A Menswear Intervention

“Somehow the rap game reminds me of the crack game” spat Nas once upon a time, and while I’m not too sure about hip hop as an addictive narcotic, I know for a fact that the menswear game reminds me of the crack game. Because my name is Matt, and I’m a men’s clothing addict. I’m not sure when it happened. It feels like only yesterday I was casually flicking through issues of GQ and Esquire, pondering whether wearing a navy blazer would make me look like a d*ck head. Just a small town boy flirting with gateway clothing like Levi’s 501s, Oxford cloth button down shirts and Ralph Lauren polos. These days I pore over hundreds of clothing catalogues daily whilst constantly debating the benefits of mother of pearl buttons with myself and buying Bathing Ape, Belstaff and Burberry for a steal on ebay. It’s become an all consuming addiction that has slowly but surely taken over my life. I know I’m not alone. There are others out there who are equally, if not more, addicted to men’s fashion and style and are hoping to hit rock bottom so they can let go of this horrible habit. That’s exactly what I’ve decided to do – so consider this article a sartorial intervention for all of us out there who start tweaking and sweating when we get e-mail reminders of sample sales from Ben Sherman and Reiss. Because if the first step to recovery is accepting that you have a problem, then here’s how to find out. If you tick all of the following boxes then, like me, I’m afraid to say you have a problem. A very stylish problem.

How To Tell If You’re A Menswear Addict

1. You Think You’re The Stylish One: Part 1

As soon as you and your friends get together for a night on the tiles, regardless of where you’re heading, you automatically assume – nay, you know – that you are the best dressed (therefore, most awesome) of your group. Much like a twenty-something recruiter who thinks that the coke up his nose makes him the most interesting person in the room, you are in fact just being a tw*t.