A common refrain amongst dudes is that there are limited ways to stand out when wearing a dress shirt. Most guys run short of ideas beyond choosing high quality clothing and selecting between different fit and styles as well as the right colors for themselves. Some shrug and point to shirt choices for different seasons being their way of standing out SEASONALLY (tough luck for those in tropical climates)!
Well, we are here to set the record straight by giving new ideas for all climates that will show you that you can not only stand out daily in your dress shirt, but also make the same shirt you wore last week look fresh while doing it! How? In a word – Accessorize!
Stand Out with Cufflinks
Let’s start with the first thing most think of when accessorizing – cufflinks! We discussed when to wear cufflinks in an earlier article. However, did you know that there are six types of cufflinks you can choose from with your dress shirt? For a non-formal occasion, use those silk knot cufflinks. For the formal occasion, get out your metal or metal with semi-precious stone cufflinks. Even here, there are plenty of different backings available to choose from, from a chain link to ball returns. For the super formal occasion, whip out your diamond cufflinks. Nothing like a pair of matching diamonds on your cufflinks to truly make a statement.
Stand Out with Ties
While the first thought for many would have been cufflinks, a fair share would probably have reached for their ties to stand out. We cannot begin to describe the different styles of ties available to men today, so we won’t try. Besides choosing a fresh tie, you can stand out further by experimenting with tie knots. Although you should choose the right one for the occasion, from time to time, you can really go all out and try a fancy knot like the Eldredge or Trinity Knot. Same dress shirt but a very different effect!
Stand Out with Tie Pins
If you are going to wear a tie, you can add a further enhancement in the form of a tiepin. Nothing outlandish – a simple silver tie bar will do and besides a touch of class, it will also ensure your tie stays clean during meals!
Stand Out with Collar Pins
It is possible many would never have considered this as an option. A collar pin is used to hold the two ends of a dress shirt collar together while passing underneath a tie knot. Al Pacino shows it off best from his scene in Godfather III.
Stand Out with Pocket Squares
This only works if you’re also wearing a suit over your dress shirt. However, if you do, a pocket square in your suit pocket would give you that added touch of elegance.
Additional Stand Out Touches
Although this rounds out how you can stand out, it is by no means exhaustive. If you decide to wear a jacket or suit, we could talk about pattern layering to stand out and if you’re in a cold climate, you could look at ways to tie a scarf to look outstanding. You could even consider a fedora and sunglasses when moving around outdoors like Matt Bomer always pulls off in his role on White Collar.
So stop complaining about your dress shirts getting dull. As discussed in this post, you can mix and match some styles to keep looking fresh and stand out everyday!
Do tell us what you do to stand out everyday in the comments below!
Image Courtesy: BlackLapel, Deoveritas
