FashBlog.com

Men and fashion rarely seem to mix. I think that more men look okay than women give them credit for, but that is another article. For now, I think that it is important to note that many men, even ones who do look great, do not feel that way. Men are trained in many ways to be self-conscious about the way they look. If you are a man and are concerned that you are making major fashion mistakes, here are a few fashion decisions you should avoid.

Too many colors is one of the mistakes that many men make. The layering look that is popular right now is something that causes problems for many men. Try to limit yourself to two to three colors. Do not go too far the other way and stick to only green on a whole outfit. You will just succeed in looking like a tree. Instead you should try to match but have only a couple of colors so that you do not provide too much for people to consider.

In the summer, you want to wear lighter fabrics, such as cotton. In the winter, stick to the heavier fabrics, like tweed and leather. Do not mix in between! Stick to this basic rule, and you will go a long way. Some fabrics, such as denim or polyester blend pants can be worn anytime throughout the year, but be sure that you keep the light and heavy fabrics away from each other.

Many men are perfectly willing to wear clothes with stains or small holes or tears. My husband is one of these men because he is convinced that no one else will notice. Honey, if you walked into the kitchen, and I noticed, people will notice. They will not tell you out of politeness, but your wife is exempt from that rule. Be sure that you spray stains when you take off clothes, or at least before you wash them, and toss clothes that have gotten any damages that you will not have repaired.

Do not dress for the wrong season. While I do not subscribe to the fashion notion that many women have that certain clothes cannot be worn at other times of the year, it is generally a good idea to wear winter clothes when it is cold and vice versa. The problem is that men's clothes often are so generic that they can get away from these rules because they can wear a short-sleeved shirt with a jacket that they take off at the office. Avoid this fashion faux pas by simply sticking to dressing as the weather outside dictates.

Men also have a tendency to have too many patterns going on. You may have on a plaid shirt with corduroy pants and a tie with light stripes. Stop. First, that outfit does not sound appealing. Second, there is too much going on. Unique pieces, such as ties with wild designs, are meant to be worn with other clothes that do not have wild designs. Have one centerpiece of each day's clothing and focus on it. Otherwise, you will have too much going on, and people cannot focus when they see you. All of the pieces lose effect when there are too many of them.

Watch the length of your pants! Most men know their measurements and grab the first pair of pants they see that seem to fit them. If you know your measurements, that is wonderful. You have an idea where to start. If you do not know your measurements, then you have to try on the pants. Either way, try them on. Walk. Sit. Stand. Try out the pants. If you are getting dress pants, the bottom of the pant leg should reach the top of your shoe's heel and no more or less. If you sit, you should barely be able to see the sock, and there should be no sock showing when you walk.

These tips can help men avoid some of the most serious fashion mistakes they make. Dressing right gives other people the right impression of you. It helps you to look and feel your best, and others will know that you care about your life.

By Julia Mercer