If you’ve been paying attention to fashion for the last few years, or just happen to live in any major city, you’ll have noticed that both men and women are wearing looser, more relaxed fits of clothing these days.

This, I should add, shouldn’t mean much to you.

As with most trends, you’ll come to realize that things operate on a pendulum, always reversing what people previously proclaimed was "out".

Whether you decide you want to surf the trends of fashion is your decision and is neither right nor wrong. However, it’s worth noting what’s going on in the world of fashion, and if you choose to, it's worth learning how to wear trends correctly.

First, realize you can skip the whole trend business if you want to by wearing classic, timeless, (and ideally well-made) items. A plain white tee and a pair of Levi 501s were fine 50 years ago, and they're fine today. Choosing to forgo trends doesn’t mean you don’t look stylish, it simply means you are choosing not to partake in what others say is in the moment.

Keep in mind fashion doesn’t equal style.

I’ve seen tons of men wearing brand-new designer clothing that makes them look horrendous, and other guys who haven’t paid attention to what’s "in" for years and still look incredible. It has everything to do with how the clothing suits you - what looks good on you specifically.

Second, If you’re going to chase trends, you need to follow the number one rule of clothing: It should make you look good.

If you’re wearing clothing that doesn’t do anything for your appearance, why are you wearing it?

Beyond the legal necessity of not getting arrested for public indecency, clothing should assist you in elevating your natural appearance. Clothing should conform to and flatter your body, neither too tight nor too loose.

With trends, people slide towards extremes. 5 years ago, men were wearing pants so tight it affected their future reproductive ability. Today, we’re seeing some men wearing pants so baggy they could fit another human in there.

Both were proclaimed to be the "right" and "fashionable" thing to do at the time. Neither is correct as neither were particularly flattering to anyone. As with most things, the answer always lies somewhere in the middle.

If you’re chasing trends, try to avoid extremes and ask yourself, "Does this actually look good on me, or am I trying too hard ?".

Surf the ups and downs of trends, or remain timeless and classic, the choice is yours. But, in any case, make yourself look good.

x Patrick

P.S. If you're looking for more expert-level help with your style and grooming, you can learn more on the website, and when you're ready to take your appearance to the next level, get a call with me personally right here. We'll talk about your goals, and I can give you a course of action on how we can improve things.