A man should never look like a stuffed sausage, yet tight clothing can be a stylish option for certain types of guys. Take the "rocker" look for instance. Tight, black jeans or leather pants, a tank top and a tight leather jacket can certainly look right. Freddy Mercury certainly pulled it off - in more ways than one! Mick Jagger, David Bowie and even the Fonz have all made successful, tight statements.

It does help if you are skinny to begin with. It also helps if you're on stage with pyrotechnic back-lighting. Skin-tight clothing does not work on most mere mortals, though there are exceptions. Elvis was an exception, but his getup wouldn't look all that stylish today. John Travolta's "Saturday Night Fever" getup was and still is a classic to fall back on. Most men back off from tight clothing though, and for good reason: it's not always the manliest statement. The end result is usually a bit "boyish" even on a muscle-bound hunk - worse yet, you could end up looking like Peter Pan during a mid-life crisis.

If you've got the figure of a male ballroom dancer or Nureyev, you can stand to go a little tight, both on and off-stage. Ditto for professional ice-skaters. If you are of pixie stature, beware lest you end up with a Richard Simmons look.

Let's say that typical rocker or men-in-tights is not your look, yet you still want to go tight. A modern-day Beau Brummel look is the way to go. You can go "fop" stylishly and bring the silhouette to the level of "all business" rather than fop-rock like Adam Ant. To achieve this, you need "the hat" - preferably a fedora - and pull the brim down low ... hmmm, Michael Jackson does that quite well. A fitted jacket with structured shoulders can square-off the effect.

Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon and countless other hunks have succeeded at featuring "tight" - Robin Hood failed at it, but maybe it was the wrong kind of hat.

Skinny jeans, also known as slimjims, drainpipes, or cigarette pants are sensational on almost any man with a reasonably good figure - as long as he's not "over the hill." Some fashions need to be worn by men who can at least achieve a semblance of youth. A streak of grey doesn't matter, but a face-full of wrinkles, no matter how "in shape" you are, will simply not work with skin-tight pants - not even with a low-slung fedora. A form-fitting T-shirt can be worn by just about any guy who doesn't have a paunch, but grandpas should never wear spandex. It's simply a no-no.

There are exceptions however: Rolling Stones band members, aging rock stars though they be, have mastered the art of dapper skinny dressing. They are not your average grandpas!

For younger guys or the daringly mature, I strongly suggest shopping at "Hot Topic" for stylish, skinny clothing and all the accessories to pull it off. This fashion boutique carries everything from the skinny jeans and form-fitting shirts to hats and gloves, and you may even come out looking "all-business".

Learn more about this author, Violet Fortune.
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