I had someone drop by my “Ask” box on my tumblr page. His question was, “‘…What do you do for a casual look? I feel like I’m past the t-shirt and jeans phase but feel like a douche if I’m wearing a sweater with button down on a casual evening out at a local bar.‘”
Personally, I think that’s the perfect casual look. You want to wear things that are versatile and don’t make you look like a slob. After all, if you’re going out to the local bar it probably means you’ve got a girl on your radar. Why would you dress in a way that would make you look like every other dude trying to pick her up (see “A Beautiful Mind“)? Don’t be afraid to stand out by cleaning yourself up a bit. You shouldn’t feel like a douche for actually being well-dressed.
Ladies like a man that's well-put together. It means you take yourself seriously, which is attractive to a woman. She wants to be with someone who's confident and your clothes undoubtedly give that off (ladies, by all means let me know if I'm wrong). A t-shirt and jeans screams dude-who-hasn’t-left-college-yet. Which in turn makes her think, “He probably can’t even afford to buy me a beer.” (Translation: I’m not even remotely interested in going home with him.) But wearing a comfortable oxford cloth button-down shirt, a well-fitting cardigan, and dark wash jeans gives off a completely different vibe (read: You’re dressing your age and she’s more apt to think you’re ready for her jelly).
Don’t lose out on a girl because you decided not to wear the button down shirt that’s been sitting in the back of your closet for months. It’s all in the details, gentlemen, take advantage of it.
So, here’s what I’m thinking – Just roll up the cuffs on the button-down/sweater, make sure you've got the top button (or two) undone, and that everything fits well in proportion to your body. Invest in some v-neck tees, so the collar doesn’t show when you wear the button-up shirts unbuttoned at the top. Grab a pair of slim or straight-fit dark wash jeans, like GAP selvedge denim. I own these and can totally vouch for their quality and comfort. They’re $90 but GAP denim is ALWAYS on sale. I got mine for $60. If that’s out of your price range, Levi’s 514s, or 501s for you stockier dudes, are perfect – just make sure to stick to a darker wash*. Keep these things in mind and you'll look good, feel good, and maybe a lady or two will do some feelin' up on ya because of it (kidding…not really).
Oh, and in terms of footwear you definitely have options. You can wear canvas sneakers like Vans Authentics, maybe an old pair of Chuck’s, or you can go classic and wear your boat shoes. If you want to dress it up a bit, put on a pair casual dress shoes or loafers.
At the end of the day its how you carry yourself, so have confidence and keep your head up. If you look good with your clothes on, she’s going to want to know how good you look with them off. Trust.
Don’t forget…*yoda voice* Clothes a man do not make. Just be you and look good whilst doing it. The ladies will appreciate it and frankly, don’t act like everything we do isn’t about getting a girl. Check out the options I put together below for a little inspiration and go kill it at the next happy hour.
All sweaters are from Gap.com and the jeans are Levi’s 501s dark wash. The first pair of shoes are taupe suede Bass Barrets($79 at bassshoes.com, but also try Zappos or Piperlime). The middle are white canvas Vans Authentics and of course, the Chuck Taylors.
*Sidenote: Dark wash jeans are an easy to way to feel casual, but still look like you’re ready for a night out on the town. They’re probably the most versatile pair of jeans you’ll buy. Definitely grab a pair ASAP if you haven’t. Plus, if you spill a Bud heavy on them on Friday, Febreeze that ish and wear them again on Saturday. Nobody will be the wiser because the wash will hide the stain. BOOM.