Mistakes in Men’s Clothing and Etiquette: 5 Details Everyone Notices but Nobody Says Out Loud

Often it is not the choice of clothes that spoils a man’s look but one careless detail: a label left on the sleeve of a new coat, a handshake given while seated, a bulky sports watch with a classic suit, a pocket square that matches the tie exactly, or pockets stuffed full. Any one of them is enough to make even a well-chosen look lose its harmony. These mistakes happen to men with good taste and expensive wardrobes too, because they are hard to notice yourself and easy to notice from the outside. We continue our regular series, and today we look at five such details.

A new jacket or coat almost always arrives from the shop with temporary stitches. At the back vent there is a small X of light thread, the lapel sometimes has a loose stitch holding it in place, and some pockets are sewn shut so that they do not stretch during fitting. A label with the name of the fabric or the brand may also remain on the sleeve. If all of this is left in place, the piece looks as if it was put on straight from the hanger, and this is the sign by which carelessness is noticed fastest.

Removing it is easy. A small pair of scissors or a seam ripper is enough, and it is best to cut the threads one by one without pulling the fabric. The label on the sleeve should always be cut off. Open the pockets you are going to use. Some men leave the side pockets of a jacket sewn shut to keep a clean line, and that is a perfectly acceptable choice. If you are unsure, ask the shop or your tailor to do it during the fitting. A good coat deserves five minutes of attention.

When someone greets a man, he rises to meet them if he can. A handshake given while seated reads as carelessness, even if the man did not mean to offend anyone. Standing up shows that the other person matters to you. It takes a second, but it is remembered for a long time. If getting up is truly impossible, for example when you are wedged behind a table, it is enough to apologise briefly and shake hands, leaning slightly forward.

A classic suit is built on calm lines and careful proportions. A chunky sports watch with a wide case and a rubber or heavy metal bracelet pulls attention to itself and breaks the overall picture. A digital watch with a screen and a silicone strap belongs to another context, and next to fine wool it looks out of place, especially when the case is large.

This does not mean sports watches are bad: in smart casual they are perfectly fine. The point is about the classic suit. Under it, a discreet watch with a small case on a leather strap or a thin bracelet works best, and it also slips easily under the shirt cuff. If you need a digital watch for work, choose a minimalist dial and a leather strap, and it will not argue with the rest of your look.

When the pocket square and the tie match in both colour and pattern, it looks like a set from a single box and not like a considered look. The pocket square should echo the tie, not repeat it. A shared colour or shade is enough, but the pattern and texture should differ: a tie in a fine pattern with a plain silk or linen square, or a plain tie with a patterned square.

Do not fold the square perfectly flat either, since a slight carelessness in the fold gives it life. That balance between precision and ease is exactly what we described when we wrote about sprezzatura.

A phone, keys, a wallet, earphones and a couple of small things turn a jacket and trousers into a sack. A classic cut is made for flat pockets, and anything that bulges breaks the line, especially on the side pockets of trousers and the inside pocket of a jacket. A wallet in the back pocket of trousers stretches the fabric and leaves a visible outline, and a phone in the breast pocket drags the jacket down.

It is better to move everything you carry into a bag or briefcase. A gentleman should have a good leather bag or briefcase: a phone, keys, a wallet and everything else fit inside easily, the pockets stay empty, and the silhouette keeps its clean line. The bag itself also works as a detail of the look. The colour of the leather and the hardware are best matched to your shoes and belt, and then it completes the outfit the way a watch or a pocket square does, not as a random object next to it. Good tailoring works when the pockets are empty, and a well-chosen bag makes that easy every day.

All five mistakes are solved by attention, not money. You do not need a new men’s wardrobe, only one honest look at your outfit from the outside. That is exactly what a men’s stylist gives you: he notices what you are used to and have stopped seeing.

If you recognised yourself in at least one of these points, perhaps it is worth talking. At Elety we work with men on building a personal style that reflects their character and fits their real life, and our personal stylist for men helps bring men’s style to a complete, coherent state. Our website has a detailed description of every service, so choose the one that suits you best, and we will be happy to help.