FASHION: TEN STEPS FOR SMART MEN
October 24, 2018
ELEANOR CHAMBESHI,LUSAKA
It can seem like there’s a lot to know about good style, and there is, at least if you want to be enrolled in its master class. But looking sharper than 99% of other guys is actually fairly simple and merely requires knowing and doing little stuff right. You know, the kind of stuff that can be encapsulated into short, easy-to-remember principles and adages.
Below you’ll find the best of the best of such tips: ten things (plus one extra) that you can be doing, right now, to make yourself look sharper.
1. Throw out or give away anything you haven’t worn in over a year.
You get two “beloved old favorite” exemptions here, as well as formal wear. Ruthlessly pitch or donate the rest.
2. Get everything adjusted.
Well, okay, not everything. But most things: nice pants, shirts, and jackets should all go to the tailor for adjustments, unless they came custom-tailored already.
Here’s what can and can’t be adjusted on your clothes.
3. Spend more money on less pieces of clothing.
Quality lasts longer than quantity, and you look better in it.
4. Shop for a suit in person.
Even if you don’t need one. Just get the experience of comparing jacket styles, fabrics, and cuts.
Make sure fit is your number one consideration.
5. There are more shoe colors than brown and black.
Colored leather and suede are fantastic shoe options. Get a little crazy with reds, blues, and grays. Don’t worry about matching a belt to each one — a black belt with gray shoes or a brown one with oxblood red is fine.
6. Trouser cuffs should “break” on the tops of your shoes.
That means they rest very lightly on the leather itself. You shouldn’t have a gap between your pants and your shoes.
7. Wear a pocket square.
Any time you’re wearing a jacket. No exceptions.
Check out our tips for rocking a pocket square, and how to make your own no-sew version.
8. Buy something in a pattern that occurs nowhere else in your wardrobe.
9. Next time you go to put on jeans, grab a pair of slacks or chinos instead.
Then make the rest of the outfit work with them.
Check out our guide to khakis, as well as our gallery on how Steve McQueen rocked his.
10. Belts or suspenders — pick one.
Never both at the same time but enjoy your new cool you and look out for the tips on how to look sharp and smart.
ELEANOR CHAMBESHI,LUSAKA
It can seem like there’s a lot to know about good style, and there is, at least if you want to be enrolled in its master class. But looking sharper than 99% of other guys is actually fairly simple and merely requires knowing and doing little stuff right. You know, the kind of stuff that can be encapsulated into short, easy-to-remember principles and adages.
Below you’ll find the best of the best of such tips: ten things (plus one extra) that you can be doing, right now, to make yourself look sharper.
1. Throw out or give away anything you haven’t worn in over a year.
You get two “beloved old favorite” exemptions here, as well as formal wear. Ruthlessly pitch or donate the rest.
2. Get everything adjusted.
Well, okay, not everything. But most things: nice pants, shirts, and jackets should all go to the tailor for adjustments, unless they came custom-tailored already.
Here’s what can and can’t be adjusted on your clothes.
3. Spend more money on less pieces of clothing.
Quality lasts longer than quantity, and you look better in it.
4. Shop for a suit in person.
Even if you don’t need one. Just get the experience of comparing jacket styles, fabrics, and cuts.
Make sure fit is your number one consideration.
5. There are more shoe colors than brown and black.
Colored leather and suede are fantastic shoe options. Get a little crazy with reds, blues, and grays. Don’t worry about matching a belt to each one — a black belt with gray shoes or a brown one with oxblood red is fine.
6. Trouser cuffs should “break” on the tops of your shoes.
That means they rest very lightly on the leather itself. You shouldn’t have a gap between your pants and your shoes.
7. Wear a pocket square.
Any time you’re wearing a jacket. No exceptions.
Check out our tips for rocking a pocket square, and how to make your own no-sew version.
8. Buy something in a pattern that occurs nowhere else in your wardrobe.
9. Next time you go to put on jeans, grab a pair of slacks or chinos instead.
Then make the rest of the outfit work with them.
Check out our guide to khakis, as well as our gallery on how Steve McQueen rocked his.
10. Belts or suspenders — pick one.
Never both at the same time but enjoy your new cool you and look out for the tips on how to look sharp and smart.