5 Fashion Sins Men Commit With Shirts

Ah, the ever humble shirt. Few pieces in men's fashion are as long-lasting, revered and versatile as the shirt, yet modern man has still found ways to screw everything up. Yes, it's actually possible to look hideous even when wearing the plainest and most classic of shirts. It's possible and it's avoidable, so you may as well do everything you can to get out of harm's (and the fashion police's) way.

Unbuttoning Too Much
With today's generally loose rules on casual men's fashion, men with unbuttoned shirts a travesty just several decades ago are a common enough sight. But there's also such a thing as seeing too much, and this is something that many guys forget.

The rest of the world understands your need to loosen up figuratively and literally, but there's no excuse for showing excessive chest to the public. Leave your skin-baring style to just the first button of your shirt; any farther is already indecent exposure and, in a word, ugly. If you're really that serious about showing off the fruits of all that pumping in the gym, go to the beach where being topless is actually acceptable.

Peekaboo Undershirts
While you're still focused on the rules regarding unbuttoning your shirt, you should also know that it's unacceptable for your undershirt to peek out beyond the v-shape of your open collar. It's the male version of women having their bra straps peek out, and it's really quite unsightly unless there's another reason why you want to show your Hanes shirt off.

Believe it or not, there are at least two kinds of undershirts for you to choose from, and the fashion watchers of the world beg you to pick appropriately. Throw on a v-neck shirt if you plan to unbutton your shirt and walk around in it for extended periods of time. If, on the other hand, you plan to keep all your buttons closed, a crew- or round-neck tee will work much better. Here's one instance where you'll want to err on the side of caution.

Denim Shirts
Unless you own a ranch and actually raise live cattle on it, a denim shirt isn't a very nice item to have. And even if you do own such property, there's no reason for you to wear a denim shirt anywhere beyond the limits of your cattle ranch.

A denim shirt is such a big faux pas that there's no remedying it, no matter what you wear with it. Have mercy on yourself and the people who'll see you, and at the very least put on a decent cotton blend shirt. If you're really such a big fan of the color blue, most men's clothing stores have blue shirts in abundance.

Shirts That Scream
Certain shirts are loud, eye-catching with their design or memorable with their color. And there are also those shirts that downright scream at all and sundry, sending a message that most people could do without. The latter variety must be avoided at all costs.

Although large, grandiose designs have become acceptable in men's fashion of late, it's no excuse to adorn yourself with unnecessarily huge prints. If that floral pattern you want can be done with smaller shapes, do yourself a favor and scale down the size. The same goes for colors, especially now that bright shades are in vogue. Unless there's some deep reason for wearing it, skip the day-glo green shirt that you're eying.

Bad Tie Choices
If you're over 30 and you're yet to learn how to match a necktie properly to a shirt, shame on you! The whole skill of finding the right tie to suit a shirt is nothing short of a survival skill for men, and you can scarce expect to be stylish without it. And since even the best shirt and finest necktie can be ruined by an improper pairing, there's no substitute for it.

Shirts are part of the foundations of any male wardrobe, but should still be treated with some care. Unless you know what you're doing, you could very well fall into an un-stylish trap of your own making.