Certain men always appear to be in good shape, no matter when you see them. For example, consider Steve McQueen, Cary Grant, Ryan Gosling, or Frank Sinatra to be effortlessly stylish and elegant. You too can achieve that by having a little idea and putting some effort into it. Furthermore, you can achieve that level of visual charisma without even spending a fortune or hiring a personal stylist—just by learning these 10 style secrets!
1. Invest on Improving Your Dressing Skills
The more you study how to dress well and make clear, deliberate decisions about your appearance, the easier it will become.
When you first embark on your style journey, you may have a general idea of what you want to achieve, but you may be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options and information available to you. As contradictory as it may sound, the more you study how to dress well and make clear, deliberate decisions about your appearance, the easier it will become. It’s not a magical trait that you either have or do not have.
The more you learn, the more confident you’ll be in your decisions. Thus, the more stylish and elegant you will become.
The more you know about colour theory, pattern matching, pattern meshing, and the historical understanding of formality, the better you’ll understand how to put together a great outfit naturally. Once you understand the fundamentals of dressing well within the principles of classic style, you’ll begin to develop an appreciation and fondness for specific articles of clothing. That is also how one develops their own signature style instead of just following trends blindly.
2. Think about your personal lifestyle and goals
Consider the outfits you’d most likely wear on a daily basis.
Once you’ve determined what’s classic and timeless, you should consider what kind of clothing you’d wear on a daily basis. And, while having a collection of three-piece bespoke suits is nice, it won’t help much if you’re a warehouse worker who rarely gets to wear them. However, in this scenario, you could get a lot of use out of something like Red Wing boots.
It’s also critical to comprehend why you’re dressing well in the first place. Do you want to gain an advantage at work by presenting yourself in the most professional manner possible? Are you doing it to make yourself feel good and to demonstrate your respect for others? Is it a step in your self-improvement journey?
Consider the outfits you’d most likely wear on a daily basis.
Once you’ve determined these points, you should make a list of the items you want to add to your wardrobe that will be the most useful to you. This prevents impulsive purchases and ensures that you get the best cost per wear on whatever you decide to buy. If you are stylish and elegant doesn’t mean you cannot be economical.
3. The most important factor is fit!
An incorrect fit can distort your body’s proportions, making you appear shorter, heavier, taller, or thinner than you actually are.
You can have the best clothing in the world, but if it doesn’t fit properly, something will always appear off about your appearance, almost as if you don’t feel at home in your own clothes. An incorrect fit can distort your body’s proportions, making you appear shorter, heavier, taller, or thinner than you actually are. This will kill any chance you have to look effortlessly cool right away.
We cannot emphasise how important it is to find the right fit. It is one of the thumb rules for stylish and elegant men.
Men frequently choose clothing that is far too large for them in order to appear wider than they are, or in order to be the most comfortable. While skinny fitting clothing can be just as unflattering, knowing what works best for your body type will save you a lot of heartache and frustration. Also, while the modern style plastered on billboards or online marketing content may be enticing, it simply will not work for every man, so be confident in the styles that flatter you best.
4. Purchase the best quality clothing you can afford
Quality clothing not only looks better in subtle ways, but it also lasts longer and looks more worn in.
Once you’ve mastered the fit, you can earn bonus points by purchasing clothing made of the highest quality materials and construction. Dress shoes are one of the best examples of this. A shoe with a blank stitch or Goodyear welt and great calfskin will always be more eye-catching than a shoe that is poorly made and will fall apart in about a year.
Quality clothing not only looks better in subtle ways, but it also lasts longer and looks more worn in. Having a personalised shoe patina and cork moulding, for example, will make them feel more lived in and almost like a second skin every time you wear them.
Shoes of the highest quality will not only look nice, but will also last longer. It is the most easy and accessible way to appear stylish and elegant as a man
This technique will also assist you in developing your own uniform, as you will begin to have your own signature articles of clothing every time you dress. Certain construction methods will also improve fit in ways that a less expensive product will never be able to replicate. A canvas jacket, for example, will mould to your body and drape better over time than a fused jacket.
While you should never spend more than you can afford, it’s also important to remember that you should prioritise fewer high-quality items over many low-quality items that will most likely be discarded anyway.
Less is more in this case.
These are also not necessarily branded clothes because most designers use inferior construction methods and rely on their own name recognition to sell their products. Knowing what constitutes a well-made piece of clothing will help you save money and avoid clothing that sports logos loudly or in your face, which makes you appear to be trying too hard.
5. Wear clothing that is neutral and versatile
A wardrobe comprised primarily of white, blue, navy, grey, brown, and khaki is both masculine and refined.
When putting together your foundational wardrobe, try to stick to neutral and versatile pieces. You should also choose clothing that can be paired with as many different outfits as possible. While a white dress shirt and a navy blazer aren’t particularly exciting on their own, they can easily be combined with other outfits and accessories to make a more daring statement if desired.
Even if you don’t like to plan outfits, knowing that everything you own is interchangeable relieves you of the stress of having to match. Nothing says “effortless” more than putting together a clean outfit in seconds.
This only works if you wear clothing that is neutral in design. A wardrobe comprised primarily of white, blue, navy, grey, brown, and khaki is both masculine and refined. And they’re all neutral colours that, for the most part, go with everything.
6. Experiment with Your Clothes
When you start buying nicer clothes, you’ll be stepping out of your comfort zone and may not feel completely at ease wearing them. The best way to correct this is to make wearing them a habit. Whether it’s around the house or out running errands, just get into the habit of doing them so that when the time comes to wear them, you’ll be able to do so with ease at work or at an event.
While you should always take care of your clothes, you should not overprotect them or be overly concerned about destroying them. When Sean Connery was cast as James Bond, for example, he was advised to have a suit made from Savile Row and to wear it at all times. While Connery admitted that he didn’t feel like himself at first, the more he wore it, the more he felt like himself.
7. Plan ahead of time to organise your closet and do your clothing maintenance
Even if your clothes are versatile, it won’t matter if they are wrinkled or if you can’t find them five minutes before you have to leave. Being proactive in your clothing storage and care will save you a lot of time and stress in the long run.
Keep your closet organised and perform any necessary maintenance ahead of time. A stylish and elegant man is not only organised with his wardrobe but also plans ahead with his outfits so that he isn’t suffering from delays in his plans.
If you’re not a morning person, you can also practise habits like laying out your clothes the night before. Preparation calms the mind and increases your confidence that things will go smoothly, giving you the demeanour of someone in command without trying too hard.
8. Experiment Once You’ve Learned the Fundamentals!
Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals, don’t be afraid to experiment. Once you’ve covered all of your essentials, it’s time to start fine-tuning your style and discovering your personal flair. Consider whether you prefer one style over another, such as double-breasted jackets over single-breasted jackets or bow ties over neckties. This is where you can begin to fine-tune your stylistic differences.
Don’t be afraid to experiment; try using brighter and bolder colours than you normally would. Instead of purchasing something in navy, consider purchasing something in royal blue. Throughout this process, you’ll discover your own quirks that will help you differentiate yourself within the parameters of classic men’s style and develop a style that suits your personality. This will make you feel more at ease in your outfits, and that ease will exude a laid-back elegance that will draw others to you.
9. Maintain an open mind when it comes to fashion
While your personal style journey may be all about you, having a group of like-minded people can help keep you accountable and motivated.
There is no one way to be fashionable. You might feel like you’ve reached a stalemate in your style journey at this point. To avoid feeling like your style is stale and stagnant, follow people whose style you admire. Following them can provide you with outfit combinations that you may not have considered, as well as expand your repertoire with a second opinion.
A community of like-minded individuals can make your journey less lonely. The internet’s beauty is that it connects people from all over the world who would never have met otherwise. While your personal style journey may be all about you, having a group of like-minded people can help keep you accountable and motivated. Remember that stylish and elegant men are never seen with the opposite end of the spectrum.
10. Enjoy and have fun with the process!
Clothing is still just clothing at the end of the day. While it can make a difference in your daily life, it’s important not to take it so seriously that the process becomes boring. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes; everyone has done so at some point. Recognize that it is not the end of the world, and don’t be afraid to laugh a little at yourself.
Always Remember
At the end of the day remember to not be someone who you are not. We are not promoting the idea that you should become someone you are not but instead to improve on your existing fashion sense and habits so that you appear more attractive and you increase your confidence and self esteem. If you are happy with the way that you are carrying yourself, then by all means you are already more confident than most men around you. But if you are in need of a little improvement on yourself then these tips are enough to change you into a much more stylish and elegant man.