Your First Step in Men's Fashion

So you've finally realised you were born without the Fashion gene. You walk down the streets, oblivious to why there would be the need for more than one men's fashion retailer. The word accessories sends shivers down your spine... You think only women need to own more than two pairs of shoes and foam and a razorblade are the only toiletries you need...

Then before you know you wake up and it's the 21st Century. Shavers are electric, shirts come in "fitted", "tailored" and "regular", guys who look like girls walk arm-in-arm with beautiful women and what's worst, the majority of the male population seems to have woken up clued up on it all and you haven't.

You feel stuck in a nightmare. You need some new attire.

With cold sweat still dripping down your forehead, you venture to the uncharted territories of the City Centre shopping district, where window after window, faceless plastic men try to lure you in with empty promises of a slick new look.

You give in to the Sirens' call. With your heart kicking in your throat, you enter the dragon's den. As you negotiate your way through the isles like a brave warrior in a shiny armour fighting through the dark hordes of the Underworld, you finally get to the Mens' section - and this is when you realise this isn't going to be quite as easy as slaying a dragon: All items come with labels with numbers and letters. To make your life misery someone has decided to make them come in all sorts of different sizes and shapes!

You decide to brave the jeans. "Relaxed fit", "Boot Cut", "Straight", "Skinny Leg". 

"Straight", you decide, is the shape that least threatens your masculinity - now it's just a matter of picking a number: 28 sounds like a good score, and it's the age Susan, the girls in High-School you had that immense crush on, would be now.

Knowing all too well fitting rooms are only for girls, you proudly make your way to the checkout, grabbing a white shirt on your way. Since for some reason they don't make shirts in a 28, the right number sure must be Susan's age back in High School: a 15 will fit just perfect.

With your head high, you stroll back home already savouring all the compliments you are going to get from your friends and colleagues, only to find out when you finally try them on that the clothes you so proudly marched home with, would barely fit Susan's slender frame.

You've just wasted another $100. So how do you avoid this from happening again? How do you find clothes that you'll end up wearing?

First, you should understand what makes clothes work on you. If you could choose one and only one quality in an item of clothing - before you even consider colour, fabric, pattern or style - that one, essential quality is FIT.

Remember, things like colour, style and pattern are subject to the volatile nature of Fashion and individual taste, while the only absolute constant is FIT. 

Whether brown or paisley or pinstripes look good is all a matter of WHO and WHEN - that is, personal taste and current trend in Fashion. That is what you would call "subjective judgement". If they fit or not is objective. They either do or they don't.

Have you ever heard someone say "the fit is in the eye of the beholder"? That's because it isn't. So, with Fit in mind I am now going to teach you one trick that you can implement immediately so you will never again waste money on items of clothing that don't fit. 

Here's what you will need:

- A tapemeasure - A business card with a blank back - A pen 

- Five minutes.

Ready? Let's start!

There are FIVE sizes every man should know about himself - these will allow you to immediately identify items that fit you and make your shopping experience a smooth and hassle-free one.

SIZE A: Collar

If the first thing you do when leave your office for home is loosen your collar button and pull down your tie, your shirt collar doesn't fit. 

A study by Cornell University showed that 70% of men wear their shirts too tight.

You should not experience discomfort when wearing a dress shirt and tie. Place the measuring tape around your neck at the point just below your Adam's apple and pull to a point where it's still comfortable. That is your collar size. It is used mainly to measure shirt size. 

There should be enough room to fit your fore and middle fingers in the collar when you're wearing your shirt.

SIZE B: Chest

Hold your arms out about 2 feet from your body, place the tape measure around your body, just below your armpits: That circumference is your chest size. If a garment shows creases just below your armpits, across your chest, it is too small. 

This is used to measure the fit of suits and blazers.

SIZE C: Waist

Wrap the tape around your body at the point just above your navel, pull the tape very tight then slacken it back until it feels comfortable but very firm. The more "padded" the waist, the more the tape will sink into the body. If this size is not tight enough the trousers will either start to slip down when moving around or fit with the crotch too low and the knees over your shins. 

This is used to measure the fit of trousers.

SIZE D: Inside Leg

This is used to measure the drop of trousers and jeans. 

It's the distance from your crotch to the soft spot on the inside of your foot, below your ankle bone. Too long is almost never a problem because it can be shortened, but too short could mean there may not be enough fabric to let out.

SIZE E: Shoes

The size of your foot both in your regional (UK, US) and European size - it's always handy to know both since most classy and premium leather shoes (ie: Italian leather) come in Euro sizes, and the conversion often gets rounded up to the next number up, leaving too much room for inaccuracy. Refer to a conversion chart and make a note of both sizes.