Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette. In today's video, we'll discuss a few men's fashion
trends, which we'd be happy to never see again.
[Tombstone appears as horrifying sound plays]
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Fashion comes and goes. But, often, there are things that should just go. As in,
never come back. Go away forever. Scrub it from my memory. Now, while we advocate
for developing a timeless style, which are resistant to the wounds of fashion,
some trends do fall in line with our message. For example,
we're seeing a comeback of the high-waisted pant.
However, there's just as many things we're far less enthusiastic about seeing come back.
As Oscar Wilde put it, "fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable
we have to alter it every six months." If you're a fan of some of these styles,
just remember this is just our personal opinion.
Now, we focus on things that don't have a long supported history behind them
or things that have such an extreme silhouette we believe that it will date poorly. And no
one wants to look back 20 years from now at photos that remind them of their prom.
And without further ado, here are our choices for recent style trends which we believe
overstayed their welcome. First, we have super oversized clothing. The days of Tom
Brown's influence on the skinny fit are coming to an end and we're seeing a more relaxed fit
start to pop back up. While we're glad that the extra skinny fit is losing steam, as we've
explained some of its flaws in this video here, it is important to remember that balance here is
the key. Now, while we're all for giving looser silhouettes and pleats their time to shine again,
there is a vast difference between what we saw in the 40s and in the 80s.
In some of the photos we've been seeing,
it looks like the 80s version is winning out. In the 20s and 30s,
looser styles still gave men's figures a shape. Now,
the shapeless blob-style is certainly beyond us.
Having oversized shoulder pads, drop-crotch pants, and tent shirts is an exaggerated silhouette which
will swallow up the wearer and makes them almost look like a child wearing their big
brother's clothing. Now, while brands like Armani might be happy to see that Miami Vice-cut return,
we aren't so enthusiastic. Finding clothing that fits your body type will always look better on you
than looking for a trend that's in vogue at the moment. If you're unsure of what that looks like,
check out our video here. Number two: distressed denim. Distress or not to distress? That is the
question that continues to come up over and over when it comes to jeans. Now, we saw this first
come up in the 70s through the 90s, when wearing acid wash or worn-out jeans was the hot new thing.
Eventually, most people realized that wearing unearned holes in their jeans
limited its versatility. And then, selvage denim got its turn in the spotlight. If it looked like a
hurricane ripped through your jeans, it's probably not going to be office-appropriate. The tapered
dark denim was nice enough to wear for business casual outings, but you still have the ability
to wear them casually as well. However, the extremely faded rocker look is popping up again.
But, unless you're Mick Jagger in his prime, we would advise you to stay away from the style.
A little distressing in signs of wear are fine. But, nothing screams "I'm trying to
look cool again" like a pair of ravaged jeans. Number three: crossover fanny packs. Has there
been something so immediately hated and worn ironically that eventually, people started
wearing it unironically? Now, we get that there's a utilitarian purpose to wearing this. But,
do you really need to stoop to this to avoid looking like you almost are carrying a purse?
And we get that men get the short end of the stick for having stylish ways
of handling their everyday carry. Now, while we don't expect them to have to carry an attaché case
with them to the grocery store, do we really need the fanny pack to do this?
The velcro strap and novelty canvas prints don't do anyone any favors in their silhouette. Now,
if you truly need the extra space, we highly recommend looking into a leather
messenger bag, which is small and light enough for you to be able to put on
over your shoulder. This will serve the exact same purpose and look a million times better.
You'll thank us later. Trust me. Number four: bucket hats. Now,
we get that fisherman needs some love, too, but can we do that with sweaters instead?
The bucket hat, at least, brings some attention back to brimmed hats,
but there are far better options. Now,
many of the fast fashion brands that are making these will make them with inferior quality, which
means they're going to break down over time. They also don't have the structure that will complement
most face shapes in the best light. The brim is actually too short to really accomplish anything.
And wearing either a wide-brimmed fedora or a flat cap will actually produce the same results
and actually work with a greater range of outfits. They also have different shapes,
which will better suit your face, which we explain more about in our video here.
Number five: deliberately clunky dress shoes and sneakers. Most of us already know about
the pitfalls of wearing square-toed shoes and how they can cheapen an outfit with their shape. Now,
sneakers are getting their own weird uncle that nobody ever wants to see at their reunions.
"Hypebeasts" have popularized styles like the Triple S sneaker. Now, these look like
a running shoe their grandfather had in the back of their closet and forgot about. The oversized
bulk and loud design make it an eyesore, burning any outfit you were going for and having limited
versatility. Now, we would highly recommend going for something like a leather sneaker instead.
Its low profile and polished look can make it much more accessible and put together
and can even work with some business casual outfits. They also have a much more timeless
appeal, which will not look out of place a few years from now. Number six: male rompers. Did you
guys forget about this trend? Well, I'm sorry to remind you. Now, this look came up around 2017 and
was picked on pretty heavily from the internet for good reason. The onesie look does not flatter most
men for its tight fit and childish appearance. It's also more of a beach look, but you can't
even take it off to go swimming. This ironic trend also became a bit of a frat bro staple for time
and fit right at home with wearing a blazer with short shorts and wearing a popped collar.
If you want to be taken seriously by others, we'd think twice about this one. Or better yet,
don't think about it all. Just don't do it. Number seven: leather everything. Leather is one of the
best materials around and is a mainstay in, virtually, any well-dressed man's wardrobe.
However, there is such a thing as too much leather in a man's outfit.
Now, leather jackets are great. Leather accessories are great. Leather shoes are great.
The problem occurs when you're trying to wear all of these at the same time
with leather pants. Wearing something like a leather jacket and leather pants together
creates very little contrast in an outfit. And is more so something that you'd see in cyberpunk
rather than a classic wardrobe. The Matrix is a cool movie. But, much like the leather duster,
it doesn't look as cool in real life. And, not to mention, you'd probably be sweating all day long.
Number eight: bold floral garments. Now, floral is already a difficult enough pattern to get right
in a man's wardrobe, as we've explained in our video here. Now, while it can work in small doses,
this trend will crank it all the way up to an 11. While this bold pattern may have had some
exposure in Rococo times, it's important to remember that its bold features are extremely
foreign in a modern context. And because of this, it'll draw the eyes of any onlooker away from you
and more so onto what you're wearing instead. These floral suits and pants,
instead, will be reminiscent of something seen in the 70s and will be remembered that way. Now,
if you like this print, use it in your accessories and focus on things like ties
scarves, and pocket squares. There really can be too much of a good thing when it comes to pattern.
Number nine: "fashion" colors. Every year some colors are in. Now, while we could
support burgundy or olive getting their time in the spotlight over the last few years,
we can't say the same for these. We've been seeing some neon colors in bright red,
magenta, and orange. Now, these colors are extremely attention-grabbing and will wash
out the majority of skin types with their overpowering hues. They're also not colors
that tend to blend well and they're less versatile than their more muted counterparts.
Now, believe me, it's unnecessary to walk around looking like a bag of Skittles. Unless you plan
on emulating The Joker, we'd suggest staying away from these trendy colors. Number ten: sheer
clothing. Clothing is supposed to cover your body. But, it appears the memo was missed this year.
Whether it's sheer jackets or shirts, the biggest issue with the style is,
unless you've been blessed or you're working extremely hard for that kind of
Statue-of-David-body, you're probably not going to be looking too great with an exposed midsection.
And even if you do, you'd still look better and be taken more seriously if you didn't wear this.
Now, we get that sci-fi movies are fun. But, not everything in "Blade Runner" needs to be emulated.
If you're worried about beating the heat, you can wear lightweight and loosely-woven linen clothing,
which will give you the same airy properties without losing your dignity in the process.
Number eleven: man capris. Yes, you heard me right. Man capris. Now,
you might be thinking men don't wear capris,
do they? Well, in fact, they do. But, outside of overly long shorts
and athleisure, it's usually couched as a high-water pant with no break.
But, guess what? That's a capri. A capri pant is anything that falls between shorts and pants,
which we would argue would only qualify if it falls between an inch or two of your shoes.
Anything beyond this and the whole ankle and part of the leg is exposed. Now, for suits,
in particular, this kind of trend will ruin an entire suit as there will be no extra fabric to
let down when the trim goes out of style. Now, it also makes it far less versatile. Will your
trendy exposed ankles and loafers be appropriate for a funeral or at the office? Now, lately,
we can see a lot of suits being cut with the whole ankle bared. Now, while this might be necessary
for suits that are quite slim, for example, at little to no break to avoid any extra wrinkles at
the bottom of the pant. But, a relatively high-cut pant will throw off the proportions of the suit,
shortening the leg. Now, paired with a very slim cut, this has the tendency to bunch up
around the knees and at the crotch, creating an overall very wrinkled effect. Number twelve:
franken-shoes. Franken-shoes is just our personal way of describing an athletic bottom shoe that
has a more dress style upper; something maybe more commonly seen on a derby brogue. Now, we feel this
combination just does not work. For the record, this kind of style will not fool anyone. Now, it's
literally just a sneaker in disguise. Now, it's still very much a casual shoe that has the ability
to confuse buyers. "Is this a real dress shoe? Can I wear this instead of leather-soled dress shoes?"
Unless you have issues with your feet that make wearing a leather dress shoe a challenge to wear,
stick with either a leather trainer or a leather dress shoe. Now,
we stand by this, even in the case of a loafer. Now,
loafers are already designed to be a casual, flexible, and comfortable shoe.
So, why go ahead and slap a trainer sole on it. Now, hilariously, this brand charges $325
for that white trainer sole and a leather upper. Don't fall for it. And what is this monstrosity?
[Another Franken-shoe image pops up] [Lady screams in horror]
It has the obvious white trainer sole, but it has the oxford lacing system,
the most formal of lacing and dress shoes. And, yet,
it's perforated all over like a tennis shoe. And the upper is cognac leather?
This is like the pickles and ice cream combination of the shoe world. Just because it's new, doesn't
mean you should make it. Shoe companies are under pressure all the time to come up with new things.
But, there are a world of options already available that you don't need to turn to
these kinds of franken-shoes. Number thirteen: tiny sunglasses. Now, these
serve more of achieving a type of trendy look than actually serving a real purpose. You know,
like keeping the sun out of your eyes. Who would want that? Now, when it comes to eyewear,
it's very important that you, first and foremost, are wearing something that fits your face. Then,
you can start looking at things like colors and polarization levels. Number fourteen:
too much athleisure. Now, I'm not gonna lie. I do do this myself. But, the reality is there is
an appropriate time to and not to wear this style of clothing. All-day and every day
is not ideal. I have to remind myself, sometimes, that I might run into someone or go somewhere
where I'd like to make a good first impression. And wearing shorts and a workout shirt and a cap
are usually not going to be the best outfit. Number fifteen: wearing one color complete
from head to toe. While there are ways where you can wear one color and it looks tasteful,
sometimes in a suit, if you wear one color all the way through, it looks a bit like the mafia or
like you're an extra in the "Men in Black" franchise. And when it comes to casual clothing,
it can start to look a bit monotonous and, sometimes, even a bit bland. Try adding a
pop of color, even if it's subtle to your outfit, as I'm sure the onlookers will enjoy a little bit
of something different in your outfit. Now, today, I'm wearing a green lightweight vest
along with kind of an oatmeal natural-colored long sleeve polo with dark denim. And then,
I also have on my Fort Belvedere shadow-stripe socks in brown and light blue. I also have on
a pair of Red Wing boots as well. Check out the Fort Belvedere shop here for socks like these.
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