We just want to look cool
I think there’s a lot of confusion out there when it comes to knowing how to dress as you get older. But the bottom line is this. From a man’s standpoint, I think that all men just want to look cool. Like, guys don’t necessarily care what they’re wearing, as long as they look cool. I think some of the issues come when men want to dress better and look better, but they don’t know what to do or where to start, so they don’t do anything. They just go with whatever they went with in college. But the problem is, what you wore in college doesn’t necessarily work when you’re in your 40s or 50s.
Marketing
Another big source of confusion is with marketing. Clothing manufacturers simply aren’t marketing to us and they’re ignoring this demographic of men almost completely. You don’t see older guys in major advertising campaigns for fashion brands. It’s all young people. It’s like you have the 18 to 35 demographic and then the 70 plus retirement leisurewear demographic. But you and I my friend, we’re stuck in the middle. So what do we do? And that question is exactly why this channel exists. So let’s get after some practical steps you can take.
Examples
OK, let’s start with a few visual examples. Now, I’m sure you’ve all seen this guy walking around. Baggy pants that are too big and too long and the Tommy Bahama relaxed fit over-sized shirt. So look, if you’re trying to hide your gut, this really isn’t doing you any favors because the entire outfit is making you look bigger than you actually are. It’s not giving you any shape whatsoever because your clothing is basically swallowing you up. If you are a larger guy and want specific style tips you can use, I made a video recently with my friend Oz Rodriguez that addresses that very topic. I’ll link to that video right here so you can go check it out right after this.
Some alternatives
Now, some alternatives to this particular outfit are a darker wash pair of denim that’s more slim fitting, and a casual trim-fit shirt. Now, I’m not suggesting that your clothes need to be tight-fitting whatsoever, but they should be fit to your body type and not be overly baggy. Unfortunately, the one size fits all model doesn’t work for most of us. So I would encourage you to shop for slim fit denim with stretch fabric built in. If you’re a bigger guy and need more room in your seat and thighs, look for athletic slim cut jeans because that’s exactly what they’re cut for. You get more room where you need it, with the taper from the knee down for a really nice tailored look.
Stretch denim
And, if you haven’t tried a pair of jeans with stretch, you seriously don’t know what you’re missing. They feel just like sweatpants and they are incredibly comfortable and durable. Also, find a local tailor and you can have some of your current items tailored to fit you a lot better. For example, if you’ve got some shirts that fit well in the shoulders but are too loose through the midsection, take those items to a local tailor and they can remove a little bit of fabric and add some darts to the back to clean up the fit nicely.
Dark colors and small patterns
I would also encourage you to start incorporating darker solids and smaller scale patterns. It’s totally fine to wear pattern shirts, but I might suggest keeping the pattern small and tight. The larger the pattern and the brighter the colors, the more emphasis it’s adding to your midsection because your eye is drawn right to that big bold pattern. If you are not afraid of color and pattern, that’s totally fine. Just try to dial back the scale and size of the patterns that you wear, and experiment with more muted colors and darker tones.
Darker colors are more slimming because they absorb light and don’t show a lot of contrast differences between light and shadow so they can help hide problem areas. As opposed to light colors that reflect light and add bulk. For example, if you’re a bigger guy up top, try wearing dark color shirts with lighter color pants. The lighter color on the lower half helps draw the eye more, and visually helps balance you out. Another thing you can do is to incorporate dark monotone outfits. For example, black or dark navy shirts with medium gray pants can also help balance out your proportions visually.
It’s all about confidence
It’s all about confidence and being confident in the clothing that you wear and finding pieces and using tricks that can help your trouble spots. Confidence is a really big deal with a lot of men, especially as we age. Because maybe some of us feel like we’ve let ourselves go, and we don’t look as good as we did 10 or 15 years ago. And that’s a big reason why guys wear oversized clothing because you feel like you’re covering yourself up so nobody can see that you’ve gained a few pounds. And that’s also why a lot of men are wearing baseball hats everywhere because they’re covering up some bald spots that they’re uncomfortable with.
Let’s talk about hair loss
Let me just say right now, bald can be beautiful baby and hair loss is just part of life and getting older. A lot of men are 100% comfortable and confident with hair loss. But the fact is a lot of men are NOT OK with it. So, if you’re one of those men (like me) that’s not OK with it, you have options. And that’s why I’m highly considering, and I mean highly considering, today’s sponsor KEEPS. Because at 51 years old, I’ve got a pretty decent head of hair, and I’m incredibly thankful for that. But I am noticing that I’m getting a little thin right back here on the top. And I know that the best time to do something about it is when you start noticing it and still have some hair left.
Prevention is key
Prevention is key my friends. Everyone is different but Keeps treatments usually take between 4 to 6 months to see results, so it’s important to act fast when you start noticing some thinning areas like I am. Because the sooner you start using Keeps the more hair you’ll save. Keeps offers generic versions of the only two FDA approved hair loss products out there for a great price. You can get treated right from home and avoid making trips to the doctor’s office. You set up everything online and they deliver your hair loss medication right to your home. They make it super easy because they deliver your medication right to you every three months so you can say goodbye to standing in line at the pharmacy or at the doctor’s office.
Find out why Keeps has more five-star reviews than any of its competitors, and why thousands of men trust Keeps for their hair loss prevention medication. If you’re ready to take action and prevent hair loss, go to keeps.com/fashion to receive a special offer on keeps treatments.
Diet and exercise
The next way to look your best as you get older is to watch your diet and get exercise. I’m sure you all knew this was coming, and I know you’re smart enough to know this already, but sometimes we just need a little push to remind ourselves how critical it is, especially as we get older. So, a bunch of us just finished a 30-day health challenge in my membership group and I ended up losing 9 pounds. It was great because we all posted what we were doing and what we were eating, and having other guys on board to help hold you accountable is a great way to stay engaged and motivated. So if you want me to do another one, join this channel as a member and let me know.
Wear nicer shoes
And back to style for just a minute, you can start wearing nicer shoes. Now, I don’t necessarily suggest that you run around your best oxfords everywhere. But say for example, you’re a athletic shoe guy or a sneaker guy. There’s a lot of options out there that just look a lot nicer and classier than a standard running shoe or gym shoe. The standard clean white sneaker is incredibly popular and can look great on both men and women in this age bracket. They’ve got a youthful and a classy vibe all at the same time. A nice leather sneaker says that you’re still relevant, you’re not outdated and that you still care about the details. If you’re not into sneakers, casual driving mocks or suede derbies are a few other terrific options that go great with your jeans or chinos.
Skin care
Okay, think about this, your face is the first thing people see. And if your skin is dry and blotchy, it’s absolutely in your best interest to do something about it. I know I talk about skin care a little bit on this channel, but taking care of the skin on your face is incredibly important in my opinion. I mean, I don’t even necessarily care what you do or what you use. But you should start doing something to help the skin on your face if you’re not already.
Use a specific face wash on your face, not bar soap or body wash. And if you’re not using a daily moisturizer on your face, start today. I’m not gonna pitch skin care that hard because I do talk about it a bit already on this channel, but if you’re interested in the products I use, and have been using for the last 4 years, I’ll put a link for you down in the description if you wanna go check it out. I mean, after all, the topic of this video is how to look the best you can as you get older. I strongly believe that in order to do that, you have to do a few things different and start some new routines. Taking care of the skin on your face is one of them, and it’s so simple to do.
Sweaters and jackets
Here’s another suggestion if you’re trying to hide a few problem areas up top. Try incorporating some cardigan sweaters, or zip sweaters and even lightweight bomber jackets. Wearing them open like this can help elongate your torso and make you appear leaner. Another trick if you’ve got a little man-boob action, is wearing tight T shirts or compression shirts underneath. Another trick is to wear more heavy fabric shirts instead of lightweight thin fabrics. Heavier fabric is gonna drape better and be less clingy to your body. Also like I mentioned before, darker colors are gonna be your friend.
Grooming
Okay, I can’t make a video about looking your best without talking for just a minute about grooming. I need you to do me a favor. After this video, go take a close look at yourself in the mirror. Do you see nose hairs poking out? What about your ear hair? Take a look at your eyebrows.. do they look a little rough with a bunch of long straggly hair is going every which way? All of this is in your control. You look at yourself in the mirror every single day and it’s up to you to notice this stuff and to take care of it. If you don’t think other people see your nose hair or care about it, you’re wrong. And I’m not suggesting that you live your life and do things for the acceptance of other people. But at some point when your grooming gets a little out of control, it can get embarrassing.
Telling it to you straight
I don’t say this to make you or anyone else feel bad. I say this as your friend that tells it to you straight. I’m not here to blow smoke or tell you that your nasty nose hair or your neck beard is fine. I’m assuming since you clicked on this article that you’re at least somewhat interested in looking the best you can as you get older. Just take the advice you like and leave the rest. Because a big part of my job is just providing suggestions and ideas that I believe can help improve the way you look, and to help improve your overall confidence and self-esteem.
The entire reason this blog exists is to help prove that it’s never too late and you’re never too old to make a change in your life or start something new. Taking steps to look your best can make you feel better. And when you start feeling better, you want more of that.
