New year, new you, right? Whether your ambitions for 2016 include a new job, relationship or house, the best plans often begin with a new look, but how can you transform your style in readiness for this year’s changes on a budget? Like this:
Take Care of Your Skin
Women go wild for skincare products. Why? Because they help them feel and look better and the last time we checked, we men have skin too. It’s time to look after it.
A clear, healthy complexion says you lead a healthy lifestyle and have got your act together so drink lots of water and get lots of sleep; those things are free. But, for a refined, super healthy look, use a quality pre and post-shave moisturiser.
Restyle your hair
A different look doesn’t always require a dramatic change. If you’ve spent your life having a left-sided parting, switch it for a right-sided one instead.
If your hair is short, grow it into a longer style and if it’s already long, get in front of a mirror, play around with it and try an assortment of looks until you find one you like. You can find inspiration easily on sites like Pinterest (yes, it’s for guys too) or ask your barber for suggestions.
Facial Hair
Groomed facial hair has been the go-to style tip for men who want a new look for the last few years and for good reason.
You can easily alter the cut, length or shape of facial hair with decent grooming clippers or a razor, but don’t forget to pay attention to your nostril, eyebrow and ear hairs – if they look like they’d work on Gandalf, they aren’t working for you. Pluck, wax or shave with caution.
Invest in Products Wisely
To reinvent your look, you’ll probably need to reinvent your approach to styling and that means trying new products.
There’s heaps of sprays, waxes and lotions out there for men but choose wisely; cheaper products can fail to last the day and leave tacky residues on your clothes or bedding so pay a little extra and get the good stuff.
Quality products generally last longer and actually do what they promise to so don’t rely on whatever your local chemist has instore. You can find great products like Black & White Wax, used by the likes of Johnny Depp and Robert Pattinson, online.
Wardrobe
Make room for your new look by getting rid of your old one.
Clear out your wardrobe, be merciless about it, then invest in new pieces that will last. You can find designer items for a fraction of the original cost in vintage stores with the added bonus that you’re getting items no-one else has.
Accessories
Developing a trademark look means differentiating yourself from every other guy on the high street and although male grooming goes a long way, accessories make it easy to really personalise your style.
Hats, scarves, satchels, watches, wacky socks or bold-framed glasses: take your pick and wear them with pride.
Exercise
Adopting a new style is easy; getting a new body shape requires a little more work but when it comes to truly reinventing your look then it really is a matter of no pain, no gain.
Fortunately, exercise is free so forget expensive gym membership. Go running or cycling, lift things you have at home and stay active.
Ask the ladies!
You can find plenty of inspiration and how-to tutorials online for a new look, but the ladies in your life – your mum, sister, aunt or friend, know you and will always have some suggestions (whether you ask for them or not in some cases) on how to reinvent your style, so ask them!
Basically it comes down to this, do your homework and see what’s on trend, there’s some great free advice and product reviews on The Modern Man, experiment with different looks, get creative, be active and voilà: you’ve reinvented your look in 2016 without breaking the bank.
