Men and Valentine fashion

The most popular date night is here. If you do not want to be the badly-turned-out guy who looks rather mismatched with his lady love, here are a few helpful tips

February 13, 2015 06:50 pm | Updated February 14, 2015 04:06 pm IST

Make sure everything is in place

Make sure everything is in place

“Men with style are great because they have a sense of self,” said Lexa Doig, Canadian-American actor of Andromeda fame. With Valentine’s Day upon us again already, it’s easy to assume that the ladies are the only ones dolling up to look their best tonight. However, their male counterparts are not lagging far behind. So if you’ve got a date tonight and are wondering how to impress your lady love with your sense of dressing, here’s some fashion advice you could very well do with.

If fashion is what you buy and style is what you do with it, according to Allen Claudius, fashion blogger at Bowties and Bones, “Popular outfits for men this Valentine’s Day include light denim or chambray shirts, preferably with subtle prints on them. You can even opt for an Oxford shirt or something in plaid. It's the end of winter, but it still gets kind of nippy towards evening; so a solid shirt would keep you warm as well as help make an impression. Also, you don't want to go on a celebratory date in a tee.”

While most couples are probably making plans for date night, there are those who perhaps prefer some sunshine. Vatsal Poddar, owner of luxury retail brand Fervour, opines: “This year has pledged affinity to a path that no man has really ventured into. It is the season of the stripes and they have been re-invented to look classier, more relaxed and extremely chic. Wear your pin-striped trousers with white trainers for a more balanced casual look. If your plans are to head to the beach, then pin-striped shorts are your new best friend. Pair them with any bold, solid or floral-print top with minimal trainers, and you’ve already made a style statement.”

He adds, “A striking head-to-toe, all-white look exudes a very confident, self-possessed image, which is a guaranteed head turner. Select from different hues of white so that they do not wash you out but rather complement your skin tone. This V-Day, you can brave a camouflage T-shirt of a green, red or blue variant with floral-print pants without looking like a fashion faux pas. Denim on denim has come back with a vengeance. For a daytime look, white denim shorts teamed with a tangerine T-shirt, along with a denim jacket and loafers, should seal the deal.”

For an evening out, Allen finds: “Dark denims/chinos are your best bet. If your shirt is dark, you could wear a lighter shade of trousers. Since it is bound to get colder in the evening, you can throw on a leather jacket or a navy blue blazer. Needless to say, they make you look smart.”

As far as accessories for the day go, Vatsal says: “Feel comfortable in your shoes on V-day by rocking penny loafers.” With the chilly air still around, he finds that creative layering exudes a very charming, sophisticated vibe and can be easily achieved using voluminous scarves. Also, nothing looks more ambitiously chic than men carrying folios.”

Given that women’s love for all things mushy hits a new high at this time of the year, Allen suggests carrying flowers! Most women love flowers. Consider them your accessory till you get to your date,” he quips.

While these fashionable men have educated you on the dos of dressing for the day of love, here are some fashion don’ts you must avoid. “Being unkempt, not wearing a fragrance, wearing a tee or flip flops, going to an ‘all you can eat’ for dinner (unless you are your own date), wearing bright colours at night and dark colours in the day, are all unacceptable, more so on Valentine’s Day,” he says.

“Women notice so much about men, so I would personally ensure my nails are filed, my beard is trimmed, there are no sweat patches on my shirt, and that my shoes go well with my outfit,” says Priyank Mehta, a fashion photographer.

Now that you’ve got your fashion fundas in place, make sure you rock your choice of outfit this Valentine’s Day.

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