It might not seem like men have a lot to choose from when it comes to clothing – especially wedding or party clothing. But Bibek Upadhyay, stylist and designer at Outlook Fashion Hub, states that with subtle alterations and the right styling anyone can make the most basic formal wear or wedding wear look trendy, chic, and distinctive. Here, he guides us through the appropriate, modern and stylish way men can dress themselves while attending wedding functions or any other formal event that requires them to look prim and proper.
Show your ankles
Usually, men’s pants and trousers are very long and hide the top portion of their shoes. Upadhyay suggests wearing a slightly shorter trouser that ends like an inch or two above your ankles. This gives a good excuse to show off your socks. He suggests wearing a pair of fun and quirky or color-blocking socks that contrasts with the color scheme of the whole outfit. For an interesting winter appropriate take on this tip, you could wear the big fuzzy socks that are sold specifically during the winter season to keep your feet warm. If you are feeling quite adventurous while dressing up that day, you could also opt to tuck your trousers into your shoes – just make sure you wear slightly looser trousers that day because this does not look good when done with skinny fit pants.
Add a hat
Adding a hat to your outfit does wonders. This is a very simple tip that can take your outfit from a zero to a solid ten real quick. There are a lot of different styles and types of hats available in the market. So just grab one that fits your preference the most and slip it on. Since most men shy away from it – specially while dressing for formal events like weddings – you will stand out more prominently if you show up wearing one. But since there are a lot of ways that you can clown yourself while wearing one, Upadhyay suggests sticking to hats in dark neutral tones as those kinds of hats frame your outfit to make it look a lot classier. It would also be wise to choose classic designs instead of quirky ones. For a more traditional approach, Upadhyay recommends wearing a ‘dhaka’ or ‘bhadgaule topi’ with a suit in a matching shade.
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Accessorize and accentuate
Although men are more open to accessories and jewelries than ever before with some even going out of their comfort zone to experiment with different looks, Upadhyay reveals that he still does not think it’s enough. He claims, “The most they do is wear watches and cufflinks and miss out on a plethora of other jewelries and accessories.” He thinks that one can never go wrong with accessories as long as they don’t overdo it. His personal favorites are sleek silver jewelries that are not too overbearing but still add a subtle gleam to your ensemble. One thing he warns men to lay off of is stacking on a lot of rings. He thinks this looks tacky most of the time and suggests you to wear layers of dainty neckpieces instead. He also says that if you do choose to wear neckpieces and show your bolder side then make sure you wear a dark turtleneck underneath to let the jewelry stand out.
Opt for brighter colors
Wedding wear for women is mostly very colorful but it’s the exact opposite for men. Customarily, men’s pieces designed specifically for formal events like weddings come in dark or neutral tones. Upadhyay’s clever tip to stand out stylishly among the hordes of other men donned in those boring colors is to wear something bright and colorful. You can take up this advice in two ways. The first is to stick to a single (bright and bold) color and pick items that are of that specific shade for a pulled together look. This looks good particularly in shades of red, blue, and green. The other way to wear bold colors is to match them up with either contrasting shades or dark colors. For example, you could pick a blue top and wear it with either a pair of silver or black bottoms.
Make yourself up
Upadhyay’s last tip is to play with your natural facial features by applying a bit of makeup. By this, he does not mean you have to wear layers of foundation or skin tone perfecting formulas. He simply wants you to lightly apply a somber eye shadow or line your eyes in the most basic way. “Most men I’ve met are completely turned off by the idea of wearing makeup. But I stand by what I have said a thousand times by now: A little bit of makeup can really enhance your features and make you look more polished and dapper,” he states. He further reveals that, for him, eyes are the most attractive features on any human. So whenever he dresses up, he makes sure to apply some eye shadow onto his eyelids as he believes this will sharpen his eyes and make them appear brighter. “If you just dab a little and blend it in, it won’t even look like you are wearing any but your eyes will look brighter and sharper,” he concludes.