I will preface this post by saying that there are men’s fashion disasters literally everywhere. I have spent time living in Baltimore and Washington D.C., as well as good amounts of time in New York and Philadelphia, and I see these trends in all of these places. With that being said, I have seen a high concentration of these mistakes since I’ve moved back to Central PA, so I thought it would be a fitting topic to go along with our men’s issue (which is on sale now, don’t forget!) Since this post will discuss a few of this area’s biggest fashion catastrophes, I thought it’d be best to spend some time at where else but J.C. Penney to give some solid examples of what NOT to do when shopping for your next staple items. Special thanks to my friend Garrett for making the trip with me and being a fabulous model for some of the don’ts.
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The Pleated Pant
Pleated Pants are not okay. In 1994, it would have been totally acceptable to purchase and wear a pair of these, but this is no longer acceptable. Not only do they make you look larger around your center region, they are a heinous fashion statement. Don’t do it, don’t do it. Instead, you can grab a nice pair of flat-front chinos at Banana Republic. They are $69.50 and come in about 6 colors.
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Argyle Anything
Argyle was only “in” for one season during the past 10 years, and that was fall of 2008 (although it’s still available at JC Penney and Kohls, so don’t be fooled.) If you are craving a patterned sweater, try on something that is striped, or in an Aztec print. H&M or Gap are easy places to snag this for $35-$60.
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Bold Solid Dress Shirts
If you want to be taken seriously in the business word, stay away from these. Express (and the c-level department stores) have these by the dozens. The bold, bright dress shirts are too much, and will scream “I don’t know what I’m doing.” A better option: a light check or stripe, with a bold tie. These are easy to find anywhere. My personal favorites come from Banana Republic ($79.50) or Fillings ($80+.)
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Geo-printed Wide Ties
This one KILLS me. It’s so easy to find a decent tie in Central PA. The 1990s geo-printed ties (you know, the ones that come in the box with the shirt) are EVERYWHERE, and they need to be stopped. Here’s what to remember when shopping for neckwear: The slimmer the better, stripes and polka dots are OK (live on the edge!) and stay away from anything that looks like a screen saver from Windows95. J crew has awesome ties (about $45) and so does Nordstrom.com ($40-$100.)
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Black Socks
Please don’t be afraid to spice up your socks life. This is one of the easiest, cheapest ways to bring your wardrobe into 2016. Throw away the faded, black ribbed socks and find something more interesting. If you’re really trying to win, you can match your socks to your new ties (see #4.) Gap has awesome men’s socks and they are usually on sale 3 for $15.
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Bad Shoes
Shoes can be the hardest, or the easiest thing to master in your quest for a new wardrobe. Stay away from those ‘orthopedic-looking’ soles and anything without laces, to start. DSW has a lot of good brands for men (Cole Haan, John Varvatos, Clarks) and if you’re feeling adventurous, the “Digby” line from Banana Republic are a great wingtip look for a good price (about $108 at bananarepublic.com.)
Also find lots of local socks and shoes that are stylish here.
