the great tucking in debate..

[stubbornhubby]

so mumsnetters, please can you settle for me the all-time perennial issue, the question perpetually on the mind of every man older than 30 and heavier than 80 kg :

that shirt..

• tuck it in?
• leave it hanging out?
• or, something else..

the bees knees is, of course, the well-known 'baggy tuck', that artfully disguises the unwelcome belly beneath.. but it's harder to pull off than you women probably realise, and needs constant maintenance, and I am wondering if it really so clever after all.

but you tell me: what works best for the male tummy in your life?

Untucked unless it is a work shirt in which case definitely tucked in with belt.

My DH (a Dutchman from Amsterdam and the Amsterdammers seem to do stylish extremely well) has the following sartorial rules:

A man's shirt should always be tucked in unless wearing it with:

shorts
casual summer trousers & sandals (but not if wearing casual summer trousers with loafers or deck shoes as that implies you are attending a more formal event)
jeans, layered with a tee or sweater.

I can't abide the "lads in shirts" look that many men adopt on a night out. Nasty looking untucked formal-ish shirts with trousers or jeans. Bleurgh......

I agree with your last comment Tulpe but think it's that look in general which is the issue. I loathe jeans with wedding shoes and those leather loafer styles a la Patrick Cox with buckles make me gag.

However, a shirt tucked into jeans would be an act of criminality surely?

Agree MM.

I think they can get away with untucked shirt with jeans if it is of Paul Smith calibre. Needs to be fitted but not tight and have proper shirt tails rather than bizarrely straight all round hem.

I'll admit, its a hard look to get right but done well, men can channel variations of this as opposed to the total horror which is the Jeremy Clarkson look

Also, second gag-vote for buckled loafers (salesman shoes), chunky black shoes which look like Clarks school shoes, extremely square toes, and anything which isn't re-soled and polished on a regular basis where required

later i will be posting pictures of a collection of bellies, for comment.

Your own, Jeeves?

Can't wait.