In the street style wars, simply pulling on your suit is never enough. Standing out comes courtesy of the tweaks and flourishes that turn by-numbers outfits into stand-out getups. Here, we’ve equipped you with five easy steps to personalise your looks, which will take you from background character to leading man.
Bling Is In
You know it’s best to shun pinky rings or diamond studs, unless you’re knocking in goals in front of the Kop, but there are some tasteful options in the male jewellery box. A plain white tee is the perfect foil to a fine chain or pendant necklace, ideally in a reassuringly masculine gunmetal finish. Or try contrasting your watch with a leather or canvas bracelet, for a subtle high-low juxtaposition that strips your wrist candy of any city boy connotations.
Key Pieces
- A.p.c. Clint Necklace
- Miansai Black Anchor Leather Bracelet
- Paul Smith Leather Wraparound Bracelet
- Topman Gunmetal Stainless Steel Chain Necklace
- All_blues Black Sterling Silver Bangle
- Acne Studios X All_blues Mens Oxidised Silver Bangle
Transform Your Tailoring
At the height of the #menswear boom, a certain sort of man adorned his suits with enough bric-a-brac for a decent game of Buckaroo. Lapel pins, boutonnières, artfully ruffled pocket squares, even pocket watches – these affectations stacked up until it appeared the wearer was heading for a shift at TGI Friday. Yet what was destroyed by overwork is receptive to a sympathetic hand. Simple lapel pins in silver or brushed metal bring a sophisticated edge to your tailoring, while a sharp tie clip can infuse your office uniform with some much-needed personality. If you’re going the air-tie route, collar tips will bring a slick rockabilly feel to your look. The key, however, is subtlety. Pick one piece, and let it speak for itself.
Key Pieces
- Hugo Boss Teodor Gunmetal-tone Tie Clip
- Austin Reed Gunmetal Textured Tie Clip
- Lanvin Wool And Cashmere-blend Flower Lapel Pin
- Reiss Piani Flower Dress Pin
- Lanvin Mens Ruthenium Navy Sneaker Pin
- T.m.lewin Silver Barbell Collar Pin
- Designsix Silver Shield Collar Tips
- Asos Collar Bar In Silver
- Paul Smith Spot Tie Bar
Button It
Tailoring takes a heavy toll on your bank balance, but with some simple swaps, you can ensure that budget buys can pass muster. You just need to ditch the tell-tale signs that mark out clothes of inferior quality. The buttons on low-cost chinos, pea coats and blazers are almost always cheap plastic, so upgrade to vintage horn or metal. Buttons with some weight to them instantly make your pocket-friendly purchase appear twice as expensive.
Distress Your Own Denim
Spotless denim has ceded its crown to battered jeans, but there’s little more galling than forking out for something new that looks like it’s been put through a combine harvester. Especially if your perfectly good jeans are lying fallow in your wardrobe. And since much of the busted-kneed, gaping pocketed options on the high street come with more customised gouges and tears than is really necessary, it’s easy to veer from hard-earned ageing to overly contrived. Instead, age your own jeans overnight by distressing them at home. A razor blade can transform your pristine selvedge into a prospector’s cast-offs in 20 minutes, but be warned: less is more. You can always add more knicks should your aesthetic take a grungier turn, but slice a gaping slit in the crotch and your Levi’s are only fit for the bin.
Paint Your Kicks
Not one for your brogues, admittedly, but a pot of paint can breathe new life into a pair of white trainers that have seen better days. If you’ve got time and creativity, go the IRL NikeID route and create your own colourways. First, clean your kicks with nail polish remover to reveal the leather, then use tape to mask off the bits of your shoe you want to keep uncoloured. Douse with spray paint, then mask and spray any other colours you wish to add. Once dry, use a sealant for a glossy finish and to protect your paint job from the elements. For a lazier approach, make like the Comme des Garçons Converse collab and just paint them with emulsion. As it cracks, you’ll get a personalised patina, although you’ll need a steady hand to get the CdG logo on the heel. And know your way around a copyright lawsuit. Want to try it at home? Mofoz Visualz has produced a superb visual guide, which we recommend you follow for best results.
Images: Mofoz Visualz
