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How To Dress Casual as a Grown Man (Stop Dressing Like a Teenager)

Alex Costa · 3,174 words · 15 min read

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0:00If you're not a teenager anymore, then

0:01it's time to stop dressing like one. The

0:03majority of guys think that to be casual

0:04or comfortable, they need to sacrifice

0:07style. But, let me tell you right now

0:09that you don't. There's a way to look

0:10stylish even on your lazy days. I call

0:12it the three C's of style, which means

0:14you can have an outfit that's casual,

0:15comfortable, and classy all at the same

0:18time. And you know what's funny is that

0:20most guys wear a t-shirt, some tight

0:22jeans, and running sneakers, and think

0:24that that's fine. And it's literally the

0:26worst outfit that you could ever wear.

0:28If I see a guy wearing that, I know for

0:30a fact he's not stylish. Because one, it

0:32doesn't look good, right? He looks like

0:34every other guy at the mall. And two,

0:36it's not even comfortable. Jeans aren't

0:38that comfortable, especially tight ones.

0:40And those t-shirts with the designer

0:42logos on the chest, they're horrible.

0:44And by the way, I know that because I

0:45used to be that guy. I used to wear that

0:47in my early 20s before I knew anything

0:50about dressing well. So, this comes from

0:51personal experience. So, how do we fix

0:53that? It's very easy, actually. I'm

0:54going to show you how to make five

0:55simple changes to your casual outfits to

0:57make them look stylish without

0:59sacrificing comfort, which is important

1:01to us, right? Now, if you follow fashion

1:03trends, you know that baggy clothing is

1:05trendy. But, for this video, I don't

1:07want to talk about trends. I want to

1:08teach you timeless style. And honestly,

1:10more and more, I'm just sick of these

1:12fads, these trends that brands establish

1:15and promote just to get you to change up

1:17your entire wardrobe and buy new clothes

1:19every single year. You have so many

1:21better options. Instead of an extra

1:23baggy t-shirt, you can wear a relaxed

1:25t-shirt that will look so much better on

1:27you. I like these from Uniqlo, for

1:29example. They do have

1:30fit, they're modern, right? But, they

1:32don't go overboard. They look great. And

1:34if you want a tapered fit that hugs your

1:36body, then the Etos t-shirts are the

1:38best for that. Just make sure to size up

1:40if you want a roomy fit. So, if you're a

1:41small, get a medium. Here's the problem

1:43with t-shirts, though. They don't hit

1:45all three C's. They're casual, they're

1:47comfortable, but you can't say they're

1:49classy, right? They're basic tees. So,

1:50the biggest trap that most men fall into

1:53is thinking that a t-shirt is the only

1:54option when it comes to dressing casual.

1:56And nowadays, guys think that polos

1:58aren't casual, which is funny because

1:59that's literally what they were designed

2:01for. A polo is a t-shirt with a collar.

2:03The comfort level is basically the same,

2:05but polos look a lot more classic. And

2:07brands like King & Tuckfield, Suit

2:09Supply, Reiss, and Eton have casual

2:12polos that you can wear with shorts,

2:13with sneakers, and they'll look a lot

2:15better than a basic t-shirt. This one

2:17here, for example, is from Reiss. I just

2:19picked it up and I'll make sure to link

2:20it below. Look, I still like my

2:21t-shirts. More and more though, I find

2:23myself gravitating towards polos for

2:25casual everyday looks because I'm a

2:27grown man. Another amazing option, and

2:29men are finally catching on to this, is

2:31wearing linen shirts. Linen is a very

2:34lightweight and breathable fabric. You

2:36can feel the difference. It's a lot

2:37thinner and you It's like slightly

2:39see-through. It gives it a nice flowy,

2:41relaxed feel, which is perfect for

2:44looking classy and comfortable on a hot

2:47spring and summer day. But unlike a

2:49t-shirt, you can undo a couple of

2:50buttons, right? You can get some air

2:52flow, and you still get all three

2:54seasons. By the way, I'll type up a big

2:56list of my personal recommendations for

2:57all of these items in the description of

2:59this video to make it easy for you to

3:01upgrade your style once and for all.

3:03Now, if it's a cooler day or night, then

3:05instead of wearing a sporty sweatshirt

3:07that looks like you're just going to the

3:08gym, wear a wool sweater. Specifically,

3:10I like the thinner merino wool sweaters

3:12because they're not these bulky heavy

3:14sweaters. It's more streamlined. It

3:16keeps you warm and it looks great. And

3:18by the way, they're extremely soft, so

3:19you're comfortable without sacrificing

3:21style. But of course, sometimes you're

3:23going to need a jacket. And this is

3:24where it gets even more fun because

3:25there are just so many options. Let me

3:27run you through some of my favorites.

3:29For example, check out this lightweight

3:30bomber jacket from Theory. You can tell

3:31it's a great quality bomber, it looks

3:33sharp, and it fits really well. It's a

3:35great casual option that can still make

3:37you look elevated and cool. And we make

3:39one from Eton that has a few more

3:40features like the backpack straps.

3:42Perfect for guys who commute, take the

3:44subway or the metro if you're in London,

3:45and you walk in there and it's super

3:47hot, right? Filled with people. You

3:49don't want to carry it, so you just wear

3:50it like a backpack. Problem solved. But

3:52as much as I love my bomber jackets,

3:54they only cover two out of the three

3:56C's. They're casual, they're

3:57comfortable, but they're they and

3:58they're stylish, but they're not really

4:00classy. If you want something classy,

4:02let me give you another option. Now, at

4:04first you might think that sports

4:05jackets are way too formal, but it's all

4:07about the details. Sports jackets,

4:09they're not suit jackets, they're

4:11different. Look at this outfit, for

4:12example. He's wearing a sports jacket.

4:14It's not a formal, stuffy outfit.

4:16Wearing a t-shirt underneath or even a

4:18tank top, if you're a guy who likes to

4:20be noticed, right? I see a lot of that

4:22here in New York City nowadays. It's an

4:23awesome look. It really It looks really

4:25sharp. Swap the leather formal shoes for

4:27leather sneakers and all of a sudden you

4:29have yourself a nice casual look that

4:31hits all three C's. The sneakers and the

4:34t-shirt or the tank top, they dress it

4:36down, making it casual, comfortable, and

4:37of course classy. But, I get that that's

4:39not for everyone, and if you're still

4:41not feeling a sports jacket, I do have

4:43another option for you that's my go-to,

4:44especially right now in the spring. If

4:46you follow my Instagram, then you know

4:48that I've been wearing a lot of

4:49cardigans lately. And that's because you

4:51can easily dress them up or down.

4:53They're very versatile. Depending on the

4:54vibe you're going for, it's just

4:55literally about swapping the accessories

4:58and what goes underneath. I like the

4:59cardigan and white tank top combo, for

5:01example, for a daytime look. And this

5:03brown cardigan from Mango, white A-toss

5:06tank top, tan trousers from Reiss, and

5:09white sneakers, this outfit hits all

5:11three C's and it looks great. And you

5:13can easily do the same to dress it up a

5:15little bit more for a nighttime look

5:16with a black cardigan, a black tank top,

5:19black trousers, and loafers. Now, I've

5:21literally worn this exact outfit to a

5:23nice dinner and got a ton of

5:24compliments, even though it's a pretty

5:26easy outfit to pull off. Now, the

5:28difference here is that instead of

5:30wearing a hoodie or a sweatshirt, these

5:31layers, they add maturity and don't

5:34sacrifice comfort into your outfit,

5:36right? And that's what dressing casually

5:38as a grown man is all about. It's

5:40finding these replacements that, when

5:42you don't know much about fashion, they

5:44feel like it's too much, too stuffy,

5:46right? A a that doesn't it feels stuffy.

5:49Maybe you're scared that people will

5:50think that you're trying too hard. But

5:51in reality,

5:53those people I'm serious. Those people

5:56Look guys, I'm 35. I've been studying

5:58fashion and men's self-image for a

5:59while, and the moment you decide to not

6:02wear nice clothes because of what people

6:04might think of you, you need to do two

6:06things. One, take a good look in the

6:08mirror and ask yourself who you want to

6:10be. And two, you need to reevaluate the

6:12people around you because if they judge

6:13you for stepping up your looks, they're

6:15bringing you down for trying to elevate

6:18yourself, and that's no friend. That's

6:20just a jealous individual who doesn't

6:22want what's best for you. And this is

6:24the exact reason why we have a free

6:26community called Men's Image Lab, where

6:28we have a group of guys who are actually

6:30cool and who actually want to look out

6:32for each other. Men who want you to look

6:34good and to succeed. So when you ask

6:36them questions about an outfit, a

6:37fragrance, or fitness, you get good

6:40answers that are trying to elevate you

6:42instead of some fake friends who are

6:44jealous of your growth. I'll link the

6:46community below. A lot of guys seem to

6:48think that they don't have many options

6:50when it comes to casual pants. They

6:51either go for baggy jeans or worse, they

6:54default to sweatpants 24/7. And hey, I

6:57love sweatpants, all right? I love

6:58sweatpants as much as you do, but if

7:00we're talking about elevating your

7:02casual look, they're obviously just not

7:04going to cut it. The truth is, you can

7:06easily keep things casual and

7:07comfortable while still looking classy.

7:10For example, nice trousers. Seriously,

7:13swapping from jeans to nice trousers

7:15will change your life. They're way more

7:17comfortable than jeans. Literally way

7:19more comfortable than jeans, but

7:20instantly they make you look more

7:21polished. And they don't even compare to

7:23sweatpants, right? Sweatpants have two

7:25purposes, in my opinion. Lounging at

7:27home or flights longer than 6 hours.

7:30Besides that, I don't even suggest

7:32wearing sweatpants for anything else,

7:33not even the gym. I'm not Personally,

7:35I'm not a fan. The fabric is too warm,

7:38my legs get all sweaty, so I prefer to

7:40to shorts or sometimes I'll do nylon

7:42pants like these Atos cargos that are a

7:44lot thinner and more breathable. Way

7:46better. And if you're looking for

7:47specific recommendations, I really like

7:49these traveler pants from Reiss. They

7:51hit all three C's. I also really like

7:53these here from Theory, and I even like

7:55linen pants like these here from Todd

7:57Snyder. Honestly, I think guys are

7:58sleeping on linen pants. Seriously,

8:00they're way more comfortable than

8:01sweatpants. Way more comfortable.

8:02They're a lot lighter, and they look a

8:04lot more polished, so you can create

8:06stylish outfits like this. Plus, like I

8:08said, linen is a very breathable,

8:10lightweight fabric. Perfect for

8:11summertime. Way better than sweatpants.

8:13And look, sure, you can wear jeans. You

8:15can make it look good, right? It just

8:17depends on how you style it. If you wear

8:19jeans with a tank top and open shirt,

8:22right, nice accessories and clean

8:23sneakers, you're going to look great.

8:25Just make sure that the jeans fit you

8:27well. I don't recommend going too baggy.

8:29It makes you look sloppy, and it looks

8:30like you're trying to fit into the Gen Z

8:32trends. And as a grown man, you know, I

8:34would stay away from that. Go for a

8:36tapered or straight cut. Those are the

8:38two best fits for a timeless style. I

8:42like jeans from Cos, I like jeans from

8:43Suit Supply. They're really killing it

8:45right now. Reiss, Frame makes really

8:48good jeans. I'll link a bunch below. And

8:49when you get them, make sure to get them

8:51hemmed, so they fit you properly. That

8:52means, by the way, to tailor them. If

8:54they're too long, they're not stacking

8:56up on your shoes, because that's not

8:57going to look good. And by the way, some

8:59of these stores like Nordstrom, for

9:01example, I know they offer free hem if

9:02you buy in store. So, always ask if they

9:05offer that if you're shopping in person.

9:07Otherwise, just take it to a tailor.

9:08It's not going to cost you more than 20

9:09bucks to make it fit your body

9:11perfectly. And again, you want that fit

9:13to be perfect. Also, big no-no, no

9:16distressed denim. All right, no blown

9:18out knees. Remember when those were were

9:20were trendy? I know because I I used to

9:22buy a bunch of those, and I look at

9:24pictures now, and I cringe, right? No

9:26bleached designs, no embroidery or

9:29glitter or whatever. Keep it classy.

9:31Now, onto one of my favorite parts of

9:33any outfit. This can bring it all

9:35together and make you look amazing or it

9:38can completely derail and kill your

9:40look. Let's talk about footwear. We've

9:42been through the worst outfit in men's

9:44fashion history. Jeans with a tee with

9:47running sneakers, specifically tight

9:49jeans, even worse. You know that saying

9:51putting your best foot forward? Well,

9:53this is putting your worst foot forward,

9:55literally, physically. So, let's fix

9:57that. And finding classier sneakers is

9:59actually a lot easier than you might

10:00think. Take these sneakers from Arnie

10:02for example. They're comfortable and

10:04instantly make any outfit look more

10:05intentional and more put together. And

10:07when you style them with nice trousers,

10:09you're going to nail that look without

10:10even trying. This is easy, right? It

10:12looks good and it kills me to see guys

10:14wearing workout kicks out in the streets

10:17for no reason. Look, if you like a slim

10:19shoe, there's also a bunch of options.

10:21Check out Common Projects for example.

10:23They're a little pricier, yes, but they

10:25look very sharp. By the way, they sell

10:27like crazy. They're very, very popular

10:29because they're classy. Personally, I

10:31prefer the Arnies just because they're a

10:33little bit chunkier, but they don't go

10:35overboard. They're not like chunky

10:37sneakers. They're just slightly thicker

10:39than the Common Projects. The Common

10:40Projects for me, they're a little too

10:42slim. And let me unpack that a little

10:44bit. For Common Projects, they're a

10:45little bit too slim because back in the

10:47day I used to wear them when I wore

10:48skinny or slim pants. So, it was a

10:51streamlined look. But if you're wearing,

10:53you know, the straight look or the

10:54tapered look, it's not going to go well.

10:57Literally, those pants are going to eat

10:58up the shoe and it's going to disappear

11:00into the pants. But if I'm being honest,

11:02and this is a surprise to me, even

11:03honestly, because I never thought I'd be

11:05wearing this, my go-to lately, it's been

11:07loafers. They're almost as comfortable

11:09as a leather sneaker, but way classier.

11:11But you throw these on with trousers and

11:13a polo and you have yourself a really

11:15nice casual outfit that hits all of the

11:18three C's and honestly will make you

11:19look like a boss. It's the type of

11:22outfit that you can wear to a casual

11:23Friday at the office, right? Or you can

11:26go get groceries in this and the ladies

11:28will look at you. There's just no way

11:29they're going to miss it because you're

11:31going to be a stylish dude and it looks

11:33like it's intentional. And that's what I

11:35mean. Why leave your house looking all

11:37homeless and not stylish at all? And you

11:40know, don't blame it on comfort because

11:41this outfit is comfortable. I wear this

11:43type of outfit all the time and it's way

11:45more stylish than sweatpants and a

11:47t-shirt and some running sneakers. The

11:50difference is night and day. There's no

11:51comparison. So, stop being lazy, put on

11:53a nice outfit before you show yourself

11:55to the world because who knows? Maybe

11:57you're going to run into the woman of

11:58your dreams today. Maybe you're going to

12:00make a great business connection and

12:01guess what? Wearing these nicer outfits

12:04will only benefit you and enhance your

12:06life. But if you want to be stylish,

12:08there's one final change that you have

12:09to make to your outfits and it's the way

12:11that you accessorize your outfit. Right

12:13now, we're going into spring, we're

12:15going into summer, which means your

12:16outfits will be a little bit more

12:17simple. And that's only because there's

12:18less layers for you to play with. So,

12:20how do you complete an outfit during

12:22summertime? Well, it's with accessories.

12:24Right now, I'm wearing a watch and I'm

12:25wearing a ring. And that's great. You

12:27don't need to go overboard. So many guys

12:29put a ton of bracelets on and then they

12:31have a Whoop and then they have a Fitbit

12:33and then they have an Oura Ring and then

12:34they have their actual watch. I'm like,

12:36"What are you doing, man? It's way too

12:38much. You're going overboard. There's no

12:40need." So, before you go

12:41accessory-crazy, let me introduce you to

12:43the rule of three, which makes it so

12:45much easier for you. Basically, you

12:47should never wear more than three

12:49accessories at a time, specifically

12:51jewelry. Or things it just starts to

12:53look a little tacky. So, if I was

12:54wearing an open shirt right now, I could

12:56have a necklace, right, with a pendant,

12:58something small, something classy, a

13:00watch and a ring. That's the rule of

13:02three. It's perfect. It's not going

13:04overboard and it's not simple. You can

13:06also wear sunglasses, right? Spring is

13:08here. Make sure to wear sunglasses, keep

13:10your eyes safe and also accessorize your

13:12look. Some guys tend to just default to

13:14wearing a hat, for example, when it's

13:15sunny. And look, hats are fine. It's

13:18cool once in a while, especially if

13:19you're going out with your friends, like

13:20going out to a baseball game or

13:21something like that. But having a classy

13:23hairstyle really is the way to go. It's

13:25just going to make you look so much

13:26better. And of course, Forte Series has

13:29all of the hair products that you need

13:30to make sure that your hair looks classy

13:32and great. I'm actually testing out a

13:33new product today that's uh top secret,

13:35but I'll be revealing it very soon. This

13:37is our I want to say this is our coolest

13:38product ever, but um I can't choose you

13:41know a a favorite a favorite son or a

13:43favorite kid, but uh this might be the

13:44one. So, look. To dominate your casual

13:47style, you got to find the right-fitting

13:49tops with the perfect jacket, some clean

13:52chinos, a tailored dark jeans, pair with

13:55classy sneakers, right? Wear the polos.

13:57Make sure that you're not wearing

13:59something lazy. Make sure that you're

14:00presenting yourself to the world well.

14:02And by the way, if you're ready for a

14:03new hairstyle, and you probably are,

14:04some guys take too long to change your

14:06hairstyles. This video right here has

14:08all the recommendations for each age

14:10group, so you know exactly what

14:11hairstyle you should get, no matter your

14:13age.

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