An interest in style can often be a way to unite the generations. It’s no secret that some men will lose interest in fashion at a certain age, but that doesn’t mean you should. Style advice is invaluable, so instead of relaxing your wardrobe with your age, sharpen it up. There are also so many benefits to help looking good for your age due to the many advances in health, fitness and wellness, so don’t wait for a New Year’s Res – start now!

 

There seem to be so many articles surrounding the web about ‘What Not To Wear In Your 40s’, most of these guides are literally addressing ‘What You Can No Longer Get Away With’. If you compare it to a ‘How To Dress In Your 20s’ rulebook, the content is ambitious and scattered full of unique, stand-out pieces. The older you get, the more these guides begin to accommodate the fading of colours, the styles becoming totally basic and the brands softening. Some brands, such as M&S, are a go-to for the slightly older gent, which is fine. But they just seem to re-brand everything as ‘timeless’ when you could be doing so much better. 

 

David Evans, the style-for-the-older-gent guru, claims, “I think that what we should really be doing is going shopping once every month or two and spending possibly the same amount on fewer clothes of a much better quality. Because clothes of a better quality don’t go out of shape and they don’t get holes in them so quickly. They’re all small things, but they can make you look shabby and that’s what I see as badly dressed”. This does seem to be the key in dressing well at any age, but especially as an older gent. All you need is a handful of good-quality, mid-market staple pieces to work into your wardrobe. 

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If you’re a gent in your 40s, as much as you (probably) have no desire to resort back to the style of your youth with baggy 90s t-shirts and chenille jumpers, don’t accept your doom and let age get in the way of your wardrobe. Insisting that you should be dressing according to your birth date does a total disservice to style as a whole. Numbers should never be associated with shopping for clothes, apart from the obvious hair-colour change and potential extra bulk you might have gained in those 20 years. For example, a pale complexion and greying hair won’t compliment bright colours. 

 

Why should you ever feel like you’re ‘too old’ to wear something you like? What it all comes down to is avoiding dressing to look young - dress to look good. The most important thing to keep in mind is whether the clothes fit, they have to feel good for you to feel good. Make sure to also stay yourself when trying new things, dress via occasion and keep in your comfort zone without reverting to the basics. A handful of staple pieces from good-quality, mid-market brands is really all you need. Take the advice, try as many new things as you can, but also figure out what suits you and stick to your guns with that. 

 

Be yourself, make sure it fits and stay sharp!