The Best Style Advice Of 2017

Link Copied

3 MINUTE READ

The Best Style Advice Of 2017

Words by Mr Dan Rookwood

22 December 2017

How we suggested you dress this year.

What should I wear to my birthday party? Am I dressing too young for my age? Which colours suit my skin tone? Should casual shirts be tucked in or out? If only there was someone on hand to offer useful answers to such questions. Well, since you ask…

The above are just some of the subject areas we covered off this year in our weekly You Asked column – a comprehensive compendium of which you will find below to peruse at your leisure.

The most regularly recurring theme this year, perhaps not surprisingly, was weddings. We looked at the dress codes for a beach wedding versus a winter wedding, for example – and also steered one groom away from trying something novelty. (Remember, that framed photo on your mantelpiece will be there forever.) Other landmark occasions that we addressed this year included what to wear on a big birthday and what to buy a man turning 40.

Dressing for work was another common query – from tech start-ups to high finance. We covered bike-friendly commuter gear and we had to dispense some tough love to the reader who asked if it was OK to commute in wearing sneakers instead of Church’s. (It is not OK.)

Dressing correctly for one’s body shape and colouring is important to get right. These columns contain advice for those who are especially tall, a little on the short side, have big feet or particularly pale skin.

Likewise, it’s important to dress appropriately for your age whether at school or university or whether you’re an older guy, perhaps with grey hair, who wants to keep up with the latest trends.

Talking of which, we explored several key trends this year, from ugly sneakers to ripped denim (how ripped is too ripped?), and from football scarves to the re-emergence of white socks (often worn with pool slides).

For those who are more about timeless style than trends, a good combination is a blend of key investment pieces combined with the essentials. Here’s how to streamline your wardrobe and not get stuck in a style rut.

Whether you like following style rules or enjoy breaking them, it’s handy to know what they are. We weighed up whether you can wear black and navy together, whether shirts should be tucked in or out, how many buttons to undo on a shirt and how many buttons to do up on a coat.

Fundamentally the purpose of the You Asked column is to offer really useful practical advice from how to pack and what to wear on a long-haul flight to how to nail a pocket square or how to look after suede.

Finally, the question of the year goes to the reader who asked “What style of suit do I buy to get my parents to love me?” And the answer is: this one.

Got a question of your own? Email dan.rookwood@mrporter.com or post it on our Instagram feed. “You Asked” will return in January.

The best of 2017