This post is all about the most important fashion rules for men.
1. The rule of thirds
When I became interested in clothing, the rule of thirds was one of the things I learned. I remember learning about the golden triangle in my teenage school years, but I didn’t know that it applied to clothing as well as to paintings.
While the rule of thirds and the golden ratio aren’t exactly the same, we can, for ease of us, say that the rule of thirds is a simplification of the golden triangle.
So what is this rule of thirds? The rule states that your outfit should have a form where the top part of your outfit forms 1/3 of the outfit and the bottom part forms 2/3 of your outfit. This division will form an aesthetically pleasing composition of your outfit.
The rule was first coined and written down by painter and writer John Thomas Smith in 1797. Although painters like Raphael already in the 16th century started to divide his canvases into thirds, suggesting that he did understand the value of using this to his benefit when creating paintings.
To start practising this rule, try tucking in your shirt. This will, in most cases, help you come close to the 1/3 to 2/3 composition. And if you want to take it further, start experimenting with high-waisted trousers, which can further elevate and use the rule of thirds to your advantage.
2. Be well-dressed, not fashionable
It’s easy when entering the “fashion” world to get taken by excitement and start overdoing everything. From accessories, trendy items and expensive designer items. And let me be clear, this excitement is something you should nourish. But it’s always more important to be well-dressed than fashionable.
“Fashion is about dressing according to what’s fashionable. Style is more about being yourself.” — Oscar de la Renta
Being well-dressed doesn’t require following trends. When looking at a person who’s well dressed, you can often tell that they are comfortable in what they are wearing. That should be the goal more than anything. But be aware that growing can be uncomfortable, as in other parts of your life, going outside your comfort zone can be uncomfortable.
If you want to come to a place where you enjoy your clothes, I think it is required to go through some stages where you try out different types of clothes. This phase is uncomfortable because you either dress more formally, casually or use new accessories. Stick with it.
3. Stick to neutral colours
Neutral colours, together with the rule of thirds, must be some of the most talked-about rules in men’s fashion. Although when your clothing journey evolves, you most likely will think less of neutral colours, I think it has its place at the start of a personal style journey. It gives you a great foundation to explore and try out different types of shapes and garment compositions.
The rule is nothing more than it recommends you stick to neutral colours for the majority of your clothing items. Neutral colours involve colours like:
- White
- Beige
- Brown
- Brown
- Olive green
- Navy blue
The benefit of neutral colours is that they all harmoniously match with each other. This makes it easier to put together a cohesive outfit. Dressing well becomes a lot easier when you start to build most of your wardrobe around neutral colors.
Personally, I still remember the time when I started to replace my striped and loud teenage clothing with more toned-down pieces. Immediately, my friends started complimenting my outfits, which had never happened before. Although most of the compliments probably came because of the contrast, which was so big from my earlier bad clothing style. But I’ll take it either way. If you feel like all your wardrobe consists of is loud colours, I recommend trying some more muted neutral colours. I guess you will like it.
4. Invest in quality
What is even quality? With this headline, I don’t suggest you only buy the most expensive designer item. High price isn’t always correlated to quality, although in most cases, you get higher quality items if you pay more.
This rule is more about being mindful of purchases. Instead of buying one new sweater every 6 months, try saving up and buying a high-quality knitted sweater that can last you for many years!
Here are the types of items where I would recommend spending a bit more to get good quality items:
- Wool overcoats
- Suits
- Knit sweaters
- Shoes
If you buy a cheap overcoat with a lot of polyester, the only thing you will get is something that looks bad in a couple of years. On the other hand, a 100% wool coat has the opportunity to look great for decades. Buy a vintage wool overcoat; this can be up to 80-90% lower in price compared to a new wool overcoat.
I have written a post about which 5 pairs of quality shoes I will suggest investing in here.
5. Don’t be afraid of the tailor (he is your best friend when building your wardrobe
Before, when I inherited clothes from my brothers or my dad, I often had the problem of the trousers being too big. So I ended up donating them. But then I suddenly learned that I could take the trousers to a tailor and get them to fit me perfectly. For me, this was kind of a “before-and-after moment”. From that moment, I have been to the tailor with a lot of different clothing items, and it always makes the items feel so much better afterwards.
I will be clear: The tailor is not only for suits and people with a lot of money. The tailor is for everyone. Got a pair of jeans that have always been too long, take them to the tailor and he or she can take up the hem for 10-20 bucks.
Nothing will elevate your personal style as much as starting to get your clothes fitted perfectly to you. Clothes in the stores today are designed to suit the biggest possible group of people, so they often end up suiting everyone very mediocrely and no one really well. This is what the tailor can help you with.
