2008 Woodie Awards
Men Missed Out on Matching Genes
James H. Burnett III/syndicated writer/krt campus
Issue date: 4/29/05 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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For many American men, being told you do anything "like a girl" is considered an insult.
Throwing. Hitting. Running. You get the idea.
But fellas, if you haven't figured out yet what makes for a hot wardrobe, it's about time you learned to shop... like a girl or better yet, a woman.
While many women understand the concept of buying clothing, mixing and matching items to create multiple outfits, many men shop by mannequin - purchasing outfits that don't work with other clothes.
Following the plastic guy's lead is not always a bad thing if you're stumped, says our expert, Clinton Kelly, co-host of The Learning Channel's "What Not to Wear," the show that helps the hapless dress to fit their bodies and ages.
Kelly suggests you follow these tips:
Shop for pants first. "Start on the bottom. Generally men's trousers don't come in as many colors as women's. They tend to come in neutral colors, like black, charcoal gray, khaki. If you stick with neutral on the bottom, that's gonna make your life 100 percent easier, because with a neutral color as a foundation, you can wear something more colorful on top."
Look for neutral-colored pants with a little flair. "You can do a navy pant, a neutral color, with a pinstripe... a lighter blue pinstripe, for example. You can take your cue from the pinstripe, and maybe wear a light blue sweater or shirt. You have to take your cues (for compiling outfits) from the garment itself. Maybe it's a windowpane pant with a little red in it. Look for a red shirt or sweater to match."
Buy business suits with mixing and matching already in mind. "The idea of breaking up a suit is so easy to do. Get a neutral suit; get it tailored to fit you. And simply take your cues and wear the pants with a nice colorful sweater. Take the jacket and wear it with nice jeans and a T-shirt."
Make your fabric patterns complement rather than clash with one another. "Women have a little more difficulty than men, because there's so much more color and pattern out there. They're more likely to buy something really colorful on the bottom and then have a tough time finding a good top to match. Guys have a tough time mixing and matching pattern, period. The thing for guys to learn is you want one pattern to be more dominant than the other. If you wear a pinstripe on the bottom, you can do a bold check on the top."
Throwing. Hitting. Running. You get the idea.
But fellas, if you haven't figured out yet what makes for a hot wardrobe, it's about time you learned to shop... like a girl or better yet, a woman.
While many women understand the concept of buying clothing, mixing and matching items to create multiple outfits, many men shop by mannequin - purchasing outfits that don't work with other clothes.
Following the plastic guy's lead is not always a bad thing if you're stumped, says our expert, Clinton Kelly, co-host of The Learning Channel's "What Not to Wear," the show that helps the hapless dress to fit their bodies and ages.
Kelly suggests you follow these tips:
Shop for pants first. "Start on the bottom. Generally men's trousers don't come in as many colors as women's. They tend to come in neutral colors, like black, charcoal gray, khaki. If you stick with neutral on the bottom, that's gonna make your life 100 percent easier, because with a neutral color as a foundation, you can wear something more colorful on top."
Look for neutral-colored pants with a little flair. "You can do a navy pant, a neutral color, with a pinstripe... a lighter blue pinstripe, for example. You can take your cue from the pinstripe, and maybe wear a light blue sweater or shirt. You have to take your cues (for compiling outfits) from the garment itself. Maybe it's a windowpane pant with a little red in it. Look for a red shirt or sweater to match."
Buy business suits with mixing and matching already in mind. "The idea of breaking up a suit is so easy to do. Get a neutral suit; get it tailored to fit you. And simply take your cues and wear the pants with a nice colorful sweater. Take the jacket and wear it with nice jeans and a T-shirt."
Make your fabric patterns complement rather than clash with one another. "Women have a little more difficulty than men, because there's so much more color and pattern out there. They're more likely to buy something really colorful on the bottom and then have a tough time finding a good top to match. Guys have a tough time mixing and matching pattern, period. The thing for guys to learn is you want one pattern to be more dominant than the other. If you wear a pinstripe on the bottom, you can do a bold check on the top."