Author: George Baker
Five Clothing Tips For Men
- Materials, construction, and fit are much more important than the brand
- Go for a classic style
- Quality over quantity
- Dress for your environment
- Never buy anything without research
1. Materials, construction, and fit
It is more important to consider the materials, construction, and fit of a piece of clothing than the brand. Just because an item has a particular brand label—e.g., Armani Exchange—does not mean that it is worth its price. Expensive does not equal high quality.
Materials
A lot of cheaply made clothes and footwear are manufactured using synthetic fibres like polyester and acrylic. I would recommend avoiding the aforementioned materials in most garments except outerwear—i.e., coats and jackets—and sportswear.
Construction
Most clothes are machine stitched in a factory. Handmade clothes often have a superior construction—e.g., suits—but this can have a big impact on price.
Fit
I recommend learning your key measurements—e.g., chest size. Ill-fitting clothing and footwear—no matter the quality, price, or any other variable—is not worth it.
2. Go for a classic style
The big advantage of a classic style is that it will never go out of fashion: suits, blazers, shirts, and a classic pear of jeans will always make a man look stylish.
I recommend avoiding so-called “fashion forward” items for two reasons:
- they are often cheaply made and not to last;
- trends die out quickly.
I also recommend investing in versatile pieces of clothing—e.g., neutral colours—because they can be worn often.
3. Quality over quantity
From experience, I think that it is better to buy one quality clothing item—which might be expensive—rather than multiple cheaper ones.
Avoid impulse purchases. I have a rule: if I want something, I add it to a list; if that item is still on said list after two weeks, I can afford it, and it’s a good investment, I buy it. A good investment is something that will often be worn; think about the cost-per-wear.
4. Dress for your environment
Outfit choice should heavily depend on the climate you find yourself in. E.g., I live in the UK where it often rains; my clothing should reflect that. It is also important to note that dressing practically does not mean you have to compromise on style; in fact, function and style can often go hand in hand—look at the iconic Burberry trench coat.
I think it is also helpful to consider the original purpose of certain items of clothing and footwear. E.g., Converse were originally designed as basketball shoes—it is therefore no wonder they are completely impractical as everyday footwear.
5. Never buy anything without research
Avoid buying items of clothing and footwear based solely on looks. I highly recommend researching a particular item of clothing before you decide whether to buy it.
Use Reddit to find out what other people think of a certain brand or product—just Google search “best men’s insert item reddit”, or “is a insert item worth it reddit”, or “quality of x brand reddit”. Sometimes, there can be lots of conflicting opinions on Reddit. Therefore, I recommend using it as a source of opinions rather than truth. Having said that, I have found the r/malefashionadvice subreddit to be quite useful.
For researching footwear, the best place on the internet is without a doubt the YouTube channel Rose Anvil. He literally cuts shoes in half, explains what is in them, and offers his expert opinion on if they are worth it.
Another YouTube channel that I highly recommend is The Gentleman’s Gazette which offers detailed content about classic men’s style. I particularly like their series of videos called “Is it worth it?”.