Essentials (2013) in the male wardrobe

As someone who is not naturally gifted with an intensely beautiful appearance I can appreciate how an appropriate and high quality wardrobe can drastically effect perceptions and attractiveness.

I once had very few high quality items in my wardrobe selection and I suffered from it!

For whatever personal reason I decided to invest in a better style of choice and from that point many aspects of my social and romantic life improved drastically; I went from having no girlfriend to having several over the course of a few years (all of whom were very much above my league) and my position as a person increased substantially.

My confidence as a person was enhanced and I felt more comfortable in my skin - it also inspired me to begin the road to losing weight and improving my health so that I could fit in to more style-orientated suits, jackets and jeans.

So here's my selection of what every man should have in his wardrobe:

Skip the hats (unless you pull the look off)

Fedoras have come back in fashion in mainstream fashion retail. Taking a classier approach to fashion and reverting back to the days of Macs and Double Breasted Jackets, fedoras seem to be on many celebrity images. 

While fedoras and other hats may seem like a simplistic fashion choice, there is much more to a hat than popping it on your head and sadly these days most men cannot pull the look off without appearing creepy or old beyond their years. 

Try before you buy and get an opinion from a friend (and not the sales rep who will say you look amazing in a gimp outfit if it ensures a sale). 

Glasses to match your face or contacts

Glasses can either destroy your look or enhance it. 

As someone who has no other option than to wear glasses due to being allergic to most forms of lens formula it can be a real struggle to find a suitable style. 

The mature male will want to find a style orientated pair of glasses which are suitable both in the clubs and in the workplace. Glasses are surprisingly versatile in that if they match your face they will match your clothing. 

Above are the glasses that I wear at present. 

They are comfortable and fit in to that niche category of 'smart casual' glasses that many professionals are choosing to adopt. I bought them when I was working as a research officer for the Scottish Government. 

The days of hipster styled large frames, over-the-top flower power colours and flamboyant design is over for many glasses styles and a more professional look will reflect your transition from being a boy to being a man. 

Some people prefer contact lenses - they allow the eyes to be naturally displayed. 

It is absolutely essential, and I do speak with experience when I say this, that you must find a contact lens that is 100% comfortable with your chemistry; if not you will be left with a semi-permanent pinkish staining of the surface of the eye that looks unsightly.

Jeans

Every man should have at least one pair of good jeans for both smart and casual occasions. 

Jeans have gone from the poor mans choice to the top-class clothing option for the young and prosperous. 

Strong, long lasting, virtually indestructible and never out of season, jeans are an excellent addition to any wardrobe. 

For most men straight or boot cut jeans are optimal for style. Matched with a smart-casual shirt, black or brown ankle boots and a black suit jacket to create a look that can be applied to multiple situations. 

Jeans are becoming more acceptable in the work place due to their combination of smart attire and versatility to seasons when compared to traditional cotton trousers.

Tops to match your body shape

Skinny. Slim. Muscular. Fat. 

Getting your t-shirts and shits to appear well on your body is important.

Unlike jeans, tops are not so versatile and they can make a dangerous impression if done incorrectly. 

As someone who struggles with weight I have found that grunge styled checkered shirts with a displayed undershirt works best. Blacks also work in my favour. 

Black shirts are one of the few tops that will suit pretty much anyone. Try for high quality cotton shirts (slimfit for muscular/thin and slightly eased for heavy/fat build). 

Try to avoid sports branded shirts and t-shirts as the designer logo days are leaving us. Unbranded is often best these days - companies such as Slaters, Burton and even Tesco's F&F are excellent for brandless apparel. 

Darker tones of pink and red work best of muscular body shapes.

Blues, blacks and crimson tones for heavier builds. 

Orange rarely looks attractive. 

I'll be covering suits and shoes in a separate article as they each lend to a much more complex consideration of style matching. 

Hope you enjoyed the article. 

Driclor Solutions review

For anyone who has a streak of vanity in them such as myself there is often nothing more esteem destroying than noticeable sweating.

As a college student I am often running around from location to location and too often the unsightly sweat patches can appear. In my search for a fix to this problem, I stumbled upon a Over the Counter pharmaceutical product 'Driclor'.

'Driclor' is unique in that is not targeted at a specific demographic - it is scentless which removes the clash of smells that can come from several other forms of anti-antiperspirant such as Triple Dry or Dove.

It is also not a traditional anti-antiperspirant; rather than applying on the go, you apply it at night and wash off in the morning with a further application of your commercial products.

Primary ingredients: Aqua; Aluminum Chloride; Alcohol  

After using this for 2 weeks I have noticed a significant improvement; sweat patches under-arm are almost non existent and confidence is certainly boosted in social situations where close contact is expected such as the college class or at gathering.

The downsides: I wouldn't recommend this for someone with sensitive skin or pre-existing skin conditions. Consultation with a trained medical professional may be needed prior to using this product.

Value for money: For £6 ($10) there is enough of the solution to last for quite some time with application needed once every few days after the first week. It also allows for the user to keep their other products which, for myself, would be old-spice and Lynx body sprays.

Best combined with: This product can be combined with all other pre-existing products, however to pay attention to any skin irritation as Driclor is extremely powerful.

Where to buy: Larger cosmetic pharmacies such as Boots; online at Amazon and in many supermarkets.

Overall rating: 

4/5 with a loss of a point due to the lack for sensitive skin users to fully enjoy