How to Dress in your 20's

Woah!! You are in your 20s! Being in your twenties is so much fun it hardly matters whether you are in your early 20s fresh out of university or on in your late - trying to be the new adult and putting your foot forward for the first job or stepping into the professional world. But, hey we understand you missed all the fun of becoming that ‘young man’. The pandemic made you miss out on all the fun dressing up to impress or for that someone special or flaunt your style sense, in the last two years.?But one thing that remains unchanged pre- or post-pandemic is that - the twenties is definitely one of the biggest transitional phases of your life and fashion in the 20s is no different. This phase is where you can have fun trying new things and, in the process, you can build a good closet that represents exactly who you are.

Well, being 20 is fun but picking what to wear can be tricky. To dress stylishly, you need to experiment, make mistakes and formulate your own opinion when it comes to your image.?It’s okay to experiment but you will not want to end up looking like a high schooler. So, let's share some style rules and advices on pieces of clothing that you can consider avoiding and instead learn how to style yourself in your 20s.?

Here are 10 tips for men in their 20s to help them dress stylishly.

1.Experiment with your style

Experiment because you will only know if you like something or not, by trying it. You just cannot think about a style and just say you that you are not into it. Remember that at this age you want to be out there trying. You want to go casual with streetwear or with classic menswear, it is up to you, but you have to go out and try something different and out of your comfort zone to know what suits you and what doesn’t.?You need to try out different patterns and trend-led items that can be added to your wardrobe.

2. Making mistakes is okay

It's absolutely okay to make mistakes. You make mistakes because you are trying something new and with mistakes, you learn. If you do not make mistakes, it would mean you aren’t trying enough new things. Remember mistakes happen when you are learning, growing and stretching yourself.

3. Formulate your own opinion

To formulate your own opinion is something which is going to be hard especially if you want to go against the flow. It's always easy when you are a part of the crowd and you agree, but when you disagree you will need the courage to go on your own.

4. Get to know your colour

Now’s the time to understand and figure out which colours work best for you. Lighter colours work best on dark skin (pale blue, yellow, pastel pink, white) and darker colours work best on fair to wheatish skin (navy blue, dark green, dark red, brown). Decide in which colour you feel most comfortable in and adopt that colour as the backbone of your accessories game. Like a blue pocket square on your grey suit or red or pink, you check and decide. This little added colour will only make things more believable and add to your style. Remember colour have their own power - for example, dark blue can make you look younger so if you are already younger-looking you can opt for say grey. Black makes you impressive and so on so forth.

5. Fit

The most important characteristic of every piece of clothing is the way it fits. In short, make sure that everything you put on your body fits your body. If it does not fit then you should not be wearing it. It’s true that at 20 you are still to discover the power of personal tailoring, so just go looking for one. You need to understand how your shirt, trouser or jackets should fit you. The slim fit will look great on a 20ish man unless you have a beer belly, then it's tough guys.

6. Clothing Function

The question – Is the clothing sending the message you want it to? It is simple you dress not just according to the occasion but also according to a profession. In any organization, a corporate lawyer will dress differently from the on-site engineers. The on-site engineer will have outdoor casuals whereas the corporate lawyer will be slightly more dressed say in a suit and a tie. However, small-town executive and metro executive styles of dressing may be slightly different but even then with online meetings becoming part of our daily life, even the small town executive would want to be dressed properly for the online meetings to build that trust and confidence in the clients.

7. Fabric

In your twenties, the word ‘budget constraint’ is very understandable. So, you can go in for blends but at all costs avoid the cheap copies. As you start getting your paychecks you need to save and invest in quality products and good pieces. The fabrics should be such that it not only has a great fall when stitched but should also be comfortable according to the weather conditions.

8. Invest in Formal Wear

Every man in his twenties should have at least one well-fitted suit in his closet. Having two would be like icing on the cake. This suit should be classically styled and not some fashion suit. Go for versatile colours like navy blue, charcoal grey etc. The fabric should be such that when you wear it should drape you well. Another thing that you should have is a white formal shirt. Because a white shirt will go with everything and on any occasion. Having a suit doesn’t mean that blazers go out of your wardrobe, no. Suits cannot be worn every day so you will need a good blazer to keep you prepared for any occasion.

9. Quality Shoes

It's often said that shoes are the first thing a person notices about your outfit. Therefore, a must-have for your business casual wardrobe. Have two quality shoes one black and the other dark brown. Remember that when your dress is sharp you would feel not only good but confident too.

10. Accessories

It is now time to invest in your accessories too. Buy a good pair of sunglasses, invest in watches. Well, understood young men of 20 will not carry a briefcase so then go ahead and invest in a good messenger bag/s. The one that is stylish and can carry your laptop or iPad. This messenger bag with handles will be like a briefcase and the shoulder straps will look like a messenger bag.?A pair or two of dress socks are a must-have now that will go well with your formals. Ties if you work in a real formal setting. Another thing that you cannot and should not avoid is a good leather wallet. No, you cannot be carrying a Velcro wallet anymore.

Things to avoid wearing by Age 20

1. Sweaters & Sweatpants

Well now you are out of your school/college and entering the new world where you are going to create that new identity for yourself. So, just relegate these wears to around your home only. Instead, look for better adult-like loungewear.

2. Ill-Fitting Clothes

No ill-fitted clothes, please. The days of wearing big baggy clothes are over, as they would show poor judgement as a new budding adult you. So clothes that don't fit you properly should not be worn by you anymore. It's time to say goodbye to them.

3. Jean Shorts

They must have looked great on you in your teens. But it's time to say goodbye to them and instead, opt for some chino cloth shorts. The fit and length and style of the shorts are something that you have to find out. Go for classic solid colours like grey, blue and khaki because they are timeless.

Grooming Habits, to Begin with at Age 20

1. Skin Care Routine

Well having a skincare routine is no more a feminine thing. You men out there will need to understand this is also an essential part of being stylish. Skin is the most exposed part of your body so you need to take care of it, use sunblock especially if you are lighter coloured skin.

2. Have a Grooming Routines

Most of the time our grooming routine is reactive and not proactive. The routine should be proactive in the sense that you need to take care of your toenails and fingernails. Once a week you need to check the hair coming out of your nose and ears and trim them. There trimming should not be left to the last-minute action before that date you planned with your girlfriend.

3. Visit your Hair Stylist regularly

Once again you need to be proactive and maintain a proper schedule with your stylist or the barber. You wouldn’t want to think about it just before that very important interview that’s come up without much notice. Imagine having a wrong haircut just before that very important meeting.

4. Have fun with your Facial hair

Having a beard is no more a taboo. Keeping a beard doesn’t make you look unkempt. Beard is in fashion. It is said having stubble makes a man look more attractive. So go play with it. See what suits you more a goatee or full beard. So go experiment.

Well, style is not restricted by age, but age has a style so hope the above tips will help you in understanding what to do and what to avoid. Yes, dressing in your 20s should be fun and of course, it’s a great time to experiment with different styles and things, but remember some experiments may be permanent like having a tattoo. So, be sure that you want a tattoo and won’t regret in ten years.

This is also the right time to choose your style icon and experiment with the styles you feel you like to check if they are for you. The way you dress in your twenties will talk about your style and personality for now and forever. But above all, you need to remember that you have to dress up the way that makes you feel confident, strong and powerful.