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Copyright
This E-book is protected under international Copyright laws, and all rights are reserved. That includes resale rights: Youre not allowed to give or sell this Guide to anyone else. If youve received this puiblication from anyone other than sellfy.com or restartyourstyle.com, youve 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 dont 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 its valuable enough to buy a copy for themselves. Its 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 theyre 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 Beginners 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, Im Robert.
And first off, I want to thank you for buying this guide. Ive thought about writing this guide ever since I first launched my blog, Restart Your Style. Im both excited and nervous to finally share it with you. I wanted to write this guide, because I know what its 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 its 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.
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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.
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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.
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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, Im sure youll have similar experiences. You just need to understand a few key concepts. And once you have a grasp on those, everything else will click.
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will destroy the maze, and give you a clear path to follow.
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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, youll not only have a bunch of cool new clothes, and youll not only be armed with the knowledge you need to keep working on your styler, but youll have sharpened your instinct for outfits that work and outfits that dont. Youll 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. Dont 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. Youll 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 Im tired of babbling. And its 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 theyre picked up, theyre hard to shake. Unfortunately, most of us pick up a lot of bad style habits. And we often fail to realize that theyre bad. In fact, when somebody tells us to do them differently, we feel reluctant to do so.
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choose your own clothes. But we dont 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, youll 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 its all about picking the right colors, or all about staying on trend. In both cases, youd be wrong.
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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 didnt look right. I wondered if this was just something you either had in you, or you didnt. And during that time, I gave up multiple times. (I should note I also hadnt 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 its 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.
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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 wont be.
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How do you check your look every day before you walk out the door? How do you see if youve made a wise choice? Do you even check at all? If youre like most guys (who live without female company), youll 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 dont 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 cant judge your true proportions looking down at yourself. You dont see how it looks from other peoples perspective. So really, youre 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.
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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 dont like, you change it immediately. Seriously guys, this is something you want. And youll 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 doesnt 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 dont 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.
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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.
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Note: I created this system specifically for beginners, and a lot of it assumes you dont know how to match colors and/or patterns yet. You can use it to pair clothes without worrying youre 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 shouldnt combines them unless you know what youre 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 shouldnt combine them unless you know what youre 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.
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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)
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(Note: Only match them with other Grade Cs if you know how to mix patterns)
Wear them with: Grade A clothes Grade B clothes in the same color family (Note: See previous two notes)
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And which type of clothes click with the most? Grade As. 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 Bs. And then grade Cs. And then grade Ds. This way, when you get your first grade B item, youll already have a bunch of grade As you can wear it with. And when you move on to grade Cs, you can wear them with both the grade As and the grade Bs you previously collected. If youd go after the grade Ds from the start, you wont be able to create a lot of outfits. You work your way up the scale, so with each new purchase, youll already have clothes to wear it with.
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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 Bs. So lets 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, lets 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 were 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.
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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 cant even fill out their own clothes. Wearing clothes in the right fit shows youre comfortable and confident in your own body. Whatever your body-type, bad fit makes everything look bad.
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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 isnt restricted in any way.
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Well cover how to check for fit in greater detail and with visual aids in later chapters. Well tackle each item separately, so youre 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. Theres 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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Pants / Jeans
Your pants should feel comfortable around the waist. They should not fall down when wearing them without a belt, but they shouldnt 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 shoes 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 shouldnt 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 jackets sleeves, when youre standing with arms hanging by your side.
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shaped stretching. The jacket should just about cover your butt.
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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 youve tried everything in your wardrobe, go out to a crowded area and look at what other guys are wearing. Youll 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 its not. Our aim for you to dress better. To do that, youll 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, theyre of some use. Trust me, as you make progress on your new wardrobe, you wont miss them at all. In fact, after a while, youll likely get rid of most clothes you currently own.
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We all come in different shapes and sizes. Im 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 thats 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.
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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 youve got. You want to show them your body doesnt control how they perceive you, but you do. Youre the one in control. Doesnt matter that youre heavy, skinny, tall or short, you want to show them you know how to make yourself look sharp.
Imagine someones 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 theyll exaggerate your length, which will create a looming effect.
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Imagine someones 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 theyll 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 youre in a group of larger men.
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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 cant fill out your own clothes.
Wear thick, textured fabrics; theyll add physical heft to your frame. Wear checks or horizontal stripes; theyll 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.
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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 theyll 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.
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Or if youre tall and heavy. The tall mans notes say to wear horizontal stripes, while the heavy mans notes say to avoid patterns. In these cases, always avoid. When youre short and skinny, horizontal stripes will exaggerate your shortness more than downplay your skinniness. When youre 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 dont. 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 dont.
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When you try on new clothes, do you ever check the label to see what material isnt made from? Very few guys do this, and I didnt 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 doesnt 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.
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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.
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something underneath. Cotton is the everyday choice. Its durable, soft and breathable. Its a fabric you can wear all year round. Linen is a great choice during summer or when you live in a hot climate. Its cool, lightweight, and it breathes extremely well. The only downside is that it tends to wrinkle fast. Silk is the luxury choice. Its 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 dont have enough money to afford quality clothes. And if thats 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?
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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.
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Gateway clothes are the clothes you buy while youre 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 youre learning, youll discover what you like and dislike. And over time, youll become confident in your selection of clothes. Youll know what youre doing, so investing in higher-quality wont be as scary. Youll also have built a respectable wardrobe already, so you wont need to buy as much anymore. Youll 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 youre willing (and able) to spend on clothes every month. The amount should be low enough that you wont resist spending it, but not so low that you wont 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 wont be tempted to spend your style budget on beer) If you have money left over after youve bought the items you set out to buy, leave the money in the envelope. Youll 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 dont 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 youre looking for can take some time. But by spending some extra time shopping around now, you can drstially decrease the time youll have to spend in the future. You may even turn the above enter store and find what you needfantasy a reality. I call this store exploring.
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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. Youll know exactly where to go to get what you want. When you go store exploring, youre not looking to buy anything. In fact, you should leave your wallet at home, so you wont even be tempted. The only goal is to unearth the stores that best suit your body-type, taste and budget.
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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 dont. 6. Inspect the style. Write down what you like and dont 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 youre 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 youre looking to buy a new shirt, youll know exactly where to go. Rarely will you have to visit any store after your top three. Youll often be done after visiting your number one.
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There are ten mens clothing stores. If you didnt go store exploring, you wouldnt 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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So lets say youve been store exploring for shirts; now your map looks like this:
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Because youve been store exploring, you know stores 4, 7 and 9 arte your best bets. Youll 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 youll find a good shirt in the first store you hit, since its your favorite. That way, you mark the amount of stores to visit down to one.
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Then, after youve been store exploring for jeans, youll 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 youll luck out after visiting one store. Imagine if that was number 10, youd 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. Theyre a staple in any mans 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 its not our fault. We just dont know any better. Weve been wearing over-sized, immature graphic tees since childhood. So first off Im gonna show you which kinds of T-shirt to avoid. Then, Im gonna show you which kinds of T-shirt you should go for instead. And then, Im gonna show you how a T-shirt should fit.
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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 theyre
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creative and original. But the opposite is true. They show a lack of creativity, because youre wearing someone elses 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 wasnt true, graphic tees just scream teenager. So unless you are a teenager, you should stop wearing them.
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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.
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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 dont 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 dont 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.
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In the summer, when you feel its 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 youve found a few good stores, go out and buy a solid white Tshirt. While youre at it, you should consider getting a couple of these. Theyll 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 its 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. Youre gonna be smarter than them.
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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. Its 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 Lets cover each one in a bit more detail, so I can explain why these make excellent foundation pieces.
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Its like a blank canvas that you can do with whatever you want. Youll want to have a couple of these, so fortunately theyre 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 chapters action step before moving on (as you should), you should already have one of these.
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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.
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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.
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You should go for camel, khaki, or any light-brownish shade, because its a classic choice that can easily be paired.
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The grey sweater is a great choice. Itll look good when you wear it over your white shirt, but itll also serve you well when you add more colors to your wardrobe.
Every guy should have at least one in his wardrobe. Navy and grey are both classic colors you could choose from.
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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 dont want them saying all the wrong things, and ruin the effort you put into the rest of your outfit.
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Their shade of brown doesnt have to be an exact match though. (Note: If youre a heavy guy, you may try suspenders instead)
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foundation neutral. This chapter has no action step, as youll 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 peoples cages?
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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 dont have to change your whole look overnight. You dont 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.
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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 dont 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 youre wearing them with clothes theyre 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 youre 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.
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already used to seeing you in nice shirts and cardigans, it will be a lot easier for them to accept. Its just a small step forward, after all. With enough time, small steps turn into giant leaps. And with enough time, youll 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 youre the kind of guy thats 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, theyre easily the most versatile item youll 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 youre wearing,
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If your shirt is long enough to cover your butt, then its probably a dress shirt. Casual shirts vary more in length. The most versatile shirts are long enough that they wont 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. Youll never see a flannel dress shirt. Casual shirts, again, come in a greater variety of fabrics, but theyre 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 youll
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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.
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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 wont 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, its up to you to decide.
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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 shirts too tight.
3. Put two fingers between your neck and your collar. If you cant fit two, the collar is too tight. If you can fit more than two, your collars 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 its too large. Any less and its 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 dont 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, its 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 its 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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But cant 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, youll 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. Youre not getting two shirts for the same price as one tailored shirt. Youre 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 doesnt 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 youve 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 its 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, Ive been hooked. It makes such a difference, dude.
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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 youre wearing clothes that were made just for you. You look like a million bucks.
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Trust me. It is necessary. Your look will benefit tremendously from using a tailor.
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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.
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Note: Do listen though, because if your sleeves are too roomy, then its worth getting them slimmed, while youre 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 hes finished, your shirt will feel as slim as when he will be finished. Hell ask you if its alright. So this is when you check whether you like the fit. You want to check he didnt make the shirt too tight. Move around a bit to see if you can still move comfortably. Make sure the fabric doesnt stretch anywhere. If it stretches, then just tell the tailor this is a little too tight. If its fine, then you can get a good idea of how its 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 wont be sorry.
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Though we dont 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, theyll see you as untrustworthy, lazy and unprofessional. Theyll see a geek and a goofball, who probably lacks proper social skills. Theyll assume they shouldnt take you too seriously. And even when youre 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 isnt how the world should work, unfortunately thats how it is.
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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. Whats 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. Youd 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 thats why making a good first impression is so important.
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Because while first impressions can be changed, its 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 youll 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? Its a lot easier to do than the alternative.
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They assume youre: Funnier Smarter More capable More social More charming More professional And I can go on and on. When you look like someone respectable, peoples intuition will tell them to respect you.
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Obviously, you have made the decision to dress better, or you wouldnt 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 its 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 dont even know how they want people to see them. And thats 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 its an amazingly effective way to uncover answers to questions you cant 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. Youll 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 whats important to you. And Ive found that by asking ourselves a small question every day, we come up with much more honest and creative answers. You wont even have to actively think about possible answers. Theyll just come to you as youre driving to work, or when youre 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 youll 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 dont need to come up with an answer. Just repeat it every day, and answers will come when you dont even realize youre 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, youve 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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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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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.
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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)
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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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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.
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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 youre used to wearing nothing but hoodies, then a nice sweater will be a nice step up. Trading in the teenagers 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.
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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 wont even see the tee. When you wear a crew neck over a shirt, youll only see the collar. Wearing a V-neck will show more of the layer youre 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 doesnt 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 cant do if youre only wearing a thick sweater. Also, bonus, thinner sweaters tend to be cheaper. Of course, that doesnt mean you should never get thick sweaters. But from a beginners standpoint, getting a couple of thinner sweaters first will be more useful.
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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 sweaters 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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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.
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in mind. If youre a light contrast, get a light-grey sweater. (White and light grey = low contrast) If youre 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 dont really know how to put it in action. Others will have heard of it, but not really know what it entails. But its quite simple. Its merely the act of wearing several layers of clothing on top of each other. So if youre wearing a sweater over a T-shirt, youre layering. Or if youre wearing a blazer over a shirt, youre 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, lets examine why layering is such an important skill to learn.
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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 youd forget the practicality of layering, its 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 theyre all quite simple, almost always look more interesting than just wearing a single layer.
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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 youre doing. As a beginner, I suggest you treat the following rules as laws, and not break them.
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You never want a layer popping out from underneath the layer on top of it. You dont want your T-shirt popping out from underneath your shirt, and you dont 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 wouldnt 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.
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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. Thats the best way to develop your eye by trying stuff out.
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What do you do when you come home after youve 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 were gonna fix. You Need to Try On New Clothes With the Rest of Your Wardrobe. Because when youre no longer shopping for clothes, remember? Youre 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.
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This is especially important for impulse buys, but it should be done with all your clothes. Secondly, because youll find out exactly which other clothes you can pair it with. Youll create a mental image of what worked and what didnt. 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 doesnt or what you like and dont like helps train your eye. So make it a habit to try out different outfits in front of your fullbody mirror every time youve 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 whats in style, isnt always stylish. And youd look much better if you just kept your jeans simple.
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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 youll have a nice smart-casual look. You look polished, because you wont have a tons of distress and ripping going on, but you still look casual, because theyre jeans. Leave the distressed denim to the teenagers and leave the light denim to your dad. Secondly, they should be straight-leg jeans. Because its the most classic type of fit and flatters the most bodytypes. Only if youre 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 its hip to wear them, but theyre not doing you any favors. When youre heavy, they exaggerate your heaviness, and when youre 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.
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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 doesnt 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 itll just make you butt look weird and shapeless.
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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 dont 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 its crazy to wash them after every wear.
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Even when you use the upgrading technique, at some point, youre 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 cant let them keep you down. Youre improving your image, and theyll just have to get used to it. But most guys deal with these comments completely the wrong way.
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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. Youre 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 theyre cracking jokes in the first place?
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Instead of fighting back against their comments and insulting them, you should try and show them youre still the same old you Just dressed a lot sharper. So how do you do it?
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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, dont 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] Thats 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 its the White House, baby. May even have to get myself a tie then. Your New Item: A leather jacket. The Zinger: Whats 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 girlfriends scarf? Your Comeback: Totally! And Im wearing her undies as well. See how easy that is? Youre taking their joke, and you make it an even bigger joke. It puts you in control of the conversation. If youre worried that you dont have the improvising chops to pull this off, then remember that your joke doesnt have to be comedic gold. Your friends will probably like your sense of humor already, so you dont have to try hard. Just say whatever pops into mind. And if you cant think of anything, just say Yeah! Haha. Totally! and laugh with them. Action Step: Practice the Yes, and technique. Pretend youre 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! Its not me youre 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, theyre 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.
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Chinos are cotton, unpleated pants. They look dressier than jeans, but not quite as dressy as suit trousers. Theyre a happy in-between, making them perfect for rocking a smart-casual look (though they can be worn in any casual outfit).
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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 doesnt have to be a bold color either. You can get a very dark or very muted color, and itll 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, theyre right, but not in the way they intend. The second category is trying to hard to fit in. They dont 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 dont want to be too loud, nor do you want to be too tame. In this chapter, youre going to learn how to do just that.
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Statement Pieces
Statement pieces are the items in your outfit that attract attention. Theyre 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 cant decide which part of it to focus on. Take it too far and youll look like a clown.
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Supporting Pieces
Supporting pieces help you wear the statement pieces without overdoing it. Theyre the supporting cast to the statement pieces movie star. Without support, the star cant shine.
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Supporting pieces stay in the background. They dont draw much attention. Theyre 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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more statement pieces than people who are very laid-back or introvert. In the end its up to you, but I suggest you take it slow and start with just one statement piece at a time.
That way, youll 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 youre 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 youre 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 youd 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.
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 theyre just as comfortable.
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If youre not ready to take the step to leather, this shoe is an excellent stepping stone. Because theyre not quite as casual as sneakers, but not quite as formal as leather shoes. Theyre nicely in between.
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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Theyre a bit dressier than the desert boot, but traditionally, theyre meant to only be worn casually, i.e. Not under a suit (although, these days, thats also perfectly acceptable). And a nice pair of brown leather loafers will look excellent with a pair of chinos or jeans.
If youre 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 youre 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 theyll instantly set you apart as a classy guy.
If youre 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 youre comfortable rocking a pair of brogues, expect many compliments. Because didnt I mention this? Women love these shoes.
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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 youd be comfortable with. Oh, and dont 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 youll find some similar ones as well. Just try out a bunch of shoes and see what you like. If youre 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.
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Shoes are items you shouldnt skimp on, because youll wear them a lot, and your choice in shoes says a lot about you. Im 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 wont just get a better-looking shoe, but one that will last you a very long time (if you take care of it). Action Step: Dont 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 youve gone through a million, youll have come across one pair that you liked more than all the others. Go and get those.
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Note: Im only half joking about trying on a million different types. Like I said before, youll be wearing them a lot, and you want to explore your options. This isnt a decision you should make willynilly.
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When youre 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 lets 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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Alway match your belt to your shoes, without being too precise. You dont 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 youre 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. Its a mens wardrobe essential, but you see few men wearing them these days. Their resemblance to suit jackets gives guys the impression that theyre 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.
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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. Theyre 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.
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conclusion; Its 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 theyre the same thing. Because you can get hung up on specific terms, but in the end, its 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.
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middle image above. 3. You sleeve should be about half an inch shorter than your shirts sleeve. Your shirts 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 dont feel the sleeve stretching.
5. But also make sure you dont have too much room. The gap between your shirt sleeve and jacket sleeve shouldnt 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.
Youll 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 thats true, you still want your coat to follow your bodys form, just like all your other clothes. So when you step up your style, you shouldnt 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 Ill 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 lets begin
1. Topcoats/Overcoats
Topcoats are the most formal choice in this list. Its a great choice if you often wear a suit or a blazer.
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They usually fall between mid-thigh and knee, so youll have no chance of your jacket popping out from underneath. But theyre perfectly acceptable to wear with casual clothes too.
2. Pea Coats
Pea coats are a popular choice, because theyre 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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Theyre 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) Theyre not the warmest option on this list, but they are waterproof. So theyre 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 youre short, choose unbelted you want to avoid horizontal lines, remember? If youre 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.
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.(Whyd 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 youll just look like youre trying to look cool (and failing). Also keep in mind the rest of the leather youre wearing. If youre 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.
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The most important thing to keep in mind is that you should feel comfortable wearing your coat. So dont feel pressured into getting a more formal option, if you wont feel comfortable wearing it. Youll be wearing it almost every day, after all. (And if youre 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 youre 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 didnt fit over the shoulders of my blazer. I was not amused. So dont let that happen to you. Think about the types of clothes youll 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.
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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, its you choice. Go for what youre most comfortable with.
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Color matching is something a ton of guys get hung up on. They dont understand how it work, so they avoid colors altogether. Which is a true shame, because you dont need to know color matching to wear colors. You just need to know how to avoid clashes. And in this chapter, youll learn how to do just that. You wont have to memorize the color wheel, or color combinations. You only have to know the difference between neutrals and colors. Shouldnt be too hard, right?
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Better yet, youll 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, youll 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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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 youd like wearing. Take someone with you someone whose opinion you trust and ask them how different colors look on you. When youve 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 weve finished building your wardrobe foundation, and youve 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. Lets expand a bit further by adding a grade C piece.
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Checks make you look broader and stronger But then, you also need to think of scale. If youre small, you should stick to small patterns, and if youre large you should stick to large patterns. Note: Patterns that fall in-between large and small are safe to wear for everyone
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Wear small-scale checks if youre short or of average height Wear either horizontal stripe, unless youre 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.
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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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, hed still create a high contrast. So as a high-contrast man, you have a lot more options when it comes to 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.
Low-contrast types draw the short stick when it comes to pattern. Youre stuck with low-contrast clothes, and higher contrasts just wont 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. Youve added a few statement pieces. Now, lets add an accessory. It doesnt 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. Thats why I chose 6 common and classic mens 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 youre 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.
And when you pick a tie to wear with your shirt, keep your contrasttype in mind. You dont want to wear a dark tie with a light shirt when youre 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. Its essentially a piece of cloth you put in your breast pocket.
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Theyre an especially great option for tall guys, because theyll 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 theyre a dying breed as the next generation doesnt wear them). Theyre still a good way to elegance to your outfit though.
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But you shouldnt go too blingy on your watch. You dont want it to be the focus point of your outfit, or youll look like youre trying to show off. I recommend a watch with a leather strap, as theyre more low-key and more comfortable to wear. If you do go for gold/silver though, keep it small.
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Obviously, you dont 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 doesnt wear anymore. Also make sure you never get your chain too short. When they look like chokers, theyll 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 youre 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 youre high-contrast, get a scarf that contrasts with your coat, and/or get one that has a high-contrast pattern. When youre lowcontrast, get one in a similar tone to your coat, and keep patterns low-contrast. Action Step: Add an accessory to your wardrobe. If youre not used to wearing accessories, start with a small leather bracelet. Youll barely notice its there, and youll 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 doesnt mean youre finished. Now its time for you to start experimenting on your own. So heres what you should do.
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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 werent covered in this book, like: Cardigans Waist-coats Socks Hats Henley shirts
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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 dont just copy them. Put your own spin on it. You also want to keep your personality in mind. For example, when youre a very high-energy guy, you may wear very vibrant colors (without overdoing it!). When youre 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 cant tell you exactly how to dress, because its a very personal thing. And to find it is a process thats never really over. Im very happy with my current style, but I know it will keep evolving. Just dont worry about being original. Guys always think their style has to be completely original. It doesnt; 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 youll find a look youll be happy with.