Provided by Diedre

This guy listened to Diedre's must-haves.

Men’s Spring Fashion: The Basics

Continuing last week’s tips from the pros. Local stylist Diedre Warhol chatted with me about that oh-so-confusing topic: men’s style.

From Diedre Warhol; Men’s Wardrobe Stylist; msdiedrewarhol.com

About Diedre: A native Washingtonian, Warhol began her fashion foray as a visual stylist for Nordstrom and Bloomingdales, and after a chance meeting with someone from the industry, started her own stylish journey. Four years later, she continues to dress D.C.’s fab men for editorial pieces, as a personal shopper and for red carpets/other special events. She also teaches aspiring stylists to follow in her footsteps at her monthly workshops (use link to register).

WF: Name five things that every man must have in his closet.

1. A designer belt.

2. A pair of loafers in brown and black.

3. A white T-shirt.

4. A cardigan. Keep fit in mind; go a size up if you’re planning on wearing a button down underneath, for example.

5. A leather jacket (like this one from Lost Boys, left)

WF: What are some spring trends you’re seeing?

DW: Colors. One of the big colors that’ll shock everyone is tobacco, especially in suits and shirts. Tobacco is a bit darker than your usual brown, but lighter than chocolate with a bit of gray in it. Another trend is the high-top sneakers with lots of details with zippers and Velcro to wear with jeans and even with suits. The minimalist style is out for men. Last year men wore a lot of plaid shirts, and I see that still being in style this spring. (right, a shoe that combines it all from here )

DW’s Hot Tip: If you don’t know what to put in your closet, stick to these three colors: Olive green, light pink and light blue. Those three colors look good on every skin tone and hair and eye combination. (Editor’s note: Just don’t wear them all at once!)

WF: Solve this fashion dilemma for us: You’re in your office all day, yet meeting the guys for a night on the town afterward. What do you do, short of keeping your wardrobe in your cubicle?

It’s all about changing your shoes and your jacket—that’s really it. Men can go to a happy hour in their slacks, but change the jacket, and it’ll switch it enough. Try unbuttoning the jacket, and push the collar up or roll up the sleeves. Put on a casual pair of black tennis shoes versus the dressier ones, and that’s the simple day to night.

Other things to keep on hand to jazz things up are cufflinks (like these, left, from local boy Jimmy Mann), which will never go out of style, or an excellent watch. It says something about who they are if they have a nice watch. I like the Movado. It’s a classic. Another easy switch is to swap the business tie for a lightweight scarf, which is instantly more casual.

WF: Another common dilemma is jazzing up your work look in general. Suggestions?

With men, I wouldn’t suggest going too off the edge, but add some color. Wear a yellow or orange shirt underneath your jacket.

One thing I can say I’ve noticed is that men try to match their ties with their shoes. Men should never match their ties with their shoes. They can match their ties with their socks—that’s a good look. Red ties and red socks, let’s get some color in there for after-hours.

Throw on a fedora, if it’s appropriate, or wear a bold tie. I like this combination: a purple shirt and purple tie (like this one from Nordstrom's, right) with a gray suit and brown shoes. Sounds weird, but I swear, it works. 

When you’re experimenting with your style, try to add some colors in first, and you’ll find your own personal style and find out where else you want to embellish. Maybe you’ll want a colorful belt or a different style of hat. It’s all about what works for you. 

WF: What’s one more great style tip for men?

DW: Men wear their clothes too big. A lot of times they need to know their right size, especially when it comes to suits. If he has a little belly he automatically thinks he needs bigger clothes, but not necessarily. Get it tailored right and you won’t have to wear that oversize jackets.

One thing I always see is that men with a little extra weight wear double breasted suits. If that’s you, it’s too much fabric. Stick with a single-breasted jacket.

Diedre’s Shopping List

Urban: Solbiato (1511 Wisconsin Ave., NW)

Shoes: Major (1426 Wisconsin Ave., NW)

Suits: Dash’s of Old Town (1114 King St., Alexandria, Va.)

General:

Saks Fifth Avenue Men's Shop (5300 Wisconsin Ave., NW)

Lost Boys (1033 31st St., NW)

Miss Sixty/Energie (1239 Wisconsin Ave., NW)

Top websites for funky tees and jackets:

Jeantrix.com

Limosandliquor.com

Holdtightclothing.com