Male stylings

Ever heard of the saying, "Behind every stylish man is a woman working overtime"? If you haven’t, chances are I probably just made it up, based on personal experience. To some extent (unless he’s of the mold that produced the likes of Giorgio Armani, P. Diddy, and Benjamin Bratt, or not entirely heterosexual), the styling ministrations of a woman, or at least her well-intended advice, are responsible for a man’s wardrobe. That’s not to say, however, that a man would be completely fashion-misplaced without a woman. Men aren’t completely oblivious when it comes to dress sense; underneath the video game-obsession, the auto-philia, and the fixation on any sport that involves a ball going into some sort of opening is a persona that recognizes that men’s fashion doesn’t only begin and end with the latest shoe Lebron James endorses.

The objective at hand concerns how to unearth this style-conscious layer. Aside from threats of estrangement from his female beloved unless he gets his stylish act right, a man’s inner fashionista can be awakened by an exposure to various possibilities, and making comments such as, "Yeah, man, these getups are way cool! Really tiiight! Off the hook!"

Fortunately for mankind, "cool" and "tiiight" are very accessible by way of style houses that comprehend men’s essential need for fashion. Brands such as Diesel, CK Jeans, Kenneth Cole, and Springfield are upgrading the usual male getup of T-shirt and jeans into something those queer style vanguards on cable TV would definitely approve of.

Coming up with a fashionable wardrobe doesn’t necessarily mean buying out the entire season collection (in this age of sensible style, even women – not including Paris Hilton – refrain from that indulgence). "Mix and match" is the century’s most practical style mantra. Mix the classic with trendier pieces, and match basics with the fashion-forward. Fashion rules have loosened over the ages so that, even for men, there are tons of pairing options available.

As a primer, we put together the trendy offerings of Diesel, the rugged vibe of CK Jeans, the laid-back choices of Springfield and the urbane pieces of Kenneth Cole to come up with ensembles that inject a bit more jazz into the quintessential male wardrobe. Three pieces – a spiffy pair of dark denims from the famous Diesel jean farm, a classic long-sleeved shirt from Springfield’s workwear collection, and a summer-reminiscent sporty top from Kenneth Cole – are given the spotlight to show how some resourceful mixing and matching double the stylings. By channeling the same creative drive that’s put into deciding which leather seats go best with your car’s rosewood interior, you can take a piece of clothing from day to night, from beach to bar, even from corporate cubbies to the city streets.

Some rules-of-thumb to work on:

• Layer. Jacket over shirt, button-down over a tee, shirt over shirt – you get the idea. Just make sure that what you wear under is a bit more fitted than the outer layers to avoid blimp bulges.

• Accessorize with caps, hats, watches, or bags. These show off your personality and add more depth to your getup.

• Dispose of stereotypes. Floral shirts are not off-limits to straight men, and faded jeans are not exclusive to artist types.

Diesel, Springfield, CK Jeans, and Kenneth Cole are exclusively distributed by Store Specialists, Inc, and can be found at Greenbelt 3.

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