Men's Fashion Tips: Matching Mens Shoes with Suits or Pants

By Leroy Fong

I have received many queries by readers on how to match their shoes against their other mens clothing, like suit or pants. Actually it is not as difficult as they think it is since the choices of colors for men's shoes are quite limited. Unless you have a taste for extraordinary colors, otherwise there should not be much problem coordinating dress shoes.

Always remember that formality of dress shoes begins from the darkness of its color. For example, black is always the most formal color while light brown is the least formal. So you should match your shoes against your suits or pants based on the occasion. If you are attending a formal business dinner, then naturally black shoes are your ultimate choice rather than brown shoes.

Of late, there are more men wearing light brown or camel colored dress shoes against their dark colored suits or pants. These high contrast creates a very trendy style which I personally like. However, we should also note that this combination gives a more casual feel toward it.

What if the suit or pants are brown-based colors like olive or chocolate colors? Must we definitely wear it against brown shoes? Not necessarily, black shoes are just as fine. Of course, brown shoes would let the color flow very smoothly but black is still a color that can fit nicely. Remember that black is the color for formal.

Lace-up shoes are one step better than slip-ons for their formality. At the same time, lace-ups are split into Balmoral and Blucher types. Refer to Mens Dress Shoes Styles for their differences. The latter is always considered less formal because of its open throat design.

So remember that whether you want a formal or casual look would depend on your choice of two criteria: the dress shoe style and its color. My brother actually has a gray shoe that is blucher styled with pointed tip and polished patented leather. Due to these various combinations, his dress shoe actually looked almost formal against dark colored pants and yet with a tinge of stylishness.

To find out the best dress shoes available, visit Men's Shoes Review to learn more.

Men's Shirts - Fashion, Not Just Function

By Adam Singleton

For many, the average men's shirt is simply a garment of utility - one that is worn by men across the world for reasons of function and not necessarily fashion. But this attitude belies the hundreds of years of trends in men's shirts. From the typical collarless shirts with billowing sleeves worn by classical painters to the modern formal button-down shirt, men's shirts have captured the imaginations of both designers and ordinary men for generations. In the twentieth century in particular, a range of different shirt styles have proved popular with men of all ages.

One of the most important developments in men's shirts over the last hundred years, for example, has been the invention of the polo shirt. The polo shirt, or 'tennis shirt', was created by legendary French tennis player Rene Lacoste in 1929 as an alternative to the stiff dress shirts and ties typical of tennis attire at the time. In the 1960s, Ralph Lauren propelled the polo shirt to new heights as a prominent item in his 'Polo' collection; and since this time the polo shirt has become so popular that it is now a standard category of clothing - although it has fallen out of favour with most tennis players.

The granddad shirt has also been a long lasting trend in men's shirts in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. These collarless shirts have been popular with men in warm countries for decades and have seen a variety of incarnations throughout the years. The Nehru Jacket, for instance, is a South Asian version of the modern granddad shirt that was popularised by the first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in the 1950s and early 1960s, and has since been prominently worn by a number of celebrities, from the likes of Sammy Davis Jr to Steven Segal. Today's granddad shirt preys on bright colours and an ethno-bohemian vibe that appeals to a variety of men's fashion trends - from festival clothing to smart casual summer wear.

The button-down shirt has also been one of the most influential men's shirts in fashion history - but memories of how it was created tend to be somewhat hazy. Some fashion experts claim that the button-down collar shirt was invented by an American shirt manufacturer who was inspired by an English polo match, in which players had their collars clipped down to avoid flapping in the wind. Others say that button-down shirts were created in New York, when their inventor (as yet anonymous) attached his collar to his shirt with buttons in a fit of annoyance at the oncoming wind.

But whatever the origin of the button-down shirt, its impact on the men's shirt industry has been historic, as button down shirts are now worn in both formal and casual contexts. Today, short-sleeved men's shirts are often worn with skinny jeans, large belts and tailored waistcoats for a fresh and informal look that still exudes smart chic. And with men's shirts available in a variety of colours - from grey to raspberry - and in a variety of floral and striped patterns, it's clear that evolving trends in men's fashion are far from over.

Adam Singleton is an online, freelance journalist and keen amateur photographer. His portfolio, called Capquest Photography is available to view online.