Man editor Ryan Vrede helps streetwear junkies refine their look.

Most streetwear disciples start out as being sneakerheads and then expand their interests to clothing in the sub-culture thereafter. Picking a hot sneaker is easy. The challenge, for many, comes when you have to put a fit together that works in totality. Here are some common mistakes many men make, and how to remedy those. 

Ditch the matching mission 

The colour of your sneakers shouldn’t dictate the colours in your clothing. This isn’t a ’90s hip-hop music video and the time investment many men make on this isn’t worth the return. Sure, style complementary colours together, but please don’t become obsessed with finding the exact shade of red T-shirt to match your Jordan 1 ‘Chicagos’.

Dress your age 

You’ve loved streetwear since childhood and that has endured into adulthood. However, there are few things more cringeworthy than seeing a 35-year-old plus man trying to replicate fits millennials are wearing. Be discerning about how you incorporate trends, and always focus on a refined, matured nod to those trends. 

Fit is critical 

Apply the same attention to tailoring you do to formal wear. You need to be mindful of how your clothing fits
you – too big and you’re not going to achieve the style statement you want, too small and you’re going to be the centre of attention for the wrong reason. With summer on the horizon, shorts are particularly important in
this regard. Baggy shorts are for a foreman on a construction site, while tight-fitting, junk-crunchers are
a health risk (and douchey). 

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