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Yoliswa Dube

A FRIEND of mine recently posted a picture of themselves on Instagram and I’ve for days been thinking just how cool they looked.

I appreciated the thought and effort that went into the detail — pairing a maroon T-shirt with khakhi chinos, maroon socks and brown shoes.

I mean, how this person cares about the way they look by thinking to match their socks with their T-shirt!

It was picture perfect. It shows that they carefully considered what they were going to wear and care quite a lot about their image. It’s a great trait. People always judge you firstly by your appearance so it matters what you wear.

The reason why I believe in paying attention to detail is because sometimes, it’s the little things that make a difference.

You may be in a simple looking outfit but there’ll be that one thing that will add a touch of class to the whole ensemble. Sometimes, all a woman needs to add a little vava voom to a laid back outfit is the right pair of high heels and some bright red lipstick. But for men, I’ve noticed, there aren’t too many options when it comes to fashion.

I’m not sure whether it’s an issue of having few designers that concentrate on menswear, men’s uptake for fashion is low or if menswear is just finite.

Whatever the reason may be, I know for a fact that paying attention to detail is what will set you apart from every other Tom, Dick or Harry walking down the streets.

You just need to know how to work with certain pieces to add a touch of class to what you already have in your wardrobe.

A useful piece that every man out there should have is a pocket square. I often hear lots of guys referring to this as a handkerchief but it’s really not. A pocket square is for show and belongs in your jacket breast pocket. This can be as elaborate as you’d like.

It’ll draw attention to your jacket and be an indicator that you know what you’re doing. It will, of course, add some freshness to the look. People like me will look at you and think that’s a man on top of his game. The pocket square doesn’t necessarily have to match anything else you’re wearing but there’re basic rules to follow, just so that you don’t get lost.

If you’ve got balls of steel, you can have your pocket square in multiple colours or fancy patterns but you need to make sure you’re wearing either a white or black shirt. White and black are classic colours which are very easy to dress; you can never go wrong with these.

Your pocket square could be the colour of your tie or bowtie, just to be on the safe side. If you’re adventurous and are, for example, in a white shirt and beige blazer, you could have your pocket square in plain blue, a totally different colour from everything else. This will, like I said earlier, add some pizazz to the shirt and blazer combo.

Another piece that could spur you to the next level is a lapel pin. Worn on the left hand side, a man’s lapel pin should be worn on the outside of the buttonhole, on the left lapel, not in the button hole — where it never sits quite right. They’ve become really fancy these days. They come in different colours and designs, as little flowers or in other motifs. This is another handy, little accessory which will set you apart. You can wear it with your pocket square or by itself.

The two don’t necessarily have to be a perfect match but the colour palette need not clash. Once you have your pocket square and buttonhole figured out, think about your time piece. It may not be practical to have a collection of time pieces but have at least one good one. There’s just something about a man with a classic time piece. His middle name should be class already!

Most men get it wrong with the belt and the shoes. One simple rule gentlemen, your shoes need to match your belt, always. Women notice these things. Black shoes, black belt, brown shoes, brown belt – pretty simple.

Until next week, flaunt your pattern and style and don’t forget to drop me an SMS/Whatsapp on +263715666227, like my Facebook page Pattern & Style or catch up with me on Twitter handle- @Yolisswa.