One of the most important things for teenage boys is to feel at ease with themselves. As a teen, you want to be yourself and fit in with everyone else. Self-expression and acceptance are crucial things for teen guys and style has a lot to do with it.

Your appearance is a big part of who you are and looking on the outside as you feel on the inside is something that, especially during your teen years, can be hard to achieve. Teenage boys are faced with many aspects of style which they don’t know how to handle. Because your body is changing so rapidly, and often not evenly, it might be hard to find the right clothes to wear and your apparel might sometimes make you feel bad or embarrassed. Moreover, boys tend to get frustrated by the fact that other boys look so different from them, even though they are the same age. This is why it is important to learn how to make the best of your body and body type.

Don’t forget, you can always change your body, working out can make you lose weight if this is what you wish or it can build muscle, but, often, these things take time. It is always crucial to make the best of what you have now, as this will give you the confidence and power to work towards achieving your goals.

Here are some style tips that can be applied at any age and regardless of your style and taste in clothes.

 

 

Have something for every setting

A teen must have clothes that are suited for any setting. Since you are probably spending most of your time in school, at arts or sports classes and hanging out at the mall or studying, you probably don’t need as many business clothes as an older man. However, it is recommend to have at least one go-to suit.

Here is an example of a versatile, basic wardrobe:

1. Jeans

2. Khakis, chinos, etc.

3. Shirts

4. T-shirts

5. Vests

6. Jackets

7. Jumpers

8. Long sleeve shirt

9. Socks

10. Underwear

11. Dress shoes

12. Casual shoes

13. Sneakers

14. A suit

15. Accessories (watches, ties, bow ties)

 

 

Wear fitting clothes

Wearing clothes that fit is probably the single most important fashion advice you will ever receive. Regardless of your size or body type (which, if you are a teen might still change), wearing clothes that fit is the one thing that will make you look best.

But what does it mean to wear clothes that fit? Basically, it means that the clothes you wear should fit your size, they should not be smaller or bigger.

A small guy who wears clothes that are too big for his size will look as if he is drowning in his clothes. If you are a small guy, and want to appear bigger by wearing smaller clothes, that won’t work either: you will look even smaller and strangled by your clothes. On the other hand, if you are a bigger guy, wearing clothes that are bigger than your size will make you look even bigger and wearing clothes that are too tight will make you look as if you are hurt by your clothes.

 

 

How to tell if something fits

It might take a while until you get the hang of how clothes work, but until then, there are a few things you can check to make sure your clothes fit. First of all, if you are buying a shirt, a jacket or any other kind of top piece (sweaters, t-shirts, etc.), you should check the shoulders: the sewing line that connects the shoulder line to the sleeve should match your natural shoulder line.

Also, when you are buying pants, make sure that they start at your waist, not at your belly button and not lower. Moreover, you should check the bottom part of your pants. If, while wearing them, they have more than one fold, they are too big.

Generally speaking, clothes that fit have three characteristics:

1. They touch your body without squeezing it

2. They are comfortable

3. They make you look good

 

Also, it is recommended to always wear good underwear. Don’t wear any underwear that is too tight: it might cause rashes; it can harm your privates and feel uncomfortable. Don’t wear underwear that is too loose either: as a teenage guy, you probably have many unexpected erections, which you don’t necessarily want to share with the world.

 

 

Tailor your clothes

This all sounds good in theory, but, as a teen, you will find that at often times, the clothes you find on a store shelf don’t necessarily fit your body. The reason for this is because each guy is growing differently, and therefore, at most times, if a jacket fits in the shoulders, it won’t fit in the arms’ length and so on.

This is where the magic of tailoring comes in. A good tailor can do wonders for your looks. The sooner you will realize this, the better it will be!

The trick is, however, to know how to buy clothes that you will be able to tailor. For example, when you are shopping for a blazer or a jacket, you should make sure that it fits in the shoulders. A tailor can adjust pretty much anything about the fit of a jacket, but they can’t change the shoulders.

Moreover, it is recommended to buy clothes that are slightly larger, if you wish to have them tailored. If a piece is too small, it will be hard and costly to add fabric to it to make it look good.

Some clothes however, don’t necessarily need tailoring. For example, before considering tailoring your jeans, you should wash them twice. The reason for this is because jeans will always shrink in length when washed. This is why you should always buy jeans that a little longer than you’d need them. Also, when you are in doubt about which pair of jeans to buy and have to choose between two sizes that both seem to fit, always choose the smaller size, as jeans stretch with wear. Also, as a style tip, dark-wash jeans look dressier, are more versatile and are better at hiding dirt, which, let’s face it, as a teen, you might get on your pants.

 

 

Get a hairstyle

When it comes to your haircut, it is important to find a haircut that fits your features and traits. However, if you are not a guy to invest a lot of time in doing your hair and maintaining it, you should be advised that a buzz cut is better than an unmaintained hairdo.

 

 

Care for grooming

When you are a teenager, you might be faced with a number of grooming-related issues you don’t know what to do about.

Here are a few tips:

1. To make sure your skin is always clean; exfoliate a few times each week. It is not recommended to exfoliate more than three times each week.

2. If you start shaving, you might experience rashes afterwards. For some guys, this is a temporary thing, while others simply have a more sensitive skin. There is nothing wrong with that. Either way, you can use a good after-shave lotion for sensitive skin to reduce the rashes.

3. Make sure you always use a good deodorant. Moreover, if you have sweaty feet, pour two or three tablespoons of baking soda in your sneakers in the evening and tilt the shoe to distribute the soda evenly. The baking soda will absorb perspiration and odor. Make sure you take the soda out before putting your shoes back on. This way, your sneakers will be clean and neat all the time.

 

 

To conclude, we can say that, regardless of your style, wearing fitting clothes and keeping it clean will make you look polished and clean. This will result in people taking you more seriously and in you feeling more confident about who you are and about everything you do.
Fraquoh and Franchomme

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further reading:

Complete back to school outfit ideas for boys

35 style tips for men

12 items to have in a basic wardrobe

P.S. What style/fashion issues do you have as a teenager? Let us know your concerns, ideas for articles and questions in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook or Twitter!