When it comes to improving your style, most advice requires you to buy something new or spend money on clothing alterations. You could call this additive advice.

Buy those. Wear this. Spend more money of that.

Even if it’s great advice, sometimes you just don’t have the time or money to implement it.

But what if there were ways to improve your style by avoiding certain mistakes (i.e. subtracting certain garments or behaviors)? Rather than buying a new piece of clothing, what if you simply avoided certain combinations?

Well, I have good news for you. There are ways to improve your style with minimal investment, and they’re very easy to follow right now.

Here are 10 style mistakes that every man should try to avoid.

#1: Wearing athletic socks

The only time you should wear athletic socks is with – you guessed it – athletic shoes. You know, when you’re doing athletic things like playing sports or working out.

It doesn’t matter what kind of athletic socks you prefer (long, short, etc.) – they don’t go well with any shoes that aren’t meant specifically for sports or fitness.

If you’re wearing shorts, you should probably avoid visible socks altogether. This doesn’t mean you have to go completely sockless with your loafers and boat shoes. Try wearing no-show loafer socks for extra support and comfort.

But please, my friend, save the athletic socks for the gym.

#2: Wearing backpacks with dress clothes

GQ tries to tell us that it’s okay to carry a backpack to work, as long as it’s designed by some Italian whose name I can’t pronounce and costs more than my rent.

But you already know that GQ lies to us. The truth is, it doesn’t matter if a backpack costs $25 or $2,500 – it’s still not appropriate for a business casual or formal environment.