Fit Clinic — Hawaiian Shirt
Is your summer party shirt Fun Size?
Much like catching a respected coworker in head-to-toe Furries fetish gear at the liquor store on Saturday night, a tacky ‘novelty’ shirt can make people wonder (NOT in a good way) about the person wearing it.
While prints can certainly be a refreshing alternative to solid colors, party shirts like the Hawaiian jump the shark before the first Tiki torch is even lit. The thinking may be to get a relaxed cut to go along with the relaxed feel of the print, but that doesn’t work for two reasons:
1. The flowing cut of the Hawaiian or bowling shirt breaks the first, cardinal rule of good style; great fit. A man’s shoulders should always be the most prominent part of his physique. Clothing can help achieve that silhouette whether or not the man is naturally built that way, where as a loose cut brings the attention to the midsection like a billowing flag of defeat. (Manliness minus 50 points)
2. A solid color shirt frames the physique it’s on in contrast to a big print that can send the eye on a magical darting adventure that can further detract from the sexy V silhouette women are so primaly conditioned to desire in men, a destructive force multiplier to your detriment if the shirt is already fitting too loose. (Manliness minus 25 points).
Lastly if the print is the typically tacky Hawaiian variety, it becomes a People of Walmart situation that there’s no coming back from. (Manliness abysmal fail).
The fix is to select a fun print shirt that frames your torso well. Not that we’re recommending this, but one can even get away with crazier or less flattering prints and patterns as long as the fit is spot on. Lots of leaner cutting brands make novelty shirts in every price range including H&M, Ted Baker, Benetton, and Ben Sherman, so start taking your party shirts seriously.
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Show us your favorite party print shirt, you can leave a photo or video comment.
For more men’s fashion advice, ask Emmi.
Photo by Martini.
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