Whether you are looking for a new brand to try out, getting some ideas for style options, or even doing a bit of research on men’s clothing – the scope of this guide is to be all-encompassing by assembling a table of all the most popular and best clothing brands for men.
Furthermore, if you are looking for advice on how to select clothes for your wardrobe with more confidence, we got you covered. Immediately following the table below, we share some style tips that will be sure to help.
- Brand: Simply the consumer marketed name the company goes by.
- Headquarters: Where the major decisions are made pertaining to style, design, etc. This does not indicate where the clothes are made.
- Year Founded: Year the company recognizes as its inception.
- Offerings: Various popular categories of clothing, accessories, or footwear found on the company site.
Brand | Headquarters | Year Founded | Offerings | Genre |
---|---|---|---|---|
Zara | Arteixo, Spain | 1975 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | General, Trendy, Formal, Casual, Outerwear, Affordable |
Nike | Beaverton, OR, United States | 1964 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Athletic, Casual, Trendy, Big & Tall |
Asos | London, England | 2000 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | General, Trendy, Formal, Casual, Outerwear, Affordable, Big & Tall |
Adidas | Herzogenaurach, Germany | 1924 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Athletic, Casual, Trendy, Big & Tall |
H&M | Stockholm, Sweden | 1947 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | General, Trendy, Formal, Casual, Outerwear, Athletic, Affordable, Big & Tall |
Gucci | Florence, Italy | 1921 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | General, Trendy, Formal, Luxury |
Lululemon | Vancouver, BC, Canada | 1998 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Accessories, Outerwear | Athletic, Casual, Trendy |
LL Bean | Freeport, ME, United States | 1912 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Affordable, Active, Tall |
Patagonia | Ventura, CA, United States | 1973 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Accessories, Outerwear | Athletic, Casual, Trendy |
Gap | San Francisco, CA, United States | 1969 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Affordable, Athletic, Formal, Outerwear |
The North Face | Alameda, CA, United States | 1966 | Clothing, Active, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Outerwear |
J.Crew | New York City, NY, United States | 1947 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Trendy, Formal, Outerwear |
Ugg | Goleta, CA, United States | 1978 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Outerwear |
Under Armour | Baltimore, MD, United States | 1996 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Affordable, Athletic, Outerwear |
Vans | Costa Mesa, CA, United States | 1966 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Affordable, Athletic, Trendy, Outerwear, Streetwear |
Ralph Lauren | New York City, NY, United States | 1967 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear, Big & Tall |
Levi’s | San Francisco, CA, United States | 1873 | Clothing, Basics, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual,Trendy, Big & Tall, Outerwear |
Hermès | Paris, France | 1837 | Clothing, Accessories, Shoes, Outerwear | Trendy, Formal, Outerwear, Designer/Luxury |
Michael Kors | London, England | 1981 | Clothing, Basics, Accessories, Shoes, Outerwear | Trendy, Athletic, Casual, Formal, Outerwear, Designer |
Off-White | Milan, Italy | 2012 | Clothing, Active, Accessories, Shoes, Basics, Outerwear | Trendy, Athletic, Casual, Outerwear, Designer, Streetwear |
Columbia | Portland, OR, United States | 1938 | Clothing, Active, Accessories, Shoes, Basics, Outerwear | Big & Tall, Outerwear, Athletic, Affordable |
Balenciaga | Paris, France | 1917 | Clothing, Accessories, Shoes, Outerwear | Trendy, Streetwear, Outerwear, Designer |
Everlane | San Francisco, CA, United States | 2010 | Clothing, Basics, Accessories, Active, Outerwear, Shoes | Casual, Affordable, Athletic, Trendy, Formal |
Madewell | New York City, NY, United States | 2006 | Clothing, Accessories, Shoes, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear |
UNIQLO | Tokyo, Japan | 1949 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Accessories, Shoes, Outerwear | Casual, Outerwear, Athletic, Affordable |
Prada | Milan, Italy | 1913 | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear, Shoes | Trendy, Formal, Outerwear, Designer/Luxury |
Puma | Herzogenaurach, Germany | 1948 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Affordable, Outerwear, Big & Tall |
Lacoste | Troyes, France | 1933 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Outerwear, Athletic, Formal |
Reebok | Boston, MA, United States | 1895 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Affordable, Outerwear |
Aeropostale | New York City, NY, United States | 1987 | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear, Basics | Casual, Affordable, Outerwear |
Carhartt | Dearborn, MI, United States | 1889 | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear, Shoes | Casual, Outerwear, Trendy |
Calvin Klein | New York City, NY, United States | 1968 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Outerwear, Shoes, Accessories | Casual, Athletic, Trendy, Outerwear, Designer |
Guess | Los Angeles, CA, United States | 1981 | Clothing, Basics, Outerwear, Accessories, Shoes | Casual, Trendy, Formal, Outerwear |
Versace | Milan, Italy | 1978 | Clothing, Basics, Active, Accessories, Shoes, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Trendy, Outerwear, Designer |
Timberland | Stratham, NH, United States | 1952 | Clothing, Basics, Accessories, Shoes, Outerwear | Casual, Trendy, Formal, Outerwear |
A Bathing Ape (Bape) | Tokyo, Japan | 1993 | Clothing, Outerwear, Accessories, Shoes | Trendy, Outerwear, Streetwear |
Barbour | Simonside, South Shields, England | 1894 | Clothing, Basics, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear |
Topman | London, England | 1978 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Affordable, Athletic, Trendy, Formal, Outerwear, Streetwear, Big & Tall |
Champion | Winston-Salem, NC, United States | 1919 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Trendy, Outerwear, Big & Tall |
Fendi | Rome, Italy | 1925 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Trendy, Formal, Outerwear, Streetwear |
Charles Tyrwhitt | London, England | 1986 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear |
Brooks Brothers | New York City, NY, United States | 1818 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Big & Tall, Outerwear |
Ted Baker | London, England | 1988 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal. Luxury, Outerwear |
Tommy Hilfiger | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 1985 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Trendy, Outerwear |
Valentino | Milan, Italy | 1960 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Trendy, Formal, Outerwear, Designer/Luxury |
G-Star Raw | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 1989 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Trendy, Formal, Outerwear, Designer/Luxury |
Sperry | Waltham, MA, United States | 1935 | Shoes, Accessories | Casual, Affordable, Formal |
True Religion | Manhattan Beach, CA, United States | 2002 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories | Casual, Trendy, Streetwear |
KITH NYC | New York City, NY, United States | 2011 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Trendy, Formal, Designer, Streetwear |
Tom Ford | New York City, NY, United States | 2006 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Trendy, Formal, Outerwear, Designer |
Diesel | Molvena, Italy | 1978 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Trendy, Outerwear, Designer, Streetwear |
Wrangler | Greensboro, NC, United States | 1904 | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Affordable, Outerwear, Big & Tall |
American Apparel | Los Angeles, CA, United States | 1989 | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Affordable, Outerwear |
Vineyard Vines | Stamford, CT, United States | 1998 | Clothing, Basics, Active, Accessories, Shoes, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear |
AllSaints | London, England | 1994 | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear, Shoes | Casual, Trendy, Outerwear, Designer, Streetwear |
Cole Haan | Greenland, NH, United States | 1928 | Shoes, Outerwear, Accessories | Outerwear |
Tommy Bahama | Seattle, WA, United States | 1993 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear, Big & Tall |
Nautica | New York City, NY, United States | 1983 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Affordable, Formal, Outerwear, Big & Tall |
Volcom | Costa Mesa, CA, United States | 1991 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Affordable, Athletic, Outerwear, Streetwear |
Gildan | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | 1984 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Outerwear | Casual, Affordable, Athletic, Outerwear |
Bonobos | New York City, NY, United States | 2007 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Formal |
Armani | Milan, Italy | 1975 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Trendy, Formal, Outerwear, Designer/Luxury, Streetwear |
Burberry | London, England | 1856 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Outerwear, Designer/Luxury, Streetwear |
Kenneth Cole | New York City, NY, United States | 1982 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear |
Filson | Seattle, WA, United States | 1897 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Trendy, Streetwear |
Hugo Boss | Metzingen, Germany | 1924 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Designer |
Outdoor Voices | Austin, TX, United States | 2014 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Accessories | Casual, Athletic, Streetwear |
Lee | Greensboro, NC, United States | 1889 | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Outerwear, Big & Tall |
Alpha Industries | Knoxville, TN, United States | 1959 | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Trendy, Outerwear |
Club Monaco | Toronto, ON, Canada | 1985 | Clothing, Shoes, Outerwear | Casual, Trendy, Formal, Designer/Luxury, Outerwear |
Obey | Irvine, CA, United States | 2001 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Affordable Trendy, Streetwear |
Paul Smith | London, England | 1970 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Trendy, Designer, Outerwear, Streetwear |
Proper Cloth | New York City, NY, United States | 2008 | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear |
Rag & Bone | New York City, NY, United States | 2002 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Trendy, Formal, Outerwear, Streetwear |
RVCA | Costa Mesa, CA, United States | 1999 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Formal, Outerwear |
Theory | New York City, NY, United States | 1997 | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear, Designer |
Burton | Burlington, VT, United States | 1977 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Outerwear, Streetwear |
Rothco | Ronkonkoma, NY, United States | 1953 | Clothing, Active, Accessories, Shoes, Outerwear | Athletic, Outerwear |
prAna | Carlsbad, CA, United States | 1992 | Clothing, Active, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Outerwear |
Schott | New York City, NY, United States | 1913 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Outerwear |
Billionaire Boys Club | New York City, NY, United States | 2003 | Clothing, Active, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Trendy, Outerwear, Designer, Streetwear |
A.P.C. | Paris, France | 1987 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear, Designer |
Marine Layer | San Francisco, CA, United States | 2009 | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Trendy, Outerwear, Streetwear |
Reigning Champ | Vancouver, BC, Canada | 2007 | Clothing, Active, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Trendy, Outerwear, Designer, Streetwear |
Vince | New York City, NY, United States | 2002 | Clothing, Active, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Trendy, Designer |
Norse Projects | Copenhagen, Denmark | 2004 | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Designer |
John Varvatos | New York City, NY, United States | 1999 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear, Designer |
Aimé Leon Dore | New York City, NY, United States | 2014 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear, Designer |
Commes Des Garcons | Tokyo, Japan | 1969 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories | Casual, Trendy, Designer, Streetwear |
Taylor Stitch | San Francisco, CA, United States | 2008 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear |
AG Jeans | Los Angeles, CA, United States | 2000 | Clothing, Accessories | Casual, Formal, Designer |
Peter Manning | New York City, NY, United States | 2012 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Accessories, Shoes, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Formal, Shorter Men |
Russell Athletic | Bowling Green, KY, United States | 1902 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Affordable, Athletic, Outerwear |
Vuori | Carlsbad, CA, United States | 2015 | Clothing, Active, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Trendy |
Taft Clothing | Salt Lake City, UT, United States | 2015 | Shoes | Casual, Athletic, Formal, Designer |
7 For All Mankind | Santa Monica, CA, United States | 2000 | Clothing, Basics, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear, Designer |
Naked & Famous | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | 2008 | Clothing, Outerwear | Casual, Trendy, Outerwear, Designer, Streetwear |
Banana Republic | San Francisco, CA, United States | 1978 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear |
Alternative Apparel | Norcross, GA, United States | 1995 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Affordable, Athletic, Trendy, Outerwear |
Tommy John | New York City, NY, United States | 2012 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Formal, Outerwear |
Helmut Lang | New York City, NY, United States | 1986 | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Trendy, Designer, Streetwear |
Mott & Bow | New York City, NY, United States | 2013 | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear, Designer |
Southern Marsh | Baton Rouge, LA, United States | 2008 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Formal, Outerwear |
American Tall | Mississauga, ON, Canada | 2015 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Formal, Outerwear, Tall Men |
Mizzen+Main | Dallas, TX, United States | 2012 | Clothing, Active, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Formal, Outerwear |
Joe’s Jeans | Hollywood, CA, United States | 2001 | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Trendy, Formal, Designer |
Cutter & Buck | Seattle, WA, United States | 1990 | Clothing, Active, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Formal, Designer, Big & Tall |
Faherty | New York City, NY, United States | 2013 | Clothing, Active, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Formal, Outerwear |
Rodd & Gunn | Auckland, New Zealand | 1987 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear |
Arc’Teryx | Vancouver, BC, Canada | 1991 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Outerwear |
Ministry of Supply | Boston, MA, United States | 2012 | Clothing, Active Basics, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Formal, Outerwear, Designer |
Robert Graham | New York City, NY, United States | 2001 | Clothing, Active, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Trendy, Outerwear, Designer, Big & Tall |
DSTLD | Los Angeles, CA, United States | 2014 | Clothing, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear, Designer |
Rancourt | Lewiston, ME, United States | 1964 | Shoes, Accessories | Casual, Formal, Designer |
2Tall | Aberdeen, Scotland | 2012 | Clothing, Active, Shoes, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Formal, Outerwear, Big & Tall |
Flag & Anthem | New York City, NY, United States | 2016 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal Outerwear |
The Arrivals | New York City, NY, United States | 2014 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Trendy, Designer, Outerwear, Streetwear |
Rogue Territory | Los Angeles, CA, United States | 2008 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear, Designer |
Flint & Tinder | San Francisco, CA, United States | 2011 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Trendy, Outerwear, Designer |
Ermenegildo Zegna | Milan, Italy | 1910 | Clothing, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Formal, Outerwear, Designer/Luxury |
Under 510 | Cedarhurst, NY, United States | 2017 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Formal, Outerwear, Shorter Men |
Ash and Erie | Detroit, MI, United States | 2015 | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear, Shorter Men |
American Eagle | Pittsburgh, PA, United States | 1977 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Affordable, Athletic, Outerwear |
Goodthreads | Seattle, WA, United States | – | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Affordable, Outerwear, Big & Tall |
Koloa Surf Company | Laguna Hills, CA, United States | 2014 | Clothing, Active, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Affordable, Athletic, Outerwear, Streetwear |
ISAORA | New York City, NY, United States | 2009 | Clothing, Active, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Trendy, Formal, Outerwear, Designer/Luxury, Streetwear |
34 Heritage | New York City, NY, United States | 2011 | Clothing | Casual, Trendy, Formal, Designer |
Maison Kitsune | Paris, France | 2002 | Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Trendy, Formal, Outerwear, Designer/Luxury, Streetwear |
Kato’ | Gardena, CA, United States | 1999 | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Formal, Outerwear, Designer |
Roark | Laguna Beach, CA, United States | 2009 | Clothing, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Streetwear |
Wellen | San Francisco, CA, United States | 2011 | Clothing, Active, Basics, Accessories, Outerwear | Casual, Athletic, Trendy, Outerwear |
Robbie Brown | Toronto, ON, Canada | 2016 | Clothing, Outerwear | Formal, Shorter Men |
Foehn | Quebec, QC, Canada | 2017 | Clothing, Active, Outerwear | Athletic, Outerwear |
Demystifying Men’s Clothing Brands
Trying to find a new brand to buy clothes from can be really difficult – especially when you are uncertain where to go in the first place.
When researching for this article, we wanted to nicely bucket clothing brands into particular styles, ages, prices, etc. However, the cold hard truth is that you cannot do this, here’s why:
Take Levi’s for instance – if you visit the men’s department on their site, you see the following:
Younger men in super casual and borderline comfort clothing.
I would take a guess that most of these men are in their late teens or early 20s.
But here’s the kicker:
As you are keenly aware, Levi’s isn’t just for young men. In fact, according to the research firm YouGov, Levi’s is most popular with Millenials AND Boomers (source) with the Boomers also being the most loyal…but as you see above, that’s not the demographic that Levi’s is targeting here.
The takeaway:
As tempting as it may be, you just simply can’t categorize most clothing brands into strict demographics – it is important to realize this.
Now many will think – Well, how do I find a clothing brand that’s right for me?
…and that’s completely fair…
…and honestly, I don’t have an exact answer for you…
…but I can share with you a few helpful tips that can help you navigate men’s fashion a bit easier and with more confidence.
1. Shop Clothing Brands Based on Specialty
When considering all the different fashion brands, it is best to try and think of them not as a one-stop-shop for all of your wardrobe, but as specialty brands.
The reason is that their products for what they are known for are often well researched, stylish, and constructed better.
For example, while Nike sells polos, rain apparel, sunglasses, etc. their specialty lies particularly well in both footwear and sports clothing. Their products in these lines are often well-reviewed among men.
As another example, Polo Ralph Lauren is primarily known for their polo shirts rather than their underwear or belts. So if you want a new polo shirt, put them at the top of your consideration list over a brand like Nike.
Make sense?
Now if you are uncertain about what the brand specializes in, a good tip that works well is to either check out our table above or simply head to the retailer website and look at their navigational menu.
Carrying on with the examples from above, if we check out Nike, we see the following on their site when hovering over ‘Men’ in the menu:
Generally speaking, whatever is in the top left corner is always the most important and relevant offering for the company.
So we can confidently determine that Nike wants us to shop their New Releases and Shoes rather than their Nike FlyEase, Lacross, Hats, Vests, and Headbands (located bottom right).
You can also see this in action on the Polo Ralph Lauren site as well:
You can see just at a glance, that they are also pushing their New Arrivals (top left), and are least interested in pushing Sale items (bottom right).
If you were just learning what Ralph Lauren is as a brand, you can probably infer a few things about polo shirts as it’s mentioned several times (highlighted). Furthermore, you can see in the clothing column, Polo Shirts are listed first (and it’s non-alphabetical).
In the end, the point that we want to stress here is that you shouldn’t get too tied up in brand loyalty. Just because your favorite clothing brand makes a particular piece of clothing or accessory – doesn’t mean it will always be the best as there are likely better alternatives out there.
2. Clothes for All Scenarios
Us men often prefer multi-use products that can fill multiple voids. Unfortunately, this utilitarian mindset can be a major barrier when clothes shopping.
Rather than trying to buy a button down that is worn for both the workplace and casual weekend wear – try to loosely put together outfits for specific scenarios.
When taking this approach, you will always know that certain clothes are intended for casual or semi-formal use. Ultimately, it makes the decision process easier when expanding your wardrobe along with deciding what to wear for the day – truly a win-win.
3. Age Is Only A Number
As we touched on earlier, just because a brand only uses models of a certain demographic shouldn’t disqualify them from your consideration.
Instead, you should aim to get clothes that fit well and create a cohesive style. Certain genres include casual, smart casual, technical, activewear, semi-formal, and formal.
Mix matching between styles, such as vintage clothing with formal wear, can create a jarring look that simply doesn’t work.
If uncertain about style, as it is highly subjective, check out a few popular forums that we shared below for looks that you can steal for your own wardrobe.
4. Don’t Overspend
Popular brands will pay an enormous amount of money to be at the top of your mind when it comes to purchasing decisions – don’t fall into this trap.
Just because a brand like Nike is world renown for its athletic shoes, doesn’t mean they are the best for you. Try shopping around at other footwear retailers to find the right shoe for your feet.
Furthermore, quality and price don’t always correlate – especially when buying clothes from a big fashion house. A $680 button down shirt from Gucci is not going to be significantly more durable or better than a $15 button down from H&M.
Brands and logos are superficial – so don’t get lured into this if you like to shop based on value or quality.
5. Don’t Turn To the Magazines
Popular men’s magazines appear to do a poor job in dressing the modern man (in my humble opinion). With aggressive cuts and bold styles, most clothes seen in these pages would put a lot of guys out of their comfort zone.
While it is important to have confidence when buying and wearing clothes, you are better off turning to places that isn’t just models with a team of photoshop experts backing them up.
Over the years, I find that fashion chatter on popular forums to be the most helpful and trusted to determine ‘what’s in’ and what fashionable guys like to wear.
Some that come to mind are the following:
- Reddit
- /r/malefashionadvice – General men’s clothing
- /r/frugalmalefashion – Affordable men’s clothing
- /r/goodyearwelt – Well-made footwear
- /r/RedWingShoes – Discussion only about Red Wing Shoes
- /r/malefashion – Trendy men’s fashion
- /r/streetwear – Trendy casual clothing discussion for men and women
- /r/watches – Primarily discussion about men’s watches
- /r/NavyBlazer – Preppy clothing advice
- /r/styleboards – Outfit ideas
- Facebook Groups
- StyleForum
- Dappered Threads
Of course, these are all social forums – so if you have questions, or want to get advice on a particular look – don’t be shy! Jump in and share your style to get ideas on what you could do differently or some constructive feedback.
6. Body Shape & Clothing
Companies are investing millions of dollars to try and find better fitting clothes for you (source) – and there are several reasons for this:
First, returns.
Around 30 to 40% of all online clothing and footwear purchases are returned (source). That equates to about $400 billion worth of inventory – that’s insane!
Secondly, your body is really unique (hence the returns).
This makes it often difficult to find the right fit. It’s important to know that clothing brands rely on averages when it comes to certain areas (i.e. stomach or thigh circumference).
While they try to offset these averages with various cuts such as tailored, slim, athletic, etc. – it’s obviously not a perfect system.
The takeaway:
It’s okay to return – in fact, it’s almost expected to return nearly half of the clothes you buy. Just because you like the brand or paid a lot of money doesn’t change the fact that the clothes don’t fit well.
Prioritize fit over the brand name – always.
7. Strive for a Toned Body
Beyond all the health benefits from an active lifestyle, working out can help to make more clothing brands fit better. When not carrying a significant amount of weight in one area of your body (the midsection for most men), you can expect more shirts to fit better.
This is because clothes can drape easier and not account for as many curves. This is an effective way to help broaden the clothing brands you can pick from.
Of course, the opposite is also true. Men that are muscular can have trouble finding clothes that fit well.
Here’s a few interesting discussions of how men reacted to weight change in relation to clothes that are worth a look:
- Positive assessment
- Negative assessment – Particularly on pants
- Motivational
At the end of the day – you win some and lose some – but a healthy and active lifestyle will always be a net win for your clothes shopping, but more importantly, for yourself.
8. Tailoring Is A Thing
Rarely does a piece of clothing you buy fits your body perfectly.
Whether you are buying denim jeans, a button down, etc. there are usually some alterations that can be made to allow for a better fit.
You can find often find tailors at your local dry cleaner or just by searching for alterations in your area.
Depending on the article of clothing getting tailored, the price can range from a few bucks upwards to $20 – it largely depends on where you live, what needs to be tailored, and the amount of work involved.
What is really cool about tailoring is that you will begin to shop for clothes differently. Rather by brand or size (to an extent), you can shop by fabric texture or design as you know that your tailor can get a specific piece of clothing to look perfect on your body.
In the end, it’s a cool and easy way to upgrade your wardrobe through better fitting outfits.
Wrapping it all Up
Try not to stress when buying clothes. There are a ton of men’s clothing brands out there and many with very easy return policies. You are already doing a great job doing your research by coming here – now go out and experiment and have fun!