Style -- 1 day ago
5 pieces of clothing no gentleman should ever wear
Words: Charlie Thomas
The gentleman is a man of class, grace and elegance. This can be seen in the way he holds himself, how he treats others and of course, the clothes he chooses to wear. The gentleman doesn’t follow trends, instead he wears classic garments that stand the test of time, which is why he wouldn’t be seen dead wearing flip flops or a logo-heavy t-shirt. Here are 5 pieces of clothing no gentleman should ever wear.
HOODIES
Whilst we’d like to make an exception for the gym, we struggle to see the point of the hood – it just gets in the way, surely? Hoodies have never managed to shake their delinquent-youth-chic look, and as such they scream unsophistication and poor taste. Instead, why not opt for a crew-neck sweater? A classic yet equally comfortable option, it can be worn to the gym or smartened up with an oxford shirt worn underneath.
Alternative: Crew-neck sweater
Sunspel Loopback Sweat Top, £105 from Sunspel
CHEAP SHOES
Not all of us have the budget of a hedge fund manager, yet there’s no excuse for wearing poorly-made, cheap shoes. Bad shoes are the quickest way to ruin an outfit, so it’s worth investing as much money in them as you can, after all, as the legendary Hardy Amies once said, ‘it is totally impossible to be well dressed in cheap shoes’. Instead of those pointy-toed, pleather monstrosities, go for 100% leather shoes in a classic style such as a derby or brogue. You can’t go wrong.
Alternative: leather brogues
Herring Berlin Brogue, £115 from Herring
VESTS
Vests are a definite no-go, especially if worn in a Brit-abroad, board shorts and cap kind of way. When the summer rolls around the vests seem to come out in abundance, but don’t fall into the trap, instead opt for a simple crew-neck t-shirt, ala James Dean or Steve McQueen.
Alternative: classic t-shirt
Uniqlo Crew Neck T-Shirt, £4.90 from Uniqlo
POOR HEADWEAR
Headwear can be tricky to pull off, we know that much. But men who wear those familiar grey beanies propped on the back of their heads, or that despicable pork pie hat/waistcoat/t-shirt combo are failing in every respect. It depends on your own personal style, but a simple grey tweed flat cap is a great, informal way of sprucing up your weekend attire, giving you an edge in the style stakes.
Alternative: flat cap
ASOS Harris Tweed Flat Cap, £18 from ASOS
FLIP FLOPS
The worst style sin of all though has got to be flip flops. Even when on the beach, a pair of espadrilles trumps them in every way and they’re just as easy to wear.
Alternative: espadrilles
Castaner Pablo Canvas Espadrilles, £80 from Mr Porter
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