Colour Blind

Picture these in your mind with me if you can:

Yellow Tie + Blue Shirt + Dark Brown Pants + Grey Socks + Brown Suede Shoes

Blue Tie + Orange Shirt + Black Pants + White Socks + Brown Suede Shoes

Grey Tie + Green Shirt + Black Pants + Dark Blue Socks + Black Shoes

Gaudy Psychedelic Tie + Yellow Shirt + Brown Pants + Blue Socks + Black Shoes

Did you just cringe?

These combos were what I observed some people wearing at a meeting last week. And all of them are doctors!  Well, I guess it’s to be expected, they didn’t teach us fashion sense in med school.

I am no expert or a fashionista fashionisto but I have learnt a few simple rules with regards to men’s fashion. Here they are, 10 steps to a better looking doc!

1. The colour of your belt should match the shoe colour. So a black belt with brown shoes is sinful. And brown belt with black shoes are doubly so. A white belt with brown shoes is a fashion disaster. Black belt with black shoes are a safe option.

2. The tie must match the shirt and NOT the pants. Personally I prefer a lighter toned tie set against a darker toned shirt of the same colour or vice versa. But then again, I ditched the tie a while ago (needed to bare some chest! GggrrrrRRRR!!).

3. Change your ties daily (I have seen some doctors wear the same tie since their house officer days!). Dry cleaning the ties can be expensive, so if you wear the economical types, just ditched them when they near the expiry date.

4. Black pants are a safe bet. It’s harder to match clothes with brown pants. Pants of other color shades are even harder to match. And white pants are a no-no, unless you revel in revealing your inner wear colour or is a die hard Austin Powers fan. Oh Behave…..!

5. Wear shirts that will enhance or compliment your skin colour, without ending up like a neon billboard advertisement. Checked shirts, while great for the Australian Outback, are seriously near impossible to match with anything other than a chess board. Checked shirts with checked ties induce vertigo or seizures. Wear vertical stripes if you are vertically challenged (and have horizontal excesses) and horizontal stripes if you are horizontally challenged.

6. Have at least 3 pairs of shoes. Shoes need to ‘breathe’ for at least 24 hours after being worn. Polish the shoes once in a while to keep the leather ‘alive’. Do not wear Hush Puppies until they become Hush Doggies.

7. I prefer dark toned socks, nothing loud. But I also like dark toned socks with ‘interesting’ motives like tiny paw prints, little red crosses, etc etc. It gives an impression of sobriety with a dash of fun!

8. Always wear ironed attire, not looking like you have just done a 72 hours horrible call (or an all night romp); even though you have actually done a 72 hours call (or an all night romp)!!!

9. Consider some lightly scented EDT or cologne. My choices: Davidoff Coolwater, Dunhill and the FIFA World Cup 2006 Limited Edition EDT. Light enough for people to catch a wiff but not enough to exarcebate COAD or asthma. Apply sparingly, not bathe in it; we are not in Dubai.

10. Walk with confidence for clothes really do make a man (or doctor!). And remember to zip up the fly!!

Disclaimer: These are just my views and if one should CHOOSE to dress otherwise, then I have no quarrels ya.

Thurs, 030507 @ 0757