We have all made fashion errors now and again, but some fashion mistakes made by men are just unforgivable. If you want to make sure you don’t fall into the trap of the most flagrant fashion snafus, use a dash of common sense and follow these five simple rules:

ONE: Throw away the novelty neckties. OK, one or two crazy neckties are fine to drag out for family reunions, silly get-togethers, or Halloween. But have some mercy on the rest of us and them out of the boardroom or any other setting where you want to look respectable. The problem with novelties in clothing is that what is funny now, usually isn’t humorous for long.

TWO: Never, and I mean never, wear socks with sandals. This is a disturbing trend. Please don’t participate, this one it’s ok to sit out on. Please! Wearing socks with sandals is the quickest way I know of to look goofy. So if you want to look goofy, go ahead. But forewarned is forearmed. Save your sandals for the beach or around the house. Don’t take them to the office and never, never wear them with socks.

THREE: Always match your socks with your suit. When choosing socks, the basic rule is to consider the suit instead of the shoe—in other words, if you’re wearing a navy suit with black shoes, reach for navy socks. And when wearing a light suit, make sure the socks are darker than the suit but a shade or so lighter than the shoes.

FOUR: Stay away from in-your-face designer Labels. Do you want to be a walking advertisement? Only if someone is paying you lots of money for a very short period of time. Wearing those bold designer labels may tell others that you paid a lot for your clothes, but they are not typically a sophisticated look. Wearing designer’s names does not necessarily equate to stylish. Keep it understated and keep it simple.

FIVE: Tailor your suits as needed. Even the best suits need altering. Pants need to be shortened, jackets need to be brought in, sleeves need to be narrowed (yes, you can ask your tailor to slim down your sleeves), and buttons need to be realigned with buttonholes. Most guys’ shoulders aren’t perfectly even (who knows?!) meaning your jacket often sits on your shoulders slightly askew). Sure, buy your correct size but then have a tailor customize it to your body. It may not be a big difference but it will be the difference between being appropriately dressed and being stylishly dressed.