From time to time I will have friends or acquaintances or friends of a friend ask me some sort of derivative of the following question:
“I have recently (started a new job/decided to update my wardrobe/been given money for new clothes/had my lady tell me to shape up or ship out), and I would like to know some guidelines on what clothes to buy, where to buy them, and what is in style right now. Can you help?”
Twice in the past few weeks I have taken on a task like this and led me to think about what would be best to offer someone who is looking for a crash-course in style. That led me to sit down and write my fifteen essential style rules. Some of these are completely my own, some have been stolen from other places, and some are a melding of philosophies taken from conversations, books, magazines, etc.
This will not say anything about what you should buy, but rather how a man should approach style – always with confidence. So without further ado…
1. Forget the rules. Style has nothing to do with rules or even guidelines, but rather how you choose to express yourself to people you see everyday.
2. Having style or being well-dressed is not about being noticed – it’s about the subtleties
3. No style is inherently wrong, but there will usually be only one style that is right for you. Embrace it.
4. Everything you are ever going to wear has been worn before (unless you are a runway model), so find a way to be original or unique. It could be in your socks, your tie, wearing something vintage, your accessories, etc.
5. Knowing how to dress for your body type and for your job are two of the most important points of reference from which to begin.
6. Manners and etiquette are as much a part of style as clothes will ever be.
7. Similarly, style is not just about what you wear, it is also about how you treat and take care of your body. Grooming is important.
8. It’s always better to be overdressed than underdressed.
9. Most people can’t invest money in the very expensive, elegant items – but investing time and care into what you do have will make those you do own last just as long.
10. The hierarchy: When deciding what to wear on any given occasion, my rules are: Host/Hostess/Event Type trumps Climate, which trumps Season, which trumps Personal Preference
11. Get measured. Everywhere
12. When it comes to keeping a good closet, follow this cycle: Acquire, maintain, keep (for a reasonable time), purge, repeat.
13. The only accessories a man needs are a watch, sunglasses and wedding ring. Pocket square, cufflinks and tie-bar are acceptable but not required.
14. “You judge a man by the shoes on his feet.” There is something to be said that there is no other phrase like this discussing other things men wear.
15. A quote to live by:
“Fashions fade. Style is eternal” – Yves St. Laurent
I hope this helps. And for more on my philosophy towards style, check out the About section at the top of the page.
