different colors send different subconscious and conscious messages to women, believe it or not. Consider this: If you saw a woman walk into the room in a neon orange dress, the color of the reflective tape on a crossing guard's vest, you might make the assumption that she wasn't shy, and you'd probably be right! It's no different for men's fashion, and you don't have to be wearing neon orange to send a message.
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Consider carefully primary red or blue clothing. Two basic colors that send different messages are red and blue. Red has extreme sexual undertones, as far as colors go, and is sometimes, when worn correctly, attractive to women. Red is also a hot colour and the colour associated with danger by many. Blue is the color of stability and trust, especially navy blue. That's why politicians often wear the color.
- The colors both have their attractive qualities, but when worn together, they can cancel each other out. If you are a generally reserved person, or are seen as the loyal or plain type, (friend zoned?) try wearing a dark red or maroon shirt, nothing too garish.
- If you don't know the girl(s) you want to impress, try a dependable blue. . At the end of the day, stable is more impressive than sexy to most women. In fact, polls show that women are most likely to approach, date, talk to or enter a relationship with someone wearing this color. Too many men these days are confused for being unreliable, and too many women these days have been hurt by unreliable men, so stability and trustworthiness are impressive.
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Consider other colors such as pink and green. Pink is viewed as a light-hearted, fun loving, confident and sweet color on men and women, so don't discount it just because you heard when you were a child "Pink is a girl's color." In fact,
- If you plan on going with a color in the red family, go with pink if you want to be seen as fun and non threatening. Green is seen as rugged and manly, without the unreliability of red or the just-a-friendly-guy image that blue can give. It isn't the most attractive of colors, but it's not off putting.
- If you plan on going with a color in the red family, go with pink if you want to be seen as fun and non threatening. Green is seen as rugged and manly, without the unreliability of red or the just-a-friendly-guy image that blue can give. It isn't the most attractive of colors, but it's not off putting.
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Remember cut is even more important than color! There are certain connotations that go along with the way your clothes fit you, not to mention, it can determine whether or not you look attractive. Let's start with the most severely abused garment, cut wise: pants.
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Consider this situation: You're trying to approach a girl, and she doesn't seem interested. Cheer up, man, it's probably not you! Look down at your pants. Are they belted halfway down your thighs? You've found your problem. Are they riding low and exposing of your boxers, or worse, three inches of plumber's crack?
- Or maybe your pants are pulled above your belly button by tight suspenders or an ill used belt. Okay, maybe your pants are sitting perfectly at your hip bones. If they're skin tight, they're still going to be unattractive!
- Jeans should sit at around below the top of your hipbones, and should not expose your boxers. They should not be as tightly fitted as most women's jeans. Straight leg is more appropriate than skinny, and don't go with bell bottoms unless it's a costume or themed party.
- Dress pants should sit higher, and have looser fitting legs, also straight cut.
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Wear dress shirts cut so that they are loose, except at the collar, shoulders, and cuffs. Shoulders should be loose enough, but never baggy or similar to a woman's blouse in cut or style in any way.
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Avoid 'over-sized' t-shirts. T-shirts should be long enough to cover the top of jeans, but not much longer. This will look sloppy. Sleeveless shirts like wife-beaters are a sure way to make a poor impression. If you MUST show off your arm muscles, then wear a short sleeved shirt. That should be good enough.
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Remember, the collar of a shirt should cover chest hair, and on a dress shirt, be unrounded and well ironed.
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Keep in mind the third C, context. There is nothing tackier than an inappropriate outfit. This could include a Hawaiian shirt to a dinner party (even if it's $500; come to think of it, this pattern is tacky unless it's on swim trunks) or cold cufflinks and an Italian suit with slicked back hair to high school. The first may get you uninvited or not invited in the future
- The second may get you robbed and or mocked. Either way, these outfits are being presented in the wrong context. Black tie means formal! Casual means not formal.
- If you are going to an event and are clueless as to the dress code, discreetly call the host and consult him or her.
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Know when to dress casual. A list of events that you can assume are casual:
- Beach
- Picnics
- Barbeques
- Children's Birthday Parties
- A date to the Movies
- A coffee date
- A bowling date
- A sports game or video games
- Final week at school.
- There are many more events that could go on this list, but this one should give you a basic understanding. Jeans, shorts, t-shirts, baseball caps and funky patterns belong here.
- There are many more events that could go on this list, but this one should give you a basic understanding. Jeans, shorts, t-shirts, baseball caps and funky patterns belong here.
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Know when to dress semi-casual. These include:
- Church (perhaps)
- Clubbing
- A Friend's birthday party
- The first day of school
- Work in an office
- A job interview.
- This category includes khakis, polo shirts, loafers, and dark jeans except in the workplace. Rugby shirts are nice as well.
- This category includes khakis, polo shirts, loafers, and dark jeans except in the workplace. Rugby shirts are nice as well.
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Wear semi-formal attire appropriately.
- A funeral
- A wedding (if you're not in the wedding party)(Beach weddings are general semi-casual, but you might want to ask),
- A Dance (unless it's described as formal)
- A Mixer
- A cocktail party
- A work party
- Church (perhaps)
- This includes ties, black dress shoes, black dress pants, and a dress jacket or blazer. A button down shirt (white is your best bet) must be worn.
- This includes ties, black dress shoes, black dress pants, and a dress jacket or blazer. A button down shirt (white is your best bet) must be worn.
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Go formal:
- Your own wedding
- An opera
- A wedding (If you're in the family or in the wedding party, or if it is black tie). This includes a dress shirt, Tie, Bow Tie, cuff links, and a Tuxedo. Don't forget you dress shoes. If you can't afford a well made tux, get a well made tux second hand or rent one. It's more impressive than a cheap new tux.
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Be clean and hygienic. Cleanliness is the last point to touch on. This is not only a matter of impressions. It is also a matter of basic hygiene.
- Shirts should be washed after being worn once, or if you're wearing it to bed, twice. Jeans should be washed after they've been worn 2-3 times, unless you've gotten them stained, dirty, or you sweat in them. In those cases, wash after one wear, and the sooner the better.
- Shirts should be washed after being worn once, or if you're wearing it to bed, twice. Jeans should be washed after they've been worn 2-3 times, unless you've gotten them stained, dirty, or you sweat in them. In those cases, wash after one wear, and the sooner the better.
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Remember your object is to impress. What you wear will not impress if you wear it and it is uncomfortable, about to malfunction and rip or something, or makes you not feel confident. Confidence is the most impressive quality known to man (and woman)
Video
Tips
- Ties vary in width and length depending on what's in fashion. Fashion changes quickly. Never be extreme in clothing and trendiness. A tie should end about at the top of your belly button, and be about the width of 4 fingers (at the widest art of the tie).
- If you are wearing coat type zip up jackets, don't zip them till your neck. Have them half zipped or unzipped.
- The most important thing to wear is "confidence", without it no dressing will work.
- Striped ties look confident, but don't choose too bright a color combo!
- Don't be misleading in the way you dress. If you are not a khakis and button down kind of guy, don't pretend to be someone you're not. That is not, however, and excuse for sloppy or overly casual fashion
- For those of you who may not know, cufflinks are small pin-like pieces of jewelry used to fasten the cuffs of dress shirts that are almost exclusively worn by men and occasionally by women. They are a good way to personalize an outfit for a man who doesn't like jewellery to be flashy and obvious. They range from inexpensive cloth 'knots' to the very expensive diamond encrusted affairs. * Cufflinks can only be worn with a certain type of sleeve. Ask the salesperson for a shirt that accommodates cufflinks if that's what you're looking for.
- Men should not try too hard to be very trendy unless they want to be. Try to limit yourself to one trendy accessory for semi casual or casual wear, like a cool pair of sunglasses.
- Men should neverbe extreme in fashion. A well dressed man is classic, unless one is very famous.
- Pink and Navy blue can be successfully combined in any outfit.
Warnings
- Yellow is associated with intelligence by some, but also (interestingly enough) obnoxiousness. It is a somewhat visually aggressive color.
- If you wear pink all the time, people might make off-base assumptions. If you are fine with this, more power to you. Otherwise, mix things up a little.
- Purple can be associated with Emo and goth culture, unless it's a nice paisley tie or a smart white shirt with a very fine purple stripe.