The thing about being 30 is that we are neither too young
nor too old. When it comes to dressing up, we tend to oversee our actual age
and act (and dress) the age we feel like. I think it’s okay up to a certain
point. But when we start to feel like we have to start acting according to our
age, show a higher level of maturity, demand respect, or play the game with the
grown-ups, a proper decorum is expected. We have to dress the part!
If you are easily affected by impressions and perceptions,
then you have to start to worry on how you look.
I know, I know, some of you will go on saying your
I-am-what-I-am-and-I-can-wear-whatever-I-like speech but I think, by now, we
should have established who we are and at the same time reside on the fact that first
impressions last. “Countless communication studies have shown a man’s visual
appearance is initially more powerful than what he says; ignore your wardrobe
at your own risk.”
I think, that the
real dilemma here is not the fear of looking like a competent person. Men are naturally stubborn to dress beyond their comfort zone. I have styled regular men a number of times and most of them are half-hearted to let go of their baggy pants and loose t-shirts. While it is true that our personal style
should not be undervalued, let’s face
it, at 30, we are expected to act and dress according to a certain standard. So
in order to marry personal style from your 20-something bygone decade with your
matured 30-something self, I thought of 4 guidelines to help men my age in starting/fixing/improvng
their own wardrobe.
1.
Identify your style.
If at 20, you ‘ve experimented with looks
and styles, at 30 you should have found the one and modified it to how it best suits
you.
At 20, I also experimented with several
looks. I loved dressing up in different characters
which kind of messed up my wardrobe
causing a severe case of style schizophrenia. My daily style hop from grungy skater to trashy metal to DIY’d punk. I
would also channel Japanese street style most of the time, and on special
(dressier) occasions, I would look like a post-raver clubkid. With all these
party going on in my closet, I noticed I was drawn more into the edgy statement-pieces.
I also have quite a number of basic black pieces which remains my base as I layer
(if the weather would allow me to). My style have aIways been with youth
subculture references and I intend to keep some as much as aging allows me to. Our
personal style when worn consistently gives us our signature look and creates
our personal identity. Take note of this factor as we create our personal
uniform.
2.
Create a personal uniform.
At 30, you probably identified which items
in your closet you use more often than any of the others. It could be that
pants that slims and elongates your leg, or a shirt with that slim collar detail
that you love , or perhaps that blazer that gets you a lot of compliments from
wearing. If you look and feel good in
it, then it must be working, right? So why wear anything else?
Narrow down your wardrobe options with the
items that best fits you. Consider, however the work environment and the
lifestyle you choose to have. Add variety
in the guise of color, details, theme or brand. Begin defining separate wardrobes
based on your needs, and keep a handful of crossover pieces to bridge the gaps.
Creating a personal uniform has a lot of
advantages- mostly for convenience. It makes dressing time faster and relieves
you the stress of what to wear every morning. It also makes shopping easy,
choosing only items that will go well with your other clothes. To keep your
wardrobe interesting add or choose items with touches of your preferred
personal style. As in my case, buttondowns with subtly studded collars may take
the place of a studded leather choker.
(How to Create A Personal Uniform deserves
another blogpost, so stay close.)
3.
Refine.
The point of dressing up your age is to
show competence at first glance. Whichever
style you decide to carry on, keep everything refined. Achieving a refined look involves sharp editing
of your wardrobe. Always keep in mind that less is more. If rocker style
interests you as well, keep it details subtle. A classic biker jacket over a plain gray shirt
and dark jeans may look more age appropriate than wearing a studded biker
jacket , cut-off shirts, torn jeans and piles of chain accessories. We can
still enjoy the rad look as long as we keep it controlled.
Another secret to refinement is to streamline
your wardrobe and eliminate everything loud. (Aw! That hurts!) It took me a painful while to pack away my
statement pieces. Though I know, that sometime in the future, those studded
denim jackets I DIY’d will come in handy, it is in my best interest that we part
ways for now. Streamlining your wardrobe eliminating everything that is unnecessary
will help you start fresh. It will help you realize items that you may (or may
not) need. Perhaps a rockstar-ish watch (instead of spiked armbands) to pair
with your crisp white shirt + jeans , or a skull print Alexander McQueen pocket
square to go with your gray blazer. Refinement also extends to grooming. If you
once rocked long pony-tailed hair, maybe it’s time to pay your barber a visit
now that your hair is receding. Keep
everything simple and the details subtle. Show that your taste, appearance and manner
has improved.
4. Upgrade.
Let’s pretend for a second that all our
hardwork for the last 10 years are for a better and comfortable life. Let’s
pretend that we’ve achieved improvement in our life compared to bumming out
infront of TV eating chips and smoking from bong. When entering the third
decade in life, it would not hurt to treat yourself the littlest luxury you can
afford. It helps other people’s perception towards us if we ante our wardrobe a
notch.
Brands and prices are of importance at this
point. And so is quality. Though it is true that style cannot be bought, you
should be able to at least afford higher priced items than what your 20-year old
self used to buy.
We know Levi’s is the standard of cool in denimwear,
but adding some brands like A.P.C. or 7 For All Mankind in the mix increases style quotient. While Topman offers
affordable, trendy and fast fashion for boys, investing on a pricier high-quality
tweed blazer from Neil Barret may be a better choice. And while Sperrys works
in men of any age, grabbing yourself a real Italian leather shoes will clearly
separate men like you from the boys.
It is perhaps the right time to own investment
pieces like watches, belts, shoes, bags and coats. Since they’re expensive, you don’t have to own a lot. They
also come in handy when closing deals, attending parties or meeting prospective dates.
Rememeber, that when in doubt, always dress a half-step more crisply than everyone else,
regardless of the situation.
Sources:
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