The Biggest Fashion Mistakes Men Are Still Making In 2026

As much as we like to dish out style advice, everything should be taken with a pinch of salt. We love seeing guys looking their best, but ultimately, we believe people should wear what makes them feel comfortable. That being said, if you want to improve your outfits, there are a few common style errors we see men making again and again. And unless you’re a seasoned sartorialist, chances are you’re guilty of at least one or two of them.

Dressing well isn’t rocket science, but there are a lot of ways you can get it wrong. From tacky tailoring to excessive logos, these are the fashion mistakes that seem to catch men out the most.

So take a look, find the ones that apply to you and let us explain what you can do to correct them.

Legwear Extremes

Buck Mason: A straight leg will always look good

The fashion of fit swings like a pendulum from fitted to oversized over the course of years. To best weather the storm, the most effective course is usually to aim somewhere in the middle.

Whether it’s spray-on skinny jeans or comically oversized ones, going all in on the extremes is the most common fashion mistake we see men making, and one of the easiest to fix.

If you want history to be kind to your wardrobe choices, avoid the absolutes. A classic straight leg will never let you down.

Trend Hopping

ASKET: Timeless normally beats trend hopping

Social media has sped up the trend cycle to a dizzying pace, exposing us to the latest cool new thing at all times. It can be tempting to consume relentlessly, as, according to the algorithm, there’s always some new must-have item or trending aesthetic you should be adopting. Don’t buy into it.

The concept of timelessness is often overblown in the menswear world, but there is some weight to it. There are certain pieces that look as good now as they did 100 years ago, and these are the ones you should build the core of your wardrobe around.

Trends are fine when you cherry-pick the ones you vibe with and sprinkle them in with a bit of finesse, but blindly jumping on every passing bandwagon is a recipe for poor choices and cringeworthy fits.

Eyewear As An Afterthought

Jimmy Fairly: Eyewear should never be an afterthought.

An alarming number of men, on learning they need glasses, will gravitate to the cheapest, ugliest frames available at their local optician’s.

But when you’re going to be wearing them every day, they become a key part of your look. Perhaps even the most important element. John Lennon, Buddy Holly, Johnny Depp, Elton John, Stanley Tucci. When you think of any of these famous faces, their signature specs are front and centre. If people are going to remember you for your eyewear, let it be for the right reasons.

Spend the time to research classic frame designs and find ones that resonate with you. Figure out your face shape and which styles work with it. Crucially, try glasses on – you’ll know when you’ve found the right pair.

If in doubt, take someone along with you for a second opinion. If you both think it looks great, it probably does.

Ill-Fitting Tees

Sunspel: T-shirts should fit perfectly.

A T-shirt is such a seemingly simple garment, and one of menswear’s true fundamentals, but so many men get it wrong. A good T-shirt is highly subjective. Spend some time finding one that works for you in terms of fabric weight, cut and details like neckline, sleeves and length, then stock up.

Premium basics brands, such as ASKET, are a good place to start. Many offer a few different fabric-weight options, and even different length options, so most guys will be able to find a good fit.

It’s tempting to cheap out on the basics, but you’ll be shooting yourself in the foot if you do.

Jeans With Shoes

Velasca: Jeans & shoes only works when it’s considered

Don’t get us wrong, jeans and shoes aren’t inherently bad, but depending on the type of shoes and the cut of jeans, it can quickly become one of the most heinous crimes a man can commit against fashion.

For a certain segment of the male population, pointy-toed tan Derby shoes and light-wash jeans seem to be the default smart-casual look for the lower body. It almost never looks good. Instead, pair classic straight-leg jeans in a mid- or dark-wash with brown suede penny loafers.

Pay close attention to fit – the leg should break just above the shoe for best results.

Boring Footwear

Kleman: Be a little more interesting with your footwear choices

Understated is often a good word to keep in mind when choosing footwear, but don’t confuse it with boring. There are a thousand pairs of plain white leather sneakers and black Derby shoes out there that all look like carbon copies of one another.

Our advice would be to stick to the basic format but choose something with a little bit of personality. Think a Paraboot Michael over a classic dress-style Derby, or a pair of suede panelled German Army trainers over a pair of basic-b*tch Achilles Low copycats.

Ignoring Proportions

Velasca: Consider proportion when dressing

Fit alone is important, but what’s equally important is the interplay of fits between the different pieces of your outfit. They have to fit well on their own, but they also have to work cohesively as a whole.

Try to maintain a sense of balance between top and bottom, and pay close attention to how everything looks together as an outfit.

Cheap Suits

Charles Tyrwhitt: A well-made suit is worth the investment

You might think you hardly ever wear a suit, so it’s not worth investing in a proper one. But assuming you are an adult man, even the most conservative estimate suggests you’ll probably have to wear a suit at least twice a year. Totted up over a lifetime, that’s a fair number of wears.

With that in mind, it’s worth spending the money to get something that looks good and that you feel good wearing. We’re not saying you have to go full Savile Row bespoke, but at least find something made from high-quality cloth and get it tailored to fit.

It will be well worth it in the long run.

Confusing ‘Expensive’ And ‘Classy’

Luca Faloni: A smart shirt often beats a designer tee

Just because the diamante-studded Balmain tee costs £400, that does not make it a substitute for a shirt. Expensive doesn’t equal classy. It doesn’t even equate to good quality in most cases.

Dress appropriately for the setting and situation. Sometimes the £60 Oxford shirt is a better option than the designer T-shirt. In fact, it almost always is.

Logos

Ralph Lauren: Discreet logos beat all-over branding

There’s nothing inherently wrong with a logo. In fact, some of the most recognisable pieces in menswear lean on one – think the small crocodile from Lacoste or the discreet polo player from Ralph Lauren. The keyword there is ‘discreet’.

Where things unravel is when branding becomes the entire point of the outfit. Giant chest prints, shoulder-to-hem monograms, belts that shout their maker’s name from across the street. It can read less as confidence and more as insecurity.

A quiet logo signals familiarity. A loud one often signals trying too hard.