Becoming a father is sure to change you, but that doesn’t have to mean losing your sense of style. While there may not always be time to pick out your outfits each morning, and though you might find your favorite jeans forever changed by all manner of child-related stains, there’s no need to neglect your appearance completely. Your wardrobe can (and will) adapt to your lifestyle; it just needs a little help.
Whether you’re a new father desperate not to lose your fashion sense or you want to rediscover your pre-parent wardrobe, here are five tips to help you avoid “dressing like a dad” even though you are one.
Stay Functional But Stylish
Your wardrobe will be best served by a collection of plain-t-shirts, dark colored jeans and casual shirts now that you’re a dad, but steer clear of anything that needs ironing or that crumples easily. Remember, you’re likely to spend your days trying to get kids ready for school while grappling with backpacks, diaper bags and snotty noses, so it’s best not to wear anything you’re too precious about.
Stay Smart at Work
Although you hope your boss is sympathetic to your role as a parent, you may still be expected to show up looking smart for work. If your working day takes place in a typical office environment, this probably means wearing a suit, or at least a smart/casual outfit like a shirt and trousers. Workwear is one aspect of your wardrobe where you can go to town on, because chances are, your kids won’t be around to stain or spoil your outfits. You can find more information about smart work wear and designer clothes for men online. Remember, even though you’re a father now, that doesn’t mean you can’t invest in statement designer pieces and wear them out the house, away from grubby hands.
Protect Your Best Clothes
Kids will be kids, and there’s very little you can do to avoid the inevitable spaghetti-stains or muddy handprints on your clothes. However, you can be smart about which clothes you wear at home, and which you choose to protect. For instance, suits and more expensive clothes can be left at work or hung in garment bags for protection. If you are tasked with the school drop-off in the morning, keeping a spare change of clothes at work is a sensible decision, as you never know what might happen on the way to school or daycare!
Loosen Up
There’s nothing cool about a highly-strung dad who is too worried about his clothes to play with his kids. Try to loosen up and accept that parenthood comes with many compromises, and altering your wardrobe is just one of them. There’s no reason you can’t wear your best gear to work or when you go on date nights, but try not to get too hung up on the days in-between.
Keep Emergency Items In Your Car
If you’re worried about getting caught in public looking less than your best, you need to create backup plans for those inevitable fashion emergencies. Invest in a trucker hat to hide bad hair days, keep a checked shirt in your car ready to sling over stained t-shirts, and don’t wear white if you can help it. Many of these tips and tricks you will learn on the job, but it pays to get prepared if you’re still in the expecting phase.
