Ever hear of the Texas Tuxedo? It’s the region’s most commonly worn combination of a jeans and a denim shirt. New Englander’s have their own version, also with jeans but instead of a denim on top, it’s fleece.  To put fleece in perspective, remember much of it is made from recycled plastic bottles. Before donning that fleece for a networking or other social event, think “is this somewhere I WANT to be seen wearing recycled trash?”.  But fleece is just so comfy – like being able to wear your pajamas out of the house.

Retailers take advantage of this love of comfort and plush polyester goodness by indiscriminately pumping out fleece jackets, pullovers, and hoodies like a broken BP oil valve at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

With the fleece marketplace flooded it can be easy to mistakenly assume that all fleece is created equal, or even more mistakenly, that since fleece is about casual comfort, the look of it doesn’t matter.

That may be true when you’re getting all Man Vs. Nature in the woods, but if that fleece is being worn to networking events and parties, let’s make sure it’s not doing you a disservice. Which would you rather resemble? A sporty and casual rugged man or a fuzzy Easter egg on legs? Too many good men are ambling around looking like the latter, to their detriment.

One of the keys to looking masculine rather than lost on the way to your sweat lodge meeting in weekend wear is to remember that no matter the style or garment, the most prominent part of your body should be your shoulders (fetish wear is perhaps the only exception to this rule).

If you’re one of many men who spend most of your waking hours in fleece it’s worth educating yourself on what will look best on you. My clients frequently email me after seeing an old photo of themselves (in non Emmi Approved clothing), amazed that they had walked around looking so slovenly and feeling a surge of confidence with the unending compliments they’re getting on the new stuff.  This is true even though they threw it on, in the same way they threw on the old stuff, just to do errands.

You see, comfort is plenty available in a flattering cut, you can be cozy and warm without donning a Snuggie and you don’t have to spend extra time getting ready.  So, let’s take a look at the simple component parts that make a good looking whole.

Cut – Remember that good fit is the foundation of looking good; without it, nothing will work. A man’s shoulders should always be the widest/most prominent part of his physique, poorly cut fleece (box with arms) sabotage that masculine form by adding unnecessary bulk to the torso. Choose a fleece jacket that is cut closer to your body’s natural shape.

Zipper – There’s the quarter zip and full zip. A full zip will visually lengthens your torso while the short quarter zip stops mid rib cage and emphasis the expanse across the stomach. No Bueno.

Color - Two tone color fleece that have a lighter block around the stomach are the least flattering of all, literally putting a spotlight on your gut, opt for vertical color blocking with the darker color in the center.