Of the many different styles of ladies’ clothes, urban clothing for women stands apart from the rest. Also known as hip-hop fashions, urban designs are generally casual and sexy. They accentuate the female form through the frequent use of tight-fitting bottoms and cropped tops often seen in hip hop music videos, but these themes are not the only components of urban clothes. Over sized sweatshirts with and without hoods are also popular. These add a comfortable element to urban clothing for women.

In addition to the comfortable look of too-large sweatshirts, urban clothing is often bought with a used or lived in look to it. Jeans have white patches on the front as though they have been worn for years and printed tee-shirts have faded and cracked images on the front. This retro chic seems to be a trend within urban clothing for women which has sprung up in the early 2000s until the present.

The true hallmark of urban clothes for women is the attitude. This is displayed in a variety of ways. Some clothes have phrases written directly on the fabric, such as pants with words such as “Sexy” and “Juicy” printed across the seat. These are some of the more obvious means of portraying the attitude of sexiness seen in urban clothing. The figure hugging styles of other urban clothes for women also belies sexiness. Even though it is more a subtle message than those printed on the clothes, the short lines and tight seams speaks just as loudly to the attitude of urban clothing.
Either way, wear them with style or wear them with attitude, just make sure you wear them at all.

Happy Shopping

If there is one essential item that simply must feature in every man’s wardrobe, it’s a suit. Why? Well, firstly, there are some occasions where a suit is absolutely critical. You can’t turn up to a job interview in jeans and trainers, or to a wedding or, God forbid, to a funeral wearing cargo pants and a Spider-man t-shirt. Secondly, the suit can be broken up and its elements used individually to create entirely new outfits. Wearing a suit jacket with jeans can transform a casual look into something a little more stylish, something eye-catching and considered. A suit is a must for any man.
But what about the cost? Suits are expensive, aren’t they? Well, if I’m honest, yes. That is to say, they can be. And, again, if I’m being completely honest, they ought to be. Nothing looks better on a man than a well-tailored suit cut from a quality fabric. But, for that, you do have to pay through the nose. The fact remains, however, that you must have a suit. The good news, the great news, is that there are now a large number of retailers producing low priced men’s suits. Even some of the supermarkets are now offering low priced men’s suits, so you can pick one up whilst you’re doing the weekly shop. There’s no excuse.
And just because they have an economical price tag dangling from the sleeve doesn’t mean that low priced men’s suits have to look like low priced men’s suits. Admittedly the quality and feel of the fabric is going to be about a million miles from Saville Row, and they aren’t going to last a lifetime, but who’s to know? The fact is some of the low priced men’s suits currently on display on the high street or in the mail order catalogues look simply fantastic. Just make sure you get the right size: trim without being tight, and avoid oversized baggy suits at all costs (nothing highlights cheap fabric more than an excess of the stuff). Combine with good quality shoes, a decent belt and a stylish shirt and nobody will be any the wiser.
And just as low priced men’s suits don’t have to look like low priced men’s suits, they don’t have to feel or last like them either. Give some serious thought to buying a second hand suit. If you’re canny enough, you’ll be able to get something that will look great and last a lifetime. And, once again, who’s to know?
If there is one essential item that simply must feature in every man’s wardrobe, it’s a suit. And, now, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have one.

Happy Shopping

Let’s face it, women are just a lot better at this sort of thing. They seem to possess an innate ability to mix and match, accessorise and enhance; they know months in advance not only where they’re going to be and what they’re going to be doing but what they’ll be wearing. Their wardrobes are subdivided into ‘basics’, ‘essentials’, ‘formal’, ‘evening’ etc. A typical man’s wardrobe is divided into only two sections: things that still fit and things that don’t (but we can’t quite bring ourselves to throw anything out because, any day now, we’re going to join a gym).

It’s mind-boggling.

Well, let’s see if we can do a little something about it. Here’s the top 12 crucial components of ‘the proper wardrobe for men’.

The Proper Wardrobe for Men 1: The pristine white shirt.
By white, we mean WHITE. Gleaming. Keep it simple: no elaborate stitching, attention-grabbing button, Oxford collars etc. This can be worn in the evening or in the daytime and will go with just about anything: suits, jeans and suit jacket etc. Avoid wearing as a casual shirt on it’s own; always wear with a suit or blazer jacket. Once it starts to lose its supernova glow, get rid of it and get a new one.

The Proper Wardrobe for Men 2: A grey suit.
Like the shirt, keep it simple: three buttons, single-breasted. This can be worn with a tie for job interviews or other formal occasions. Lose the tie and it instantly translates into something informal but eye-catching and stylish.

The Proper Wardrobe for Men 3: A black suit.
You can buy this as a suit or separately. The suit can be worn for more formal occasions, but the jacket and pants can be mixed and matched with other garments, to create a variety of looks. When worn with jeans or khakis, the black suit jacket makes something fun and informal seem a little more considered and thoughtful.

The Proper Wardrobe for Men 4: Black shoes and a black belt.
Again, this covers the whole spectrum for stiff formality to loose and casual. Jeans, khakis, suits: there’ll be no problems co-ordinating. It’s worth investing in decent quality shoes, as we’re certain you’ll get a lot of wear out of them.

The Proper Wardrobe for Men 5: Two ties.
One in a solid colour, one patterned. For the solid tie, try something dark and neutral. For the patterned tie, avoid anything too ‘on-trend’, it’ll slip out of fashion before you know it; so, go for something quite classical (a simple diagonal stripe, say) but not too formal.

The Proper Wardrobe for Men 6: Jeans.
You’re looking for something loose (to work with the flow of your suit jacket), but not too loose (you won’t be wearing a hoodie and skater-boy trainers!). Think relaxed boot-cut. In terms of colour, avoid traditional stonewashed; look for something dark but faded and maybe a little worn (but nothing verging on a gaping hole). Low rise jeans are okay, if you’re snake-hipped, otherwise steer clear.

The Proper Wardrobe for Men 7: Flat-fronted Chinos.
A light, neutral colour: tan, khaki, sand. There’s relatively little that these hardwearing and versatile trousers won’t go with.

The Proper Wardrobe for Men 8: A casual sweater.
Crew neck or v-neck? Well, that depends on your physique. Larger-chested men, irrespective of whether their chest falls into the flabby ‘man boob’ or highly-developed pectoral muscle category, should avoid v-neck as they can create the unwanted effect of a cleavage. Colours should be dark (think black, charcoal, navy) and the fit should be neat without being too tight. Baggy sweaters should be avoided.

The Proper Wardrobe for Men 9: Polo shirts.
A few if these, if your budget can accommodate. Solid colours only (no stripes please, unless you want to look like a creepy, oversized schoolboy – this is the proper wardrobe for men, remember?). Whatever colours you prefer, but try to have at least one in black or navy.

The Proper Wardrobe for Men 10: Casual shoes.
The popular trainer/shoe hybrid offer an excellent way to ‘deformalise’ an outfit, but keep the colour to brown (and variations thereon) and avoid too much patterning. A pair of robust brown Oxford work equally well.

The Proper Wardrobe for Men 11: Sandals.
A very basic thong, preferably in brown leather. Obviously, no socks.

The Proper Wardrobe for Men 12: Shorts.
A longer short, but keep it above the knee. In terms of colour, you’re looking for khaki or olive (anything light and neutral, really). Combat-style shorts are fine, but avoid anything too bulky. Worn with your sandals and a polo shirt, this will create a summery look that is casual but noticeable.

Now that you have the proper wardrobe for men, you should never get caught out again. You’ll also find that working from this basis, you’ll be able to add garments not purely because you like them in their own right, but because you’ll be able to see how they’ll work with the other elements in your wardrobe.

Happy shopping.