Bean ToWn Fashion BlunDers

      I'd like 2 have a moment of silence to deal with the sorrow of Boston, my home town, being ranked the worst dressed city in the country by GQ magazine... *closes eyes, rests chin on clenched fist and shakes head*...  Ok, enough of that!  To be quite honest I'd be lying if said I'm surprised at our ranking on the sartorial totem pole because, let's face it, my hometown has quite a bit of work ahead of them if they wish to dig themselves out of this one.  Boston is a melting pot of both cultures and fashion trends, however, the problem with Bostonians is they get stuck in any one particular fashion trend for far too long, ie. the neon colored, N.E.R.D inspired clothing, shapeless dress shirts or square-toe shoes.. we tend to have a hard time letting go.  I can attest to the fact that a person dresses in a way they feel will be acceptable to those around them; for years I surpressed my true sense of style because I didn't want to be too different or stand out from what everyone around me was wearing but, that God, I've been cured of this!  When a person looks around at their fellow city dwellers' attire, they tend to follow suit even if it means appearing as though getting a good look at his/herself in the mirror prior to walking out their front door was the last thing on their mind. 

People often tell me that I dress as though I live in New York or LA.  Why is that?  My attire is never over the top or extremely flashy so why is it that people don't feel its appropriate for Boston?  The overall culture of Boston is very business/education oriented which leaves very little room for creativity.  Such a culture, for the most part, has left Bostonians very rigid and devoid of the desire to be expressive in terms of fashion, and it doesn't help that all things fashion related are mostly confined to NY, LA and Europe.  Thanks to companies like H&M, Forever21, Zara and Club Monaco extending themselves to the northeast, Boston has been able to at least have a peak at the trends of the moment and have access to fashionable items.  Though it wears me down every time I see my fellow Bostonians still hitting the pavement in oversized jeans (still hanging of their hind-parts, smh), shapeless button-ups and bubble coats I will not give up on them.  We, as a city, have the ability to adopt trends of all 4 seasons and make them distinctly our own and the day will soon come when the name 'Boston' will be on the tongues of fashion's elite as being a city of truly unique and diverse style.

What we're doing wrong:

    According to the Boston Metro, men's image consultant Emmi Sorokin says Boston's biggest downfall is sports gear.  Men in particular are clinging to sweats, hoodies and sneakers instead of broadening their style sense to include items of higher quality and better fit.  Metro says GQ feels Boston females are mostly to blame for this, stating "Beantown ladies are easily impressed with the hoodie-wearing boys that pass off sports gear as fashion."  Fellas, not only will women learn to appreciate our attire once they become accustom to the sight of us in more tailored pieces, but we'd also be creating a culture where taking pride in ones appearance will become a chain reacton.


How do we make it right?

    A big part of being stylish is appropriateness.  One's profession and overall lifestyle are what dictate his style choices and below I've laid out a summertime style-o-gram tailored to each man's specific lifestyle which identifies the common mistakes most men make as well as the items that will help you correct these mistakes.  I always say that having great style isn't about being flashy or having the brightest, loudest ensemble in the room but rather it's about fit, texture, color and a cool accessory or two thrown in.  What's your lifestyle?...


The Student/Artist                        The Cubicle Guy

                     
Mistakes: overly distressed den-              Mistakes: blousy button-ups     
im, flip-flops, worn out sneakers,                 with tee shirt showing, baggy/     
schleppy tees.                                                       ill-fitting khakis with heavy         
                                                               pleating, square-toe/worn out    
Opt for: straight leg, slightly distre-          shoes.                                             
ssed jeans, fitted tees in cool colors                                                              
with humerous/thought-provoking            Opt for: tailored shirt with ta-
words or phrases. mocassins, Conv-           torso (tag will say "modern" or     
erses or espadrilles.                                           "athletic fit"), slim or tapered        
                                                                                    khakis or chinos with light, we-     
                                                                                    pressed pleats, dress socks in        
                                                                                    unique colors like lilac, green,        
                                                                                    royal blue or even stripes (yes,     
                                                                                    you can take it there).  A sleek     
                                                                                    watch, nothing overdone, will         -
                                                                                    add a nice finishing touch.               
                                                                                    Simple black/brown lace-ups or    
                                                                                    slip-on loafers.                                   
                                                                                                                               
The Executive 

                                                                                                                        

Mistakes: Baggy/box-shaped suits in only navy or black, “white shirt only” syndrome, bland tie, worn out shoes.

Opt For: tailored suit in gray or khaki with slim lapels, tapered shirt with pattern and/or color, pants with one inch or less of break, color socks (yes, Executives can take it there as well), tie in a bold color/pattern, sleek lacups with thin sole and minimal stitching/patterns(no slip-ons.  Ok, maybe for casual fridays).

                                                                                                                  
    
To my Bean town fellas, let's make the effort to look our best now matter where we're going or what our lifestyle is.  Yes, it takes effort but you'll start to feel better about yourself and the payoff will be huge, trust ya boy!  Most important, let's never end up at the top of anyone's Worst Dressed list again.  With a little education and practice all of Boston's male population has the ability to develop a real sense of style.  Keep it fly!