How To Casually Layer Clothes & Look Amazing As An Adult Man
[0:00:00] Now, what you probably know about layering
is when it comes to style, it is a proven way to level up your game.
What your probably don’t know is where did layering come from and who made it popular.
Now, I’m sure there are tons of fashion designers that would love to take credit for
it, but the trend was started in 1943.
How?
Well, it turns out in 1943, the United States Army, specifically the Quartermaster Corps
was charged with coming out with a new uniform.
They tested tons of different options and the one they found most optimum, the one that
could in a sense deal with a wide variety of situations, it was a new uniform set called
the M93.
Now, what really made this set interesting is how they trained up millions of soldiers
on how to properly wear in a variety of situations.
There was a Harvard professor, Georges Doriot, he basically made sure that they had tons
of training.
They explained whether you’re in the desert, whether you’re in the jungle, whether you
are in frigid temperatures, you can adjust this combination to survive.
Those of you guys that know your military history, which I know is a lot of you guys,
this comes as no surprise because for thousands of years since recorded time, one of the biggest
reasons for casualties in military operations was the weather.
Was simply, hey, people are getting knocked out, they’re getting sick because they weren’t
prepared, they didn’t have the right clothing.
So, as you can see, gents, learning to layer is not only masculine, it’s functional and
it can up your style game.
Now, when it comes to layering, the first rule is to keep it simple silly.
Seriously, you don’t need to over complicate this.
Think max, you’re going to go with three layers.
Two are perfectly fine.
The key here is that ever layer should be able to stand on its own.
So, you don’t want to wear a piece in here that if you were to have to take off a layer,
you wouldn’t like the combination.
Makes sense?
Next up, as you work your way out, you should have the thinnest layers closest to the body.
The heavier layers are going to go out.
That being said, it doesn’t have to go from thin to thick all the way because you could
have a third layer that’s a shell that’s even lighter than that middle layer, the insulating
layer.
Now, today’s video, gents, is sponsored by my friends over at Cuts.
If you haven’t been over to their website, guys, you are in for a treat.
When it comes to t-shirts, when it comes to henleys, when it comes to hoodies, when it
comes to the base items, Cuts is going to provide you the key basic essential pieces
that you need to have in your layering wardrobe.
Now, I can’t talk about Cuts without talking about their t-shirts.
If you’re looking for the perfect t-shirt, Cuts is where it’s at.
They’ve got a couple different fits.
They’ve got their classic fit, they’ve got their signature fit.
They’ve got their staple colors.
And this is where you’re going to find everything you need, your white, black, grays.
This is something that when you wash it, it’s going to go back to its original shape.
This shirt right here, I’ve already thrown in the wash multiple times, have worn it.
And as you can tell, we’ve got a henley style here, so they’re not just about t-shirts.
If you want to look at short sleeve henleys, if you want to look at long sleeve henleys,
which are great for this fall season.
And when it comes to the materials, I absolutely love how they’re buttery soft.
They’ve got a four-way stretch, they are anti-peeling.
They’ve got color and fit retention and they are wrinkle-free.
And if you haven’t been over to their website recently, you want to get over there.
Look at their fall collection.
They’ve got tons of polos.
And what I love, they bring in colors that you can’t always know if they’re going
to bring it back.
And I know some of you guys are going to find this may be hard to believe, but I like a
good hoodie.
Now, it has to be right, it has to fit me well, it has to be of good quality and that’s
exactly what Cuts does.
And, again, if you’ve got a fit body type, if you’ve got a built body type, if you
have a thin body type, then Cuts is making clothing specifically for you.
And, when you’ve over there, don’t sleep on their joggers or sweat pants.
Seriously, gents, when it comes to t-shirts, when it comes to henleys, when it comes to
hoodies, Cuts is my go-to.
An awesome company, I’m proud to support them.
Again, use that link down in the description of today’s video to get the best deal on
the web.
Next up, let’s talk about contrast.
Now, you can go for as much contrast as you want, but when getting started, I would say
keep it at a minimum.
Instead, look for colors that are analogous.
What does that mean?
So, let’s bring up the color wheel.
I’m not going to give you much here except to say understanding two things.
Analogous colors are colors next to each other.
They will work and they don’t have a whole lot of contrast.
Complementary colors are on the opposite side of the wheel and as you can see have a high
contrast.
Now, high contrast is fine if you’re going to bring in an accessory like a necktie or
a pocket square.
But, in general, when we’re layering, I would say if you’re just getting started,
don’t go with a whole lot of contrast, instead go with either a monochromatic look, which
is basically a single color type of look or go for something that the colors are analogous.
They are very close to each other, they are similar in shade.
Now, I know some of you guys are thinking, “Well, that’s really boring, I want to
have a lot of fun with the contrast.”
Well, if you’re advanced, go for it.
But, for those of you guys just getting started, instead go to this next rule, texture will
set you free.
So, texture is basically the way that the material the fabric is constructed.
When you look at something that is constructed from silk like a necktie, then you have something
next to it cotton.
Maybe then, you’ve got a wool sweater or jacket.
[0:04:57] You’re going to notice that there’s something
different about the texture.
This is the – the twist of the weave.
This is the three dimensional look.
This is the way that the light reflects off it or doesn’t the way the light is absorbed.
And texture, if you’ve got three blues right next to each other, you can actually note
that they’re very similar in shade, but if they have very different texture.
One has a sheen, one doesn’t have any shine because it’s simply very matte.
The other one actually seems like it’s got a little bit of fuzziness to it.
You’ll find that they work great and that they give you a layered look.
And for the next three I’m going to throw them together.
We’ve got inspiration, we’ve got imitation, and we’ve got application.
So, with inspiration, you want to find looks that you love.
Go through some magazines in a bookstore, go over to Instagram, get over on Pinterest.
Whatever it is, find some images some looks that really inspire you, speak to you, you
think are going to work for you.
Next up, you want to imitate them.
You want to rebuild these looks.
And, believe me, no one is going to care, no one’s even going to know that you’re
trying to rebuild this look.
And most likely, you won’t be able to find all the items exactly, but you are going to
get close.
You’re going to find that you can make that combination your own.
Next up is the application.
This is actually putting it together in front of a mirror and wearing it around your house.
You don’t want to just simply put together a combination wear for the first time when
you go out.
No.
You want something that you feel comfortable with, something that you love this combination
that you know you’re going to get compliments.
It’s going to make you feel like a million bucks.
Now, for this first look, we’re going to keep it really simple, a t-shirt.
You can go with a wide variety of different colors and go with a casual jacket.
Now, you may not have one in your wardrobe, so in that case maybe just go with a button
down.
Again, this is a layered look and you may not, you know, be used to actually wearing
this combination showing that shirt underneath.
That’s why I really go for something with a little bit less contrast.
But, if you’re having fun with this, then all of a sudden you’re, hey, that I really
like this look combination.
You can throw on a heavier jacket, maybe a shell jacket, all of a sudden, you’ve got
a three-part combination right here.
Again, look at yourself in the mirror, make sure you feel comfortable and nail that fit
and you’ll be good to go.
For the next look, let’s start with the base as a henley.
I love henleys because they’ve got that button right there in the chest area.
They seem to give a little bit of depth and henleys can be dressed up, they can be dressed
down.
In this case, we’re simply going to throw over an insulated vest.
What I love about a vest, again, with this long sleeve henley right here, is it this
is a simple combination that I could even throw on a third piece, a jacket and all of
a sudden, we’ve got that layered look.
Leave, you know, the vest wide open right there, you can see it, but it’s not going
to be overpowering.
And, again, notice the colors and in general, everything we’ve got here we kept it simple.
Now, this next look is going to be a bit dressy, but I want to show you why I love this combination
and how easy it is.
So, as you can see, we’ve got on a dress shirt, we have a necktie, you’ve got your
suit jacket, you’ve got the pocket square, you’ve got a sweater on V-neck right in
there.
Look at the layering right here.
We take it for granted and maybe you’ve seen this a hundred times, but you never paid
attention to the layers and the different textures.
Such an easy way to dress up, yeah, fun maybe with a really just colorful or maybe a unique
style overcoat or just simply keep it black.
Right there, you’ve got that layered combination.
And, guys, this is why oftentimes, these type of looks just look – you don’t even know
what it is, but overall, we just love the combination.
Let’s go a little bit more casual, let’s go with a simple button down.
We’ve got a V-neck sweater or maybe a sweater with a zip right in front and, again, throwing
a jacket over it.
Again, notice, I’m not going overboard with patterns, I’m not going overboard with colors.
We are just allowing the different styles, the different combinations here to work together
in unison.
But, let’s say you want something a little bit more higher contrast, something that’s
a classic, the white t-shirt with a leather jacket.
Okay, way too simple for guys.
Again, this is a layered combination.
How about you throw a button down in with that jacket right there?
Again, with a simple t-shirt, you can go a little bit darker in color, less contrast.
But, again, guys, you can tuck in that t-shirt and you can tuck in that shirt underneath
or leave it untucked with that leather jacket, just a great look, solid combination.
Again, we’ve brought in textures, we’ve brought in layers.
And I know some of you guys are saying, “Come on, Antonio.
Challenge me, do something a little bit different.”
Okay, let’s bring in a hoodie and let’s throw this jacket on top of it.
What do you think of this combination?
What do you think?
I know some of you guys are not going to like it.
I know some of you guys are going to love it.
Me, personally, I think it looks good.
In fact, this right here, we’ve got the button down, we’ve got that denim jacket
with a more formal jacket put over it.
We’ve got this contrast with the texture, we’ve got that color mixed in here.
Overall, I saw this a few years ago and I have to say I still love this look.
So, really quick, a few advance lessons.
Let’s talk about vests, let’s talk about lightweight jackets.
So, vests are nice because the arms are free and they are easy to layer.
A lot of guys aren’t used to wearing them, but I would say look at a few combinations.
Start with one.
Don’t go with anything really outlandish bright in color.
Just simply get used to wearing the style of this garment.
When it comes to lightweight jackets especially during the summer or the warmer months or
if you live in an area it just doesn’t get that cool, lightweight jackets are incredibly
breathable, make it easy to be able to layer.
[0:10:02] You can wear – wear a polo underneath and
all of a sudden, yeah, with that lightweight breathable jacket, you’ve got a layered
look.
And it just looks so much better than a shirt by itself.
The next advance concept is mixing formalities.
This is when you have something that’s a little bit dressier and you’re mixing it
with something that’s a bit more casual.
As I showed you, we had that trucker jacket mixed in with a really nice, a little bit
more of a formal jacket.
Can you pull this combination off?
If you’re just getting started, you don’t feel comfortable doing it, then don’t, especially
if you’re in a conservative industry, this isn’t your style.
But, if you want to make it your own, again, you practice wearing this, you really just
like the look.
This is what I love about men style is that it’s about you and your reflection and how
you want to have others perceive you.
And if you like that combination, to hell with anyone else, wear what you want to wear,
wear what makes you confident.
Now, what about bold colors?
What about bold patterns?
I do think that these can work with a layer, but, again, you have to be comfortable with
this.
And understand one of the issues with bold patterns bold colors is it really takes away
from the interchangeability of the piece.
It will be the draw, unless it is deep layered or you’ve got something over.
But, even in that case, it can almost be like an accessory where we’re drawn to a bit
of color on the inside.
But, if you’re going to wear that very strong pattern that very strong color on your outer
layer, it is going to be something that can overwhelm that can be a little bit too much.
But, again, if you’re a little bit more fashion forward, if you’ve practiced wearing
this look and you just know that these colors, this combination, this pattern is a go-to
and you’re cool with drawing a little bit of attention to yourself, then go for it.
All right, gentlemen.
So, what video to watch next?
How about casual clothing items that men wear that women absolutely love?
What am I talking about, guys?
Find out in this video right here.
It’s a good one, go check it out.
Click there, you’ll magically go to the next video.
Oh, yeah.
[0:11:47] End of audio