Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette. In today's video,
we're going to talk about the top six style mistakes gentlemen make in their 30s.
For some reason, certain decades seem to correlate with a specific set of style
mistakes. By your 30s, many men are buying homes, settling into their careers, starting families,
all of which change who you are as a person. Even if this is not your particular path,
we all grow and change over time and your style should change along with you.
You're a fully fledged adult and there should be a certain level of maturity found within your style,
one where you look youthful but also age-appropriate. Anything too young will make
you look like you haven't grown up. Just because someone expects you to dress a particular way,
doesn't mean you have to. Finding your own style that suits you, looks good on you, and makes you
feel good should be your first priority. But it's hard to see ourselves clearly so we put together
a list of ways men fall into habits that aren't deliberately their choices. These choices can
sometimes negatively affect the way they look at this particular age. And for the record,
I am in my 30s as well. Now, let's look at that first habit anything in your style of repertoire
is the same as it was for you in high school. It's easy to get comfortable with certain things but
your style and look should evolve with you as you age. It's okay to be a little bit attached
but you don't to keep wearing your same old track t-shirt while out running all of your
errands. You're in your 30s so you probably don't look like you're in your teens anymore
unless you're Preston. Save your old clothes for painting and doing other household errands but
not for day-to-day wear. These would include those baggy straight leg jeans, graphic tees
and oversized polos and t-shirts. Finally, are you still wearing the same combinations as you were
as in high school? For example, visibly layering a t-shirt with a button down or a polo. This will
add unnecessary bulk to your top half. The visible white shirt cheapens the look and is a visual
distraction. Instead, buy v-neck t-shirts if you prefer the extra added layer and be sure to check
out our undershirt guide for more information. And one of the worst offenders in this category
is your haircut because it's front and center, everybody can see it. If you have not changed
your haircut since high school, that is not a good look. It's been more than a decade and
it's definitely time to move on unless you had a truly timeless haircut and not many of us did.
It's a dead ringer that shows a particular point in your past that's going to make your look feel
dated. One of the most common offenders we still see today is the gelled short and spiky haircut.
Even if your hair isn't bleached, this is still a dead giveaway for high school here. If you're not
sure what kind of hairstyle will look best on you, perhaps call a friend whose hairstyle you admire
and go ask their opinion or even ask if you can go and see their stylist. Don't go back to your
old stylist and barber. They'll most likely keep giving you the same thing. Number two. People
who haven't found out what their style is or what even looks good on them. This is true for men who
love style and for those who find it a nuisance. If you're frustrated with having to figure out
what to wear at this age, this may be the root of the problem. You're at least 30 years old at
this point so it's time to figure it out. Take some time and answer the following questions:
how do I want to feel when I get dressed? What is important to me with regards to style?
What is my budget? What consistently makes me feel good when I wear it? What gaps in my knowledge
are preventing me from the wardrobe I want? What mistakes do I consistently make with purchasing
that I later regret? What gaps in my wardrobe are preventing me from the luck that I want?
Do I struggle with too many choices or do i not have enough choices? Do I want to do this on my
own or consult other people and other resources? I'll take the answers to all these questions and
write them down. It will create something like a venn diagram that will lead you to your ideal
look. Finding out what looks good on you and what works for you is the most important. This will
help you become a more effective shopper where you'll get to spend less money and be more happy
with what you purchase. Even if that means you develop a uniform, this is totally acceptable and
is better than trying to wear every single kind of style. Number three. You're still carrying
a backpack. Unless you're camping, backpacks tend to make adult men look like overgrown school boys
no matter your age. I'm not going to argue that they're not useful like in times of travel but
for any sort of professional scenario, it's time to ditch the backpack. If you're in your 30s,
your clothing and taste has hopefully changed since your college and high school days.
But the backpack is a bit of a remnant of that time. Backpacks wrinkle shirts and cause your back
to sweat. Number four. You don't get dressed every day. What you wear at home should be all about
what feels good to you but I've actually found value in getting dressed every day. You're ready
to go whenever you want and it's much easier to mentally switch out of lounge mode. No doubt it's
much easier to stay in your sweats all day and run errands but it certainly won't make you look
mature for your age. Number five. You haven't matured to more mature looking jeans. Jeans,
unlike chinos or other dress pants age much more quickly over time. The trends for distressing,
details, and washes make jeans evolve more quickly. Timeless is a relative to what is
going on in the current trend of jeans. As such, they need to be updated more often to keep you
looking fresh. That means most of the jeans from your teens and 20s are going to look dated
even if you can still fit them. I admit to doing this as well. Some of my favorite
jeans that I've had for many years have ended up ripping because I kept them for too long.
And number six. You haven't transitioned to more mature looking shoes. This can mean wearing
flip-flops or sandals to places other than the beach. Like a lot of people here in the midwest
tend to do sometimes. Wearing dirty trainers some place other than doing yard work. Your shoes are
a key place to be able to show that your style is as mature as you are. If you like sneakers, by all
means wear them. But anything old, dirty, go ahead and throw those out and instead, choose something
clean, fresh and a little bit more mature. Do your best to keep them clean at all times. You can also
check out our sneaker video here. In general, try to save any kind of sandal for the beach. For more
ideas, check out our first three shoes video here. Today I'm wearing a green cable net wool
sweater I picked up from Brooks Brothers against a cream pair of jeans and a charcoal and orange
shadow stripe sock from Fort Belvedere. And to top it all off, a leather weave brown boot from Taft.