Want to look better but are short on cash? As a university student, I know the pain very well! It can be difficult to upgrade your style on a budget, but here I have 5 affordable (some are even free!) tips to share with you that will instantly have you looking better, feeling more confident and making killer first impressions!

#1 Plain T-Shirts Are KING

One of the easiest ways to upgrade your style (and the first that any man should do) is to switch out your graphic tees for solid, plain colours. By sticking to the basics (white, grey, navy and black), you have a versatile item that is affordable, can be combined an infinite amount of times, and that will forever be a staple of classic menswear. Casual with jeans and sneakers or dressed up with chinos, chukka boots and a suit jacket, that plain tee will be 100x more versatile, stylish and elegant than that graphic tee ever will be!

Get a few different fabric weights and you’ll be covered for the whole year-round!

There’s no need to splash out here – Primark (Summer) and Fruit of the Loom (Winter) both do great quality plain tees, but in order to look your best in your tee, you must focus on our next tip…

#2 Focus On The FIT

Whatever you’re wearing, if it doesn’t fit you, then it’s going to make you look sloppy, untidy and just plain ridiculous. A lot of men make the mistake of buying clothes in a size too big, leaving you with baggy clothing that’s too long (especially in the sleeves) which makes you look like a child. Conversely, buy too small and the clothing will be uncomfortable to wear, restrict your movement and will visibly look too small for you, especially around the buttons of a dress shirt.

Know your measurements; either take a tape measure and do them yourself (Slaters do an easy-to-follow guide here) or go to your local menswear store and ask for a full set of measurements. This will ensure you’ll always be buying the correct size. It also pays to shop around – the same size can mean wildly different things between brands, so try out a few in-store and see what fits you best.

#3 Work On Your Posture

You’re wearing a great outfit; perfectly fitted and flattering your figure. You’re ready to go out there and kill it, but…

Your shoulders are slouched. Your back is hunched over. Your head is hanging low.

No matter what your wearing, having poor posture will make even the sharpest outfit look awful! This is something that everyone can improve on, and the Art of Manliness has a fantastic guide on how to improve your posture. Correct posture can also have an incredible mental impact – Real Men Real Style have a fantastic article about the effects here. Good posture costs nothing, and it pays dividends both in your appearance and for your health, so there’s plenty of reason to take action!

#4 Personal Grooming

I’m talking about your whole grooming game here; hair-care, skincare, hand-care, shaving, scents… you name it, it’s covered.

Knowing which hairstyle suits you, having it trimmed regularly and knowing what product to use (and how to use it!) is essential. So is managing your facial hair; whether that means clean-shaven or a well-kept beard is down to you! Plucking your eyebrows, cutting your nails, manscaping – forget about the old “it’s too feminine” mindset, this is all about looking neat and tidy.

Which do you think looks better; wild, bushy eyebrows, dirty fingernails and bear-like chest hair, or tidy-plucked brows, clean nails and trimmed hair? I’m sure you’d prefer the latter, and others would think the same! The Gentleman’s Gazette has a host of fantastic grooming videos and articles, which you can view here.

#5 Well-Maintained Shoes

This is a personal pet peeve of mine – the phrase; “if you want to know if a man is well-dressed, look at his shoes”, is just as important now as it ever has been.

There are only two points here; make sure your shoes fit the occasion, and make sure they are clean.

You wouldn’t wear dress shoes to play sports, so why would you wear trainers to an interview, to the office or for a wedding?

There’s a trend towards worn-in shoes at the moment, and whilst a pair of worn-in all-white sneakers does look great, there’s a HUGE difference between “worn-in” and dirty! It takes two minutes to clean your shoes, and they’ll look a whole lot better when you’ve done so. Wear and patina can make a pair of shoes look very elegant, but you must still maintain them and keep them presentable to look your best. GQ have a great article for cleaning sneakers, and Real Men Real Style likewise for cleaning dress shoes.

Final Thoughts

These 5 tips are simple, cheap and easy ways to up your style game and mature into a professional-looking, stylish man. This may only be the beginning, but by using these tips and having the will and confidence to pursue looking better, and the realisation that your style will affect the first impressions you make, you will be set down the path to stylish, elegant, dapper menswear, which will allow you to stand out from the crowd, open the door to new opportunities and unlock your full potential. How you dress is often overlooked, but it makes a big difference as to how other people view you and how you feel in yourself.

If you want to put your best foot forward, style isn’t everything, but it’s a great start!

Featured image photo by The Lazy Artist Gallery from Pexels.

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