mens clothing

Converse are the best mens casual shoes — Part 2 of our guide to mens fashion is going to focus on shoes

Welcome back to The Fashion Mannequin Blog on Men’s Fashion from the perspective of all of you long suffering girlfriends, in this guide we are continuing to talk about all aspects of Men’s Fashion from ensuring that you boyfriend wears perfectly fitting men’s clothes to getting him looking his sexiest in a suit.

So what have we learned so far?:

If you read Part 1 of our guide to Men’s fashion we talked about how important it is to get the right fit on men’s clothing and we also talked about the importance of brands when it comes to dressing your boyfriend. Now that we have covered off these really important points, we can start to focus on the best ways to get your boyfriend looking his best in any men’s style and look at what he should be wearing. But…

There is so much to cover, where are we going to start?…..

Every girl knows the secret to a man looking stylish is in a good foundation. So in today’s guide we are going to start at the bottom, looking at shoes, that’s right, dress shoes, formal shoes, sneakers, trainers, casual shoes and colours, and how to make sure they are comfortable.

Right now you might be thinking:

How can I afford everything that you will recommend? Well I’ll also give you some men’s fashion buying tips so you can find a deal or two when shopping for these items and make some great savings.

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How to buy men’s shoes that will make you weak at the knees

You know how it is, you always see a well-dressed man on a night out only to look at his feet to discover that he’s wearing the most hideous pair of shoes you have ever seen in your entire life, you shake your head in horror.

But, you should know one thing:

It doesn’t have to be this way, look at our top tips in this section on men’s shoes which you can start to use right now to buy your next pair of shoes, and it applies to all shoe styles all the way from men’s casual shoes to men’s formal shoes.

However, first things first:

If you don’t get the fitting right, then you will never get a pair of comfortable men’s shoes. A guy can only look his best if he’s comfortable and confident in his stride, so he needs a pair of comfortable men’s shoes, and in order to do that you must must must get the fitting right. We spoke about this a little in part 1 in our guide to men’s fashion.

Seeing as this is so important, I’m going to give you some amazing tricks on getting the right shoe fit that you can use right away.

Tip 1: Get help from a salesperson. Sorry ladies, but if you want your partner to look his best, he needs professional help and if he wants a pair of comfortable shoes, that means he should get his feet measured properly. It’s not difficult to do, simply pop into a shoe shop like Clarks and speak to the sales assistants, they will be happy to measure your feet properly. If your boyfriend is a keen running enthusiast/sportsman, try going to a branch of Runners World and they’ll also be able to measure him up.

Tip 2: Measure both feet! Men’s feet (like any other feet) aren’t the same size, so make sure to measure both feet for the most accurate measurement and try on both shoes!! This will ensure that he always buys the most comfortable men’s shoes.

Tip 3: Comfortable shoes are in the heels, get him to use his index finger and slide it down between his heel and the heel of the shoe, if it can fit without having to force it, CONGRATULATIONS! You are on the way to finding a comfortable pair of shoes. If the finger doesn’t fit, then his shoes are too tight, and if it goes in too easily, then the shoes are too loose.

Tip 4: Wiggle wiggle wiggle. His toes should be able to move around freely in his new shoes, and if he presses on the toe with his thumb, then he should be able to easily feel a space between his toe and the front of the shoe. Using force to feel the gap? Sorry, he needs another better fitting pair!

Tip 5: The most important tip is about the arches of his feet. He can’t do much about these as he’s born with them, but it doesn’t have to mean that he won’t have comfortable shoes. If he has odd sized feet (see tip 2) then buy a slightly bigger size and buy an insole, these are inexpensive and can be bought from most high street shops like Boots, and Superdrug.

So now you’ve got the fitting right, what shoes should you buy?

There are a range of different options, so I’ve put together a couple of recommendations for shoes that I think are great for different occasions, and some ideas of where you can buy these from and for how much so you should be able to find a pair you like at a great price.

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How to get him looking his best in some formal men’s dress shoes

Brogues are the classic men’s formal shoe, they are great on casual garments such as smart jeans, or go all out on a formal suit. Either way, in black or tan, your boyfriend will look great in these affordable dress shoes.

Leather Derby Shoe – From H&M

Rubber soled and 100% leather, in a tan colour these are the perfect formal shoe which can be used for any occasion, and cheap at just £19.99!

Buy now from H&M

Oxford Brogue – From Next

These fantastic brogues are 100% leather, and in black. They would again go great with any suit and are probably a more formal men’s shoe just because they are black. Available from just £48.

Buy now from Next

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Take a look at our perfect classics which can be worn on any day out together

Classics are fantastic when you both want a day out together in town. Perfect on virtually anything – they offer a comfortable choice of shoe which can be worn in any way. Some styles can even be worn out in the evening if you both decide to hit the bar together.

Converse Star Player Trainers

Lace ups with a textile upper and the iconic chevron, these are the classic men’s casual shoe. Available from £45 at ASOS.

Buy now from ASOS

Adidas Gazelle OG

The classic brand with three stripes creates the ultimate casual men’s shoe. Available in a range of colours including black, and blue. Available from £49.99 at Amazon.

Buy now from Amazon

Great boots for the rugged outdoors and perfect also for the city

These boots are fantastic for those who don’t want to buy a formal men’s shoe as they can double up for this purpose. These great boots can be worn on any occasion and on any style which makes them totally versatile.

Black 6 inch premium boots – from Timberland

A classic style from Timberland in all black colour, ideal on any outfit whether it’s jeans or formal trousers. From £160.

Buy now from Schuh

Suede Dessert Boots – from H&M

Rubber soled and suede, these are perfect to wear on more casual clothes where you want something a little more formal, but not as formal as a men’s dress shoe. From £39.99.

Buy now from H&M

So now we’ve covered off shoes in the second part of our guide to men’s fashion. Join us again next week for part 3 of our series into men’s fashion where we’ll be talking about trousers. I’ll tell you what works well depending on style and the look you are going for, and again I’ll show you the top tricks to finding the right pair of trousers at the right price.

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Our guide to men's fashion will help you dress your boyfriend for any occasion. — Our guide to men’s fashion will help you dress your boyfriend for any occasion.

When it comes to men’s fashion there a thing that all men find really difficult to know if they have (but girls do):

A sense of style!

But having a sense of style isn’t just about knowing about men’s fashion or men’s clothing, it’s about what looks good on your boyfriend so he can look his best every day.

But how do you know what looks on your boyfriend and how he should dress:

Well, it’s a question we get asked on The Fashion Mannequin blog every week, so I thought I would write this guide on men’s fashion to help you help your boyfriend to look (and be) his best without any effort!

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If you ignore proper fitting, then he’ll always suffer from ‘bad fit syndrome’

J18ZCO3IPA — See all of our easy tips on the perfect fitting to avoid ‘bad fit syndrome’

The secret of all good men’s fashion is all about the fitting. Let’s be honest we’ve all laughed at the guy who wore ill-fitting men’s clothing at the bar, make sure that your man doesn’t fall foul of what I like to call ‘bad fit syndrome’.

You might be wondering, how do I avoid ‘bad fit syndrome’?:

Well you might be amazed to know, the first secret is ensuring your boyfriend is in shape! Time is really tight these days to work out and eat well, but clothing always look better on a fit body and it’s easier to buy men’s clothes for a guy who is in shape. Now before you think oh my god! We don’t mean that he needs to look like the model of a men’s fashion magazine, but you should make sure he eats properly, drinks plenty of water and regularly works out (you can even do it as a fun activity together in the evenings to spend time with each other), with a good body he’ll fill out his clothes and ensure that he always looks his best. Besides, girls, admit it, we all love a man with a fit body 😉

But here’s the kicker:

Being in shape is one thing, the next secret to good fitting clothing is to make sure he measures up properly. If you can, go to a proper tailor’s and get him measured professionally, it could be the difference between your boyfriend looking o.k., and looking great, you don’t want to be the girl who looks at her boyfriend in the morning and thinks ‘what are you wearing today?!?!’. The fit will be vital when you finally chose to buy men’s clothing on the highstreet or online.

With so many different garments in men’s fashion we could write a post on fitting all on its own, but here are some simple men’s fashion tips to get your started.

Tip 1. On dress shirts make sure his collar touches his neck and the cuffs just touch his palms, the length shouldn’t be excessive but when tucked in shouldn’t be so short that it comes loose.

Tip 2: With coats make sure he knows what he’ll be wearing underneath and buy a size which isn’t loose but sticks to the shape of his body

Tip 3: When buying jeans, make sure that the cut is slim across the thigh and either straight or tapered from the knee down, make sure you buy him jeans which stick to his waist, if he prefers (or looks better) in a slimmer fit, get him to wear one size lower.

Tip 4: His shoes should always be comfortable, again the shoes shouldn’t be loose when wearing them and ultimately he should always be comfortable whilst walking.

But you may be wondering:

How can he afford to get professional measurements, won’t that cost us a fortune? Well i’ll teach you all a simple trick which means that you can get measured by a professional without paying a penny.

Tip 5: Simply visit a high street retailer such as TM Lewin or Moss Bros and try and buy a suit. Usually one of their helpful store staff members will be on hand with a tape measure and will be able to give you collar, leg, and waist measurements for free, and because they are professional suit retailers, you can be sure that you will get accurate measurements every single time.

So now you know his perfect measurements are, it’s time to look at what to wear:

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How to use brands and give him his own sense of style and avoid ‘brand clash’

With so many designer men’s clothing brands now available online and on the high street it’s easy to be overwhelmed with the amount of choice out there.

There is one thing to remember though when it comes to men’s fashion brands:

There are no rules! That’s right, ultimately brands for men’s clothing is a matter of one’s taste, but you should try and keep to brands and outfits with similar styles and avoid mixing and matching to avoid ‘brand clash’. Make sure you read a range of men’s fashion magazines like GQ, and Esquire to see what the latest men’s style trends are, these will show you what’s hot and what’s not.

So which men’s fashion brands would I recommend?:

Here are a few to get you thinking:

Jack Wills – Primarily a fashion clothing brand aimed at university students, Jack Wills is known for its ability to merge old and new styles and their very British designs across their clothing range. It’s why it’s known as ‘Fabulously British’.

Ted Baker – Quintessentially stylish with a range of fine detail and classic features, the Ted Baker clothing line is more for those who prefer a casual but formal look in their dressing.

American Apparel – Simple clothing pieces with a ‘made in the USA’ type feel, there is something for every man here with a series of simple, yet contemporary designs.

Franklin & Marshall – Sports wear meets casual in this mashup of a brand inspired by the USA. Sweatshirts, T-Shirt, and Jogging Bottoms all marked with college logos or American Cities as the hallmark of this brand.

Levis – The iconic fashion brand known for the red tab. Levis are known the world over for their famous jeans and denim wear. Levis combines classic looks with modern touches to continue to be one of the best known fashion brands today.

Remember to look at those men’s fashion magazines too for more inspiration on men’s style and which clothing brands are hot.

Be sure to join The Fashion Mannequin Blog next week for part 2 of our Men’s fashion guide where we’ll talk about the perfect shoes, trousers and how to get your boyfriend to look his dapper best in a suit. We’ll also share some of the best and cheapest ways you can buy all of the best men’s clothing online and on the high street.

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Category: mens clothing

Men’s Fashion 2015 – 7 tips every girl should know about dressing their boyfriend (part 2)

Men’s fashion 2015 – 7 tips every girl should know about dressing their boyfriend (Part 1)