Why do some men dress so terribly?

There's no pulling the punch about this. Most guys don't have the slightest clue about how to dress themselves. Even amongst teens, there's often a startling lack of interest in fashion. At this point, we've seen it all. Outfits with horribly mismatched colours, skinny jeans that haven't seen the laundry in weeks, hoodies with sandals, and other despicable decisions made at the expense of one's appearance. One can't help but ask: are these failed attempts at fashion? Or rather reluctance towards putting in an effort into your looks?

Most attribute it towards men's plain-old indifference to their appearance. While it is quite common for girls to care about fashion, the same cannot be said for men. It's regrettable that what birthed this culture was the oppressive societal pressure on women to dress in ways appealing to the male gaze, and look "presentable".

An unfortunate by-product is that there's a great disparity between how much compliment men receive about their attires as opposed to women. After all, if you don't have an incentive to dress up, why bother? You slide into your new Converse, throw on some edgy rings, and put on your best jacket to go hang out with The Boys™, only to be greeted with a dry, lifeless "Nice shoes".

Since appreciating men's outfits isn't a common occurrence, we tend to be a bit clueless in terms of fashion. Not just regarding what we think other people would like, but also what we think we want to look like.

Some boys hold a strictly utilitarian view. According to them, there's absolutely no point in dressing up for a bunch of strangers. Of course, it would be nonsensical and superficial to do so. To those with this outlook, it probably never occurred that people who put work into their outfits don't do it just for validation from people they don't know. There's the tiniest chance that maybe, it's a form of self-expression. Maybe there's a lot of satisfaction to be had in dressing up just for yourself.

Others might say that obsessing over what you wear is an inherently feminine trait.

"Why should I, a man, worry about such womanly things such as the colour of my shoes? Who has the time for that?"

Instead, men should spend all their time hitting the gym, hunting wild boars, providing for their families, and jumping away from cool explosions. If taking ten minutes to think about what to wear for the day is enough to threaten someone's masculinity, some things might be worth re-evaluating. 

The moment we stop putting ourselves in boxes, the possibilities start to open up. We shouldn't need any external factors to feel good about how we look.

Wearing clothes you like seeing yourself in is a way to express yourself. It's a projection of your personality. It tells people about your sense of style, and might even leave a lasting impression. When you wear something that represents you, it can give you a newfound confidence. It can even give you the boost that makes conquering the world around you slightly easier.

Rishi's chronic procrastination is ruining his life. Send him more things to procrastinate with at: [email protected]