When you start going out with someone, you're supposed to do so because you're attracted to them and like them the way that they are. And it often starts out this way, but little by little the meddler in you rears its ugly head. Nothing is more demonstrative of this than the fashionista girlfriends that can be found leading their boyfriends around the high street, trying desperately to transform them into Topman mannequins. “But darling,” they cry, “this mandigan is so you! Just try it on, please?". Holding onto him carefully, lest he get lost in a sea of knitwear and plaid, these girlfriends see it as their sacred calling to guide their man to the perfect flannel shirt or desert boot.

This has got to stop. With the sheer amount of media coverage the industry gets today, we would be foolish to think that men do not know what is going on in fashion – maybe they just don’t all buy into it as whole-heartedly as we do. You can tell this simply from feeling the quality of a man’s t-shirt as opposed to a woman’s – they are usually better quality and made of thicker material, as men are seen to be more discerning consumers in terms of what they are actually spending their money on and how long it will last, no matter how ‘in’ it is. Also, just as there are different looks for girls, this also applies for men. If you would never be seen dead in vintage, don’t presume your man will want to look like he’s in some East London indie band if that’s really just not his style. This isn't to say that you shouldn’t encourage him to try out different clothes that would genuinely suit him; just make sure they’re still ‘him’.

Stereotypically, if men criticised and attempted to regulate the dress sense of their girlfriends, women would likely dissolve into such emotional chaos that the entire world would be filled with rampaging females thinking their men don’t like the way they look, and are therefore not only not attracted to them but potentially attracted to someone else, who looks different to how they do. The jungle fight scene in Mean Girls would only be the tip of the iceberg.

If you are so desperate to go out with someone who looks exactly how you’d want them to dress, either hire a male model to dress up now and then or choose who you fall in love with a lot more care. For now, just appreciate them for who they are and realise that mannequins aren’t all that great for cuddling into, tickling you and all the other perks of the men in our lives.