Due to the economic downturn in recent months, many dudes are trotting off to local second-hand shops - "Out of the Closet" and "Goodwill" for instance - to rustle up quality clothing at bargain-basement prices.
With a keen eye, and a few practical fashion tips in mind, it is wholly possible for a discerning shopper to piece a wardrobe together for the New Year without a big outlay of cash.
For starters, always check subtle design elements of sport coats and suit jackets, to avoid a "dated" look.
For example, pay particular attention to the width of the lapels.
If they're too wide, your lack of fashion sense will stick out like a sore thumb.
Also, scrutinize the article of clothing to ensure fasteners - such as buttons - don't draw attention to a fad popular a season or two ago.
Likewise, get up-close and personal with collars on dress shirts off the rack.
Are the edges frayed?
Maybe, they've lost their "retention" and flop about the neckline.
Bad news!
Also, ensure that the collar suitably frames a well-knotted tie when the top button is fastened.
Dress pants have a number of pitfalls to overcome, too.
A cuffed leg may not be in currently in style, a shine in the pants may signal you came from the wrong side of the tracks, and pleats that spread out instead of retaining their "creases" uniformly are strictly a "no no".
Most men have difficulty with ties.
Bottom line?
Make sure the cravat coordinates tastefully with the colors of the ensemble.
Then, scrutinize their faces closely to weed out the ones that are faded, stained with ketchup or mustard, or just plain out-of-style.
But, if the one that catches your eye is a vintage piece, snap it up. They never go out of style if they're matched up and knotted properly.
Speaking of knots, ensure there is enough of the lush fabric to not only perform a crisp Windsor or four-in-hand knot, but allow the tip to follow precisely at the belt-line at the waist.
Avoid belts with oversized gawdy buckles, tooling on the leather that is hokey, and fashion flourishes that detract.
Two-tone shoes may have been in vogue a decade or two ago, but went the way of the dinosaur, for now at least.
Patent leather, iffy.
Pay attention to the eyelets for the shoelaces, backs that are broken-down from lack of use of a shoehorn, and detailing like snappy buckles and winged doo-dads once in vogue.
The deft arrangement of a pocket handerchief - and the subtle fashion sense needed to puff 'em up just right in the pocket - is a lost art.
But, if you're capable, they're a classy touch to the overall ensemble.
So is a hat!Slouchy ones, wool-knits, fedoras, and those that express individual style.
It all makes sense, doesn't it?
Just think, get a little more creative in your approach to fashion purchases, and you just may end up standing out in the crowd - a fashion plate - instead of a carbon-copy of all those wanna-be dudes who don't have a clue about style from the get-go!
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