Men's Style Guide for 2020 | Smart Casual & Formal Attire

2020 so far has probably been one of the most memorable years ever, for all the wrong reasons. One thing that the coronavirus pandemic has impacted on is fashion and gravely so. Firstly it has changed the way I view fashion, it’s changed business attire and high-street fashion brands are closing their physical stores at an alarming rate.

Okay, so how has 2020 changed the way you view fashion, Carl?

With the majority of shops closed for 4 months and only just reopening, it has made me think…do I really need this new piece of clothing? And actually the answer is almost always, no. It has made me think more about how much fashion I’m consuming and what adverse affect it is having on our planet. With that in mind, I’ve been looking at what new styles I can create with my existing wardrobe. Different colour combinations and mixing styles are two great ways to achieve a new look. A few ideas I’ve been experimenting with are suits with t-shirts, layering over-shirts and using existing t-shirts for home workouts rather than purchasing new gym tops. I’ve basically figured out that with a small wardrobe, you can easily expand its usage. Rather than viewing fashion as a throwaway commodity I’ve become much more focused on quality and investment pieces. Last week I went through reducing the amount of clothing I had in my house, keeping items of quality that could hold up to extra wearing and washing…the charity shop was the big winner! PS. As a blogger, I do get gifted a lot of clothes and therefore every couple of months I donate to the FARA charity shop in Balham.

Men’s Style Guide for 2020 | Key Fashion Style for Men:

Printed Casual Shirts

An easy one to start with, well it is summer so printed shirts are all the rage right now and have been for a few years now. However in 2020, I would ditch the floral pastel patterns and go for something a little more geometric with accents of tan, burgundy and greens. This fits into reducing the amount of clothing you’re buying as this colour palette will also serve you well for autumn and into winter.

Denim Shirts or Denim Jackets

A denim shirt or over-shirt is my most worn piece right now. My style tips for wearing a denim shirt would be firstly not to mix the same shade of blue denim, so for example with the blue denim shirt above, pair it with black jeans rather than blue jeans. Simply layer over the top of a white or black t-shirt also works well. Then if you want to get a little but more creative and during colder days, layer the denim shirt on top of a thin piece of knitwear. Finally, you could wear a denim shirt underneath a suit, although I would opt for a chambray shirt rather than actual denim as it is a lighter weighted denim type of fabric.

Smart Casual the New Business Attire for 2020

With businesses telling their staff to work from home during lockdown it has changed the business attire landscape. Of course, no one is going to get dressed up in a full on suit and tie when working all day at home. Neither are they going to dress smart-casual. Although what I would say is that with offices starting to open, offering reduced office hours or even flexitime to their staff, the office attire for 2020 might change to a more smart-casual look. No ties. Just look smart even if in a causal way. Another way to make the most out of your wardrobe is by mixing and matching suit colours to create a completely different look.

Athleisure & Gym wear are the Real Winners in 2020

Finally to the winners in fashion 2020. Athleisure and sports/gym wear has been on the rise for a couple of years but 2020 has elevated this fashion sector into orbit. I’ve been investing in new sports wear all throughout lockdown and have been wearing it daily. One thing that I have been doing to cut down on the amount of gym wear I have, is to wear normal cotton t-shirts. Ones that are on the brink of being thrown out. Just use them for a month or two before they start getting smelly then throw them out.

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