ALPHA MALE: Style Commandments for the 40+ Man

ALPHA MALE: Style Commandments for the 40+ Man

As our clients age, they often find difficulty in adjusting their style to match.  There’s often a panic when someone hits midlife – “How do I stay cool and fresh when I’ve been on this planet forty years?” Some men may choose to seek one of a few extremes by buying a Porsche or finding a 25-year-old girlfriend.  Hell, as men of this age group will often testify: “I feel like I can go out and play full court ball In my mind, but my body doesn’t always agree."

Our goal today is to provide a foundation of style advice to the average 40 year old man who wants to keep a sense of style as he hits the midlife years.

Do not borrow your son's clothes

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There is nothing worse than a man entering his 40’s who chooses to dress like he’s borrowing his son’s clothes.  For example, a man in his midlife years who wears an Affliction or Ed Hardy shirt to the bar.  Some guys still have the body for it, but he looks foolish when the girls at the bar call him “sir”.

Well-dressed men don’t look like they’re lost in a different generation.

Men in their 40’s should avoid trendy clothes, and stick to stylish and sophisticated pieces.  Stylish classics do the trick – polos, sweaters, and sporty shirts… But not just in regular fabrics. He should choose luxury fabrics such as Sea Island cotton for the shirts and cashmere for the sweaters.  Add a nice watch and a cool pair of shoes to a classic outfit, and you’ll look stylish without dressing like a trend-chasing kid.

Additionally, men need to adjust their clothing to match the changes in their body type.

Men over 40 need to realize that their hair and skin color has changed, which also changes their color palette.  Make sure to find colors that don’t show age (these colors will vary from person-to-person).  The worst thing is for a man in his 40s to put on a color that makes him look like he’s in his 60s…No one wants to look older than they really are.

Finally, men in their 40’s need to learn to dress for leisure.

Most successful men have learned over the years how to wear business clothes... but most men do not know how to dress for leisure.  Pieces such as a navy or black sport coat bridge professional with casual.  Dress smart – if sneakers are too casual but dress shoes are too formal, try a nice pair of driving moccasins.  A really good men’s store will have all sorts of options – our advice is to spend some time with a salesperson at such a store to come up with a handful of ideas that work.

As both the president and owner of Marc Allen Inc, Marc Streisand takes the custom clothing business very personally. Having enjoyed a successful career in the clothing industry since 1985, Marc brings his clients extensive specialized experience in menswear. Prior to taking over the Marc Allen store in March 2005, he cultivated his knowledge of luxury male attire in New York and his home state of New Jersey, where he began his vocation at Wallach's Specialty Stores. Nothing gives him greater pleasure, he says, than seeing raw cloth transformed into a custom outfit that can directly impact his customer's lifestyle.