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The Return of the Gentleman

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Style when used appropriately, is a tool that can help a man feel confident. Today, we will be looking at 3 ways men can look taller and leaner. We find that gentlemen feel at their best when they find the right attire that enhances their physique.

Dress to Look Taller and Leaner

While clothes can’t make you grow an additional 6 inches, with the right styling, it is possible for the right clothes to make you appear a bit taller and leaner than what you really are.

On the flip side, we will also be looking at how the wrong clothes can make a man appear shorter and heavier than he is.

It’s time to make sure that your clothes are working for you, and not against you!



The Gallant Male's Image of a Man Wearing Fitted and Tailored Shirt and Pants for Blog Post 3 Ways Men Can Look Taller and Leaner

Men, Wear Fitted Clothing

Let’s jump right in, tip number one. Wear fitted clothing. Clothing is too big, meaning too long and too wide on your frame will make you look shorter and smaller than you are. Think of an 8-year-old child wearing his daddy’s work dress shirts. The larger dress shirt highlights the fact that the child is smaller in every way. The same applies here, except it’s grown men wearing even larger clothing!

The opposite effect would be a larger man, wearing smaller and tighter fitting clothes. Think along the lines of a bodybuilder or a well-built man wearing skinny jeans. His size is emphasized by the tight, form-fitting clothes.

Tailor-Made

While your clothes don’t have to be as extreme as skinny jeans, you should strive to wear slim-fit or tailor-fitted pieces. Wearing tapered jeans and tapered shirts will accentuate your physique and create the illusion of a taller and leaner body, which is the aim. The goal is to ‘trim the fat’ from your clothing.

Slim fitted pieces are going to be more flattering on your body rather than straight or relaxed fits. If you are all in and going for this look, we recommend finding a local tailor that can work with and trust, it will be money well spent.



The Gallant Male's Image of a Man Wearing Darker Colors for Blog Post 3 Ways Men Can Look Taller and Leaner

Wear Darker Solid Colors

We’ve all heard that ‘black is slimming’. Well, it’s true! It is also true that darker colors make you look taller. Every wonder why? While we are not scientific experts, we do know that dark colors eliminate shadows.

For example, a white dress shirt will show all wrinkles and creases more easily than a black shirt with the exact same wrinkles and creases will. This is because shadows will blend in seamlessly with the dark color of the shirt. The result? A clean streamlined silhouette of your body.

Darker colors also eliminate contrast. As humans, our eyes have evolved to distinguish shapes very well, and as we all know, shapes are created by contrast around the edges of an object. Darker colors absorb light and blend well into their background. Contrary to this, lighter colors reflect light and pop out against their background. Because of this effect, darker colors naturally have a slimming effect.

While black is slimming, we are not suggesting wearing all black. There are plenty of other options to choose from! Burgundy, dark brown, dark grey, and navy are all excellent choices and more versatile thank brow. These colors are a great way to mix up your wardrobe.



The Gallant Male's Image of a Man Wearing Low Contrast Outfit for Blog Post 3 Ways Men Can Look Taller and Leaner

Wear Low Contrast Outfits

While on the topic of wearing dark colors, another great tip to look taller and slimmer is to wear the same color contrast outfit. For example, whether you choose to wear dark or light colors, we recommend your outfit is all dark, or all light at the same time!

If looking taller and leaner is the goal, you want to avoid pairing an outfit that includes a light top and dark bottoms (or vice versa). The reason? You want to avoid putting together an outfit that will visually cut you in half.

For example, let’s take a look at a white t-shirt and dark denim jeans pairing. This creates a very stark contrast between your upper and lower halves. This contrast will also accentuate any problems regarding fit and proportions. Instead, opt to pair the white t-shirt with a lighter denim wash!

Pair Appropriately

The goal here is to minimize visually unappealing stark contrasts, and pair like colors together. For example, a light pink t-shirt and khaki shorts, or a charcoal-colored shirt with dark denim jeans or slacks. Another great color pairing would be white and tan, or burgundy and black. Play around with colors, don’t be afraid to mix and match. Simply remember, light with light, and dark with dark, you can’t go wrong!

Just Go for It

After you start practicing some of these tips, you will realize that it is quite easy to put together an outfit that will make you look as tall and as lean as possible. At the very least, you will avoid looking shorter and/or heavier. The best thing? We bet you already have many of these options in your wardrobe. Cheers!

3 Essential Pants for Men in 2021

Gentlemen, we are in 2021. This means new fashion trends, fashion upgrades, and new outfits. Sounds good right? For many men, perhaps not.

Worry no more. Today we will be going over 3 essential pants for men in 2021 that have stood the test of time. With so many ‘hot’ and ‘new’ trends, we know choosing what to go with can be a bit daunting. Our top 3 pants styles are the bare essentials that every man needs to own and will allow you to mix and match, and create many versatile outfits. And the best part is, with very little effort!



The Gallant Male's Image of a man wearing tapered denim jeans on a bike for Blog Post 3 Essential Pants for Men in 2021

Classic Dark Wash Jeans

The most basic but also the most versatile pair of pants a man can own is a dark wash pair of jeans. Personally, do you know any guy that doesn’t own at least 1 pair? Probably not! If for whatever reason you do not own a pair, we urge you to please stop what you are doing and find one.

A pair of jeans can be worn for many occasions: date night, to the grocery store, to family gatherings, a stroll to the park, a friend’s get-together, or ride your bike (if you are a biker). Truth is, there are not very many occasions where jeans cannot be worn.

Dark wash jeans can be paired with a graphic or plain t-shirt, a jacket, or a nice flannel, depending on the season. It is safe to say that you should think of jeans as an investment, as you will get a lot of use from them.

When it comes to the fit of your jean, we recommend modernizing the look, with a slim fit, or tapered cut. Keep in mind these 2 cuts are completely different than skinny jeans, which is a whole other look. To increase versatility, we recommend sticking with the form-flattering slim fit or tapered cuts.



The Gallant Male's Image of a man wearing tapered black jeans for Blog Post 3 Essential Pants for Men in 2021

Black Denim

Every man needs a pair of black denim. To enhance the versatileness of the jean, ensure that it is not too noticeably distressed or have any major prefabricated rips. Any details on the jean that draw attention is what we are going to avoid. Think along the lines of, if you wear the same black jeans twice in a row, would anyone ask, “are those the same jeans from yesterday”? A fully black pair of jeans is the way to go.

With a fully black pair of jeans, you will get the most bang for your buck. You will be able to match this pair with pretty much anything you already have in your closet.

Again, we recommend going for a modern look and selecting either a slim fit or tapered option. The one part of the jean’s fit that you cannot compromise on is the length. If the jean is covering your shoes or sneakers, then the jeans are too long and we suggest looking into getting it hemmed or at the minimum, do a hem roll or tuck in.



The Gallant Male's Image of a man wearing tapered chinos for Blog Post 3 Essential Pants for Men in 2021

Tailored Chinos

The very first thing about a good versatile chino is the fit. The fit on a chino definitely matters. Unlike denim jeans which allow room for a couple of cut options, a chino should always be form-fitting. To achieve the gentleman look, you want to choose a chino that sits very form-fitting against your body.

This doesn’t mean that you always must dress a chino up. With a nice pair of chinos, you can rock a casual look by wearing them with sneakers, a whimsical patterned shirt, a sleeveless button-up, or polo. Try this look the next time you are heading out to the grocery store!

Furthermore, choosing a chino that is a neutral color will enhance its versatility. An olive, grey, navy, black, or tan pair of chinos are always staple options to keep handy. Most importantly, all pair well with, literally anything.

Getting the most out of your chinos depends on what you are going to do while wearing them. For example, if you are wearing your chinos to work every day, then you want to dress them up a bit more professionally and sophisticated. If this is the case, you may want them to be even a little more cropped than usual, so that the hem sits higher on your ankle while you sit, allowing your socks to show a little more.

Make the Jeans Your Own

With so many options, we sometimes just go with whatever is “off the shelf” and forget about developing our own unique and personal style.

By following our suggestions and selecting extremely versatile pant pieces, you will be able to mix and match and create hundreds of pairings with the bare essentials.

Men, worry no more. We’ve put together the ultimate business casual guide to help your wardrobe reach versatility status, with very little effort might we add. We know men usually struggle to find the perfect pieces for a night out, a date, or for that big presentation at work. You know what we’re talking about, when you want to look nice but not go overboard?

We’ve got the essentials, to show you exactly how to pull off a classy look, with very minimal effort.

Business Casual Mode

We know you’ve been in that dilemma where a suit and tie are too formal for the occasion or your workplace, but you need to impress, nonetheless. Or perhaps you are not a suit guy altogether but have a fancy date. So many scenarios a man must face!

We’ve compiled a few classic pieces to help you look sophisticated and well put together. The bottom line is, we will make you look sharp, without looking too formal. To pull these looks off, we will be focusing on the business casual look sure to impress that special someone or business colleagues.

The first item on the list is a navy blazer jacket with hopsack fabric. Thought we avoiding looking too formal, right? With hopsack fabric, the jacket comes off more casual than formal, due to the texture and weaving of the fabric. If you can find a hopsack fabric jacket with patch pockets, even better. The pockets will help to contribute to the casual feel. Overall, this makes for a great standalone jacket, perfect for pairing with your denim jeans.

The Gallant Male's Image of a man wearing a grey coat for Blog Post Ultimate Business Casual Guide

Another piece that we are also recommending to up your versatile business casual wardrobe is a solid grey coat. If you are just starting, this is a safe bet that will carry you far in your mix/matching endeavors. A grey coat can easily be paired with any dark chino or denim jeans. For an extra casual flair, opt for a coat with elbow patches.

Spice Up Your Shirts Rack

Moving onto shirts now, for versatile pieces that will allow you to mix and match more effectively, we are recommending an ice blue Oxford cloth shirt, a striped shirt, and a denim shirt. Yes, we went there.

Up Your Pants Game

You can never go wrong with navy chinos! The epitome of versatility, the navy chino can be paired with almost anything. The Khaki chino, next on our list, is not far behind. Lastly, we are rounding off the pants list with a pair of dark denim jeans. Just as versatile, if not more versatile, than the navy chino.

The Gallant Male's Image of a man wearing a grey sweater for Blog Post Ultimate Business Casual Guide

Layering Pieces

Moving on, next we have our layering pieces. A few options that should become a staple in your wardrobe include neutral-colored sweaters. Navy, grey, and olive colors are perfect options to increase versatility and mix/match options.