We continue our pursuit/mission to help the professional man dress down….right. There are a few rules to live by — here’s our next 10. (Esquire did a huge list of casual dress rules that we’ve chosen to reduce to the essentials….)
- A discreet paint or grass stain conveys a sense of lived-in comfort. The same cannot be said for stains from food, dirt, wine, or bodily fluids. That’s just gross.
- Denim is the center of the casual universe. And some things look better with it than others. A quick primer:
- All the Time: Cotton button-down or T-shirt, brown loafers, navy-blue blazer, cashmere sweater
- Most of the Time: Crewneck sweatshirt, black loafers, tweed jacket, cotton turtleneck, white sneakers
- Only Sometimes: Hooded sweatshirt, high-top sneakers, sports jersey
- Only Under Duress: Waistcoat, silk shirt, flip-flops, necktie
- Only Under Penalty of Death: Cufflinks, suspenders, opera cape
- Everything looks better with age. Except for white T-shirts. Those look best new.
- Always tuck: polo and dress shirts that hang below your hip. Never tuck: sweaters and turtlenecks. Everything else is negotiable.
- Articles of clothing that you can dress up: polo shirts, khaki shorts, blue jeans, white sneakers, and, for Texans, cowboy hats and boots.
- The only ribbed items a man should wear are socks and condoms, and he best not confuse the two.
- A $40 pair of jeans can fit you just as well and look just as good as a $200 pair. They’ll just take a whole lot longer for you to find.
- Cotton is the universal language of casual clothing. Wear it anywhere and you’ll fit right in.
- Sweatpants are for sick days, couch surfing, and light exercise. For anything else, throw on a pair of jeans and get on with it.
- Velour: no.
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