Layering: The key to men’s Fall/Winter fashion

Some may see this site and ask “Whutsiznaim, what exactly qualifies you to proclaim yourself  ‘THE Cool Married Guy?’”  Well that is a good question my friends.  It’s not that I am so much “cooler” than everybody else (or maybe I am), it’s just that my proclamation of “cool” is warranted by a certain confidence in myself, and my interests that some may either not have, or have not yet realized.  In some cases, it’s not that deep.  It may actually be the fact that I just over think everything, which allows me to have some insight (whether legitimate or not) into various subjects that today’s, hipper man (specifically the married one) would be curious to read or learn about. That being said, let’s talk fashion.

I’m not exactly what you’d call a “metro-sexual” per se, I like to say I’m “metro-curious.” This means I posses just enough metro-sexual tendencies to show that I take a few extra steps to let the world, (and specifically my wife) know “hey, I care about the way I look,” but not enough tendencies to say “hey, I may actually be a woman.” I started getting into clothes when I was about 11 or 12. My friend Zach and I would go to TJ Maxx, hoping to find something made by Polo, Nautica, or Hillfiger which believe it or not, was hard to find at the time in North Carolina, other than the occasional golf shirt at Belk’s. Armed with 20 years of knowing exactly what I like to wear and why, and a wife who has a borderline “online window shopping addiction,” and a former life as a fashion stylist, let’s just say I know a little something about clothes. So enough with the resume, let’s get to it:

I’ve always been a fan of Fall and Winter fashion.  As I grow older, I actually find myself longing to wear shorts, a t-shirt, and sneakers everyday for the rest of my life, but I have truly always felt that the colder months are when guys have the opportunity to actually show their fashion sense.  I literally hate being cold, but I have found the right way to dress for the colder months, that allows me to show my fashion sense and to be prepared for the weather, both inside and out and it is called layering.

The key is to be prepared for the weather outside, and for the dramatic change in temperature when you get inside.  Most times when it’s freezing out, the heat is blasting inside and you’re left sweating your face off.  If you layer correctly you are not only prepared,  but you can also do a virtual stripshow of fashion.  Start with a t-shirt you would be comfortable wearing.  This is important because you may end up stripping down to this, especially at a club, bar, or sporting event.  I’ve often been guilty of wearing just an “undershirt” under a wool sweater, then thinking “damn man, I can’t be seen in this little, tiny shirt.”  Always be prepared to strip down to the tee.  You can get a cool t-shirt from a million online sites, or stores in your local mall.

I’m personally a huge fan of 3 in a pack white tee’s.  Find the fit you want and go for it.  You can literally never go wrong with a plain white tee, regardless of what your personal style is.  Having a fresh one (which will cost you about $10 for 3) is just one more step to show that you thought a little bit more about your clothing, then taking an over-washed t-shirt, with pit stains out of your hamper and threw it on. Simple is in homies, don’t over think it.

The next step is to put a longer sleeved shirt over the tee, or If you don’t mind pushing your sleeves up, do a long sleeve tee instead of a short-sleeved one.   This will obviously depend on how cold it is outside, and the shirt you choose will also depend on what your personal style is.  If you like a preppy button-down, then go for it.  If you like a thuggy sweatshirt, go for it.  If you want to show your style with a nice sweater, then go for it.  If it’s really cold, or you want to really show what you’re working with, do a t-shirt, button-down, then a sweater.  You could also use this look at Halloween, for your “guy out of a gap ad” costume.

The last piece/pieces are your outerwear.   A lot of people use a jacket or coat only as a method of warming themselves.  That’s absolutely fine, but for those of you that want to show your fashion sense, this is often a missed opportunity.  Find a style of jacket that you like, then try to find it for cheaper.  I am by no means an advocate of spending a million dollars on clothing.  In fact, by the time you know about a look (i.e. “military inspired jacket”) it’s already being sold at places like the Gap for a fraction of what Prada or Gucci charged when it first got popular a year before you knew about it.

Also things like scarves are a good way to stay warm, and to show that you have a little fashion sense, but don’t go overboard.  Scarves with t-shirts look stupid.  It looks way too calculated, and it’s been done 100,000 times. Let it go. Grown men don’t dress like that. You may as well wear one white, sequined glove at this point(too soon?)

Here’s another hint: In today’s economy, wait for sales.  There are 100 sales every month.  If you sign up for a site’s newsletter, you’ll get 30% and free shipping coupons like they’re going out of business. Then you can buy everything you need at once, or simply pick up what you’re missing.

Well folks, that’s it. Feel free to ask any questions you want. If you want a woman’s perspective, feel free to ask my fashiony wife M.Rox. Hope you’ve enjoyed.