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Written by: Aaron Ignacio | King & Bay
Most of the time rules are in place for good reason, and while some people might say that rules are meant to be broken, we’d argue that when it comes to menswear, there are some things that just shouldn’t be done.
With fashion trends changing seemingly as quickly as week to week, it can be hard to know which rules to disregard and which to take as style laws. No one wants to make a major fashion mistake, so it’s important to do a little research and have a general idea of what you should and shouldn’t do when putting an outfit together. We all know that black and brown usually don’t make a flattering colour combination, but what about some of the other fashion rules you think you should follow?
Today we’re going to discuss five modern menswear rules to live by.
1. MATCH ALL YOUR LEATHER
This is one of those traditional, old school menswear rules that still rings true today; match all your leathers. This means that your watch, shoes, bags, belt, wallet, bracelets, and anything else in your outfit that’s made of leather should all be of the same colour family.
We don’t mean that they have to be the exact same shade of brown or anything, but pulling off that black and brown pairing is extremely difficult to do and should only be left to the style pros .
2. UNBUTTON YOUR SUIT WHEN YOU SIT
This is a menswear rule that all men—modern or not—should always follow. Unbuttoning your suit when you sit down is critical for maintaining a good shape and flow of your suit jacket. Just try it sometime and you’ll quickly find out that a buttoned jacket isn’t meant to be sat in, as it wrinkles and bunches in some very awkward ways.
Similarly, you should always button it back up when standing up to maintain the best silhouette.
3. DON’T MATCH YOUR POCKET SQUARE TO YOUR TIE
We like to call this menswear rule “matchy-matchy no-no” and that’s exactly what you should try to avoid when picking out your tie and pocket square. Matching these two accessories together will look like you’re trying way too hard, and ends up looking more silly than stylish.
Instead, look for complimentary colours or patterns and you’ll look like a style pro.
4. KEEP YOUR TIE DARKER THAN YOUR SHIRT
This one isn’t the most well known of the modern menswear rules, but it’s a good one to start practicing if you really want to up your style game. Choosing a tie that’s darker than your shirt helps to make the tie the focal point of the outfit. Think of your shirt as the canvass and your tie as the paint that you splash on it.
There’s something very jarring about a light-coloured tie on a dark shirt, so the next time you’re putting your ensemble together, keep this rule in mind for maximum style success .
5. DON’T MATCH YOUR SOCKS TO YOUR SHOES
You might be tempted to match your shoes to your socks, but please refrain and think twice before you fall into this trap. Matching your socks to your shoes creates an awkward look that also ends up looking more silly than stylish.
Instead, match your socks to your pants for a streamlined look, or have fun and invest in a few pairs of wildly coloured or printed socks, which are all the rage these days.