Being stylish, or simply having your ‘own style’ is far easier and more sustainable than being ‘fashionable.’ Your style should reflect your taste and your personality. Here are 5 easy steps to finding your style and sticking with it
1 Find your fit
It’s hard to be stylish if you’re wearing clothes that don’t fit well. Some people are blessed with an ‘off-the-peg’ body shape but not many. If you can afford to get your clothes tailored then great, but if not, don’t be afraid to visit an alterations shop. For under £50 you can get minor alterations that will transform the way your clothes fit you. Don’t under-estimate the importance of this. The devil’s in the detail, so if you’re wearing a gorgeous jacket but the sleeves are too long or the shoulders are too big, it ruins the look.
Finally, be aware of what God gave you. If you’re tall and slim, avoid stripes and skin-tight clothes as will over-exagerate your shape and could make you look like a pencil! If you’re short and stocky think the opposite. Anything over-sized or baggy adds unnecessary weight and bulk.
2 Signature pieces
One of the best things about being a man is that you can have a capsule wardrobe with classic pieces and remain stylish for years. If your invest in well-made clothes that are a good fit and you feel good in, you can’t go far wrong. From evening wear through to beachwear, less is more. A selection of well-fitted shirts, trousers, jeans and jackets, picked well, can create dozens of outfits. Not only does this make your life easier, people will start to recognise your style and the way you chose to identify yourself. Having a couple of colour palettes makes creating your outfits easier as well, bringing me on to the next point!
3 Find your colour palette
Start by picking a colour palette that suits your skin tone and hair colour. You may think this is harder than it sounds, and is probably why a lot of men stick to navy, as it suits almost everyone. If you’re dark skinned you can wear bright, bold colours but you can also get away with light greys and colours that can wash a paler person out. If you have a pink complexion or are a red-head, you want to avoid pinks, reds and oranges. Olive green and more earthy tones work well on pink skin. If you have light skin and fair hair, pastel colours will look great on you. One in ten men are colourblind, so don’t be disheartened if you’re still not sure what colours work for you. You can get your colours done by a professional, but if you follow these basic rules it's quite easy.
4 Have a style icon This can make your life so much easier! I’d recommend finding someone who has a similar body shape and skin tone to you, and looking at what you think looks good on them. It’s important that you pick someone that dresses how you would like to dress. If you try and copy a style that doesn’t come naturally to you, you won’t feel comfortable in it, and therefore you won’t look good in it. So much of style is confidence. You want your style to reflect your personality, so that when people look at you and take in their first impressions, they get a sense of who you are.
5 Accessorise Accessorising is one of the easiest ways to add ‘style’ to an outfit. I see a lot of men shying away from this for fear of ‘peacocking.’ You don’t have to be flamboyant to have style. Adding a simple pocket square to a navy suit and a colourful pair of socks immediately turns a suit into an outfit. A pair of good sunglasses, a hat, braces, monk strap shoes… the list goes on and you can be more bold as your confidence builds. There’s a reason accessorising is also called styling…
