28 Men’s Style Mistakes To Avoid In 2022

Devil’s In The (Style) Details

In today’s article I got a list of 28 Men’s Style Mistakes I see people doing daily.

Some of them are subtle, while others glaringly obvious and often intentional.

Elevate your style and improve your appearance significantly by avoiding them.

Or the fashion police will get you I guess.

You think you don’t do any of these? Let’s find out!

I Thought It Would Be Easy…

For a long time I wanted to write an article about this topic, especially considering the cringe moments I went through in my style journey.

I sat down today to write it then and thought it would be quick and easy. A nice, relaxing way to finish my weekly blog obligation.

And then they hit me. The flashbacks I mean.

Every single day in Stockholm I bear witness to men who are either clueless or do not give a damn about their appearance.

The list began to grow and suddenly from 10, we are now at 28 mistakes.

In other words, I decided to do this properly.

But please, read this guide in a semi-serious article with a humorous style of writing.

1. Bad Teeth & Bad Breath

I totally understand that the cost of fixing your teeth can be colossal especially in certain countries.

But you have absolutely no excuse not to do some proper teeth cleaning at the dentist.

When you neglect your teeth, you get that horrific nasty yellow crust building up on them.

Let’s not talk about the bad breath and bacteria that builds up around, or the frequent gum bleeding.

Back in my Bachelor’s, we had a Chemistry Teacher who we called the “Komodo Dragon”.

For those of you unaware, Komodo Dragons have one of the most toxic breaths and bites in the world.

It was absolutely shocking to be around him and nobody will want to be around you too.

The solution is easy and simple and all it requires is consistency:

• Brush your teeth at least twice a day (morning and before sleeping).
• Go to the dentist every 6 months for maintenance/cleaning
• Always floss to remove food between your teeth
• Use a mouthwash but do it a minimum of 30 mins before or after your brushing with toothpaste
• Teeth whitening from a professional is relatively inexpensive and works wonders

Good looking teeth will give you confidence, you will smile more and surely boost your attractiveness level.

2. Improper Grooming

Not surprisingly, men don’t bother much with grooming these days (or too much).

Having nose hair sticking out of your nose, an uneven back hairline or ridiculous beards that look like a jungle.

You get the idea.

The most visible one is probably the lack of skincare.

Having a skin condition myself, I recommend simply visiting a skin doctor to get some treatment.

For the rest of you, a simple nice moisturizing cream will make you look and feel better.

You don’t have to become obsessed with it, just keep it clean and tidy.

Get a nice haircut, trim that nose hair and take care of your beard.

And please for the love of baby Jesus take care of that unibrow…

3. Using Too Much Hair Product

Back in the 00’s when I was a teenager, using a lot of hair product for spiky hair was a must.

In fact, I probably used too much and I am sure it damaged my hair in some form.

In 2021 I cannot understand people that use a ton of product and make their hair shiny and greasy.

We are not Cristiano Ronaldo.

If you have unruly wild hair, consult a hair stylist or use a little to tame them.

4. Ridiculous Sunglasses

Living in Sweden, I found sunglasses almost pointless for me.

However, in many countries of the world they are essential and good sunglasses can make you look awesome.

On the other hand, cheap sunglasses with ridiculous designs can have the exact opposite effect.

Take for example those athletic 20 year old styles people still use from time to time.

I am sorry but I cannot take you seriously like this.

It always reminds me this Greek cult figure nicknamed “Babis the Sexologist” who claimed to sleep with over 3000 women.

What an apocalyptic dingleberry.

Find some nice, modern or classic sunglasses instead of gimmicky weird ones.

5. Hats

My tirade continues and now it’s time to talk about hats.

You see I am in this Facebook Group where I often laugh when I see certain things that amuse me.

One of them is the hell bent desire of people to make hats work for them by any means.

It must be a romantic and nostalgic throwback to an era long gone.

Bowler hats have no place in the world in 2021.

Fedoras on the other hand can be really nice in the right occasion, but I see too many wearing the wrong size.

Keep panama and straw hats away from your suits.

Caps have their use in a sporty casual outfit but when I see a grown man put it facing backwards I die inside.

We are not in the Victorian era anymore. Wear the appropriate hat for the appropriate occasion.

6. Tank Tops

I wanted to simply write “GTFO” on this section, but I suppose it was too lazy.

You know those big gym boys with the massive biceps and chicken legs that wear tank tops.

They are simply not cool or stylish. Nobody wants to see your pecs.

Get a nice cotton linen shirt or proper gym wear if it’s too warm instead.

7. Massive V-necks

Following up the previous section, we have the massive V-neck shirts.

A nice O-neck and V-neck sweater or shirt is a must have in a man’s wardrobe.

However for the past few years there’s this trend where the V is way too deep and leaves a massive gap between your chest.

In direct translation, back in Greece we use to call them “Abyssal V’s” and we have special words reserved for those that wear them.

Don’t wear these.

8. Oversized Logos

Go around Stockholm and you will see the trend of oversized logos, mainly Hugo Boss or Gucci.

People wearing these apparently think they are cool and a part of an elite club of luxury lifestyles.

They are loud and show you are trying too hard. There is nothing exclusive about an oversized logo.

Unless you actively want to show you support a brand with a Nazi background or forced labor.

Criticizing aside, big logos are plainly too loud, distracting and unnecessary.

Also, things stop being exclusive when everybody has them these days.

Small, discreet logos or no logos at all are preferable.

A gentleman doesn’t boast or waive his ding dong around.

9. Wrong Fit

It’s shocking how many men don’t bother with the fit of their clothes.

A $50000 suit will look horrific if it doesn’t fit you well.

Fit is king and there’s no debate.

Talking about fit is a discussion that requires its own articles, however there are certain key points to make.

Obviously, when clothes are too baggy they are just too big. This includes dress shirts, suits, trousers and shoes.

A super tight fit is also a stupid modern trend that is also bad for the longevity of your clothes.

Countless of men came in when I worked at Suitsupply and asked for tapering and tight fitting suits.

Your trousers need some extra space at the thighs for when you sit, or they will rip at the crotch/back.

Or when you try to button a jacket and you cannot it is obviously too tight.

For suits or jackets, you can do the 4 point quick check:

• Shoulders: make sure they drape well and follow your silhouette
• Waist: Too tight creates an X at the button point
• Sides: A nice half moon shape creates a less boxy appearance
• Sleeves: Should end around the break of your wrist

I cannot stress how important this is for your looks and often how others perceive you.

A man in an ill-fitting baggy suit will appear sloppy and give the impression he doesn’t care. Why would he care about his job if you hire him?

At the same time, if you are looking to date or find a partner you will always improve your chances when your clothes fit.

10. Jacket Sleeve Length

I wanted to expand a bit more about sleeve length, which I mentioned above.

It’s certainly one of the most common mistakes I see from men everywhere.

The reason I dislike it so much is because it makes the rest of your body look disjointed or short.

Especially your hands which I call T-Rex arms when the sleeve covers them.

Such a simple, inexpensive alteration that will instantly make you look better.

Take your jacket or sports coat to a tailor and ask him to help you.

11. Trouser Length

I swear to whatever I believe in that 9/10 men don’t bother with their trouser length.

Be it jeans, suits, chinos or anything else they just let them bunch up over their shoes.

Absolutely sloppy and shows you don’t care or bother.

Hemming the trousers is the easiest, quickest and probably cheapest alteration you can do.

Also one of the most effective ones to boost your style points.

A more modern length with have a “no-break” where the trousers are straight over the shoes.

Then another option is the “half-break” where the trousers just about sit on the shoes instead.

Lastly, a “full break” is a way too old fashioned cut reserved for older or more classic people.

Whenever you buy pants, just tailor them on the spot. It’s a mind-blowing difference.

12. Neglecting Your Socks

This is a topic I neglected until 2019 quite heavily and now I realize it.

Wearing great socks can elevate your outfit to another dimension.

You don’t have to wear fancy socks, but you absolutely should not wear the wrong ones either.

White tennis socks should only be used when training or…playing tennis (duh) and I would personally never wear those busier funny ones.

For suits I recommend investing in some over the calf socks for sure.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with some classic charcoal, black or navy cotton socks.

Tip: Read my Viccel Socks Review!

13. Tennis Socks With Sandals

This one is an absolute plague in Sweden and Germanic countries.

What’s wrong with you people wearing sandals and beach shoes with white socks?

The whole point of wearing sandals is to free your foot and be airy and light.

The only explanation I can come up with is that you never cut your nails or you have 23 toes.

Please don’t wear these or I will shove your head into boiling hot dog water.

14. Cheap & Square Shoes

Nothing makes my blood boil more than bad shoes.

It makes sense since my job has to do with shoes.

However let’s imagine you corrected all the previous issues so far and you have a nice fitting suit.

Wearing the wrong type of shoes or cheap shoes is a surefire way to destroy the whole outfit.

The worst culprit of them all are the blunt square shoes from the 90’s and the dreaded bicycle toe.

Or any shitty cemented shoe you bought from cheap depot for $50 and you will toss 6 months later.

Before you attempt to convince me that shoes cost too much and you can’t afford them or that I am actively encouraging you to buy $1000 shoes, let me say this.

You don’t need to break the bank these days for good shoes and there is no excuse not to have at least Blake Stitched shoes in 2021.

For just $150-$200 or even less in gently used condition, you can score some amazing deals.

Tip: Here’s an amazing article I wrote on the Worst Shoe Brands.

15. Neglecting Shoe Care

You do not have to put a mirror shine on your shoes every day or every week.

But you can spend 1 minute brushing the dirt of before use.

I see so many out there with dirty, scuffed shoes. Once again, it shows you don’t bother or care about details.

So many of you out there don’t use shoe trees which help retain the shape of your shoes and increase their longevity.

If you want, there are still many professionals out there that will condition and shine them for you instead.

Tip: How to shine your shoes properly

16. Stupid Sneakers With Suits

For certain younger people, I think some nice minimalist sneakers can look decent with a suit.

I certainly see the allure of comfort and versatility.

What I don’t get is wearing whatever the hell you want with them.

When did it become appropriate to wear a navy blue business suit with a tie and a multicolored basketball shoe?

If you really want to wear sneakers with more formal clothing, first consider the dress code and then get a nice minimalist solid colored pair.

17. Iron Your Fucking Shirt

Ironing sucks doesn’t it? But you know what sucks more?

Looking like a tramp that partied all weekend and is still hangover.

In my opinion not ironing your clothes is a fatal mistakes that (you guessed it) shows you don’t care about yourself.

Hate ironing? Then send them to the dry cleaners and they will do it for you.

No excuses. I have 20 shirts and once a month I spend $20 to dry clean them.

Or get a non-iron twisted weave traveller shirt.

18. Jacket Buttoning

I was watching a Review of the latest Mercedes Maybach S680 car on YouTube today,

The channel was Autocar and Rory (one of my favorite reviewers) was testing this super luxury $275000 car.

He said that people that buy these cars, don’t want to drive and have chauffeurs.

At some point, he asked David (his chauffeur) to step out so he could drive. He did and the first thing I saw was that he had buttoned both buttons on his jacket.

For jackets and waistcoats, always leave the last button open including Double Breasted ones unless it’s a 1×6 jacket.

It ruins the proportions and makes you look blobby.

When you sit, always unbutton your jacket as it puts less pressure on the threads.

19. Wrong Tie Length/Width

A tie should rest around your belt level otherwise it will be too short or too long.

In certain occasions, people like to spruce up their outfits with some sprezzatura by making the blade longer.

But the general guideline above stands. I saw some hilariously short ties the other day and it just looked silly.

As for width, consider your build, weight and lapels.

If you are a small, thin person you would probably avoid massive lapels or wider ties.

The opposite is true for bigger individuals.

Overall skinny ties look childish and a good rule of thumb is to match the width of your tie to the one of your lapels.

20. Limp Dick Collar

I admit I added the D word because that’s what it reminds me of.

This occurs when you have a collar with no collar stays and they just lose shape and “limp”.

The solution? Use collar stays or get a button down shirt.

Absolute genius.

21. Belt With Suspenders

One of the unsolved mysteries of the universe is why people wear belts with suspenders.

They serve the same purpose to hold your trousers in position if you need them to.

Having both is unnecessary and looks silly.

Wear one or the other.

22. Vest With Tie Clips

Guess what, we got another one that makes no sense.

You use a tie clip to keep your tie in place from running with the wind and flopping around.

A waistcoat already holds your tie in place which renders using both of them unnecessary.

One or the other my friends.

23. Black Suit Obsession

Outside funerals and black tie events, you should not wear black suits.

I never understand the obsession of people with black suits.

In the best case you will look like a waiter, while in the worst one like a washed cheap salesman.

A black suit looks dull during the day and is impossible to match with other colors other than white.

Or you know, you can be one of those that wear it with a red shirt and look ridiculous.

Buy dark navy or charcoal colors instead.

24. Monochromatic Suits

You are not John Wick.

Unless you are taking on the “evil” forces of fashion and style don’t wear a monochromatic suit.

And by that I mean wearing the exact same color for the entire outfit (shirt, suit, shoes, tie).

It’s not flattering and will just swallow you and make you disappear.

25. Accessories Overload

Another trend in the menswear arena is to load up with all the accessories you can.

In these Facebook groups especially, there are men that will use a pocket square, tie, boutonniere, lapel pin, hat, watch chain, watch, ring and more in the same outfit.

You don’t need to overdo it.

Besides a wedding ring, I wouldn’t recommend more than 2 accessories not counting the essentials such as a tie and a pocket square.

Keep it simple.

26. Pattern & Color Bonanza

A continuation of the previous one is people trying way too hard.

It’s super nice and important to showcase your own style and personality in the way you dress.

However, there is a fine line where you are trying too hard to draw attention.

This usually comes in the form of using a ton of patterns or consciously choosing strong attention seeking colors.

Work your way up from solid outfits, slowly incorporating 1-2 patterns and have one statement piece at a time.

27. Not Removing Tags & Threads Of New Clothes

Ok, the tags are self explanatory but we all have went out of the house one time in our lives and forgot to remove a tag.

Sometimes though when you buy suits, jackets or coats they often have some threads in areas such as the sleeves and vents just to retain shape while in the store.

A massive amount of people coming at Suitsupply forgot to remove them and were surprised when I pointed it out.

Before you wear a new garment, simply go through the visible points and cut any unnecessary threads.

28. Dry Clean Damnit

More gross Suitsupply stories include people coming to do alterations or repair clothes.

Usually they needed to adjust something in their trousers.

To do such an alteration requires that you dry clean your clothes, because any stains can spread into the garment when the tailor steams it.

I remember this guy that came in and the inner loop of the trousers was yellow instead of white.

“Have you dry cleaned it?” I asked him and he said “Yes last week”.

He was blatantly lying and I refused to alter his garment before he washed it.

What’s the moto of this sad story? How about stop being a stinky dirty bastard and keep your clothes clean?

Rotate your clothes, follow their care label and dry clean them when required.

Otherwise, in the occasion that you might have to remove or change your trousers you will be embarrassed.

Conclusions

The idea with taking care of your appearance, clothes and body is not to exclusively attract women (unlike the Teaching Men’s Crap YouTuber tells you).

A well-groomed man with a nice outfit and proper shoes however will certainly be more attractive to women and his peers.

His confidence will also grow, he will feel better and he will also get better chances in the job industry.

This is about respecting yourself and others by putting effort in the right way, while developing your own style.

Small tweaks can go a long way and improve your appearance exponentially.

Keep it simple, make sure it fits and invest in good shoes is my advice!

Rant over, I will see you angry mobs in the comments!

Thank you for reading,

Kostas Mandilaris,
Misiu Academy