The Well Dressed Man

As a follow up to last week's blog, I've been doing some research to outline tips for dressing well, the gentleman's edition. Of course, like the previous post, these tips can be applicable to both sexes.

According to Mr. Paul T. Gilbert of 1921's The Key to Culture, "To be well dressed is the desire of most every normal person. It is often felt that in dress one has the opportunity of expressing one's individuality, and to a certain extent, this is true. Yet so often, this privilege is abused, and it deserves a word of caution.... Those who have the distinction of being well dressed are those who avoid following extreme styles and are more concerned with the quality of material, unnecessary buttons, extreme length or shortness, and tightness of shirts must always be considered in poor taste."

To the modern man, these tips still apply. Though men's apparel tends to be the more traditional of the two genders, there are some habits of modern dress we could benefit from leaving behind.

• Pleated pants. The style is dated, and despite popular opinion, they do not give the appearance of a slimmer waistline. More often than not, pleated slacks are purchased too large and thus give the opposite illusion.
• Suspenders or a belt, never both.
• The Canadian tuxedo. Jeans and jean jackets are like oil and water, the two don't mix together. Period.
• Logo/slogan T-shirts. It doesn't matter how funny the shirt may seem at the time of purchase. Exceptions are actual vintage shirts, logos and sayings for companies and teams the wearer is actually affiliated with, and artistic prints (designed by a real bona fide artist).
• Undergarments are meant to be just that - under your garments.
• Cargo and carpenter pants. These have been out of style since I was in high school.
• If it's stained or torn, discard.
• Tennis shoes are for sports. They are not all purpose footwear.

Contrary to what Mr. Gilbert claims, there are a handful of guys who can carry an extreme style.

My rule of thumb for trends are: "if you aren't sure whether or not you can pull it off, you probably can't."
You should feel comfortable in the clothes you wear. If you can't own a trendy look, opt for a classic alternative.

Finally, check out this article by Jeffrey Tucker. He walks through the specifics of suit buying, tie tying, and generally looking presentable.