BGtDB[1]

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Before we begin, the obligatory legal stuff...

Copyright This E-book is protected under international Copyright laws, and all rights are reserved. That includes resale rights: You’re not allowed to give or sell this Guide to anyone else. If you’ve received this puiblication from anyone other than sellfy.com or restartyourstyle.com, you’ve received a pirated copy. Please notify us via e-mail at restartyourstyle.com and notify us of the situation. A lot of work went into the creation of this book. I don’t even know how many hours I spent writing, taking pictures, creating illustration, etc. That means this work has value, and people will want to share it. You have a right to use this book on your system, and your system only. If your friends think the information inside this Guide is valuable enough to ask you for it, they should think it’s valuable enough to buy a copy for themselves. It’s not that expensive, after all. Copyright © 2014 Robert van Tongeren. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Disclaimer Much of this guide is based on years of personal experience, research and anecdotal evidence. The author has made every attempt to ensure the content in this guide is accurate, however, he assumed no responsibility for errors or omissions. You should use the information in this book as you see fit and at your own risk. Your specific situation may not be exactly suited to the examples illustrated within this guide. If they’re not the same, you should adjust your use of the information and recommendations accordingly. Any trademarks, service marks, product names or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if we use one of these terms. Finally, use your head. Nothing in this Guide is intended to replace common sense, legal, medical or other professional advice, and is meant to inform and entertain the reader. So have fun with this Beginner’s Guide to Dressing Better and start looking your best self.

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Copyright & Disclaimer ....................................................................................................................... 1 Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................. 3 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 1: The First Thing to Do ....................................................................................................... 13 Chapter 2: The First Item to Get ........................................................................................................ 20 Chapter 3: The Versatile Wardrobe .................................................................................................... 23 Chapter 4: The Importance of Good Fit ............................................................................................. 36 Chapter 5: The Right Clothes for Your Body-Type ........................................................................... 45 Chapter 6: The Necessity of Checking the Label............................................................................... 55 Chapter 7: The Affordable Way to Rebuild Your Wardrobe .............................................................. 60 Chapter 8: The Shopping Preparations That Save Your Future Self Countless Hours ...................... 66 Chapter 9: The Basics of Wearing T-Shirts with Style ....................................................................... 76 Chapter 10: The Wardrobe Foundation .............................................................................................. 83 Chapter 11: The Upgrading Technique .............................................................................................. 95 Chapter 12: The Basics of Wearing Shirts with Style ..................................................................... 104 Chapter 13: The Value of a Good Tailor .......................................................................................... 118 Chapter 14: The One Question to Ask Yourself Before Finding Your Style .................................... 126 Chapter 15: The Easiest Way to Create Kick-Ass Clothing Combinations ..................................... 133 Chapter 16: The Basics of Wearing Sweaters with Style ................................................................. 146 Chapter 17: The Basics of Layering................................................................................................. 153 Chapter 18: The One Thing to Do After Buying New Clothes ........................................................ 161 Chapter 19: The Basics of Wearing Stylish Jeans ............................................................................ 164 Chapter 20: The Improv Technique That Deals With “Funny” Friends .......................................... 172 Chapter 21: The Basics of Wearing Chinos with Style ................................................................... 178 Chapter 22: The Supporting Pieces and the Statement Pieces ......................................................... 183 Chapter 23: The 4 Basic Shoes You Want to Consider .................................................................... 191 Chapter 24: The Choice of a Belt or Suspenders ............................................................................. 199 Chapter 25: The Basics of Wearing Blazers with Style ................................................................... 203 Chapter 26: The Right Choice of Outerwear ................................................................................... 211 Chapter 27: The Worry-Free Way to Wear Color ............................................................................ 222 Chapter 28: The Patterns That Will Flatter You Most ...................................................................... 227

Page |5 Chapter 29: The 6 Most Basic Accessories for Men ........................................................................ 236 Conclusion: Where to Go From Here .............................................................................................. 244

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Hi, I’m Robert.

And first off, I want to thank you for buying this guide. I’ve thought about writing this guide ever since I first launched my blog, Restart Your Style. I’m both excited and nervous to finally share it with you. I wanted to write this guide, because I know what it’s like to be in those early stages of building a new lok for yourself. I know the

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frustration of not knowing where to begin and the confusion of all this style information presented to you. I know what it’s like. And I know, the one thing I wish I had back then was something that would tell me exactly what to focus on, and explain it in a way that I understood. The one main thing I wanted for this guide was for it to be clear and accessible, to anyone who wanted to learn more about style — even if they had never opened a fashion magazine in their life.

Who This Guide Is For This guide is for you if you just started to learn about style and want to speed up the process, or if you've been trying to make sense of it for a while, but can't make it work. Like I said, I wrote this guide because I know how frustrating and confusing it can be to be a beginner at this. I know what it feels like to go through tons of information, and feeling like you just don’t get it. But I also know it’s not your fault.

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Most Resources Aren't Aimed at Beginners Most fashion sites and magazines are aimed at guys who already know how to dress. When somebody writes a piece for one of these resources, their aim isn’t to teach you how to dress. Their aim is to inform fashionable people what’s in and out of style this season. They assume the person reading it already has a basic sense of style. They assume you already have the basic sense to know how to rock those pieces stylishly. But you don't. You don't get it yet. And the problem is, that most of the people giving this advice don't know what it's like not to get it. Most of them have always had an interest in fashion and they dress on instinct. They're unable to step into your shoes. But I can.

I Know What It's Like to Be a Beginner I spent the first 23 years of my life dressed like an idiot.

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Seriously, I looked ridiculous, and I didn't even realize it at the time. In fact, I thought the way I dressed was pretty cool, and it wasn't until I decided my style needed a change that I realized how far off I had been all my life. And once I learned how dreadful my personal style was, stepping that shit up became my new mission. But I was blind, and had no sense of direction. And I struggled to make any progress for a long-ass time. I was dressing differently, but not any better. Things just didn't click in my head, and I wondered if style was just something you're either born with or not.

Why Dressing Well Seems Harder Than it Is

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The internet presents you with so much information, which you'd think would help. But rather than give you a path to follow, it gives you a maze. And it's full of dead ends. Because most of the advice you find will lead you nowhere, until you've developed a basic sense of style. Which is exactly what most guys lack. It was what I lacked. But after a long period of trial and error, I discovered what was important. I discovered what to focus on, and now I realize, dressing well is actually quite easy.

And at that time, I also discovered what a profound effect it had on

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how I felt about myself and how other people treated me. I suddenly caught girls glimpsing in my direction, and diverting their glance when I looked back, which felt like a complete reversal of roles. And when you get there, I’m sure you’ll have similar experiences. You just need to understand a few key concepts. And once you have a grasp on those, everything else will click.

Dressing Well Is Much Easier Than You Think You just need someone to guide you in the right direction. Because when you focus on the right things, your style will evolve very quickly. And my beginner's guide will help you with that.  It will simplify the key concepts of dressing well, so even the most uninformed can understand  It cuts out all the bullshit that doesn't matter, and focuses only on stuff that has actual impact  It gives you steps to follow, so you learn what you need to know, when you need to know it My guide will save you the years of trial and error that I went through. It will save you the money I wasted on crappy clothes. It

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will destroy the maze, and give you a clear path to follow.

How to Use This Guide If you're the kind of guy who just wants to read, without taking action, then this guide isn't for you. This guide is for guys who are serious about taking their style to the next level and who are ready to take action. This guide is for guys who want to use what they learn, because that’s the only way you’ll ever make progress. You have to resist the urge to read through all the chapters all at once. This guide is not meant to be read that way. This guide is meant to be read over a long period of time, one chapter at a time. Because every chapter in this guide will come with a small action step you'll need to take.

Every Step Is Important Some may seem small or insignificant. Sometimes you’ll feel like you understand the information in the chapter without taking the action step.

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Do it anyway. Every step, no matter how seemingly small or insignificant, will help you develop your eye for style, build your wardrobe, or deal with (future) roadblocks. And the best way to ingrain the lessons in this guide is by taking the steps accompanying them.

By the time you finish the last step, you’ll not only have a bunch of cool new clothes, and you’ll not only be armed with the knowledge you need to keep working on your styler, but you’ll have sharpened your instinct for outfits that work and outfits that don’t. You’ll be better equipped to pick an outfit without relying on this guide to help you.

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But you need to take the steps. Don’t read through thsi guide like you do any other book. Take the action step at the end of each chapter before you move on to the next. Resist the urge to speed through the chapters and get to the end. Take your time. Take the steps. Take your time to finish them before you move on to the next chapter. You’ll only hurt your progress by taking on too much at the same time. Just focus on one chapter at a time. Many guys want to learn everything in an instant, but if you just focus on one lesson at a time, your understanding will be much greater. So I hope you heed my advice, and take the steps. Because I’m tired of babbling. And it’s time for you to take the first one.

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As we grow up, we pick up habits. And these habits ingrain themselves into our minds, and once they’re picked up, they’re hard to shake. Unfortunately, most of us pick up a lot of bad style habits. And we often fail to realize that they’re bad. In fact, when somebody tells us to do them differently, we feel reluctant to do so.

Your Life of Collecting Bad Style Habits You begin building your bad style habits when you are young, and your mom is still buying your clothes. Moms, though they mean well, rarely have a lick of sense when it comes to male style. And you think that it doesn’t matter much when you’re a boy, but again, this is when your habits start shaping. A lot of what you learn about dressing at that age will stick. Of course, you’ll change the way you dress later in life. You’ll have new influences, like friends and media, and by then you get to

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choose your own clothes. But we don’t always change our style for the better, because we never learned how to dress properly in the first place. By the time you turn 16, you’ll already have picked up a plethora of bad style habits. And your idea of what “dressing well” looks like has been warped by many bad influences. You may think it’s all about picking the right colors, or all about staying on trend. In both cases, you’d be wrong.

And You’re Not to Blame! Because while you were taught how to dress. Nobody ever taught you how to dress well. Our mom means well, but doesn’t understand male style. And the modern dad is often just as clueless as we are. And as for our friends, they have no idea what they’re doing either. You may have a couple of friends who are great dressers, but chances are they couldn’t even explain how they do it. They’re the lucky ones who just have a natural eye.

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You Need to Forget Everything You Think You Know So what I want you to do before we continue, is to forget everything you think you know about style. Everything! Okay, so don’t forget how to put on pants, or how to tie your shoes, but everything you think you know about fit, colors, putting clothes together, fabrics, price, quality, trends, or whatever else — forget it. In this guide we’re going to start from scratch. You have to be a blank slate, and look at everything as if you hear it for the first time — especially the stuff you think you already know about, because that’s often where our bad habits hide. Become a blank slate, and you’ll find your style will improve drastically. This way you’ll open yourself up to actually learn.

How My Style Took a Drastic Turn For the Better I spent years trying to step up my style.

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 I tried following fashion blogs  I tried wearing more color  I tried copying looks I saw in fashion magazines  I tried wearing popular brands  I tried following the trends I tried and tried, but nothing I tried made a lot of difference. I wore different clothes, but they still didn’t look right. I wondered if this was just something you either had in you, or you didn’t. And during that time, I gave up multiple times. (I should note I also hadn’t defined my “why”) But then, one day I found an article online that changed everything. This article finally opened my eyes. It showed my what I had been doing wrong all this time, and why nothing I tried ever seemed to work. It showed me that I was messing up on the fundamentals. It showed me I was trying to do college-level algebra without knowing basic math. This article was about fit, of all things.

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I thought, at age 23, if nothing else, I knew how clothes should fit. But my perspective was skewed. I always worked under the subconscious idea that I should fit into my clothes. But it’s the other way around. You clothes should fit on you. That single realization was the catalyst for a tornado of change in my style. I decided to stop reading fashion blogs, magazines, and whatever else. I decided to act like I was a blank slate and focus completely on learning the basics. And then, I finally saw improvements. Then, my style sense developed so quickly that I realized what a waste of time those previous years were. I felt like I had blinders on all my life, and someone finally took them off. I could finally see the big picture.

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I could finally see how the most basic fixes often had the most drastic results.

Become a Blank Slate You have to become a blank slate if you want to learn. You have to forget everything you think you know. You have to be open to the possibility that your ideas of doing something right may not be right at all. This guide will take you through the basics. It won´t teach you everything, but it will teach you what´s most important. It will teach you the little fixes that have the biggest impact on your style. And when you have those under control, you can keep building from there. But for now, just forget. Action Step: Write down everything you think you know about dressing well on a

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piece of paper. Accept everything you just wrote down may be wrong. Then ball up your piece of paper and throw it in the trash. Or better yet, burn it. This action step is symbolic. The rest won’t be.

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How do you check your look every day before you walk out the door? How do you see if you’ve made a wise choice? Do you even check at all? If you’re like most guys (who live without female company), you’ll only have a bathroom mirror to check yourself with. But the problem with bathroom mirrors is that you can only see yourself from the top half of your torso and up. They don’t show you your full body. So how are you gonna check your outfit? You just look down at yourself, right? But the problem with that method is that you can’t judge your true proportions looking down at yourself. You don´t see how it looks from other people´s perspective. So really, you´re just guessing.

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Because when you check your outfit, you want to look at it the same way other people are gonna look at it.

So What Do You Need? If you don’t already own one, you need a full-body mirror. Otherwise, you can never truly check whether the outfit you selected is a wise choice. You can never truly check whether the clothes you put together create an appealing look. The only way you can do so, is if you have a full-body mirror. Because with a full-body mirror, you can judge your whole outfit, looking at it from the same perspective as other people. I mean, just think about that for a second. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Action step: Go and get yourself a full-body mirror. They’re not that expensive. You don’t need to get a very fancy one.

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You just need one that you can see your full body in. When you get one, you want to put it somewhere near your wardrobe. That way, you can get dressed and check your outfit right away. And if you don’t like, you change it immediately. Seriously guys, this is something you want. And you’ll be needing it to complete the action steps in later chapters. Do not skip.

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Most guys when they go clothes shopping follow one of two methods: 1. They look for items they like 2. They look for items they can wear together as an outfit But while the second method is more effective than the first, you can still be smarter about it. You just have to take it one step further, and look for items that you can wear with all the clothes you already own. You have to stop clothes-shopping, and you have to stop outfitshopping. You have to start wardrobe-shopping. That doesn’t mean you have to collect an entire wardrobe in one go. You just have to keep your existing wardrobe in mind every time you go shopping. You don’t want clothes you can only wear with one or two other pieces. You want to clothes you can wear with as many pieces in your wardrobe as possible.

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You have to stop thinking of your clothes as separate pieces, and think of them as pieces of a bigger puzzle.

Treating Your Wardrobe Like a Puzzle Most guys have no shortage of clothes in their wardrobe, but most of the ones they have don’t look great together. They can only create a couple of good outfits with them. Their clothes are like puzzle pieces, but all from different puzzles. They don’t click together. You want all your clothes to belong to the same puzzle. You want them to click together.

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The more other pieces in your wardrobe your clothes click with, the more outfits you can create with them. So how can you make sure of this?

Versatility is Key To build a wardrobe that clicks, you need a lot of versatile pieces. Versatility in the world of style means you can wear an item with a wide selection of other clothes. The more versatile your clothes are, the more other pieces they click with. The more versatile clothes you have, the more clothingcombinations you can create. And to make this as simple for you as possible, I created a grading system you can use to judge the versatility of clothes.

The Grades of Versatility This grading system will help you figure out which clothes are the most versatile, and which are the least.

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Note: I created this system specifically for beginners, and a lot of it assumes you don’t know how to match colors and/or patterns yet. You can use it to pair clothes without worrying you’re doing either of those wrong. To decide the grade of an item, you need to determine where the piece falls on the following spectrum:

 Neutral clothes are achromatic; meaning they lack color. They are white, grey or black. Neutral clothes match with almost everything. In the fashion world, khaki and navy are often considered neutral as well.  Colored clothes are chromatic; meaning they have color. Colors can clash, so you shouldn’t combines them unless you know what you’re doing.

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 Solid clothes have only have one color throughout. Solids can be matched with other solids, or patterned clothing.  Patterned clothes are clothes with stripes, checks or whatever other pattern you can think off. Like with colors, you shouldn’t combine them unless you know what you’re doing. You can use these four characteristic to determine their grade of versatility; grade A being the most versatile, and grade D being the least.

Grade A: Solid & Neutral Solid and neutral clothes are the most versatile pieces you can buy.

Wear them with whatever you want.

Grade B: Solid & Colored Solid and colored clothes are a bit less versatile, because you can’t pair them to all other colors.

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Wear them with:  Grade A clothes  Grade C clothes  Grade B clothes in the same color family (i.e. dark-red with light-red) (Note: Only match them with other Grade B clothes if you know how to color match)

Grade C: Patterned & Neutral Patterned and neutral clothes are similar to grade B’s, because you can’t pair them with all other patterns.

Wear them with:  Grade A clothes  Grade B Clothes

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(Note: Only match them with other Grade C’s if you know how to mix patterns)

Grade D: Patterned & Colored Patterned clothes in chromatic colors are the least versatile, because you have to keep both the pattern, as well as the color in mind when pairing them.

Wear them with:  Grade A clothes  Grade B clothes in the same color family (Note: See previous two notes)

How to Use the Grades to Build a Wardrobe That Clicks Like I mentioned before, you want to build a wardrobe that has as many clicking pieces as possible.

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And which type of clothes click with the most? Grade A’s. So you collecting a bunch of grade A clothes should be your top priority. And when you have a bunch of those, you move on to grade B’s. And then grade C’s. And then grade D’s. This way, when you get your first grade B item, you’ll already have a bunch of grade A’s you can wear it with. And when you move on to grade C’s, you can wear them with both the grade A’s and the grade B’s you previously collected. If you’d go after the grade D’s from the start, you won’t be able to create a lot of outfits. You work your way up the scale, so with each new purchase, you’ll already have clothes to wear it with.

Always Keep your Wardrobe in Mind When you Go Shopping When you have collected a nice bunch of clothes, you’ll want to keep your wardrobe in mind every time you go shopping.

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You want to take a peek at what you have, even before you leave the house. You have to think to yourself what kind of piece would make a nice addition. And then you go on the look-out for it. Say, for example, you have the following clothes in your wardrobe:  White T-shirt  Grey T-shirt  White shirt  Light-green shirt  Grey sweater  Khaki pants  Army-green pants  Grey Jacket

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That gives you about 48 possible combinations to create already. (2 T-shirts) x (2 Shirts + 1 No-Shirt Option) x (1 Sweater + 1 No Sweater Option) x (2 pants) x (1 jacket + 1 No Jacket Option) You then can take that number up to 72 by adding another sweater. You already have some grade A clothes, and we also have some grade B’s. So let’s add a grade C sweater to the mix.

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As you can see, you can wear it with everything else in your wardrobe (save for your other sweater). Now, let’s add a grade D item. How about a purple striped T-shirt?

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Well, you have to ask yourself, “Can I wear that with my grade B clothes?” But we’re not getting into color matching now. So for now, just keep it in the same color family, and go for another green pattern instead.

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Action step: Go through your existing wardrobe, and create different piles for each versatility grade. Then, combine outfits based on everything you just learned, and see how they look in front of your full-body mirror. Then, scroll back up to see which combination you can and cannot make. See how they look in front of your full-body mirror.

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To become a better dresser, you need to learn to get one thing right, above all others. Fit. Unless you get the fit right, anything else you try will be fruitless. Sadly though, most guys have a terribly poor grasp on how clothes should fit. It is the single biggest and most-critical mistakes that most guys make. And I was one of them. The moment I learned how critical this was to looking good in your clothes, my style started advancing in strides.

Bad Fit Will Ruin Everything No matter what you try, the wrong fit will ruin your look. You can get everything else right, but it won’t matter. Bad fit makes everything look bad.

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Many guys wear ill-fitting clothes to hide body issues. But in doing so, they only exaggarate or call attention to them. Guys who are packing a bit of weight, for example, often try to hide their girth by wearing larger clothes. But the result is that they look even bigger. At the opposite side, we have skinny guys who try to hide their skinniness by wearing larger clothes. But the result is that they look like they can’t even fill out their own clothes. Wearing clothes in the right fit shows you’re comfortable and confident in your own body. Whatever your body-type, bad fit makes everything look bad.

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Fit Comes First Make it your new style mantra: “Fit comes first.” Every time you’re trying on new clothes, fit should be the first thing you check. Nothing matters, unless it fits. Fit comes first. Period. If you could only take away one lesson from this guide, this would be the lesson to take away.

How Clothes Should Fit So how do you know when clothes fit you right? Well, first you need to erase the idea that everything you fit into fits the bill. Your clothes fit when they look like they were made specifically with your body in mind. They should not be too small, nor too large. It

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should drape over your body without stretching or billowing. The general rule is that you want the fabric to follow your body closely, while giving you enough room to move around comfortably.

So when you try on clothes, always move around to see if your movement isn’t restricted in any way.

Quick Overview of Fit Guidelines

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We’ll cover how to check for fit in greater detail and with visual aids in later chapters. We’ll tackle each item separately, so you’re not overwhelmed with information. But you can use these guidelines to quickly check the clothes you have right now.

T-shirts  Shoulder seams should rest on the edge of your shoulders; not on top of them and not over them.  T-shirts should end about half-way past your zipper.  When you raise your arms sideways, you expose no more than an inch of your belly.

Shirts  Shoulder seams, like the ones on T-shirts, should rest on the edge of your shoulders.  The cuffs of your shirt should end at the dimple of your wrist.  There’s no stretching of fabric around the chest or the buttons.  When you tuck the shirt in, there is no excessive billowing around the waist.  You can fit two fingers between the collar and your neck; no

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more and no less.

Pants / Jeans  Your pants should feel comfortable around the waist. They should not fall down when wearing them without a belt, but they shouldn’t be pinching your waist either.  The front of your pants leg should have a slight break, where it meets your shoes.  The back of your pant leg should just end between half-way down your heel to the top of your shoe’s sole.  Your pants should feel comfortable, even when you bend your legs. Squat to make sure.

Blazers  The shoulder seams should rest at the edge of your shoulder, and the jacket shouldn’t have indents below the seam.  Your lapels should lie flat against your chest and the buttons should hang close to your stomach.  Cuffs of your shirt should protrude about a quarter to half an inch from the jacket’s sleeves, when you’re standing with arms hanging by your side.

 When your top button is closed, the jacket should show no X-

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shaped stretching.  The jacket should just about cover your butt.

Finding Clothes that Fit Unfortunately, finding clothes that fit perfectly is hard. Hell, it´s next to impossible for most guys. The problem is that clothing chains mass-manufacture clothes in one specific cut, and if it’s ill-suited for you, you’re out of luck. So finding a perfect-fitting shirt off the rack is extremely rare. Well, that sucks, right? I just convinced you this is the all-important thing to get right, and now I’m telling you getting it right is impossible. So what are you supposed to do? Well, you have to get them as close as possible, and then bring them to a tailor to get them perfect. But that’s a topic for a later chapter. Action Step:

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Go through your wardrobe, and try on everything in front of your full body mirror. Go through each of the checks listed above and see which clothes pass the test and which ones fail miserably. Throw the worst offenders in a bag, and donate them to charity. If you have clothes that mostly fit well, but fail in a few areas, keep them around. You may be able to save them by having them tailored. After you’ve tried everything in your wardrobe, go out to a crowded area and look at what other guys are wearing. You’ll note that most of them are doing it wrong as well. And hell, look at women too. Generally, women have a far better grasp on proper fit, but plenty of them are as clueless as men. See if you can spot them. Note: In case you think donating all those clothes is wasteful, let me assure you it’s not. Our aim for you to dress better. To do that, you’ll likely have to stop wearing most of the clothes you currently wear, especially the ill-fitting ones.

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And since keeping unworn clothes is pointless and only clutters up your wardrobe, you should get rid of them. At least when you donate them to charity, they’re of some use. Trust me, as you make progress on your new wardrobe, you won’t miss them at all. In fact, after a while, you’ll likely get rid of most clothes you currently own.

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We all come in different shapes and sizes. I’m tall and skinny, my best friend is about the shortest guy I know, and you could be something else entirely. But what we all have in common is that we should all dress in a way that’s most flattering to our body-type. That means skinny guys should follow a different set of rules than heavy guys. And tall guys should follow a different set of rules than short guys.

Show The World You’re Comfortable in Your Own Body I know for some guys that seems a bit much to ask at this moment. We like to pretend insecurities are just for girls, but as men, we have our own distinct set of body issues. But the worst thing you could do is try to pretend you’re something you’re not.

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That just shows off your insecurity, which is very off-putting. Instead, you want to show the world you understand the body you have, you accept it, and you feel comfortable being who you are. You want to show everyone you know how to work with what you’ve got. You want to show them your body doesn’t control how they perceive you, but you do. You’re the one in control. Doesn’t matter that you’re heavy, skinny, tall or short, you want to show them you know how to make yourself look sharp.

Guidelines for Tall Men Tall men have it fairly easy. Tallness is mostly seen as a positive trait, but you want to avoid creating a towering presence, because this can make people uncomfortable. Try to keep the following guidelines in mind: 

Imagine someone’s gaze tracking your height from your shoes to your eyes. Aim to interrupt their gaze several times.

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 Break up your outfit by wearing clothes that contrast, e.g. khaki pants with navy blazer.  Wear horizontal details like belts, pocket-squares, or stripes.  Avoid vertical stripes, as they’ll exaggerate your length, which will create a looming effect.

Guidelines for Short Men Common advice for short guys is that they should aim to dress taller. I hate to break the news that this is impossible. However, you can downplay your shortness.

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Try to keep the following guidelines in mind: 

Imagine someone’s gaze tracking your height from your shoes to your eyes. You want their gaze to follow a smooth path, with as few interruptions as possible.

 Avoid cutting yourself in half by wearing legwear and topwear that matches in color and shade, e.g. Grey pants with grey jacket.  Add vertical details to your outfit to help their gaze along. Think: pinstripes, ties or suspenders.  Avoid horizontal lines as much as you can, as they’ll interrupt

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the gaze. Never wear horizontal stripes.  Wear high-rise pants and jeans to downplay the shortness of your legs. 

Ensure your pants fit snugly in the crotch area. Too much room here will exaggerate the shortness of your legs.

 Avoid outfits that blend in too much. You want to call attention to yourself, even when you’re in a group of larger men.

Guidelines for Skinny Men The main idea for skinny guys is that you want to wear clothes that fit snugly, but also add visual heft to your frame. Try to keep the following guidelines in mind:  Wear slim fits that follow your frame snugly, but without

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restricting your ability to move around freely. You should be able to move your arms and legs around without feeling the fabric stretch. 

Avoid clothes that are too large for you. Any amount of billowing exaggerates your skinniness, and makes you look like you can’t fill out your own clothes.

 Wear thick, textured fabrics; they’ll add physical heft to your frame.  Wear checks or horizontal stripes; they’ll add visual heft to your frame.  Overlap fabrics by layering, or wearing double-breasted items.  Avoid wearing all your clothes in the same color and shade (especially black). This will exaggerate your skinniness. Try and layer different colors and shades over each other.

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 Pay attention to your sleeves. You want your arms to fill them up.  Wear jackets with shoulder padding to create the impression of broader shoulders.

Notes for Heavy Men Heavy men should simply avoid all clothes that exaggerate their girth. Try to keep the following guidelines in mind:  Wear clothes in a looser fit, but not so loose that they’re baggy. Baggy clothes will make you look larger than you are.  Wear pants at your natural waistline, and avoid the muffin-top effect. You want your pants to drape over your belly, rather than have your belly fall over them.

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 Wear suspenders rather than a belt. Seriously, you’ll thank me. 

Wear jackets. They call attention away from your belly and up to your chest. (See image below) But avoid jackets that go straight down, because they’ll make you look boxy. Go for jackets with a slight taper at the waist.

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 Wear solid clothes. Patterns will curve along with your body and accentuate its rounded shape. Only wear patterns in small doses, like on your tie or pocket square.  Avoid short sleeves when you can. Your naked arms will call attention to your midsection.

What About Contradictions? Men who fall into two of these groups may sometimes find contradicting guidelines. For example, if you’re short and skinny. The short man’s notes say to avoid horizontal stripes, while the skinny man’s notes says to wear them.

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Or if you’re tall and heavy. The tall man’s notes say to wear horizontal stripes, while the heavy man’s notes say to avoid patterns. In these cases, always avoid. When you’re short and skinny, horizontal stripes will exaggerate your shortness more than downplay your skinniness. When you’re tall and heavy, horizontal stripes will exaggerate your girth more than they will break up your length. Action Step: Easy this time. Look at yourself in front of the mirror, and determine your body-type. Then, go through you closet, and determine which of your clothes follow the guidelines mentioned above and which don’t. Throw them on separate piles. Try both out in front of your full-body mirror, and notice how the ones that follow the above guidelines work better for your body-type than the ones that don’t.

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When you try on new clothes, do you ever check the label to see what material isn’t made from? Very few guys do this, and I didn’t for the longest time. But after I found some perfect-fitting shirts for only $10 a piece, I learned a valuable lesson. Always check the label. See, these shirts were polyester, and polyester doesn’t breath which traps your body-heat and causes excessive sweating. I discovered this the hard way when I was sporting pit-stains in a busy night-club.

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Another time, I found a nice-looking, but very cheap knit cap and scarf. And I bought them, thinking they would keep me warm in the winter. Little did I know they were acrylic, and the cold winds just passed right through them.

Natural fabrics Trump Synthetics When you shop for clothes, you need to look at more than just the price-tag. You need to make a new habit to also check the material. Often, the cheapest clothes are made from synthetics, because they’re cheaper to produce. But most of the time, you’re better off investing a little more to get natural fabrics. Not only do they tend to look better, but they tend to feel more comfortable as well.

Always Check the Label So never buy something without first checking the label to see what material it’s made from.

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Common natural fabrics are:  Wool  Cotton  Linen  Silk Common synthetic fabrics are:  Polyester  Nylon  Acrylic  Rayon You always want to go for clothes made from materials in the first list, rather than the second.

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Note: You often find clothes that are a blend of synthetic and natural fabric, e.g. 50% cotton and 50% polyester. While fully natural fabrics are preferable, blends are acceptable, as long as the natural percentage is higher than the synthetic one.

The Basics Differences Between Fabrics I don´t want to go too deep into the differences between fabrics, because you don´t need to know where they come from or how they´re made. But not mentioning them at all seems wrong. So let´s quickly cover the differences that may matter to you.  Wool is your best choice to keep you warm during winter. It can be itchy though, so I recommend you always wear

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something underneath.  Cotton is the everyday choice. It´s durable, soft and breathable. It´s a fabric you can wear all year round.  Linen is a great choice during summer or when you live in a hot climate. It´s cool, lightweight, and it breathes extremely well. The only downside is that it tends to wrinkle fast.  Silk is the luxury choice. It’s soft, smooth and very nice to the touch. It tends to be expensive though. Action step: Go through your wardrobe, and look at the labels of all the clothes you own. How many of your clothes are natural and how many are synthetic? From now on, make sure you check the labels of the clothes you buy before you buy them.

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Many guys who want to dress better struggle with the cost of it. They say they don’t have enough money to afford quality clothes. And if that’s you, then I understand your dilemma. Because when I was trying to learn all this stuff, I was poor as dirt too. But it was important enough to me that I tried anyway. And you know what I discovered?

Rebuilding Your Wardrobe Is More Affordable Than You Think When guys think about rebuilding their wardrobe, they think about the cost.  They think about the cost of replacing everything they have.  They think about the cost of quality clothing.  They think about the cost of tailoring. But that’s not what you should be thinking about.

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Instead of thinking about how much you have to spend, think about how much you can afford on a regular basis.

Setting a Style Budget You’re the boss of your bank account. You’re in control of your spending. You’re the one that decides how much you invest in your style. You have to look at your monthly income, and decide how much that is. You have to set a monthly style budget. That may be $100, $200 or only $50 — it’s completely up to you. However much you’re willing to spend per month, eventually you’ll all reach the same destination. Eventually you’ll all have a wardrobe to be proud of. If you have less to spend, it’ll just take a bit longer. But that’s okay. And you know what else?

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You Can Rebuild Your Wardrobe With Affordable Clothes In fact, avoid the most-expensive, highest-quality stuff for now. You should only invest in more affordable clothes, because:  High-priced items are outside of your comfort zone.  You’re still learning to get everything right. If you’re used to paying $25 for a shirt, paying twice (or even thrice) as much will be a huge leap. The fear of making a mistake will paralyze you into inaction. You’ll want to make sure you know everything, before you purchase anything. I want you to avoid buying expensive clothes, because I want you taking action without too much second thought. I want you to embrace the possibility of mistakes, and learn from them when they happen. I want you to use gateway clothes.

What Are Gateway Clothes?

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Gateway clothes are the clothes you buy while you’re still learning how to dress with style. They are your training wheels. You can use them to…  Practice getting the fit right, until you can do it on instinct  Try different colors, and discover your favorite  Experiment with unfamiliar clothes, and get a feel for how they look on you While you’re learning, you’ll discover what you like and dislike. And over time, you’ll become confident in your selection of clothes. You’ll know what you’re doing, so investing in higher-quality won’t be as scary. You’ll also have built a respectable wardrobe already, so you won’t need to buy as much anymore. You’ll buy new clothes less frequently, which allows you to spend more on single items. And you know what? You might find the quality of your gateway clothes perfectly acceptable. I still have plenty of mine.

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Action Step: Set an amount of money you’re willing (and able) to spend on clothes every month. The amount should be low enough that you won’t resist spending it, but not so low that you won’t make any progress. Get an envelope, and mark it “My Style Budget”.

Every month, when your paycheck comes in, you withdraw your budget and put it in that envelope. Then, your next day off, you hit the stores, carrying only the money in the envelope with you. No wallet or credit cards; this will help you resist overspending, or spending money on impulse decisions.

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(Doing this your first day off after receiving your paycheck is important. So you won’t be tempted to spend your style budget on beer) If you have money left over after you’ve bought the items you set out to buy, leave the money in the envelope. You’ll need it to buy more expensive items later on, like shoes or a jacket. And if you ever have insufficient money in your budget to buy the item you want, resist buying something else. Just keep adding money to your envelope every month until you have enough to buy it.

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Many guys don’t like to shop for clothes. They find the process tedious, and want it over as quick as possible, without wasting hours searching through stores. They want to enter a store, find what they need, buy it and leave. Unfortunately, finding the piece you’re looking for can take some time. But by spending some extra time shopping around now, you can drstially decrease the time you’ll have to spend in the future. You may even turn the above “enter store and find what you need”fantasy a reality. I call this store exploring.

What Is Store Exploring? Store exploring will help you uncover nearby stores that are the best fit for you. It sets you on a mission to find the stores whose clothes fit you the

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best, whose styles you like the most, and whose prices tickle you the right way. You go store exploring once, and from then on out, you know exactly which stores to visit, and which to ignore. You’ll know exactly where to go to get what you want. When you go store exploring, you’re not looking to buy anything. In fact, you should leave your wallet at home, so you won’t even be tempted. The only goal is to unearth the stores that best suit your body-type, taste and budget.

How it’s Done Store exploring should be done separately for each type of clothing. So you go store exploring once for T-shirts, once for shirts, once for jeans, etc. Don’t go store exploring for everything on the same day, because you won’t have enough time to visit all the stores. So let’s say you go store exploring for shirts… 1. Create a note on your phone (use Evernote, or whatever note-

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taking app you have on your phone) and label it “Shirts”. 2. Go to a local mall or shopping center, and leave your wallet at home. Only bring enough money for refreshments and/or transportation. 3. Visit every store, and try on several of their shirts. Try out several different sizes. 4. Write the name of the store down in your note. 5. Inspect the fit. Look in the mirror and see how their shirts fit on your body. Write down in what areas their shirts fit well and in which areas they don’t. 6. Inspect the style. Write down what you like and don’t like about the style of their shirts. 7. Inspect the price. Look at the price-tags of different shirts, and write down heir average price. 8. Move on to the next store, and repeat steps 4 to 7. 9. At the end of the day, after you visited all the stores, open up your note.

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10. Move the stores that scored well on all three aspects to the top of the list. Move the stores that scored poorly to the bottom. 11. Now you have a priority list of stores that you should visit next time you’re looking to buy a new shirt. You can skip going through all the stores that suck, and get straight to the ones that are right for you. Next time you’re looking to buy a new shirt, you’ll know exactly where to go. Rarely will you have to visit any store after your top three. You’ll often be done after visiting your number one.

Three Important Notes 1. Focus on one item at a time. Don’t be stubborn and decide to tackle all at the same time. (If you go through this guide the way you should, then that shouldn’t be a problem anyway.) 2. Forget past prejudices. Try out stores you currently assume to be too crappy or too expensive. You may find your prejudices to be true, but you may also find those stores aren’t quite as bad as you thought. 3. Keep going even when you’ve found a good store. You may still find better ones.

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Sounds Like Too Much Work? I know this seems like it’s more of a hassle than just going shopping, but let me show you how much easier this makes shopping inthe future. Let’s say this is your mall:

There are ten men’s clothing stores. If you didn’t go store exploring, you wouldn’t know where to look, so you might hit each one. (Or you just hit the first three, and settle for the first “good enough”

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piece you find.

So let’s say you’ve been store exploring for shirts; now your map looks like this:

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Because you’ve been store exploring, you know stores 4, 7 and 9 arte your best bets. You’ll have a good chance of finding a shirt worth buying in the stores. So you either took the amount of stores to visit from ten to three, or you changed the three stores you visit to the three best ones. Of course, chances are you´ll find a good shirt in the first store you hit, since it´s your favorite. That way, you mark the amount of stores to visit down to one.

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Then, after you´ve been store exploring for jeans, you’ll similarly know which are your best stores to buy jeans. And they might be different ones than your best stores for shirts.

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But again, chances are you’ll luck out after visiting one store. Imagine if that was number 10, you’d barely have to enter the mall!

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Action Step: Read the next chapter on T-shirts, so you know what to look out for, and then go store exploring.

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Everybody loves T-shirts. They’re a staple in any man’s wardrobe — super-comfortable and super-easy to just throw on. And you can create a pretty stylish outfit with the simplest of Tees. Except, most of us fail at that. And it’s not our fault. We just don’t know any better. We’ve been wearing over-sized, immature graphic tees since childhood. So first off I’m gonna show you which kinds of T-shirt to avoid. Then, I’m gonna show you which kinds of T-shirt you should go for instead. And then, I’m gonna show you how a T-shirt should fit.

T-Shirts to Eliminate From Your Wardrobe

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Two types of T-shirt should be eliminated from your wardrobe immediately:  Logo T-shirts  Graphic T-Shirts

Logo T-shirt make you look cheap, no matter how expensive the brand is. Graphic T-shirts make you look childish, no matter how artistic the design. Few guys have trouble letting go of the first kind, but many have trouble letting go of the latter. And I get it. I was a graphic-Tee addict myself. The idea most guys have is that graphic Tees show people they’re

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creative and original. But the opposite is true. They show a lack of creativity, because you’re wearing someone else’s design. And they show a lack of originality, because every other guy everywhere is wearing graphic tees as well. Rather than show originality, you blend in with the crowd. And even if all that wasn’t true, graphic tees just scream “teenager”. So unless you are a teenager, you should stop wearing them.

So What Type of T-Shirts Should You Get? Simplicity is key when it comes to T-shirt. You don’t want any artistic prints or embellishments. Just a simple solid or striped tee is perfect. These simple tees will allow you to look much more put together.

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Instead of trying to find an eye-catching print, show off your creativity by creating an interesting outfit around your T-shirt. Wear some interesting accessories, or add a cool shirt. Wear it with a blazer or cardigan. You have endless possibilities. Just shoot for simple and understated.

The Perfect T-Shirt Fit T-Shirts are very easy to check fit-wise. You only need to check a few key areas.  The shoulder seams should rest on the edge of your shoulders; not on top of them, not over them.

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

The shirt should end about halfway past your zipper.



When you raise you arms sideway, no more than an inch of your belly is exposed. Preferably none.

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 The fabric should follow your body closely. You don’t want it to be fluttering about when the wind picks up.

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 The armholes should not be too large, especially when you have skinny arms like me. You don’t want your sleeves fluttering about either. You want the sleeves to be tight to your arm, so it looks filled up. As a general rule, you never want to call attention to the skinniness of your arms.

Note for the Heavy Guys I’m sorry to say that heavy men should avoid wearing tees on their own. Only wear them layered under something else, like a shirt, sweater or jacket. T-shirts are very unflattering on heavy body-types. Your naked arms will create a sort of frame around your midsection, calling attention to it, which you want to avoid.

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In the summer, when you feel it’s too hot to be wearing anything with long sleeves, try wearing shirts in light, breathable fabrics, such as linen. Action Step: First, revisit the previous chapter and go store exploring. After you’ve found a few good stores, go out and buy a solid white Tshirt. While you’re at it, you should consider getting a couple of these. They’ll come in handy with plenty of outfits and are rarely expensive.

Building a new wardrobe begins with laying your foundation. You first need to create a foundation of supporting pieces — specifically those of the grade A versatile kind. Building a foundation is essential to building a new wardrobe, and it’s a step guys often skip. Most guys go straight for the trendy statement pieces.

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But they end up having nothing to wear them with, so they just pair them with whatever they have. You’re gonna be smarter than them.

Why Building a Wardrobe Foundation is Smart Building your foundation first is smart, because it will make everything else easier down the line. Once you have a foundation in place, adding other pieces becomes a cinch. No matter what you want to add to your wardrobe, you’ll have pieces to wear it with. Building your foundation first will also help you stay focused. You don’t have to worry about color or patterns. You can just focus on getting the fit right. And by the time you’ve finished building a foundation, you’ll have mastered fit, which opens you up to focus on other things. That way you just tackle each aspect of style one by one.

The Restart Capsule The Restart Capsule is a selection of clothes that makes a great

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foundation. Each item in the Capsule is a timeless classic. That means you can wear them until you outgrow them, wear them out or ruin them somehow. It’s a collection of simple, understated and neutral clothes, that will serve as a great foundation for you to build upon. No matter what style you wish to have in the future, these clothes will all make great additions. The restart capsule consists of the following clothes:  Solid white T-shirt  Solid white shirt  Dark denim jeans  Camel/Khaki chinos  Grey V-neck sweater  Navy/Grey blazer  Brown leather shoes  Brown leather belt  Grown-up coat Let’s cover each one in a bit more detail, so I can explain why these make excellent foundation pieces.

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The Solid White T-Shirt The solid white tee is one of the most versatile pieces you could own. You can pair it with anything.

It’s like a blank canvas that you can do with whatever you want. You’ll want to have a couple of these, so fortunately they’re quite cheap. Try a couple of different stores to get the fit right though, and once you find a good one, you might find they offer special buy-inbulk deals. If you follow last chapter’s action step before moving on (as you should), you should already have one of these.

The Solid White Shirt

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Like the white T-shirt, you can wear the white shirt with anything.

But more than that, you can play around with the item itself. You can choose to tuck it in or leave it untucked, button it up or leave it unbuttoned, roll up the sleeves or leave them down. Just play around with it and see what suits you.

The Dark-Denim Jeans Every guy loves jeans, and every guy has a pair (or multiple) in his wardrobe.

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Unfortunately, recent trend have caused guys to develop awful taste in jeans. You should go for a simple pair of dark denim jeans, and instantly look more put-together than all of them.

The Camel/Khaki Chinos Many guys stick to jeans for casual wear, but adding a pair of chinos to your wardrobe instantly doubles the amount of outfits you can create.

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You should go for camel, khaki, or any light-brownish shade, because it’s a classic choice that can easily be paired.

The Grey V-Neck Sweater

When it gets colder, you’ll want a few layering pieces.

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The grey sweater is a great choice. It’ll look good when you wear it over your white shirt, but it’ll also serve you well when you add more colors to your wardrobe.

The Navy/Grey Blazer The easiest way to smarten up any outfit is to add a blazer.

Every guy should have at least one in his wardrobe. Navy and grey are both classic colors you could choose from.

The Brown Leather Shoes You want to move on from sneakers and add a pair of brown leather

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shoes to your wardrobe.

Doing this will easily take your style up a few notches. You may think nobody notices you shoes, but they do — especially women. And your choice of footwear says a lot about you. You don’t want them saying all the wrong things, and ruin the effort you put into the rest of your outfit.

The Brown Leather Belt To complement your brown shoes, you want a brown leather belt.

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Their shade of brown doesn’t have to be an exact match though. (Note: If you’re a heavy guy, you may try suspenders instead)

The Grown-Up Coat When it gets colder outside, you’ll wear your coat every day. So you want it to say the right things about you.

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You don’t want to ruin a first impression by wearing something awful.

This List is Not Set in Stone I don’t want you to feel like I’m pressuring you into buying something you really don’t want. That’s why I should say this list is not set in stone. I constructed this list, because the clothes can be worn in lots of different styles. So even if you plan on going for a rock or hip-hop style, you can retro-fit these items to suit it. But you can deviate, if you want. Just remember to keep your

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foundation neutral. This chapter has no action step, as you’ll get more information on all of these items in future chapters.

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You may live in an environment where ultra-casual is the norm. In some environments, wearing something as simple as a shirt will be considered “dressed up”. And anything dressier than that is saved for job interviews and weddings. This environment can hold you back, if you let it. You might be afraid of arousing too much attention. You might fear that people will roll their eyes behind your back, call you a try-hard, and treat you like you no longer belong. You might be afraid to dress outside of expectation. But what if you could change their expectations, slowly and systematically? What if you could break the ultra-casual norm without rattling people’s cages?

Breaking the Norm Slowly Most guys who want to dress better, think they have to change their

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whole look from one day to the next.

They think they have to go from Comic Book Guy to James Bond in one go. But such a drastic change can be hard to pull off for some of you, and thinking this is the only way can keep you from ever making the change. Well, you don’t have to change your whole look overnight. You don’t have to go from Comic Book guy to James Bond. You can take small steps toward your end goal. In fact, taking small steps is a much more effective way to get there. Because those first small steps you take will give you the

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momentum you need to keep going. So instead of overhauling your entire look all at once, you can use the upgrading technique to systematically change your look one item at a time.

The Upgrading Technique Imagine a warehouse, many levels high. At the bottom level are the ultra-casual clothes — graphic tees, ripped and bleached jeans, sneakers, etc. And every level upward, the clothes get a little dressier. Until at the top level, you find formal wear, like suits and tuxes. Instead of going straight from the bottom level to the top, you can use the upgrading technique to move up one level at a time. Here’s how it works: 1. Consider the clothes you currently wear 2. Come up with alternatives to these clothes that are one level higher 3. Write them down And boom, you have your shopping list.

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Allow me to give some examples of ways you can upgrade various items: Top  Graphic tees  Solid tees  Polo shirts  Casual shirts  Dress shirts 2nd Layer Top  Hoodie  Zip-up cardigan  Button cardigan  Blazer

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Legwear  Washed, distressed, baggy jeans  Washed straight-leg jeans  Dark-blue, straight-leg jeans  Navy Chinos  Camel Chinos Footwear  Sneakers  Clean white/black sneakers  Desert boots  Loafers  Brogues (Note: These are examples. You don’t have to go through each

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level. Feel free to skip, change or add levels as you see fit.) Dripping Your Clothes Next, you want to start dripping your new clothes into your existing wardrobe. Instead of changing from a level-one outfit into a level-two outfit, use transitional outfits. People will be less reluctant to accept your new clothes when you’re wearing them with clothes they’re used to seeing you in. Let me show you what I mean. Say this is your first-level outfit:  Hoodie  Graphic tee  Washed jeans And this is your second-level outfit:  Zip-up Cardigan  Solid tee  Dark-blue jeans

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You mix your first-level clothes with your second-level clothes, and create transitional outfits, like so:  Hoodie, solid tee and washed jeans  Zip-up cardigan, graphic tee and washed jeans  Hoodie, solid tee and dark-blue jeans

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In essence, you drip your new clothes into the outfits people are already used to seeing on you. This will make it less noticeable that you’re trying to change your look. And after a while, when people are used to seeing you in level-two clothes, you transition to complete level-two outfits. Then, you follow the same process and upgrade to level-three clothes. And you just keep upgrading until your style is where you want it to be.

The Benefits of the Upgrading Technique Because you transition smoothly, your environment will hardly raise an eyebrow while you slowly make improvements. By the time you step into really unfamiliar territory, the change won’t seem as drastic. For example, let’s say you add your first blazer to your wardrobe. If you normally only wear Graphic tees and hoodies, this will seem like a giant leap, and it will shock your environment. But if they’re

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already used to seeing you in nice shirts and cardigans, it will be a lot easier for them to accept. It’s just a small step forward, after all. With enough time, small steps turn into giant leaps. And with enough time, you’ll feel more comfortable taking larger steps. You just need to take it slow in the beginning. Action Step: Go through your existing wardrobe, and for each item you have, think of one alternative that is one level higher. Create a list of various upgrades you could do.

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If you’re the kind of guy that’s usually seen in a T-shirt and jeans combo, then shirts are the natural step up. They look a lot more polished than the everyday T-shirt, but you can still wear them casually. In fact, you can go in so many directions with them, they’re easily the most versatile item you’ll find. Just look at the different ways you could wear a shirt:  Tucked  Untucked  Sleeves down  Sleeves rolled up  Buttoned up, with a tie  Top two buttons open  Completely unbuttoned over a T-shirt  On its own  Under a sweater/cardigan/blazer So many possibilities! However, you should know which kind of shirt you’re wearing,

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before you attempt any of the above.

Casual VS. Dress Shirts Not all shirts are meant to be worn the same way. Some shirts are meant to be worn casually, while others are meant to be worn formally. Knowing the difference can prevent you from making the wrong choice. For example, you should never wear a dress shirt untucked or unbuttoned over a T-shirt. While some casual shirts are actually meant to worn untucked. So how can you tell? You just have to look at your shirt’s length, fabric and style. Length The biggest difference between dress shirts and casual shirts is the length. Dress shirts are made longer, because they’re meant to be worn tucked in. And they’re not supposed to come untucked even when you’re moving around.

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If your shirt is long enough to cover your butt, then it’s probably a dress shirt. Casual shirts vary more in length. The most versatile shirts are long enough that they won’t come undone when you wear them tucked, but also short enough to wear them untucked. You want them to end somewhere between half way down your zipper and the bottom of your zipper. Fabric Dress shirts are always made from finer cottons. You’ll never see a flannel dress shirt. Casual shirts, again, come in a greater variety of fabrics, but they’re usually a bit rougher than dress shirts. Flannel or linen shirts are almost certainly made to be worn casually. Style You can often separate a casual shirt from a dress shirt from the visual details. Dress shirts styles are more conservative than casual shirts, so you’ll

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usually see them in traditional colors and subtle patterns, with few (if any) bells and whistles. Casual shirts can come in big, bold patterns, and with anything from chest-pockets and decorative stitching to epaulets on the shoulders. Also, dress shirts always have stiff collars, so they stay in shape when worn with ties and blazers. Casual collars are usually less stiff.

None of the Above is Set in Stone The above are generalizations, and these days, lines are blurred between these shirts. Casual shirts can come in finer fabrics and can have stiff collars. And some don’t have much detailing at all. With dress shirts though, you want to stick to the rules above.

What Type of Shirts Should You Get? Which shirt to get largely depends on your lifestyle. When your work requires you to wear formal wear, you’ll need a couple of dress shirts to wear with your suits. But you’ll also need a couple of casual shirts to wear when you’re hanging out with

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friends. If you work in a casual environment though, and how you dress is mostly up to you, then it depends on what image you want to achieve. If you want to keep it casual at all times, then you won’t have need for dress shirts. But you still might like to have one or two, in case of important meetings. If you work in a casual environment, it’s up to you to decide.

How to Check if Your Shirt Fits So when you’re in the store, trying your shirt on, what do you look for? How do you determine the shirt is worth your money? Here’s what you do: 1. Check the shoulder seams. They should rest at the edge of your shoulders. Not on top, and not over them. (This should always be your first check.)

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2. Check the buttons. Are the buttons pulling at the fabric to try and reach each other? Is the fabric of your shirt coming apart between the buttons? Bad sign! Your shirt’s too tight.

3. Put two fingers between your neck and your collar. If you can’t fit two, the collar is too tight. If you can fit more than two, your collar’s too large.

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4. Hold up your left arm, and pinch the fabric together at your sides. You should be able to pinch between 2-4 inches. Any more than that, and it’s too large. Any less and it’s too tight.

5. Feel how much room you have in the sleeves. They should be tight, but you should be able to bend your arm

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without feeling the fabric stretch. Armholes should be as high as possible without restricting movement.

6. Check where your sleeves end when you let your arms hang by your sides.

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Sleeves should end by your thumb dimple. If you don’t understand where your dimple is, glide your finger across the side of your wrist, and feel for an indent.

7. Raise your arms in front of you. If you feel the fabric stretch in the back, it’s too tight.

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8. If you plan on wearing your shirt tucked (some or all of the time), tuck it in when trying it on. Raise your hands above your head and see if it stays tucked.

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9. And while it’s tucked, pretend to tie your shoelaces, and see if the shirt stays tucked.

10. If you plan on wearing the shirt untucked, raise your arms and make sure none of your belly is exposed.

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Perfect Fitting Shirts Are Impossible to Find You need to know that off-the-rack shirts are nearly impossible to find in your perfect fit. Something will always be off. When the sleeves are perfect, the waist is too baggy. When the waist is perfect, the chest is too tight. When the chest is perfect, the sleeves are too long. You should count on something always being off. Because otherwise you’ll end up wasting too much time trying to find that perfectfitting shirt. And you’ll still be unlikely to find it.

So, How Do You Get the Perfect Fit? You need to ensure the shirt fits in three key area; chest, shoulders and neck. The rest of your shirt can be easily altered by a tailor, and won’t cost so much. But your chest and shoulders are mostly unalterable. And collars can be altered by some tailors, but it’s hard to do without ruining the shirt, and thus costs more.

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“But can’t I just use the money to buy another shirt?” Yeah, you can. But like I said, perfect fit is nearly impossible to find. So if you use the money to buy another shirt, you’ll end up with two ill-fitting shirts. And if that still sounds like a better deal, then you need to cram this into your head: One shirt that fits is worth ten that do not. Ill-fitting shirts are worthless. You’re not getting two shirts for the same price as one tailored shirt. You’re getting two pieces of crap. So make sure your shirt fits in the key areas, and try to get as much right as possible, but then just have it altered. It doesn’t cost as much as you might think. Action Step: First, go store exploring for shirts. Note only the stores that sell shirts that fit in the three key areas. When store exploring for shirts, you want fit to be the priority.

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Because a higher-priced shirt that fits better than a lower-priced one might actually be less expensive without tailoring costs. After you’ve explored the stores, get yourself a crisp white shirt.

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Many guys are reluctant to take their clothes to a tailor. They see the tailor like a repairman, that you only take stuff to when it’s broken. But if you think of tailors as repairmen, then you need to start thinking of your ill-fitting clothes as being broken. Because they need fixing. I was reluctant about visiting a tailor for a while as well. Plenty of people recommended it, but I used to blow it off as being “for people who are over-obsessed”. But ever since I took that first shirt to the tailor, I’ve been hooked. It makes such a difference, dude.

Is it Worth the Money? Hell yes, it’s worth the money. If you had the to choose between the following two options:

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1. Buying one shirt and having it tailored to fit perfectly 2. Buying two shirts for the same amount of money Then the first option is the wiser investment. One shirt that fits is worth ten that do not, remember? When you wear tailored clothes, you look like you’re wearing clothes that were made just for you. You look like a million bucks.

You’re Just Not Used to Paying for This Service I realize this is a service you’ve never needed before. You’ve always just bought clothes off the rack, and left it at that. And in your mind, that’s how it’s supposed to be. But remember that you need to break old patterns. Remember that the way you were dressing before wasn’t well. Remember that what you were doing before wasn’t working. This will.

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Trust me. It is necessary. Your look will benefit tremendously from using a tailor.

Basic Alteration You Can Have Done The tailor can fix a lot of problems your clothes might have. And a lot of these fixes aren’t even that expensive. A lot of problems can be fixed for 15 to 20 dollars. What follows are some basic alterations a tailor can perform.

Basic Shirt Alterations  Taking in the waist: When you have too much room in the waist, your shirts will benefit greatly from this. The tailor takes in the waist so it follows your frame better, reducing the billowing effect.  Slimming the sleeves: When you have too much room in the arms, sleeve slimming will fix that right up. You never want your sleeves to be too roomy, as it makes your arms look frail.  Shortening the sleeves: When your sleeves are too long, the tailor can have them shortened to the proper length.

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Basic Pants/Jeans Alterations  Shortening the legs: When the legs of your pants puddle at the bottom, they will benefit from having the tailor shorten the legs.  Lengthening the legs: When the legs of your pants are too short, you can have them slightly lengthened. How much they can be lengthened depends on how much extra fabric is sewn into the pants. You can find this out for yourself by checking the inside seam.  Taking in the waist: When you have too much room in the waist, i.e. when your pants fall off when you wear them without a belt, then you can have a tailor tuck them in at the waist.  Letting out the waist: When the waist is too tight, you can have the tailor add a little more room to it. You don’t want your waistband cutting into your skin. Don’t expect miracles though.  Slimming the legs: When the legs of your pants are too baggy, you can have them slimmed so they follow the lines of your legs better.

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Basic Jacket Alterations  Shortening the sleeves: When the sleeves of your jacket are too long, you can have them shortened. But be careful that the button holes won’t end up too close to the end of your sleeve, because it will ruin the proportions.  Lengthening the sleeves: When the sleeves on your jacket are too short, you can have them lengthened a bit. But just like the pants, you can only lengthen them by the amount of fabric that’s sewn in. Again, check the inside seam to see how much the sleeve can be lengthened. And, like sleeve shortening, be careful of your button placement. You might want to have a button or two added to your sleeve, so the proportions don’t look off.  Slimming the sleeves: When you have too much room in the sleeves, you can have them slimmed down. Again, you don’t want to give the impression of having frail arms.  Taking in the waist: When you have too much room in the waist, you can have the waist taken in a bit. Many jackets will benefit greatly from this.

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 Shortening the length: When the jacket it too long, you can have it shortened. However, it can ruin the overall proportions of the jacket, so you should try to find a jacket that has the right length for you with having it altered.

What Happens When You’re There? Many guys don’t know what to expect when they visit a tailor, which is why I wanted to tell you what you can expect when you’re there. So let’s say you’re going to get the waist of your shirt taken in. You take the shirt with you separately, and put it on when you’re there. The tailor will look at it, and ask what you want to have done. You’ll answer “I’d like to have the waist taken in.” He’ll nod, agree, and he may offer some additional suggestions. “What about the sleeves? They could be a bit slimmer too.” When you agree, allow him to take in the sleeves as well. If you disagree, just tell him you like the sleeves as they are, and that he should stick to the waist.

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Note: Do listen though, because if your sleeves are too roomy, then it’s worth getting them slimmed, while you’re there. A slimmed shirt will still look wrong when you have poofy sleeves. The tailor will then pinch the fabric of your shirt together, and use needles to hold it like that. When he’s finished, your shirt will feel as slim as when he will be finished. He’ll ask you if it’s alright. So this is when you check whether you like the fit. You want to check he didn’t make the shirt too tight. Move around a bit to see if you can still move comfortably. Make sure the fabric doesn’t stretch anywhere. If it stretches, then just tell the tailor “this is a little too tight”. If it’s fine, then you can get a good idea of how it’s going to look in the mirror. You take the shirt back off, and depending on the tailor, you pay upfront, or you pay when you come back to pick it up. Action Step:

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Find a tailor, and try him out with only one shirt. See the effect for yourself. Try it with an old shirt, or with the one you just bought in the previous chapter. You won’t be sorry.

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Though we don’t like to admit it, we all subconsciously pigeonhole people into categories based on the way they present themselves to us. So the way you choose to dress affects the impression people will have of you. When you are dressed as a slob, they’ll see you as untrustworthy, lazy and unprofessional. They’ll see a geek and a goofball, who probably lacks proper social skills. They’ll assume they shouldn’t take you too seriously. And even when you’re dressed as an average Joe, you prime people not to expect much from you. Now, guys will scoff at people judging them based on their appearance. And while I agree that isn’t how the world should work, unfortunately that’s how it is.

Everyone Judges People Based on Appearance You do it too.

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Imagine walking down the street and being approached by someone who looks like a homeless person. “Excuse me?” He says, looking like he wants to ask you something. What’s going through your mind? What do you think he wants from you? In the first situation, you might assume he wants to ask you for some change. You have no base for your assumption, but experience has taught you this is a likely scenario. Now imagine the same situation, except the person approaching you is clean-shaven and wearing a three-piece suit. You’d never expect him to ask for change, would you?

The Way People See You Affects How They Treat You When people have an impression of you in their minds, they will proceed to treat you in a way consistent with that impression. And that’s why making a good first impression is so important.

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Because while first impressions can be changed, it’s harder to do than you think. And you may never even get the chance to prove a first impression wrong. Your boss may never allow you to personally present your work to a client. He may be thankful for your technical skills, but assume you’ll be bad at connecting with people. Beautiful girls may blow you off, before they even give you the chance to charm a smile onto their faces. When you make a bad first impression, you fight an uphill battle to win people over. But when you take care of your appearance and present yourself in the best possible way, you open yourself up to a lot more opportunities. So why not take advantage of that? Why not send the right impression from the start, and then proceed to prove them right? It’s a lot easier to do than the alternative.

People Respond More Positively to Well-Dressed Guys When you’re dressed well, people assume all sorts of positive qualities about you, even if they have no logical basis for doing so.

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They assume you’re:  Funnier  Smarter  More capable  More social  More charming  More professional And I can go on and on. When you look like someone respectable, people’s intuition will tell them to respect you.

Fortunately, We Can Control How We Present Ourselves We judge people based on many aspects, from the way they speak to how they carry themselves, and from the way they smile to how they shake our hand. The way we dress is just one of these aspects, but since this is one of the first things people notice, it’s one of the most important. Fortunately, it’s also the easiest to change.

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Obviously, you have made the decision to dress better, or you wouldn’t be reading this guide. But have you thought about how you want others to perceive you? Because if you want to shape a new image, you should have an idea of the image you want to shape. And it’s never too early to start thinking about that. People often ask me, “Robert, how do I find my style?” But most of the time, they don’t even know how they want people to see them. And that’s like asking how to do wheelies, before knowing how to start a motorcycle. And that brings us to our action step… Action Step: The following action step might seem a bit strange, but it’s an amazingly effective way to uncover answers to questions you can’t answer right away. So I wanted to share it with you.

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See, I could ask you to take a piece of paper and list a number of qualities you want people to see in you. But this puts you on the spot, and forces you to come up with answers right away. You’ll probably list a number of generic qualities you think every man should aspire to. But you should give it some real thought and think about what’s important to you. And I’ve found that by asking ourselves a small question every day, we come up with much more honest and creative answers. You won’t even have to actively think about possible answers. They’ll just come to you as you’re driving to work, or when you’re in the shower. Constant exposure to the same question forces your brain to turn it over and come up with an answer. So what you should do is this:  Write down the following question down on a post-it note: “How do I want others to see me?”  Stick it somewhere you’ll come across it every day, such as on

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your wardrobe. Then, just make it a habit to repeat this question to yourself every day. You don’t need to come up with an answer. Just repeat it every day, and answers will come when you don’t even realize you’re thinking about it. Just let the question simmer, and wait until you can paint a picture of the self you want to present to the world. This strange, little exercise will help you find “your style”. It will help you discover the man you want to portray yourself as.

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Are you struggling with how to combine your clothes properly? Sure, you’ve collected a bunch of nice clothes, but when putting them together, you're completely stumped. You just don't know how to combine them into a kick-ass outfit. You may have experimented with different clothing combinations, and you may have discovered you like some better than others. But you don't know why. You may look for inspiration in magazines, lookbooks, or even just in the outfits of guys whose style you admire. You may even have tried to copy some of their looks, and again some worked better than others. But you don't know why. And you don't want to rely on outside sources for inspiration. You want to know how to combine clothes yourself. You want to peruse a store and pick combinations based on your own instinct. You want to pick an outfit all by yourself, and still look sharp. Well, today you'll learn a secret that will help you do just that.

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The Little-Known Secret to Kick-Ass Clothing Combinations You may think the secret to creating perfect clothing combinations lies in how they complement each other. But what's most important (and much less talked about) is how they complement your face. Ironically, when you do it right, your face should draw more attention than your clothes. The point of dressing well, after all, is to make you look sharper. Not your outfit. So you have to combine clothes to complement your face, but how?

How to Create Clothing Combinations That Complement Your Facial Features To create clothing combinations that complement your face, you have to look at the contrast between your hair and your skin. And then, you have to repeat that contrast level in your outfit. So here's what you do.

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Step 1: Assess Your Contrast Level Stand in front of a mirror and look at your skin color and your hair color. Are they close in tonality, do you see a stark contrast, or do you fall somewhere in between?

Step 2: Score Yourself on the Contrast Scale The contrast scale runs from one to nine; one being the lightest and nine being the darkest.

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To determine your contrast level, you have to determine where your skin and hair fall on this scale. (Though you don't need to be precise. Having a ballpark idea is fine.) So let's say your skin is about a two, and your hair's about a nine. Then your contrast level is nine minus two, which is seven.

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Step 3: Determine Your Contrast Type When you put together clothes, you want to mimic the contrast between your skin and hair. But again, you don't have to be too precise. You should only know which of the following contrast types you belong to:  Low contrast: Your contrast level falls between one and three

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 Medium contrast: Your contrast level falls between four and six  High contrast: Your contrast level falls between seven and nine And once you've determined your contrast type, combining clothes is a cinch.

How to Dress for Your Contrast Type Every contrast type has to combine their clothes in different ways to complement their facial features. High-contrast types should seek different combinations than lowcontrast types. So let's delve further into each contrast type, and see which combinations work best for you.

Complement Your High Contrast By Wearing HighContrast Outfits When you're a high-contrast type, you complement your features the most by wearing high-contrast outfits. But don't take my word for it. Compare for yourself. Going on your

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gut instinct, which of the following two cartoon dudes looks better?

The low level of contrast between the light-grey jacket and white shirt underplay his natural features. I bet your gaze was instantly directed to the dude on the right. His high-contrasting clothes are a perfect complement to his highcontrasting features. They create a frame around his face, drawing your gaze to its center. The easiest way to create a high-contrast outfit is by pairing light clothes with dark clothes. But another great way to create contrast within your outfit is by wearing complementary colors.

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(Side-note: You'll also look great in items that have high-contrast within themselves, e.g. Boldly striped T-shirts or sweaters)

Avoid High Contrasts When You're a Low-Contrast Type When you're a low-contrast type, you want to avoid contrast in your outfits as much as possible. Again, compare for yourself.

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Now, on first viewing, you may decide the cartoon dude on the right still draws more attention. But it's in fact the contrasting jacket that draws attention to itself. Try concentrating your gaze on the left dude's eyes. You should have no problem holding your gaze steady, and you'll notice the jacket fading into the background. Now try concentrating on the right dude's eyes. You will notice the jacket trying to draw your eye downwards — as if the jacket is pushing itself into the foreground. Look long enough, and you'll see the hair adopting the color of the skin, and the two blending into each other. When you're a low-contrast type, wearing a contrasting piece will overpower your look and draw attention away from your face. You don't want that to happen. Create low-contrast outfits by pairing light with light or dark with dark, and stick to analogous colors.

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3. Experiment with Contrasts When You're a Medium-Contrast Type If you're a medium-contrast type, you're a lucky man. You have a lot of leeway. You can move across the contrast scale more freely, as you're much safer wearing clothes in both higher and lower contrasts. So experiment with both. Most medium-contrast types lean one way or the other, so you need to try out different combinations, and see which you prefer. If you're unsure, ask someone you trust for feedback. But again, you have a lot of leeway, so you can pull off both high and low contrasts, or just stay happily in between.

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The Notable Exception for the Contrast Rules When you have dark skin and dark hair, you’d assume to be a lowlevel contrast, but you are actually the opposite.

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Your hair and skin are closely matched, but since your eyes and teeth provide a high contrast against your dark skin, a high-contrast outfit will complement your smile. Besides, you just can't avoid creating contrast when you put almost any color against your dark skin. So if you have dark skin and hair, approach your outfit choices as being a medium-to-high contrast type.

Try it Out for Yourself This method of combining clothes is rarely discussed, and few guys know about it. Having only a basic understanding of it will put you well ahead of them. So go stand in front of a mirror and determine what your contrast

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type is. Then go through your closet and experiment with creating different contrast levels in your outfits. You'll discover which contrast level works best. And when you're armed with the knowledge of which contrast type you belong to, you'll have no problem creating looks that kick ass. You'll know exactly what to do to look super-sharp. Action Step: Now that you understand how contrast works, and how to use it to piece an outfit together, look in the mirror and determine which contrast type you are.

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If you’re used to wearing nothing but hoodies, then a nice sweater will be a nice step up. Trading in the teenager’s hoodie for a simple, grown-up sweater will easily take your style up a few notches. And it will look great with your recently purchased Tee and shirt. So here are some sweater basics you should know.

Crew Neck Vs. V-Neck For those that don’t know the difference between crew necks and Vnecks:  Crew necks have a round neck-line  V-neck have a V-shaped neckline

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Many men swear by crew necks, but V-neck sweaters are a lot more useful. They are the better option for layering. When you wear a crew neck over a tee, you won’t even see the tee. When you wear a crew neck over a shirt, you’ll only see the collar. Wearing a V-neck will show more of the layer you’re wearing underneath, which will make the outfit look less bland.

Sweater Thickness You will most often wear your sweaters in the colder months, but that doesn’t mean you should always go for the thickest sweaters available. Wearing multiple layers of thinner fabrics will keep you warmer than one thick layer of fabric. So if you wear a t-shirt, shirt and sweater together, you should be

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plenty warm. And when you get too hot, you can easily take off a layer to cool off, which you can’t do if you’re only wearing a thick sweater. Also, bonus, thinner sweaters tend to be cheaper. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should never get thick sweaters. But from a beginner’s standpoint, getting a couple of thinner sweaters first will be more useful.

Basic Sweater Styles The following are the basic styles sweaters come in:  Solid: Sweater has one color overall. Best choice for versatility.  Striped: Sweater has horizontal stripes. Striped sweaters can help break up your length if you’re very tall.

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 Argyle: Sweater has a pattern consisting of diamonds. Argyle sweater are an easy way to add a bit of color to your outfit.

 Cable knit: Sweater has pattern of vertical or crossing cables. The pattern comes from the sweater’s texture, not from varying colors. Cable knit sweaters are usually thicker and are a good choice for those living in colder climates.

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The Perfect Fit for Sweaters You want your sweaters to fit you well off the rack, because altering sweaters is often beyond the skills of the average tailor. And even if your tailor can do it, you might be paying more than it’s worth. Just keep in mind that they should follow your body closely, and they should end about half-way past your zipper, just like T-shirts. Sweaters are easier found in the right fit than shirts though, as they adapt to your body more. Just make sure it’s not too baggy or too tight. Also, when you pull up the sleeves, they should stay there without sliding down.

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Finding the right brand for you is essential when it comes to sweaters. Many stores will reproduce their basic sweater collection from season to season and change the colors every time. Find one that fits you well, and you can come back to it again and again.

What Type of Sweaters Should You Add to Your Wardrobe? All of the above can work for you, but as always, I recommend you start with the simplest, most versatile option: Solid V-neck sweaters. Once you have two or three of those, look into the other styles. Action Step: First — you should know this by now — go store exploring for sweaters. After you’ve found a few good stores, add a grey sweater to your wardrobe. Wear your shirt when you go shopping, and keep your contrast level

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in mind.  If you’re a light contrast, get a light-grey sweater. (White and light grey = low contrast)  If you’re high contrast, get a dark grey (almost black) sweater. (White and dark grey = high contrast) And as always, when you get home, try pairing your sweater with different items in your wardrobe. Find out which combinations you like, and remember them for future reference.

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Layering is something that stumps a lot of men. Some of you will know what it is, but don’t really know how to put it in action. Others will have heard of it, but not really know what it entails. But it’s quite simple. It’s merely the act of wearing several layers of clothing on top of each other. So if you’re wearing a sweater over a T-shirt, you’re layering. Or if you’re wearing a blazer over a shirt, you’re layering. But you can also layer with accessories. A scarf, for instance, would be considered a layer. A belt, technically, could also be considered one. But while layering is simple, you do need to keep some things in mind. First though, let’s examine why layering is such an important skill to learn.

Layering Is Practical and Stylish

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Layering different clothes over each other will actually keep you warmer than simply wearing thick clothes. Three thin layers could keep you warmer than just one thick sweater. And the beauty of layers is, that when you get too hot, you can easily take a layer off. So you never run the risk of overheating.

But even if you’d forget the practicality of layering, it’s also just an easy way to create a visually appealing outfit. Layering is where you can show off your creativity, by mixing and matching different shades, colors, patterns and textures.

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Multiple layers, even if they’re all quite simple, almost always look more interesting than just wearing a single layer.

Layering Adds Variety Another benefit of layering is that you increase the amount of outfits you can create, adding variety to your look. Rather than just wearing one piece a single way, you have several opportunities to create different outfits with it. One shirt can be worn with different sweaters, blazers, cardigans, Tshirts, etc. That way, you won’t have to sport the same looks all the time. Whenever you get bored with a single item, you can find new ways to combine it.

The Beginner’s Laws of Layering You probably already have some experience with layering, as most of us already do wear clothes over each other, even if we don’t consciously realize we’re “layering”. But that doesn’t mean you’re all doing it the right way.

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Now, in fashion, people always say rules are meant to be broken. And some of the following rules can be broken, but only if you know what you’re doing. As a beginner, I suggest you treat the following rules as laws, and not break them.

1. Thin Inside, Thick Outside Every layer should be thicker than the layer underneath it. So you wear the thinnest fabric on the inside, and progress to thicker fabrics on the outside. You never want to wear a thin layer over a thick one — that’s a big faux pas.

2. Short Inside, Long Outside Similarly, every layer should be longer than the layer underneath it. This is why you always tuck in your shirt when wearing a blazer or sweater.

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You never want a layer popping out from underneath the layer on top of it. You don’t want your T-shirt popping out from underneath your shirt, and you don’t want your shirt popping out from underneath a blazer. Note: In the last couple of years, a couple of trends broke this rule. You might have seen guys allowing shirts to pop out underneath their sweaters, or wearing shirts untucked under their blazers. But trends like these come and go. Normally, you would tuck your shirt in.

3. Light to Dark You want your clothes to progress from light to dark. Personally, I much prefer light on the inside, and dark on the

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outside, but I wouldn’t call that a rule. I just think it looks better. So feel free to try dark on the inside, and light on the outside, to see how you feel about it. But one thing you definitely want to avoid is to wear dark-lightdark, or light-dark-light.

4. One Bright Color at Most You only want to wear one bright, eye-catching color at most. Allow this to be your statement piece. Wearing several bright colors will only compete for attention. You can wear other colors, but keep them low-key.

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5. All Visible Clothes Must Be Presentable Clothes When you layer clothes, you want each visible piece to be something you would be comfortable wearing on its own. That means, an undershirt shouldn’t be visible. Nor, by the way, should underwear. Period. When you’re layering, imagine you might get really hot at some point during the day, and you have to remove a layer or two. You want to be able to remove a layer and still look top-notch.

Layering in Warm Climates I get a lot of e-mails from guys who live in tropical climates, who want to know how they should look more stylish when layering isn’t an option. Well, you may too quickly assume layering isn’t an option for you. I never lived in a tropical climate, and I can’t speak from experience, but maybe you can still layer by using more breathable fabrics, such as linen. But even so, layering isn’t necessary to look stylish. You can create a great look with single layers. In fact, in warmer months, I’m quite

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fond of just wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans. As long as you wear clothes that fit properly, and maybe you spruce it up with some cool accessories, you can still create stylish looks. But before you give up on layering entirely, experiment with some linen. You might find you like it. Action Step: Try layering your shirt under your sweater. Try layering your T-shirt under your sweater. Try layering your T-shirt under your shirt. Try layering the clothes you already had in your wardrobe. Optional: Go out to some stores, and just try on different layers, keeping the rules above in mind. Just go out and experiment. That’s the best way to develop your eye — by trying stuff out.

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What do you do when you come home after you’ve bought a new item? Most guys just take it out of their bag, maybe show their significant other, and then hang it in their wardrobe. But this is a habit we’re gonna fix. You Need to Try On New Clothes With the Rest of Your Wardrobe. Because when you’re no longer shopping for clothes, remember? You’re collecting pieces of a puzzle. So you need to see how your new clothes fit in with the rest of your wardrobe. Just trying it on in the store is no longer enough. You need to test how it looks with your other cloths.

Why You Should Do This Firstly, because you want to know for sure that your new clothes make worthy additions.

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This is especially important for impulse buys, but it should be done with all your clothes. Secondly, because you’ll find out exactly which other clothes you can pair it with. You’ll create a mental image of what worked and what didn’t. In the future this will help you select outfits in record speed. Thirdly, because you might find some outfits that work surprisingly well, which you otherwise might never have tried. And as a bonus, the mere act of judging dozens of outfits and considering what works and what doesn’t — or what you like and don’t like — helps train your eye. So make it a habit to try out different outfits in front of your fullbody mirror every time you’ve been shopping. Action Step: If you followed the action steps properly, you should have three new items in your wardrobe right now. Go try them on with the clothes you already had, and see which combinations you could make. See what looks good.

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Jeans are probably the ultimate wardrobe staple for men. I mean, every guy has a pair, right?

Unfortunately, recent trends have caused the majority of men to develop terrible taste in jeans.

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The problem is that they come in too many different style these days. These are just a few examples:  Straight-leg  Relaxed fit / baggy  Slim-fit  Skinny  Distressed  Ripped  Stone-washed  Acid-washed  High-rise  Low-rise We simply have too many choices, and we often choose poorly. I was as guilty of this as anyone. I used to always go for over-sized, baggy jeans. And I see many guys making the same mistake. Baggy jeans are very comfortable, but they do nothing to flatter us. I remember always having to pull up my jeans to keep them from falling to my knees.

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I also used to go for jeans that were very stylized — jeans with a lot of bells and whistles, such as distressing, fading and ripping. Distressed, stone-washed, or ripped jeans look cool and edgy when you see them on display. But they make you look like a teenager. Anyone over 20 should avoid them. But we see everyone around us wearing these types of jeans, so we assume they are “in style”. But what’s in style, isn’t always stylish. And you’d look much better if you just kept your jeans simple.

What Types of Jeans Should You Get? First off, they should be plain dark-denim; free from ripping, distressing, washing or any kind of “edgy” detailing. You want them to be simple and understated. Dark-denim jeans look sleek, mature and you can dress them up and down as you see fit.

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If your current casual look exists of T-shirts paired with ripped, stone-washed jeans, changing them up for a pair of dark-denims is an easy step up. You casual look instantly looks more put-together. Add a blazer, and you’ll have a nice smart-casual look. You look polished, because you won’t have a tons of distress and ripping going on, but you still look casual, because they’re jeans. Leave the distressed denim to the teenagers and leave the light denim to your dad. Secondly, they should be straight-leg jeans. Because it’s the most classic type of fit and flatters the most bodytypes. Only if you’re very skinny, you might try a slimmer fit. But

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stay away from skinny jeans. Straight-leg jeans give you enough room to move, while maintaining a shape that outlines your body. I know you probably love baggy jeans as much as I once did, but they flatter no body-type. A few subcultures exist where it’s “hip” to wear them, but they’re not doing you any favors. When you’re heavy, they exaggerate your heaviness, and when you’re skinny, they exaggerate your skinniness. A pair of straight-leg, dark-denim jeans is simply your best option for looking casual and respectable at the same time.

The Perfect Fit for Jeans

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1. You jeans should be able to hold themselves up without a belt. When you try one on, walk around, and make sure it doesn’t start to drop. 2. You should have a break at the bottom of your leg, but no more than one. You want to avoid too much fabric gathering at the ankle.

3. Your jeans should end about halfway down the heel of your shoe. (See picture above) 4. You want them too be fairly tight in the crotch and bottom area. Too much room here throws of your natural proportions, and it’ll just make you butt look weird and shapeless.

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Notes for Heavy Men When you have a bit of a belly on you, finding a pair of jeans that hold themselves up may prove difficult. You want to find a high-rise pair of jeans that you can wear at you natural waistline. But some guys have told me that their jeans still won’t stay put; they flop over on themselves. If this keeps happening to you, then suspenders can provide an answer. Action Step: You can probably guess what comes first, right? Go store exploring for jeans. Try out every store that sells jeans in your neighborhood. Try the big brands. Try the small brands. Try everything, until you’ve found the perfect one.

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Then, go buy a pair fitting the description above. You only need one pair of jeans, so this pair will be with you for a while. Make sure you like it. Note: You only need one pair, because you don’t have to wash it every time you wear it. A whole subculture of guys exists that only wash them once every few months, once a year, or never at all. Tommy Hilfiger, to name a famous example, has said he never washes his jeans, and think it’s crazy to wash them after every wear.

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Even when you use the upgrading technique, at some point, you’re going to catch a comment or two from your friends or co-workers. At some point, when you try something new — leather shoes, a blazer or a new accessory — and someone will make a comment or a joke at your expense. But you can’t let them keep you down. You’re improving your image, and they’ll just have to get used to it. But most guys deal with these comments completely the wrong way.

How Most Guys Try to Deal with Mockery Most guys, when they get mocked, go into defense-mode. They’re on the road to improvement and they’re expecting a few jabs along the way. Their favorite blogger has told them they shouldn’t care what anyone else thinks. “Your friends make fun because they’re jealous. They don’t want you to improve yourself, because they don’t want the group

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dynamic to change. At least you have the balls to try new things and work on your style.” So when their friends attack, they start repeating those words. “You’re all just jealous! At least I have the balls to try new things! Wah!” This not only makes you sound like a cry-baby, but it will add fuel to the fire. You only motivate them to keep going and take you down a notch. Why do you think they’re cracking jokes in the first place?

You’re Changing Their Reality Your friends crack jokes, because you’re changing their reality with your new look. You’re changing your look, but you’re also changing their perception of you. They’re not used to seeing you dressed well, and they need time to adapt. Joking about it is their way of dealing with it. They may even fear your change a bit, because they worry they might lose you as a friend. They may feel like you’ll outgrow them, and it’s easier to mock you than to grow with you.

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Instead of fighting back against their comments and insulting them, you should try and show them you’re still the same old you… Just dressed a lot sharper. So how do you do it?

Join in on the Fun What you need to do is start cracking jokes about your new clothes along with them. This accomplishes a couple of things:  You show them you’re still the same guy they know and love. They can still have fun with you. You’re still part of their group and you’re in on their jokes.  You show them you’re comfortable in what you’re wearing, and nothing they say can break that. You’re letting them know, “This is the new me. Get used to it.”  You make light of all their commentary. When you make the biggest jokes, you take away the insult in theirs. You’re the one that keeps the power. If you’re the one laughing the hardest, they can’t hurt you. They will see you’re not going to break under their pressure and they will be

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quicker to accept your new look. Heck, they may just start coming to you for fashion advice. Now, when your friends keep quiet, don’t instigate the jokes. Only start when they start making comments. Top each on of their jokes with one of your own. Use The “Yes, and…” Technique The “Yes, and…” technique, which comes from an old improv exercise, is excellent for dealing with mockery. It works as follows: Whenever someone makes a joke at your expense, you simply agree with it, and then expand on it. You just say “Yes, and [insert your joke]” That’s all there is to it. Let me give you some examples: Your New Item: A blazer. The Zinger: “You running for Mayor or something?” Your Comeback: “Yes, and after that it’s the White House, baby. May even have to get myself a tie then.” Your New Item: A leather jacket. The Zinger: “What’s up, Fonzie? Auditioning for the Happy Days

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remake?” Your Comeback: “Yeah. How does this look? Eyyyyyy” *thumbs up pose* Your New Item: A scarf. The Zinger: “Dude! Is that your girlfriend’s scarf?” Your Comeback: “Totally! And I’m wearing her undies as well.“ See how easy that is? You’re taking their joke, and you make it an even bigger joke. It puts you in control of the conversation. If you’re worried that you don’t have the improvising chops to pull this off, then remember that your joke doesn’t have to be comedic gold. Your friends will probably like your sense of humor already, so you don’t have to try hard. Just say whatever pops into mind. And if you can’t think of anything, just say “Yeah! Haha. Totally!” and laugh with them. Action Step: Practice the “Yes, and” technique. Pretend you’re wearing a new blazer out with your friends, and upon seeing you, they lay into you with the following jokes:

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 “Well, well… Running for office, are we?”  “Look at you dressing to impress! It’s not me you’re trying to impress, is it?  “What out ladies! Ladykiller on the loose!” Now try to come up with three comebacks for each remark. And whenever you try something new, just think of three or four jokes your buddies might crack. And then, come up with a few comebacks. Actually close your eyes, and imagine yourself at a bar, hanging out, and them ragging on you. Imagine yourself laughing with them and confidently deflecting their jokes one after the other. This will mentally prepare you to do it for real.

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Guys often tend to stick to jeans when it comes to leg-wear. But by doing so, they’re severely limiting themselves. Adding just one pair of alternative leg-wear to your wardrobe will double the amount of outfits you can create. This is why I want to introduce you to chino pants.

What Are Chino Pants?

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Chinos are cotton, unpleated pants. They look dressier than jeans, but not quite as dressy as suit trousers. They’re a happy in-between, making them perfect for rocking a smart-casual look (though they can be worn in any casual outfit).

Chinos Add Variety to Your Wardrobe By only ever wearing jeans, you restrict the bottom half of your outfit to one item. Add just one other item, and your options double. So if you could create 10 different outfits before, you could create 20 if you added a pair of chinos. And 30, if you added another pair. Jeans come in a variety of styles, but your overall look doesn’t change that much between wearing differently styles jeans. The difference it makes could be compared to wearing a sweaters in slightly different shades of grey — not much difference. And since you want to stick to plain dark-denim jeans anyway (as discussed in the jeans chapter), you should use chinos to add variety instead. They’re different enough from jeans to create a wholly new look.

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And chinos come in tons of different colors.

The Perfect Fit for Chinos The fit for chinos should be similar to that of jeans, so I won’t delve too deep into it. You can just revisit that chapter, if you need a reminder. But with chinos, it’s much more important that they’re form-fitting. With jeans you can get away with slight bagginess. On chinos though, it just looks sloppy. On chinos, you don’t want too much break at the ankles. You want to err on the side of half break to no break. Go full break and you run the risk of overdoing it.

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What Kind of Chinos Should You Get? Chinos come in a great variety of styles. You have those that almost resemble cargo-pants in their detailing, while you have others that more resemble dress slacks. You want to shoot for the second category. Keep them sleek and simple, and keep the detailing to a minimum. As for color, I recommend you get a camel/khaki pair first. But after that, I recommend getting a colored pair of chinos as well.

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Not a lot of guys wear color on their bottom half, so this will instantly add some visual interest to your outfit. It doesn’t have to be a bold color either. You can get a very dark or very muted color, and it’ll still look different enough to stand out. Action Step: First, go store exploring. When finished, go back to the store that had the best-fitting chinos for you, and get a pair of camel chinos. And when you come back, try them on with all your other clothes, so you can see for yourself how many more outfits you can now create.

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Many guys fall into one of two categories:  Guys that wear outfits that are too loud  Guys that wear outfits that are too tame The first category is trying to hard to stand out. They think wearing a lot of bold colors, patterns and accessories will help them do so. Well, they’re right, but not in the way they intend. The second category is trying to hard to fit in. They don’t want to attract too much attention to themselves, and would rather fade into the background. Neither of these guys will attract the right attention. To create a stylish outfit you have to stay somewhere in the middle of these guys. You don’t want to be too loud, nor do you want to be too tame. In this chapter, you’re going to learn how to do just that.

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Statement Pieces and Supporting pieces To create a good outfit, that falls in the middle between loud and tame, you need two types of clothes. 1. Statement Pieces 2. Supporting Pieces The loud guys wear too much of the first, while the tame guys wear only the second. You need to find a balance between the two that works for you. But first, what’s the difference?

Statement Pieces Statement pieces are the items in your outfit that attract attention. They’re the pieces that stand out.

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They are the items that add that bit of flavor to your outfit to make it pop; items such as shirts in bold colors and patterns, leather jackets, or blingy watches. Anything that stands out should be considered a statement piece. Wearing too many statement pieces creates a very busy look. Your outfit will have too much going on and the eye can’t decide which part of it to focus on. Take it too far and you’ll look like a clown.

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Supporting Pieces Supporting pieces help you wear the statement pieces without overdoing it. They’re the supporting cast to the statement piece’s movie star. Without support, the star can’t shine.

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Supporting pieces stay in the background. They don’t draw much attention. They’re simple, understated items like a plain white tee, a grey sweater or camel pants. Supporting pieces give you a blank canvas to work with. You only need to add one or two statement pieces to create a masterpiece outfit. You could wear an outfit that only exists of supporting pieces, and you could create some interesting outfits with supporting pieces alone. You run the risk of looking a bit bland though.

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Finding the Right Balance Some people get away with wearing more statement pieces than others. You need to find a balance that suits your personality. People who have a very energetic or extrovert nature normally wear

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more statement pieces than people who are very laid-back or introvert. In the end it’s up to you, but I suggest you take it slow and start with just one statement piece at a time.

That way, you’ll run no risk of venturing too far into loud territory, and you can work yourself up to more statement pieces from there.

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Action step: To develop you eye for the difference between supporting pieces and statement pieces, go through your closet and separate your clothes into two piles; one for each type. A good wardrobe has more supporting pieces than statement pieces. Does yours? When you’re done creating your piles, create outfits with only one statement piece. Check them out in front of your full-body mirror and note how the supporting pieces allow the statement piece to draw the attention.

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When you’re wearing a tip-top outfit, you never want to ruin the look by wearing a pair of beat-up sneakers. You may think nobody notices your shoes, but you’d be surprised. Women especially notice what you put on your feet, and they judge you on it. The wrong pair can send signals such a sloppiness, laziness and apathy. You want your shoes to send the right signal, so make sure you wear a good pair.

Sneakers Most guys choose to wear sneakers on their feet. But most guys also have terrible taste in sneakers. Just like jeans, they often go for the most attention-grabbing sneakers they can find. They go for sneakers with bold colors, excessive detailing and an overall juvenile appearance. Or, they just wear their gym shoes, which is even worse. (Gym shoes are for the gym, guys)

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Treat your sneakers the same as your other clothes, and keep them simple. Choose a black or a white pair, with as little detailing as possible. Google “Adidas Stan Smiths” or “Lacoste sneakers” for some good examples.

Adidas Stan Smiths (image source)

But you should seriously consider moving on from sneakers, and onto one of the other types of shoes mentioned in this chapter, such as…

Desert Boots Desert boots are a great step up from sneakers. They look a bit smarter, but they’re just as comfortable.

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If you’re not ready to take the step to leather, this shoe is an excellent stepping stone. Because they’re not quite as casual as sneakers, but not quite as formal as leather shoes. They’re nicely in between.

Desert boot (image source)

Change your sneakers for a pair of desert boots, and your outfits instantly look more polished and more intentional, while still keeping a casual vibe.

Loafers Another step up are leather loafers.

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They’re a bit dressier than the desert boot, but traditionally, they’re meant to only be worn casually, i.e. Not under a suit (although, these days, that’s also perfectly acceptable). And a nice pair of brown leather loafers will look excellent with a pair of chinos or jeans.

Loafers (image source)

If you’re ready to take the leap into brown leather shoes, this is the shoe I recommend you start with.

Brogues Brogues are a very elegant option, if you’re ready to jump into the big leagues. They have a bit more embellishment than the previously mentioned shoes, and some of you will have to be warmed up to them a bit.

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Brogues make excellent shoes if you want to impress someone. They show an attention to detail, and they’ll instantly set you apart as a classy guy.

Brogue (image source)

If you’re only used to wearing sneaker, brogues may be too big a step for you, in which case you should use the upgrading technique to warm up to them a bit. But if you’re comfortable rocking a pair of brogues, expect many compliments. Because — didn’t I mention this? Women love these shoes.

What Type of Shoes Should You Get? Like I said, move on from sneakers. I included them into this chapter, because I know some of you will be stubborn. And I’d

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rather have you be stubborn in a sleek-looking sneaker than in one that looks like it was stolen from the set of Back to the Future II. All the alternatives mentioned in this chapter are great options, but ultimately, the choice is yours. Choose a pair you’d be comfortable with. Oh, and don’t feel limited to the shoes mentioned here. Truthfully, you have endless options. These are just some of my personal favorites, which also work well with the upgrading technique. My first pair of leather shoes were actually quite sporty-looking, which made the transition from sneakers much easier. Maybe you’ll find some similar ones as well. Just try out a bunch of shoes and see what you like. If you’re not ready for the leather yet, get yourself some desert boots, and upgrade from there. And make them brown. Because black is boring. Black is a good choice if you want to have a second pair, but otherwise go for brown.

How Much Should You Pay For Shoes?

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Shoes are items you shouldn’t skimp on, because you’ll wear them a lot, and your choice in shoes says a lot about you. I’m not saying you have to get the most-expensive pair, but this is one area where you may want to save up a couple of months of your style budget. You can get some affordable gateway shoes to get your feet wet, but never skimp. They should be at least $100-$150. When you get used to them though, I recommend moving up in quality and spending a bit more. You won’t just get a better-looking shoe, but one that will last you a very long time (if you take care of it). Action Step: Don’t go store exploring this time. Go shoe exploring. I want you to go out one day and try on a million different types of shoes. See which ones you like and which ones you hate. After you’ve gone through a million, you’ll have come across one pair that you liked more than all the others. Go and get those.

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Note: I’m only half joking about trying on a million different types. Like I said before, you’ll be wearing them a lot, and you want to explore your options. This isn’t a decision you should make willynilly.

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When you’re wearing pants or jeans, you always want to wear a belt or suspenders as well (but never at the same time). Not doing so, makes you look sloppy — like you forgot something. So let’s address the basics of each, so you know what to look out for.

Belts Belts, like shirts, come in two types: 1. Dress belts 2. Casual belts The first tend to be narrower, with smaller buckles, while casual belts will be wider and have bigger buckles. You can wear dress belts with suits or smart-casual outfits, but look out of place when worn too casually. You never want to wear a dress belt with jeans. You can wear casual belts in casual and smart-casual outfits, but

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you never want to wear one with dress slacks or a suit.

Alway match your belt to your shoes, without being too precise. You don’t need to have an exact match, but wear a brown belt with brown shoes, a black belt with black shoes, a white belt with white sneakers, etc. Also, if you happen to wear jewelery of any kind, make sure the buckle matches. Never wear a gold buckle with a silver watch. And like I mentioned several times already, if you fall into the heavy category, you may have trouble finding a belt that holds up your pants at your natural waistline. You should seriously consider suspenders as an alternative. Which brings us to…

Suspenders

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Many guys consider suspenders to be old-fashioned, but because of that, few guys wear them. By choosing suspenders over a belt, you add something unique and striking to your look. And generally, they make you look more put together.

Suspenders (image source) Suspenders, like belts, come in two basic types: 1. Button suspenders

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2. Alligator clip suspenders Button suspenders look more formal, and they require buttons on the inside of your pants to connect them to (although, you can also have buttons sewn into your pants). Alligator clip suspenders look more casual, and have a metal clasp at the end that clamp onto your waistband. Many heavy men swear by suspenders, because they hold their pants up much better than belts. Once they try it, they find suspenders to be a lot more comfortable. And, bonus, when you go for a wider pair, they can also have a slimming effect. Action Step: Add a belt to your wardrobe! Or, if you’re a heavy guy, go try out some suspenders in stores. You might find them very comfortable.

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The quickest way to smarten up any casual outfit is to add a blazer. It’s a men’s wardrobe essential, but you see few men wearing them these days. Their resemblance to suit jackets gives guys the impression that they’re too dressy to be worn casually. But blazers are actually meant to be worn in casual situations, and wearing one will easily set you apart.

Why Blazers Are Awesome Blazers flatter the body of any man, be they tall or short, heavy or

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skinny. They give your chest the impression of being bigger and your shoulders the impression of being broader, both of which make you look stronger. (You want to look strong, right?) They have a slimming effect on heavy guys, and they have a heightening effect on short guys. They’re awesome! Wearing a blazer will help you stand out as a classy, respectable guy, that takes himself seriously. And in turn, people will take you more seriously as well.

Blazer or Sport Coat? What’s the Difference? When you’re out shopping for a blazer, you might run into pieces that look like one, but the tags say they’re sport coats. So what’s the difference? Well, at the risk of hurting my credibility, I haven’t a clue. I’ve looked it up several times, and I could do a quick Google search as I’m writing this. But every time I look it up, I come to the same

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conclusion; It’s unnecessary information. All you need to know is that the differences are trivial, and you can basically wear them the same way. The best thing you can do for matters like these is to decide for yourself they’re the same thing. Because you can get hung up on specific terms, but in the end, it’s not going to help you dress better. Stay blissfully ignorant, and focus on the things that matter. And feel free to use the terms interchangeably, like I do.

The Perfect Fit for Blazers 1. Like the other clothes you wear on the top half of your body, check the shoulders first. You know where they should land by now, right?

2. The shoulder should not have an indent like pictured in the

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middle image above. 3. You sleeve should be about half an inch shorter than your shirt’s sleeve. Your shirt’s cuff should just pop out by a little bit.

4. Bend your arms and make sure you can move them around freely. Make sure you don’t feel the sleeve stretching.

5. But also make sure you don’t have too much room. The gap between your shirt sleeve and jacket sleeve shouldn’t be too

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wide.

6. The back of your collar should lie flat against you shirt collar, and cover about half of it.

7. The lapels should lie flat against your chest. There should be no gap. You should be able to slide your hand in, but not your fist.

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8. The top button, when buttoned, should be about three to four inches above your navel. 9. When buttoned, the fabric of the jacket should not pull at the button. You should see no X-marks.

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10. The sides should not go straight down, but taper at the waist.

11. Try to re-enact tying your shoes. You should not feel significant stretching across the back, or the shirt is too tight.

12. The jacket should be long enough to cover your butt, and no more than that.

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Action Step: You know the drill… Go store exploring, and when you know the best stores for you, go out and get yourself a nice blazer. Get one in navy or grey, and remember your contrast level. When you go shopping, wear your shirt and sweater, so you can see how the blazer fits over both of them. When you get home… Well, you know what to do.

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When the temperature drops, your choice of coat becomes integral to your look.

You’ll wear your coat almost every day and as it covers most of your outfit, it will be one of the first things many people see you wear. So you want it to make the right impression. But a lot of guys have a “bigger is better” concept when it comes to coats. Their logic is probably that they have to be able to fit thick clothing underneath. And while that’s true, you still want your coat to follow your body’s form, just like all your other clothes. So when you step up your style, you shouldn’t leave your coat

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behind. And you can choose from many, many coats. I could write a book about all the different types of outerwear you could get. But in this guide I’ll just cover the following five: 1. Topcoats/Overcoats 2. Pea Coats 3. Trench Coats 4. Duffle Coats 5. Leather Jackets These are all classic choices, and most can be worn both formally and casually, which makes them all quite versatile. So let’s begin…

1. Topcoats/Overcoats Topcoats are the most formal choice in this list. It’s a great choice if you often wear a suit or a blazer.

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Topcoat (image source)

They usually fall between mid-thigh and knee, so you’ll have no chance of your jacket popping out from underneath. But they’re perfectly acceptable to wear with casual clothes too.

2. Pea Coats Pea coats are a popular choice, because they’re clean, simple and elegant. And their double-breasted front and the ability to turn up your collar will protect you from cold winds.

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Pea Coat (image source)

They’re mostly made to be worn casually though, as most pea coats are too fitted to be worn over a blazer or suit jacket. But you could try your luck.

3. Trench Coats Trench coats also have a clean and simple design that works well with casual clothes. But they look sophisticated enough to wear with formal clothes.

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Trenc Coat (image source) They’re not the warmest option on this list, but they are waterproof. So they’re perfect for rainy weather. Just remember, when it gets cold, to wear plenty of layers underneath. Trench coats come in widely varying lengths, but the most flattering on most body-types is 3-4 inches above the knee. You also have the choice between a belted or unbelted trench coat. If you’re short, choose unbelted — you want to avoid horizontal lines, remember? If you’re tall and/or skinny, choose belted.

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4. Duffle Coats Duffle coats looks more casual than the coats mentioned above. But as long as they cover your jacket, feel free to wear them over formal wear as well.

Duffle Coat (image source) Duffle coats come with a hood that keeps your head nice and warm. And the toggle closures are made so you can button them up while wearing gloves. They are perfect for cold weather.

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5. Leather Jackets Leather jackets are the classic choice for a cool, casual look.

Leather Jacket (image source)

You have a lot of different styles of leather jackets, so some will be warmer than others. But one thing they all have in common is that their leather is great at keeping the wind out.(Why’d you think bikers wear leather so much?) With leather jackets, getting a tight fit is especially important. When you have too much room in the jacket you’ll just look like you’re trying to look cool (and failing). Also keep in mind the rest of the leather you’re wearing. If you’re wearing leather shoes and a leather belt, keep the color of the

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leather consistent. So brown leather shoes = brown leather jacket. Black leather shoes = black leather jacket.

Getting Multiple Coats Most guys will stick to just one coat. And while that will be enough for now — you should focus on building the rest of your wardrobe first — you want to eventually get more. Two coats, at the least; one formal and one casual. Ideally you would have more though. Because the coats above all have unique characteristics that make them ideally suited for different circumstances. But again, it’s not your priority right now. Just get one that can be worn both casually and with your blazer.

Which Coat Should You Choose? Well, that depends on your personal preference and circumstance.

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The most important thing to keep in mind is that you should feel comfortable wearing your coat. So don’t feel pressured into getting a more formal option, if you won’t feel comfortable wearing it. You’ll be wearing it almost every day, after all. (And if you’re not comfortable yet going for a more formal coat, you can use the upgrading technique to work yourself up to it.) You also have to be comfortable in terms of temperature. Depending on your climate, some of the coats listed above will be better suited for your situation than others. Use your common sense to decide here. But whichever you choose, always keep this in mind…

When You Shop for a Coat, Wear the Clothes You Plan on Wearing it With Like I said, you want your coat to follow your frame, so it should neither be too big or too small. But you do have to keep in mind what you’re going to wear underneath it. If you want to be able to wear your blazer underneath, wear your blazer when you go shopping.

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I once came home after buying a coat to find out it didn’t fit over the shoulders of my blazer. I was not amused. So don’t let that happen to you. Think about the types of clothes you’ll wear in winter and take them with you. Wear them, or take them with you in a bag, if you have to. Make sure your coat is large enough to fit over your clothes, but not so large that you drown in it. You want the fit to remain as close as possible, without restricting movement.

A Few More Things to Keep in Mind Shoot for a simple, solid coat, free of bells and whistles. You want to avoid emblems and excessive detailing. Keep it simple. And avoid black. Black is the go-to winter-coat color for the majority of guys. Avoid blending in and go for a grey, navy or camel option. The only exception to that would be a leather jacket (although personally, I prefer them in brown as well). Action Step:

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Decide on which coat you want to add to your wardrobe. Again, you want your first coat to versatile enough to wear casually and formally. You may want to invest in the rest of your wardrobe before you add a second coat, so you want to get one you can wear with all your clothes. So your best choices would be either a topcoat, trench coat or a duffle coat. But in the end, it’s you choice. Go for what you’re most comfortable with.

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Color matching is something a ton of guys get hung up on. They don´t understand how it work, so they avoid colors altogether. Which is a true shame, because you don’t need to know color matching to wear colors. You just need to know how to avoid clashes. And in this chapter, you’ll learn how to do just that. You won’t have to memorize the color wheel, or color combinations. You only have to know the difference between neutrals and colors. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?

The One-Color Trick Instead of worrying about which colors match and which don’t, you can simplify everything by remembering that neutrals match with everything. So if you stick to just one color in every outfit, you can’t go wrong.

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Better yet, you’ll always be safe from the trying-too-hard look. Just stick to one color, and keep everything else neutral. One color is all you need. If you want, you can wear a couple of different shades of the same color, e.g. Dark-green sweater with a light-green shirt. As long as you stay inside the same color family, you´ll never need to worry about clashes. Here are a couple of example outfits using the one color trick:

You can always learn to color match later on if you want, but you

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should keep everything as simple as possible for now.

Focus on Adding One Color at a Time to Your Wardrobe Many guys who want to wear more color think they have to get many different colors. The idea is that this will offer them more variety. That’s what I did once, but it’s not the most efficient way of going about it. As we’ve discussed before, the aim is to build a versatile wardrobe, where the majority of your clothes can be clicked together. Start by getting a few pieces in the same color family. Then, look up a color that matches well with the color you chose, and add some pieces in that color. With time, you can add several different colors to your wardrobe, but frankly, you don’t need a lot. You just need a few so you don’t look like you’ve stepped out of a black-and-white movie every day. Two to three colors is more than enough for variety’s sake. Hell, you could even do with just one, and make it your signature color. Just create simple, understated outfits, using the one-color trick,

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and you can’t go wrong.

Quick Color Matching Tutorial I didn’t want to go into color matching within this book, but I don’t want to leave you completely high and dry when the time comes you need to know this stuff. So here’s a quick little tutorial. So the two most basic color combinations are analogous and complementary. Analogous are colors close to each other on the color wheel, and complementary are colors opposite each other on the color wheel.

High-contrast guys look best in complementary colors, but should

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avoid similar hues. That means when you wear complementary colors (i.e. red with green), you should wear one dark and one light. Low-contrast guys look best in analogous colors, and should try for similar hues. Action Step: Go to the store and try on some colored clothes. See which colors look good on you, and which you’d like wearing. Take someone with you — someone whose opinion you trust — and ask them how different colors look on you. When you’ve picked your favorite, make it your mission to get two to three different pieces in the same color family, before moving on to the next one. Hint: If you have blue or green eyes, then matching your color of choice to your eye-color is a good idea.

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Okay, so we’ve finished building your wardrobe foundation, and you’ve got plenty of grade A versatile pieces. In the last chapter, you added a grade B piece to your foundation, so you already started expanding on your wardrobe. Let’s expand a bit further by adding a grade C piece.

The Beauty of Patterns The great thing about patterns is that, like colors, they can add a bit of visual interest to your outfit. They can add a bit of pop. But most importantly, you can use patterns to downplay your body’s weaknesses. Patterns can help give you more heft, they can downplay your shortness, or they can break up your tallness. But to help you do so, you need to know which patterns are right for you.

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The Three Basic Pattern Types Clothes come in many different types of patterns, but in the end, they come down to three basic types: 1. Vertical stripes 2. Horizontal stripes 3. Checks Each of these have their own subspecies of patterns, of course.  Stripes come in pinstripe, chalk stripe, candy stripe, etc.  Checks come in gingham check, madras check, tartan plaid, etc. And I could go over each one, but you don’t need to know the proper name of which check or stripe you’re wearing. And I wrote this book with simplicity in mind. For that reason, we’re just gonna stick to those three types, and only differentiate based on scale; large-scale and small-scale.

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The Best Patterns for Your Body Type In the chapter on body type, you already learned which patterns can work to your advantage, and which to your disadvantage. But let´s get into more detail. The first thing you should learn is what different types of patterns do.  Vertical stripes make you look taller ands thinner  Horizontal stripes make you look wider and shorter

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 Checks make you look broader and stronger But then, you also need to think of scale. If you’re small, you should stick to small patterns, and if you’re large you should stick to large patterns. Note: Patterns that fall in-between large and small are safe to wear for everyone

The Best Patterns for the Tall Man You want to break up your height, so you want to wear horizontal patterns, and avoid vertical stripes. Here’s what you should do:  Wear small-scale horizontal stripes to break up your height without adding weight  Wear large-scale horizontal stripes to downplay your height and look wider  Wear large-scale checks if you want to look larger and stronger

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The Best Patterns for the Short Man You want to guide the eye smoothly upwards from your toes to your eyes. You want to as few interruptions as possible. So you want to wear vertical stripes, and avoid horizontal stripes. Here’s what you should do:  Wear small-scale stripes if you’re short and skinny  Wear large-scale stripes if you’re short and stocky  Wear small-scale checks if you want to look larger and stronger

The Best Patterns for the Skinny Man You want to add heft to your body, so your best option is checks. You can wear horizontal stripes too, but only if you’re not that short. Here’s what you should do:  Wear large-scale checks if you’re tall

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 Wear small-scale checks if you’re short or of average height  Wear either horizontal stripe, unless you’re of short stature

Note: The larger-scale the stripe is, the more it breaks up height. So the taller you are the larger, the scale of your stripe should ideally be.

The Best Patterns for the Heavy Man The heavy man should mostly stick to solids. Unfortunately, any pattern on something that covers a large part of your body will exaggerate your heavy frame. However, you can add patterns to small accessories, like ties and pocket squares. And you can choose whichever pattern you like.

Pattern Contrasts As explained in the chapter on contrast, you want to complement your contrast type by mimicking it in our clothes.

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We have to keep the pattern-contrast in mind when we select our clothes.

Patterns for High-Contrast Type High-contrast type should wear high-contrast patterns.

However, a high-contrast man could wear low-contrast patterns as well. If he were to wear a light, low-contrast shirt with a dark jacket, he’d still create a high contrast. So as a high-contrast man, you have a lot more options when it comes to patterns.

Patterns for Medium-Contrast Type Medium-contrast types should wear medium-contrast patterns.

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But again, medium-contrast types can also create medium contrasts by using low-contrast patterns. See high-contrast types above.

Patterns for Low-Contrast Type Low-contrast men should wear low-contrast patterns.

Low-contrast types draw the short stick when it comes to pattern. You’re stuck with low-contrast clothes, and higher contrasts just won’t do you any favors. Action Step: Based on all the information above, decide on what type of pattern you want to add to your wardrobe. Is it a low-contrast, large-scale check? Or is it a high-contrast, small-scale stripe?

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Make a list of different variation that would suit your specific needs, and decide on one. Then, go out, and buy a Grade C patterned shirt.

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Accessories are an easy way to add some detail to an outfit. You have collected your basic foundation pieces. You’ve added a few statement pieces. Now, let’s add an accessory. It doesn’t have to be big and bold. You can keep it subtle if you want. But wearing something just for visual interest shows attention to detail, which is a quality you want to portray. Like outerwear, you have a lot of choice here. But I wanted to keep this chapter simple and not overload you with option. That’s why I chose 6 common and classic men’s accessories that would be great first choices.

Ties Ties are most commonly associated with formal wear, but can actually make great casual accessories. In fact, when you’re wearing a suit, and you want to dress down up a bit, the easiest way to do so is to pull your tie out a bit and unbutton the top button on your

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shirt. Do the same when you wear your tie in a smart-casual outfit.

Tie (image source)

And when you pick a tie to wear with your shirt, keep your contrasttype in mind. You don’t want to wear a dark tie with a light shirt when you’re low contrast. The tie would draw attention away from your face. Follow the rules outlined in the contrast chapter.

Pocket Squares Pocket squares are most traditionally worn with suits, but can be worn with blazers too. It’s essentially a piece of cloth you put in your breast pocket.

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They’re an especially great option for tall guys, because they’ll help break up the length. A pocket square should complement your shirt and tie, but not necessarily match them (although that is the easiest way). If you want to ease yourself into it, just go for a simple white pocket square in a simple flat fold (look it up).

Watch Watches are one of the most typically male accessories (although they’re a dying breed as the next generation doesn’t wear them). They’re still a good way to elegance to your outfit though.

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Watch (image source)

But you shouldn’t go too blingy on your watch. You don’t want it to be the focus point of your outfit, or you’ll look like you’re trying to show off. I recommend a watch with a leather strap, as they’re more low-key and more comfortable to wear. If you do go for gold/silver though, keep it small.

Bracelets and Cuffs When I was still in the early phases of rethinking my wardrobe, I bought a shit-ton of wrist accessories. More than I could carry on one arm. I bought leather cuff, bead bracelets, anything that could go on my wrist. I grew a sort of misguided addiction to them after reading an article that said accessories add personality to a look, and they showcased Johnny Depp as an example.

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Obviously, you don’t need that many wrist-accessories. One or two will suffice. Leather cuffs can add a bit of edge to a casual outfit, but look off on anything smarter than that. If you like wearing wrist-accessories, you might try getting a few different ones that you can wear with different outfits. If you travel a lot, try looking through markets to find interesting bracelets. Accessories that have a story to tell are always better than the ones bought in chain stores. When somebody compliments you on it, you have an instant topic for conversation. A small leather bracelet is an easy first step into the world of accessories.

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Neck-Chains As a beginner, I recommend to avoid neck-chains. They are the easiest way to venture into tacky territory. When you do get a neck-chain, avoid the high-end stores. Their chains will be too common. And the last thing you want is to be in some kind of bar or club with three other guys wearing the same one.

A good way to combat this is to take a chain, and find an interesting pendant yourself. You could rip something off a bag, use a ring or ask your girlfriend if she has any old earrings she doesn’t wear anymore. Also make sure you never get your chain too short. When they look like chokers, they’ll make you look feminine. Oh, and most importantly, NEVER wear them over anything except

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a T-shirt. When you wear a shirt or sweater, keep the chain underneath it.

Scarves When the cold times come around, a scarf will make a great accessory.

When you’re walking around outside, most of your outfit will be covered by your coat, save for your pants and shoes. Adding a scarf is an easy way to add a bit of visual oomph. Plus, it keeps you warm. Get one in an interesting pattern or color, and it makes a great statement piece that draws attention to your face. (Which is where you want attention to be drawn, remember?)

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And when you select a scarf, keep your contrast-type in mind. When you’re high-contrast, get a scarf that contrasts with your coat, and/or get one that has a high-contrast pattern. When you’re lowcontrast, get one in a similar tone to your coat, and keep patterns low-contrast. Action Step: Add an accessory to your wardrobe. If you’re not used to wearing accessories, start with a small leather bracelet. You’ll barely notice it’s there, and you’ll get used to wearing things purely for adornment.

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Congratulations! You made it to the end of the book. And if you followed all the action steps, you should now have a much deeper understanding of personal style. You now know everything you need to create outfits that make you look good. But that doesn’t mean you’re finished. Now it’s time for you to start experimenting on your own. So here’s what you should do.

Keep Learning and Experimenting This book has taught you everything you need to know to create kick-ass outfits. But you can still learn plenty more. You probably want to learn more about color and pattern matching. I purposely left this book tight on those subjects, because I want you to concentrate on the essentials first.

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Try using the methods in this book for a while, and once you have mastered them, continue learning. Continue trying new things. Look into types of clothes and accessories that weren’t covered in this book, like:  Cardigans  Waist-coats  Socks  Hats  Henley shirts

And Go Find Your Style Now that you know the basics of dressing well, you need to find a style that works for you. If you followed the action step in an earlier chapter, you should now have a clear idea of how you want people to see you. SO let’s say you want to be seen as X, Y and Z, you now have to ask yourself, “How does a man who is X,Y and Z dress?” You can use the same technique of putting a post-it on your wardrobe and asking yourself every day to find the answer. But you

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can probably think of something on the spot. Maybe you know a few people (or celebrities) you see as having your desired characteristics, and you can use them as a role model. But don’t just copy them. Put your own spin on it. You also want to keep your personality in mind. For example, when you’re a very high-energy guy, you may wear very vibrant colors (without overdoing it!). When you’re more of a laid-back kinda guy, you may want to stick to colors that are more subdued. Think of three of your main personality traits, and then think of how you could express them through your clothes. Finding your style is hard, and the only real way to do it is through lots and lots of experimentation. I can’t tell you exactly how to dress, because it’s a very personal thing. And to find it is a process that’s never really over. I’m very happy with my current style, but I know it will keep evolving. Just don’t worry about being original. Guys always think their style has to be completely original. It doesn’t; all it needs to do is refelct who you are and who you want to be.

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Take your time and experiment with different types of clothes, and eventually you’ll find a look you’ll be happy with.

Thank You for Reading And that’s all I have for you in this book. I hope you found it useful, and I hope you already feel like your wardrobe is improving. If it helped at all, be sure to drop me a line and let me know. I love hearing from readers. I truly appreciate having you as a reader, and I wish you good luck with developing your style from here on out. Robert van Tongeren