Our next feature for Dress Your Man is all about shoelaces. 
(cue sound of cricket and a dog barking in the distance) 
Huh?  Shoelaces? 
Yep.  Shoelaces. 
Those oft forgotten, mundane little strings that keep shoes on our feet but can instantly make a man appear juvenile when left untied in a business meeting.

I was inspired to write a shoelace post when I came across an article about the various ways spy's used to communicate with each other. (And still may!)  If you have young boys - how cool would it be for them to devise their own shoelace signals!

I'm an 80's child and definitely enjoyed the multicolored shoelace trend.  While I don't suggest a return to that as a way to personalize your husband's wingtips, an interesting lacing method can add subtle visual interest.  Men don't have many accessory options so unique, stealthy ways of owning a look are signals of real personal style.

And I found a fantastic website for you!  Ian's Shoelace Site!  I've had so much fun perusing his site. The clear pictures make copying that lacing method a piece of cake.
 Here's a little preview for you.

There are 33 lacing methods on the first page alone!  Then a slew of bi-color and lug lacing methods, lacing comparisons and reviews and even tips for lacing problems.
So go have a little fun with the shoes in your house.  If your man is like my man - he's just to cool for standard boring laces!  I think it would be great fun having the men in your house choose a favorite method and learning it together. 
(And please - shine the shoes before they sport the new laces!)

When it comes to certain things I wish we had smellivision.  Certain things like ads for chocolate, Italian restaurants, and cologne.  I'm betting this ad would smell delicious!  There is no better clip with which to close our Masculinity Series. (Did you know this commercial was shot in one take?  He's on a lift that moves him to the horse. And the only CGI is when the diamonds appear and then change into the Old Spice bottle. Check out Old Spice for more fun.)

I have another Costco example for you.  I was in the soaps and creams isle and overheard a young husband say that he wanted to get some obviously manly soap.  His wife asked him "Why?" (strike 1- why question him? he's allowed to be an adult and pick his own soap)
He answered that he liked the scent of it.  She countered that there was nothing wrong with "our stuff at home." (strike 2 - the term "our" is not applied very well to scented items) 
He said, "I like how this smells. What do you think?" and held it up for her to sniff. She pulled her head back and refused to sniff it! (strike 3! - you can bet your last nickle that had SHE held something up for him to sniff, and he had pulled away, she'd have pitched a holy fit!)  

I wish I had seen this commercial before I saw the Costco tiff.  I'd have reminded her that emasculating her man will come back to haunt her.  I couldn't help wondering that if she questions him so badly on the soap issue - what else is she hammering him about?

The Costco tiff perfectly illustrates the point of this ad and our masculinity series.  Men should get to be real men, from how they smell to how they dress.  A supremely simple thing like your man having his own "manly smelling soap" might go a long way to reinvigorating the healthy side of the gender divide.  When the sexes can play off each other, in everything from scent to dress to mannerisms, respect is increased, our individual senses of power and individuality are reinforced.  We are better versions of ourselves, rather than androgynous clones, totally lacking in individuality.   

A few more style vignettes from GQ...

We women play very important roles in the style lives of our men.  We often do their clothes shopping and ensemble coordinating before they head out the door.  If we can remember not to inject our femininity but to instead enhance their masculinity - we'll be doing them, ourselves, and the world a great service.  They'll know we love them for who they inherently are.  They'll trust us to help them be the best MEN they can be. And the world always needs more men.  Real Men.  Now, more than ever.

We're going to round out our masculinity series over the next few days with a look at some great ads that have come out recently.  These definitely flout the metro-sexual trend, reinforcing the image of men being manly.

And some style vignette's from GQ.  How delicious was Clint back then? I ask you!
"Style like that trumps fashion."  I love that! 
Coco made a similar sentiment and it always rings true.

I also love the line, "Eastwood's just been Eastwood."  As women, we are a major style force in our men's lives, be they husbands, sons, fathers, brothers or boyfriends.  I sometimes hear women joking about (belittling!) their husband's style when they think their man should dress differently.  And yet if their man were to do the same to them - the punishment would be swift and severe.  Don't even try to deny it. 
Most men admit they don't follow fashion trends but DO want to look stylish in clothes that flatter them.  He wants to look good for YOU!  So sincere compliments when he looks great, paired with subtle and soft corrections when something isn't flattering or doesn't fit his personality, will quickly have your man looking his very best with his own style.  Everything he owns will be a great option, as if he has always dressed this well- just Eastwood being Eastwood.

I was checking out at Costco a few weeks ago and these hastily-snapped phone shots are are of the couple that was in front of me.  They both had on white sweatshirts and the EXACT SAME JEANS!
Fancy bright white stitching up the sides - Check!
White design on the flap back pockets - Check!
I'm sure I had the most confused look on my face as I looked from her to him and back to her.  I tried to get both butts clearly in one shot but they wouldn't hold still.  Oddly enough.  Must have been clear I was going to feature them as a what not to wear.  His is the top butt... so you know.  Hers was quickly snapped before they walked away.

I don't mind details on men's clothing.  What I mind is androgyny.  When the similarities are just too close for comfort!  Like these... 

I realize that the poses and models' figures make it obvious which is the guy and which is the girl.  But I know very few women who look like this from behind.  Most look like the candid photos up top. 

I like to add touches of menswear to outfits.  It's sexy when juxtaposed against feminine items.  And when I do, I want to hear, "That looks great!" from a man.  Not, "What I good idea. I think I'll wear it that way too."  The androgenization of society is disconcerting to me.  I like men to be men and women to be women.  We're at our best that way.  There are facets of each in all of us and we can play them up or down as we like to create our best selves.  But the androgenization of fashion is just lazy on the part of manufacturers.  It should be clear, at a glance, which jeans are for men and which are for women.

So men... don't snag your wife's jeans. 

Don't let her shop for you, if that's the style she's going to bring home.  She probably just wants them for herself in the end!

Revel in your manhood! 

It'll make us look even better walking next to you.

I apologize for the delay between postings. A nasty stomach bug attacked my babies. It's been brutal and there's nothing more miserable than a toddler and babies who don't understand why their tummy feels so yucky.  But I'll spare you the details.  Instead, we're going to continue our masculine therapy with a 2-day discussion on jeans.

It's all-out war against saggy butt jeans!  And I couldn't be happier. 
I don't know when, where or why this particular "look" came into existence.  And I don't really care.  It's ridiculous.  As the Clueless clip at the beginning proves, it's been around far too long. 
Several years ago I was waiting for a flight when a father, mother and their teenage son sat down across from me.  The kid, probably 15, headed over to the shop to peruse the magazines and I honestly couldn't determine how it was possible for him to walk.  His jeans were so unbelievably huge on him that he was having to hold them up with his hand as he tried to drag along the numerous folds of denim pooling at his ankles.  It was some sort of shirt/waistband combo grab.  When he was out of ear shot I leaned forward and said, "I just have to ask - why does he wear his jeans like that?"  The mother started laughing and it was the dad who answered first. "Because we're picking our battles right now, and he doesn't know it yet but he's about to lose this one hard!"  The mother responded, "Absolutely.  He and his friends look like idiots! I'm going to burn all his pants and he can buy them like that again when he's 18."  I hope they did it.  It must have been a beautiful bonfire.

I'm not exaggerating when I say an all-out war is brewing.  This photo was distributed to Flint, MI police officers last year as a training tool.

This version was recently posted publicly to educate folks that this IS being taken seriously and you WILL get punished. 
The crackdown on cracks has begun.

And even though MA State Senator Eric Adams was chided for harping on an "unimportant" issue, I think he makes a valid point.  It is indisputable fact that how a person dresses is in direct correlation to their behavior.  I see no problem with encouraging his target audience to rise above the sagging.  Rebellious attitudes may cause them to drag pant even worse, but at least he said it!

As I mentioned in my last post, before we dive into our series on spring trends and OD on fabulous femininity, I wanted to balance the equation with some masculinity.  Taking a couple of posts to cover a very interesting wave that's been coming ashore. The real men who seem to be making a comeback.  And it's fabulous.  Real women need real men.

It all started when I saw this Dockers advertisement.

I hope this masculine wave that's resurging isn't a passing fancy.  Some critics blasted this ad as sexist - which is, I think, exactly the problem the ad addresses.  Nowhere in here did I feel slandered as a woman and there's nothing wrong with being a man.

Whether we know it (or admit it) or not, femininity is a huge part of a woman's style.  It is enhanced when it has the contrast of masculinity to play off.  Much like my clothing style, I really like the old-fashioned mixed with the new-fangled.  A man doesn't need to sit in his chair in the living room waiting for wifey-poo to bring him his dinner (we've all had a long day!) but it's great if he makes sure to always take out the trash, open her door, and fill her car with gas.  Or remember to walk into a dark theater first. Take her hand to help her exit  when wearing heels so she doesn't have to grab the dirty car. 
The little things make the man.  And we women benefit.

Christmas is just around the corner and many women like to give their better halves a wardrobe refresher or two as gifts.  I was chatting with a friend a few days ago on this very subject.  Her husband is in "desperate need" of some new clothes and she wasn't sure what to get him.  Just like our own wardrobe's, men can also easily find themselves in a fashion rut, wearing the same unflattering pieces day in and day out.  Luckily, there are also great style tips and tricks for men so I rounded up some of the best current advice and hope this will help you with gift giving or simply giving a confident answer the next time your hubby says he's not sure what to wear.

A single-breasted two or three button suit is better than a double-breasted suit. 
Double-breasted suits can make your man look wider and shorter than he actually is.  While I prefer the look of a three-button suit for dressier occasions, GQ touts the benefits a two-button suit - it'll give you a slimmer, more streamlined look and will better show off your shirt and tie.

Suits should fit snuggly, not baggy. Tailoring is as important for men as it is for women.  Just like most women are wearing the wrong bra size, most men are wearing the wrong suit size, choosing a suit that's too large. 

• The suit coat should closely skim the body without pulling at the buttons, shoulders or back slit.  Suit coat shoulders should hug your man's shoulders, not stick out or bag around them.  Suit coat sleeves should never be longer than his thumb joint.  The best look is when the sleeve stops where the wrist meets the hand. 
  
• The suit pants should hang trimly, without bunching like a paper bag when he puts on a belt.  And they should never bag at the ankles.  No more than two breaks (preferably one) before the top of the shoe.  "Breaks" are the little bends that occur in the front crease of the pant leg when standing still.

Jackets and coats shouldn't be baggy either. 
Slim fitting, tailored coats - from your basic leather jacket to a long rain trench or winter wool - will make him look trimmer and younger. 
Avoid too many "manly" details, like heavy buckles or thick zippers.

A sport coat will instantly elevate your man's style. 
So much more stylish and versatile than the ubiquitous fleece jacket, it'll take him through fall, into spring and any event where a suit would be too dressy.

Add a winter scarf and he can avoid a bulky parka, looking instead dashing and debonair. (The scarf at right is worn continental style.  You can also wear it open and hanging straight.  Or any other number of ways!)

A gray v-neck sweater adds miles to wardrobe basics. 
GQ says it goes great with a dark suit and fall colors as well as jeans and lighter colors in spring.  Buy the best one you can afford and try to pamper your man with a cashmere blend.

Men's dress shoes are investment items. 
A nice pair can last a lifetime, literally!  Some mainstream brands offer lifetime repair and resoling, a luxury almost nonexistent in the female shoe universe.  A classic, quality pair will dress up any outfit and remain timeless.     

Cuff links are crucial. 
If your man doesn't own a pair, get him a set to match his style and a proper white shirt to go with them. 
And don't reserve them for the times he dresses up with a tie.  GQ says wearing them without a tie will give your man a "rakish yet elegant flair."  How sexy is that!