Fashion for Men

Although some of us men may not be willing to admit it, we all want to look sharp.   The only problem is not all of us know how to accomplish this and manage to mill about looking like we dress ourselves in the dark. This dilemma is no more thanks to this fashion guide for men!  Guys, the truth of the matter is men's fashion is easy.  All you need is a little know-how and you too can put a great-looking outfit together in no time.   Use this guide to brush up on your sense of fashion and step out of your flat feeling and looking confident!  

Matching Colours

The Colour Wheel

• Learning and understanding how to match colours is as easy as looking at a colour wheel.

• Analogous colours are colours next to each other on the colour wheel. For example, Green and Purple are analogous to Blue.
• These colours match well when they are paired according to the levels of light and dark present in the respective colours.
• For example, a light green t-shirt and a dark blue sweatshirt is a correct pairing.

• Complementary colours are located across from each other on the colour wheel.
• They work well when trying to make a bold statement, but use caution--this can be tricky
• Although dark blue and light yellow are not directly complementary, they still go well together.
• Pay special attention to colour intensity and softness when pairing complementary colours.
• Try using this concept when pairing a shirt and tie.

Confused?

• If you have difficulty remembering which colours go well together, try using variations of the same colour.
• Lighter and darker shades of the same colour can often look good when matched, forming a monochromatic effect.
• For example, grey and black go well together as do light blue and dark blue.
• Be sure to break up the outfit with neutral colours like black or white.

Putting Together a Casual Outfit

Below, we've put together a simple casual outfit using variations of blue and green; two analogous colours. 

We'll start with this olive green vintage t-shirt.   This will be the 'anchor' item for other colours we can match with it to create an outfit.	This shirt  is a great match for our t-shirt because: It offers variation on the base colour in our t-shirt.  It dresses up the vintage shirt with a bit of style by adding a pattern.	Keeping our outfit casual, we finish with a navy blue v-neck sweater.   This works well because: The solid colour keeps the outfit simple.  Adding more pattern over our green button shirt will make things too busy. Navy blue (in this case) is an analogous colour to the shades of green we're working with.	Finally, what casual outfit isn't complete without a pair of denim jeans?  Here, we'll use a slightly distressed wash to tie in our vintage t-shirt.	As for footwear, green is an earth tone which brown goes with nicely so these shoes  work perfectly. Don't forget the brown belt as well.

Matching Shirts and Ties

When matching a shirt and tie, we can use analogous colours, or complementary colours.  Observe:

Analogous Colours

•  In this example, the tie goes with the shirt because the colours are a variation of blue, the 'anchor' colour of the shirt.

Complementary Colours

• Here, we can use the complementary colours blue and gold (or a darker yellow) to create a good match as well.

Patterns

When choosing a shirt and tie combination, be sure to keep patterns consistent:

• Solid shirt
• Any patterned tie
• Shirt with stripes
• A solid tie
• An dissimilar pattern (dots, squares..)

Belts and Shoes

When choosing a belt  and shoes for any given outfit, first follow these ground rules:

• Keep belts and shoes colour consistent:
• A black belt and black shoes
• A brown belt and brown shoes

• Match slacks with shoes:
• Wear black shoes with:
• Denim jeans
• Black/Grey slacks

• Wear brown shoes with:
• Denim jeans
• Brown/Khaki slacks

Black and White

Black and white are exceptions to the rules.

• Both white and black can be combined with any colour (even themselves) and work well.
• Use good judgement when matching these colours to others.

• Black and red go together to give a powerful but dashing look.

Related Guides

Mens Winter Style Guide	Mens Outerwear Buying Guide	Mens Sport Coats and Blazers	High Quality Ties	Mens Suits