Some menswear influencers and style experts will tell you that clothes have no deeper meaning. That dressing well is just a hobby, an interest for personal amusement, but nothing more than that.
Many regular guys will see it as a virtue not to dress well. As if it makes you less of a man if you care about your garments and your visual expression; that it’s all vanity and that you’re a better person if you just don’t care about what you put on.
But I’m here to tell you that style matters! For men, women, the young, the old, everyone.
Not only does it open up more opportunities in life. It also makes the world a more beautiful place. There are certain traditions in menswear that we can follow, continuing a legacy created by our ancestors, tailors and visionaries of the past.
We can also play around with our style – we can break certain ‘rules’, come up with new ideas, play around with various combinations. The important act is creating a visual identity; contributing to the beauty and aesthetics in our community and in the world around us.
Benefits of improving your personal style
There can be no doubt that dressing well improves life on a personal basis.
You will get better service everywhere you go. People tend to respect you more. Your words carry more weight in conversations.
Good personal style shows self-respect and others notice. We could argue that dressing better is the easiest way to improve your life. There may be other ways you can improve your life more (having better manners, getting into shape, working more efficiently), but none are as easy as simply buying better clothes.
What is good style, really?
Good style can be defined as tasteful elegance. That you dress in quality fabrics, with clothes that fit you (neither too tight nor too loose), and that you add a personal touch to your style.
This can be accomplished in a variety of ways. It doesn’t necessarily have to be formal.
Obviously, wearing a suit is the easy way to go. The path is laid out for you. There are many traditions in terms of how you wear the suit, so you just have to follow them – and make sure the fit is right, of course. The suit already carries a connotation of professionalism and excellence, so half the work is already done for you.
But you can have good style in terms of casual clothes, too.
In the autumn, a nice wool sweater with chinos and suede boots can look very sophisticated and clean.
In the summer, a striped t-shirt with colourful shorts and loafers can look really cool.
Combining the right colours and textures, making sure the fit is right, and wearing clothes with confidence – those are the key factors to good style, whether formal or not. Formal clothes are right for formal occasions; and casual clothes are right for informal occasions (which is most of the time).
Even workwear can look really good when conditions call for it, and when everything works in terms of fit, colour and texture. The same goes for streetwear and just about every category of style.
The effects it has on others
Good style tends to inspire others. Again, you usually get better treatment everywhere you go, and that’s because people notice your style and see that you have some self-respect.
Sometimes you get outright compliments. Other times, people won’t say anything, but seeing you in an inspiring outfit might be their first reminder that style matters.
Style is a visual expression we are all exposed to. It is more important than art, music and literature because we are all exposed, all the time. The clothes we wear send a signal to the world about who we are, what our values are. And we all notice subconsciously. Clothes provide a powerful first impression. It can be good or bad, depending on the type of style we follow, and how well we execute it. But it certainly has an effect.
If everyone dressed well, the world would be more beautiful. When we look at old pictures and videos of the past, we tend to think that society was a better place. That’s not necessarily true, but because people used to dress more meaningfully, and because the architecture was more inspiring, we get the impression that it was a better time. But there’s no reason why we cannot do the same today.
What does dressing well say about a person?
Dressing well gives a clear signal that you respect yourself and refuse to settle for less. That you’re a man of consequence, and that aesthetics play a role in your life, in a positive and meaningful way.
That doesn’t mean someone without good style is a bad person. It is certainly not the case.
A lot of men don’t care about style because they already have enough to deal with.
Others are simply not aware of the importance of clothes; perhaps they’ve never felt the pleasure of dressing nicely and therefore never experienced the benefits. Sometimes we need to be reminded of aesthetic virtue. And that’s the entire point of this site: To show that good taste in clothes can, in fact, be a masculine virtue and have very positive effects on ourselves and the world around us.
Where to start
Perhaps you’re already a well-dressed man. In that case, keep going strong 🫡
If you’re new to menswear, well, you’ve come to the right place. We are about to publish many content pieces on style. Mostly following classic traditions, but sometimes with a modern touch. Feel free to browse through the site and follow our updates on social media platforms!