Man's Personal Touch

Inspired by the man with the 10 shekel cufflinks

The other night at a local bat mitzvah party I noticed how all the men were dressed exactly the same way… blue button down shirts. Sure, there were several shirts with a fine stripe or check but from my angle all I saw was a sea of blue paired with either khaki or navy pants.
Now I understand that for most men clothing is simple. Sure, you need different types of clothes for different occasions and most men do not “update” what they wear every season with the latest styles and trends. So naturally the choices are not very exciting. Frankly I am fine with that, as I like the simple, clean classic men’s look. So whether you shop at the Gap, Brooks Brothers or have your clothing custom-made, you can wear the same clothes, if they are well-cared for, for years and years.
Of course that means you will be wearing the same shirt and the same pants over and over and over again and will be left with very little room for personal expression - but that is the price you pay for not being a woman...
Many of you are fine with that and that is ok, but for those of you that want to add a personal touch here’s how:
BUY FRENCH CUFF SHIRTS AND A SELECTION OF CUFFLINKS.
Why cufflinks? Because they are not too out there like a tie would be. Cufflinks are small and subtle, can be serious or fun, and can quietly speak volumes about who you really are.

Questions and Answers

Thanks to all of you who have been following this blog and sharing your comments with me both on- and off-line. Below is a note I recently received from one reader, and I thought I would share it with the rest of the you:

Dear UOnlyBetter,

I have seen the new over-the-knee boot everywhere, but I wanted to know what is the best way to wear them?

thanks,

Patrice

Dear Patrice,

Over-the-knee boots are not easy to pull off and they are not for everyone or every age. If not worn properly they can look cheap and even very trashy. Here are several tips to help guide you and incorporate the over-knee-boot into your winter look :

1. Make sure that the boots are in sync with the proportion of your body and legs (leave the thigh-high ones in the magazines)
2. They look best when worn over leggings or skinny jeans
3. Make sure your top is loose and delicate, to keep your overall look feminine
4. If you want to wear over-the-knee boots with a skirt then make sure your skirt is short and full (not straight)
5. I prefer suede rather than leather
6. For during the day, stick to flats. Heels should be strictly for evenings
7. Keep your outfit simple - the boots are enough of a statement

If you are like many women that I know and you do not wear pants or short skirts then please skip this trend. The knee-length skirt with the over-the-knee boot is just so wrong!!!