Horrified by what your guy calls fashion? Before you give up on his style, try these simple steps to give him more sartorial confidence and keep you both happy.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Varies
Here's How:
- Ask yourself honestly what your motivation is for changing the way your man dresses; the purer the motivation (i.e. to help him develop confidence), the better the results.
- If you haven't discussed his style issues before, now is the time to let him know you'd like to take over in the fashion department.
- If he balks, stop here and try again in six months.
- If he's relieved to have some help, start by assessing his current wardrobe.
- Pitch everything that doesn't fit, needs serious mending or is totally out of style.
- Assess your guy's current style with him. Is he dressing for power, comfort or stylishness?
- Work with him to decide what image he wants to portray.
- Start slowly redoing his wardrobe, working from the inside out -- buy new underwear, undershirts, socks and hankies.
- Take advantage of the expertise of the salespeople and tailors at the best stores. They'll help him find the right professional looks that fit.
- Buy just one new suit that looks terrific, two new shirts and two new ties.
- Pay attention to details like shoes, belts and socks: they should be good quality and complement the total look.
- For weekend wear, neatness goes a long way, so just buy replacement shirts, pants, shorts and athletic shoes.
- Well-worn jeans and Tshirts may have to be pried from his fingers: replace with new jeans and a few new logo Ts.
- Let him keep his logo caps for weekend wear (it's a small compromise.)
Tips:
- Study men's magazines like GQ to get a feel for overall men's fashion trends.
- Don't try to force your style on him; he's not a doll to be dressed.
- If all your efforts don't work, don't despair. Some of the biggest geek dressers are also the richest (Bill Gates comes to mind).
