I thought I'd ask one of my other guy friends, Patrick*, for some recommendations. Now, Patrick has serious street cred as a bachelor. I can't say too much for fear of blowing his cover, but I will say this: When I've gone bar-hopping or clubbing with him, he is quite the ladies man.
This was Patrick's Top 5 list. I ran with it and found examples based on his descriptions.
*Name changed to protect his anonymity at his request.
1. A basic black button-down shirt. A black button-down shirt looks sharp and classic. Unlike its white counterpart, it gives a guy a bit of mystery AND disguises a less-than-toned middle better. Wear it to the bar, the club, the romantic dinner...anywhere really. This would qualify as an investment shirt, so if the Hugo Boss one I picked out below seems a bit pricey, I suggest hunting sale racks for something similar.
BOSS Hugo Boss 'Jaron' shirt, $159
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bwLcj8nu4R1PecSr3zQdyWUjK4oAQWyr4TaY9lkXrBzurWAXmYETEPkwHIGbcbD7m1JWt1SMhJQM-UgcAJtxLAyQhfc4Pa6S0iFPOpKU_ytd3NdRWRR_-T3gWWh7nRBU4Yv4Z-1d41wR/s320/boss+hugo+boss+jaron+159.jpg)
2. Aftershave. In Patrick's words, the aftershave should have a "sexy but not overpowering" scent. His pick? Armani Black Code.
Armani Black code aftershave balm, $48
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQv1q9JY84qj4rf4uq3-quA8HBPHDqKqHOzNHsbQJqkFXvCkArppBc1p3uqPUvK4fTRudf80BOaNPN1UO0o0Gn8sUDohJN3JypFMDXerj1J0cfr5wWsJoyXnKXb0_9rIpBwhpLc-S6G5e/s320/armani+black+code+aftershave+48.jpg)
3. Moisturizer. I know it seems a bit metro, but Patrick and I both agree good skincare is important for guys and girls alike. Patrick swears by Clinique. If that's a bit pricey, this Neutrogena Men Triple Protect Face Lotion with SPF 20 sounds pretty cool too. Ideally, you should get something formulated for men: Men tend to have thicker skin than women, so what's effective for women might not be as great a product for men. Of course, this isn't always the case, so it might take some trial and error to find a moisturizer that works best.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDyJmeyy33hyphenhyphenepD59ytJGsnCMyOnfltLyvwNIwYZxruXL9HCULYj-8Q1B8DsC_HLZ07V7wprlZCz78n0X_F7iG5FIPp_nSts0NkbzTSvfGdOILMJ296MY9H84Rnl8kTTb-t-mSVq84fdkG/s320/neutrogena+men+triple+protect+face+lotion.jpg)
4. Fitted shirts. Throw one on with a black blazer, some premium denim, and a pair of great shoes and you have a fail-proof date outfit every time. Since a black shirt is already on this list, a fun patterned or embellished shirt and a colourful one (Le Chateau and Mexx usually have a good selection) will add versatility and pizazz.
Roar 'United Kingdom' shirt in ecru, $97.37
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlrssjGEfXfrq1qHH7KNMvl6c3y_XvsNo5rJCTgPJh7SlBL5FJtULv0_sL0aj5huQ5ghh8lxR8Dv0xEp-asPSyHgJ6ZSa1pskD60aV2F5xBsoFN2zil9A_LUxDhLQM4XVr5lBO5ec4IkZ/s320/roar+united+kingdom+shirt+ecru.jpg)
5. A pair of "smart" shoes. Okay...I'm not really sure what Patrick meant by "smart" so I'm just going to take this and run with it. For a dressier look, try a sleek black leather loafer with a slightly tapered toe. For dressing down, I love the look of colourful street sneakers or eye-catching canvas slip-ons.
Aldo 'Walmund' loafer, $90
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4z4BilTYujIpJxxbcPJGfT0ncXJV5Jk1PhodhXJeW781HBHQipHkzK3ZFOrkJwf33SPjOqqirEFn7Sz1joqDN2CIj50NHlzkd4n7IPhNyeYSE6m2X2Ad9fBhgh7jnhsW5nCsvtfn1272/s320/aldo+walmund+90.jpg)
Polo Ralph Lauren 'Brisbane 2' slip-on, on sale for $28.97
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPNIGPvjBNixg7uqUHcT9xty9uokh1EIOGNKxua52IgQoGeTGHm1H9nh8uzrprsk1_FAnguFisyVU66ekDWLTaDkikVwGS4B1lR443rjmKkL6CkbrgmofHzTK42b74BZf902NPmZFWzm6/s320/polo+ralph+lauren+brisbane+2+slip-on+28-99.jpg)
If anyone else has tips for my bachelor guy friend, leave them in the comments! I'll be posting an addendum to this post sometime soon that lists 3 more essentials which should round out his look.
Fabulous skivvies, of course! My personal pref being Calvin Klein boxer-briefs but each to their own. Mexx is often a pretty good place to find dress shirts for a reasonable price. I also like REALLY REALLY nice shoes on a man (leather!), but that's probably just my personal bias showing ^^. A nice but casual blazer is also a good thing to have.
ReplyDeletei also recommend casual shirts from a/x. just roll up the sleeves a bit, wear a fitted t-shirt inside if you like, put on a necklace and you're good to go with jeans. my friend always look good in them, but they can be quite pricey!
ReplyDeletealso, how about a hoody or a zip up? i know energie and diesel have some funky ones from L2. but then, they're semi-budget friendly only when there's a sale! i think it'll go great with jeans and sneakers (brands like aldo, lacoste etc.)
i hope that helps :)
hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
ReplyDeleteyou are fantastic!!!
a kiss for you, my dear friend!
god bless u dear
can we exchange our link
r u ready to do?
hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
você é fantástico!
um beijo para você, meu caro amigo!
Deus te abençoe u Caro
podemos trocar os nossos link
r u disposta a fazer?
meganfit: The blazer is going to be part of the addendum, which has already been drafted and is sitting in my blogger account atm. Stay tuned. :)
ReplyDeleteanonymous: Yeah, A/X has some great guys stuff! I have a guy friend who wears the exact look you're talking about (fitted shirt with a tee underneath, jeans, a necklace) and he always looks great. Thanks for stopping by!
Part 1, like it
ReplyDelete