Get layered and get laid                                                            Back to columns list

Guys, guys, guys. I'm worried about all of you. I worry about your struggles in school, how you are getting along with your friends and most of all, how you are getting on with the ladies. Yes, I am concerned because what I see on the streets is abominable. Stained t-shirts here, Tevas there, and not a metrosexual in sight.

Therefore, I am dedicating a whole article to your well-being. Don't despair—I'm not trying to change you into a "girly man" as the illustrious Governor of California would say. I'm just going to give you some proven tips on how to kick it up a notch on the style-o-meter and then propose a challenge: Follow these guidelines for a week and see what improvements might happen below the belt.

Concept One: Layering Up Top

Layering shirts is a great way to express your personal style. Here's what you'll need:

1. A variety of colorful t-shirts, long or short sleeve, some with cool printing on them—like retro gas station ads or bands that you like. Leave all stained shirts and "I ran the Boulder Boulder" type shirts out of this.

2. Button up shirts, long or short sleeve, some plain colors, some with vertical stripes or cool patterns like an old-school cowboy print.

Make sure all of these shirts fit well. That means that the shoulder seam should fit comfortably at the edge of your shoulder. Not tight like Euro trash but not loose like Eminem. The era of super baggy clothing is really over unless you have a G-Unit body. Baggy clothing is juvenile and worse yet, it makes you look spindly. Fitted clothing will actually make you look more muscular.

Now that you have what you need, throw out everything Mom taught you about getting dressed, because you are going to learn a whole new way of layering, college boy!

You want to create a vibe that says, I'm laid back, fun and I care about myself—to a degree.

Layering is the way to do it. The main guideline to follow is to put a short sleeve shirt on top of a long sleeve shirt, matching some basic colors between the two.

Try all of these untucked and buttoned up:

* A plain short sleeve T-shirt over a long sleeve striped button up.

* A short sleeve button up with a funky print over a long sleeve T-shirt.

* A printed short sleeve T-shirt over a plain long sleeve button up.

* A '70's style leisure shirt over a long sleeve t-shirt of a different color.

To top off the look, add a leather jacket, wool pea coat or denim workman jacket, depending on your personality. Please don't wear a wind breaker or fleece jacket with this look; it will ruin everything!

Concept Two: The Bottom Half

If you are like most guys, you have a bunch of baggy jeans, a couple pairs of khaki pants and a pair of dress pants that don't fit because the last time you wore them was in Ninth grade.

Keep the jeans—they will go great with your new layered look, especially with some flip flops or retro sneakers like Converse or Puma (not running shoes...everybody knows you're not really running anywhere).

Scrutinize your khaki pants. If they have pleats in the front, throw them out immediately. Pleats are not the new you. They make you look big and puffy around the crotch, and not in a good way. Buy some FLAT FRONT pants instead. Dickies are great.

Hold off on buying any dress pants till you graduate. Instead, invest in a pair of True Boot Cut Levis to take your layered look straight to LA. I guarantee these jeans will be a girl magnet. They are a slimmer cut than you are used to. Get a pair that fits close enough that you probably don't have to wear a belt, but loose enough that you can easily put both your hands inside your pants at the same time. (Get you mind out of the gutter!)

For a more mature look, wear leather shoes or boots instead of sneakers or flip flops.

As you can see, the point of this challenge is to clean you up and add a little personality to your look. And if you meet some girls in the process, all the better.

Good luck, and let me know how it goes!