5 Basic Rules of Style Every Man Should Know
When you want to project sophistication, the best way to maximize your confidence is to get all your basic fashion bases covered. When you know how to look good, you cultivate the persona of someone who’s successful in life and knows how to get things. However, you have to know where to start. Even if you’re a style pioneer, and you like to take risks, you have to know the rules to break them. Here are five basic rules that every man should know how to dress.
How to Choose Dress Socks
Dress socks are an essential building block for every man’s outfit, whether you’re having an evening out or attending a high-powered business meeting. According to Business Insider, while picking dress socks, the basic standard is to match the color of your socks to the trouser. In other words, charcoal with charcoal, navy with navy, and so on. Sift through a wide color selection of VK Nagrani’s designer socks for men; it is a good place to start looking for basic, high-quality socks.
With Shoes to Boot
In the top 10 things that every guy should know in order to be at his sharpest, Men’s Fitness recommends a fine pair of dress shoes made from full-grain leather that use vegetable dyes which are more durable, and be well-stitched. You can find all of this information on the inside of the shoe if it’s not obvious.
Once you’ve got your dress socks, then you’ll need to also pick a shoe color. The standard rule is that if you’re wearing navy dress trousers, then you should don black shoes and match them to your belt. On the other hand, you can also switch it up by experimenting with dress boots. While this approach is a little edgier, it can work as long as they’re true dress boots, and not designed to hold up in inclement weather.
How to Wear Bold Colors
Even when you’re adhering to the basics, no man wants to look boring. You can still inject a little adventure into your wardrobe by using simple pops of color. If you want to get a little more daring, GQ recommends donning bright statement socks. The key to wearing these properly is to choose a hue that shares the same color undertones with the rest of your outfit, such as warm or cool.
Basic Tie Knots
According to Esquire, the two standard knots for a tie are The Standard and the more formal Windsor Knot, which is worn best with wide collars and ties. The former knot is a good one for your typical business attire, whereas the Windsor looks great at a wedding or other formal event. For step by step instructions on how to actually tie these knots, it’s best to get on YouTube and find a video tutorial. Diagrams can be helpful, but they can quickly get confusing. Practice in front of the mirror a few times before actually going out into public with your tie in one of these knots if you haven’t done it before, because it takes a few tries to get it right. The knot should be evenly balanced and not bulky.
A Well Fitted Suit
This is a rule that every man generally agrees with in theory, but understanding what it really means is a different story altogether. Finding a well-fitted suit doesn’t mean that you walk into a department store and sift through racks of suits, hoping to find the one that actually fits you properly. Rather, you need to get this garment customized. You don’t need to purchase a bespoke suit made from scratch, since that can get extremely expensive, but you will need to have any suit altered if it’s an off the rack item. For most men who want to invest in a decent suit, but don’t want to empty their pockets, this is a good middle ground. Department stores usually have in-house tailors that will measure and fit you for the correct suit dimensions, and then alterations can be made right there. If you’ve found a suit somewhere without in-house alterations available, and you like the quality, color, and style, then go outside to almost any fine launderer where alterations are offered. This is how you’ll slip into a truly well-fitted garment, because there’s nothing worse than a guy in an expensive suit that doesn’t fit.
These simple rules can provide the foundation for you to really your own unique aesthetic and feel confident in what you’re wearing out into the world. Whether it’s a tailored suit on the outside or the properly matched dress socks underneath, wearing garments the right way maximizes confidence. Once you’ve got the basics down, then you can start to get a little more daring and be a true standout style icon.