Here’s the deal, none of us men like shopping.  In fact we don’t even like the word shopping, it’s so girly. We are men, we buy things, and we don’t shop unless it’s a car. We also don’t love taking out the trash or doing laundry, but we have to do those things.  Buying clothes is also an essential chore for the single man.  You don’t have to do it every week, or every month, but you should buy clothing at least twice per year, once in the spring and once in the fall to get your wardrobe ready for the upcoming change of temperature.  You really don’t need to do much more than this, to get by.  But who wants to get by in life?  We want to crush it.  We want to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.

What sucks about shopping is that if you are like most guys, you work during the week and the last thing you want to do is go shopping for clothes after a hard day’s work.  It doesn’t get any more convenient when the weekend arrives.  The last thing we want to do on the weekend is go to a clothing store or (ugh), The Mall!   But, just like brushing your teeth makes dentist visits easier, maintenance on your wardrobe, makes shopping easier.  The more attention you give it, the less painful it is.

We agreed earlier that developing your own style is essential for The Rugged Male.  There are many building blocks for that, and perhaps none more impactful than the clothes you wear.  We are going to provide some tips to help you develop a strategy to win the fight against clothes shopping.  Think of this as a football game strategy, or a trail map, or a guide to changing a carburetor on a Chevy Nova.

The Lookout – First thing you need to do is start noticing the deficiencies in your closet.  Maybe your favorite pair of ripped jeans finally died, or you only have one shirt to wear to dinners on weekends.  Whatever it is, notice what is needed and be on the lookout as you go through your daily life.

Don’t Be Scared – Go into stores!  As we mentioned, it’s inconvenient for men to shop, so you have to take advantage of the times when it’s convenient. When you have lunch with your parents, or while you are walking with your girl, stop into a shop and check out some gear.  Typically we wait outside with the other extremely bored men and daydream.  Pop around the corner to a different shop.  Lunch break is another great time.  Many of us just want to get out of the 8-6 prison for an hour and don’t always have a plan, this is a great time.  At the very least you will learn the clothing shops that are NOT your style.

Try Stuff On – This is very important.  Most men buy clothes they don’t like and don’t fit.  We do this because we want to get out of the store and we are crossing our fingers that when we get home the clothes will magically transform into something cool that fits perfectly.  Yep, we’re (still) insane.  All clothing has irregularities, even if its same brand, same size, so you must try them on. Listen, if it doesn’t fit perfectly, do not buy it.  It will join the other items in your closet that you wore once in the last 2 years and can still remember which friend made fun of you for wearing it.  Like Johnny Cochran said – If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit !

Pull The Trigger – Another critical step in minimizing the pain is to accumulate new items throughout the year.  Clothes shopping while you are traveling is a must.  Not only does it remind you of your wonderful trip, but it helps broaden your style and becomes a conversation piece.  Stop buying t-shirts and beer coolers.  Buy a nice button down shirt, or splurge on a pair of boots.  You will have it for years.  The point is, when you see something you like, and it fits, buy it.  Don’t act like you are going to come back after you think about it – you are not.  Pull the trigger.

This is Part One of a two part series on Clothes Shopping For Men.  Please Stay Tuned!

Thanks For Reading

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