Style & Beauty

Fashion Fundamentals for Men
According to Lloyd Boston


By Kevin R. Scott, Special to AOL Black Voices,

With the fashion industry significantly slanted towards women, simple yet stylish options for men seem like buried treasure amidst a sea of limited and often poor choices. The average man may not have fashion's latest and greatest too high on his list of priorities, however some men wonder if there is a way to stay stylish with minimal effort, and still be respected on both the sidewalk and the catwalk? Lloyd Boston, on-air fashion editor for NBC's ‘Today Show’ and author of the bestseller ‘Men of Color,’ and the highly acclaimed style guide ‘Before You Put That On,’ offers a few suggestions on the style matters for men who are looking for an effortless transition into spring and summer..

One key may be uniform styling. "I don't think style should become a part time job for anybody," says Boston. "I think when you understand what your investment pieces are, meaning your classics, which should be about 80 percent of your wardrobe, and what your trending pieces are, meaning your more trendy or seasonal items, that balance can make it so that you don't spend as much energy and effort getting dressed."

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Boston helps the fashion inept with uniform styling via his website, LloydBoston.com, where he advises that although a great pair of fitting jeans is the start of any casual uniform, it shouldn't be the definition of it. "I think men are starting to see that dress pants aren’t reserved for dressy occasions," suggests Boston. "The man that knows the power of a tailored suit, whether he can afford a $200 suit or a $2,000 suit, he can invest in that and update it any season with interesting trends like a V-neck sweater or funk it up with a track jacket after a day in the boardroom."

For the more fashion forward gentleman who resists uniform styling, inspiration for fashion hints and tips are often gleaned from celebrities as they rip runways and red carpets across the globe, however the clothing that they are hawking may not be your best option. Spin off celebrity clothing lines are fast becoming a prerequisite for stardom. "Being a fashion designer or creating a clothing brand isn't something you do on the side. It isn't a part time job. If it were, Ralph Lauren would be starring in films and also recording an album,” notes Boston.

Though celebrities may not be bona fide patternmakers there are a few notable tastemakers Boston acknowledges for their signature personal style. “I like what Marc Ecko is doing with his secondary line. He has that street credibility, but he also understands the power of moving hip-hop ahead. Sean John has also grown up a lot. And he mirrors his personal style with pieces for the everyday man.”

Just as hip-hop has expanded its creative boundaries, its impact on men’s fashion has been undeniable. “I think Kanye West has been instrumental in allowing men to feel more comfortable expressing themselves through color and unexpected trends, but you can’t rule out Andre 3000 either. I think he was ahead of Kanye in showing you can mix traditionally feminine colors with classic men’s sportswear. Even some of the more hard core rappers like CamRon who wore pink, made guys in Harlem or the Bronx feel confident enough to do the same thing,” says Boston.

Whether they are the core of your wardrobe like blue suits, crisp white shirts and stately, silver, matte ties or the keys to signature style like traditionally feminine colors in men’s sportswear; deferring to traditionally classic styling can be the key to staying fashionable with minimal effort.