The SRC can be a scary place. There are men grunting everywhere, and skinny girl’s sweating and bobbing their pony-tails. Actually, the entire thing is rather sexy, not scary. It would be a shame, men, to do all that lifting, grunting and sweating in Freshman year’s gym shorts and a cut-up Diamond-backs shirt, and therefore disappoint the beautiful ladies across the gym hoarding all the treadmills. Here are a few fashion tips for men in the gym:

1. Invest. Nice brands make nice materials, which look nice in the gym. Try Under Armor, Gore Tex or CoolMax. They’re pricier, but they last a long time, keep the body cool and look good too.

2. Shorts have gotten shorter and tighter. This doesn’t mean Lt. Dangle is the new fashion icon. It does mean that girls want to see the shape of that ass. “I’m a huge fan of the Mcenroe cute, as long as proper concealment measures are taken,” Jared Jorde, English literature senior. So without taking it too far (or too short), ease out of that gansta look, and try something a little bit more form fitting.

3. Cover Up. Although the he-man, cut-up shirt that bears everything from the shoulder to the belly button, used to be popular in the 80’s, it’s not now. Body builders and sumo wrestlers can pull this off. That’s about it.

4. Do a Smell (and sight) Test. The gym is kind of gnarly as it is; people are sweating on everything and making it stink. So please, don’t make the experience worse by wearing a shirt with five holes, yellow pit stains and yesterdays breakfast on the front. Don’t show up reeking of tequila and vomit. Don’t forget to put on deodorant, and bring it along just in case. If all else fails Jorde recommends taking what he calls an Italian shower “just douse yourself in axe.”

5. Be comfortable. It’s really obvious when a guy cares more about looking good then actually working out. So don’t overdo it. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing that are conducive to working out. It might seem like a good idea to wear that Armani jump suit, but it’s not. Imagine pit stains in fifteen minutes.

Reach the reporter at kahavens@asu.edu.