Last week on Yspot! we focused more on the ladies and some guys were feeling left out. Today, we have Caleb Ajagbe giving us some tips on fashion and style for men. Happy reading!

The Gentleman Zone...

You can't control your genes or your basic physical traits, but you can control the way you use what you've got. Being attractive is a combination of several factors- grooming, personality and style.

The easiest and most basic thing one should do to be more appealing and attractive is to practise good hygiene. When you look clean and smell good, you unconsciously attract people to you. They just want to be near you.

Now, let me point out that this “fine boyism” is not reserved for some precious few... You too can be a fine boy na J. Let me suggest some basic tips on how to bring out the gentleman in you:

1.Shave every morning before you leave for work or school. Wet your skin first, and use a sharp razor and shaving cream. Shaving against the grain (that is, in the opposite direction of hair growth, from your jaw to your cheek) provides a closer shave, but results in more irritation. If you struggle with ingrown hairs, try shaving with the grain.

Manage your beard, moustache or goatee. Make sure the edges are neat and clean, and trim any hair so that it's uniformly long. When you're cleansing your face, pay special attention to scrubbing the skin beneath any facial hair.

2.Comb your hair into a style that works for you. You might have to experiment a bit to find out what hairstyle best suits your face and your style, but eventually you'll settle into a look that works for you on a daily basis. Consider these options:

‎​Deal with balding (optional). If you're balding, it might be best to cut or shave your hair short, so that the difference between the two areas is less noticeable. Be sure to wash your hair right after exercising, as failing to do so is said to accelerate balding, and give yourself a nice scalp massage every time you shower.

‎​3.Wear clothings that fit. You could be wearing the most expensive suit in the world and still look awkward if it's too small or too large on you. Your clothes should fit you well, which in general means that the bottom of your pants should hit or cover your ankles, long-sleeved shirts should hit or cover your wrists, and the bottom your shirts should hit your hips.

‎​Don't try to hide your body. Whether you're embarrassed about being too large or too skinny, trying to cover it up with baggy clothing only makes you look worse. You don't have to wear clothing that's completely form-fitting, but it shouldn't sag or leave too much space.

If you can't wear sizes off the rack, find an inexpensive tailor. Maybe you have thin hips but long legs, and you can't find a pair of jeans that accommodates both. Buy clothing that's slightly larger than you need, and find someone to take it in so that it fits your measurements. Most dry cleaning businesses will do alterations for a fair price.

Throw out or donate clothes that no longer fit. You might love that old T-shirt from high school, but you shouldn't be wearing it if it doesn't fit.

4.Know how to highlight your best features. Here's a basic rule of getting dressed: light colors highlight, and dark colors obscure. For instance, if you like your shoulders but you're not as fond of your legs, you might try wearing dark-wash jeans and a light-colored T-shirt.

5.Figure out which colors look good on you. The right color will make your skin look awesome, while the wrong one can make it look washed out and sallow. Here are some basic tests to try:

‎​Determine whether you look better in white or off-white. Try holding a stark white shirt up to your face, then an off-white shirt. If you're like most people, you'll look notably better next to one or the other. Once you figure it out, stick to what works.

Determine whether you look better in black or brown. This one isn't as clear-cut as white, but some people look notably better in black over brown, and vice versa. When you settle on one, don't mix the colors — for instance, don't wear brown shoes and a brown belt with black dress trousers. Wear black shoes, black pants, and a black belt, or all brown.

Try to figure out if you prefer "warm" or "cool" colors. Cool colors are generally based on blues, purples, dark greens, and blue-based reds, while warm colors are based on yellows, oranges, browns, and yellow-based reds. An easy way to figure this out is to find something that's blue-red, and something that's yellow-red, and hold them up to your face. Which one looks better with your skin tone? (If you need more help determining warm and cool colors, search online for a color wheel that demonstrates this.)

6.Stock your wardrobe with timeless basics. These pieces shouldn't fall out of style too quickly, and they should be made of quality materials that will last a few years. Pick up items such as solid-color polo shirts, solid or plaid button-up shirts, dark blue jeans, plain white and black T-shirts (without advertisements or graphic designs), a solid-color blazer, dark dress trousers, a dark and well-fitting jacket, lace-up dress shoes, and white sneakers. You'll always be able to put together a presentable outfit from these pieces

‎​7.Do laundry regularly. Some items of clothing can stand to go through several wears before they're dirty (such as jeans or jackets), but shirts, underwear and socks can only stand one wear before they need to be washed. Set up a regular schedule for doing laundry so that you don't spend the morning scrambling for something clean...

Wow! Gotta run...but not to worry, I’ll bring more tips your way soon... just hold your breath! *wink*

Caleb Ajagbe Joshua

‎​