Does This Come In Black?

Abundant Black Disorder (ABD) is what I suffer from. It's a wardrobe dysfunction that's rarely spoken about. According to colour experts, it can occur at any time in a man or woman's life. 

The symptoms: a closet full of black clothing and accessories, the irresistible urge to 'buy it in black' no matter what... and the feeling of being too fat or too visible if you wear anything other than black, black, black. Who doesn't love black? It's chic and sexy, it makes you look thin and you can wear it anywhere. 

What people don't realize is that wearing black all the time seriously cramps your style and makes you look old. But how? Black is notorious for making your skin look aged and highlighting your wrinkles. Fabulousafter40.com compares having ABD to going to an ice-cream store. Imagine salivating over hundreds of exotic, delicious and oh so tempting flavours then ordering a tiny scoop of low fat vanilla. It's basic and practical but it will leave you feeling bored and unsatisfied, sucking the joy from your life and your look. Bland, bland, bland!  

Beware of falling into that black hole.  

H2T black is really a thing of the past, even for guys. Why then do we keep buying black? Why do I keep buying black? Generally, people who wear a lot of black want to go unnoticed.  I work with a bunch of over 40s and some of them really wouldn't understand my style. It's a dilemma I discussed briefly in Corporate Looks For Men. 

How can you cure ABD? STOP being so terribly predictable. Perk up your looks and liven up your soul with a dash of colour. Promise yourself not to buy black for a very long time :) 

If it's too drastic a change for you right off the bat, then look for outfits that combine black with a bold colour or pattern. Here are some examples to ease you slowly out of black and into colour. 

Prints: Prints are a huge trend at the moment. Aztec, stripes or anything else that works.

                                 

Black on Top or Bottom: If you can't give up black completely, try black on the top or the bottom just so you have a bit of safety. Break the black is the name of the game.

Add personality: A simple pattern or a bright color adds life and personality to a black suit, where there was none before. Justin Bieber is doing it right with his red D&G pocket scarf.
Have fun experimenting with different colours! If black is "home", play it safe until you are ready to spread your wings and embrace some awesome patterns and colours :)

August Wish List.

With winter on it's way out (well in the southern hemisphere) and summer on it's way in, I stumbled upon these amazing pants and watches from ASOS. They are always having a sale so if you haven't been on to their website, I suggest you do.

Chinos are so versatile - warm in winter and cool in summer. Plus you can dress them up or down. I love jeans but recently I am really enjoying chinos, especially the different colours that they are available in.

My style varies a lot but mostly I prefer comfortable, trendy clothes with a hint of sexiness. I also prefer form fitting styles, hence anything skinny gets a nod from me. If I could just have one of these I would be very happy!

The pants I have chosen are pretty awesome and are excellent for all men but particularly tall slim/skinny men who often have difficulty finding pants that are long enough. The good news is that cropped pants are in right now, so even if you find the pants don't go all the way to the shoe, it's fine. Just give it a fold or two and instantly you'll be sporting a trend. 

Ben Sherman stainless steel. $64 / R680. 

ASOS skinny chinos. $32. / R340 

ASOS watch with compass face. $19 / R202. 

Jack & Jones $38 / R404.

Ben Sherman White Dial. $41 / R440. 

Religion Noize skinny jeans in true black. $71 / R750. 

Karl Lagerfeld chain watch. $412 / R4,400. 

Don't know if I would pay R620 for sweatpants, but these are very cool.

Native Youth sweatpants. $58 / R620.

Cropped and cuffed pants are definitely still in this season.

ASOS smart pants in twill. $36 / R380. 

ASOS three dial watch. $29 / R310. 

Criminal Damage super skinny jeans in wine red. $50 / R530. 

Asos watch $29 / R310. 

ASOS skinny chinos. $32 / R340. 

Asos denim sweatpants. $58 / R600.

More about ASOS and other online shopping websites in my next post.

ASOS website: www.asos.com

About me

Lover of life, fashion, photography and everything in between. 

Corporate Looks For The Modern Man

With summer around the corner, I started thinking about some really nice, put-together looks for the corporate man. There are two ways to approach this. First, you can take the monochromatic approach with neutral, basic tones such as black, white, grey etc. This is the safer option if you work in a very conservative environment. The second option is brightening up your look with pops of colour. I realize black is key in the corporate world, but that doesn't stop you from adding some colour. 

For a young, modern man in a conservative place of business it is often tricky to look stylish and fashionable without raising eyebrows among the more traditional (i.e.older) partners and directors. I have been dealing with this since I entered the working world. In fact just last Friday, my director told me that casual Fridays are reserved for jeans and company-branded t-shirts. If I don't, then I have to be formal. What a bummer... Anyway, there is a fine line between fitting in (as you need to) and subtly standing out (as you want to). 

Here are 4 tips to help you figure out your work style. Numbers 1 and 2 are pretty "safe" while 3 and 4 push the traditional boundaries a little bit more, mainly in terms of colour and design/pattern. 

1. Stick to the basics. 

If you are unsure about just how much colour to use, keep it simple with your basic blacks, whites and neutrals. Light colours work well together... 

...so do light and dark colours...

and dark colours on their own.

2. Take your shirt to another level. 

Make a statement with your shirt (or tie - see #3).

In the following 2 examples, we have the pop of colour on the bottom and the neutral basic colour on the top.

A bit more on the casual, street style but with a change of shoes and rolled down pants,
this could work for the office, too. 

3. Go big and bold with your shirt and tie combo. 

4. Take things even further with a killer shirt, tie and blazer trio.

If you absolutely have to wear a blazer, deviate from your traditional black suits and invest in something modern yet versatile.

Accessorize as you wish but always remember the clothes should speak the loudest if you intend on making a bold statement. You don't want to look like a Christmas tree, so as a guy, tone down on the frills, trims and accessories. In some cases, you can substitute your tie with a bow tie which add a touch of elegance and sophistication to your look especially if you have an after-work cocktail get-together.


Until next time,

Shauno.