Why athletic shoes are not your friend

Asics from Nordstrom

     I am going to go ahead and assume that shoes like the ones pictured about are largely what you wore growing up. And why wouldn't you? For active growing young men, they were always ready to be used and could tackle most things you threw at them. To the eyes of a young kid, they also are the coolest thing ever. As you become an adult, however, things change and so should your shoes.

Adidas from Zappos

     Around the time of my junior year in high school, I purchased a pair of Adidas very similar to this pair here. No one had had anything yet, and to my surprise they would catch on about a year later. But when I got the new shoes, there was something I noticed that was no longer happening. Previously, I had always gotten compliments on whatever new shoes I had, and I always took satisfaction knowing this would happen. This time, though, it didn't and I wasn't sure why. The shoes were the same as they had always been, why did things change? After giving it some thought, I came to a conclusion: I had been wearing the same type of shoes my entire life. They were boring. So I tried something different.

     Perhaps you had a story similar to mine or an experience. Point is, there comes a point when we realize what we are wearing isn't cool anymore, and we need to change. For me, this change was easily transitioned into skate shoes, and then nicer ones. I am going to suspect that many people have already made the initial jump, but haven't gone fully. So this pair here is great for that:

Vans from Vans

      These are just a sample pair to draw things from, feel free to to go with something less expensive by all means. But make friends with leather. It will be a very good friend to you. Perhaps you are past this point and are ready for something more adventurous. For that I recommend something like this:

Wolverines from Zappos

     Any of the colours of these shoes work, and the shoes work because they offer a classic style, wingtips, while giving a splash of colour to make them look young. I will be covering more of these kinds of shoes later on.

Sadly, as you grow older, you must let certain shoes do their jobs. So wear your athletic shoes when your suppose to: being athletic.


   Have a question you want answered or need help with a style? Ask it in the comments below and I will give you a response, perhaps even a post!

   As always this is Ethan Moore, telling you to Be Moore Man!

Dress up your Dress down

Image Credit to Anna Stokland via GQ

      Often times when we get dressed for a normal day, we don't make a conscious effort to look our best. We are often looking for reasons to become as comfortable as possible with maybe a little bit of style. We have to work hard, we should get to dress however we like, shouldn't we. Well, yes you do have that option, but I have a better one.

Image Credit to Anna Stokland via GQ

     The next time you get dressed on a day you have free, or for work if you don't have a uniform, try putting on a great outfit. It doesn't have to be a suit or anything overly fancy, but make a conscious choice about what you wear. Put on some nice jeans, a clean button-down shirt, and a tie. Heck, maybe even a sport coat over top if you have one (Note: Get one. Will advise in later article). The reactions you will get will be very surprising.

Image Credit to Tommy Ton via GQ

      The reactions you get will almost always be more positive then the ones you got prior to. When you put on nice clothing, it makes you feel more confident, as you know how good you look and so does everyone else. More confidence leads to more experiences, more experiences leads to a better you. If these examples weren't enough, women love when men look nice. I have never gotten a negative reaction while looking nice, and actually owe a great deal to looking nice for introducing me to my current girlfriend. As I have said before, what you wear represents you, so show the best version of you everyday.

   Have a question you want answered or need help with a style? Ask it in the comments below and I will give you a response, perhaps even a post!

   As always this is Ethan Moore, telling you to Be Moore Man!

The most important thing to do when buying new clothes

Photo by Tres Bien

      Buying clothes for many men can be a hassle. It seems pointless to bother looking at something that you are just going to wear. Many men would rather just buy something given to them (which there are 2 options for, which will be in a later post), when in reality, they should know that people rely on clothes to get to
know someone. You cannot get to know someones personality, if there clothes tell you they aren't someone you want to associate with. So first it's important to come to terms with the fact that your clothes will represent you in some fashion, no matter how amazing of a personality you have. But what is the most important thing to do when going to buy clothes?

      The absolute biggest thing you can do is to try things on! Now perhaps some of you will remember that in a previous article, I mentioned this is important especially when buying online. This is why I highly encourage using sites that will allow you to have free returns, or the ability to return them to a store nearby. So the big question is: Why? Well trying on clothes is the absolute only way you will know beyond a reasonable doubt if it meets our 3 criteria: material, style, and fit. After that you have something that you have a definite potential item to use in your coming style. What follows will be guidelines on how to best try on clothes.

     1) Always bring in at least 3 items, preferably 5 items. The idea here is to bring in something that you REALLY like, something you sort of like, and something fun and interesting that you wouldn't normally wear. Often times, things you really like will not fit as well as you think, things you sort of like fit have a chance to be backup, and the fun thing is always a surprise. So of my style staples you will see me wearing were things I tried on for fun.

    2) Try to bring someone along you considered fashionable to help. This can include just about everyone, from people working at the store, to your mom. No, I am not telling you to listen to your mom for fashion advice, but she knows how things fit you best. Trust me. Bringing someone along helps you see things that you may not have even thought of and are often better at picking out the best item that you tried on.

     3) Do not limit yourself on what you try on. Besides undergarments, everything is fair game, and should be tried on. Do not take for granted you know how that hat will look on you.

    Have a question you want answered or need help with a style? Ask it in the comments below and I will give you a response, perhaps even a post!

   As always this is Ethan Moore, telling you to Be Moore Man!

The three most important things to know about clothes

Photo by BeliefNet

      Perhaps your like this man when trying to find new clothes for your new style. Perplexed, confused, have a pen in your hand, need a shave, doen't understand colour.  And it's justified. To many of us, clothes shopping was not something we grew up liking, or often times, even had a say in the matter. This led us to become this poor man while at least we shop for clothes. So how do you know what to look for in clothes? The next three things, from least to greatest, will let you know what to look for when buying clothes.

Photo by TexIndex

      3) Coming in at three is what your perspective clothes is made of. What an item is made of is often a big indicator about the item itself (and how it is made, but will be another post). Now unless you have an allergy, I can take a guess that you have never really paid attention to what your clothes are made of. When selecting an item, pay attention to the material. Your skin will react differently to different materials. I, for instance, try to avoid most polyesters because they irritate my skin. Unfortunately, this is the only real area where how much you pay matters. High priced clothing often uses better materials meaning more comfort and a higher likelihood to last longer. For example, most of you think of jeans as a rather solid item that isn't the most comfortable in the world. Buy a $170 dollar pair, and you will be in for a surprise. My $170 Paige denim is the most comfortable pants I own by far, but I had to avoid spending to afford them. Luckily, you don't have to pay as much attention to this when looking for clothes.

Shirt found here

      2)  The second most important thing is how an item looks. "Why is this only second?" you might ask. Well how an item looks is more a reflection of yourself then anything else. The way an item looks should obviously be appealing to you, but it should also be appealing to everyone around you. There is a reason everyone doesn't wear the clothes Spencer's sells. As you are building your style, I recommend having someone along who you consider stylish to help you with choosing the look of an item. Something you might think of as cool could be a fashion faux pas, and they can help to pick something out similar to that. This is a very deep topic, however, and I will be going into this at a later date.
For quick T-Shirts that are always stylish, I highly recommend Threadless. They are a fantastic site with shirts voted on, created by artists. I am not paid by them, simply love their products.

Photo by Marketing for Scientists

      1) The single most important thing to look for in an item is fit! This is by far, the single biggest offender of men in style to date. Know your size it is your friend. More important, know that your size will change, and so do your clothes. Most important, know your body. Take my brother, for instance. He has massive muscles in his legs and bum. This means he needs to size up and wear a belt for the best fit. It also means that he understands not to wear certain brands. Every brand will fit differently even if it is your size. This is why I implore you to try clothes on before buying them. When you try on something, look at yourself in the mirror and look for the clothes to silhouette your body. If you need help, bring someone along, or ask one of the employees, they are their to help you. If you buy online, find a site with a free return policy and thank me later. Some people may try to buy clothes bigger because they find them more comfortable. I challenge them to find something that fits their body, as I guarantee it will look and feel better. The reason why the look of an item isn't number one is because no matter how cool something is, if it doesn't fit, it will look bad on you.

Have a question you want answered? Ask it in the comments below. I will either answer personally or write a post about it. (You don't need an account to ask a question.)

As always this has been Ethan Moore, telling you to Be Moore Man!