“What are the clothes and accessories men wear that women find irresistible?”
Let's be honest – it's the question on most men's minds.
Now there's no guaranteed formula for sex appeal.
BUT
If you scour the internet and see what real women think…
…there ARE certain items of clothing that get mentioned again and again and again.
In preparation for this article, I did what most men have never done and trawled through Reddit, women's publications and blogs to see what actual women think. After a while, I noticed patterns with the same opinions on the sexiest clothing men wear coming up repeatedly.
Based on my research, these are the sexiest articles of clothing and accessories men can wear to increase their attractiveness. You might be surprised by how straightforward and affordable some of these are.
So what do guys wear that girls love? Let's get started!
A Great-Looking Watch
Notice I said a great-looking watch, not an expensive or luxury watch. The truth is, most women can't tell affordable watches apart from luxury brands like Omega or Grand Seiko, not even up close. Neither can most men!
A 2020 study published in Social Sciences showed women found the same men more attractive when they displayed wealth. You will still get this benefit as long as you follow the basic principles of what people look for in a watch:
- A solid stainless steel case and bracelet for that all-important shine.
- Choose a classic diver, pilot or chronograph style for visual interest.
A watch is an essential accessory you should be wearing every day. But, you definitely don't need to spend $10,000 on one.
A Cashmere Sweater Looks Sexy
Cashmere tells a woman two things. First, you're a man who appreciates quality. Second, women know better than any of us men that cashmere is finer, lighter and softer than sheep's wool. She is going to want to feel it and come close to you.
Expect to spend quite a bit of money on quality cashmere so follow these simple rules to get the maximum possible value:
- Choose a reputable merchant – counterfeit cashmere is a known industry problem and some fakes have been found to contain rat fur. Not quite as sexy.
- Cashmere drapes well on the body but you can take your investment piece from good to GREAT by having a specialist tailor adjust it to perfectly fit your body.
- Choose solid, neutral colors like gray, brown, blue or green so your new sweater pairs with practically everything for maximum versatility.
A Leather Jacket – One Of The Sexiest Items According To Women
The leather jacket is considered by women to be one of the sexiest items of clothing men can wear. One woman on Reddit said:
I got one word for you: Mmmrawwr
What I love about leather is its image and reputation is not artificially constructed like a studded jacket or ripped jeans. Its natural durability and strength is why leather has been worn by warriors for thousands of years. On a subconscious level, a leather jacket says ‘mighty hunter'.
How to find the perfect leather jacket for you?
- Make sure it's well-fitted to your body with high armholes.
- Choose quality: premium, full-grain leather will last years and gain character with age.
- If in doubt, choose a shorter style – a shorter jacket gives you longer legs.
To learn which style of jacket is best for you, check out my guide to different leather jacket styles for men.
A Tweed Suit Or Tie
Photography site Snappr analyzed 3,000 dating app profiles and found 10% of men wear a suit. There's a reason for that.
Suits are still some of the sexiest clothing men can wear, only if you nail the fit though and only if you stand out from the crowd.
Chances are, unless you're Barney Stinson, the times you wear a suit are the times other men wear suits (work, weddings etc). How are you supposed to stand out?
The answer is wool. But be warned, don't employ both of these tips together or the effect will be similar to the ‘double denim' Canadian tuxedo.
- First, the visually interesting and diverse texture of a tweed suit will instantly set you apart from other men in the shiny, uniform suits department stores offer in synthetic materials.
- Second, if your city is too hot for a wool suit, try swapping your standard silk tie for a thicker, wool option. The same reasoning applies, a three-dimensional element to your tie makes it much more interesting and unique.
How to wear tweed? Here are the basics of how a great-fitting tweed suit should feel:
- No X-shaped crease when you button your jacket (it's too tight!) or your lapels hang forward (it's too loose!).
- The jacket's sleeves end just above the wrist bone and leave half an inch of shirt cuff visible.
- Your suit pants drape smoothly with a small, single ‘break' or crease at the bottom.
Boxer Briefs – Winning Sexiest Underwear For Men
GQ surveyed 200 women on the underwear they wanted to see on guys and guess what? Boxer briefs won by a landslide, 64% chose them. That's more popular than boxers, briefs or any other kind of underwear.
I don't want to be indelicate but…women are going to see what underwear you have on at the most important moment of a successful date. Why take a risk and introduce a turn-off at the last moment?
For all the pros and cons, see how each kind of underwear compares against each other in our five round men's underwear comparison here.
Ok, enough said. Let's take a look at accessories.
A Silk Scarf & Hat
Do you have a beard, shaved head or another trait strongly associated with masculinity and aggression? People make snap judgments of others and women might make a split-second decision not to approach you.
Counterbalance strong masculine associations by using materials traditionally associated with femininity like silk or velvet. A small detail like a silk scarf will show an approachable side to your personality.
Now, how many men do you know that regularly wear hats? Wearing one confidently will instantly set you apart and signal that you're someone comfortable in their own skin.
A hat also increases your height. Like it or not, this is still a key factor in how attractive women find you.
Check out our ultimate guide to men's hats here to find the right one for you.
Last but not least, what will women appreciate in your shoe game?
Brogue Boots
What is on your feet is one of the first things women look at when they check someone out so your shoes need to be sexiest men can wear. A wholecut leather dress shoe has its place but for women, the sexiest footwear men can wear is boots.
Boots give you height and even the smartest boots lend rugged practicality to your list of qualities. It might seem subtle but this has all kinds of associations such as reliability, toughness and the ability to take care of a woman.
This is the ‘halo effect' in action. Having one positive attribute will make someone more likely to think you have other positive attributes which are seemingly unrelated.
With all these reasons to wear boots, you want to make sure women definitely notice them on you. This is where broguing comes in. This centuries-old design technique is going to add dimensionality to your boots by layering leather and adding punched holes.
Go for a full brogue for maximum interest and a slightly more casual feeling. If you plan on wearing your boots in more formal situations, opt for a semi or quarter-brogue design.
For inspiration, check out the style of wingtip dress boots I recommend here for a versatile smart-casual look.
Ok, let's wrap up. Time for the cheat sheet:
- Wear a great-looking watch
- A cashmere sweater is a rock solid investment
- The leather jacket is timeless
- A well-fitted tweed suit or wool tie will help you stand out
- Boxer briefs – the sexiest clothing men can wear without wearing clothes
- Scarves and hats can subvert expectations and change your silhouette
- Brogue boots are the perfect final touch
Resources
Iredale, Wendy; Jenner, Keli; Van Vugt, Mark; Dempster, Tammy. 2020. “Giving Guys Get the Girls: Men Appear More Desirable to the Opposite Sex When Displaying Costly Donations to the Homeless” Soc. Sci. 9, no. 8: 141. Link
Staff. 2019. “Bathing Suits, Pets & Sunglasses: How Men and Women Have Different Dating Profile Pics” Snappr. Link
Corsillo, Liza. 2016. “This is the Underwear That Women Want You to Wear” GQ. Link
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