Pellau Magazine: 4 REASONS MEN SHOULD NOT TUCK IN A SHIRT

4 REASONS MEN SHOULD NOT TUCK IN A SHIRT

2:27 PM | Posted by Pellau | Edit Post

P.K. Lassiter

I have a friend named Pete. Great guy. Two kids, career on the rise, single (recently divorced and thrilled about it) and generally a man about the town. And no, Pete is not my first name, or is it a euphemism for me. Pete is real. And Pete may be you…

Like I said, Pete has everything going for him. Including all of his aforementioned attributes, he’s a funny, gregarious, likeable guy. Pete’s makin’ it happen. Except for one thing. Pete tucks his shirt in too tight.

So what?... you say. Big deal. So Pete’s neat. He wants to be presentable. Look his best. Clean cut. Professional. An upstanding citizen. He should tuck his shirt in, and as tight as the lug nuts on his truck too. Right? Wrong.

And let me make this clear, I’m focusing on the social aspect of shirt tucking, at work, tuck to your hearts content. I’m not the boss. Maybe he likes it that way. They’re usually ‘tight tuckers’ too.

Socially, it never fails. I’ll step out with my buddies – and one of them (sometimes more… unfortunately) has their shirt jacked in so tight it looks as if it was painted on. It also never fails that when they make their approach (some are better than others) the first thing a woman notices is the ultra tight tuck. It’s never good, regardless of shirt type. Here’s why…

1. The button down. Unless you’re 6’3” and 200 lbs. or less -- let the panels loose. The way button down shirts are cut; they simply do not flatter most male physiques. Especially those of the average American male in his 30’s. Yes, this means you. You have to be a lean, mean fighting machine to get away with the ultra tight tuck. And even then it rarely looks great.

2. The T-shirt. T-shirts should never be tucked in. Ever. And I mean never. I don’t care if it’s a thousand dollar, golden threaded, Ralph Lauren Purple label, or one of those disastrous Ed Hardy numbers… If you are tucking in your T-shirts then you’re so far gone help might not be available to you. Stop. End of story

3. The Jersey. Unless you’re getting ready for a league game, then leave the jersey un-tucked (better yet, in the house). And yes, I do see guys walking around the street wearing jerseys tucked in. Not only does it look ridiculous, it usually precedes a request for spare change. Better to just leave the jersey in the drawer until game time. And even then, I wouldn’t tuck it in unless the ref made me.

4. The sweater. See # 2.

You see what I mean? Take a look around the tavern/bar/lounge/restaurant next time and study ‘the tuck’. 99% of the time, it’s not a pretty sight. Hence my advising against it. Actually, I’m not advising… I’m ordering.

So let those shirt ends out. Give them air. Let the panels run free and see the light of day. It’ll convey a relaxed attitude. An effortless ease. A hipper approach to life. You hear me, Pete? Are you listening? (This means you).

P.K. Lassiter is a freelance writer and featured contributor to ManoftheHouse.com