Wednesday, May 1, 2013

4 STEPS IN BUILDING A NEW WARDROBE


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.

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