36 Tips On How Men Should Dress
Happy New Year! I am definitely up against the statute of limitations on that (sorry, Larry!), but I hope you all are recovered from a two-week sugar and alcohol-induced hangover.
I’ve always been interested in debating topics related to men’s fashion. As mentioned in my introductory post, one of my inspirations to start a blog was from the lists that John LeFevre, aka GSElevator, put out. They were insightful and written with great humor; I wanted to revisit his men’s fashion list and make some tweaks below. This list is not comprehensive, but 36 tips came to mind this past weekend on my flight home from Florida.
Less is more; minimize the logos you show on your clothes.
For quarter-zips and sweaters, go with merino wool over cashmere. They're less expensive to purchase and have easier upkeep (you can wash merino in the washer but need to dry clean cashmere or fancy wools). No one will know or care about the difference.
No flip-flops in the city. Keep them on the beach.
No more 100% cotton with anything you wear. There are too many good brands out there now that have blended fabrics to make them more breathable and better quality with keeping price low.
If the dress code is black tie optional - wear a tuxedo. If you own a black suit - burn it and be thankful you came across this blog post. We have some work to do.
A $400 pair of Allen Edmonds (or another premium hand-stitched shoe brand) will last you 5x longer than a flimsy $200 pair of Cole Haans. They’re glued on and not of high quality. An investment in higher-quality shoes is one worth making.
To protect said $400 shoes, you should be doing several things: putting cedar trees in them to absorb moisture, getting them shined, adding heel taps to them to avoid ruining them, and putting rubber sole grips on the bottom - all to protect and elongate the wear of the leather. Buddy up with your local cobbler.
You are outdated if you are still dry-cleaning your button-down shirts in 2023. There are plenty of dress shirts that wash and hang dry well. I’m a big fan of the Ministry of Supply, Mizzen & Main, and State & Liberty shirts. Collars & Co. is an up-and-coming brand that looks great for the layered look in the fall/winter/spring (but looks horrible as a stand-alone polo).
Shave with a razor - Harry’s is the best in the business.
Suit fit > suit quality. Most offices no longer require daily suit wear, so don't bother with 2k suits and go to Indochino/Suit Supply to get them fitted.
A thin tie and/or tie knot looks sloppy - make sure to nail down the Windsor.
Keep your look timeless. Buy more expensive, higher-quality clothes that will never go out of style. It's the most cost-effective thing you can do.
Get rid of the Cole Haan dress sneaker - pick one or the other. Wear sneakers for casual wear or full leather shoes for a dressier look. If you couldn't tell by now, I am not a Cole Haan fan.
Regardless of the amount you sweat, you should be wearing a v-neck undershirt. With Brummell looking out of stock, I recently bought Tommy John's second-skin shirts and have loved them.
Lululemon ABC slims are one of the best investments I’ve made in the last 5 years; it’s essentially eliminated jeans-wear.
Don't bite your nails - they look disgusting. Get a manicure and pedicure, or learn to cut them yourself. Having bitten nails is 10x worse than the old stigma that guys can’t have nicely groomed nails that they get done from a salon.
Have hand cream for smoother hands. They will naturally run dry if you wash them enough to be considered clean. I’m a big fan of Burt’s Bees hand cream.
The cuff of your dress shirt should always be slightly visible past your suit jacket sleeve.
No need to spend a lot on gym clothes; they have too short of a shelf-life to invest a lot in. Also, ensure you use deodorant that does not have aluminum, so you don’t get those disgusting stains under your arms.
It’s a waste of money to spend $200+ on Vilebrequins. Big fan of Chubbies which is 1/4th the cost.
This next rule applies to both Sperrys and Vineyard Vines. You can wear them up until you graduate college and again after your kids have left the house. For ages 22-60, you should not be wearing logos, especially not Vineyard Vines, and should be wearing loafers instead of boat shoes. Boat shoes are just lame.
Loafers are more comfortable and convenient than traditional lace-ups and look cleaner.
If you work in tech, ditch the bit loafers.
Be a minimalist with your socks. People say they are a place to show your personality, but loud socks look goofy. Buy ten pairs of Bombas, the same color that matches your dress pant. Also, be sure to wear no-shows that match the color of your loafer.
Your dress shirt should be one color (it can be two if the other color is white) - avoid the Robert Graham or two-toned shirts; they give too much of a bridge-and-tunnel look. Same go for cargo shorts and graphic t-shirts.
Purchase a fitted tuxedo sooner rather than later - it's well worth its ROI.
Only wear a jersey if you are at the game or a sports bar watching the game.
Invest in your hair - whether at a salon or a high-end barber. Over the age of 25, unless you lose your hair (and thus shave your head or get medicine to keep it), you should only get your hair cut with scissors. Shout out to Blind Barber and Fleishman in NYC for two great options.
Wearing no watch is the ultimate flex. Needing to wear a nice watch for signaling is sad, and wearing too cheap, like an Invicta or MVMT, isn’t a great choice either.
If you are still wearing fraternity gear once you graduate, burn that immediately.
Leave the needlepoint belts for the beach, golf course, or country club.
Throw out your square-toed, monk strap, and wingtip shoes. They look terrible.
Vests are a classic, clean-cut look. But you can't wear a Patagonia vest anymore. Check out Johnnie-O - same look but no logo.
No need to spend on expensive Oliver People’s - use Warby instead. Ditch the RayBans for Chris Cloos.
My take on pocket squares - they are good for a tuxedo as long as it’s white and is only a square shape, slightly sticking out. Other than that, go square-less.
Bookmark Dappered for a deeper dive into best practices.
All in all, keep it simple.