Guides, Style, Uncategorized
How to dress in your 30s
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It is a somewhat depressing reality that we all get old. Some of us deal with this transition from a youthful, carefree boy to a fully fledged, fitbit wearing, estate driving, mortgage paying, grown up better than others. As a 32 year old boy/man I find myself struggling between wanting to stay up all night eating pizza and playing video games, whilst also getting a similar sense of satisfaction from defrosting my fridge freezer.
However it is not all doom and gloom. You see as we grow, our opinions as well as our priorities change. And while we will hopefully become wiser as we enter our third decade, this natural transition should also extend to your wardrobe.
David Gandy 37
Your style during your teen years (if it was anything like mine) tends to be, at the very least, erratic. After all this is the point in your life where you discover where you want to position yourself in society. This is then followed by your 20s during which the inconsistent nature of your style tends to flatten out as you start to find the looks that work for you. Other factors also become influential as career changes and a (hopefully) positive financial shift all contribute towards moulding your wardrobe.
It is in your 30s, however, when you really want to be locking down your style. By now you should know what you like (and dislike) when it comes to clothes and also where to buy them from. Having a small selection of ‘go to’ labels will make your life and shopping experiences quicker and easier. With sizes and fits varying from label to label, discovering which ones work best for you will save you heaps of time in the long run. This is essential as all that spare shopping time you had in your 20s is now spent taking the kids to their football clubs/birthday parties or filing a tax return. Online shopping is also easier because knowing that a pair of Levi 501s fits you like a glove means you can shop with confidence at the same time as cleaning out your NutriBullet.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt 36
Having a few basic combinations which make up your look will also save you precious time in the morning. Just make sure that the combinations you choose suit and work for you as it is these signature pieces which will, ultimately, become your style. It is also advisable to start bulk buying. If you find a particular set of trousers or shirts which fit you really well, buy two or three pairs. This will save multiple shopping trips and also avoid the devastation felt when your favourite chinos wear away only to discover the label no longer makes them.
And, whilst jeans and smart trainers will still feature heavily in your weekend wardrobe, it is the suit that will become increasingly important in this decade. No longer strictly confined to office hours, a good suit becomes the ideal option for after-work drinks, garden parties or parents’ evenings. Make sure you invest in quality. At the very least, invest in one grey and one navy suit which should make up the backbone of your wardrobe. After this you can look at expanding into bolder colours and different materials and/or patterns as well as a range of weights for the various seasons of the year.
Ryan Gosling 36
One of the best aspects of owning a good suit in your 30s is its versatility. Bear in mind that a suit can be separated into a blazer and trousers, which can also be worn with other items to create a number of different outfits. To ensure top style points when buying a suit, make sure it fits… really well. If, for example, you tend to wear your casual trousers slightly slimmer, get your suit trousers tapered similarly to ensure you can wear them outside of the office too.
It is also time to treat yourself. In your 20s you discovered who you were and what your style was. In your 30s invest in a few items that you use regularly and that will last. A classic pair of shoes, a nice watch or overcoat will stand the test of time and also add a touch of class and luxury which you may have been lacking in the previous decade.
Team Me My Suit & Tie 30ish
Things to throw out before you hit 40:
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Baseball caps
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Any shell-based jewellery
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T-shirts with big logos or names of bands
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Drop crotch (MC Hammer-style) trousers
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Anything with diamantes (although these should have gone a long time ago)
