Cloudless sunny days, ice cold drinks, beautiful cheery people, tons of memories to be had, and the only time in the year when less is actually more in regards to fashion. Give your suits and sports coats a vacation, let your button-ups breathe, kick off the shoes and socks, and say adios to all the trinkets that adorn your body. Its summer time let the good times roll!
In the midst of all the nonchalance, it is absolutely bewildering to see the ways how we can take an innocent concept, turn it on its side, and cause the most fashion failures when our bodies are allowed to breathe. Due to the constant “surprises” found during the summer season, summer fashion comes with a set of faux pas all their own. Listed below are the most common broken rules that need to be dealt with immediately!
Socks and Sandals
The most commonly violated summer faux pas. One’s feet are typically covered and wrapped up every day of the year, why would we do an injustice to ourselves and bundle them up in warm thick socks? Summer stands for sockless. Sandals have openings for a reason, if they didn’t they’d be shoes. Get it? Wearing socks and sandal causes heaviness and draws a person’s eyes downward, away from the face. This resulting effect is a shortening and widening the body.
If your feet are not looking their best, fix them. Go to the spa (yes, men go to spa’s) and clean yourself up. There is no excuse to have nasty feet, so stop being lazy. This is a part of grooming, all the seemingly little things add up and make an impression.
Speedos/ Banana hammocks/ tiny shorts
No! No! No! If you are a violator of this rule, there is no forgiveness. There is no reason for a man to be walking anywhere (beach, city, at home, etc.) in any form of short shorts. If you walk around, and hear the Royal Teens “Short Shorts” playing around you, time to look for an alternative. Look for a pair of board shorts (Not too baggy) that fit properly and end a little above the knee crease.
Cargo Shorts
Oh, the memories of stuffing everything but the kitchen sink into the two billion pockets at your disposal. But let’s keep it that way; a memory. Cargo shorts are great for the school-age kiddos but are black listed for the twenty-somethings. Why, you ask?
Cargo shorts with the huge pockets don’t do any justice to one’s silhouette. It makes the wearer seem big in the hips causing a “squished” appearance. Cargo shorts also make the wearer appear unkempt, leave the cargo shorts for the hiking trips and miscellaneous adventures.
Now-a-days, shorts are cut slimmer and have a wide range of patterns. A great pair of men’s casual shorts should follow an imaginary line straight down from the hips, and the hem should end about an inch form the knee.
Strong Fragrance
A common misconception among men is to wear a strong masculine scent 24/7. On top of the strong scent, taking a bath in it is the next violation that typically follows. Read (The last frontier) for the full breakdown of the when and where certain scents fit in your day-to-day life. A weighty scent on hot days can be sickening to ones that have to endure its pungent odor. One simple request from all of us who have to smell you, please keep it at a 3 spray maximum.
Tank tops
A tank top is meant to worn as an undershirt. That’s it. An undershirt. You’re not at the gym and you’re not a Jersey Shore joke, you’re better than that. Thank your lucky stars. Say no to the tank top as an outer shirt. Want to wear something light? Try a colored T-shirt or a light weight polo that accentuates your good points.
Wrap-Around Sunglasses
If you’re going out for a game of tennis, a round of golf, or the Terminator, then by all means terminate your opponents! On the other hand, if you’re not trampling the naysayers at the sport of your choice and all you want to do is take in the sights and sounds of the locale; buy some styles shades. A pair of sunglasses that perfectly frame your face are just as important as the shirt you buy. Don’t buy a pair that covers your face and makes you seem like a fly. Be patient when shopping for the perfect pair, it might take awhile. Once you find them, the compliments will start flying.
