Five Commandments Of Mens Fashion

By: Hendrik Pohl

Less flashier than the ladies' arena, men's fashion is a much simpler world. With fewer choices to go on, you also have less what-ifs to worry about. If you're not as stylish as you want to be, here are five simple rules to live, and dress by to help you get started.

Find a Tailor
Tailors are something of deities in the world of men's fashion. With shears and thread in hand, they can emphasize any asset, hide any flaw and make you look as close as you can get to those photos in the glossies. So find a good tailor and stick by him and his advice.

Besides, the fashionable man doesn't go to his tailor only for suits. He gets pants and shirts made (or at least altered) there. New jackets must be subject to modifications at the hands of the craftsman. Jeans should get hemmed and fixed to fit snugly. You should be wearing your clothes, not the other way around, and your tailor helps you do just that.

Get Your Fit
Why are tailors so important? Because a good fit is priceless. Regardless of the era or prevailing statement in men's fashion, none of it will look good unless the fit is right. Never settle for any piece of clothing that doesn't fit you the way it should. Buying an ill-fitting pair of denims or a shirt one size too big is just wasting money.

Before going to the store, know your size. Different brands have different sizing schemes, and what's Large for one retailer might just be a Medium for another. Nevertheless, make it a point to fit the clothes before buying and to always take one last look at the mirror. The mirror is the final test to see if any piece of clothing is worth buying. If it looks good when it's actually on you, it's time to queue up at the checkout counter.

Invest in Quality
Premium men's fashion is expensive for a reason, and it's not just the advertising hype. The best brands always have history and craftsmanship behind them that make their stuff worth the sky-high price tags. There's an unquantifiable benefit when a silk tie is hand-rolled by a third generation craftsman, or a suit is assembled by a century-old brand.

That's what you're paying for. That, plus the fact that quality goods look better and last longer. You'd do better to invest in just a few premium pieces than innumerable generic ones from the clearance rack at Target.

Start Caring
Discipline is often associated as a male quality, and you'll need it if you're going to take your clothes seriously. High-end men's fashion demands for a near-religious level of maintenance, and it's time you started learning the ropes. Start by familiarizing yourself with the common terms on care labels, and then actually following them.

Each article of clothing in your wardrobe needs one method or another of maintenance. Shoes need to be put on shoe trees and regularly conditioned. Silk neckties need to be sent to a fabric specialist every so often. Tailored suits should be handled by dry cleaners and no one else. It's a long list of rules to follow if you want to make your clothes last.

Play Matchmaker
If you weren't a dab hand with mixing colors back in art class, that has to change now. Since men's fashion uses individual pieces instead of the ladies' gowns and dresses, you have to be able to put together shirts with ties, pants with socks and so on.

Read through art books and primers, as most of them have guides on matching colors and patterns. Stick a color wheel near your closet, if you're rarely sure of which shade or hue to get. Don't put off learning this, else you'll be wasting time matching ties to shirts every morning.

Yes, men's fashion can get complicated. These rules simplify just a small part of the big picture. At the end of the day, the only rule you'll have to remember is to wear whatever it is that looks good in the mirror.