!2 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................3 FIT .................................................................................................4 COLOURS ......................................................................................13 BUILDING A WARDROBE ..................................................................19 BRAND AND PRICE ..........................................................................23 SHOES ..........................................................................................25 SHIRTS, SWEATERS, AND POLOS ......................................................30 PANTS AND SHORTS .......................................................................42 UNDERWEAR ..................................................................................52 JACKETS AND COATS ......................................................................56 SUITS AND TIES .............................................................................62 ACCESSORIES ................................................................................72 !3 INTRODUCTION A great thing about modern style is that things have relaxed somewhat from the 'old days'. We no longer have to put on a suit, tie, and hat just to go out in public. However, in some cases, we men (as well as women) have gotten a little too comfortable. There are still boundaries, and people will have far more respect for you if you look like you've made an effort to dress appropriately. Because dressing appropriately means that you respect them—and yourself. Comfort has never been a justification for looking subpar. If we're honest, wearing a leather jacket, jeans, and decent shoes is no less comfortable than wearing a track suit and trainers. It can be frustrating when you're dressed well and see other guys wearing their pyjamas in public. You may think, 'Why did I bother?' It's times like these when you need to remind yourself: You bothered because you cared. And rest assured that there ARE people who care that you care. Here's the bonus: When you dress for success, your self-confidence will soar. It never fails. !4 FIT The Single Most Important Aspect of Any Garment You might agree with me on this: 'Colour, price, and brand have nothing to say when you’re buying a new shirt or a pair of trousers … … IF the fit is totally wrong for you.’ With that said: Regardless of your body shape or posture, determining if a garment has the right fit is easy. In fact, you can be an expert at it by the end of this chapter. Just follow the remarkably simple guidelines below: Why You Need to Know More Than 'W × L' When Buying Trousers There’s more to buying pants than just getting the waist and length measurements right, but fortunately, not much more. As you’ll see here: The waist measurement of your pants is indicated with a 'W', and it's the measurement around your waist, at the top of your hipbones. The length is also called the inseam; regardless, it's indicated with an 'L' on your jeans tag. This is the measurement from the crotch seam to the hem. Ideally, the leg should end approximately an inch above the sole of your foot. If you’re wearing shoes, the hems of the pants should rest on top of your shoes, creating one fold or break in the leg fabric. Besides the width and length, we also have the cut and the rise. The cut isn’t so much of a measurement as it is an ambiguous standard that indicates the shape of the leg. Trouser cuts are commonly divided into straight, tapered, slim, and skinny. Straight legs are of the same width from the knees to the hems, while tapered legs get slightly narrower from the knee down. Tapered pants have the most classic cut and, if you have an average body build, would probably be most flattering to you. !5 Slim and skinny pants have narrower thighs in addition to being tapered, with the skinny cut having the tightest fit. Unless you have the physique of a marathon runner, skinny pants can easily get too tight. Fashion and personal preference have also created different rise measurements. The rise is basically the length of your fly. We typically distinguish among low-, regular-, and high-rise pants, with a regular rise being the most classic and the best-looking. The waistline of pants with a regular rise typically sits two inches below your belly button. For shorts, the waist and rise guidelines are the same as they are for pants. Also, if you wear straight-leg or tapered pants, you’ll typically look good in regular shorts as well. The best length for your shorts all depends on one thing: Do you have thin or muscular legs? If you have thin legs, your shorts should end at the top of your knee, while muscular legs look best in mid-thigh shorts. Your shorts length should be in proportion to your legs. !6 !7 How a Wristwatch Can Help You Decide If Your Shirt Fits Asking your average retail employee if your shirt fits is like asking an insurance salesman if you need any insurance … They’ll both say, 'Yes!' Well, it might not be that bad, but the best thing to do when trying on shirts— or any type of garment—is to rely upon your own judgement. The first thing to do after you’ve put on a shirt, is to button all its buttons; however, leave it untucked—you’ll see why below. You can only check if the collar is the right size when you have buttoned it up (like you would if you were wearing a tie or bow tie). To check the collar, simply insert two fingers between it and your neck. If the collar is still comfortable to wear without being too tight or loose, it’s the right size. At the same time, you'll want to check the fabric at the back, especially right under the collar. An ill-fitting shirt will form a fold here, while the fabric of a good shirt will lie flat across the back when you’re standing straight. The shoulders and chest are next. Here, it’s important that the shoulder actually ends where you can feel the end of your shoulder bone … … not on top of it and not on the side of it. If the shirt is too tight across the chest, the fabric won't lie flat between the buttons, and you'll see the front placket being pulled on. A correctly sized shirt shouldn’t show any of this, and the fabric should lie flat and relaxed without sagging. We’ll move downwards to the arms, where we check the length of the shirtsleeves. They should reach down to your hands, but no further. The cuffs should also be roomy enough to accommodate you wristwatch, so make sure to wear your watch when shopping. If the cuffs are too tight, they won't fall naturally onto your hands. This creates a less-than-ideal look—especially when wearing a suit jacket or blazer — as all you'll see are bare wrists where the cuffs should be. All you have left to check now is the cut and the length of the shirttails. Shirttails first. They should reach down over your butt, or to the bottom of your fly. Any higher and you’ll have a problem keeping that shirt tucked in. Speaking of tucking, next you want to tuck the shirt in and check the cut. A shirt with the right cut for you should not balloon when it’s tucked into your trousers. !8 However, it shouldn't be so snug that you have to suck in your stomach, either. !9 !10 The All-Important Half-Inch Rule of Suit Jackets and Blazers The important thing when trying on blazers and suit jackets is: Wear a dress shirt when doing so. This is because you can only check the sleeve length when you wear a shirt underneath. But … … before we move on to the sleeves, we need to make sure that the shoulders sit where they should. Again, the shoulder seams should lie along the edge of your shoulder bone. If you get this right, a good tailor can modify practically everything else to fit you. But why not make sure that your off-the-rack jacket has a tailored fit without sending it to the tailor? That's why the next thing you'll want to check is the back—as with your shirt— to make sure that there’s no fold forming under the jacket collar. The sleeves are next, and now you’ll see why it's so important to wear a shirt. The jacket's sleeves should expose about a half-inch of shirt cuff; any less, and your jacket will look too big. Now we'll move on to the lapels. These should lie flat across your chest when you’ve buttoned your jacket (see Page 64 on how to button different suit jackets and blazers). If the lapels bulge out and leave a gap, the jacket is too small, and you should try a larger size. While you’re at it, makes sure there’s no pulling on the buttons, as this indicates a too-narrow cut. Finally, let's check the length of the jacket. If everything else fits, this is most likely okay. But if you want to double-check, the bottom of the jacket should reach down to the bottom of your fly—no lower or higher. !11 !12 Coats and Jackets: The Easiest Garments to Get Right Jackets and coats are one of the garments men buy the least frequently; that’s why … … we need to make sure that the fit is absolutely perfect. There seems to be some confusion about how a coat—or jacket, for that matter—should fit. The truth is that it shouldn’t sag or look roomy. If that’s what you’ve come to expect from a coat or jacket in order for it not to restrict your movements, the fault is most likely in the design of the garment, rather than the fit. Shop around and try on different brands and sizes before buying, and you’ll see that there’s a wide variety in fit and comfort.