The Early Show

Fall Fashion For Men

By Rome Neal

August 26, 2003 / 5:37 PM EDT / CBS

Men had the chance to pick up some fashion tips for the fall on The Early Show when Dave Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men's Health magazine, stopped by to show what's hot for guys now.

Zinczenko says fashions this fall are rugged and masculine. And you don't have to have a perfect body to look good in them. Plus, he says, it's comfortable to wear these fall fashions all day long. Zinczenko demonstrated on The Early Show how to wear the trends.

Layering

This look is timeless, says Zinczenko. Take your standard shirt and jacket and add a few layers. Wearing four layers on top isn't too bad. A jacket, a sweater, a shirt and a T-shirt, according to Zinczenko, is fine. This look allows you to be pulled together but not overly styled. It's also very functional for fall and winter because you can add or subtract depending on the heat level.

Another bonus, Zinczenko says, is a forgiving look. You can bulk up a lean frame or hide a heavy one.

Zinczenko also said the good thing about this trend is that it's almost impossible to make a mistake. The thing to keep in mind with layering is to mix up textures and fabrics and weights, Zinczenko said.

Clothing:
(All Nautica Jeans Company)
Jacket, $135
Zip Cardigan, $70
Short Sleeve shirt $50
Crewneck T-shirt $35
Jeans, $70

Patterns

Skip the tone-on-tone look when putting on a suit and tie. The big thing for men this fall is mixing patterns. Men's Health magazine pulled out the blue stripe in the black and white suit by pairing it with a blue striped shirt. They kept the tie solid (red). But if you have the eye for it, you could even wear the suit, Zinczenko said, with a striped or patterned tie. The red tie demonstrates how the tie doesn't necessarily have to match the shirt.

There are tricks to successfully matching patterns. If you are wearing two different patterns that doesn't work well together, Zinczenko says to make sure the plaid and the stripes are basically the same size — big plaid, big stripes or small plaid, small stripes. If you are wearing two striped items, make sure the stripes are varied in size (Some thick, some thicker).

Bigger, bolder patterns make you look bigger. Horizontal patterns make you look wider. Vertical patterns make you look taller and thinner. So a skinny guy can get away with stripes that go across his chest, or a windowpane suit jacket. Heavier guys are better off with pinstripes and smaller patterns Zinczenko said.

Clothing:
(All Tommy Hilfiger)
Glen plaid suit, $425
Dress shirt, $75
Tie, $40

Mix It Up

Zinczenko says another trend for fall is mixing casual and dressy clothing. You can wear a suit coat with a pair of your favorite jeans. Or wear your suit trousers with a white button down and a jean jacket. It's a great way, Zinczenko says, to be both dressed up but comfortable at the same time. However, this style is more Friday night or weekend wear.

Zincezenko says there are a few do's and don'ts with this style:

Don't try this with a double-breasted suit jacket. Single breasted works best.

Remember this is basically a casual look. No tie needed. Wear a T-shirt, not a dress shirt under the jacket.

This works best with a pair of older looking jeans, rather than new and rigid. You don't want it to look like you're making a little denim suit. Plus, Zincezenko says, the contrast is what makes it cool.

Finally, you need to make sure that all of the textures matches. A thin, shiny dress shirt doesn't go well with heavy, rugged jeans. But a heavier dress shirt like you might wear in fall would work well.

Clothing:
(All Polo Ralph Lauren)
Suit jacket $1,195 (NOTE: $1,195 is the price of the full suit.)
Dress shirt $100
Jeans $75

Splash of Color

When everyone else is wearing black and gray, you can stand out in a crowd and look cooler than everyone else in a bright coat, according to Zincezenko. Adding one bright color is all you need and a coat is a great way to do this, he explained. Red and orange are the key accent colors for men this fall. They add a good punch to blacks, grays and browns.

Since most men aren't going to buy a new coat each season, stick with classic styles, like the one we are showing.

A safety orange rain jacket from Etro is really functional. You can wear it year-round. It has a detachable fleece lining that you can wear separately, or zipped into the orange shell to make the coat really warm.

Yes, the coat is expensive, but surprisingly, this is a coat you can wear for a long time. Zincezenco says the coat is an investment piece — as long as you're comfortable enough with the idea of wearing a bright coat. And, although this is a high-end coat, it looks great paired with casual or less expensive clothing. Mixing "steals" and "splurges" is called HI-LOW. The Etro coat with a Banana Republic outfit is a great example.

Clothing:

Etro safety orange raincoat with detachable fleece jacket, $1,200
Banana Republic argyle sweater, $80
Banana Republic pinstripe pants, $118

Match Your Shirt to Your Eyes

Even if you tend to steer away from following fashion trends, this is an easy trick that makes you look great and catches others' attention. Zincezenco says your eyes are the your most expressive feature and it's easy to make the most of them by wearing a matching shirt.

Clothing:

Armani Jeans sweater, $150
Giorgio Armani dress shirt, $100
Emporio Armani pants, $199