THE STYLE COUNCIL

Fashion mistakes are so often made by men that women have given up trying to correct them. Here, MB plays fashion police, gives a list of 10 common offences and offers ways to correct them.

Dirty Hairy
The MRT is as good a place as any to start checking the fashion crimes a man can commit. Look at the one seated across from you. This is what you’re likely to see: hairy legs sticking out of too-short pants that dangle at mid-calf. Solution Don’t wait for CNY to throw out your well-worn trousers. Get rid of them now and invest in a good pair that reach down to your feet. Still not sure? Do a ‘sit’ test to make sure the hems touch your shoes.

Put A Sock In It
If you bother to look past those hairylegs, very often you’ll see white, ribbed sports socks peeking out from black dress shoes. Not acceptable even if those are Bally shoes.
Solution The white sock look is for Michael Jackson and the entire soccer team. For the colour blind, go by the golden rule of black goes with black. Byford has an affordable range.

Keep Abreast
Breast pocket overload! But men are pleased that you can actually fit everything, save the kitchen sink, into this pocket. What you don’t realise is that from a distance, it looks like you have a breast.
Solution Carry a classy carrier bag if you must or get your hands on a respectable leather bag. You may even be at the receiving end of pleasant compliments from strangers.

Comb The Area
The ah-beng in you still exists if you still strut around town with an orange plastic comb sticking out of the back pocket.
Solution Do yourself a great big favour and make a trip to Watson’s. You’ll be able to pick and choose from a host of hairstyling products that can solve your hair problem once and for all. Out-of-bed by L’Oréal is a safe bet.

Dress The Part
Your Mama never told you that dress shoes are made for dressy occasions? Why do you think they are called dress shoes in the first place? On no account should they ever be paired with jeans or worse, bermudas! On that note, sneakers, even designer ones, are not A-OK with dress pants!
Solution Read a fashion magazine or ask the sales assistant for tips on how to dress if you’re truly clueless.

Ties That Bind
One wears his halfway down the tummy, the other wears his way past the belt. The million-dollar question: what is the right length for a tie to end?
Solution Let the tip of the tie touch the belt. It’s that simple.

On The Shirtfront
The lethal ‘short-sleeved business shirt and jeans’ combo usually comes out in full force on weekends as a result of “I-have-nothing- to-wear” or “why-should-I-buy-a-$99- Mambo-shirt-when-I-only-get-to-wear-itonce- a-week” thinking.
Solution Rule of thumb: jeans go hand in hand with T-shirts, sweaters or shirts made of light airy fabrics with interesting colours or prints.

Bermuda Triangle
Heartless wholesalers who still have garter- loaded bermudas are trying to clear stocks and naïve men are falling for their low prices.
Solution The last time we saw bermudas held up by garters, they were on a threeyear- old boy joined to his Mum by a baby leash. Try flat-front bermudas the next time around and you’ll be amazed at the change in silhouette.

To A Tee
Exercise is good, but baby tees neatly tucked into micromini running shorts with side slits are not. Especially on a flabby amateur sportsman.
Solution Even the girls have abandoned their baby tees so why are you still hanging on to them? A muscleman singlet is a lot more appetising, don’t you agree?

Belt Up
A suave guy walks through the door andhe is absolutely to die for, except he is wearing a leather work belt with a gold buckle with his designer jeans... next.
Solution Sorry, but this sort of belt is strictly limited to dress slacks on weekdays from 9am to 6pm.