They’re plaguing our streets. They’ve crept out of our homes and into the public, infecting the eyes of everyone subjected to looking upon them.

Slovenly, lazy dressers. Everywhere you look, men stroll around like they’re kings of sloppiness in their sweats and pyjamas. And they look disgusting, like they’ve just rolled out of bed and crawled into the mall.

There’s no excuse for it. Loafing around in lounge clothing is for the comfort of your own home, not for showing off like a Rolex watch or a Mercedes.

What happened to perfectly pressed suits and shined shoes? Where are the dress shirts and ties? What’s wrong with a nice blazer and an ironed pair of chinos?

Looking back a mere 60 years you see style in its heyday. Men could walk with pride as they looked polished and clean cut. Out with their families and friends, no matter where, they looked like they deserved respect. They wore clothing that made them look important and this made all the difference.

People don’t get that respect in their sweat pants, and they’re wrong to expect it.

All it takes is a bit more effort in the mornings. Iron your shirt, even if it is just a T-shirt, and especially smooth out your chinos. A wrinkled pair of pants looks almost as lazy as sweat pants.

Sure, times have changed. We’re not listening to Frank Sinatra as much as we used to. Instead, we’re looking up to men like Wiz Khalifa, slouching around onstage in his baggy T-shirts. Justin Timberlake has made great strides for style but even he couldn’t influence our generation to suit up more often.

Our icons have changed and sadly, so has our style.

Thank God we’ve gained some class back with the popularity of television shows like Mad Men and late night hosts such as Jimmy Fallon. These guys and their outfit designers know what they’re doing. Men can look up to these guys and see a certain kind of fashion they should aspire to, beyond pure sloth.

It’s important to clean yourself up. We’ve all heard the saying, the clothes make the man and it’s not just something to brush off. What you wear is who you are and tells everyone what you’re about.

And let’s face it, none of us are rap superstars. People don’t know who we are at a glance. So do yourself a favour and show them why they should even give you the time of day.