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Men's Guide to Getting Dressed
Fellas, here's your primer for dressing yourself confidently. If you want a more advanced lesson, follow the links on the Style Resources for Men or go to the specific articles of clothing in the Clothing for Men directory.
There are three main axes along which you will need to dress yourself. The first is non-negotiable and the second is very important and the third is what separates the boys from the men.
| Cleanliness |
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- Wash your clothes regularly -- with soap. Remember clothing comes with washing directions on their tags--read them or suffer the consequences.
- If it says "Dry Clean Only," take it to the dry cleaners. Find a reputable cleaner in your area (ask a well-groomed neighbor or friend) and invest in proper care of your garments.
- Are you a messy eater? Science Daily has a guide on how to remove 250 types of stains from your clothes.'
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| Fit |
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- Clothing will either have a numerical measure or be on the small to x-large scale.
- Pants
 are measured with your waist circumference and inseam length in inches. Run a flexible tape measure around you waist and up your inner leg to get these numbers.
- If pants drags, they don't fit. Hem them or buy another pair.
- Jackets ' shoulders should be exactly as wide as yours -- No more, no less. A tailor cannot take in shoulders or lapels, but everything else on a jacket can be altered.
- Dress shirts are generally labeled by neck size and sleeve length. Measure both on you and buy accordingly.
- Ties should hit your belt, no more, no less. Buy a length that does that.
- If it hurts, binds or pinches, it doesn't fit.
- If ankles and wrists are popping out when you cross your arms and legs, it doesn't fit. Find a good tailor to adjust your wardrobe.
- If better-dressed friends offer to take you shopping when you're wearing a particular article of clothing, it doesn't fit--toss it.
- Remember, a tailor can make anything smaller, but very few people can make something bigger.
- Sizes differ from brand to brand. It's more important to find something that fits well, than something that conforms to the number you think you are.
- Reevaluate (in the mirror) every few months to see if you look too skinny or fat for your clothing.
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| Style |
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- Colors you should not combine:
- Black and navy.
- Light grey and light khaki.
- Brown and black is a negotiable pairing. Black shoes do not belong with a brown outfit and vice versa.
- Prints of the same general "weight" (e.g., thick stripes with thick checks, tiny polka dots with pinstripes) should not be mixed.
- Prints of different "weights" (e.g., pinstripes with big diagonal stripes) can be mixed.
- Pleated pants are the mark of a man who hasn't bought new pants in six years.
- Ditto for woven belts, cargo pants, and acid-washed, tapered, carpenter, and black jeans.
- Socks should match your pants.
- If not monochrome, socks should be darker than your pants and lighter than your shoes.
- Belts should match your shoes.
- Short sleeve shirts never get ties.
- Suspenders and belts are mutually exclusive. Do not combine them.
- Never button the bottom button of a suit or blazer.
- Your shirtsleeve and shirt collar should extend past your jacket sleeve and collar by just a bit.
- Pocket squares, in the breastpocket of a suit, should accent your tie.
- Once you graduate to upper tiers of fashionability, you can break any number of these rules
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You Will Always Look Good In (Assuming They Fit)- Jeans and a white T-shirt. (Thank Marlon Brando for that.)
- A soft sweater and flat-front khakis.
- A grey or navy suit with proper shoes and tie.
- Boxer briefs and a smile.
External Links- GQ-- The ten commandments of men's style.
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