It must be fun to have a celebrity stylist for a friend! For her second contribution Tara teams up with April Steiner to offer great advice for all you men out there!! A well dressed man can really make an impact, just as much as  a well dressed woman can.  As more and more of us ladies move up in this industry, I believe you guys have a little more pressure to look your best!  A sales rep will be much more likely to sell if they are dressing the part and showing that they not only know shoes…but that they also know fashion!  So check out Tara and April’s advice and think about how you measure up….I will be checking out out at FFANY!  :) -Julia

Men’s Fashion Tips

For the past 4 or 5 weeks, I have been traveling everywhere from New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City.  I have been meeting with buyers, exhibiting at tradeshows and enjoying some serious people watching. It’s attention-grabbing how fashion varies so much from city to city, especially in the Men’s world.  While I was in LA, I met with a good friend of mine, April Steiner who is a Celebrity Stylist represented by Exclusive Artists Management. April has recently worked with Hugh Laurie from House, Joel McHale from The Soup and Dominic Purcell from Prison Break. You have to love the trends right now, almost everything is acceptable, even the Men are becoming more aggressive with their style and we ladies are loving it. However, although fashion varies from city to city, there are some common rules on what looks good and what doesn’t look good across the board. As a sales representative in the industry, I have my own thoughts and opinions on Men’s Fashion, but I wanted April’s celebrity eye to weigh in. April and I got together and here are some of our thought’s on the Men’s World!

Fashion Do:

“Spice up your suit for a fun evening look with no tie and a pair of casual shoes such as the GLASS from Robert Wayne or some P.F Flyers.”-April

Do incorporate your own style in what ever it is you are wearing. Whether it’s your tie, shoes, t-shirt, make the look your own. Be sure to always have the right accessories, including your shoes and an important staple in a Men’s closet- a nice belt! When it comes to belts, be sure to have a one for the dressy, suited look, preferably a black leather belt. And another belt for jeans, that is casual, yet easy to match. A trendy pair of shoes with a clean belt can really bring the look together and differentiate you from the crowd.

Fashion Don’t:

“No pleats in your pants!” – April

No more whitewashed, high-waisted jeans. They emphasize the wrong parts and are extremely dated. The best jeans are medium-rise jeans that fall on the hips. And, while we are on the outdated look, let’s put an end to running shoes for those casual days and say good bye to the sandals with socks. There are so many cool driving moccasins and casuals in the market, which are comfortable. No need to for the sneakers unless you are going to the gym.

For some suggestions, Robert Wayne has some casuals on the market right now, including the Rays, Glass and Zip. And, we have the Jazz, Mula and others for Holiday. The change of shoes can help you from being a complete slob to a casual, chic guy.

Trends for Men:

“Men are becoming a little less typical and a bit more fun and edgy….men are taking chances with fashion and layering more. We are seeing a bit more of a European style, more tapered looks, cardigans, vests, and fun accessories, like scarves.  It is not just about a simple shirt and pants, men are taking the time and care to look fashionable.” –April

A fun fact for a vest – it can take inches off the waist, but when buying a vest, make sure that the back’s hemline meets your trousers’ waist, so you don’t have a sloppy look.

Aprils’ favorite look?

April loves a man wearing sexy white tee with jeans, boots and a leather jacket. A little fashion tip when shopping for a jacket; go for the bomber jacket. A bomber jacket can be very sleek and flattering yet edgy.

Least favorite look:

“The monochromatic look of black jeans, black shirt, black shoes, and black jacket- bore snore!!” –April

Throw in something interesting, whether it’s a cool pair of shoes, a colored or printed scarf. But don’t go on the extreme side of the monochromatic look- make sure there is a good balance. Example- If you’re wearing a bold patterned suit or jacket, your shirt and tie should be a solid color or have a barely there pattern and be near matching in shade. Patterns should complement not compete with one another.

Favorite Guy Celebrity Style- that she hasn’t styled of course!

“Brad Pitt…..He is refined with a sexy, grungy edge.” –April

If you’re a more traditional guy, update your look by adding your own personal twist.

Pet Peeve for Men’s Fashion:

“Just because you are a man, you CAN wear pink and lavender. They are both great colors and Men can wear it!” – April

Both colors look great with shades of grey, so be confident and try it!

Hope you enjoyed some of our thoughts and opinions and would love to hear yours!

Thank you,

Tara N. Bodt