Starting this week it’s time to make a change in your closet and dress better. This isn’t about wearing dress slacks everywhere, but rather about being deliberate with your choices for the day.
- Shave every work day.
- Dress a bit nicer than the average co-worker.
- Dress like a man, not a boy.
- Throw out old clothes you wear in public.
Whatever your dress code is at work follow it and then dress half a step nicer to stand out just a little. Don’t go overboard; you just need to have neatly pressed shirts and pants of good material. Many good shirts are wrinkle-free. Don't look disheveled at work.
If you are over the age of 25, stop dressing like a teenager or college guy. This means dumping the shirts with the messages which were never clever in the first place, make sure your cargo shorts don’t look like you got them out of a wad when you put them on, and stop wearing sneakers everywhere, all of the time. Get some casual shoes to wear rather than just sneakers. [Show a little style by matching the color of your shirt to your casual shoes; women may make cracks about Geranimals, but that means they noticed. -VD]
Get a trash bag and sort through your closet this week donating anything which is old, threadbare, not nice for what it is, or doesn’t fit anymore. A t-shirt on Saturday is fine, but make sure it’s a good t-shirt (you know there are grades of the things), and not something that you mow the lawn in. You only need a handful of clothes for the gym and dirty work.
Make sure your accessories look good. Invest in an electric shoe polisher and use it occasionally. Check your belt to make sure the leather isn’t cracked. Put on a nice watch and good ring if you have it, but leave off gaudy jewelry.
It’s better to own seven good shirts than 20 old and worn-out shirts. Very few people, even at work will keep track of your clothes, but they will notice if you wear cheap or lousy clothes.
The main point is that whenever you are going to be around the public, make a little effort and wear appropriate, nice clothes. Not only will it give you confidence people will notice even if they don’t say anything.
31 comments:
If it comes to accessories, prefer classic look to garish or 'hip'. A random example:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/18mm-20mm-22mm-24mm-New-high-quality-stainless-steel-SHARK-mesh-bracelet-Diving-Watch/32346590551.html
Not necessarily the exact product, but this type of band is both durable and comfortable. Natural stainless steel color doesn't wear out from use.
Men of Style: The Zoli Guide for the Total Man
This book is a little dated but overall it is the best book I've ever seen on classic men's fashion. One update I'll make is that materials have increased in quality since the writing of this book and the author recommends only natural materials like cotton shirts, but today's microfiber shirts and "wrinkle free" clothes aren't the polyester of the 80s he doesn't like. Since classic, masculine, fashions for men change slowly the guidelines for building a wardrobe rather than a closet full of clothes are still applicable.
I know it's super girly, but Pinterest actually has some great men's fashion ideas if you're feeling at a loss.
See it like this: 1) All your work shirts should have functional buttons. 2) All your work pants should NOT be denim. 3) All your shoes should be a single colour.
That means polo shirts, chinos and loafers at minimum.
There's a lot of good stuff here, and some things I need to polish up (so to speak). One thing I did a while back was to set some absolute standards for myself on how to dress. For instance, I don't go out in public wearing shorts. I just won't (other than to the beach, I suppose). If I'm wearing shorts to mow the lawn, and I have to stop and run to the gas station for more gas, I put on trousers.
Now, let me be clear that I'm not saying every man should adopt my standards, as if wearing shorts means you're a man-child. That's my standard that works for me. Set your own standards, based on how you think the man you want to be would dress, and then stick to them.
Men need standards to live up to, and modern society doesn't give us any -- at least none worth having. So set your own, even in something as seemingly unimportant as what to wear on a beer run. It helps to remind you that you're a man, which is a lot of what becoming less Gamma and more Delta is about.
There are electric shoe polishers? I had no idea. Seems like cheating.
The top priority regarding clothes is: FIT
Every man will look better in a 100 dollar suit that fits than in a 2000 dollar suit that doesn't fit.
http://parisiangentleman.fr/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/before-and-after-together.jpg
I often work on Wall Street. I've recently noticed some men choosing to wear dress shorts to work. I had no idea this was a thing until the past few weeks. It looks horrible.
First rule: Don't beclown yourself. Keep it simple, keep it classic.
NEVER wear pink anything, even if you are 6'4'/250 and cut. There is no need to demean yourself.
If you need some visual help it won't hurt to start here.
As you browse the sartorialist archive mostly pay attention to the Italians and ignore the douchebags. Like these twats.
Pay attention to guys like this. This photo gives one of the main reasons Scott started the sartorialist. The subject of the photo is fat and bald. But he's a very well dressed fat bald man.
Do not look at this exercise as a monkey see monkey do kind of thing. Most people can't afford many of the clothes in these photos but not every photo has expensive clothes in it.
What you want to pay attention to is what looks good and why and think how you can apply the ideas to yourself. It isn't about buying expensive clothes, it's about using clothes in ways that look good on you.
Of course you will find other things in the archives.
Has anyone tried some of the outfitting services there like TrunkClub.com?
The premise being that you send a few photos of yourself and answer a few questions then they send you clothing that is sized and styled for you.
I think perhaps that this ship has long since sailed. In any public place it is extremely uncommon to see adult men below age 50 wearing a tucked in shirt.
I've recently noticed that wrist watches have also disappeared in men under 40. It is indeed a different world.
I think perhaps that this ship has long since sailed. In any public place it is extremely uncommon to see adult men below age 50 wearing a tucked in shirt.
I've recently noticed that wrist watches have also disappeared in men under 40. It is indeed a different world.
I am below aged 50. I never tuck in a polo that is designed to be untucked. I never wear a watch. I do tuck in dress shirts, though.
I think SevenOut OfSeven has it right.
Fit is paramount. No style looks good without fitting correctly. And, No, not fitting isn't a "style". Unless you're in high school.
I don't know if it's insecurity or denial or something else but wearing XL when you are a Medium is looks like you are wearing leftover sailcloth. Wearing a size smaller than you need to show off that you lift is just as pathetic. The scrawny guy isn't fooling anyone and the big guy will look big whatever he wears.
Dress like a grown-up. Watch how differently the world treats you.
Grow a beard.
Because you are neither a woman nor a child.
@swiftfoxmark2
Only make sure it's short and groomed rather than a long, unkempt soup-strainer.
I think perhaps that this ship has long since sailed. In any public place it is extremely uncommon to see adult men below age 50 wearing a tucked in shirt.
Yes? And? So?
Check out this red pill guy's blog. I appreciate his essentials list. Working on getting it myself.
http://masculine-style.com
^^^ I personally find masculine style to be generally a little poncy, but when my husband discovered the difference between high and low contrast and how it affects color choices in clothing it really upped his game. (Short version - if you're a pale skinned guy with dark hair you have high contrast coloring and look really sharp in things like navy suits with white shirts. If you have tannish skin with fair hair you have low contrast and would look better in a grey suit with a blue shirt of similar saturation.)
(Oh, and it's not that I think _he's_ poncy himself - he's just not dressed for my culture.)
A few annoying things for which I'd like useful input:
Finding a belt that lasts longer than six months. They all seem to crack pretty quickly, no matter how much you spend. What's with that?
How do you finding pants (of all kinds) that fit well in the waist when lifting weights and having your thighs get thicker?
Long sleeve fitting shirts, everytime.
Get the arm length right. Wearing a suit jacket? There should be around a centimeter of your shirt sleeve exposed from underneath the jacket sleeve.
It's hot? Doesn't matter, you can roll it up (don't roll it above elbows when not in casual situation, though). It always looks miles better than short-sleeved shirts.
Learn how to roll it properly as well - for starters, see something like http://content.artofmanliness.com/uploads//2013/09/Shirt-Sleeves-3-BLACK.jpg
Granted, your mileage may wary. This definitely looks good for athletic/slim body build (which you should strive for anyway).
>Michael Maier
Cracking might be due to the weather where you live in - I've still got a leather belt that is 8 years old, that I wear bi-daily, and it's got no cracks in it. Try rubbing some coconut oil on your belts every few weeks - it softens them up, and I believe it should prevent cracks from forming.
So a twink who likes bears is a twunk.....right?
But no matter how nice or sweet they act they out how evil they are. Bitches with these personality traits are subhuman.like this soon cannot hold their evil in.
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Michael Maier, you have to get your britches tailored. No way around that once you hit a certain level of physical development. I tried the big and tall store for awhile and it was a bust. I am 5'7" so maybe they do better for the tall? My walk around weight is 230 but nothing really fits unless it's tailored. I found one t shirt a few months back that fit all the way round, length, width, neck and arms but otherwise it's easier for my tailor to take in then let out so I buy clothes that are somewhat to large and he makes them fit.
Life is good when britches that fit over your quads are 2-4 inches to loose in the waist. Also I think a lot of issues regarding style go out the window when your neck is bigger then her thigh. I reckon this is more of an issue above the Mordor- Dixon line. We have a couple of super zip codes near by, and a town with a Ferrari etc dealership. I'm in and out of those places regularly and chicks don't seem as spun up about this kind of stuff, unless they are relatively new transplants and well all transplants should go swimming with 50 pounds of chain on their ankles.
Cargo shorts, work boots and underarmor shirts make up 80% of my casual wear.. Today, two girls, both much younger then me, one an 8 the other a 6, told me they admire my calves when I got off my bike. Cargo shorts, work boots and under armor shirts. Never a lack of interest
I don't shave. Get nothing but positive feed back on my beard and women seem to dig stubble. Mutton chops got the most positive feedback until they became more common. The more out of control my beard, the less feminine interest but the one's who are interested are pretty darn keen
I tuck in my shirt when I am in a suit. At work who is going to tell under the body armor? Off work? Style has changed. Seems to me I pull the interest of straight up bitches and old chicks when suited up. Not sure why that is. Doesn't seem like chicks pick up on more subtle displays of wealth when it comes to clothes and what not. Men do. Or maybe it's the chicks don't get into watches? My Calvin Kline suit seems as good as Armani on that front. Both a waste of money regarding feminine attention. Anyrate, why wear a watch when your cellphone has the time? I have a decent watch collection but watches seem redundant with cellphones. I only wear watches when I am suited up. Once a quarter, maybe
Awhile back on the YouTube are some video clips of super cars vs rat rods and which will pull the most feminine attention. Betas at my bar thought it would be the super car. They were wrong. I think some men's focus on style is the same sort of projection. Girls want to go out with fun guys and have. Not go out on a job interview. At a certain point formal attire says pretentious prick not super alpha power dude.
Most of this kind of stuff doesn't seem to apply once you hit a certain level of overt masculinity. A 19" neck and 20" gunz in a well fitted Harley Davidson t-shirt seem to work everywhere and in all settings
There is nothing masculine about masculine style blog; advice for the budding metrosexual?
I grow a bread during hunting season ("buck beard"), but don't want it otherwise. I've grown them before and found they become just as must work as shaving.
I work in a HQ of a large organization. Years ago, I bought suits and made the switch. Other than the very senior folks, no one wears suits daily.
The most remarkable change was how others respond while passing in the hallway or in other casual situations.
And if you think you can't afford suits, you can. You can go to a local Salvation Army, GoodWill, Community Aid store and browse. When grandpa dies, no one wants his suits anymore, so they give them to those organizations. You can get good quality, wool suits for cheap. Take it to a good tailor and get it tailored to you.
I bought suits at a men's store and the thrift shops. My wardrobe is about split (seven or eight of both types). The men's store suits are higher quality. However, only guys who wears suits daily for a long time can really spot the difference between a $1,000 suit and a $400 suit (the type you find for $15 at thrift shops). Most of those guys will not shrug if they see someone making the effort to look professional, but didn't spend thousands on a wardrobe.
One thing to remember when determining if a suit coat fits. The coat should stop about where you butt ends. Not inches higher, not inches lower. The rest can be fixed by the tailor.
University faculty are very interesting in this regard. There are, of course, dress codes. Administrators, department chairs and upwards, dress in business suits, often quite formal with wingtips even, but no fedoras or vests. Women facutly generally dress up, business casual, no tees, jeans or sneakers. Male faculty adopt student slob, perhaps to signal solidarity with the students, who mock them for it behind their backs.
@ Michael Maier A good concealed carry gun belt will last you forever. Go to tedblockerholsters.com. They make excellent belts. If you get one that is lined, add an inch to what you would normally buy to account for the thickness. Use Murphy’s Oil Soap and/or coconut oil to keep it in good shape.
Some of the things that I have done over the years that have helped are pretty simple.
1. Find a good barber, and get your hair cut at every 6 weeks or so.
2. Unless you are working outside or going to a sporting event, ditch the ballcaps.
3. Unless you are participating in a sporting event or doing manual labor, ditch the t-shirts as well, especially the ones with logos. Stick with solid tees. Always have a black t-shirt to wear with a black suit should you have the occasion to meet with co-conspirators for a fun night in Paris.
4. 90% of the time, wear a shirt with a collar. Fit is the most important. If you wear your shirts untucked, make sure the tail hangs at least an inch or two above the crotch. Any longer, and you look like you’re wearing a muumuu. When you tuck your shirt in, learn how to do it properly. Any Marine can teach you how. Buy fitted shirts whenever possible. If you can afford it, have the rest altered by a tailor. It’s really not that expensive.
5. If you wear khakis, upgrade to wool year-round slacks. They are more expensive, but last three times as long. Jeans should be dark denim, no holes or fancy back pocket stiches. Starch and iron. Unless you are engaged in some sort of activity that requires lots of pockets, ditch the cargo pants/shorts. If you wear shorts, upgrade to khaki shorts.
6. Leather shoes and boots, with leather soles. When you have to get them resoled you can upgrade to thin rubber soles. Polish at least every Saturday night. A good pair of shoes or boots should last you 7-10 years. Work boots are for work, athletic shoes are for sports. Flip-flops are for the beach and the pool. Toes are like an uncircumcised penis. No one wants to see that in public.
7. Digital watches are for lifting days to time between sets. Get a watch with a clockface and a leather or metal band.
8. If you have young boys, start them early. After about 8 or 9, quit buying t-shirts with logos. Even if you are just running to the store, make them put on a shirt with a collar. You’re never too young to start dressing like a man.
Some might or not buy paper towels. old clothes make fair rags for car repairs, work benches and clean ups.
Tan or dark blue sandals/loafers, teal, green and varied blue dress shirts are interesting.
Wanna get out of jury duty? Just do the opposite of this post. Add in a little surliness and you're out of jury duty by 9:30.
Reference- I had jury duty this week.
@Ton
Perhaps it's only a force of habit speaking, but a good watch (sapphire glass face) withstands much more punishment than a phone. It also doesn't require frequent charging, and can be left on during the bath or while in bed. I take it off once a year to change the battery, it's practically a part of me otherwise.
It really is interesting to be able to learn all the different things that can be done to ensure that someone is getting the most out of their work clothing. I personally agree that being willing to dress a step above everyone else can be a great way to be an eye catcher. Hopefully this will be something that helps those who are struggling with finding the best ways to keep looking great and feeling great. Thank you for sharing. https://www.progarment.com/category-s/2080.htm
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