I love shopping, my friends and family always ask me where to get what, and what would give them an extra "omph" in their clothes. Now I've always believed the saying "clothes don't make a man" but first impressions do and sometimes when a guy looks sloppy or wears those god awful mirrored oakley dad shades as bad as this may sound I'm judging you. So I wasn't surprised when one of my guy friends asked me what items of clothing should he buy without looking like an average 'American Eagle' kind of guy. This sparked a lightbulb and then a flash of all the guys I've ever known from coworkers, to my cousins, and then my dad, it suddenly made me realize that the average man (the ones I know) do not know how to dress themselves. I mean I'm sure they do but men tend to just settle for the basics, the classic ' if it's comfortable I'll wear it' and now this mentality does not apply to all men..just suburban ones. SO when my guy friend told me that majority of the time when he goes shopping he does not know what the hell he's doing and that he ends up just going to the cafeteria and eating. I've decided to make him a shopping guide, that he could print and bring along with him whenever he feels overwhelmed but in need of new clothes. Then I decided to test the waters and post this on facebook to my surprise I got a good mix of responses from both men and women SO I present to you my 10 picks on awesome basics for the modern man! ( Feel Free to right click, save & print ;)
1. An olive green 'military' jacket : is a good investment not only will it add some colour to an outfit, this jacket literally goes good with anything! A bonus is that it could double as a spring and autumn jacket and it's light enough to carry around.
2. Leather oxford shoes : preferably a tan or brown, or whatever color really. Not only could this shoe transition well from day to night, one can wear it casually to work, a date or even a meeting.
3. Fitted black jeans : baggy jeans were so 90's and frankly I'm tired of looking at random butt cracks and boxers. What's awesome about fitted black jeans is again you can wear it with anything.
One male model friend once told me that black pants elongate the legs so that's an added bonus.
4. Denim Shirts: think the good, the bad, and the ugly but most importantly think rugged, girls love rugged men! Also it pairs well with basically anything just don't do denim on denim.
5. A good quality sleek watch: I've told almost every guy in my life that every man needs a good watch. Not only is it a nice accessory but it also looks sharp to have, added bonus you'll always know what time it is.
6. A knit cardigan/sweater : this can also be applied to a plain hoodie. None of that silk screened campus hoodies which should only be for the gym especially if you graduated 3 years ago. A good sweater/cardigan is good to have for those chilli nights besides other than your coat or blazer it looks good around your girl's shoulders
7. Clean sneakers: Men's shoes are pretty limited let's be real, but not so clean sneakers especially men's sneakers can seriously stink bad so keep a fresh pair that you can wear on casual occasions other than the gym.
8. A quality tailored suit: I can speak for all women because we all agree that theres nothing hotter than a man in suit. Think Don Draper minus the womanizing and mysterious past, the ladies love Don. It's also a good investment for special occasions like weddings, corporate events, etc.
9. A leather Jacket: (preferably a bomber or moto jacket and none of that steven segall shit google for reference) Think Fonzie, Danny Zuko, Marlon Brando and James Dean...enough said. Added bonus they're a good investment and will go with all of the items listed
10. A clean crisp white t-shirt: this does not only apply to men but to everyone it's just good to have for any outfit besides it looks hot paired with a leather jacket ;)
