When Should You Wear A Belt?

To belt or not to belt, that’s the question in this week’s edition of 2 Minute Tuesday! It may seem simple but there are actually some key situations and outfits you need to keep in mind when you’re thinking about putting on a belt. Previously we discussed what belt size to buy and our favorite belt picks, but now it’s time to break down exactly when you should and shouldn’t wear a belt!

 

Belts Are An Accessory

First and foremost, belts are an accessory, not a utilitarian piece. As we said in our fit guides, your pants should always fit properly without a bet and you shouldn’t be using a belt solely to keep them up.

 

Don’t Wear A Belt: When Wearing Suits

Even if a suit has belt loops, you don’t want to wear a belt with a suit, it ruins the line as the eye will be drawn directly to your waist and it will break up the overall vertical look.  Like we previously said, your suit pants should fit properly so your pants should sit on you without needing to be held up.

 

Do Wear A Belt: When Your Shirt Is Tucked In

Whether your shirt is fully tucked in or just partially tucked in (aka the French Tuck), you always want to wear a belt, regardless of whether you’re wearing jeans, chinos, or dress trousers.

 

Do Wear A Belt: With Jackets and Blazers

Typically with jackets and blazers, your shirt should be tucked in (unless its a very casual look with a t-shirt) so you’re going to always want to wear a belt with these types of looks.

How Should Men’s Swim Trunks Fit?

Just because swim trunks are a casual item doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider their fit just like you do the rest of the items in your Essential Wardrobe. Like with anything else in our Fit Guide, a few missteps here or there and you could really not be doing your physique any favors.

So, now that you’re probably in the mindset for beach and pool time we thought we’d cover how your swim trunks should fit in our latest episode of 2 Minute Tuesday.

 

 

Length

Proportionally and visually, this is what looks best on men and as a basic rule, no matter how tall you are, your trunks should always above the knee by at least 3” above your knee.

Shorter Men

The length should hit at mid-thigh, at the longest. This proper length will make akes you (and your legs) look longer. 

Taller Men

For the right proportions, you can go a little longer between 3” above the knee to mid-thigh, at the shortest. 

Average Height Men

Go with the same guidelines as a taller guy, otherwise, your proportions will look off. 

 

Fit

Ideally, you want to be able to pinch between a 1/2″ to 1” on either side of your thigh. You can go up a little bit if you must but any more and you’re right on the edge of looking a little bit baggy and sloppy.

The waist should fit perfectly around without too much sagging or tightness.

 

Should You Tailor Swim Trunks?

You can shorten them, but we don’t recommend trying to get the legs slimmed, because there’s usually pockets and other things in the way and it can get expensive. There are enough styles out there for every man to be able to find a good fit.

I Lost 30 lbs In 6 Weeks [The Check In #1]

Welcome to our newest series, The Check In!  We wanted to try something new for our viewers and readers so in this series we’re checking in with each other on a few personal things, talking about some stuff we’re excited about right now, and giving you guys a few updates on what’s going on in our lives (like Dorian’s weight loss).

We hope you enjoy this new series, let us know what you think and if you have any questions or topics you want to see us discuss!

 

Things Ashley Is Into Right Now

Chain Necklaces – Ashley loves a little bit of silver or gold peeking out as a nice bit of bling. Look for what’s known as a club chain in a small size like 2 or 3 millimeters.

Braided Belts – A cool twist on belts and they just add something special to your outfit.  Look for them in leather or cotton and you can wear them in a variety of basic colors like brown, tan, black, navy, or gray.

Belt Picks:

Belt 1

Belt 2

Belt 3

Belt 4

 

Things Dorian Is Into Right Now

Dorian is loving the documentary Apollo 11, a fascinating take on the space mission.

Watch the trailer here

Buy/Rent the documentary here

 

Dorian’s Book Recommendations

The Passage of Power by Rober Caro is a 4 volume history series about one of our country’s most interesting Presidents and his rise to power.

Buy It Here

Frank Miller’s Batman is a hugely influential series of editions featuring one of DC’s most legendary characters.

Check Them Out Here

 

Are Subscription Boxes Worth It?

Subscription boxes are everywhere these days and we always get a ton of inquiries about clothing and grooming versions. We definitely have some opinions on how good they are and whether or not they are worth your time and money.

So, in this episode of 2 Minute Tuesday we’re discussing whether or not subscription boxes are worth it!

 

The Answer: Nope, Not Worth It

Believe us, we see a ton of these, and they just aren’t worth your time or money (with one small caveat below).

Why?

There are a bunch of different types out there but ultimately the amount of stuff you get just is too much and not of good quality. Who needs new socks or skin cleanser every month? Nobody. We get that many of you are super busy, but we promise that the time you invest in learning how and what to shop for is well worth it. Since you’re reading this and watching our channel, your personal style is obviously a priority, and cultivating your own Essential Wardrobe is an important investment that’s worth your time.

That said, we do love and enjoy a bunch of the versions with consumables like snacks, coffee, wine, charcuterie, etc. Those are great as it allows you to try new things and ideally the items don’t pile up and go to waste.

Should Men Match Clothing To Their Hair and Eye Color?

We get asked a ton of questions about how to match clothing and what colors to wear, and more specifically, how to match with one’s hair and eye color. So, in this week’s 2 Minute Tuesday, we’re giving you the real truth about how men should match clothing to hair and eye color, and the answer might surprise you.

Don’t forget, if you’ve got questions for us, make sure to drop them in the comments section of the video, we’d love to hear from you and we’ll try to answer them in a future episode!

 

The Truth

To sum it up, the answer is, no you don’t need to worry about matching your clothing to your hair and eye color.

Why Not?

This is a common case of overthinking things a bit too much. In the past, we’ve given you a few tips on how your skin color should relate to specific wardrobe color choices, but after that, you really don’t need to worry about it. Honestly, we believe this is just a falsehood that’s out there, whether it’s coming from other content creators or sites, who knows, but it’s taking it too far. Obviously thinking about how you’re dressing and putting colors together is really important. But, there’s a line between worrying about doing things the right way and wasting time focusing on things that don’t really matter.  So, give yourself a break, focus on building the right essential wardrobe, and don’t overthink matching your clothes too much!

Why Is Dorian Taking Over The Channel?

As you know by now, outside of being my husband, Dorian is my business partner, and now a fixture on our site and channel. We get a lot of questions about Dorian’s involvement in all of our content, so, while we swear he’s not “taking over the channel”, in this episode of 2 Minute Tuesday, we wanted to answer this question and give you some more insight!

 

He’s Around All The Time

Dorian’s a fixture in our business life and helps with a lot of aspects, so it seemed natural to include him as our business grew and evolved. Obviously we’re partners in life, so having him around is all the more wonderful as we get busier and busier in our professional lives.

He’s Knowledgeable On All Things

Because we collaborate so often and have been working together for awhile, Dorian has a ton of knowledge and smart opinions on all things style and accessories that I really value. He also is very passionate and knowledgeable about all things EDC, tech, and lifestyle, so we thought it would be a shame not to share with our readers and viewers of all the insight he brings to the table. Plus, as a regular guy just like you, he brings thoughtful opinions to the table, even when he disagrees, and we feel it’s important to bring this point of view to you as well.

It Helps Us Be More Efficient

It’s more of a technical production thing, but having him participate and assist in the filming of videos really is a huge help and time saver.  With our wallet update video, for example, having him involved made the process much more efficient and productive.

How and When Should Men Wear No-Show Socks?

The weather is warm and that means it’s the right time to rethink your sock strategy. Also known as loafer liners or loafer socks, no-show socks are a a key warm weather shoe accessory. But, there’s a right way and a wrong way to go “sockless” and wearing no-show socks the right way is an important skill to master.

In this week’s 2 Minute Tuesday we’re answering a question about when and where men should wear no-show socks! Don’t forget to check out our favorite no-show sock picks below.

 

The Weather Should Be Warm and Sunny

As you can probably imagine, no-show socks are best worn when the weather is warm and sunny. It’s not as much a seasonal thing as it’s warm nearly year-round in places like Florida and California, but more of a temperature and outfit thing (more on that in a second).

 

Wear Them When You Are Showing Some Ankle

The key thing to know about no-show socks is that you want to wear them any time you’re showing a bit of ankle. So if you’re wearing a shorter hem, cuffing your chinos or jeans, or wearing shorts, you want to wear the right pair of no-show socks. If you’re going with a standard hem length there’s no need to wear no-show socks, just stick to standard dress socks. No-show socks look great will all outfits from shorts to suits, so you can feel comfortable wearing them with whatever you’ve got on. They definitely add a bit of informality to the mix so be aware of that if you’re getting dressed up.

 

Wear Them With All Types Of Shoes

No-show socks can be worn with all types of shoes whether it be casual shoes like sneakers, boat shoes or driving loafers or dressier options like oxfords, monks, or penny loafers.

No-Show Sock Picks

Uniqlo – our favorite!

Bombas

Mack Weldon

H&M

How To Build A Wardrobe?

Building a wardrobe doesn’t have to be an overwhelming or daunting task, but it does take some strategy, especially when you’re planning out the right purchases. In this episode of 2 Minute Tuesday we’re answering a viewer question about how to build a wardrobe.

Should you purchase by outfit? Or buy items piece by piece? What’s the right way to expand your wardrobe and keep it stylish? We’ve got all the answers you need right here.

 

Start With Versatile Essential Pieces

The right way to build your wardrobe is by starting with individual, versatile basics that you can mix and match for a variety of different outfits. A common mistake a lot of guys make is to just buy an entire outfit or two right off the mannequin. While that might look great together, you’re not necessarily going to be able to break apart and combine that one outfit or two for other situations. Plus, you can’t just wear that one outfit or two for every scenario.

As we discuss in our Essential Wardrobe series, building a foundation with items that are timeless gives you flexibility to meet any situation and the confidence to know you’re always going to look stylish, now matter where you’re going. Items like dark wash jeans, chinos, basic dress shirts and oxfords, basic t-shirts and polos, versatile outerwear, and blazers are going to allow you to put together looks that are not only stylish but uncomplicated.

After Your Have A Foundation, Add Along The Way

Once you have build a solid, foundational wardrobe you can then start adding in those special pieces like a statement shirt or leather bomber jacket, additional colors and patterns, or one-off items. You can feel free to start adding in some more personality and seasonal items with confidence because you’re always going to have that solid base to fall back on.