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Family & Relationships
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Dressing Your Husband for the Holidays
By Juliana Day
It's Christmas season and there's no busier
time for social events, not to mention the
endless task of decorating, baking and creating
Christmas memories with our families. The
festive atmosphere of Christmas has most
of us decking the halls, and some of us
also taking on the task of decking our husbands…
or should I say, "decking out".
Some men are hopeless when it comes to appropriate
holiday attire. That's why God gave men
US!
Every guy is different and I'm not suggesting
they must all fit into the same fashion
mold. (I could never imagine my flamboyant
husband with an ultra-conservative edge).
However, the following guidelines for casual
and formal holiday wear will help you when
shopping for your own special guy.
The Fit
The first consideration when choosing outfits
for your partner is the fit. When I gained
40 pounds, pregnant with my daughter, my
wonderfully sympathetic hubby gained right
along with me! How sweet… The problem
is that some guys insist that their snug-fitting
34/ 34 is still the right size, when a size
36 would look much better. It's always better
to be on the looser side, no matter what
his buns look like!
Men's Fashion Faux Pas for Holiday Social
Events
-
Light pants. Store them for the summer.
Though snow-white pants may seem festive,
they are inappropriate this time of
year, especially in colder climates.
-
Anything with a reindeer on it! I
hate to sound like a snob, but the cutesy
sweatshirts with snowflakes and Santa
Clause are tacky (and that's an understatement).
If you insist on being cute, try a Santa
hat!
-
Faded pants or jeans. What you wear
around your home is your own business,
but when you are a guest in someone
else's home, it's more respectful to
wear dress pants. If you're looking
for comfort, check out a local consignment
store, where you can usually find clothing
that is already broken in but still
in good condition.
-
Short sleeved T-shirts. I practically
have to pry these away from my hot-blooded
man, but if you must turn on the air-conditioning
in the middle of winter, try a light
weight long-sleeved T-shirt. Short sleeves
are inappropriate on cold winter days.
I am including button down short sleeves
in the category… sorry, I know
there are some die-hards out there!
Casual Get-togethers
-
Your best choice for an evening with
friends is a pair of good quality navy
or black pants with a cable knit sweater.
Also, a long-sleeved dress shirt under
a wool sweater is a nice, classic look.
-
For the younger man, try a festive
red long-sleeved shirt with subtle lines
on the arms or across the chest. Abercrombie
and Fitch have a great selection of
fashion forward garments this year.
-
Go a little more hip with a long sleeved
button-down shirt in white (with an
edgy pattern), in dark grey or black,
and worn un-tucked with nice black pants.
DKNY has a great selection of shirts
to match these styles.
-
Try a turtleneck - most women will
tell you there's nothing more appealing
than a fit man in a snug-fitting turtleneck.
-
Shoes or boots are appropriate but
should be polished and in good condition.
Don't wear boots with complicated laces
as hosts usually prefer you take your
shoes off during the mucky winter months.
Classic brown or black leather are good
choices.
-
Belts should always be worn! Make sure
the belt matches the shoes and socks
match the pants. I know I don't have
to tell you that white socks with black
pants are a major no-no!
The Formal Affair
-
Portly or petit, most men look pretty
darn good in a black suit. Some may
consider this a cop-out, but a black
suit is always a great classic. For
a more modern edge, try shortening the
tie and making a bigger knot in the
top.
-
White Tie. The most formal dress for
men is "white-tie". For these
occasions, black tails are a must along
with a white pique shirt and vest and,
of course, black pants.
-
Black Tie: The more common attire is
black tie. Here are a few do's and don'ts:
-
-
Choose either a tie and vest or
a bow tie and cummerbund. The latter
of the two is more traditional; the
former is slightly more casual, but
both are acceptable.
-
Buy shiny tux shoes if you can. If
not, plain, black shoes are fine as
long as they are polished to a high
sheen.
-
Make sure your pants have the proper
cord or velvet stripe down the side.
-
Don the cuff links. Formal shirts
use cuff links, preferably black and
rounded.
-
Go single breasted; it's the most
traditional and looks best.
-
-
Wear a regular shirt instead of a tux
shirt. It just screams, "Not fully
put together". If budget is a problem,
you can either rent or buy inexpensive
versions at stores like, "International
Clothiers".
Whatever the occasion, relax, have a great
time and remember the true reason for celebrating
is not for the glitz and glamour of the
season, it is for a child who came into
this world with nothing on and was happy
to celebrate his first Christmas in swaddling
clothes.
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