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5 Ways to Help Your Man Look His Best

Ways to get your man to improve his fashion sense without cramping his style.

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In the first couple of months after I first met my hubby-to-be, I must have thrown out donated 70% of the items in his closet. It wasn’t an easy task getting him into the store and convincing him that the Euro look is the way to go. He was used to wearing slightly ill-fitting American-style wide pants and he hates shopping with a passion, so most of his closet was a decade old. I had to (almost literally) drag him into stores, ignore his complaints, and act as his personal shopper.

5 Ways to Help Your Man Look His Best

If your sweetheart prefers t-shirts over ties and doesn’t own a single pocket square, you’re not alone. Believe me, I’ve been there. Thankfully my hubby has made a fashion 180. However, the scenario is so common that a survey found that 85 percent of men who’ve been shopping recently said they dress primarily for comfort. However, the men that were surveyed go on to say if they were better educated about what looks best on them or how to create a distinct look, they would be willing to step out of their clothing comfort zone. That’s where you come in. There are several ways to get your man to improve his fashion sense without cramping his style.

Choose Your Words Carefully

Let’s get to the root of the problem first. Most men wear the same thing over and over again, not because they’re lazy but because they’re stuck in a rut. Approach the subject when it’s convenient for both of you. In other words, don’t plan on having a conversation about clothing while he’s watching the game. Start with something positive. Mention why it’s important to you that he dresses appropriately for certain events and say something like, “It makes me feel valued when you spend extra time getting ready for our dinner dates.” In my case, I pitched it as a way for him to appear more professional at work.

Meet in the Middle

Compromise is key in any relationship. What we wear is, ultimately, a personal choice. Allow his personality to shine through by looking at his current wardrobe and buying a few pieces that are better, higher-quality and more well-fitted. For example, I know my hubby typically wears darker colors (think black, gray and navy), so I’ll buy him classier pieces in the same shades. That way, he doesn’t stray too far from his comfort zone when updating his look.

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Avatar of Hilary Rowland

A writer, artist, and designer since she was young enough to put pencil to paper, Hilary taught herself code and created Urbanette when she was a teenager. Currently, she lives in Monte Carlo, but spent the past decade living in NYC, still considers herself a New Yorker, and visits regularly. She's always traveling, looking for hot new topics, destinations, and life hacks to bring to Urbanette readers.

Reader Discussion: 70 Comments

  1. Avatar of Lucia Slaninkova

    Men could wear the same pair of pants for years and no one would even notice except YOU, the GIRLFRIEND.

  2. Avatar of Alison Carlson

    People easily judge others by how they dress. I wouldn’t want anyone judging my man ass someone who is a lousy dresser so I would rather be blunt about it. There are nicer words to use just so I won’t have to upset him.

  3. Avatar of Muriel Villera

    My partner actually listens to me for fashion advice. Whenever I would tell him that a certain color looks good, he would try to find clothes that are of the same color and would ask me if it looks okay. It’s funny because men think that blue is just blue and not aqua blue, turquoise or teal. Well, not all men, but if you know what I mean. We have to help them in this department because most men really are oblivious. It gets annoying sometimes because if he wandered to a store on his own, he would send a picture of the clothes to me and ask for my approval! ?

    • Avatar of Lily

      Lily

      It’s great that he’s open about issues like this. It will be easier for you to fix dress issues.

  4. Avatar of Ora Pope

    Ora Pope

    I’m very particular about people’s shoes. I could overlook pants and tops but shoes are a different story.

  5. Avatar of Johanna Fletcher

    Johanna Fletcher

    I would never even bother dating a man who can’t look after themselves. For something as simple as dressing up properly, anyone should have the knowledge to do it.

  6. Avatar of Erica Beck

    Erica Beck

    There was one time that I was urging my man to dress properly but he keeps insisting that he doesn’t want to. It’s not like I’d tell him that he looks ugly in those clothes and let me tell you, I wanted to burn those ugly pants at one point!!! Let’s just say that I’m a fashionable person and I don’t feel good walking around with someone who’s wearing something that looks…. Ugly. I love this person dearly but I want to vomit at how he dresses. He’s the frog, not prince charming. I don’t know how to stress it.

  7. Avatar of Leslie Roberson

    Leslie Roberson

    Sometimes, I do worry about how my man dresses but I realize it’s a horrible thing to do to judge them by how they dress.

  8. Avatar of Marjorie Sharp

    Marjorie Sharp

    I dress for comfort so I’m not the one to say that my partner dresses horribly. ☹️

  9. Avatar of Felicia Sanders

    My man would be extremely offended if I comment about how he dresses. But then sometimes I just hate how his sandals look whenever we would go out. He has shoes in his closet but he hates wearing them because he hates wearing socks and shoes because he claims it makes his feet feel sweaty. But then it’s not like he has the greatest hygiene in cleaning his feet or nails. I know, that’s disgusting but I thought it was something that can be changed over time since it’s just feet. But oh god I hate his crunchy heels.? Like, damn I didn’t even know it before since he wore shoes before I dated him. But out of comfort he just managed to dress down as we dated longer.

    • Avatar of Catherine Hogan

      Catherine Hogan

      This is so funny but I feel you. Maybe you should just tell your man to use certain products to soften his heels? Or maybe trick him into having a foot spa right at the comfort of your own home?

  10. Avatar of Kristina Gonzales

    Ladies, don’t take his taste too personally. Yes, it’s just fashion. Do’t overreact.

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