By: Michael J. Williams
1. Coloured Suits
Stay relevant during foggy summer nights, and reflect the sun during the hot days. Nothing catches the eye like a full-body splash of colour. Who said you can’t play beach bro and working stiff all at the same time? With a new coloured suit you can get the attention, the respect, and the bikini babes all in a single summer day. You can find an excellent selection of affordable coloured suits at Topman.
Top trending colour choices: Mustard Yellow, Forest Green, Midnight or Sky Blue, and Burgundy.
2. Patterns
Patterns have made a big mark in the industry recently, appearing on everything from dress shirts to toiletry bags to five-panel caps. The creation of these patterns has much more accessible with technological advancements in recent years so they can be found in even the lowest grade of fast-fashion boutiques. In fact, I purchased a lovely black and white polka-dot slim-fit dress shirt just last week for $6.
Patterns range from the more classic polka-dots and naval anchors to modern twists such as dolphins, elephants, stars, and elephants.
3. Plaids
Plaid suits have made a happy comeback as well. The upmost classic head-turning look, dating back far before the days of brightly coloured synthetic dyes (or before the acceptance of wearing such colours so boldly, for that matter).
At that time to create a bold looking fabric you would have to interweave a medley of the brightest colours available into a pattern because no single colour was bright enough. Out of this constant need to stand out came many patterns such as plaid, paisley and floral, all for which I am personally very grateful.
4. Flowers are Manly!
For any of you still having an issue with the recent explosion of floral in menswear, it’s time for you to get with the program and get the hell over it. Floral is colourful which is great for your mood and state of mind. It’s intricate which is visually and mentally stimulating. And above all else, chicks dig a guy who can rock floral. It shows them that you are confident, adventurous and sensitive. That’s a killer combo that really can’t be achieved with any other pattern.
Also consider making a corsage on your lapel the next addition to your look. Minimal time, minimal effort, maximum exposure.
5. Do the Do
Think about it, when was the last time you changed your hair style? Is your hair style one of your favourite traits or does it remind you of your embarrassing aunt Gertrude every time you look in the mirror? Or maybe you’ve really just never thought about having any sort of ‘do’. Well unless you picked the first option and you are really really incredibly confident in your opinion (i.e.: get more opinions!) then it’s probably time to start considering a new hair-do.
Browse here through some of the top styles of 2014. The new you starts here.
6. Don’t Be a Square… Get a Little Round in that Frame
In this day and age, bold shades are definitive of a bold man. The days of making due without are gone with the wind. For years the classic wayfarer has been the epitome of cool in the world of sunglasses, but recently the metal-framed round-bottom wayfarers have made a coup for the market-share. The reason that I see is the resurgence of class in menswear.
There are two basic rules from a visual stand-point when buying sunglasses; edges equal edgy, roundness equals class. Know which direction you’re looking to go in before entering the store and you’ll avoid having to choose from a million different types of sunglasses.
Quick Tip: Buy your jackets and sunglasses in pairs. This way you have a pair of shades for every jacket you own and can store them within it. This is most important for the naturally absent-minded such as myself. I developed this strategy through the school of hard-knocks (aka. losing more pairs of sunglasses than months I’ve been alive and even when I have a plethora of pairs, never having them when I need them).
Now you’re prepared for the hot sunny days. If only the forecast would stay on board.
Michael J. Williams is a model, writer, designer and entrepreneur in the making. Originally from St. John’s, Newfoundland he moved to Toronto in 2012 to pursue his dreams in fashion. Throughout the last year and a half he has completed a diploma in Graphic Design & Interactive Media at The Academy of Design in Toronto and got his foot in the door in the modelling industry. An amazing process thus far Michael learned and grown exponentially. Moving forward his next step is to kick it up a notch in the Big Apple, for which he is beyond ecstatic. Mainly his time will be spent writing, modelling and working on a men’s handbag line. He has a love for fashion which he is planning to share with you as well as photography, any and all reading material, listening to vinyl, commercial and non-commercial artwork, espresso and Netflix. “My motto is maximize your strengths, work your ass off and roll with the opportunities. It’s gotten me this far so that’s what I’m sticking to.”
I will be trying #3!!!