How to Dress for a Night on the Town (for Guys)

Co-authored by Candace Hanna

Last Updated: August 10, 2021 References

Everybody wants to look their best when they head out for a few drinks with their friends. You don't want to just look attractive to other people, but when you look nice, you'll feel happier and more confident. Before you get dressed for a night out, have a shower and get cleaned up. When you get dressed, make sure your clothes are clean, ironed, and in good condition. Wear some accessories to add an extra dynamic to your look.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Dressing for a Bar or Pub

1
Wear a plain t-shirt or a shirt with buttons. The plain t-shirt is by far 1 of the best garments you can wear to a bar. Plain t-shirts are great for casual wear. White or black t-shirts will go with most other colored clothes, but you can mix and match as you see fit.^{[1]
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- Put on a shirt with buttons over the t-shirt to add another dynamic to the look. You can button the shirt all the way up, leave the top few buttons undone, or leave it unbuttoned. Go with whatever you feel most comfortable with.
2
Put on jeans, chinos or wool trousers. Jeans are by far the most versatile of all trouser types. Black or blue jeans will work with almost any other clothing item. Chinos are versatile as well but are a great casual garment. Chinos come in a wide variety of colors which gives you more options. Wool trousers are very comfortable and look very stylish.^{[2]
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- You might be able to get away with shorts. It depends on the bar.
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3
Wear a pullover, cardigan, or a jacket. Pullover jumpers look great and are perfect for nearly any setting. You can go for a solid colored pullover or 1 with an interesting design. Cardigans look stylish and you can either button them up or leave them open.^{[3]
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- Rain jackets are not only to be worn in bad weather. A stylish rain jacket can keep you warm and dry while also adding an interesting dynamic to your look.
- Denim jackets are very in fashion these days. They work great in more casual settings like bars.
4
Wear a pair of shoes you think looks great with your look. Bars are a lot more relaxed when it comes to footwear compared to nightclubs. Boat shoes or canvas shoes are the most casual shoes you could wear to a bar and really work as part of a casual look.^{[4]
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5
Wear a watch, bracelet, or rings. If you're going to a bar, any type of watch will work with the rest of your look. Digital watches or watches with leather straps will go perfectly with your other clothes. Bracelets can add a lot to your look if you're not wearing a watch.^{[5]
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- If you decide to wear rings, be careful to make sure you don't go overboard. Too many rings can look ridiculous.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Picking Clothes for a Nightclub

1
Check online or call to find out if there's a dress code. If you're going to a nightclub, you should check if there's anything you can't wear before you head out. Search the bar's name online and check their website. If you can't find the information there, click the "contact" tab and look for their phone number or email address.
- If you can't find a phone number or email address, try to find the bar on social media and send them a message about the dress code.
- You'll be more restricted in what you can and can't wear when going to a nightclub.
2
Wear light clothes that you won't be too hot in. The club is a hot place. Packed with people, internally heated, and you'll probably be doing a lot of dancing. If you wear heavy clothes, chances are that you'll have a terrible time. The lighter the clothes you wear are, the better.^{[6]
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- You can bring a coat but you'll need to check it in. It can take a long time to get your coat back at the end of the night.
3
Wear a nice t-shirt with a blazer or bomber jacket. You can go for a plain t-shirt again when you're going to the club. Black or darker colored shirts tend to look more formal than white or light colored t-shirts. A nice, fancy looking blazer will work great in a more formal setting. A blazer won't be so warm that you get too hot in the club.^{[7]
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- If you decide to wear a bomber jacket, wear one that's very lightweight.
- Plain white shoes will look fantastic with a nice blazer
4
Put on a formal button-down shirt. Formal shirts are great to wear to a nightclub because they look formal and work with a wide variety of clothes. If you wear a t-shirt inside, you can unbutton the shirt when you're in the club if you get too hot.
- Shirts look great with bomber jackets too.^{[8]
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5
Wear jeans, chinos, or suit trousers. There are a wide variety of jeans with a more formal look that you can choose from. Black jeans are the most formal looking, but grey jeans and other dark colors will also look great. The darker in color your chinos are, the more formal your look is. Try not to wear bright colored chinos as you might not be left into the club by the doorman.^{[9]
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- Suit trousers will work perfectly with a blazer. Try to pick suit trousers that are the same color and come from the same collection as your blazer.
- Avoid wearing jeans with large holes. Jeans with rips and holes are very in fashion at the moment but if the holes are too big, you won't get into the club.
6
Wear shoes that look more formal than casual. It's highly unlikely that you'll be allowed into the club if you're wearing sneakers. Canvas shoes should be okay but don't go for shoes that look too casual. Chelsea boots, suede shoes, brogues, or Oxfords are the ideal type of shoes to wear to the club.^{[10]
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- All of these shoes will go with virtually any outfit. Mix and match to see which type you prefer the most.
7
Avoid wearing shorts on your night out. Shorts are fine when you're going to an exotic location, playing sports, or chilling at the beach. Shorts will make you look too laid back. You won't get into a nightclub wearing shorts either.
8
Wear a fancy watch or other accessories to add another dynamic to your look. Watches with leather or metal straps are a fantastic accessory to wear to the club. If you don't have a fancy looking watch, wear a bracelet instead. If you decide to wear rings, don't go overboard. Wear 1 or 2 rings to keep your look nice and simple.^{[11]
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- Wear a hat or flat cap if you want to add style to your head. You should know though that it's very easy for hats to fall off your head in the middle of the club. Avoid wearing woolly hats or baseball caps as these are probably not allowed.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Grooming and Cleaning Yourself

1
Take a shower before you do anything else. There's no point coming home from work or the gym before your night out and getting dressed when you're sweaty. Wash your hair with shampoo and use body lotion on your body. Washed hair will look much better than messy and unkempt hair.^{[12]
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- If you have long or medium length hair, know that conditioner will add a lot of volume to your hair. If you want volume, that's great. If not, just use shampoo.
- If you're using a hairdryer, point it downward toward your hair. If you aim the hairdryer pointing up towards your hair, it will make it look very wild.
2
Shave or trim your beard. If you can't grow a beard, you'll look much better clean-shaven than with uneven stubble. If you have a beard and you don't want to shave it, get a grooming kit. Use the small scissors to trim the beard and make it look more even and healthy.^{[13]
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- If you have very rough facial hair that's difficult to shave, use conditioner instead of shaving gel. Conditioner will soften the hair on your head but it will also soften the hair on your face and make shaving much easier.^{[14]
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- Wash your beard with beard shampoo that you can buy at your local supermarket or pharmacy.
3
Trim your fingernails with nail clippers. If you don't have nail clippers, you can use small scissors. When cutting your fingernails, it's best to cut with the natural curve of your fingernail. Cutting straight across will be uncomfortable and might lead to a lot of pain.^{[15]
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- Leave some white at the top of your nails.
- Don't try to trim your nails down too low as you'll cause a lot of pain for yourself.
4
Use a nose hair trimmer to trim the hairs in your nose. The last thing you want is to be talking to some stranger at the bar only for them to notice some hair extending out of one of your nostrils. Use a cloth soaked in warm water to clean out your nose before using the nose hair trimmer.^{[16]
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- You can get an electric nose hair trimmer at the local pharmacy or local supermarket.
- Read the manual before you use the trimmer.
5
Style your hair and pluck your eyebrows. If you're not the kind of guy who likes to use gel or other products to style your hair, use a comb to tidy your hair. Use the comb to brush your eyebrow hair before you pluck any stray hairs.^{[17]
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- Pluck the space between your eyebrows. You don't want a unibrow to develop.
- Don't go overboard when plucking your eyebrows. They should look tidy but still natural.
6
Brush your teeth and floss. There are few things worse than speaking to someone at a bar and noticing some food in their teeth. Brushing your teeth and flossing will add a freshness to your mouth that might be a big help later in the night when talking to a prospective partner.^{[18]
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- Remember to brush your tongue as well.
- Use some mouthwash after you've brushed if you want to make sure your mouth is clean and fresh.
- Carry some mints or gum with you.
7
Use some cologne or body spray before you get dressed. Be careful and don't go overboard when using these products. While cologne and body spray smells nice, your own personal smell can play a key role in attracting other people.^{[19]
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- Spray some cologne on your neck and on your wrists.

Expert Q&A

Question

What should guys wear to look hot?

Candace Hanna
Style Expert
Candace Hanna is a stylist and style expert based in Southern California. With 16 years of experience in the corporate fashion and personal styling realms, she runs Style by Candace, a personal styling agency that focuses on helping individuals find their personal expression through clothing. Her work has been featured in magazines such as Shoutout LA and VoyageLA.

Candace Hanna

Style Expert

Expert Answer

For a night out, every man needs a good pair of dark rinse denim. It's not really dressy, but it's a little nicer than just everyday jeans. Wear them with a dress shirt or a casual shirt, a blazer, and some dress shoes.
Question

Should a short sleeve shirt be worn with a sports jacket at an informal affair?

Community Answer

Yes, a polo shirt or even a nice t-shirt is appropriate for an informal affair.