Modern Mens Style: Sloppy Joes

Deconstruction is a very common practice in art, and in fashion as well; the familiar must sometimes be broken down to discover the beauty of its parts. This, however, presents a conundrum for the world of men's fashion. The pride of a put together man comes from immaculately tailored suits and bespoke shoes, not from beat up clothing. You can look stylish even without a necktie, but a line on sloppiness must be drawn at a certain point.

Worn In or Wearying?
There's an undeniable Bohemian allure for faded print tees and fuzzed up corduroy pants, but there's also such a thing as taking it too far. Once you cross the boundary between deconstructed and destroyed, you will only end up looking more homeless than hip.

Frays, nicks and fades must always be kept as details and never the main attraction on any piece you wear. Jeans that present more deconstruction than denim should be thrown away and replaced with a new pair. Look at your outfit in the mirror and see how you examine yourself. If your eye is immediately drawn to the flaws and imperfections of any single piece, it only means that that piece is already too worn out to be fashionable.

As a rule, don't wear any piece that has more holes than it's meant to have. Tees with more than four holes that is, there are rips and tears on it, aren't stylish, they are plain sloppy. Unless you are attending a rock concert or simply staying at home, shredded tees and ripped up jeans are never attractive style choices to wear.

Quality is the secret ingredient to making the ripped-and-frayed style work for most men. If you are wielding high-quality denim like a trusty pair of Levi's, you will be fairly sure that the rest of the pant will hold even when some parts of it are wearing out. A cheap piece of clothing that's all worn out will only result in an even cheaper looking article.

Balancing Act
For most men, the fashion dilemma lies in keeping from becoming sloppy, while at the same time avoiding a look that's much too formal for going to the corner deli for coffee. And in just as many cases, mixing a less casual piece into the outfit helps establish that balance between sartorially unstudied and plain unkempt.

Take the ubiquitous combination of a solid white tee and jeans, for example. Alone, the outfit screams laborer; add an extra layer like a jacket, though, and you will be the laid back guy who's out to get lattes. Whether it's a full-on blazer or a somewhat slouchy military jacket, the addition of another layer that's less plain and less casual dresses the classic Sloppy Joe set enough to make it a passable outfit for going out and about.

Notice that a converse rule exists for formal men's fashion. Whenever you want to keep from seeming too conservative and stuffy, you should slip in something fanciful and casual like a print shirt or a non-silk tie. As with most dilemmas in style, the best approach is one that employs balance and not a little mixing and matching.