Congratulations on the “Best Dressed” nomination, Carlos! I find it funny that you described yourself as a “carefree senior” but then maybe you have some super powers that I didn’t have when I was a senior myself. And yes, we all have those days when we simply want to crawl out of bed into the real world in our pajamas and ratty T-shirts.

However, like many before you, you failed to mention your body type and your style preferences. Do you like looking preppy or perhaps rock star? Do you prefer blazers to hoodies or vice versa? As always, giving more information about yourself will help me figure out what I can recommend. Don’t keep me guessing – that reminder applies to all my lovely readers out there!

Here’s a short list of pieces that just might clinch you the “Best Dressed” title!

Command and conquer the military look
A holdover from last year, the military trend remains to be popular and we’re still seeing a lot of military- and navy-inspired pieces such as jackets, boots and trousers. Don’t pile on too many layers – a shirt, jacket or coat, slim or skinny trousers plus boots will work. As long as you keep it to one or two statement pieces, you’re likely to get more cheers than jeers. To help you with this look, you can also check out my guide to men’s boots.

Partner patterns with textures
For autumn, a plaid shirt is always a faultless choice. Combine it with a classic knit cardigan or jacket – cabled, pointelle or otherwise – and you’ve got a smashing hit! Look for visually interesting details such as a shawl collar, a droptail hem, batwing sleeves or draping. For a more refined plaid, go for glen checks, madras plaid or windowpane as opposed to the more common buffalo plaid (aka lumberjack) or checks. .

Play with color and length
Layering is an absolute must during fall and winter, unless you prefer to be a frozen delight. Instead of just randomly throwing on one sweatshirt over another, why not play with lengths instead? Start with a long-sleeved shirt followed by a tonal knit vest or waistcoat then finish with a cropped or waist-length leather biker jacket. Note that these pieces should be of complementary colors – don’t go all black or all brown. Try a gray pinstriped shirt topped by a navy blue vest then the black jacket. Finish with slim-cut jeans or trousers tucked or scrunched above mid-calf boots or high-top sneakers.

Don’t forget to mention me in your thank-you speech!

Nikki

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